Avery Rae Reitmeier - Born November 28, 2009 5:14AM

SHE'S HERE!

After 19 hours of labor from the time I was admitted to the hospital until she took her first breath, we welcomed our angel Avery Rae into this world. Dad was such a trooper - no sleep at all that night! He just kept pacing around making sure everyone was okay -- I think it was his way of centering himself. I barely got some shut eye myself because we were both TOO excited thinking about getting to meet the love of our lives. I pushed for about 45 min to an hour and had an epidural and two rounds of Zofran for the nausea ... that last part (the transition) was a toughy on my stomach. Right when she was about to come out, the doctor told me to look down and put out my hands. I got to grab the final part of her out of me and pull her to my chest. I breastfed almost immediately and she latched right on! She was purple, just like her mommy. :-) The next couple of days in the hospital consisted of immediately dedicating her back to God (Paul & I said a prayer that Grampa Thompson wrote), settling into our recovery room and getting zero sleep (I couldn't stop staring at God's beautiful creation), and seeing a lactation consultant, a neurologist (my left leg had some numbness), and Dr. Kroll on that Monday. Avery's hearing test came back perfectly and she was borderline jaundice but the pediatrician ruled out the need to intervene. Our last day in the hospital was exciting, although it was definitely VERY hard to move around. My healing body slowed me down a bit. Plus, I think I needed to work out all of the medication I had been pumped full of the past few days. We couldn't believe we actually got to take her home. WHAT AN AMAZING GIFT FROM GOD! Paul and I couldn't be happier -- our hearts just tripled in size with love for her. Everyday from here on out with our baby girl is precious...we love you Avery Rae Reitmeier.

Love,

Mommy

My final post before I'm a Mom

Today is my due date...and just like Mom it looks like our baby girl is extremely prompt and timely. My water bag started really leaking this morning and I checked with Barb to see if she can confirm that it's probably it. So I called the doctor on call and she told me to go to Hoag to check and see if I'm in labor or if they want to admit me. On Wednesday, I heard a pop at the top of my tummy which I think was my water breaking. My contractions felt a little funny this morning. So once we got to Floor 5 - Labor & Delivery, I was strapped up to the machine to check my contractions and baby girls heartbeat. She was doing perfectly and my mild contractions were a very consistent 2-3 minutes apart. After just about 30 minutes of being here, they hooked up my IV and started me on Pitocin. So now here I am, sitting and waiting for each contraction (and accompanying pain). But I'm thrilled my hospital room has free wi-fi so I can post my final thoughts as I sit in my hospital bed riding out each contraction.

So what are my thoughts?? Well, I can't believe I'm going to be a Mom. I know millions of women have done it before but when it's your turn, it feels surreal. Like you should be asking someone permission to do it or something. LOL Anyway, right now I feel so much anticipation for that first moment when Paul and I see our child together. I can't wait to see Paul's face as he cuts the cord. I can't wait to give her a big huge kiss on the face. I can't wait to hold her in my arms. I can't wait to snuggle wuggle with her. I can't wait for Niko & Cali to meet her. I can't wait to take our first picture as a family. I can't wait to call her by her name (and give her a nickname). I can't wait to see her held by everyone in our family. I can't wait to tell her how much I love her and how long it feels like I've been waiting for this day. I can't wait to have our first holiday together this Christmas. I can't wait for my friends to hold her and give her their nicknames for her. And so much more....

Til I see you soon, my baby girl...just know I'm smiling from ear to ear (my cheeks hurt) thinking about finally being with you.

Love,

Andrea

Monday before Thanksgiving...{tick tock}

This past week was, to put it gently, very difficult for me (which means it must have been hard for Paul). Everytime I went to bed, I prayed that I would be woken up by a burst bag of water or intense labor contractions but it didn't happen. Therefore, each morning I lulled around a little sad. I know it's getting super close now (only 5 days til my due date) but it's still hard to have the patience necessary to get through them. It helps that it's a slow work week for Paul so I may get to do a ride along with him on Tuesday or Wednesday. I LOVE spending my free time with him even if it's just riding with him in his car while he drives around Orange County.

Last night was kind of cool though...I woke up at around 11:30pm with some pain in my lower abs, my lower/outer back and in between my legs. I would fall in and out of sleep with the pain til it went away at around 3am or so. I was so hoping that it was "go time" but hey at least there is some sort of action, huh! It wasn't super painful but more "ouch, that's uncomfortable". I'm looking for the "you can't talk through it cause it hurts so much" kind of pain. We shall see! Today, I'm going to clean the house as if she's coming (I think I've done that about 50 million times), play some video games to pass the time, and do some online Christmas shopping. Maybe I'll make a trip to the grocery store, too. I want to make sure I have the staples in the house for when Gramma & Grampa Thompson and the Dill Family come up here on thursday for Thanksgiving. I know I'm going to bake a pumpkin pie with crumb topping and I'll also make sure to have beverages, too. (I say all of this, but what I would really love is to have a baby girl to be with LOL).

We have another OB/GYN appointment tomorrow at 2:30pm but here's hoping we don't make it to that point!

Love,

Andrea

38 Weeks 4 Day - OB Appt

Well, without working myself up too much, we found out today that not much has changed since our last appointment. I think baby girl likes the nice, comfy, little home I've provided for her. Can't blame her. I myself love a warm bath and she's pretty much been in one for awhile now! I guess I just need to keep myself occupied in the meantime while we wait. It's a funny little balancing act between doing enough to keep my mind occupied but doing little to not wipe out my energy by 10am. All in good time. Who knows? Maybe our Reitmeier Thanksgiving 2009 will be spent at Hoag Hospital!

So in conclusion, medical I'm doing great. I've got 10 days to go til my due date. My doc won't induce me until I'm 41 weeks. So right now, we are on baby time. I'm on a good rotation between shopping (grocery & mall) and seeing movies in the theatre. I think I'll be keeping that up until D-Day.

(P.S. I'll have a great "how to have patience" story for her when she needs a good life lesson story from Mom)...

Love,

Andrea

37 Week 4 Day OB/GYN appointment...

Yesterday, we had our 37.5 week doctor appointment yesterday and it was so exciting! Dr. Kroll did an exam and I am 1 cm dialated, 80% effaced, -1 station. Woohoo! So she stripped my membranes a little bit (I get the "full stripping" next week) to hopefully get things going a bit. She said I look like I'm "done"... I agreed. I'm ready to meet my angel pie. I haven't felt anything but cramping in different areas each hour since then but nothing painful. We shall see what this means! I told Paul as we were getting ready for bed that from here on out, I will either be woken up by the sun or by pain. :)

I'm going to rest a lot today and maybe go to a movie if I decide to leave the house. I also got my hair done last night! That last item on my list :-) Mom is officially ready.

Love,

Andrea

Nursery - Before & After {Pics}

{{{{BEFORE}}}}

{{{{AFTER}}}}

37 Weeks 2 Days...funny little pain

The past few nights I haven't been sleeping that well. I'll be really tired but because I'm so uncomfortable no matter what I do (lower back aches, stomach tight, and pain in my groin) I can't relieve it. But eventually it goes away and I take an early morning nap. But this morning, while Paul was at the gym, at around 8:27am I started getting a pain in my lower back wrapping around to the lower front part of my belly. It wasn't making my stomach super hard like it gets with the Braxton Hicks contractions but it was definitely uncomfortable and wasn't going away no matter what I did (walking around, sitting down, etc.). Paul got home around 20 minutes later and the pain was still there. So we decided to go take my car to the car wash (like we were planning to do this morning) and while we were in the car I called the doctor on call. She basically told me to give it awhile to see if they stay or if they go away. She said the early parts of labor can last around 12 hours or more. She said "you'll know" when it's really time because you won't be able to talk through the contractions. The funny thing was, I wasn't able to notice a separation between contractions. It just felt like one long painful feeling for about an hour. As soon as we got home, I started steamcleaning the carpets in the house and my car. I heard that moving around a bunch gets things going. Well, it is now 11:31am and I haven't felt any pain since that first pain went away at around 9:30am.

Side note: My list of things to get done before she gets here is down to writing a few more thank you cards and getting my hair done. And that's it!! I can't believe we are so ready. I never thought I'd get to this point. I'm also going to double check the bag I packed for the hospital to make sure I have all the goodies I need. Of course, when it's actually time, I'm going to add the pillows, blankets, makeup, and other toiletries. Oh yes, and the electronics! We will have our computer with us to A) pass the time and B) hop on Skype to share her with her grandparents (Paul & Karen) in Texas.

I'm so excited! AND ready. Bring on the contractions. :)

36 Week 5 Day Update

Yesterday, we had our 36 week OB/GYN appointment yesterday. I sort of used my doctor as a therapist (never did that before) telling her how tired I am, that I am more emotional than I've ever been and that I'm willing to trade lack of sleep with some space back in my body for my organs LOL. I really am just anxious (that Type-A part of me acting up again) to get things going - and to see how things really are with a newborn. We've read so much and heard so much, but the reality of it I'm sure is very unexplainable. I'm ready to "pull the bandaid off" and find out for myself.

She also did another exam and I am the same as usual (no dialation, 80% effaced). She expects me to keep cooking for another 2 weeks but if she were to guess she thinks I'll deliver before my due date. I mentioned to her that I was a 9lb 2oz baby and was a week early. She said for me to remind her of that as we get closer so she can maybe do an ultrasound to make sure I don't have a ginormous baby. She wanted me to find out how much my sister weighed too because the first baby tends to be smaller than the third. She said that my babies weights mostly correlate to the weight of my mothers.

Yesterday morning, I also woke up after having my first FULL FLEDGED delivery dream! It obviously had some weird twists that dreams do, but for the most part I was very much pushing the baby out! I definitely have D-Day on the brain!

I made an appointment at Hoag Hospital Breastfeeding Clinic for next tuesday morning, right before our next OB/GYN appointment. I need to get fitted for my nursing bra. ;-) Hey, it's no Victoria's Secret but a girls gotta do it!

I'll also be posting baby room pictures VERY soon! I think we're done!

Love,

Andrea

Pregnant Belly Photo Session

We just got our pictures back from our photography session that we did in Balboa Park on October 17th. We really wanted to document my belly so that we can show our little angel what she looked like in Mom's belly. I think the pictures turned out great - exactly what we wanted! Now we have some pictures to put in the empty frames on our wall! Here are a few of our favorites:

Checking off the list...

So now that I'm officially on Maternity leave as of this morning, I've started diving into the laundry list of "to do's" that I created for myself during these 4.5 weeks that I have off before my due date.

• Today, I picked up the Medela Freestyle Breast Pump.
• This past weekend, I finalized the baby room (pics to come!).
• Today, I made the Maternity Leave Letters to send to my customers.
• This past weekend, I organized my diaper bag (as much as I could...I don't know what size she is going to be when she's born so that will determine the clothes and diaper size I put in the bag).
• Yesterday, I finished all of her laundry (meaning blankets and a few more clothes we got as presents).

I've still got a few more things to complete...

• Install car seats
• Steamclean carpets (again - hey, I love that clean feeling)
• Organize nursery closet
• Make a space for her things in the kitchen
• Pick up a few nursery books, a medical binder, a hamper and a trash can
• Pack hospital bags! (yay!)
• And I'm sure I'll come up with a few more things...

I also was able to squeeze in a pedicure today. And tomorrow afternoon I scheduled a prenatal massage. Hey, I'm just doing what the doctor ordered! She recommended I pamper myself so I am totally going along with it. Ha!

I can't believe it's getting so close...awhhh...and that means that this blog of my pregnancy is coming to a close soon, too! Time has flown by for sure --- well, kinda. There were definitely times that I thought I'd be pregnant forever!

I'm just relishing my "alone moments" and trying to rest as much as possible. Naps are so yummy since I get up to go the bathroom at least 4 times each night. I think I'll get a few more massages after tomorrows and I'm going to go visit some friends and family for lunch a couple of times.

Oh yea....and we picked a name ;-) You'll find out on her birthday...

Love,

Andrea

Big OBGYN Day!

So this morning we had our 35 1/2 week OBGYN appointment primarily for the doctor to do the Strep B test. It standard protocol, I'm sure I'll be just fine. She also did a pelvic exam to see where I'm at...so here are my stats:

0 dialated

80% effaced

Baby in very low head down position

Plenty of room to avoid C-section :-)

This was all great news! I talked to my girlfriend Tina tonight and she told me that she thinks I'm going to go "fast" (meaning that once I've dialated ... it's game time!). My doctor said that Paul and I should pack our bags since we only have 1.5 more weeks til I'm considered "Full Term" (meaning, if I go into labor, they won't stop it). Wow. I know. She said that she thinks I have a few more weeks of cooking to go. I think she was hinting that I'm going to go a little bit early (OR that's just wishful thinking on my part!). I don't want to go TOO early, just a week or so. :)

All in all...a fabulous appointment. We are extremely happy that everything has gone so well. We are very blessed, indeed.

Love,

Soon to be Mom & Dad

I did laundry...

No, not just my clothes. But I washed all of the newborn and 0-3 month baby clothes! And a few burb clothes and blankets. Wow was that a surreal feeling...folding all of those little iddy biddy clothes. I'm sure it will take me awhile to figure out the best way to fold them.

I put them away in the nursery dresser all neat and tidy. Paul said it looks great! I also washed her changing table pad cover so that's all nice and fluffy and ready for her! I still need to wash her sheets, the large blankets, and the baby carrier cover. I think I'll do those in a few weeks.

I also had my second shower this past weekend for my coworkers and OC girlfriends. It was held at the Clubhouse here at our apartment complex. It was so much fun! And the chocolate-bavarian cake was delish. :) I'll post some pictures once I get them from Wendy.

So there are just a few items that I need to pick up to complete our registry list. I've got to go by Pottery Barn and grab the curtain rod, too. Paul's going to paint her room a light pink this weekend so once that's dry, I'll put up the curtains and rehang the shelves. Then, honestly, I think we are all set!

The only remaining things before d-day that I need to organize after her room is done is to get our hospital bags ready, finalize the organizing of my diaper bag, situate how I want her corner of the bathroom organized, and clean out a space in the kitchen cupboard for her things. I'm feeling more and more prepared with each passing day! All we need now is a baby! (Oh yes, and I want to write her a letter for her to have when she's grown up! Can't forget that!)

We have the first of three baby classes at Hoag Hospital tonight at 7:00pm. Tonight's class is called "Baby Saver" and it's basically all about baby CPR which is fabulous. The second one is this friday (the 16th) and it's all about "Baby Basics". I think they are going over the practical side of taking care of a baby (diapers, sleep, etc.). Then our third and final class is a week from today and that's on "Breastfeeding". I'll be paying very close attention in that one!

And finally, Paul and I think we have picked her name. But contrary to how we've been during these past 8 months, we are going to keep it a secret until we introduce her to everyone on d-day with her new name. I can't wait to tell everyone! Paul and I just had an epiphany this week (it's been on our list this entire time) that we really could see her with that name for her lifetime. We will share that her middle name will be the same as mine, "Rae".

That's all for now...signing off at 33 weeks and 4 days.

Love,

Andrea

Ha ha ... looking back, that's pretty funny!

Paul called me out the other day. When I complained to him about how big I feel, he said "Hey, remember when you were like 12 weeks pregnant and you kept saying how pregnant you looked? Doesn't that sound funny now?" He's totally right. Scroll down and check out my 12 week pictures. I definitely have a VERY small pooch. I was wanting a belly SOO badly and although I am glad I have one (cause I know my baby girl is growing), I definitely don't remember what it's like to have flat abs.

Dear God, please help me get back there afterwards. Thank you. ;-)

I know have even more growing to go even though I don't know where she's going to go. I guess outwards? Ha ha, poor Paul, as if I don't have to have his help grabbing things off the floor and help getting off the squishy couch enough! I'll tell you one thing, it's going to be very enlightening to compare those first belly pics to my 40 week belly pics. Ahh, the days when I was 127lbs...I promise to see you again soon!

32 Weeks Belly! {photo}

Charger Game! (her first of many)

On September 27th, Uncle Joey, Aunt Suzanne, Paul and I went to the Chargers vs. Miami game in San Diego. It was a blast! It was also hotter then heck! I'm so glad I wore shorts. Any day now the weather will act like it's fall but it doesn't look like that will be coming until November...which leaves this overheated prego with just a few weeks of comfortable weather. Next time, I'll try to big and pregnant in the middle of the winter months. But I digress! Here's a few pics from the game!

Baby Shower time!

I first want to mention that a few people deserve major kudos for throwing us a baby shower. Major props go out to Barb, G-ma Debbie, G-ma Joni, Shereen, Tina and Rachel! Thank you ladies for an amazing afternoon and party! It was exactly what I was wanting and hoping for. And thank you to everyone else for making your way up to Yogi's to celebrate the wee-little-one with us. Let me tell you, she got some absolutely adorable things from her future family and our friends.

Here are some pictures from that wonderful day (don't we have the most gorgeous group of ladies!?!? yes, I think so!)

Whew!

I'll be honest. I've been a little bit uncomfortable (physically) these past couple of weeks which makes it hard to sit down and focus on my beloved blogging. They weren't kidding when they said things start getting difficult again somewhere around the 28-30 week mark. My discomfort started sometime last week. I think that's when she found her "head down" position...thus, her feet found the underside of my ribs (ouch!) and I have less room for my stomach and lungs.

Many WONDERFUL things have happened since week 30. Now I'm 32 weeks along and just around 8 weeks to go (or so!). I like to say "or so!" because it makes me feel excited that she could arrive a little bit earlier than planned. So let me play catch up on the fun things...

On September 25th (friday), PK Productions (aka Grampa Paul & Gramma Karen) came into town and we had a BBQ up at Uncle Matty's house in Lomita. It was so nice to catch up with them and waddle around their house with my big 'ole belly.

The next morning was the BIG day: 4D Ultrasound (yippee!) and my first Baby Shower! G-pa Paul and G-ma Karen came with Paul and I to XDI Ultrasound in Nort

h Park in San Diego. I was so excited to bring them since they won't be here for her birth. They got to get a sneak peek into what she looks like right along with Paul and I. And let me tell you, it was so amazing. Here's a couple pics:

The ultrasound tech said that she was around 16 inches long and that she has very long legs. She was also 3lbs 13oz. She kept her hands up around her face like that picture shows so he rubbed the upper part of my belly where her feet were to draw her hands down. It totally worked and she showed us her beautiful face. He also said she's got a lot of hair on her head. It's crazy to already know so much about her. I can't wait to give her smooches. I love her so much. More than I thought was possible.

We got a video of the entire ultrasound and I'm working on breaking it up into small pieces so I can post it on the blog. So far, the consensus is that in some of the pictures she looks like me and some of the pictures she looks like Paul. She's such a great blend of us both. I looked up both of our newborn baby pictures and oddly enough, Paul and I kind of look alike as babies. Button noses and chubby cheeks (okay, my cheeks were A LOT chubbier than Paul's but that's because I was a 9lb baby and he was a 6lb baby).

Overall, I would recommend doing the 4D ultrasound (at a good spot) to any expecting mom and dad. It's such a great way to connect to the little one visually. Paul and I held hands through the whole thing and couldn't have been more excited and in awh that this was our baby girl in front of us. At one point, the ultrasound tech told Paul to lean in towards my tummy and talk to her to see her react. (side note: at home, I always try to get Paul to talk to my belly and he did it sometimes but he didn't think she could hear him!) So Paul leaned in and started talking to her and guess what? She dropped her hands from her face and pulled her head upwards as she straightened her back. We all gasped! She totally knew it was her daddy! So needless to say, I recommend to any dad to do that as well. We have it on video...I can't wait to show her. :-)

(Baby shower day continued on next blog....)

30 Weeks {photo}

30 Week Celebration! {pic}

A first time feeling.

This morning was the first time that I realized I'm going to miss sharing my body with my little punkin' pie once she's born. I always get so wrapped up and excited with "getting my body back", the delivery moments, and finally getting to meet her that I forget that once I get what I wish for...I may want the opposite. I've had a couple of Mom-friends of mine tell me they miss feeling the fluttering, kicks, and movements of their baby inside of their belly but with all of the hardships that pregnancy brings it's hard to keep that in mind.

So my short term goal for these next 10 weeks (more or less) is to really appreciate these special sharing moments that I have with her. Feeling her jolt and move around, guessing which part of her body is pushing outwards, trying to understand her patterns, and getting shocked when she kicks me hard right in the middle of a conversation with one of my doctors (that's always a funny moment).

I'm excited to meet you, baby girl. But for now, you just sit tight and let's enjoy this final stage together since this is the closest we will ever be...awh, I just got a little emotional typing that!

Love you all,

Momma Dre

Ouch!

Days like this make it difficult to work all day long but I did it! And in this heat! And I added a grocery run on top of it!

Last night my middle-outer back started aching and Paul volunteered to give me a massage (good hubby!). But I took a tylenol, which I have rarely done during the pregnancy, and it helped me get to bed but I had to be strategic with positioning the pillows around my body to stay asleep.

This morning my belly was super tight. I think it's one of those "growy days" (as I've been calling them) where my little pumpkin is making some more space in there. All day I felt the muscles around the sides of my belly and around my back stretching forward.

Anyway, ultimately I'm fine and I'm going to get used to the "growy days" ASAP because I have a feeling there's going to be more of them than not in these final 11 weeks. (WOW! Just 11 weeks to go! And just 2 more weeks til we see our babies face in the 4D ultrasound! And just 2 more weeks til our baby shower! So many amazing things to be excited about!)

The perfect song.

Nicole told me about this song and now I can't stop listening to it (and crying) ... how perfect is it?

You can get it off of iTunes, too.

28 Weeks {Photo}

Kicks galore!

I love sharing her kicks with the world around me. Anytime I feel her "going nuts" as I call it, I grab the nearest friend or family members hand and throw it on my belly. I guess I just assume everyone wants to feel her move and no one has turned me down yet! She's a powerful mover and shaker so I want to share in the experience. It's cute too because once I share the kicks with one person, others around inevitably want to join in the fun. I love it :)

Calling an audible.

Unfortunately, there are many disappointments in life. And today, one of my disappointments came in the form of unavailable bedding. (I'm being overly dramatic here, really not that big of a deal ha ha). But anyway - most of you know my dream bedding was this cute "Lambie" style from Pottery Barn Kids. I guess it's my curse for looking at bedding choices too soon but I realized today that Pottery Barn Kids has (for some crazy reason) changed the availability of all of the pieces to a "backordered until November 24, 2009" status. Nice, huh? Anyway, I'm not going to cry about it. I'm going to put Lambs all up in her room still. It's just not going to be in the form of bedding (bumper, sheets, etc.). I found an adorable set that I really like and changed everything out for that. I'm still framing the "Mary Had a Little Lamb" pages in an arrangement on the wall and I still have cute stuffed lambs for the room (so far, one from her cousin Collin and one from a trip I made to Build A Bear). And as Paul reminds me, our baby is going to have no clue any of this happened. Oh the weird things I've chosen to worry about. Ha ha.

That was nice.

I did it! I went swimming at our pool with Paul tonight and it was awesome. I did the breaststroke, which felt the most comfortable. The cold water felt amazing in this inferno weather we are having. I reallllllllyyy didn't want to get out of the pool because I knew gravity would be back and I would feel the heaviness of my belly. And I was right. As soon as I walked out of the pool, I felt the weight hit me like a ton of bricks. It's nice being buoyant for a bit but it makes the weight more noticeable right after. Either way, I LOVE swimming. Especially because it's great quality time with Paul (my fish-for-a-husband). :)

Ha!

Paul said that when I'm sleeping (I like to lay on my back when it's comfortable), I look like a turtle stuck on its back unable to flip over. Ha ha! I totally feel that way! Paul has to help me sit up sometimes! A good laugh :)

Charging into the 3rd Trimester! (ok, waddling into it)

One thing I plan on telling my baby girl when she is old enough to understand is how much she LOVED rolling around, kicking, moving, and salsa dancing in my tummy. She pretty much moves all of the time at this almost 28 week mark. She used to be on a schedule where I knew what times of day she would move. Now, I'm wondering if there is a time where she isn't moving? (PS. She kicked my bladder for the first time at Leaza's Rehearsal Dinner last friday night! Literally had to jump up and run to the bathroom to avoid peeing myself! ha!)

Last night, I felt what seemed like baby girl trying to dig a small hole near my belly button with either her finger or toe so that she could come out and greet me. This is the first time where I felt a very small pointy part of her. Very cool! If Paul were around, it would have freaked him out a bit to see how my stomach was jumping.

It's almost like clockwork, when I hit the 3rd trimester last friday. I officially have the 3rd trimester exhaustion. I really really want to workout but I have no energy to do it. I'm still hungry all of the time. And at our doctors appointment on monday, I weighed in at 147lbs. I jumped up in weight these past 4 weeks but Dr. Kroll says that happens. I'll probably hit 160lbs by the time she shows up. Dr. Kroll says that with the heat the way it's been (100 degrees PLUS!), she expects that I'll probably pee out 30lbs of water after I deliver. (Note to self: Get pregnant in the summer so you're huge in the winter).

It's weird being exhausted but ironically I'm willing to only get up to nest somemore. I want everything done and ready to go by October 27 so I can just chill for the last month. Plus, if I go early (which could happen since I'm considered "full term" on November 6th) I won't feel much anxiety about not being all situated. And let's be honest, I like being organized.

My sis' is sending out baby shower invites today (for September 26th). My coworker is also throwing me one at our Clubhouse on October 10th.

We got the glider and ottoman on Monday night and put it together much faster than the crib. Once I feel warm and fuzzy about how the nursery looks, I'll post some before/after pictures. Probably won't be until the beginning to middle of October.

I'm still reading amazing books to help me feel confident and prepared. I finished "Heading Home with Your Newborn" -- super good stuff on the basics. Now I'm reading "Baby Whisperer" which is really cool (I think it's mostly about being patient with yourself and the baby and remember to always treat the baby with respect...more to come). I've also been recommended to get the book called "The Happiest Baby on the Block". I'm sure I'll check it out.

Much love,
Andrea

A message from Dad

To my wife...

I must admit, where I don't express, I must tell you i do admire. You have been probably the most amazing mom to be and wife. I can't tell you how much I adore you and can only hope that our daughter looks like you....even though I'm kinda hot! ;)

To my daughter...

You've put up quite the fight with Mommy...I love it;)....but, i have to admit...I cannot wait to meet you and I am sooo excited to not only see your beautiful smile, but the smile you're gonna put on our faces. We love you and can't wait to meet you!!!!

Love, PJ

Crib and dresser --- check!

A few days ago I put together the crib. Having it in the nursery, along with the dresser, makes things even more real. Paul told me that it hit home in a new kind of way when he saw the crib set up. The next step for the nursery is to create the 6-frame (with polka dot bows) "Mary Had a Little Lamb" wall collage that I've wanted to do. I also need to frame the Charger's Poem that I got Paul. I want to pick up a couple of shelves from IKEA and paint them the same pink that I am painting the frames. I want to read to her a lot so I hope to have a good "classic" book collection. I also need a spot to put our iPod player...haven't figured that one out yet.

Oh yes! And I also decided to order the Glider Chair and Ottoman. After talking with a few other Mama's about it (and getting Paul's approval), I went ahead and ordered it from Babies R Us. I even got a 15% discount on both...the Manager on duty was reallllllyyy nice and let me use a coupon that I wasn't technically allowed to use because it's considered a "special order". Saving money feels good, for sure! That money will help me get the white fluffy rug I wanted to get for the center of the nursery. Awh, I can't wait to see when it's all finished. Once she's born and we've given her a name, I'm going to hang those really cute letters above her crib to spell out her name.

Our next OBGYN appointment is in just 1 week and a day. Then I see her every 2 weeks from there instead of every 4 weeks.

This coming weekend is Paul's cousin Leaza's wedding in San Diego. It's going to be a fun, fun evening -- especially since right after we've got to run over to Mommy's 10 Year High School Reunion downtown! Today, we are off to look at some dresses at the mall. I really want a regular dress that will accomodate my growing mid-section instead of buying a maternity dress. Wish me luck!

Oh yes, and tomorrow I head off to Santa Barbara for work for 3 days. What a whirlwind of a week!

Love,
Andrea

Safe and sound

On Monday, I took the initial glucose (sugar) test at the lab and my results were....normal! I don't have gestational diabetes. Not that I was worried, okay I was just a little bit. But I am safe and so is our baby!

Some other great news, Paul can now hear our little girls heartbeat just by pressing his ear against my tummy. I had him hold my pulse on my neck to make sure that he wasn't just hearing my heartbeat and he said, "Nope! That's her alright!" Those moments are so precious to me. It's really real. I can't wait to meet my little baby angel.

Last night, I actually had a dream that I did meet her! I dreamt that I delivered and got to see her cute little face! I stared at her for hours and analyzed every little bit of her. She had a full head of dark hair, chubby cheeks and she was smiling already. Ahhh...I can't wait for that moment when we get to see her in person. It makes me the happiest person in the world just daydreaming about it. I am so excited to become a Mom.

PS. We are 25 weeks as of today! Just 15 more to go. My mom told me the other day that she was a week early with Barb (her first), a week late with David (the middle), and a week early with me (the last one). So who knows! But we all know I'm hoping for a week early...I want to share Thanksgiving with her. Either way, I have a lot to be thankful for. :)

24 week/6 month Belly Pic

24 Weeks (as you can tell, it's about that time to buy "Maternity" tank tops...even my long regular tanks aren't cutting it anymore...and I love it)

Crib photo

Here's the picture of the crib we ordered from this awesome lady at the OC Fair. It turns into a toddler crib and a regular bed. Paul took this pic with his camera phone when we made our decision a month or so ago.

Chargers season...it's almost here!!

How cute is this?? Long maternity shirt...and it's Chargers! This is perfect!

Just 16 weeks to go!

These past couple of weeks have been filled with lots of emotion on Mom's end. During week 23, for some reason, I had a ton of anxiety. I started getting wrapped up and consumed with chosing (& loving!) her name, decorating the nursery (the bumper I wanted is on back order!), gaining the appropriate amount of weight, setting up the pregnancy belly photo shoot, choosing/meeting our pediatrician, worrying about sleeping on my back, etc. etc. You name it, I felt the need to worry about it. By the way, pregnancy books are evil (I've decided). I think they are designed not only to guide you, but to stress you out with all the worst case scenarios. I've limited my reading of them. I'm sticking to optimistic baby books now. Okay, so during that week of emotion, I kept telling Paul it must be a surge in hormones because that same week I started eating like food wasn't going to ever be available again in my life! Too bad I didn't consume a ton of vegetables, instead it was ice cream and fried foods. :(

But I'm back! I've been feeling great this past week (emotionally and physically) and decided to not sweat the small stuff - it will all work out! I checked out pregnancy food menus so that I don't just rely on easy, fatty foods. I bought a ton of vegetables and fruits, which even when I'm not pregnant I absolutely LOVE! But there were a few weeks there that I wasn't interested in veggies at all! Very strange! My new mantra with eating during pregnancy is "Veggies, fish, fruits, fresh oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, oh my!" Instead of "Dairy Queen, Alberto's, Ice Cream, Chips, oh my!"

Our baby furniture will be arriving on the weekend of the 15th of August. I can't wait to get it in the room! It will feel really real by then! Barb dropped off the family bassinet with some new "lambie" bedding. The bumper was a panel too long so she's getting that altered to fit. That will go in our bedroom til she's about 3 months and then we will move her to her nursery. Right now, it's sitting in the middle of our living room just cause "I like staring at it" (that's what I told Paul when he asked me why we haven't moved it into the bedroom).

Also, I set up the 4D ultrasound appointment for the morning of our baby shower on September 26th. It's just going to be Paul and I going to it -- the ultrasound place I found that I liked is actually a doctors office in San Diego so there isn't much room for guests. I felt better about that place over the more novelty 4D places because they have a doctor on site and I know the ultrasound techs know what they are doing. We will be getting a DVD and a bunch of photos to pass along to family & friends. I'm really excited to see her face! (Maybe it will help us with a name!)

Now for my last note today, I would like to vent a little bit. So, as you know, I'm 24 weeks pregnant. Well, this entire week (and surprisingly I didn't go into depression because of it) I have been asked by many of my nurses and doctors how far along I am. I say 24 weeks, 6 months. They look at my belly and say..."Wow! You're big!" Uh, yea. Thanks. I love my belly and it's ALL baby in there...trust me, I flexed my abs and there's no fat. It's all gone to my thighs and butt so I know there's none on my belly. :) So I went home and googled "24 week pregnancy belly" and looked online at other expecting mother's bellys to see where I stand, really. I think I look about right. My stomach is definitely on the more prominent side of things but I think that's just her huge brain taking up lots of space. LOL Anyway, we'll see how my stomach progresses these next few weeks. I think I may have just gone through a growth spurt with my baby girl. The pregnancy guides say that the rapid growth I've experienced in the past 6 weeks will be slowing down a lot ... but we shall see. If there's one thing I've learned from this it's that every woman is different. I'm loving my big 'ole belly and I have a healthy, happy, and ACTIVE baby girl in there. And that's what matters after all!

P.S. Belly photos will be up in the next day or so.
P.P.S. If you ever see a pregnant lady and ask how far along she is...do me a favor, and tell her she's "perfect" no matter what you think, k? :)

Love you all!
Andrea

22 Weeks Belly Photo

She's growing! And I am, too!! I weighed myself at one of my offices today...I'm 140lbs! I started out at 127lbs, then lost 4 lbs in the first trimester (super sick), and have gained that plus 13lbs back. So I have 18 weeks to go...wonder what I'll end up at? Needless to say, Paul promised me a few training sessions to get the muscle tone back after we have our baby girl. For now, I keep eating all that I love...unless they tell me on my glucose test at 24 weeks that I have gestational diabetes. Let's hope not, though!

Message from Paul

Well, well, well….where to start! How about from where we are now cause reality has finally met visual perception…aka my wife’s belly! The experience has truly been absolutely amazing.

To start with, I was totally ready for this experience, but to say it wasn’t a little surreal, I’d be lying to you. From a guys perspective, you really don’t believe things are going on outside of your wife telling you.

The Day and The way my wife told me was an absolute “Dre Day” style and that is where the initial excitement started, however, reality has set in lately as I’ve seen my wife’s belly grow! My wife is such a beautiful “preggo” woman and has been a true hero to me as I know this experience hasn’t been the easiest for her, but the High’s totally outweigh the lows. Thus far, I didn’t expect the impact that our baby girl would have on me as a person, husband, or father to be. I will update more as the experiences come, but my wife is the much better story teller…

-Paul

Forgot a few things...seems to happen a lot lately

I'm nesting like CRAZY! Before I started tonights blog, I just cleaned out and rearranged the kitchen cupboards so that they make sense for the baby bottles to fit in them. AND so that I can stock it with more food. (I've been one hungry lady as of late) We don't have a pantry so I need to be extremely precise where I put everything. I think I have it figured out but I may change it again. ;-) Next task? The baby room closet. I'm going to need Paul's help on that one so maybe during one of the next weekends coming up we can tackle that.

AND we ordered the baby furniture! We ordered it last Thursday so it should be arriving in about 8 weeks or so. We are having it delivered, thank goodness. It's a dark espresso color made of solid wood. We ordered a crib that turns into a toddler and childs bed, as well as a dresser with a spot on top for a changing pad. The bed came with a mattress and toddler bed kit. Also, I've decided to wait on getting a glider chair. I hear that you should wait to see if you would really use it before investing the money in it. I really don't know if I would or if it would just be a cute piece of furniture in the room -- we shall see what we decide! Who knows, Paul may end up wanting one!

21.5 Week Update

It's been an amazing whirlwind of 2 weeks since my last blog. I think the biggest thing that has happened is that my stomach has pretty much popped. Strangers are noticing that I have a belly, and even at the grocery store, I was asked when I'm due. :) Made me smile for sure. I'm starting to talk to our little girl and when I do I get all teared up. I started crying randomly (one of many times) on the couch last night because I thought of how much fun it's going to be taking her to the park. It's the little daydreams and thoughts like that that get me all choked up. She's still kicking up a storm -- I cheer her on, "Kick, baby girl, kick!" I'm a dorky mom-to-be, I know. I bought a lullaby album on iTunes (it's Disney music) and I play it to her via my iPhone. I think she digs it. I read somewhere that once the baby is born, they respond well to the songs they were used to hearing in utero. Paul said that I should be realistic and play her some Black Eyed Peas right now cause that's what will be on in the house once she's born anyway. He's got a point there. :)

I ordered a baby book and baby's 1st year calendar today off of Amazon. I've been on the hunt for the perfect book that has everything and I pretty sure I've found it. I'm having fun filling out the pregnancy book so the baby book should be even more awesome. The downside is I just really hope I have the time to fill it out. I know I love looking at mine (thanks Mom!) so I need to be committed to completing it.

This past weekend we went to San Diego for Joey's wedding - it was so much fun! Not only did we get to see our Joe-Joe marry his lovely bride Suzanne, we got to spend a long weekend with family and friends. The top questions we were asked this weekend were: "Do you have a name yet?" (Nope, we have a list of probably our top 10 favorite names and will be naming her officially once we see her cute little face), "How are you feeling?" (I'm feeling great! By the nighttime, I definitely have stiffness in my upper legs and inner hips. But no more nausea, I can take anything but nausea again!), and "How's it been not drinking all this time?" (Haha, it's just as difficult as it sounds. If I weren't a social drinker than it wouldn't be hard at all. But I surely appreciate a few beers now and again. Truthfully, I'm so in love with our daughter already that the thought of her and talking about her with others is more than amazing enough.). It was fun being in the wedding, for sure! When we got the dresses measured awhile ago, I wasn't pregnant. Since then, my rib cage has expanded a few inches so it was definitely tight BUT I had the alterations person remove the wires so it felt much more comfortable. (BTW, Pauly killed his speech! Great job Dad!)

This friday marks our 22 week milestone! Wowza! According to all of the pregnancy books, she is a little over 1lb now! I can't believe it, is it weird that I'm proud of her? LOL Anyway, so we will be taking our next set of belly pics this weekend and I'll post them on the blog.

Love you all,

Momma Dre

20 Week Ultrasound & Doctor Visit

Well look how far we've come already! And as I am typing this, baby girl is kicking away in my tummy. She is one active little girl, I tell ya! I can see her kicks from the outside already. It's pretty amazing!

Yesterday, we had our 20 week appointment (although I am 19 weeks 4 days) and it went great! They did the scan of each of her organs and everything checked out great as far as size is concerned. We saw her full bladder and her full tummy, pretty amazing that we could see all of that. I wasn't expecting it! Joni came along with us on this visit which was a nice treat! And we got the "best" ultrasound tech who only works Monday mornings -- woohoo! We watched her scan through everything for what felt like awhile (maybe 20 minutes) although I could have watched our baby forever. The tech said she is a squirmy one and we have a mover on our hands. She wouldn't sit still at all and even kicked the scanner when the tech turned on the dopler noises. Guess she didn't like that?! The only time she calmed down was when she soothed herself by sucking on her thumb. That's when I lost it and started crying -- she's got a personality and it's so amazing to see. She even stuck her tongue out at us a couple of times. The second trimester blood tests also came back great so everything is healthy on that front, too. Next appointment is scheduled for Monday, August 3rd at 8:30am.

Since this was our last ultrasound at the doctors office unless something goes wrong, I'm really looking forward to the 4D ultrasound appointment where everyone can come watch her wiggle on the big screen and we even get photos and a video to take home. I need to find a really good place so the date is TBD. Probably the end of August or beginning of September.

We will be going to register at Baby's R Us on July 25th with the help of some experienced Mommy's - Barb, Debbie, and Joni. It's going to be a bear of an activity so we are super grateful to get a lot of help!

Belly update: My skin is definitely hit its maximum stretching point...it's super tight most of the time so I am putting lotion on it as much as I can to help the stretching process. Sometimes it aches a little bit but the pregnancy yoga is helping out with the expansion.

So that's about it for now! Baby girl is doing great and Mommy & Daddy are doing fabulously ... getting super super excited to meet her. Officially, watching her suck her thumb yesterday rocked both of our worlds. We found it very hard to concentrate at work yesterday. :-)

18 Week Belly Shot

And there she is! The belly growing bit by bit everyday (nothing that I can suck in anymore which is funny!). Had a bit of a stomach upset today which wasn't nice but I think it was something I ate. Our next appointment is this coming Monday, just 6 days away. Super excited to get more pictures of our princess! (PS. She's still movin' around like crazy...well, sort of crazy, I just notice every slight movement and get all cheery).

Bliss

I'm pretty much always in a state of bliss and amazement at this point. I can't stop rubbing my belly. Even at the meeting this week, while I was in front of my team presenting, I was rubbing circles on my belly without even realizing it. It's become a soothing exercise like twirling my hair!

I was telling Paul that I can't believe how unbelievably happy I am all of the time. I have an overwhelming feeling of joy and happiness and a comforting feeling that everything is going to be okay. It's pretty awesome that having a baby can do all of those things at once to you. When I look at Paul, I smile inside and out knowing that he is going to be her Dada and love her just as much as I do. It's probably the coolest feeling I have ever known. I love this little girl. :-) What a gift already.

She's an active one!

Last week was the first time we felt her move and it was a surreal experience indeed. I was laying down at the end of the night and jumped at what felt like a little finger flick coming from inside my tummy. Then a few seconds later it happened again! So I put my hand on my stomach and could feel the kick (or elbowing?) from the outside so I grabbed Paul's hand and put it on my stomach and we waited for the next one. BOOM! There it was! Paul asked me if that was me, and I said "Nope!" :-) We looked at each other and smiled big time! It's really real and we love it! I think that was really the moment that it sunk in for Paul that we are really having a baby! We text it each throughout the next day reminding each other of how cool it is that we could feel her moving. I've felt her everyday since then...I love when I'm just sitting around at a meeting or in a waiting room and she'll kick/elbow me, it makes my heart smile. I've had a few of my girlfriends feel her move and they were so surprised at how much of a punch she gives! For me, it's definitely not been a fluttering feeling that other mom's say it would be. It's definitely a strong wack (relative to how little she is at this point!).

I hear that as she gets bigger over these next few months, the sensation of her movement will get stronger and I will feel her stretch, too. I'm cherishing every little movement along the way...I'm so happy... :-)

My thoughts at 16 Weeks

When Paul was off at Joey's bachelor party this past weekend, I started thinking about that adorable moment when Paul and I decided that we were both ready for a baby. We were standing in our bedroom and I told him I think I'm ready for it, really. And he said, really? Paul had been ready for awhile. We hugged, kissed, laughed and smiled big time! I think that finally both of us being ready for this is a really special moment in our relationship. We decided to start a family!

Look at us now! Well on our way! I'm 16 weeks along and my belly has started moving a little higher from its earlier positioning posting up below my belly button. I am really happy that its becoming more front and center. I read in my What To Expect book the other day that at 17 weeks the baby should be around 5 inches long, but by the 20 week, she will have doubled in size to a whopping 10 inches! They say that one of the biggest growth periods -- and I'm ready for it! I'm in love with my new belly...the bigger the better (haha I say that now!).

Oh my gosh, how could I forget??? Well, we have told everyone already BUT....it's definitely, 100%, for sure, no doubt about it, and we've got pictures to prove it....A GIRL!!!!! Our little princess (aka. Basketball star!) is on her way! We found out at our last appointment on June 11th, that was one amazing day for us both! We were told at our last appointment that it "looked" like a girl but it's definitely cool knowing it for sure. Now we are seriously trying to decide on a name and we have our favorites. What we will probably do is have a few of our favorites and once we meet her on D-Day, we will give her the best fitting name. (PS. I can't wait for that moment when Paul holds our baby girl...get's me all teary eyed). The picture to the left is the 16 week photo of our girl, can you believe how developed her spine is?? And you can see her little ear too! Too cute! At that same appointment, we brought in a little sound recorder that we bought from Build-A-Bear and recorded the dopler noise of the heartbeat. Needless to say, I listen to it all the time.

Last week was a big week for many reasons, and so is this week! Yesterday, we decided on the baby bedding and what furniture we want. We are actually going to the OC Swapmeet this Saturday to check out this custom furniture company that a coworker of mine is using. Basically, you give them a picture of what you want and they replicate it with your requested wood. Since it's not brand name, it's SOO much less expensive. This picture is the style of crib we are having made. That afternoon, we willl go to register for the bedding at Pottery Barn Kids (shown in the picture too). Aren't the little lambs adorable!?!? We also cleared out the office so it is no longer the office...it's the baby room. :-)

Our next appointment is at 10am on Monday, June 6th. That's the appointment that our OB/GYN Dr. Kroll does the full fetal organ exam of the baby. She makes sure all of the organs are forming properly, including the brain. It's going to be cool to be in the ultrasound room for a long time. I LOVE LOVE LOVE hearing the sound of the babies heartbeat and seeing her wiggle.

One last thing...Paul and I decided that we will be doing the 4D Video/Photos of the baby in the third trimester. Anyone can come and see the live video feed that day! But they also give us a video with music to take home along with photos. If you can't make it, don't worry, I'll post both of them right here!

That's it for now! Love you all!

Proud mama,

Andrea

My tum tum @ 14 weeks

I think my belly is having an identity crisis. In the PM, she's popped out and the next morning, she's as flat as a board. We took our first of many belly pics on Sunday and here's a PM look at it.

12 Week Doctor Appointment

And the winner is....a girl!! (Well, maybe...because a small part of the time it kind of looked like a boy). So we'll see what the gender is (hopefully) at our 16 week appointment on June 11th. They ran the ultrasound tests for downs and everything looks clear and healthy. Yeah! He or she is the size of a 12 week and 4 day old baby...ahead of the game...haha. The baby had his/her ankles crossed, arms were flailing about, and squirmed a lot. Can't wait til I can feel it :)

Today, Paul, the doggies, and I are off on our 1.5 week trip to Yosemite for a camping adventure. Right now, Paul is at the gym and I am working on the website while we wait for the Tahoe engine to get fixed. Yesterday, we were a couple hours on the road and the car engine caught fire (small one) so we had to tow it back. Needless to say, riding in the back of a tow truck while pregnant for that distance was NO picnic. But Paul and I kept high spirits, afterall, we have a healthy baby on the way and we couldn't be happier!

Today, we will be taking the first of a series of "belly" photos to see how my stomach progresses. Honestly, it doesn't look that different. :-( It only looks bloated after I've had a big meal...which basically tells me...it's food. Some ladies my size don't show in their first pregnancy until 4 or 5 months (which is 4 to 8 weeks from now). We shall see!

Ta ta!

Andrea

Dream

I had a dream last night that we found out the sex of the baby...and it was a girl! Only a few more days til we know if that's true! Then...onto the massive feat that is baby name selection. Oih!

Moving on into the 12th week

Pickles. All I can think about are pickles. And the occasional shabu shabu - which Paul is taking me to today for lunch. Anything sour, super super salty, or fried are my best friends right now. I'm loving being able to eat. That's for sure!

BTW - Whattoexpect.com sends me email updates each week letting me know what's going on with ME and the BABY. They are pretty spot on with their topics being my issue of the moment. This morning I felt pretty light-headed and dizzy. I stood up off the couch after eating breakfast and had to hug Paul til my blood could get up to my brain. So I sat down with my head between my legs and was playing with my iPhone. I saw that a new WTE.com email had arrived. Topic: Dizziness. Ha ha, they are VERY spot on. They had a few suggestions, but as with most of the pregnancy stuff...they just tell you its normal (aka. just deal with it!).

This Friday at 9am we have our 12 week appointment with the doctor and we get to have our 2nd ultrasound. Apparently, our little peanut is no longer the size of a peanut but the size of a plum. (Hmm...a plum sounds yummy right now). We MIGHT be able to find out the sex of the baby at this appointment if the baby is positioned correctly. If not, then at the 16 week appointment for sure. We are super excited. Paul said he doesn't care what the sex is, but ultimately, he thinks a boy would be pretty cool. I can see them playing one-on-one now. My dad thinks it's a girl. Lonny, my sister's hubby, thinks we are going to have all girls. I absolutely have no clue what the sex is. I was just excited that there was just one in there!

Love,
Andrea

Blog numero uno

Well, welcome, welcome, welcome. I would like to welcome you to the Baby Reitmeier blog courtesy of the mommy-to-be (occasional witty commentary by the daddy-to-be).

Today marks the first day of blogging about the ins and outs of this 40 week pregnancy. Hopefully, most of the stories will be short, funny, and full of charm ~ but I'd like to give myself an out to vent whenever I need it, so bare with me.

As of today, I am 9 weeks and 6 days along. Okay, so I'm basically 10 weeks. Our due date is November 27th. Yes, the day AFTER thanksgiving (aka. Black Friday - the biggest shopping day of the year). I'll be sure to let the baby know that funny fact when he or she gets older. I'm afraid I might find that more amusing then they will, actually, I'm pretty sure I will.

So, how am I feeling as of today? I'm going to rank my "feelings" relative to the worst day being a 10 and the best day being a 1 (God willing, I have a "1" at least one of these days). So pretty much from week 6 until last friday (beginning of week 10), I have fluctuated from an 8 to a 10, depending on the day. This consisted of nausea (no more going into the garage - the smell makes me sick), vomiting (my usually beloved tomato bisque soup no longer stands a chance in my stomach), and extreme fatigue (unlike any hangover, work day exhaustion, or late paper writing evening I've experienced thus far in life). So TODAY...I score myself a 6. The nausea has lifted a lot, although it's definitely still there (french bread makes the tummy happy again). And I'm super tired, the kind of tired where I could happily sit and stare at a blank wall for hours all the while having a million things to get done -- and really not caring that they aren't getting done. Seriously, no care in the world to complete them. Very un-Andrea of me.

So apparently I have 2 or 3 more weeks of the fatigue thing, then I should get that second trimester "burst" of energy. Pray for my to-do list's sake that this does come true, otherwise, I'm afraid, the dogs will not be getting a bath for a few more years.

Let's see, anything else? I think that's about it for now. I'll be sure to put up pics as I take them (again, on that ignored to-do list) and any funny stories (pray that I have the awareness to recognize them, and more importantly, laugh at them).

(insert cool sign off to be thought of later),

Andrea