Did Your Stomach Just Jump?

James felt the baby move for the first time this past Saturday. It was the cutest thing! I was laying on the couch with my hands on my stomach. He was sitting next to me, apparently looking at my stomach. Suddenly the baby kicked and James said “Did your stomach just jump?!” He immediately put his hands on my stomach to try and feel the baby, but I was laughing so hard at his “jumping stomach” comment he couldn’t tell the difference between my laughing and baby movements. Eventually the giggling stopped and The Papa was able to feel his son move. Amazing!

Frequently Asked Questions

The purpose of this blog is twofold: First, it’s an easy way to share information and pictures with family and friends; Second, it’s as close to journaling my pregnancy as I’m gonna come. I often look at those pregnancy journals and think how nice it would be to record the actual date I found out about the pregnancy and the first day I ever felt my baby kick. Then reality sets in and I realize this is me we’re talking about. As good as my intentions may be, I’ve just never been a faithful journaler. That said, this entry will focus on capturing some things I may enjoy remembering in the future. These are some of the “Frequently Asked Questions” I get (and enjoy sharing the answers to!) and might enjoy reminiscing over later on…maybe for the sake of comparing this pregnancy with a future pregnancy…maybe our son will inquire about some pregnancy detail…or maybe just to add more visual appeal to my scrapbook. Whatever the reason, here’s to my blog journal!

How did you tell James the news?

I had some pretty grandiose plans on how I was going to tell James I was pregnant. They all fell through the moment the test stick turned positive. I started shaking and the room started spinning. Once I could walk again, I grabbed my camera and took pictures of the positive test results (that was an integral part of my grandiose plans). It was around 5:00 on a Friday morning and James was still in bed. After getting some snapshots, I looked in the mirror and knew I couldn’t wait for another second to break the news to The Papa. So I started walking down the hallway toward the bedroom and James was just getting out of bed. He looked at me and said, “Are you pregnant?” I just shook my head yes. I was literally speechless.

Have you had any cravings or food aversions?

I haven’t had a lot of cravings. Lemon water has tasted amazing, so I suppose that counts. I’ve had several food aversions, though. I used to eat a banana nearly everyday; now, I can’t stand the smell or taste of bananas. Even before I knew I was pregnant I was weirded out because I brought some bananas to work with me – as was my usual habit - and ended up throwing them away because the site and smell of them grossed me out.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have concluded early on I was expecting…

They say some women begin to crave certain baby-related scents. Looking back, I realize this definitely happened to me. I try to buy a new car freshener once a month or so and I always get Vanilla. Before I found out I was pregnant, I bought Powder. I also usually keep a small, travel-size bottle of lotion in my purse. After conceiving but before getting a positive pregnancy result, I purchased a travel-size bottle of Johnson’s Baby Lotion to keep in my purse because it smelled SO good!

The other tell-tale sign I was pregnant was having to pee ALL THE TIME. The day I found out I was pregnant I was going to make a doctor’s appointment because I was convinced I had a bladder infection.

Have you had “Pregnancy Brain?”

Okay, this one I wasn’t prepared for. I had heard of it, but quite frankly figured it was an excuse. Today, I am a true believer in the curse of pregnancy brain. The worst thing I’ve done (so far) that I wholeheartedly blame on the pregnancy is leaving my house with bread baking in the oven. I realized it about 10 minutes after I’d left and I was mortified. I had to call my neighbor and ask her to go over to my house to take care of this fiasco before my house caught on fire. All I can say is Thank God for good neighbors!

Did you know it was a boy before the sonogram confirmed this?

In short, no. The Sunday before our 20-week sonogram I was at my grandparents watching some of my little cousins play, all of whom happen to be boys between the ages of 8 and 12. They were wrestling and rough housing around. I remember thinking “this baby has got to be a girl because God knows I can’t handle all the combat action little boys bring.” I grew up with sisters so wrestling around seems so violent. In all fairness I do have a brother, but with 20 years between us it’s not like we really grew up together. Plus he’s the perfect example of what I’m talking about. His life philosophy: anything can be turned into a gun or light saber with a little imagination. Low and behold, a few days later we find out it is indeed a boy. Joe, the pastor at our church, said it best: God won’t give you more than you can handle, but he might bring you pretty close to the edge.

Don’t get me wrong, though. I am so excited to be having a boy! Now, when I see boys wrestling for “fun,” I just have to take a deep breath, smile and realize I am about to embark on a journey of letting go. Of course this would be true of a girl, too, just maybe in a different way.

We Changed Our Minds...

...not about the baby, of course, but about the bedding. We're still going with a puppy theme and here are some new pics - enjoy!

It's a Boy!

We had our 20 week appointment today and found out it's a boy! The brain, heart, spine, bones and overall development look great - thank you God!

The Mommy and The Papa are just feeling so blessed by this news and were thankful for a peek into our baby's world (you can see these, too; just scroll down for more pics).

Now for a name...

20 Weeks

Half-Way There!

The Mommy and The Papa on Thanksgiving





















"Mimi" and The Mommy

















The Mommy and Aunt Holly
"Aunt Holly" is my cousin and our birthdays are 18 days apart. We're due one month apart and made a pact a while ago that we'd be pregnant together!

Help If You Can (un-baby-related)

Okay, I know this is a blog about Our Little Spud, but I need to cry out for help in every avenue possible right now. I just got a message from The Pet Connection, my favorite no-kill animal shelter, that $4,000 worth of their supplies were stolen last night. They are in desperate need of donations right now to make up for it. The supplies were going to be used to rescue an additional 15-40 pets each month, most of whom are scheduled to be euthanized for space considerations at other shelters.

I know first hand times are tough right now and I understand if you're not able to give, but if you are, please consider doing so at this time. Small gifts - $5-$10 - will help immensely. For many of us, that's means doing without a Starbuck's treat one morning. For TPC, it means lives are being saved right here in our community. I'm not trying to be dramatic and I know this sounds cliche, but this is the fact of the matter.

You can learn more about this fantastic facility by visiting their website: http://www.thepetconnection.net/.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Ami

Baby Bedding

Well, it's week 17 and things are moving right along! Not a whole lot to report. We picked out the baby bedding (see right). We're such animal lovers, so it's hard to imagine anything more appropriate!

We've been instructed to register before Christmas, and were curious to know what some of you may have registered for that you never used. And what are some of those things you registered for that you couldn't do without? Leave a comment and let us know!

Now That's Dedication!

From www.wmur.com:

Impending Birth Doesn't Stop Woman From Voting

NASHUA, N.H. -- Not even the imminent birth of her child could keep a Nashua woman from voting Tuesday morning.

When Shawna Fitzpatrick's water broke at 3 a.m. Tuesday, the family packed up their 20-month-old son and went not to the hospital but the Ledge Street School polling site. Fitzpatrick's mother, Darlene Towmey, said that Fitzpatrick wasn't in any pain, so she felt comfortable waiting for the polls to open.

A witness said that no one objected when Fitzpatrick explained her situation and was moved to the front of the line. She and her husband, James, voted before heading to Southern New Hampshire Medical Center.

Towmey said that the Fitzpatricks didn't know if they were having a boy or a girl, but shortly after 2 p.m., Shawna Fitzpatrick gave birth to a girl. Fitzpatrick said she named the baby Reagan Marie.

Week 16

Week 16. I can hardly believe it! It's been several weeks since I've been sick and I can now make it through the day without a nap, though I do still appreciate a little extra rest, especially on the weekends! All is right with the world, at least this little baby's world! We had our four-month check-up yesterday and the baby's got a really strong heartbeat. Our measurements still put us due on April 19.

Of course next month is the big news - finding out if it's a boy or girl! Our appointment is on Dec. 4, so look for our big news then. This assumes he/she cooperates, but I'm certain our child will always be cooperative...yeah, right...I'm sure, as so many of you have gleefully pointed out, James and I are in for some rude awakenings given our nice, quiet life of order. But that's okay. We're already in love with this baby more than words can express.

He/she has gotten big enough I began to feel movements over the weekend. Soon The Papa will be able to feel and then the child will have him wrapped around it's finger for life. For anyone who hasn't seen James talk about having a baby, he smiles so amazingly big. Truly from ear to ear!

My Better Half

It's week 15, which means we are into our second trimester and loving being pregnant more than ever! The morning sickness has subsided and some energy has returned. The latter of which is relative : )

My friends have been great, especially lately, and I want to say a few special thank you's to them. First of all, to Becky (my neighbor) who told me the other day I have that pregnancy glow. Wow - what a compliment! Up to that moment, I was pretty sure the pregnancy glow fairy had skipped right over me.

Also, thanks to my chiropractor who asked if I had lost weight. The answer is (or at least it was) a resounding yes, many thanks to the first trimester morning sickness.

Thanks to Jessica at work, who today told me I look "so cute." I've said this to many pregnant women in my life, but it's so different when you're the one enduring your clothes not fitting and seeing your body changing so much. I don't feel cute, but Jessica, you still made my day!

Last, but certainly not least, I want to publicly thank my wonderful husband for being so supportive, even when I'm a little pscyho and emotionally unstable. He's been absolutely great and I encourage him to teach a Husband 101 class. Not once has he invalidated my emotions...when I get upset because I didn't get the popcorn popped just right, he tells me it's all going to be okay and refrains from blaming meltdowns on the hormones. He tells me I look good, even when I know I don't. He's patient when we're out running errands and I have to pee, again. But most of all, he has been so involved in this pregnancy. He's been to all of our doctor appointments, cried with me when we first saw our baby in the ultrasound, has kept up on the baby's growth in our week-by-week pregnancy newsletters and has developed immense faith through all of our worries. He's prayed for the health of this pregnancy and this baby numerous times, for which I'm so grateful.

James, you are my better half. I'll love you for forever and a day.

Via Con Dios, Grandpa Charlie

Yesterday, the Rouse family lost "Grandpa Charlie," a man we loved and respected with all of our hearts. It was not a loss for relatives alone, but for a community.

After a weekend spent battling a massive intestinal infection, Grandpa peacefully passed from this Earth to his eternal Heavenly home shortly after midnight on Monday, Oct. 13.

The remainder of Monday was spent making arrangements for his memorial service in Hamilton, MO, where Grandpa raised his family, worked, attended church, perfected his game of golf and was laid to rest.

It was amazing to visit this town, which is about an hour Northeast of Kansas City. Everywhere we went - the funeral home, florist, Rosa's Restaurant - people knew Charlie and had so many wonderful things to say and stories to share. I think it was therapeutic for the family and community members to share memories with each other of this man who touched so many lives.

In the weeks, months and years to come, Grandpa Charlie, please know the lessons you instilled in us will be passed along to this baby and used to shape our family. We are so honored God lended you to us for 88 years.

As you so often told us after holiday, birthday and other visits: Via Con Dios, Grandpa Charlie. Your spirit will live on forever in your family and in each of the lives you touched. We love you.

Baby Rouse in Mommy's Tummy

12 weeks pregnant, but a lifetime of worry

Six weeks ago when I found out I was pregnant, I was on Cloud 9...for about two days. Then reality hit and I began to worry.

"Was that too heavy for me to lift...What about those drinks I
had with the girls last week...I had X-rays taken at the dentist two weeks ago..."

These were just some of the thoughts that began to consume me.

As the days went on, I began to believe I would worry less once I was out of the ever-so-fragile first trimester. So here we are, entering our second trimester, and guess what - the worrying hasn't disappeared but it has shifted. I'm not so concerned about the couple of drinks I had before finding out I was pregnant, but what was that my doctor said about those tests we need to run next month? Am I making the right decisions?

Then it hit me - Welcome to Parenthood. Worrying is par for the course and like it or not, it's here to stay.

For now, I'm focusing on the fact that I know where this child is at all times and that it's being taken care of to the best of my ability : )

We're almost 12 weeks along and man, have I learned a LOT! Maybe I'm a little sensitive, but I propose the following rule of thumb:
If you wouldn't say it to a non-pregnant woman, don't say it to a pregnant woman.
This includes all comments referring to "getting big," and all personal questions (e.g., are you constipated? can I see your tummy? how much weight have you gained?). While I am certain many of these comments and questions are simply a way to relate to the pregnancy and perhaps share your own experiences, we are still women, we may not want to share all of our business and our feelings do get hurt (hormonal or not, no woman in her right mind wants to be told how much bigger she's looking).

It is especially difficult as we read information about what is and isn't "normal." For example, I just read a newsletter that said at 12 weeks you "shouldn't" be in maternity clothes yet, and I've been in them since about week 7 (they're just so much more comfortable than my regular pants!). That said, I've only gained a couple of pounds, but when I wear the A-line shirts and dresses, I look very pregnant. Between reading about the "norm" and hearing the "getting big" comments, a girl's head is liable to explode, and that doesn't even factor in the hormonal surges.

So, on behalf of all the pregnant women out there, focus on the positive comments about how glowing she looks or what a good mommy you know she's going to be. Also, don't scare her with horror stories about your hairdresser's friend's terrible delivery. Again, I understand this may be just another way to relate to the pregnancy, but with all the bad news in the world, surround this little miracle of life with positive thoughts and energy. I guarantee every pregnant woman you ever run into will appreciate it!

First doctor's appointment

We went to the doctor yesterday (Sept. 8) and the baby's doing great! It has a strong heartbeat and is due April 19, 2009. We're now taking bets on whether it's a girl or boy : ) Hey, that college fund isn't gonna start itself!

Stay tuned for my take on pregnancy etiquette...it hasn't taken long to learn how rude people can be to a pregnant woman. Feel free to share your horror stories, too. Maybe someday I'll write a book (or series of books, as the rude encounters must be endless).

We're Pregnant!

That's right, the time has finally come and we are expecting! The due date hasn't been pinpointed yet, but check back here regularly for updates, photos, news and more.
Our first doctor's appointment: Sept. 8
Probable due date: mid-April
Ice cream cravings: NOW :-)