Just because

I had a request to update this blog...so I thought I'd give it a whirl. We got the first call on our house yesterday. An engaged couple who has been looking in our area and saw our ad on Craigslist and loved it. They want to see it this weekend, so hopefully they'll call back and actually come. So this week we're just trying to clean and straighten up (AGAIN!). Cleaning is so short-lived. I hate how it can look great for like a day, and then you live there, and in a week, everything you worked so hard on last week needs to be done all over again! Sigh. Such is life.

I must say, I have mixed emotions about someone coming to see our house. While the possibility of actually selling it and getting one step closer toward the direction we feel God is leading us in is definitely exciting, I'm also sad for multiple reasons.

1. This was my first place on my own and I put my heart and soul into making it just what I wanted.
   
2. Then, it's Mike & I's first place together. We've spent our entire marriage so far here.
3. I still just really like it.
   
4. With Baby W.'s arrival quickly approaching, I've envisioned spending the days with him here... and not knowing where we'd be otherwise is kinda tough.
5. I hate the idea of having bought when the market peaked and then selling when it's bottoming out... but, it's all about being available to go where God leads.
   
6. Being less committed to staying in this area is bittersweet. I hate the idea of leaving family right when our family is growing.

So... with all that said, will you still just pray that this couple will actually come see the house (or someone else) and that we'll be able to sell it soon. Surrender. I don't see what's on the other side yet, but I know I need to keep walking toward it.

Something New...

So I created a new blog. I'm not sure what that means for this one... but I decided to start fresh with one I would share with my family (who I'd never told about this one). I've been pretty free to vent on this one about my job, or doctor issues or my dog eating condoms or whatever... so I never shared this site with family who may have more opinions about that than I want to hear! But anyway... so I don't know exactly what I'm doing yet, but you can check both for now if you'd like...or neither :) Here's the new site: www.bump2bum.blogspot.com

And yes, it was all inspired by the cute baby-bum picture I posted about cloth diapering! :)

-Melissa

New Mom Help: Post 3: Diapering

Well...once again, I'm starting to wonder if anyone reads this thing... but I'll try yet another post. So, on this one, I don't know of any of you who may be able to help...but maybe you know more than I think! :) (all I mean is I've never heard any of you talk about using cloth diapers) We are seriously considering trying out cloth diapering...for multiple reasons: economic, easier on baby skin, good for the environment... but there's a lot to consider. I've found lots of info online, so really, I'm just curious if any of you have given it a try! And if so, what did you like/dislike? (Besides the obvious of having to launder poopy diapers).

The Office...

A LONG time ago, Marie did a post asking everyone where they blog from... and since I (shame, shame) usually blog from my work office when I need a distraction from all the stress... I never have a camera here! But this morning I brought it in to copy some pictures so I thought I'd finally respond to Marie's request!

See all this chaos on my desk - yeah, I like order, that drives me CRAZY...but this week has been nuts and I couldn't seem to clear it...so I thought I'd just take a "real" picture! (And then there's some of how I prefer it... nice and neat!

18 weeks

So when I look down, I wonder if the baby has really grown any in the last couple of weeks... but when I saw this picture, I realized I guess we both have! :) Gotta love how this straight shirt makes it look like there's no distinction between my boobs & belly... hmm...maybe I need to wear ones with more shape :)

Feeling good!

I guess Mike said it best..."I feel like I finally have my wife back!" :) I think I'm finally past all the nausea/vomiting and can start enjoying life again...without medicine! It's amazing the difference I feel in just the last few days. I think after 4 months of not eating much, my stomach did shrink... so while my appetite is definitely back, I still can't seem to eat much at a time... I quickly get lightheaded and hungry again...but the good news is I can eat and it stays down!!! Yay!!!

And...for all of you who aren't stuck inside an office somewhere... I hope you're enjoying this beautiful weather! I can't wait for spring!

Why me?

I can just feel the tension running through my body... and I desperately need to de-stress. Where is Rita, my amazing co-worker, when I need her? She would just let me come sit on the couch in her office, shut the door, turn on the spa music and give me an amazing back massage! But she's where she needs to be.. home taking care of her baby. I have had one horrible morning. I'll save the details, but let's just say I have had the worst experience with my OB/GYN practice. I am actually stunned/shocked/appalled at how unprofessional, uncaring and ridiculous they have been. And those I've given the long-story completely agree. I am in a crappy situation where I am basically stuck where I am until I can transfer onto Mike's insurance April 1st and finally switch doctors. I'll be 25 weeks on April 1st, but after today, I will just go to my 20 week appointment (you know, my ultrasound to find out what we're having..which I SHOULD be super-excited about, but I now dread because it means I have to go back to the very practice which has caused me such turmoil.) but then that's it. It won't be the end of the world to just go to my 24 week appointment about 2 weeks late. It's just not worth it to stay where I am.

(Deep breath). This pregnancy has definitely not been what I expected. Thankfully, as of yesterday, I think I am starting to be back to myself... the nausea/vomiting seems to be gone! I just pray that this little one is doing okay. I know I've been under a lot more stress than I should be, first from work, and then from worrying about how sick I've been, and now from dealing with a bad doctor. I did briefly hear the heartbeat today. It's not much to go on, but I'm clinging to that little reassurance that everything is good. I sure don't get any other reassurance or confidence from my doctors. Apparently today, I was lucky to get more than 2 minutes with the doctor (who knew?) But, again on a positive note, I finally GAINED weight!!! I'm still just under my pre-pregnancy weight, but only by one pound!

Can you imagine having a doctor you just met for the first time tell you that "I could tell after two minutes of being in here that you are wound tighter than most patients."?? And when I asked why she would say that, she responded with "because of the fact that I'm still here. (5 minutes into the appt.) Most OB appointments, I'm just in and out." Yeah, that's just the beginning. It's been quite an emotional day. Rarely have I felt genuinely mistreated, but today I was. Saturday, on the phone with one of the midwives, I was. And at several of my appointments, I have been. It's really disheartening... I've never cried so much over doctors!

So... I actually found myself happy to sit in my last work meeting... a meeting where I found out that everything I had told my supervisor was in fact true and that the project I had busted my butt on for weeks was a complete waste of time and I would now have to go back and rebuild what I was told to take apart. But I was happy to think about that because for an entire hour and a half, it took my mind off of my doctor situation. Yes, today, the situation with my doctors actually trumped my job in terms of stressfulness... it takes a lot to do that!

New Mom Help: Post #3

Well, I got in a shopping mood this week... so I decided to go online and add lots of stuff to our registry. It's always fun to shop without spending any money! There are still some of the major things that we haven't decided on, but it was nice to at least get a few things out of the way.

So.. that brings me to this week's category:

BOTTLES









Why in the world do there have to be soooo many options?? I guess BPA Free is pretty much a given. But then what? Do you just have to try them and see what works best? I'm planning to hopefully nurse for at least the first 6 months... so are there special bottles to use with a baby who is used to the real-deal? Fill me in. :)

16 weeks

Well, somehow even though as of today, I've lost about 8 lbs during this pregnancy, the baby is finally starting to make his/her presence a little more visible :) I guess it didn't hurt that I had packed on some extra pounds over the last year. At my appointment today, I got to hear our baby's heart beating strong...apparently baby is doing just fine, it's just mom that's been miserable. But the doc's are getting me on all kinds of stuff that will hopefully help me keep food down, so hopefully better days are ahead... Here's a pic of us at 16 weeks.

New Mom Help: Post #2

So I had a rough couple of weeks and didn't get to my New Mom Help posts ;) but I'm back and I still need your help!

This week's category:
STROLLERS Travel System? Jogger? Lightweight? Umbrella? Where to begin? If I hate running now, am I really going to jog with my jogger stroller... sure I'd feel sporty and athletic and I could pretend like I'm going to shed all that baby-weight right away, but I know the truth. Athletic and Melissa don't belong in the same sentence. :) That being said, perhaps it does come in handy for other terrain. I'm hoping for lots of feedback on this one. I probably could have split it into multiple posts, but give me all your tips on carseat/strollers/brands/etc! :)

January goes to the dogs.

Well, so far 2009 has been full of dogsitting for us! We've had Shelby's best 4-legged friend (Roxy) over for two weekends, then we spent a week at my parents' house with their 2 papillons (Cody & Gabe) and later this week, we're headed to Mike's parents' house to take care of their golden retriever (Chevy)! Meanwhile, everyone else is taking fun trips to Atlantic City, Williamsburg, Cozumel and Breckenridge, Colorado! How did we get this end of the deal? :)

Well, Shelby has had a blast. She and Roxy can just run and play for hours - and it's so nice to have someone else to entertain her other than us! And in some ways, staying at my parents' house just feels like a retreat. If I hadn't been doubly-sick all this past week, it would have been a great get-away. But we still had a good time. Here are a few pics of Shelby having fun, plus our Care Group playing Wii, a shot of the view from my parents' backyard and one of my good-lookin' hubby.

14 week update

I got a few days of relief... even managed to eat a good meal at Cheesecake Factory & go see Bridewars with Mike last weekend... and then I started going downhill again. This week has been by far the worst yet as far as getting sick and feeling bad. Sigh. I went to the doctor on Tuesday and had lost more weight. So she prescribed me several things to hopefully help. To start off with, I have new prenatals with B6 and this Transderm Scop patch to wear behind my ear that is for nausea. If I end up needing more, I can take Phenergan and/or Zantac for indigestion that could be causing additional nausea.

I'm trying to just stick to the first two for now... although my doctor assured me they wouldn't over-medicate us, I'd rather just do the minimal and see how that works. And now on top of all that, I've come down with some sort of sinus infection/mild fever. Good grief. I've always been so healthy... I guess my body is just making up for lost time. I feel like I could use a good week off of work to just rest and get healthy, but that's not looking possible. I've taken a few sick hours this week and am trying to work from home today. Unfortunatly working from home is still working... but we're really busy right now, and I know I can't afford to be gone all week.

On a happy note: When I went to the doctor, she did a quick ultrasound just to check on the baby and the baby looks great! I actually got to see him/her suck her thumb and take a big swallow! It was pretty cool.

So we're hangin' in there. I can't say I've enjoyed pregnancy yet, but I'm definitely excited to be having a baby. And as the doc put it, the baby is doing just fine, it's just me that's miserable. I can deal with that.

2nd Trimester

Well... I'm still able to wear mostly normal clothes (though maternity ones are getting to be the more comfortable option) and I am feeling a little better. I'm still pretty nauseous all day, but it's been over 48 hours since I've gotten sick and that's a big improvement!

I started to wonder this week if my pregnancy was really to blame for the nausea & sickness... or perhaps it has been the ridiculous amount of stress I've been under at work! I really have to pray daily for peace and control of my emotions and for the strength and humility to continue working in such a difficult working environment. I'm not alone, my co-workers and I have been working extremely hard for the last year to communicate with our leadership and to pray for change. It's pretty discouraging when you know you are doing everything you can, and people just don't seem to 'get it.' But we press on... I'm just thankful to have something new to look forward to... a light at the end of the tunnel... a way out in 6 months. For now, I just need the wisdom and discernment to know how to manage this stress in a healthy way for the duration of my pregnancy. I'm pretty sure I've just got to stick it out, but I also know I have to stay healthy, so while it doesn't seem feasible to find another option for 6 months, I'm just praying that if I need to, God will provide.

New Mom Help Post #1

As a first-time mom-to-be, Babies R Us is quite overwhelming! I received some good advice from a mom of 3: while waiting to find out the baby's sex, you can still register for all the other practical non-gender specific items, and it's much less overwhelming if you just tackle one section/category at a time, rather than trying to do it all in a day.

So, I'm going to try that approach while I'm still in these early weeks. But I need your help! Once a week, I am going to pick a baby product category and post it here, and I'm asking all of you experienced parents to give me your input on products you loved or hated. I would really appreciate your input... so will you help me out?! :)

CATEGORY ONE: Baby Monitors

• Preferred brands?
• Helpful features?
• Things that are unnecessary?
• Video, motion sensor, or audio only?

Thanks for your help! :)

Sweet Relief?!

So it happened. I was technically 12 weeks as of New Years Eve, and while I started out the day feeling yucky as usual, that night we went to a sushi restaurant with my cousin & her husband... and I ate my whole Beef Teriyaki Bento Box (minus some wontons) and started feeling good. Yesterday, I still treaded lightly, but I never got sick... and today... I went back to Yu-Mi for some more Miso soup, ginger salad & rice. And I'm feeling almost 100% better! I'm soooo hopeful that this is that 12 week mark I keep hearing about and that the nausea & sickness are behind me!

And I guess I'm a convert. I've always snubbed Sushi restaurants for the fact that they are so trendy and in my opinion, nothing raw is near as good as cooked food... but, while I'm still sticking to the cooked stuff, I have to admit, I'm a bit hooked. Yumm-y! And of course the restaurant that got me hooked is within walking distance to my house! Uh oh. :)

Melissa is.... beginning to think that she's the only one reading her blog...and updating her blog... hint! hint!

Happy Birthday John!

Happy First Birthday John! (My cousin Amy's adorable little boy turns one tomorrow... this is a picture of him having a blast at his birthday party on Saturday!)

Christmas Festivities

We had a very busy - but fun Christmas this year. We were pretty much on the go non-stop. We started out Christmas Eve with a wonderful gift: we got to hear our baby's heartbeat for the first time! Then we spent the rest of Christmas Eve with my family, Christmas morning at home then on to Mike's family for the afternoon, and then to my grandparents' house that evening. My sister was home from Denver, so we spent lots of time with her as well as with Mike's family who was in town from Michigan over the rest of the weekend. It's nice to have both of our families be local, but it did mean we were available for every single get-together. I'm not quite ready to go back to work tomorrow!

Unfortunately, this week also turned out to be my worst week to-date with pregnancy sickness. It was hard to keep much of anything down, and I was feeling pretty rough most of the time. Yesterday was my one "good day" but I ended up running myself a bit too hard and had to recover by sleeping in and missing church this morning. Anyway, we did still have lots of fun... We enjoyed a final Christmas that we got to still be "the kids" but my parents did sneak in this one baby gift! It ended up being Mike's favorite gift!

To Cradle or Not?

Have any of you used a cradle for your baby? We have a bit of a dilemma: apparently I have a cradle that was handmade by my grandfather for me as a baby, and Mike has one that was handmade by his dad for him. Of course they were both offered to us this weekend. I haven't seen Mike's, so I don't even know what it looks like. I do like mine. Even so, I don't even know if I picture myself using a cradle? I'm wondering if I should just tell both sets of grandparents to set them up in their houses and we can use them whenever we come over. How else am I supposed to pick? My parents would totally be cool with that, but I get the feeling Mike's might be a little hurt. But I also don't want a country-cradle that I might not even use... thoughts? :)

Ultrasound Picture!

Here's our baby... somewhere between the size of a large grape & a small plum. :)