Things That Make Babies Cute, But Not Adults

Okay, I know my last few posts have been nothing but about babies, but it's kind of hard to find things to write about when your life pretty much just consists of taking care of a baby.  So here is yet again another post about babies haha.  These are just some things that make babies cute, but don't make adults cute.

1. A toothless grin.  Babies are just cute without teeth.  But, if a full grown adult smiled at you and didn't have teeth, I think you'd be freaked out a little and you would probably wonder about their hygiene.
2. Farting out loud.  Okay, it's not necessarily cute, but it's funny.  Myla will just rip a loud one (sometimes with some bubbly poop along with it) out in public and there is no shame.  This happens a lot in Relief Society, and the ladies in there just turn to look at her and laugh.  If I, however, ripped one, I don't think the ladies would give me the same reaction.
3. Frowning and crying.  Let's be honest, that little frown babies give before they cry is adorable.  On adults, eh, not so much.  Babies just don't have an ugly face when they cry.  I, on the other hand, have an ugly face when I cry.  As one of my friends and I used to joke around, we have "an ugly cry".
4. Drooling.  I don't think drool is "cute", but it's at least acceptable for babies to drool.  I don't think I'd be so attractive with dribbles going down my chin and onto my shirt.
5. Fat rolls.  Don't you just want to squeeze those chubby cheeks?  Don't you just want to chew on those chubby arms? I was talking about that guy over there.  Oh, now you don't want to squeeze those chubby cheeks and chew on those chubby arms?

Yes, babies are just cute no matter what.  Unless they had baby dentures.

Things They Don't Teach You in Motherhood 101

As a new mom, I have discovered a bunch of things that no one ever tells you before you become one:

• You can feel babies' lymph nodes behind their ears.  When I first kept feeling them, I thought Myla had enlarged veins or had some type of worm living in her head.  The lymph nodes are squishy and they move when you touch them.  Yeah, I was freaking out a little bit.  Thank you Google for putting my mind at ease.  Well, actually my mom said something about them but I couldn't understand what she was saying haha.
• How you don't have to check to see if your baby is still alive and breathing.  Okay, I've heard of moms constantly checking to see if their baby is still breathing, especially with their first babies, but I didn't think I would be one of them.  I read in the handbook the hospital sent me home with to only be worried if the baby's lips are blue, but for some reason I still have to stick my pointer finger under her nose to feel if there is actually air going in and out of there.
• Myla is still healthy and not brain damaged after connecting her soft spot to my chin.  This actually happened just last night.  I was trying to burp her but she was being wiggly.  It's happened before but not hard enough like last night where it sort of left a little dent (don't worry, the dent is gone!).  And yes, I was freaking out.  Robert assured me that she was fine, especially since she wasn't crying or acting like it hurt.  Of course I then had to pull up Google to see what other moms have said to make me feel better.
• Said soft spot pulses. It kinda creeps me out, but I learned it pulses to the beat of the baby's heart. 
• Newborns can shoot poop out their butts like water guns shoot out water.  And I'm not talking about the dinky little Dollar Store guns that shoot out pin sized streams of water.  I learned this when Myla was only a couple of weeks old while I was changing her.  She decided she wanted to go poop in the middle of me switching out the old diaper for a new one, and I was shot.  Want to know what else I learned from this experience?  I was not as disgusted by having poop splattered all over my shirt as I thought I would be.
• Along with the above point, newborns like to poop and/or pee right after you put a new diaper on them.  And sometimes they do this 3+ consecutive times in a row.  I'm pretty sure Myla thinks, "Thanks mom, I wanted to go more in a new diaper instead of this old one!  But let me go pee in this one first, then I want you to change me into a new one before I go poop.  But I'll only poop some of it out because I want to poop the other half in another clean diaper."
• Babies have to learn how to burp.  I thought this came to them naturally, with the help of a few pats on the back, of course.  False.  I'm pretty sure I spend more time trying to burp Myla than feeding her.  She has gotten better as she has gotten older, but I didn't know that burping was hard for her.  I mean, when I feel a gas bubble and just let it out.  For her she grunts and groans like she has to poop, but then only a burp comes out.
• Babies have to get used to eating.  And what I mean by that is that when babies are drinking milk as fresh newborns, they are still trying to figure out how much is enough to satisfy them.  I learned this when Myla was like a week old and she decided to projectile vomit her meal because she drank too much.  Yes, that freaked me out.  Thank you again, Google.  You really do have the answers don't you?
• How scary and sad it is to see your baby sick.  This week Myla experienced (and is still experiencing) her first cold.  I understand how scary it would be if something serious is going on, but I didn't think it'd be so hard seeing Myla with a simple cold.  I've experienced many colds in my lifetime to know that usually they're not a big deal, but for some reason it still scares me seeing this tiny baby go through one.
• Babies have unusually large pot bellies.  I was beginning to wonder if Myla was being malnourished because she seriously has a belly like those African children who don't get enough nutrients.  My dad said my siblings and I all had bellies like that and that it's normal.
• Some newborns don't take pacifiers.  I assumed all babies liked sucking on pacifiers to soothe themselves, but not Myla.  She either gags or cries more when I try to give her a pacifier.  She's beginning to do alright with the pacifier the hospital sends home with you, but she still won't really take one.  So for now I have learned other ways to soothe her.  Mostly letting her listen to really loud white noise seems to do the trick.
• Check your baby's hands often.  For some reason, gunk magically gets in between her fingers, even when she is swaddled like a burrito with her hands strapped down.  Mostly this gunk consists of sweat and fabric fibers, but it still boggles my mind how they (the fabric fibers) get there.
• Have a fully charged phone or a long book to read when breastfeeding (I don't know how it is with bottle feeding) because some feeding sessions can take forever!
• They tell you to take naps when your baby does, but what they don't tell you is that your baby has a 6th sense.  At least I'm pretty sure they do.  They can somehow sense when your head hits the pillow and they decide that they actually want to be awake.  Maybe Myla just wants a zombie for a mom?
• You look like a hobo 24/7.  Make-up?  What's that?  And I'm pretty sure I've stayed in my pajamas all week long... for a few weeks...

Of course all babies are different and each mothering experience is different, but these are just some of the things I have learned in the past 2 months, and I'm sure I will continue to learn a bunch of new things that no one ever tells you, or that you just don't think of until you actually experience them.

Also, I know that Google isn't always the best source for information, but it sure has helped on occasion :)

My Little Grunter

When I imagined my baby, I imagined cute little cooing noises coming out of her mouth like most babies.  Instead, she likes to make this sound:

I have mixed feelings about this.
1) Sometimes it makes me laugh.  It is actually pretty entertaining and funny to hear this noise coming out of a cute little baby girl.
2) Sometimes it makes me embarrassed.  Especially at church during the sacrament and it's silent.  It makes me wonder if people question whether there really is a baby girl hiding beneath the car seat cover instead of some animal.
3) Sometimes it makes me crazy.  This is usually when it's 4 in the morning and I am trying to sleep. Seriously?

FYI: This noise is not always because she is straining to go to the bathroom. 95% of the time it's just the noise she makes.

20th Family Reunion

This weekend was the annual Anderson family reunion in Beaver, and it was Myla's first time "camping"!  Okay, this year Robert and I decided not to stay in a tent because we didn't know how Myla would do in a tent being 3 weeks old, and I wasn't sure how comfortable I'd be as I'm still recovering from giving birth.  So technically we didn't camp, but we went up on the mountain both Friday and Saturday.

On the way up the mountain we were stopped by some cows.  They sure took their time getting out of the road...

Every year we have a theme to our reunions.  For example, in the past we've had themes such as Harry Potter, Willy Wonka, Clue, Dr. Seuss, Survivor, etc.  This year was the 20th family reunion, so the theme this year was a celebration of 20 years, and we looked back at past reunions and played games from past reunions and looked at videos/slideshows of past reunions.  It was a nice weekend to just spend with family and take a break from... well, I guess I don't have anything to take a break from really, since I don't work anymore.  I guess I got little breaks from being a mom while family members held Myla haha.

Taking family pictures.  We put on mustaches as a joke... 

Yes, even Myla got a mustache.  More like little pieces of mustache, since they were too big on her tiny face.

I wish I took more pictures, but every time there was a picture to take, I left my phone in the car haha.  Oh well.

The Story of Myla Mei's Arrival

Wow.  This past weekend has been crazy!  Robert and I have a new little addition to the family: Myla Mei Day (pronounced My-luh, not Mee-luh.  We're surprised how many people still call her Mee-luh).  So my due date was July 21st, and I thought I would for sure be overdue.  So I was not expecting to give birth on the 19th!  It all started on Friday the 18th.  I went to my last day of work, and I realized while I was there that my Braxton Hicks contractions were becoming super frequent and getting a little more and more uncomfortable.  Before that point they would come and go, but they didn't bother me at all, but on Friday they all of a sudden started becoming uncomfortable.  Not painful though.  These contractions went all night long even after work.  Robert and I went to his parent's house in Springville after we both got off work.  His parents and grandparents went to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert, so we just chilled at his house.  I also felt like going on a little walk, thinking that maybe the contractions would go away if I walked a little.  So we went on a little walk, but the contractions were not easing up.  They were getting stronger, but not by much so I didn't think anything of it.  I know some women's Braxton Hicks contractions are painful, so I thought that maybe I was finally getting to that point.

And then came 2 o'clock in the morning when I got up to pee.  That is when I felt a sharp, super painful cramp come on.  At first they just felt like my regular menstrual cramps I got before getting pregnant (they got pretty bad).  After I went to the bathroom, I went back to bed and tried to go back to bed, but the cramps got worse and worse.  They got to the point where I was gripping the blankets and crying out in pain, which eventually woke Robert up at around 4.  He suggested that we should go to the hospital, but I didn't want to go all the way to American Fork just to have them send us back home.  So I told him that maybe I should time my contractions first and see how frequent they were.  I pulled out the timer on my phone and sat there for about 45 minutes timing each painful contraction.  Most were around 3 minutes apart, and Robert said "Let's just go.  I don't mind driving you up to American Fork, and if they send us back home that's okay.  We can go just to see if you're at least progressing."  I finally consented and told him I needed to go to the bathroom one last time.  I went, but this time when I wiped there was some blood.  At this point I was freaking out and was packing up last minute things into my hospital bag, and off we drove to the hospital.  We got there around 5 a.m. and we got ourselves checked in.  They had me put on the hospital gown and they came in and took my vitals and strapped on a fetal monitor to check baby's heart rate and a thing to time my contractions.  They also checked my cervix to see if it had dilated any.  I had my doctor's appointment the previous Thursday (2 days before) and I was only dilated to like a 2.5, but when they checked me they said I was 4+.  They told me to wait an hour and they would check again to see if I progressed.  I had to endure another hour of contractions, and I got to the point where tears would no longer come out and I kept thinking, "When can I have that blasted epidural???"  Finally at around 6 they came to check my cervix again and I was at a 5+.  They admitted me and took me to get my epidural.  That was the best!!!  Now all I had to do was wait until I dilated to a 10.  The doctor came in to break my water, and then I took a nice little nap because let's be honest, I was tired from being up all night and those contractions wore me out!

I woke up a couple of hours later (maybe it was around 9:15?) when the nurse came in and said I was dilated to a 7.5, but that my contractions were slowing down.  They gave me some oxytocin to speed up my contractions, and about 15 minutes later the nurse came in and said, "It didn't take much to get you going!  I think you're ready!"  I got so nervous because I wasn't sure if my little body could push something as big as a baby out of me!  But that still didn't keep me from looking in the mirror to watch as baby was coming out.  I started pushing at around 9:40, and an hour later at 10:38 a.m., Baby Day was born (at this point we still didn't know what her name would be)!  She came out to be 6.6 pounds and 18 1/2 inches long with green hair (she passed meconium in the womb).  They wiped her up (just a little bit) and handed her over to me.  To be honest I thought they were going to at least wash her up before giving me this bloody, mucousy mess and I was a little grossed out.  But at the same time I didn't care because I had finally given birth to my daughter!  It's still crazy to think I have a daughter and that I'm a mom.  I held her for a little bit while Robert cut the cord, and then they took her to weigh her and clean her up a bit and to check her vitals.  Then Robert and the baby went down to the nursery to get some other stuff done, while the nurse got me ready to move me down to the room I would be staying in for the next 2 days.  I got up to get washed up a little bit, but I got so light headed that the nurse tried to hurry and change me out of my bloody gown and to get into a new one and sat me down in the wheelchair.  My vision started going white and bells were ringing in my ears.  The nurse rolled me out to get to the elevator and another nurse joined her, and then I fell asleep.  At least that's what I thought I did because I thought I was just so tired, but apparently I fainted in the elevator.  Next thing I remember was getting up out of the wheelchair and getting put into my bed and the nurses asking me if I was okay.  I said "Much better!" and they laughed and I wondered why they were laughing and later learned it was because I passed out.  At this point I was still kind of out of it and don't remember too much, but I know my family was waiting out in the hall for me but the nurses had to check my vitals again before they could come in.  Then they came in and... yeah things are still hazy so I don't remember much except talking with them and them taking pictures and holding baby once she and Robert got back from the nursery.  And Robert's parents and grandparents came in to see the baby for a bit.

The next day I didn't realize how sore I was!  Giving birth is hard work!  Plus I was probably exhausted from shaking non-stop the entire time before giving birth and even after (I guess the epidural causes the shakes for some people).  Robert and I spent a lovely 48 hours in the hospital and finally got to bring baby home on Monday.  As mentioned in previous blogs (I think), we hadn't decided on a name for sure yet, but had the names narrowed down to 4 and we were going to decide which name she looked like most.  She was nameless for quite a while because it was still hard to tell what name she looked like.  I for sure knew she didn't look like a Sadie though, so that was crossed out.  And I still didn't want Chelsi (even though I know Robert really, really wanted that name), so that was crossed out.  We were down to Myla and Kallie.  Monday morning rolled around (we were being released from the hospital at around 10:30 a.m.) and we still needed to name her!  I kept asking Robert what she looked like more, and told him I was fine with either because she looked like she could be either name.  Robert still wasn't that warmed up to Myla, so I told him we seriously could name her Kallie, but he kept saying, "No, it's okay.  We can just name her Myla."  But I didn't want him to pick that name just because.  I didn't want him to be calling her a name he didn't like, just like how I didn't want to be calling her Chelsi.  I bothered him one last time Monday morning (I had been bothering him all weekend haha) and he just told me to get the yellow form out (the hospital gave us that form to have us put down a name for her birth certificate) and we'd pick a name.  I pulled it out, got back into my bed and saw that Robert had already filled out Myla Mei Day when he filled the forms out on Saturday.  So pretty much everyone thought she was nameless except for Robert.  What a stinker!  I could have been calling her Myla that whole time instead of "Baby".

Myla at 1 day old (I think... pretty sure I took this on Sunday...?)

Myla just sleeping away.

It's still crazy to think that this baby is finally here!  I guess I just wasn't expecting her arrival even 2 days earlier than my due date.  And it's crazy that I've been a mom for 5 days!  Sometimes it just seems so surreal that so much as happened in such a short amount of time.

Chilling in the Bili lights.  Her jaundice levels were high enough that she got her own tanning bed!

I got her to smile!

She is such a cutie!  Maybe I'm just saying that because I'm her mom, but seriously.  Look at that face.  How can you resist that face even when it's 2 in the morning and she won't go back to sleep until 6?

4th of July Weekend

I finally got a nice, long weekend to get some things done, but to also just relax and take a break from work!  This weekend I got to play around with a quilt design, go on a "hike", play games, watch fireworks, and hang out with family.

My mother-in-law wanted to make a quilt for Baby, so earlier in the week we went to the store and bought some fabrics.  This weekend she had the fabric all cut up so I could play around with the design.  It was like doing a puzzle!

She then sewed it all up for me, and then we went to more fabric stores to pick out the border fabric.  Hopefully it's cute when it's all done!  I think it's pretty cute so far for my first quilt.

Friday afternoon we went up Payson Canyon and did the "hike" to Devil's Kitchen a.k.a. Mini Bryce Canyon.  It was more of a little walk that took less than 5 minutes haha.  But that was a perfect little hike for someone who was almost 38 weeks pregnant and dying in the heat (there was a super nice breeze though).

After the hike, Robert and I went over to my grandparent's house and played some games and just hung out with family.  We played some Harry Potter Clue, which was super fun even though I messed up the whole game because I forgot I had the Library and people were getting the wrong guesses.  Robert was croquet champ of the night (he won both games that were played).  We also played Ticket to Ride the card game version, which was quite fun, and we played a couple of rounds of Spoons.

The fireworks that night were... good?  I feel like fireworks all look the same haha.  I think the thing that entertained me most was watching my uncle, who is a firefighter, light the fireworks because he would just get right in there and get showered with sparks and flames and it didn't even phase him.  He even used already lit fireworks to light other ones.  The aerial fireworks were pretty good though, I have to admit.  Robert and my brother were pelted with little tubes that one of the aerials shot out, but other than that there were no injuries.  We didn't get to finish the grand finale though because the wind was blowing too much and sparks were being blown into trees and bushes.  Those will be saved for the 24th.

And as for the pregnancy, everything is pretty good.  This past weekend I was finally starting to get to the point where I am ready for the baby to just come out.  My feet, legs and fingers are just swollen and it's uncomfortable.  And I had the worst leg cramp ever a couple of nights ago.  It hurt so bad I almost cried, and it hurt just as bad trying to massage it out.  But other than that I'd have to say I am pretty lucky to have had a good pregnancy so far.

38 weeks today!

35 Weeks

Here's an update on the pregnancy (I don't have a picture because I was just planning on taking a picture next week when I have 4 weeks left):

How far along? 35 weeks
Total weight gain/loss? Let's see... 23 pounds.  I'm over 100 pounds for the first time in my life!  Haha.
Maternity clothes? Some... I can still wear a couple of my old pants but they're definitely not as comfortable.
Stretch marks? A little bit
Sleep? It's hard to sleep.  I have to flip from side to side constantly because my legs go numb.  And I get up to pee at least once a night, which wakes me back up and it's hard to go back to sleep even though I am dead tired.
Best moment this week? As always, feeling her roll around or stretch haha.  Sometimes it pinches when she bulges though.  Also buying and installing the car seat was pretty exciting because it makes it feel like the time is getting even closer for Baby to get here!
Miss Anything? Not having a stomach get in the way of doing things, especially when I'm trying to squeeze by someone/something and my stomach gets stuck.
Movement? Lots!
Food cravings? Not really anything still.  But ice cream always sounds good after lunch and dinner haha.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope not really.
Have you started to show yet? Yes.
Gender? Girl
Labor Signs? No I don't think so haha.  I haven't even felt any of those famous Braxton Hicks I keep hearing and reading about.
Belly Button in or out? Half in and half out... The top half of my belly button is kinda out, but it's not noticeable with clothes on.
Wedding rings on or off? On, but by the end of the day I need to use soap to take it off because my fingers swell throughout the day.
Happy or Moody most of the time? Happy for the most part!
Looking forward to? Meeting Baby of course!  Still have about a month left, but still...

Memorial Day at the Aquarium

For Memorial Day Robert and I decided to check out the newish aquarium in Draper.  It was more diverse than your regular aquarium with different animals from different habitats.  I would recommend a visit to the aquarium.  Just don't go on a holiday haha.  It was preeetty packed.

Ignore the water spots on the glass haha.

The penguins... they kept moving and this was the best shot I could get haha.

A giant anaconda!  We went back to this exhibit 2 hours later because Robert wanted to get a picture of a giant fish, and the snake was in the exact same position.

A cuddle fish.  So weird.

I touched one.  So gross.

The jellyfish changed colors when the lights changed colors.  Way cool!

I also had the hardest time getting pictures of the sharks...

Robert and I also checked out the 4D shark film (it was in 3D, but with the added effects of water spraying on your face and wind blowing at your face and feet).  The film pretty much said the great white shark is misunderstood and that we need to save them from extinction.  Yeah... didn't buy it.

Random Facts #4

With the request of my sister, Tanaya, I am doing another random facts post.  Also because 1) it's been a while since I've done it, and 2) I am bored.

• I have 10 weeks left of pregnancy!  Almost down to single digits people.
• A housefly will regurgitate its food and eat it again.  That's how I like to eat my food too.  Not.
• Salt Lake City has a law against carrying an unwrapped ukelele on the street.
• The Guinness Book of Records holds the record for being the book most often stolen from libraries.
• Giraffes and rats can last longer without water than camels.

 Funny picture of the day:

California

This past week we went on a trip to California with Robert's family.  It was a nice getaway before his brother starts grad school and before I have the baby.

Sea lions just tanning at La Jolla

The beautiful shores of La Jolla

We went to quite a few beaches.  Too bad the water was always freezing cold.  We also went to the Mormon Battalion.

And we went to the San Diego temple.  It's super pretty!

A week of not having a care in the world, and now I'm back to work and school :(  It's okay.  Just a couple of months left for both and I'll be a mommy :)

Pregnancy Questionnaire

I thought I might as well fill this thing out to pass the time and to document my pregnancy thus far.

How did you find out you were pregnant?
My period wasn't coming when it was supposed to, so I took a test and it was positive.

What kind of Pregnancy test did you take?
EPT

How many?
One haha.  I was hoping it wasn't a false positive and that I didn't miss my period for another reason.

What were your 1st symptoms?
Missed period and sore boobs

Who did you tell first?
Robert

Who was with you when you found out?
I was in the bathroom and Robert was sleeping in the bedroom (I took the test early in the morning cuz the box said it's best to do it first thing in the morning).

My 1st reaction:
It was a mix of reactions.  I was excited, nervous, and questioning if I really was pregnant.

Was your baby planned?
Yes

When was the baby conceived?
No clue... haha.  I'm assuming sometime at the end of October or beginning of November?

How far were you when you found out?
I was around 4 weeks I think.

How did your parents react?
They were excited and shed a few tears.  Haha.

My baby

Due Date:
July 21st ish.  That was the initial due date, but after ultrasounds and check ups it's around the 23rd... so some time that week.

Do you know the sex?
Girl

Any names?
We've narrowed it down to 4:
Sadie
Kallie
Myla (I really want this one, but Robert isn't too sold on it.  I think it's kind of growing on him though...)
Chelsi (Robert really wants this one and I don't.  I just put it on the list to make him happy.)

Any Ultrasounds?
I've had 2 so far--the first was during my 12 week appointment.  The second was when we found the sex out at 20 weeks.

Have you heard the heart beat?
Yup, every appointment!

Who do you think it will look like?
I have no clue!  She could look more like me, she could look more like Robert, she could look like both of us, or she could look like neither of us.

Will the baby have siblings?
Nope, she's the first child.

Have you felt the baby move?
All the time!  I felt the first "flutter" at 15 weeks, but didn't feel anything for a couple of weeks after that.  I started feeling lots of movement around 18 weeks.  For the past couple of days (at 26 weeks) she's been super active.  I'm wondering if it's because I can feel her more since she's getting bigger and stronger.

Miscellaneous

Did you have morning sickness?
Yuck.  It started around Thanksgiving (I was really disappointed... I was looking forward to eating all that food...).  I just felt nauseous all the time and food just never sounded good.  I didn't really throw up, just only when I brushed my teeth, swished water in my mouth, or got too hot.  There are still times when my tongue is sensitive to the toothbrush and I gag.  Luckily my morning sickness was pretty much done around 15 weeks.

Did you have any cravings?
Not really... it wasn't until the second trimester when I started to crave sweets more.  Before the pregnancy I would occasionally eat sweets, but wasn't too big on them.  Now I feel like I need a huge dessert after every dinner.

Did you have any mood swings?
I've definitely felt the need to cry more haha.  In my lifetime before the pregnancy, I only cried during like 2 movies.  I've cried during like 4 movies and 1 TV show the past 6 months (and I've had to try and hold back tears many more times... those 5 times I cried were just unsuccessful attempts at holding back tears and telling myself that there was no reason to cry).  And at the beginning of the second trimester I had a couple of times where I would just bawl for no reason.

Are you a high risk pregnancy?
My doctor didn't say anything about it so I'm assuming not.

Any complications?
Not so far.  Hopefully I don't have any.

Formula or Breastfeeding?
I'm planning on breastfeeding, but I know a few women who can't breastfeed so I am going in knowing that it might be a possibility that I can't, so then I would use formula.  But breast is best, so that would be my first choice.  Even though I am scared to death of the pain and how foreign and strange it is to me (even though I know it's completely normal).

Have you bought anything for the baby yet?
I've bought a couple of things, but I still have like 3 months so I'm in no rush.  I'll probably buy most of the stuff in like June.

When did you start to show?
Well, I was able to see a little pudge at like 16 weeks (no one else could tell though), but people started noticing my tiny bump at around 24 weeks.

How long could you wear your regular clothes?
Still wearing them... except for my garments bottoms and pants.  I have to use a rubber band or a maternity band for my pants, but other than that I've luckily been able to wear my same clothes.

Will you keep the baby’s clothes?
Yeah I'll probably store them somewhere in case I need to reuse them for future kids.

Home or Hospital?
The hospital.  No way I could just do it at home.

Natural or Medicated birth?
Medicated for sure.  I have a low pain tolerance :)

Who will be in the delivery room with you?
Robert.  And the doctors and nurses of course.

Do you think you will need a C-section?
I originally wanted a C-section because I was too scared I wouldn't be able to push something out of my small body and that it would hurt vaginally, but after watching a C-section, I am hoping I don't need a C-section haha.

Will you cry when you hold the baby for the 1st time?
Well, if my hormones are still crazy like they have been who knows.  I probably wouldn't under normal circumstances (I'd just be super crazy happy), but I have no clue how long it takes for hormones to get back to normal.  Guess we'll find out haha.

What’s the 1st thing you might say to the baby?
Hm haven't thought about that.  Probably "hi" haha.

Will you let anyone video tape the birth?
Um no thank you.

Are you excited?
Yes!  Also nervous, but excited for the most part.

Who will help you with the baby after the birth?
Robert of course.  And I'm sure a lot of family members will haha.  There are plenty of people who are eager to help me ;)

What is your favorite thing about being pregnant?
Feeling movement for sure.  But there are times when it starts to get uncomfortable as the movements are getting stronger.
Not getting my period is a close second.

What is the worst thing about being pregnant?
The first trimester morning sickness period.

What’s one thing you miss doing since being pregnant?
Hm good question... I guess just not having to worry about what I'm eating and having it affect the baby.  I was pretty good about it at the beginning of my pregnancy but I'm starting to eat a bunch of junk.  Oops.

Any days you wish you were not pregnant?
During the first trimester I thought that a couple of times, but now I don't think that.  I'm sure once I get into the third trimester I'll start wishing the baby would hurry and come out.

Are you ready for a baby?

I don't think anyone can be fully ready for a baby.

Do you have insurance?
Yes

How many kids do you want?
4

Do you talk to the baby?
Sometimes, but it seems kinda weird talking to my belly.

Do you still feel attractive?
Um depends on the day haha.

Have you had your baby shower yet?
Nope, but my sisters are planning one for June.

Do you like kids?
Depends on the kid ha.  But for the most part they're not too bad.

How far along are you now?
26 weeks.  A week and a half until the start of the 3rd trimester!  Crazy!

Feeling Movement

Almost to 21 weeks in the pregnancy and I am surviving!  It has gotten a lot better since the sickness phase has passed.  Now I get to enjoy eating again, and feeling my baby girl moving inside of me.  It's such a weird feeling, and it's even weirder to put my hand where she kicks/punches and feel her kicking/punching my hand.  To be honest, the first time I felt a kick with my hand it kind of freaked me out haha.  But now I always try to feel her with my hands because it's so cool!  I've had Robert try to feel it a couple of times but he hasn't felt anything yet.  I feel like the past couple of days her kicks and punches have gotten stronger, and sometimes it startles me.  One time I was at work or in class (I can't remember which) and she kicked really hard and I jumped haha.  So if I randomly jump, that's why.  Don't think I'm going crazy or something ;).

And... yeah.  My belly still barely shows.  It popped out more than before like 2 weeks ago, but since then it hasn't budged.  I figured I wouldn't bother taking any pictures of my belly until it actually showed, but my cousin (who is also pregnant, but with her 2nd child) told me she regrets not taking pictures earlier, even if there is barely anything showing.  So here's to my first picture.

Yup.  There it is.  Nothing to see.  Haha just kidding (but not really).  I can definitely tell the difference from before I was pregnant (my stomach was so flat, it even slightly concaved) but my stomach is still just a small guy.

We're having a...

Our families got together for dinner and after dinner we announced the sex of our baby.  We made magic play doh that turned either blue or pink, so we gave each family member a ball and they had to squish it around to reveal the sex.

Here's the actual reveal:

It's a girl!  We made all the balls blue and one "pink" (okay it was more red because I am cheap and didn't want to buy a separate box of food coloring just for the pink), so every one had blue and thought it was a boy... until James rolled out the lucky ball showing he was the only one with "pink".

Yeah... that looks like a bloody ball haha.

So there you have it!  And we're excited (even though Robert wanted a boy, but I think he secretly wants a girl even more ;)).  Now onto the hard part... picking out a name we agree on.

Baby Day

Name: Unknown
Age: 14 (almost 15) weeks
Sex: Unknown
Estimated Time of Arrival: July 21, 2014
Hobbies: Making mom sick

Yes, Robert and I are having a baby!  This is what I was referring to in my last post when I said that Christmas was awesome.  We announced to our families during Christmas that we are pregnant and this is how we did it:

Robert and I made "team grandparent" shirts for each of our parents.  For my parents, we gave them 1's on their backs since it would be their first grandchild, and for Robert's parents we put a number 2, since it would be their second. And on the front there is a little baby footprint on the left side of the chest.

It's been a fun, new adventure!  Even if some days it's not that fun haha.

2014 & 2013 Updates

Guys.  I haven't posted for like 2 months!  Has it really been that long?  Man how the time has flown!  Here's the quick update from the past 2 months:

• November... well, there was Thanksgiving break in November, which was nice.  Always nice to have a break from school.
• Turned 22.  Didn't celebrate like T-Swift did when she turned 22.  Didn't dress up like a hipster or eat breakfast at midnight.  But I did spend time with family, which I always love.
• Another semester down, just two more to go!!!
• Christmas break.  Robert and I spent one week at his family's house and then another week at mine.  It was an awesome Christmas, but that's a story for another time :)
• Happy 2nd Anniversary to the Days.  Robert and I didn't do too much this year.  We went to Catching Fire and had plans to eat Cafe Rio for dinner, but ended up just relaxing.  We went to Cafe Rio for lunch the next day.  It was a low-key celebration, but sometimes that just hits the spot.

And here we are.  Here's to a new year!  I have a feeling it's going to be a good one!