Introducing Cassidy May McKenna

It's almost 12 hours after the birth and I'm writing this in the mother/baby unit as both Amy and Cassidy are sleeping soundly. Both are doing great and in good health. The labor was a little longer and more difficult than with Sophia, but everything went extremely well and Amy had very minimal tearing this time. Cassidy is a very peaceful and is acclimating well to her new world. I can already tell that she has her own distinct personality from her sister. Sophia is a real sweet heart and is loving her baby sister. We are all overjoyed with how well everything has gone.

Welcome home Cassidy. We love you.

Stats:

• Weight: 8lb, 6oz
• Height: 20.5 in.
• DOB: 12/20/2007, 12:41pm

Cassidy's Bedroom

Just ten days until my due date, and I can proudly say we have completed the transformation of the former guest bedroom (think beige, dark, and dingy) into a lovely space for baby Cassidy. We had tackled the paint project a few weeks ago, but there have been a number of to-do's looming over us. Today we found the time and energy to get it done. (I should clarify the "we" part of the previous statement, as most of the tasks were performed by Stephen with some help from Grandpa Gary.) My wonderful husband put up new closet bars; sanded the old, nasty paint off the door hardware; re-hung the bedroom door; found a spot for the elephants-and-lions mobile; and mathematically engineered the perfect location for all the bedroom artwork. So, the cute yellowish-green room is ready for you, Cassidy. You know you want to come out and see it...

28.75-Week Pregnancy Update

I'm almost 29 weeks, so it's clearly time for a Cassidy update. This time around, my pregnancy has flown by. Maybe it's because I'm a mommy to a 2 1/2 year old, and I don't often get down-time to think about the new baby. But all of a sudden my belly is a lot bigger, kicks are much stronger, aches & pains are ever increasing—it's starting to hit me. This is really happening! And I'm beginning to feel as excited as I was when we were expecting Sophia. "What will she look like? What kind of personality will she have? When will I get to meet her?" I've even pulled out my dusty pregnancy books, thinking it would be wise to bone up on the birth process and such. After all, around this time last pregnancy, we had started our Bradley Childbirth Class; had already painted and decorated the baby room; and had even designed the birth announcement. Either we were way ahead last time or we are way behind now. A little of both, I think. At least the spare bedroom is free of extra furniture, so we can start repainting it when we have a chance—in the next 6 weeks, I hope!

My gut has been feeling really great on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). Weight gain had been an initial worry for me, since I only gained 20 lbs with Sophia. But I've already gained 20+ with over 2 months to go, which is right on track. I do find that some days I'm too tired to stand in the kitchen and cook a made-from-scratch meal, as this diet typically requires. Luckily Stephen and Sophia like fried egg sandwiches and tomato soup, so I've always got an easy fallback. Also, I'm learning how to break up the meal-making process into smaller chunks, like cutting up fruits and veggies earlier in the day or assembling a casserole in the morning and baking it in the afternoon. My personality is to do everything at once, but it just tires me out too much right now. Same with exercising. I'm finding that I have to take shorter walks (especially if pushing 50+ lbs of stroller and Sophia) and swims. I don't remember needing to take it easy so often when I was pregnant with Sophia, but then again, I wasn't chasing after a toddler back then.

For the most part, I'm focusing on enjoying my last couple months of being a mommy to only one kiddo. Never again will I be able to spend this much one-on-one time with Sophia. I don't want to overdo it though, since it might make for an even harder adjustment when Cassidy arrives. There is a balance between the role of playmate and letting her do her own thing (which she's getting better at). And I have to say thank goodness for Dora and Caillou DVD's. Otherwise I'd never get a nap!

28.75 Weeks

It's A...

...Girl!

Hooray for ultrasound technology! Now we can paint the spare bedroom pink (or at least that's Sophia's vote) and re-use all of Sophia's very girly baby paraphernalia. As Stephen replied to the ultrasound technician when she asked if we had any final questions: "No questions. We know girls."

Grandma Beth stayed with Sophia while Stephen and I went to the baby-viewing appointment on Tuesday morning. When I returned home with the genderific news, Sophia seemed very excited about having a baby sister. We watched the ultrasound video together, which was a cool experience. Although later in the day, she cried out, "I wanted a brother!" So, I think there are some mixed feelings about this baby thing, as to be expected.

Here are a few 20-week pictures of our little Cassidy (with a very verbal 2 year old at home, there's no way to keep the name a secret this time around). We are in love already. And I'm starting to feel many kicks throughout the day. Sophia, Stephen, and Grandma Beth have been able to feel them too!

Here you can see little fingers just above the belly area:

Cassidy's sweet profile. What cute little lips.

Feet!

SCD Pregnancy Tips

Today I received an email from a woman who is on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) after having had a small bowel resection last year. She is now in remission from Crohn's Disease, and although her doctor proclaims it's because of the surgery, she says my story gives her hope that this diet is a key to recovery.

My new SCD friend shared some concerns about pregnancy and Crohn's Disease. I totally know where she's coming from. It's scary to think about starting a family when you don't know if you'll be feeling good or stuck in the ER. Lots to think about.

Four months into my pregnancy, I'm feeling really great. And I have lots of hope that the SCD will get me through any postnatal hormonal fluctuations. My healthcare team has been supportive about my new diet. Here are a few tips for any women out there on the SCD who are thinking about getting pregnant:

• SCD-legal prenatal vitamins can be ordered through Kirkman Labs. The product is called Perry Prenatals.
• If your OB wants you to do a screen for diabetes, don't let the lab give you glucose syrup (sugar water). Request to do the bloodwork 1 hour after a meal instead.
• Consult with a prenatal nutritionist: bring a week-long food diary; a copy of "Breaking The Vicious Cycle"; the label for your prenatal vitamins; and a nutrition breakdown for almond flour, which you can get from lucyskitchenshop.com if you ask Lucy for it. My nutritionist helped me make sure I'm getting the right balance for myself and the baby.
• Check with your birthing hospital to see if they can meet your special dietary needs. If not, plan to bring your own food and find out if there is a fridge you can use.
• Something I haven't done yet but plan to do: in the last month before your due date, bake a ton of almond flour goodies (if you can tolerate them) and some SCD-legal meals and freeze them. Then you won't have to stress (as much) when you get home from the hospital.

By the way, it's close to 6 months on the SCD, and I'm still feeling splendid! I've had a cold over the past week and my gut didn't act up at all—I'm usually a mess whenever my immune system kicks in, since it starts to work overtime on my gut too. I think a lot of healing has been taking place.

Three Down, Six To Go

As of last Tuesday, I'm officially out of the first trimester of my second pregnancy. Woohoo! This week I have much more energy, much less need to urinate every 5 seconds, and much relief that I'm supposedly in the safe zone now.

One of my dear friends experienced a miscarriage two weeks ago. She was 7 weeks along, had started bleeding and cramping, and in a matter of days it was over. We had a long talk on the phone shortly after it occurred, and I was happy to be there for her, feeling a little guilty and a lot relieved that I'd had no problems so far. Sharing her emotions with a pregnant friend had to be hard.

Several nights ago, Stephen and I had meshing dreams. His: Our baby was born with diabetes and was very ill. Mine: My prenatal blood tests came back with an indicator for gestational diabetes. We rarely recount our dreams to each other, but that morning we did. It was eerie. I am sure it's simply pre-baby worries manifesting in a disease state that is possible for mother or baby. It makes me all the more glad that things are going so well.

I can't even begin to express how happy I am that I'm on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) and that it's working so well for me. Not every day is perfect. But compared to the constant pain of Crohn's Disease that I experienced before the diet, a "yucky gut day" here and there is nothing. I've been on the SCD since February 2007 (and off my 6MP medication since March), so that makes 5 months of no grains, sugars, starches, or any other typical ingredients and fillers in most ready-made, store- or restaurant-bought foods. I have to say, I'm used to it. The diet feels normal. I made wheat flour, chocolate chip waffles for Stephen and Sophia on Father's Day, and I didn't feel any sense of jealousy or resentment. I ate my own breakfast of home made yogurt, an apple pancake, and a banana, loving every bite—knowing that it wouldn't make me feel sick.

Recently, I met with a nutritionist about the SCD, to make certain I was getting the right nutrients for myself and the baby. After reviewing my food diary, she agreed that this was a great diet, especially since I'm feeling so good. She said that the almond flour baked goods have a similar makeup to regular wheat flour baked goods, including vitamins, fiber, protein, and calories. "More veggies," was her only admonition. I already knew that. I'm trying!

The oddest thing about this pregnancy is that since my initial puke-fest on the eve before I found out the good news, I haven't felt nauseated much at all. With my first pregnancy, I was green for the whole first trimester. I would gag every time I went to the grocery store, with all those foody smells magnified about 5 billion percent. I feel very fortunate that this time my first trimester was smooth sailing. I've even gained about 8 lbs, which I really needed to do anyways!

A friend who recently had a baby loaned me all her maternity clothes (bless her), and I'm already finding use for them. I can't believe how fast my belly is pooching out this time around!

Belly At 13 Weeks

We'll Be Home For Christmas

Recently, a friend asked Sophia if she wanted a baby brother or a sister. "I want TWO sisters!" was our toddler's emphatic reply. Which wouldn't have worried me, except for the dreams I'd been having ALL WEEK about giving birth to twins. And if I were a superstitious person, I'd say the double-yolked egg we cracked for breakfast would've been a scary sign.

If you hadn't guessed yet, we're pregnant! And it was quite a relief when last week's early ultrasound showed just ONE tiny bean with a beating heart.

7-Week Ultrasound

At the beginning of the year when my Crohn's Disease was really bad, we were thinking about baby number two but were worried about a high-risk pregnancy. After three months of success with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and feeling great without any scary medications, we decided to go for it.

My body must be in a really healthy place, because the first month we tried, "Voila!" We weren't expecting it to happen so quickly, as it took five months to conceive Sophia. And get this—according to the ultrasound, my expected due date is December 25, 2007. No joke! The midwife checked and re-checked her due date calculator in disbelief. Start placing your bets...

Not Thinking About My Gut

Back in high school, when the specialist took a tissue sample of a never-closing fissure that was, quite literally, a pain in the butt, he determined that I had a condition called Crohn's Disease, a type of inflammatory bowel disease that can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract. He said that I should be prepared for a future with diarrhea and gut pain. Chronic. Embarrassing. Incurable. At seventeen, I wasn't ready to hear this. So I ignored it as best I could.

Shortly after graduating from college, I began to notice my gut a little more than usual. It started with the feeling that I had to use the bathroom all the time. This was highly inconvenient, since I was employed as a secretary and couldn't leave my station unless I bugged my busy manager to cover the phones. So, I'd wait as long as I could, sitting uncomfortably at my desk, trying to hide the pain. Sometimes I felt a stabbing, heartburn sensation. Other times I felt filled up with gas all the way to my eyeballs. No matter how many times I used the bathroom, I seldom felt relief.

At some point, my high school Crohn's diagnosis crossed my mind, but I tried to avoid it. I decided the problem had to be something simple, like lactose intolerance. After a month of dairy avoidance and an inconclusive food diary, feeling clueless and helpless, I made an appointment with a gastroenterologist at the University of Michigan. He scheduled a colonoscopy and a few other unpleasant procedures. Quickly and swiftly, his judgment was: Crohn's. He said that my intestine was very narrowed with inflammation and that if it had gotten much worse, I may have needed surgery. He put me on two medications: Prednisone, which was a steroid designed to reduce inflammation, and a maintenance drug called Pentasa.

The Prednisone worked well. I had never felt better. But it's side effects made it an unwise long-term medication. Once I stopped taking it, I felt bad again. I stuck with the Pentasa for a while, but it really didn't help much. So, in came the stronger artillery—6MP, an immunosuppressant drug to help the body stop fighting itself. It eased the pain, but the tradeoffs were a weakened immune system; fatigue; sun sensitivity; and unknown long-term side effects, possibly cancer. I stayed on it for a couple of years because it was better than feeling bad all the time. But in 2004, Stephen and I wanted to get pregnant.

6MP, a class D drug, has not been tested enough to know if it's safe for pregnancy or breast feeding. So, I decided to go off the medication before getting pregnant. It turned out to be a good pregnancy, but I started feeling sick six months after Sophia was born. I desperately wanted to continue breast feeding, so I told myself I could make it until Sophia was one year old. Right before her first birthday, I scheduled an emergency appointment with my gastro doctor. He put me back on another round of Prednisone and 6MP, which helped clear things up. I felt great for six months, and then we started thinking about baby #2.

Since I was feeling better, I wanted to go off the 6MP for the second pregnancy. But my gastro doctor advised against it, feeling that the risk of a flare while pregnant was worse than the potential risks of staying on the medicine. He said many women were staying on it and seeing no ill effects on the fetus. I think he could sense my hesitancy because he suggested I try a half dose for a while to see how it felt. When I tried cutting back, I felt sick almost immediately. And in the meantime, I'd gotten a second opinion from a high-risk maternal-fetal medicine OB. He wanted me off the meds. My family doctor also thought they were pretty risky for pregnancy. I wanted to believe them—to pretend I'd be OK if I stopped the medication. But back on the full dose of 6MP, my gut was still giving me trouble. I felt stuck; no options. I was beginning to let go of the denial. Acceptance was sobering.

So, here I was, feeling confused and stressed and hopeless, and now my gut was acting up even while I was on the 6MP. My wise mother suggested I call her friend who has been living with Crohn's for many years and has five kids. This lovely, helpful woman told me about a diet she'd been following called The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) based on the book, "Breaking The Vicious Cycle" by Elaine Gottschall. After hearing this woman's story about her horrible dealings with the disease and intestinal surgery, and how she turned her life around with the SCD, I knew I had to give it a try.

A few web searches later, I'd found hundreds of glowing reviews written by people with health issues like mine. And there were many Internet support groups and forums for the SCD and even a website based on the book. I immediately bought the book and a yogurt maker (a key for the diet), and I started eating very differently than ever before. In the past, I'd always had at least one grain with every meal, and this diet didn't allow for ANY grains. Instead, I could eat: vegetables (except for potatoes and sweet potatoes); meat; fruit; fermented, low-lactose/low-sugar dairy; nuts and seeds; some dried beans; honey; butter; and plant oils. No soy, grains, sugar, starches or many other additives that are found in pre-packaged, processed foods.

The idea behind the SCD is that the gut is easily able to digest mono-saccharides, so people with intestinal issues should stick with simple carbs. Stop bombarding the gut with extra sugars and starches, and healing will be able to take place. There is the potential to re-introduce forbidden foods after having been symptom free for a year or so. I've been strictly following this plan since February 5, 2007, and I'm feeling really, amazingly great! It was hard at first—I felt like I was mourning the death of a loved one (bread! cookies! pasta! chocolate!!!!)—and I had a hard time re-thinking all of my tried-and-true recipes. Plus, I believe my body was in detox mode for the first week, since I felt really tired and spacy, but I did notice less bloating and gas right away. And now I'm not running to the bathroom more than once a day, which is lovely! The other great thing—no, the BEST thing—is that I'm totally off my medication and feeling good for the first time in a long time. There are more and more days where I don't think about my gut at all, where I feel like a person instead of a disease. This is new for me, and it's wonderful.

I have faith that I will be able to enjoy a medication-free, healthy pregnancy if I stay on the SCD. It's very empowering to find that I can control and possibly cure my illness simply by being careful about what I put into my body. For that, I can give up pasta; I can even give up chocolate!

P.S. Thanks, Mom, for being my SCD buddy.

Sophia Lane McKenna

Born 6:56 PM, March 14, 2005
8 lbs. 7 oz., 20 in.

Everything old is new again.

More pictures are available on Sara's website

BellyVision: Season Finale

The belly just keeps growing and growing! We thought you might enjoy seeing our progress from week 0 - week 39. Thanks to Stephen for taking some great pictures, and thanks to Button for posing so nicely.

Confessions of an Ever-So-Slightly Obsessed Mommy-To-Be

Thirty-eight weeks ago (after about 5 months of trying) most of my time was consumed with wishing I were pregnant, and of course searching for telltale signs. "Oh, I feel a bit nauseous—maybe that's morning sickness? I think my boobs are a little sore (or is that because I keep poking at them to see if they are sore?). I have a headache. I don't usually have headaches. Maybe this is it?" And then on June 29th, we saw TWO blue lines. And we knew for sure. A baby on the way.

Thirty-eight weeks later, my thoughts have turned to a quandary even more elusive: "OH MY GOD, WHEN WILL WE HAVE THIS BABY???" I know there isn't a way to predict the moment, but I still find myself spending hours doing Google searches like, "How contractions feel," "Labor signs," "Dilation, effacement, dropping," and all sorts of special word combinations that could pull up an article or forum post to clue me in on some exciting tidbit that might pertain to me. All the while, knowing that there are no set-in-stone scenarios. But I am a mad-woman-addicted-to-Google-searches. If I type that into Google, will I get a link to Amy McKenna?

So, thirty-eight weeks, and it could happen in an hour, a day, a week, or two, or four. I know I need to calm myself. Trust me, I'm working on it. So, here is my mantra: "Just try to relax and enjoy this time. After baby is here, NOTHING will be the same. EVER AGAIN."

A Little Birdie Told Me

It all started about a week ago, when, in a moment of feverish inspiration, Stephen and I decided it was time to delete all un-used, un-needed, and un-important furniture, appliances, gadgets, etc. which were slowly devouring our basement, attic, and garage. After a long weekend of inventory and a few discrepancies over the definitions of "broken," "tacky," and "antique," our list of obsolete items had grown to a livingroom-full. We called the Ann Arbor ReUse Center, and these two perky twenty-somethings showed up to haul away our stuff (they were WONDERFUL; they took EVERYTHING). Just like that, the clutter was gone. How totally and utterly freeing! That night, as we sat in our clutter-free living room, with our clutter-free basement beneath us and our clutter-free attic above us, we started to ponder WHY, at this moment in time, it seemed so important to clear our lives of the unnecessary. We came up with an underlying theme: Baby.

Baby Thought #1: Only 7 weeks left. It's "now or never" for home project undertakings.
Baby Thought #2: We've got this inkling that being new parents will be just a tad bit stressful. In an attempt to remain somewhat sane throughout the process, it seems logical to create as much open, uncluttered thinking/feeling/living space as possible.
Baby Thought #3: Baby = more stuff (read: inevitable clutter).

I've heard that this instinct to clean and prepare for the little one is called "Nesting." A mere month ago, I scoffed at the notion. But now I feel totally and utterly powerless. I must admit, I have always been a bit of a neat freak, but it's really much worse in my present state. Last week, as I bent down to wipe up a spill on the kitchen floor, I happened to notice the total griminess of the baseboards. So I started scrubbing, which lead me on a whirlwind tour of the kitchen, visiting all the most offensive, overlooked places—the side of the oven; the cupboard doors (inside AND out); the walls with their scuff marks; the ceiling cobwebs; the spilly drips on the trash can; and the floor, which really needed a good mopping. Dirty places I had never even noticed before I was pregnant were suddenly screaming out to be purified. And every day since, I simply haven't been able to resist the urge to sweep up any crumbs I can see (believe me, I can see them ALL).

Maybe this nesting thing is a response to some primal need for a clean baby environment. Or maybe it's because soon-to-be parents start to realize just how little time and energy they'll have for things like mopping the floor once Baby arrives. Or maybe it's just that I'm a little bit neurotic, and the hormones are bringing out the true crazy in me. Whatever the case, all I can do is keep on sweeping...and daydreaming about that amazing day when Baby will be old enough to crawl around on this momentarily sparkly-clean linoleum.

The 28 Weeks of Buttonhood

On Tuesday morning, I had my second ultrasound. The first go-around back at 19 weeks revealed not only a sweet baby girl, but also a low-ish placenta, which isn't a good thing to see. A 28-week scan was scheduled to take another look, in hopes that the placenta would migrate northward. A co-worker who'd had a similar scenario with her first pregnancy suggested that I "visualize the placenta moving up." So, I tried it out, and maybe it helped because yesterday we got the good news. Placenta is up (yay) and Button is still a girl (double yay!). Button, it was very cool to be able to see you again. Your Dad and I were amazed by your little moving mouth and your tiny eyelids blinking back at us. Can't wait to meet you in few short months!

Benjamin and Lamby in da Crib

Ragazzi makes some great cribs, but if you buy one be forewarned of the assembly instructions. BE VERY FOREWARNED. The instructions appear to have been written by someone who has never actually assembled a crib before. If they had, they would have realized that Long Flat Head Lag Bolts of 60mm and Short Flat Head Lad Bolts of 50mm can't both be part "P". Or that printing the spanish instructions within the english version is NOT helpful. And, oh yeah, step 6 really needs to be step 2. Unless they thought it would be funny to have us put the crib halfway together and then take it apart again to get that damn dowel to fit (the dowel was THIS close to being sawed off).

And the diagrams were so simple, so helpful.

Once the crib was assembled, 4 hours later... Amy brought out a couple old friends from their hermetically sealed containers.

Benjamin Bunny.

Lamby (he's the lamb).

And a felt-tastic animal mobile that her parents handillycrafted when Amy was just a babe.

So, the baby room is actually starting to LOOK like a baby room (OMG, there is going to be a baby in here!). With little baby clothes that go on the little baby clothes hangers in the little baby closet. And the socks! The socks! When I started folding the laundry this weekend there were baby socks mixed in. It's as if the baby is already living with us. And in actuality, she is, touching us with every nudge and kick.

Buttonette

It may have been the Karma or it may have been that soon-to-be grandma Beth's handmade vintage baby dresses just HAD to be put to use, but whatever the cause may be, we've got a GIRL! Despite all the oracles' forecasts, the ruling powers of the ultrasound technician said, "yep, those are labia!" Horray for Labians!

All the baby parts checked out and are developing properly, which I didn't even think about worrying about until the technician was measuring the fold on the back of the skull to check for downs syndrome. I had a brief gut dropping feeling, thinking of all the potential problems, but that wasn't any fun. So we focused on the cute factor. There was lots of cute, and we've got pictures to prove it. Check out her tiny foot and her great profile (yes, she's already photogenic). The technician also got a great shot of the baby's hand by her face and a picture of the face looking straight on (have you clicked on the image yet? you really should click on the image!). OK, so it kinda looks like Skeletor, but she's our She-Ra, and we think she's beautiful!

We got a video too, but it's on something called VHS cassette. If anyone knows of an easy way to convert this archaic format into quicktime (I'm looking at you Hotelling), we could post it.

The Baby Report

We are currently going through some of the "it's really happening" moments. This past weekend we went on a trip to Birmingham for a baby-shopping binge. We ended up ordering a lot of the big ticket items that we've been eyeing over the internet ever since Button was just the size of a button. OUR BUTTON IS A POUND AND 7 INCHES ALREADY! And with all this increasing of the size, Amy has been going through a pants crisis. The rubber bands and loosened waistlines of her trendy jeans no longer can hold in the ever-expanding baby belly. She is currently managing with a single pair of maternity jeans that she says are "straight out of the early 90's." So, to avert going pantless, she's ordered the entire inventory at GAP maternity online. To all those tall women recently impregnotized, I'm sorry, but my wife now owns ALL of the 34" inseam flare/boot cut jeans. You'll have to get your Nirvana albums out and start dealing with it.

We also visited my Sister to see her new cabbage patch baby, Sleeping Beauty! I mean, Claire Wren McKenna Knudsen! She is a major cutie and she sleeps like a baby. Seriously, Allison has to wake her up to feed her. Amy was, I hear, the same way when she was just a wee one. Maybe it's just a girl thing, but I'm hoping she passes some of her sleeping genes on no matter what the gender.

Button doesn't seem to be much of a sleeper right now though. Amy reports that she's been feeling some kicking. I'm thinking Button is starting to catch on to our CardioBlast class and is trying out some disco steps. We'll find out if that's the case on Monday when we'll see Button for the first time! And if Button isn't moving around too much we'll be able to determine what kind of button Button is. Exciting! We'll make sure we post a picture of the ultrasound ASAP.

Green

I am typing up this blog entry in the freshly painted baby room. We set up a small desk and the old computer in here after we were done painting, so now I have a cute little green office all of my own. Until Button arrives, that is. Then I will have to learn how to share.

So, the room is green--almost as green as we feel when we think about parenthood. Now that we have this cute little green room we need to find cute little things to fill it. Right now it's sparse and echoey and full of expectancy. It feels good to spend time in here--so, yes, Stephen, setting up the computer desk was a good idea after all. Even though I know it can't stay here for ever. I'm sorry that I get all panicky over the weirdest things, like setting up a desk when we know we'll have to move it a few months later. Maybe I'm afraid I'll get too attached. My god, it's only a DESK.

So, we have one cute little thing in the green room, and it's a tiny rocking chair that I loved as a child, and that I still love, and that I hope our children will love too. Oh, and I hung the hot-mama red diaper bag on the hook, so that's a second cute thing. (Stephen, you totally rock for picking out such a cool bag.)

And now for the saga of the green paint. It goes like this: We picked out about 40 different green paint chip samples from the local paint shop, and after much deliberation, we picked the one we liked best. So, the day before painting day, I happened to show the color sample to my artsy friend Johnny, and he said it was the exact same color that he painted his hallway--and then repainted when he found out he hated the color. He even had some paint left over, and just looking at the paint drips on the outside of the can confirmed that we hated it too. Hmmmmm...back to square one. Much frustration.

After a long hard night of rehashing through green paint chip samples, I decided it would be a good idea to find some paint that matched the color of my light green tank top, which I love dearly. Stephen agreed to this seemingly sensible notion, and the next morning we rushed out to the paint store and bought two gallons of Wales Green, which matched my shirt to the tee. But once we had painted the first coat, we started noticing how utterly florescent it looked. Hence, lots more frustration (of course there was absolutely no arguing or blame over who picked out the paint color based on their favorite tank top). After the second coat and after painting over the old purple trim with a nice creamy white, the walls looked sooooo much less florescent, and actually very sweet. Although Stephen is pretty sure that a teenage boy would insist on a repaint. And, in that case, we'll just have to hope for a girl.

Check out my belly. I'm at 14 weeks, and it's already growing!

Now It Feels Real

My twelve-week prenatal exam was today at 3:20PM with Cheryl Bachman, Certified Nurse Midwife. Stephen, that lovey-dove, came with me out of sheer loviness (and for moral support). I've been waiting for this day. A month ago, when we set up the appointment, Cheryl told us that we would listen for the heartbeat at twelve weeks. And if no heartbeat, we'd need to do an ultrasound to make sure everything was OK. The days leading up to this appointment have been exciting and nervous. What if no heartbeat?

"What if I'm not really pregnant and my symptoms are something else? Because I don't really feel like I have a 1.5 oz, 3 inch baby floating around in there. And now that the morning sickness is fading, I'm feeling kind of, well, normal."

I was apprehensive this morning. I so want this to work out. More than anything else.

And despite my worries, we did hear a heartbeat. Almost like it came out of nowhere. A very strong, fast "Swoosh, Swoosh." So sweet. Stephen said, "Wow, that's really fast." I cried. And at dinner tonight, Stephen, that lovey-dove, asked, "Don't you wish we could hear that heartbeat 24-7?" And the funny thing is, I know that's all I will be hearing/thinking/hoping 24-7.

A heartbeat, and now it feels real.

And Now For Something Completely Different

Warning: there's going to be a dramatic shift in subject matter here on the Ranch. If you are a single guy in a long-term relationship or have recently married, I suggest you immediately stop reading, clear your cache, and remove any bookmarks to this site. PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK!

For those who are still with us, Amy's pregu! Got a bun in the oven, a pea in the pod, she's "funny", and in a family way. We're so excited (and we just can't hide it). I know, I know, I know - we've been really excited about things before, but this time we are reeeaally ridiculously good and excited looking!

Button is due in early March (a Pisces), the same birth month as Amy. It seems like such a long wait, but that will give us time to babify the house. A lick of paint, another furniture binge, and a clothes shopping spree, but this time for Button. If you thought we were label whores before, just you wait.