snow day!

yippee!  i really was like a nine year old when i got the call from my school district this morning, letting me know that school was canceled due to inclement weather.  unfortunately, jake had already gotten up for work and the fans were off, lights were on and i was up and at 'em.

the midwest was hit with a storm, but we didn't even get much snow.  maybe just over an inch.  but i guess that combined with the dropping temps and wind made for a sticky commute because it took jake over 2 hours to get to work just 25 minutes away.

so what am i doing, you ask?  on my first snow day of the season???

took my time making breakfast.

brewed some decaf coffee for the first time in i don't know how long...only to decide it just wasn't what i wanted quite yet.  drank chocolate milk instead.

tried to watch the today show, which i love.  nothing but storm and commute coverage on any news channel.  ended up watching ellen on dvr.

looked up the trendiness of some baby names.

read some blogs.

snacked.

did some research on a good but reasonable starter slr camera...input anyone?  i have no desire to be a photographer, i just want to be able to snap nice pictures of the mini menz in a flash!

i follow this blog.  and she has me freaked thinking.  researched the use of the angel monitor.  or any other kind of breathing monitor.  i follow this blog.  ...or there's the snuza baby movement monitor.

snacked.

did my biggest loser jillian dvd.  i hate jillian.  she causes pain.  good pain.  sometimes i just mute her to shut her up though.

my friend, tricia, who's also preggers, came up with the perfect nickname for the baby.  since i sometimes call "it" mini menz...m&m!  perfect!  and quite fitting since i crave peanut m&ms.

ate lunch.

ate some of this cake, that i had been obsessing over since i saw a pin for strawberry cookies on pinterest.  this is a weight watchers recipe.  beyond easy.  one box of cake mix.  one diet soda.  bake it per box instructions.  that's it.  add lite whipped topping.  it is the best cake.  my fav.  i picked strawberry cake mix with sprite zero.  you can do many combos of this cake.  lemon and sprite.  chocolate and diet wild cherry.  spice cake and diet a&w.  so good!  and sort of guilt free!

did laundry.

read more blogs.

read the help.

and now...i'm waiting for jake to get home safe.

 ...

nightstand reads.

 from top:

happiest baby on the block | harvey karp, md

recommended and purchased for me by my sister.in.law.  karp calls it "the new way to calm crying".  i've only read the forward so far, but i'm liking it.  excited to read on, but i realized i could probably put it off to a little further down the road.

baby bargains | denise and alan fields

a must have.  recommended by my friend, katie.  i purchased this the first time i was pregnant.  everyone who has read it has sworn by it and followed it pretty closely.  the fields, who are consumer advocates, explain deals, bargains, wastes of money, scams and good/better/best products.  i've purchased the ninth edition, and that was back in april/may '11.  double check to see if there is a newer edition because info is changing often.  i purchased mine on amazon.

the help | kathryn stockett

a great movie and, i've been told, an even better book.  recommended by everyone and their sister (and borrowed from mine), i started to read this on my trip back from new york and i pick it up between baby reading.  funny note:  it is written with the same grammar as the southern maids who narrate some of the chapters and i find myself sounding like a 1960s maid in the deep south, in my head.

what to expect... | heidi murkoff

a pregnancy staple.  obviously.  pregnancy milestones, week by week.  and lots of other good info. about any question or concern you might have.  this book has saved my doctor from many questions.  a slow read now because i've read every page except any weekly information.  mine is the 4th edition.

100,000 plus baby names | bruce lansky

lists and lists and lists of names.  sixth ranked boys name in 1910 - george.  most popular girls name in chile - constanza.  most popular boys name in north dakota - carter.  law and order characters.  reality tv personalities.  herbs and spices - basil?  basil menz.  star kids names - pilot inspektor - son of jason lee.  you get my point.  this book gives me a little headache reading all of the lists and i'm not sure i've gotten many names out of it.  most of them, i've heard somewhere else.  i will share our naming woes in a post pretty soon, and possibly share some prospects.  we are nowhere near a consensus....but there's time.

...

feed me!

maybe it's because i can't chill out with a glass of wine or a beer after work, but i've been borderline obsessing over certain things lately.  cravings, i suppose.

beach club.  i had to.  i just had to.

must be peanut.

150 calories.  not the worst.  i savor it.

and i can not get enough water.  but that means more bathroom trips.

 

whoosh. whoosh. whoosh.

i can breathe a little easier.
and sleep a little better.
14.5 weeks and a healthy little heart beat.
156 bpm to be exact.
music!
and just when the doc would find it,
we'd hear another little whoosh and off the bean went!
a little mover.
and we learned today that movement builds their nervous system.
next up...the big ultrasound.  feb. 1st.
but, nope, still not finding out.
and neither will our doc.  so there will be no slip ups.
i can't wait for the day we will know!

 

think positive.

glass half full.

look on the bright side.

don't worry.  be happy.

be optimistic.

dwell in hope.  not worry.

here comes the anxiety leading up to every appointment.

i know we're guided by forces much greater than luck, but....cross your fingers for tomorrow.  

i hope i sleep.

 

14 weeks

how far along:  14 weeks 1 day

it seems bigger in person.

inanimate comparison:  the size of a lemon or your clinched fist

maternity clothes?:  i've only tried leggings and mainly because i couldn't stand how my regular leggings cut my stomach off.

cravings:  i've been digging chocolate milk and eating a lot of pickles, but i do really like pickles any way. 

aversions:  chicken is dead to me right now.  and coffee.  i love coffee.  but not now.

emotions:  snippy if i don't eat.  blubbery if i'm up too late.  and, today, i about cried at wal-mart because they didn't have one single ripe avocado.

fatigue:  traveling to ny took it out of me, but i think the fatigue is getting better.  but, ask me again after this week back at work.  hmmpff.

symptoms:  aside from peeing a ton and feeling like someone is shocking my nipples...i feel good.  i must eat every 1.5-2 hours.  i have an occasional headache, but i'm not complaining.  i will take it all and then some!!

what i miss:  i miss iced tea, but i've slowly been having a bit here and there.  i really miss subs (jimmy johns and goodcents).  i'm not sure about that whole no lunch meat thing, but i'm not risking anything.  did any of you avoid it?  i do not miss drinking, although, now and then...a cold beer looks good.

fears/concerns:  i'm anxious for our appointment thursday.  psyching myself out that something may have happened between our last appointment and now.  i really do feel optimistic, but i think anyone would have that fear.

highlight of the week:  realizing that i was getting a bump.  it seriously popped out over night and i think i was in some kind of denial.  i kept telling my sister, "that was already there".  no.  it wasn't.  another highlight would be jake telling me that the tiny bump was cute.  because i was feeling a little large, at that moment.

i'm thinking one of these posts every two weeks.  each week might be overkill.

 

emma on babies.

when emma found out there was a baby in my belly during our trip, she had some interesting things to say.  she was hilarious the first time around and then we tried to get her on tape and she was a little shy about it but gave some great insight.

click here. (i couldn't get it to embed)

babies get in through your throat

and come out your belly button

they stay in there for ten minutes

she was two pounds, but my baby will be ten

it will be a boy or girl

named santa baby.