Boy or Girl?

One horrible online quiz says its 54% likely to be a girl and 45% likely to be a boy.

The Chinese Lunar Calendar says its a girl:

According to this site (listing many old wivestales):
1. The hair on my legs is growing slow, so its a girl.
2. The heart rate was 147 the first time and 155 the second time, so it must be a boy.
3. I had almost no morning sickness - so it must be a boy.
4. I think I am carrying low (so far) which I always know to mean "boy", but this website says its a girl.
5. Strings move in a circular motion over my belly - so it must be a girl.
6. I am craving sweets! Must be a girl.
7. I pee bright yellow... almost neon green! So, it must be a boy.

So, judging by all the above... it must be a girl. Majority wins, no?

Pregnesia

preg·ne·sia pronounced [preg-nee-zhuh]
–noun
loss of a large block of intelligent thoughts and memories; complete or partial loss of memory caused by pregnancy.

They say a woman's brain shrinks 5-9% in pregnancy. Apparently, it continues to stay that way until 6 months after the baby is born. I'm most definitely suffering from this. In fact, did I already blog this?

Lighter news: *Yippee!*, we find out what baby is on Friday, February 16th. Agh! I can't... stand... the waiting!

16 weeks

A third of the way there...
Maybe these awfully BLURRY and GRAINY and HORRIBLY WRONG COLOR photos will demonstrate, to my husband, WHY I have been wanting a new digital camera for when the baby comes. Already my idea of creating this picture montage of my monthly changes is thrown out the window. Not to be shitty, but seriously, why am I bothering to "capture" these moments on something that looks worse than a polaroid?
*sigh*, all that aside....
So! Check out the belly – wild, huh? Or is it just me? I busted out the maternity pants this Monday. I thought I'd get some comments. Nuthin'. Perhaps people don't notice the suddenly saggy wear? Maybe, I generally look like crap so this doesn't really stand out as anything unusual? Maybe, people have more going on in their day than my pregnancy (although I can't imagine anything more important).
Exciting news: I have felt it move. Everyone says its "like butterflies!" or "bubbles!" or a "tickling in your belly!". Its not. Its more like this slimy thing sliding across your lower abdomen. I told Rob it feels like your tongue sliding across the inside of your cheek. I described this to a friend who had a baby 2 years ago (who likened the sensation to "bubbles" at the time), she flatly said, "Yeah. That's it." Maybe I'm supposed to be more 'magical' about all of this. I'm such a realist when it comes to these things that I took out all the creativity in describing this feeling. Whoops! Sorry for those of you who haven't felt it yet.
It really is wild when it happens, though.
The first time I felt something was around 14 weeks. They say it can happen that early but will more likely be around 16 weeks. I guess by 20 weeks, you KNOW its the baby moving and it moves a lot!
I felt the baby move (first time) when we ate dinner much too late. I was starving. After that first bite... it slid across my abdomen. I couldn't move. I was wide-eyed. I wanted to ask, "Did you feel that?" like it was an earth quake shared all. Its so very real but only to you - that's what makes it so crazy.
The second time was a week later. After eating a very fast lunch at work, I raced to a meeting. Sitting there, I felt it slide. Again, wide-eyed. Now I knew what I felt the week before was it.
This week - it isn't as momentous but maybe its because I'm eating regularly... or maybe I'm getting used to it? Now I'm just getting plain selfish and I want it to really kick or hit. What a snot I am wanting to rush all these things. But, when you've "known" about your pregnancy for months before anyone else knows... you get a little impatient wondering when will you look/feel pregnant rather than just "telling" people you are.
This week is the alpha-protein test (NOT looking forward to this. It basically tells you if the kid will have Spina Bifida or other respitory problems or the liklihood of Down's). I'm so nervous. Its really a major test (one of the last one's to see what could be "wrong" with the baby) but they put it off so far along in the pregnancy... it makes me crazy. What if something IS wrong? Then what? Options still allow termination but that choice doesn't seem very easy when you've reached this far. I mean, its moved. Its beyond a tadpole at this stage. Its our kid. Geez, my head spins. I need to not worry & just wait and see. Its so much easier said than done.

Rubber-band solutions my ass

I have always heard/known/read that one trick to keep your regular pants on longer... is to loop a rubberband around the button and through the hole. This may work if your pants aren't like all of my dress pants (one with metal hooks) or if you don't mind that you've got your fly open as far as it can possibly be open (and I mean open wide! Is that white panties that I see?).
We leave today for the 8 hr drive to Stow OH. Tomorrow we then drive 2 hrs to Toledo OH to attend my grandmother's funeral (yes, I got the call at work yesterday at 1PM). On Saturday, they may (or may not) have a private burial just for family members and on Sunday we drive home. *sigh*, its a lot and I am already exhausted thinking about it.
I had to try on more work pants last night to see what I could wear to the funeral. My 2 pairs of black pants (didn't I wear this one pair just last week Wednesday?) already fit horribly. It happened so quickly. It went from minor uncomfortableness to all-out belly that fits into nada. Its funny and really not-so-funny at the same time. I'm 14 weeks - the books were right. I can't believe T held this event off until 17 weeks. Sheesh!
So, I dove into a bag of maternity clothes given to me from C. All, ok MOST, of the pants are floods. Fat, pregnant and pants too short? Please God, kill me. I did manage to find 2 pairs of Liz Lange in there. Although, not exactly crisp dress slacks (they look like dress pants made out of knit fabric typically used for yoga pants. The cinched waist doesn't help either), they will do. People don't look at family members clothing anyway. You're supposed to look like shit out of respect for the dead. Hell, some cultures covers mirrors and forego make-up (hear me now, I will never forego make-up. I will even given birth with mascara!).
So, I think I've reached that pinnacle. That pinnacle I've been anxiously waiting for - getting a belly and actually looking pregnant (showing). And now that I realize there's no going back and all I have are 5 pairs of pants for the next 6 months... what the hell was I so anxious for?!.

Yoga

So, tonight was the first night of my "Prenatal Yoga" class. I was worried it was going to be slow (first day getting acquainted with the teacher, fellow students, the center, etc) but we dove right in after the initial introduction! 9 girls in the class.
I was the barely pregnant one there (at 14wks) but there were some just beyond me. One girl was 15 weeks, another was 18 weeks. There was a 20, 25 and a 26 weeks prego there. Then there was the girl next to me at 37 weeks! Yikes! And she kept up with all of it so... maybe that's a good sign for me. It at least gives me no excuse to get spongy later on in this pregnancy.
I'm excited to have a weekly activity to look forward to - its a nice feeling.

Who Loves Me?

http://store.peppermint.com/hotslings-sophia.html
...enough to buy me this? Any takers out there? I think I'm a size medium... at least that's what the calculations on a competitor's site (Mother's Milk) said.

Baby Name Voyager

A co-worker showed me this link yesterday - its addicting! You can type in any name you want to see how its popularity fluctuated throughout time (Brooke, the newage name isn't ven on the charts tillthe late 1950's and Robert, is a slippery slope since it peaked in the 1930's).
Click somewhere near the blinking cursor and type in your name of interest... the chart just moves to display your name's history. Want to try another name? Just backspace (no need to click with the mouse again) and retype a new name.

Heard the baby's heartbeat for the first time this morning

Sorry - you'll hafta click on the title link - the flash code seems to not be working...

Retail Therapy

Well, like Rob said, it really wasn't "retail therapy" since it was all functional, practical and not necessarily anything "fun" that I'd truly want to own.
Maternity wear.
Yes, its sad to say, today I wore my black dress pants with a safety pin holding them together. I've also already progressed beyond many pairs of business slacks since they all feature those double hook/eye latch systems that fit well when you bought them... before you were pregnant.
Off to Old Navy I went. Rob, what a good team player, went with me.

All for $75.48 I am now the proud owner of:
2 tank tops - not maternity but long & stretchy - $6ea.
1 pair of green pants - chinos, really - $16.99 (were $34.99).
1 pair of tan velveteen-like "jeans" - $16.99 (were $34.99).
2 long Henley Tees with wide necks - $5.99ea. (were $19.50ea.).
1 charcoal v-neck sweater - $12.99 (was $34.99)


Rob and I were pretty amazed. It turns out I only liked the stuff on super mark-down. How often does THAT happen?
I still need 1 pair of basic black slacks and 1 pair of jeans... and shloads more tops... but I'm feeling confident, should the need arise, I'm prepared. And, I think that need could happen as soon as 2 weeks from now.

She ain't what she used to be

Well, I'm still learning that I am no longer what I have always been–––a high energy, multi-tasking, type A, work-a-holic that loves to pivot between stress and more stress. I am now the forgetful, laid back, more-interested-in-couch-time, not-wanting-to-get-involved, pregnant lady. Alas, is this the end of an era?
this weekend was a 3-day weekend. Thank God, I needed the break from - everything. From all the shopping, wrapping, traveling, family, ... all of it.
Friday, after work, I just couldn't wait to kick off my relaxing weekend. So, I cleaned. I know - it makes no sense to many people. But, I can't relax in a filthy house. Its like being sick and laying around in the same bed all day and all night with no shower - you feel so gross that it begins to make you feel worse.
I had Rob bring down all the XMas green & red storage bins so I could pack away every last morsel of the holiday. I had most of it packed and ready to go back up to the attic by the time I was calling it a night. We also managed to undecorate the tree and clean up all the needles. I vacuumed the whole living room so we could finally move over our new club chair that arrived after the tree was erected in its future location. It was nice to have the space again - room to breathe. Rob reffered to this purging of festive decoration as,"the living room's return to its normal mirthless state," to which he got a sideways glance. I don't think its mirthless, the walls are bright orange for God's sake.
Saturday morning I awoke early (thanks Betty, you truly are a great gift) to finish packing things away. I dusted off tops, put out a fresh table cloth, watered plants - hell, I even "repotted" the chinese bamboo just cause it, too, looked like it needed freshening. I was full force by the time Rob awoke. I then proceeded to finish up some laundry (did I mention I did 2 loads the night before?) and vacuum the rest of the house.
Somewhere between vacuuming the hallway and the master room - it hits me. The most severe backpain of my life. I don't mean the,"ouch! I ache," variety either. This was the,"Holy shit, did I pinch a nerve? I can't bend over to put on my pants!" variety. I was torn between pushing through so I could say I finished vacuuming the house (at least) or lying down before I made it worse. Which would old Brooke choose? The former, of course!
Rob was running errands and by the time he got home, I couldn't bend to pet our waisthigh dog. I was pathetic. He was, understandably, frustrated with me. I rested till we went to see a movie that night. I fidgetted throughout the flick but after a night's sleep, I was halfway to normal the next day.
Sunday I did hardly a thing. I really did take it easy. So easy, I even napped. I never nap! What's happening to me?
I then opted for the couch verses going to Carytown to watch the ball drop (man, I'm turning into a lazy-ass person. Aren't I supposed to be out and 'enjoying the final days of not having kids'?). Rob went on without me and called to wake me up with a,"Happy New Year" call. I'm fine with it. I wish I had been there but I have no regrets about sleeping through it all. ;-)
Monday, today, is New Year's Day. I wake up at least 3X's throughout the night to pee (wee! this is fun!) including 8AM when I was starving in addition to having go to the bathroom. I ignored the hunger and crashed some more till 10AM. When I woke up, finally, I knew I should eat something. I putzed straight into the kitchen for some toast. The amount of time that toaster took to toast was just enough time for me to crash... hard. I was pouring coffee and thought, "This smells awful," right before I noticed I was woozy. I dashed for a kitchen chair and flopped my head down on my folded arms. It still wasn't enough and I must admit, this was scary to me. I told Rob to get the toaster and that something was wrong. So wrong, that I needed help to the bed, I needed to lie down flat and fast! It was scary, my hands were tingling and I felt like I was slamming into walls as I tried to bolt for the bed. I laid down on my back and then became hot. Real hot. So hot I tried to tear off my housecoat that I wear (when you own a drafty house, you own things like housecoats) and asking Rob to help me. It was pathetic and sad all at the same time. I was afraid he wouldn't believe this little fit I was having so I told him I was burning up and to feel my forehead. I was sweaty all over. All this in the span of say, a minute. My hands became more tingly (like the marching ants you feel when your legs fall asleep) and I got really freaked out. I almost wanted to cry - it all seemed so exaggerated and irrational. Apparently, Rob says he feels this way when his blood sugar drops. Maybe he's right. I've never felt this way before and it was scary. He brought me the toast and I began to bounce back. I obviously plan to talk to my doctor regarding this little episode this Thursday when we go in to hear the heartbeat (the first time!). It was just all so strange.
I'm now trying to learn the lessons that it's no longer just me but somebody else here, too. Such a weird concept when you don't feel anything moving and you're still getting used to the idea of being pregnant.
I also wonder if I'll be forever changed by all of this. Not this weekend's events, no,.. but the whole pregnancy thing. Will I ever be my old high-strung, Type A self again? Will I be able to multi-task and "push the envelope" again? Or, does pregnancy open a whole new chapter on one's thinking. Does it make you evolve somehow into a new you where you change and become more learned?