It's so weird

We have baby stuff in our house now. And I'm not talking about just a few baby outfits, but a lot of STUFF. Last night we went to pick it up from my former co-worker who's moving to Singapore, and bless her--we wiped them out! They say we're helping them out more than they're helping us, but they have surely saved us a bundle. Our dining room is serving as a temporary baby storage room, although I don't know how temporary that really is since there's not really anywhere else to put it. Here's what we have that I can think of:

1. bassinet
2. pack & play
3. stroller
4. carseat (fits in the stroller)
5. baby bjorn carrier
6. boppy pillow
7. high chair
8. video monitor
9. under-mattress breathing detector
10. swing
11. portable swing
12. portable zip-up sleep thing (just for very young babies)
13. play thing they sit in without moving around
14. play thing they sit in and can roll around the floor
15. little scooter that splits to help them learn to walk

See--lots of stuff! They said the pack & play is horrible & they didn't use it, so we may leave that at the lake or something as an extra. Their 2-year-old daughter seemed fond of everything we were taking, and she showed her interest by climbing on everything. So we do know that it's all sturdy. :) It only took us about 10 minutes to figure out how to put the baby bjorn thing together & wear it, and there is still one thing we can't figure out what to do with. Maybe someone who has a baby can show us what that's for...

I've got my Astros t-shirt on today...come on Stros, tonight's the night!

Cletus still has a heartbeat!

I really can't wait to find out the gender so we can stop calling it Cletus. :)

Anyway, my second appointment went very well. We got to hear the heartbeat, at 160 beats per minute. The doctor went through the list of tests from the bloodwork and said everything came out normal/negative, or whatever it needed to be. I gained 2 pounds since the last visit, which is supposedly normal (though I could have sworn I gained at least 5). Everything is normal, normal, normal. Groovy! I really like the doctor because she answers all my questions and doesn't make me feel like they're silly questions. She is laid back and doesn't make me feel like everything I'm doing is bad. Basically her motto is everything in moderation. Except, of course, raw fish, raw eggs, smoking, and alcohol. But everything else in moderation.

By next month's appointment, we need to have decided whether to have the quad test, because the next appointment is when they would do it. It's a blood test that would check for risks of spinal bifida, down's syndrome, and maybe other birth defects. If the blood test came back showing a risk, they would do an amniocentesis to verify if there was a problem. I'm pretty sure we are not going to do the test, however, because I really don't see a point. We're not going to do anything if it shows a risk, and all that would do is cause worry for the rest of the pregnancy.

It's so cool--I actually kind of feel like there's a little person in there now! At this point, the baby's vocal cords have developed and it can silently cry. It can feel pain, and has reflexes so it will move if it's poked, although I won't feel it yet. Don't worry Cletus, I won't poke you! I couldn't find a picture at this stage...

I still feel like time's going by really slow because I'm only 13 weeks. It seems like I should be 6 months by now!!!

One more thing---GO ASTROS!!!!!!

Free stuff!

Free stuff is good. Who doesn't love free stuff? I said before that we were waiting for the 12-week mark to buy any baby stuff, and it's really funny how this worked out. The DAY of the 12-week mark, a former co-worker called me. I hadn't talked to her since I left OSI 3 months ago, but she got my number (as well as the pregnancy news) from our friend/boss at OSI. It turns out her husband was transferred to Singapore for 2 years, and they will want to get rid of a bunch of stuff before they move. She has 2 small children, and therefore a bunch of baby stuff. When she heard I was newly expecting, she called and said she'd rather give me all the stuff if, I was interested, than donate it. She was more comfortable giving it all to someone she knows because apparently it's in good shape. That, and I'm assuming people get attached to the stuff their babies use. She emailed me a list of all kinds of stuff--a stroller, high chair, playpen, swing, walker, bassinet. How cool is that??? Sure it's fun to get new stuff, but we figure if this stuff isn't in great condition or if we get something else we like better, we'll either leave it as an extra at the parents' house or give it away. I just thought that was pretty awesome that we're ready to start buying stuff, and all of a sudden we get all these hand-me-downs.

The other amusing part to the lady who's giving us all that stuff is that her name is Karen Hill and she was in the same sorority at the same college as me. Ha! It was a few years before me so I didn't know her, but small world...

OK, Dad, this is for you--no, I'm not set on the names I suggested a few posts down. I knew I wouldn't like them a few weeks after I posted them, and sure enough, I don't (well, not as much). I'm not going to say what my new favorite name is because I don't like when I say what name I like, and then other people don't like it. I'll give you a hint though--it rhymes with Crankenstein. haha just kidding. If I still like the name a month from now, I'll post it then. :)

OK, maybe NOW I'm done being sick?

For 2 weeks I felt relatively good. I thought the morning sickness was behind me. Then Sunday in church, the 2-week streak ended. I was glad we were sitting close to the doors by the bathroom. All day I felt really yucky and laid in front of the TV most of the day. Which was really upsetting, considering the weather outside was PERFECT and all I wanted to do was go walk in the park. But since I couldn't walk to the fridge without getting queasy, I don't think that would have worked too well.

BUT now I'm at 12 weeks this week, and that's supposed to be the magic number. WOO-HOO, first trimester is just about over! That means that I should get more energy, I should not be getting sick, and statistically, chances of anything bad happening to the baby are very slim. 10/19 I go in for my 2nd appointment, and after hearing that heartbeat again, I'll feel so much better, and then we can start getting excited and start buying things! We said we'd wait until 12 weeks before starting the nursery or shopping, so Babies R Us, here we come!

Fall is here!!!!!!!

How refreshing to go from the 90s to the 70s. Today is the first day that actually feels like fall. It was in the low 70s when I left this morning, and is not getting past 80 today. I am so anxious to go for a looooong walk. It's time for crock pot meals and spending lots of time outside without sweating! This weekend is supposed to be in the low 80s and I can't wait!!! I always want to eat outside (as anyone who knows me knows), and now will be able to do so without breaking a sweat! Ah, the little things in life. :)

On the baby subject, I have my next appointment in less than 2 weeks. I'm not sure what will happen there, other than they will go over the results of the extensive blood work from the first appointment. One thing I'm on the fence about is that my doctor wants me to get a flu shot. I'm one of those stubborn people who doesn't believe in flu shots, since the one time I got one was one of the few times I actually got the flu. But in this case, I guess I will listen and bite the bullet. Hmmm, why do people say "bite the bullet?" I guess that's another discussion...

Helloooooooo (spoken like Jerry Seinfeld)

I'm curious to know if family & friends (besides Cindy) are reading the blog. Yes? No? What do you think? I'd love to read your comments, so leave a comment if you are reading my posts. Then I'll know there's more than one person reading them. :)

Last night in Pairables (Bible study of sorts for young married couples), we talked about the 5 Love Languages. It was very interesting how there seemed to be a trend in what the men & women have as their primary language. Do you think kids have love languages? I wonder when they develop? It was determined that Jesus, as the definition of love, probably is even among all 5, so I wonder if children, in their innocence, are also even among them. These are the 5 love languages:

1. Quality time
2. Touch
3. Gifts
4. Acts of service
5. Words of affirmation