Amelia Katarzyna is here!

In the grand tradition of me totally slacking at updating this blog, it dawned on me that I haven't made my big announcement here...

I had my baby!!!! Amelia Katarzyna was born 9/8 at 8:24 pm, 4 weeks premature. She was 7 pounds, 2 ounces and 20 1/4 inches long. Other than some eating issues, she is doing extremely well. We were able to leave the hospital with her after 2 days!

Being at home has been a little challenging. She spits up a lot, but has plenty of wet & poopy diapers and is gaining weight, so that's good. She does have a lot of gas and possibly reflux, so we're dealing with that.

Otherwise, we're doing fine. Sleep deprived, but fine. : ) Please visit her blog at http://pontusfamily.blogspot.com/!

Hehehe, yeah!

I seem to be updating this blog about every other month, at best. My only excuse is that I devote more time to my pregnancy site: http://pontusfamily.blogspot.com. So if you get tired of waiting for an update here, check there!

I'm 25 weeks along and the baby is growing and doing really well. SHE is a great kicker and seems to be really active! I love feeling her kicks...I feel like we're bonding. Alex felt her kick for the first time on Mother's Day, so that was a cool experience. We're already acquiring a LOT of girl clothes, I just can't seem to help myself! It's too fun shopping.

I did have a little scare this week though. I won't go into details (mostly because I'm too lazy), but I'll save everyone the trouble and cut to the chase. Basically I have a bacterial infection and am on antibiotics. They're totally safe for the baby (and my mom found out that taking them can actually reduce the risk of pre-term labor and premature birth) and so far I seem to be feeling better. I'm just glad we caught it and we're treating it.

So, that's about it...for now!

I suck

I really suck at keeping this blog updated. Oh well.

Happy Mother's Day! It's weird to be celebrating this holiday that all my life (so far) has been about other people. My husband is giving me an awesome spa day tomorrow...I get a pre-natal massage, facial, and mani/pedi. I am so excited! The day has been pretty good, considering our electricity went out at 6 am and didn't come back on until about 2:30 this afternoon! It was pretty darn funny to watch my dad & Alex cook us breakfast without power. It's definitely a memorable holiday.

Tomorrow is the big day--I find out if I have a penis or a vagina inside of me! Our appointment is at 9:30 am, and I am counting the seconds. After we (hopefully) find out what we're having, we're going to register and then I have my spa day. Oh yeah, I guess it's pretty obvious we took the day off work. It's going to be freaking awesome.

Things have been going well. I'm having pretty intense back pain, but overall I feel great! I still have heartburn/acid reflux, but it's not really interfering with my day to day life. My belly is getting HUGE, and I've only gained 4 pounds even though I'm halfway through the pregnancy. I'm happy. I'm eating more healthy than ever, and will start swimming soon. This baby is definitely active. I've felt flutters for a long time, but the past week has been insane! The baby is full-on kicking and doing gymnastics inside my uterus. The funny thing is, every time Alex puts his hand on my tummy to feel the baby, it stops moving! Tricky baby.

In case it takes me a while to update this site with the sex of the baby, check out my pregnancy site tomorrow night! http://pontusfamily.blogspot.com

Catching Up

Oops, I did it again!

So I've been extremely lazy about blogging. I'm going to blame it on the pregnancy and how tired I've been. Oh, and the new job! Yes, I just couldn't possibly blog. But it's a new day, and I'm waiting for Alex to come back from running errands, so I'm sneaking a few minutes to update my blog.

First and foremost, the baby is doing well. I am either 13w1d or 13w4d (depending upon which ultrasound you go by). 3 days really only matters in the mind of the pregnant woman, so I'm going with 13w4d! We have our next appointment on April 9, when we will (hopefully) hear the heartbeat. And we have our BIG ultrasound scheduled for May 12 (the day AFTER Mother's Day) when we'll find out if we have a boy or girl! We are super excited for that. I've been feeling OK. I'm basically out of the 1st Trimester, and other than being really tired still, most of the uncomfortable symptoms have weakened. I am full-on in Maternity clothes now. I still have the lovely pregnancy acne (blech!), and I'm in the "I'm so hungry I can eat your face" phase. I haven't gained any weight yet, but I know it's just a matter of time now!

We LOVE our new jobs!!! It's a shame they aren't permanent, but we are enjoying them while we can. We're hoping the project lasts until right up to when the baby comes, but we have a Plan B in case. Everyone is so nice there! All my bosses know I'm pregnant and they've been great about it. So far, none of the other workers have said anything about it yet...I think they're probably not sure if I'm pregnant or just chubby so they don't want to be rude. I know it won't be long until the whole world knows! Anyway, it is really exhausting re-joining the working force pregnant. We get up a lot earlier than we did in KC, and by the time we get home all I want to do is eat and go to bed! Besides the exhaustion, I've been dealing with back pain. It's horrendous! It starts hurting half way through the work day, and by the time dinner is over I feel like crying. The back pain, from what I understand, really won't go away until this little one joins us in the outside world...so I need to learn to live with it. Yay.

Easter was really fun this year. We went over to my Aunt's house and had lots and lots of good food. I think I had about 3 helpings of everything! Baby Brendan was there, cute as ever. I love having babies in the family again. It just breathes new life into everyone. Alex made Brendan smile some more...we got some cute pictures that I'll have to add later (they're uploaded to the desktop and I'm on the laptop).

Last night was the first night I was up (& out!) past 9 in a loooooooooong time! Alex & I had dinner with our friends Sean and Tahli at their place. We hadn't seen each other since our wedding!!! Insane. Tahli is also pregnant, due the beginning of July. She's so cute! It was awesome hanging out with them, and so fun to be around another pregnant woman so we can complain and talk strategy! They're having a boy. Sean made yummy manicotti, bruschetta, and salad. It was so delicious!!! We've made plans to hang out with them again, and plans for our kids to hang out! : ) Our first play-dates! Yay for reconnecting with old friends!

I promise I'll upload pictures later. But for now, my husband has brought me half of Season 1 of The Tudors and it's calling my name!!!

A letter to my unborn child...

Dear Baby Sweet Pea,

Your mommy and daddy love you very much and can't wait to meet you. We love that you are growing bigger and bigger every day. I don't even mind so much the constant heartburn and indigestion. Or the fact that Mommy is nauseous almost 10 hours a day. I don't resent at all that you are making me eat weird foods (macaroni & cheese with bacon), or that I can't seem to tolerate some of my favorite foods (chocolate, chicken, salads, eggs, etc.). All this is worth it in the end.

But could you pretty please with sugar on top let Mommy get some sleep at night??? I'm tired. I'm not even asking for a full, uninterrupted 8 hours a night. I understand that at some point, I will have to pee. But 3 or 4 hour blocks at a time would be really nice. I repeat: Mommy is tired. And when I get tired, I get even more cranky. And when I get cranky, I do and say not nice things to Daddy. So, really, for all of our good, let Mommy sleep!

I love you very much already,
Mommy
xoxoxoxo

P.S.--if you could cut back on the indigestion a bit, I'd appreciate that too.

Babies, "byes" and basketball

Thursday evening, my aunt and uncle had the fam over for dinner to say "Goodbye" to cousin Brad. He was passing through on his way to moving to Denver. Dinner was awesome! And of course it's always good to see the fam. This was the first time they'd seen me since I announced I'm pregnant (except my cousins who had the baby). We had such a good time, hanging out and playing with baby Brendan. Alex and Brendan are actually BFFs now! Brendan could not stop smiling when Alex was holding him. It was the cutest thing ever!

Alex & I went to see "Semi Pro" on Friday. It was hilarious!!! Not my favorite Will Ferrell movie, but definitely worth seeing. AND I got to see the "Sex and the City" movie trailer!!!!!!!!!! I'm so excited for that!!!

This weekend we're kind of chilling. My dad's playing in bowling tournaments all weekend (GO, DAD!!!), and my mom seems to be getting yet another kidney stone. Argh. She goes to the doctor on Monday. I'm hoping we won't have to take her to the ER this weekend.

First day of training

Alex & I officially started work today. It was only training/orientation, but it's the first step to re-joining the work force! There will be 13 other people working with us...we didn't really have time to interact but hopefully we'll all get along. We also got to see our work stations. Fun stuff. We have training next Thursday & Friday, and then start on the case the following Monday. I can't wait! The commute downtown kind of stinks, but oh well.

Tomorrow the whole fam is going over to my aunt & uncle's house to see the new baby and to say "goodbye" to my cousin, Brad. He's moving to Denver for work. I'm really excited to see everyone. I'm sure I'll post again about it with pictures.

Friday Alex & I are going to see "Semi Pro"! We are so looking forward to that movie...can't wait!!!

I've been feeling really nauseous lately, and the heartburn and indigestion is pretty much lasting all day instead of just the evenings like it used to. Otherwise I'm feeling pretty good. I am definitely showing a little baby bump. I was told that since I'm short, I'll show fairly early since the baby doesn't have a lot of room to stretch out. Oh, the joys of being short! : )

7w6d...or whatever

I had a bit of a scare Tuesday night and Wednesday day.

Tuesday night I spotted a little after my shower. It was brown and looked like snot (sorry, TMI). It was the first time I'd spotted since I was pregnant. As if that wasn't enough to freak me out, then the cramps started. Right side, left side, lower back. Yep, I was officially worried. Alex was great about it and suggested we call the doctor in the morning. I tried to relax and sleep until I could actually do something about it.

Wednesday morning I was still cramping, but had only spotted the one time. I called the doctor and explained what happened. I honestly thought she would tell me it was totally normal and to just take it easy. Nope. I was told it was probably nothing but that they wanted to see me just to be sure, and to get there as soon as I could.

Now I was really freaked out. Alex and I got there and waited until they called my name. Peed in the cup, BP actually normal, gained .25 pounds. Fine. Wait some more.

Finally the doctor takes me in to get an ultrasound. I couldn't even look at the screen until she said "there's definitely a little guy in there." I looked and not only was Baby P's heart beating away, the baby had gotten bigger! The doctor told me that everything looked wonderful and the baby's heartbeat was really strong. I was supposed to be 7w5d, but the baby was measuring between 1-3 days ahead!

Basically everything was fine. The cramps are normal...just making room for the little baby! Brown blood is ok, pink/red blood is not. I felt a lot better being able to see the baby again, and to find out immediately that everything was fine instead of having to wait. I'm definitely going to relax more and not be so worried all the time. We go back in 3 weeks for our 10 week check up.

I'm doing alright. I'm constantly hungry, but nothing sounds good. I have heartburn from 6-ish to when I fall asleep, sometimes mixed in with indigestion and nausea. My boobs hurt (no, that's really not a strong enough word to describe how they feel) and I'm tired. But this is all normal, and I embrace these symptoms because I know it means everything is going the way it should. I'm bloated and my pants don't fit. I'm rocking either maternity pants or my regular pants with this amazing invention called the Tummy Sleeve. It's this band that covers your pants so you can wear them unbuttoned and/or unzipped. It's pretty much amazing!

Once again, keep the prayers coming!

Surprise!

I'm pregnant!!!

I took a HPT (home pregnancy test) on January 19 and it was positive...way positive. After an initial freak-out with Alex (we weren't even trying), I made an appointment with my doctor on Monday for a blood test. Of course, the blood test was positive!

We had our first appointment with the OB on Valentine's Day. We got to see the baby and its heartbeat! It was so incredible!!! The baby is doing well, and we're due October 3, 2008!

I started another blog all about the pregnancy...http://pontusfamily.blogspot.com/. I'm sure I'll post about it on this blog as well, but be sure to check out that site for updates!

We've only told our families and our closest friends at this point. We're not going to tell other people until after our next appointment on March 12. Most of the people who read this blog already knew I was pregnant, but for any of you who is finding out for the first time...PLEASE KEEP THIS TO YOURSELF!!! Do NOT out me on MySpace or Facebook. We will make it widely public when we are ready.

Also, if you're the praying kind, please add Baby P to your prayers.

Ramblings

I had a pretty good birthday, considering the near blizzard we had here! We didn't go out or anything because of the weather. Alex had rented a few movies so we spent a lot of time in bed, snuggling and watching them. It was nice! He bought me flowers--red roses & dark red callas like my wedding bouquet. My BFF Vivian sent me flowers too! A girl can't have too many flowers! And we had my favorite kind of cake--chocolate chip cookie cake!!! Mmmmmmm!!!

Saturday afternoon we went with my parents to see the new baby (and my cousin and her husband, of course). It was my parents first time seeing Brendan, and of course they're in love with him too! If it's possible, he's gotten even cuter since the last time I saw him. My mom was a baby hog and we had to make her hand Brendan over to the rest of us. She's like that with every baby. Alex FINALLY decided he would hold him...this was only the 2nd time he's ever held a baby. He did fine. I'm glad we have one to practice on before we have our own baby. I'm thinking I might go over again sometime this week to get my fix.

Alex & I found out that our jobs will probably start in 2 weeks. We've been waiting for so long to start, we're just really anxious to work!!!

After last week's snow, it was about 70 degrees today. It was nice. I can't wait for this kind of weather to be here for good. We took a walk around the subdivision and I was sweating! And we BBQ'd hamburgers for dinner. Come on, Spring!!!

New Changes

You may notice that I've changed my blog a bit. I also added pics. I figured 1) new year, new layout; and 2) things in my life are changing so why shouldn't my blog? : )

I'm an autie again!!! My cousin had a beautiful baby boy on January 11th. His name is Brendan Avery and I'm so in love with him! Mother and baby are doing excellent. Alex & I visited them in the hospital two times and will visit them again this weekend at home. I can't wait to see him...I'm, like, addicted!!! He makes Zoolander-like faces, and when I told him I would take him shopping when he gets a little older his eyes got wider! He's freaking awesome.

The day after we saw Brendan the first time, Alex and I got calls for an interview. The interview went well and we got the jobs! We're working on another temporary project for a big firm downtown and we're very excited. We should start sometime in February...they're waiting for the software to be uploaded and the workstations to be set up. We are definitely getting anxious, but trying to enjoy the last of our free time.

My 31st birthday is tomorrow. I feel alright about it. I'm not freaking out about getting older. I don't really think we're doing anything to celebrate. Alex & I were going to go out to dinner, but St. Louis is supposed to be getting at least 6 inches of snow tomorrow, so I'm not holding my breath. My parents already gave me a bunch of new clothes for my birthday...I really needed them for the new job!

So the next time I blog, I'll be a 31-year old!