The NESTER

I absolutely LOVE this blog and today is their Giveaway Day!!
Thanks to my girl for reminding me!

Check out their page and start commenting to be entered!
http://nestingplacenc.blogspot.com/

Ohh-la-la! I can just feel my alter ego (designer extraordinaire wannabe ;) emerging through The Nester and her blog!

Baby's First Concert!

Sort of! :)

We're walking zombies today at work from the U2 concert we attended last night! Since Baby is beginning to hear things outside the womb, there was a lot of bouncing around in there.

Concert was amazing but a little tiring for me! It had been awhile since I had been up past the witching hour but all the traffic and drunken crowds were worth it. Bono didn't disappoint!

Shy Guy ...

Or Gal!

We've had our ultrasound appointment this morning. Unfortunately, Baby Hamilton was quite the busy body and didn't let us see. I'll post the updated pictures soon. We saw all the teeny bones, heart beating, little hands and feet and a cute button nose (not sure where the baby got that from!).

Next appointment is in one month where we'll have another ultrasound to check the heart and development. We're monitoring this little one very closely.

So folks, we still have no idea if this is a boy or a girl. The suspense will linger for at least another month. Ken was disappointed but we'll have a definite answer long before the baby shower ... but I wish we were able to find out today too!

The Lord is giving us the opportunity to practice the virtue of patience. We know we'll need it once the baby is here and we're parenting full time!

In the meantime, I've gotten my blood drawn today to test for neural tube defects. I also asked the doctor about whether or not I should receive the flu shot and/or the H1N1 shot. He said that the flu shot is something many pregnant women get but that there are a lot of mixed feelings about the H1N1 vaccine. I'll definitely get the flu shot but I'm not so sure about the H1N1 shot.

My doctor made a great analogy about the flu shot being a lot like buying a lottery ticket. Can't win unless you play and you may not be protected against certain strains if you don't get the shot ... but I'm still not sold on H1N1.

Building a Registry

Things have been fairly quiet (baby-wise) these days ... ahhh bliss! More movement down below and completely in maternity capris and pants. I haven't told too many folks at work yet but I'm going to let the baby make himself/herself known in his/her own way.

I have started to put together a registry but found it hard when it came to gender specific items. Hopefully that won't be an issue after this Friday! Eke! We're both so excited! Our last ultrasound pictures were at about ten weeks so I expect the ones we see on Friday to be mind blowing. We still don't have a preference for either sex as long as the baby is healthy. Ken flips between saying that the baby is most certainly a boy ... or a girl.

No real strange cravings (yet) ... well, at least I don't think so! Ken might have different opinions about that :)

Back to the registry: Other than the cutesy boy/girl items, I'm also seeking out suggestions for types of bottles, baby products and must haves from my mommy friends. So please keep the ideas coming frequently even if you've sent them before. I've gotten some great ideas and trying to keep a cohesive list of these items (pregger brain doesn't help here!).

I've learned how to ask for help and completely appreciate the great people who have offered their womanly wisdom. Muah! Muah! Thank you!!

Sleepless Nights ... Sleepier Days

I'm feeling a lot better in terms of nausea, dizziness and overall adjustment ("growing") issues. However, now that Baby is now eating and peeing more, so am I. Unfortunately, since the little one has no concept of time and won't for quite some time, this means hunger pangs and bathroom trips at all hours of the day AND night. I've resigned to leaving several snacks like trail mix, crackers and cereal by the bedside table along with the bottles of water to wash down the handful I may have at 2:30a.

This is a pretty accurate self-portrait (clipartguide) of me at work during the day since my fairly new night schedule has started. I've become Costanza and wondering who I can hire to build my custom sleep cubby underneath my desk.

Five Months In!

Hard to believe that we're already five months into the journey! It doesn't seem too long ago that we were just finding out and wondering what to expect.

Let's do a quick recap so far:
Month One: Disbelief and Excitement.
Month Two: Fatigue and Sickness.
Month Three: Maternity Clothes and Reality.
Month Four: Energy and Eating.

Baby has grown to approximately the size of an avocado (The Bump):

Tiny bones are forming in baby's ears which means he/she can now hear my voice. Eyebrows, eyelashes and hair are starting to come in and taste buds are forming. Baby is emptying his/her bladder every 40-45 minutes (yes, I can confirm this!).

Constantly remembering to eat has become quite the issue only because I tend to forget until poor Baby Hamilton is wondering What gives?

Hunger is almost constant since I don't and can't eat much in one sitting. I go to work with a full lunch bag of fruit, bread and extra snacks to sustain me through the day. This becomes especially troublesome during meetings.

I also cannot control my body temperature at any given time and run hot to cold (and vice versa) A LOT. This has taught me a couple of things: Wear deodorant every day, dress in layers but always with a tank style top and keep a hair clip handy. Even as I'm writing this, I'm thinking I'd like a fan and an ice pop.

Oh and I love (crave?) potatoes. Any kind of potatoes, folks. Sweet potato, baked potato, roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, french fries, potato chips, home fries and shall I go on? Mmmm ... PO-TA-TO ...

Lite Equals Nausea

Just a quick note about eating anything with Lite, Lean or Healthy in the label whilst preggers ... it almost always equals nausea (at least for me).