I told her....

to go pick out some jammies for bed. When I went into her bedroom, this is what I saw!

Ultrasound results

I had my third OB/GYN appointment yesterday and we discussed at length all of the options in front of me for genetics testing. I can get an amniocentesis, or CVS, or Sequential Screening. There's all kinds of fun stuff which I wish I didn't have to think about.
Anyhow, the bonus of being a "mature mom" (that's the label on my medical chart) is that I get an extra ultrasound between my 8 week and 20 week ultrasound. The ultrasound is part of a sequential screening that measures the nuchal fold (base of the neck) which is a big indicator for Down's as well as other measurements for physical abnormalities. Thought I'd share the results with you.

Okay. Not really the results. I have to wait a month till all the blood screenings are done. And since I'm only 12 1/2 weeks so it's too early for them to tell me the gender with any kind of accuracy. But here's Cady interpretation.

"It's a baby in there!"

"Get it out mommy. Open your stomach!"

"It's dancing mommy! The baby likes to dance"

"Look mommy, the baby is dancing in the tunnel!"

On the way to the appointment Cady announced the she wanted them to take a picture of the baby in her belly too. I didn't think too much of it beyond that but she had a plan and she followed through. After I got up from the table, Cady squeezed in next to me (I thought to sit) but she immediately layed down, pulled up her shirt and asked to have her baby checked. I pretended to take pictures of her belly. The ultrasound tech jumped in and started doing an ultrasound of her belly and showing her her liver and her heart and she let her hear her heart amplified. Then she took a still picture of her liver and heart for her to take home. Initially I was dreading taking Cady with me. She's notorious for pushing the limits at the Dr.'s office, but she did really well and what a great experience!

Oh...the baby is very active. Like so active I had to ask if it was "normal". The baby(Barley, according to Penny) would not stay still long enough for her to do measuements. It was really a challenge. It bounced around a lot and did little flips. Heaven help us if we have another one with as much energy as Cady.

I must be the most psycho pregnant woman on the planet!

I can't eat normal anymore. Every day is about a craving. And really, I'm not like this in "real life!" I appreciate food, but I'm flexible and I certainly don't get cravings beyond, "huh, sometime in the next few months we should have lasagna because that sounds good." When I have a craving now I have to have it right then and there and nothing else will do. Here's the problem. Aversions. I have those too! Here's the bigger problem. My aversion is to left-overs...any kind of left-over. Normally I LOVE left-overs. I think things taste better the next day after they have had a chance to meld. And now for the psycho part (we'll just pretend none of that other stuff is psycho). Let's use the example of the gingerbread I was craving. Not just normal gingerbread but cake-like gingerbread. I spent two days looking for THE perfect recipe. I found one. I made a whole 8x12 pan of gingerbread. I had a piece. Craving satisfied. Oh-oh, now we have left-overs. Another day it was tuna-salad. Same thing. Asian Noodles? "Oh Ro-ob! How would you like to finish off enough asian noodles for ten before they go bad in three days?". I asked to Rob make me cheese blintzes (I knew he had the patience to pull it off) because they sounded like something we needed. It took going to three stores to find Farmer's Cheese and several hours that morning of Rob's blood, sweat and tears to put the things together. I have to say that they were delicious but after two I realized that those two blintzes would hold me over for at least a few years. I do have to say that Rob didn't seem to mind eating the other 12! lol. So, as I sit here licking my fingers of Secret Sauce from the Big Mac I just finished...something I haven't had it years because there truly is nothing redeeming about a Big Mac...I felt inspired to share with you all the trials of being pregnant....and perhaps the bigger trial of someone who is married to the pregnant person!

Cady's Imaginary Friend

Cady's real life best friend is Emma. They are a month apart in age. Every week Cady and Emma spend time together because we do a swap with their mom and dad. One week Emma comes over for two hours and another week Cady goes over there for two hours. Well, when Emma is not around in physical form, she is around in spirit. Cady has an imaginary Emma for the times that she can't be with her friend. It first started at the store. Cady said that Emma was sitting in the grocery cart with her. Then it evolved into Emma being at home with us. Sometimes she watches cartoons with us, sometimes she is present at dinner time, she's been known to sleep with Cady at night and she is always present when we grocery shop.

There are spaces in the grocery cart that I can't place things because that is where Emma is at. Sometimes Emma needs to have dinner when we all eat together. We need to kiss Emma goodnight at bedtime and Emma will get her own blanket when we watch tv together. Last week at the store Cady started laughing. Rob and I look at each other as if to ask, "did you do something to make her laugh?" Cady informs us at that point, "Emma farted!!!!! chuckle chuckle" (in her loud voice of course because we are at the meat counter at the store). Niiiiiice.

I'm so glad that Cady is starting "school" next week. She understands that she will be going to a different school than her real friend Emma. To differentiate that in her own mind she tells me that she will be going to the orange school and Emma is going to a purple school. Okay. She is REALLY excited about going to school and can't get there quick enough. The day starts and ends with her asking about going to school. When we did tour the school, the first thing that Cady did when we walked into her new classroom was kicked off her crocs and sat herself at the table with all the other kids. When she started to steal froot loops from a future classmate (who in turn informed her 'we share in this class') I walked over to intervene. It was at that moment that Cady informed that that I could leave, "Mommy, go!" I think she is going to do just fine!

I really must be pregnant!

I decided on Friday that we should make some nachos today. I've talked about almost nothing else for the past two days. Nearly every conversation I manage to drop in an idea for the nachos, "Oh, you know what we should get? We should get some of that salsa from the Farmer's Market." Well, I didn't really realize I was doing this until last night when we were in bed. Just as we were drifting off to sleep (heck, Rob probably was already asleep) I exclaim, "You know what?? We have left-over steak in the fridge!!!!!! That would be so good if we cubed it up for the nachos!" I'd say this qualifies as a food craving (I didn't have cravings until at least my second trimester last time!)

Update: Ugh..the nachos weren't all that I thought they would be. I ended up feeling nauseous just a few bites in and now I'm wondering what the heck was going through my head to buy all the stuff Doesn't my dear husband have *some* responsibility to not let me do things like this? It's not his first pregnancy, he should know better! You be the judge! LOL

Nap Time

I'm not sure what "normal" kids do during nap time but it's probably not this. Not only did she destroy her room, get into her winter clothes and decide to wear a shirt as a skirt...but she's diaperless too! At least she knew enough to feign semi-guilt in the first picture.

July 4th weekend in Glenwood Springs

This was our first family trip where it was just us. We had a really great time and should have done it long before this. It's been way too long since we have all had time together that has been unhurried and unstressed.This last year has been an absolute roller coaster. We decided to put the house up for sale. I had my worst professional year ever. I immediately felt the ramifications of "blowing the whistle" this year and the result is finding out last week that I have been replaced at the school that I have been at for nine years. So, the next day I had to move nine years worth of stuff out of my office as well as clear out the entire baby boutique (truckloads!!)and I somehow managed to lose Rob's window in the door panel while using his truck to move. That morning I also found out I was pregnant.
Yet, as we were sitting on the patio having dinner on our last night in Glenwood Springs and Cady was chattering on about swimming and riding the train and other fun stuff she had done, I had this overwhelming sense of happiness. I just felt that everything in my life both good and bad have brought me to this point and I was sitting there with what really matters. I have a husband who is not only the best husband but an amazing dad. A daughter who is full of life and keeps us laughing. And one on the way.
Anyhow, to the pictures:
This is Cady's new ride (Rob's b-day present)





Asleep in the car after the train and lunch. It made for a nice and quiet trip to Glenwood Springs



The Springs



And this is what Cady did the ENTIRE time we were at the Springs.



Finally Cady was able to put on some "real" clothes once we got home!



The drive home was looooong. Holiday traffic backed things up for quite some time. Cady was CRABBY! She kept doing things that are normally things that would warrant a time out. Screaming at us, yelling no, etc. At times it was pretty funny to hear Rob and Cady fighting back and forth.
Cady: "Aghhhhhh! Wahhhhh! Ouchie, ouchie!!"
Rob: "Cady, quit poking yourself in the eye"
Cady: "No daddy! Stop!"

After several of these exchanges of Cady yelling at Rob to stop, he told her, "Cady, you are in the corner." I'm driving thinking, "Oh yeah, that's a good one. She strapped in a car seat...like she is going to fall for that." Well, she fell for it. She immediately got quiet and after a minute she was pleading to Rob to come out of the corner. "Daddy, can I come out of the corner?" She was sent to the corner twice in the car. I love it!