Mother’s Day and Vacation

We went to the Denver Zoo for a Mother’s Day brunch this year. We had breakfast and then walked around the zoo for a while. We were early enough to actually see the lions being active--usually they’re asleep by the time we get there. It was neat--and we picked up some great parenting tips from the hyenas.

I was surprised at how many Mother’s Day gifts I got. I got some maternity clothes, a gift card to buy more maternity clothes, and Dean got me a Willow Tree statue of a couple holding a baby. I also got free ice cream from Cold Stone, who was giving out free ice cream to all mothers. It was a good day.

Last week, Dean and I went to our timeshare in Avon, CO for a week. This has been a snowy year, so it was a bit colder up there than it has been in years past. We lost our hiking trail in the snow before very long when we went out on Tuesday. This photo is of where we lost the trail. You can’t see the snow very well here, but you can see a really cool bird who was nice enough to pose for us. He is a dusty grouse. (Well, okay, I guess the bird is hard to see unless you know what you're looking for. But if you click on the photo it will zoom in, and you can see him standing on a fallen tree trunk behind me.) It was nice to get away and just relax for a while. And I got a massage, which really helped with tension.

Almost all of my pants and shorts that close with buttons have ceased fitting me--comfortably, anyway. Elastic and drawstrings are my friends. I got one pair of maternity capris for Mother’s Day, and I’ll probably have to go out soon and use my gift card so I’ll have more shorts and capris to wear, now that we’re getting into the warm months. I’ll also hit garage sales and thrift stores. And maybe see if Dean’s shorts will fit me. J

My next doctor’s visit is on June 2, and then we’ll have the ultrasound on June 23. I guess that’s all the news for now. Stay tuned!

Beginning to show

The first of these photos was taken on April 6, and the second on April 27. As you can see, I'm getting a little bigger. We took a few photos earlier than this, but they're not as good since we took them in the evening (when my stomach was full and I was often feeling bloated.) In April, we realized we needed to take them in the morning for a more accurate picture. I haven't gained much weight yet, just a few pounds.

I've continued to be tired. I've been having a lot of trouble with pain and aches in my neck and shoulders lately, which has been wearing me out, too. I'll start to feel better one day, and the next day it gets worse again. I'm getting really sick of that pattern, but I'm not sure what else to do about it.

The car seat company, after many volleys of emails, sent me a manual for the car seat we got for free, and it looks like we're in business to use it--although she said the federal government says car seats should not be used once they're more than six years old, so we probably won't hang onto it for future children.

Car Seat News and other stuff

We stopped by a nearby fire station yesterday with the free infant car seat in the back seat and had them look at it. There were no recalls involving that product, and the firemen said it fit nice and snug and seemed to be a good model. I sent an email last Saturday to the manufacturers to see if they could send us an instruction manual (they have downloadable manuals on their website for their current models) and asking them if there were any recalls or product problems. I'm still waiting to hear back. So things are looking good!

We can add a high chair to the list of items we've received (or are about to receive) from friends and acquaintences. Also, we just received a box from my Aunt Jackie "returning" some toys which had once been mine, and which we gave to her for her children a good 18 years ago. I recognized a few of them before I read her card--there was a stuffed dinosaur hatching out of an egg which I thought I remembered getting from a school fundraiser or something. Then I pulled a set of stacking rings out of the box and I can remember getting a letter from Jackie years ago which thanked me for the rings, and I just started laughing. Her card confirmed that the toys had once been mine.

I've still been tired most of the time. The first trimester is almost over, and I'm hoping my energy will come back soon. There are a lot of things to do, and it's hard to get them done when I come home from work and collapse in my recliner.

The Power of a Beating Heart

We had my first doctor's appointment today, and the most exciting part was that we heard the heartbeat! Dean took the day off so he was there too. It was a truly magical and awe-inspiring moment. It really seemed to make the whole pregnancy seem more real. There's no possible question: there's a baby in there, and it's alive, and it's heart is already beating. It's not just an abstract concept that's making me tired and hungry, it's a real person. Wow.

Dean brought the camera along to the doctor's appointment, which I had been pretty indifferent about before. I mean, why would we need it? But it also has a video function, so thanks to Dean's foresight, we were able to get a video of the heartbeat for your viewing pleasure. You can hear it clearly starting about 5 seconds in. Be sure to have your volume turned up!

The rest of the appointment was discussing family medical history, the dos and don'ts of food, exercise, drugs, etc, some tests, and an exam. Apparently I have good hips. And it's nice to know that I can take Tylenol. I've got another appointment set up for four weeks out.

Secondhand Treasure Chest

We've already started getting offers (or outright gifts) of old baby stuff from friends and acquaintences. Dean's friend Charlie (whose youngest is about two and a half) just moved her out of the crib, and they've offered that to us. Also, both my parents and Dean's parents have offered us their old cribs. So we've got three options to choose from, and we'll have to construct and examine each to see which we want. We may go with Charlie's, so there will be cribs available at both grandparents' houses.

A while ago, Dean was over at Charlie's and saw a garage sale going on next door. Dean bought a jogging stroller for $30 and then was gifted with a baby moniter, a baby bath, and an infant car seat.

Yes, yes, before you all comment and say that we need to be cautious of hand-me-down car seats--we know. We intend to look it up online, and probably have a fireman or someone certified examine it to make sure it's okay. If it turns out it was recalled ten years ago or is just not up to current safety codes--hey, it was free, and we're only out the time we took to look it up. And if it is safe, then we saved at least a hundred dollars!

Also, three of Dean's coworkers have pregnant wives as well (we think there might be something in the water at Avaya.) The one who's the farthest along (due in June) gave us a bunch of books: What to Expect While You're Expecting, Baby Bargains, a name book, and What to Expect During the First Year. I'm not sure why they gave us the last one since their baby isn't here yet, but heck, it's free info.

Our big project right now is that Dean is working on getting his old photos put into albums. They're currently spread out all over our spare room. Pretty soon (hopefully after he's done) we'll rearrange the bedrooms to turn one into the nursery. Then we can put all our baby stuff in one place and get down to the business of setting up the nursery and seeing what we need/want.