a confession and a question

One of the glorious side effects of pregnancy is heartburn.  When you already have a raging case of acid reflux, the pregnancy-induced heartburn is the equivalent of pouring lighter fluid on a bonfire.  My doc advised me to lay off chocolate, mint, and dairy.  And wouldn't you know, I only want items from the restricted categories as of late.  I've justified that if I eat them in smaller quantities and earlier in the day, I will get them out of my system and have plenty of time to flush myself with water and Tums.  These are, of course, lies.  Sometimes I wonder whether I could possibly be a good mom when I am, at times, utterly incapable of making a good decision for myself.

It's getting harder to bend over, what with Lulu Cupcake nestled all snug in my ever-expanding womb.  She likes to hang out super low.  Due to space constraints, she's had to move up a smidge.  But whenever I bend over, there she is, getting squished and making us both miserable.  There are things I need to do in normal life that involve bending over.  Like laundry.  Which is a more acceptable solution: to request that Mark do all the laundry for the next 15 weeks, or to request new energy efficient front-loading machines (because a fancy new dryer would need a fancy new washer friend) that come with the taller base stands so I have to bend over less?

preggo in pics

August

September

October

November (Thanksgiving)

December

Later in December (B-Day)

Christmas pics to come, just as soon as I get them loaded...which may or may not be this year. 

I have LOVED being pregnant.  Even through the awful nausea and exhaustion, I felt such joy that this little life was growing inside me.  Our little Lulu Cupcake (aka: Marin Grace) is such a blessing already.  Mark and I are excited and proud to be her parents and look forward to her arrival this spring!

Banished

Let me just tell you, these little gems are DELICIOUS.  But they are no longer allowed in my home.  Why?  Perhaps it has to do with the fact that I've cleared through 2 boxes (with some help from Mark, but I have to accept the lion's share here) in the past 3-4 weeks.  And that's only because I exercised a smidge of self-control this week and we were out of town most of last week.

In case you were wondering, yes, I've gained more weight than is normal in this timespan and have now learned my lesson that a pregnant woman should not eat anything and everything her little heart desires -- especially if said little heart is possessed by a sweet tooth so large it could rival Mount Rushmore. 

Incidentally, because I'm too lazy to drag out the camera and take a picture of my now-empty box of cookies, I did a quick search online to see if I could find a photo.  I guess I shouldn't have been surprised to see these guys on sale at places like e*Bay and Ama*zon. After all, they are limited edition.  And thank goodness for that.  I'm not sure how long my will power will remain intact.

Our pitter-pattering little feet...

will be clad in black patent leather Mary Janes!

The doc was 90% sure about our little one being a girl.  I'm going to try to finagle another peek down the road, but the absence of "outdoor plumbing" and the presence of two little lines seemed pretty convincing.

Most importantly, Baby had two hands, two feet, an excellent spine, and a strong heartbeat.  She looks perfect and we can't wait to meet her this spring.  God is good and we are blessed!

Is there truth to the tale?

There's been a lot of talk and speculation surrounding whether or not we have Baby Boy or Baby Girl on the way.  We've got less than two weeks till we find out, provided he or she is feeling cooperative.  (Here's hoping!)

There are so many old wives' tales about how to tell if it's a boy or girl.  The one I am most familiar with is the heart rate.  I asked the doc today when she checked, and she said "it's 154 -- but that doesn't mean anything!"  We'll see...

Did the heart rate thing hold true for you?  What other tricks did you try?

Update:
Myra suggested I take some quizzes, so I've busied myself with that task.  Here are the results...
- 58% it's a girl according to Just Mommies
- 63% chance of a girl according to Childbirth
- it was a toss up at Parents
- the ancient Chinese birth chart says boy
- 53% it's a girl at Baby Gender Prediction

pop!

In case you were wondering, yes, I'm pregnant.  And no, it's not multiples.  But thanks for being shocked at how gargantuan I am already.  Really, it does wonders for my self-esteem. 

Just three weeks till we learn the answer to the boy/girl question.  I have no idea how to even try to guess whether we've got a he or she since I can't compare pregnancies and such.  But cast your vote in the poll for funsies!

Sometimes my little pregnancy ticker thing at the top of the page gets behind.  That frustrates me, as I don't want to be any less pregnant than I am.  I want to move ahead, move forward, keep going. 

That's probably why, when my doctor decided to put April 16th as my EDD on my chart at our last visit even though my EDD is really April 14th -- because the 14th is based on my ovulation date and the 16th is based on the date of my last P -- I smiled sweetly and said okay.  But as soon as we left the office, I told Mark in no uncertain terms that I am due April 14th and I am going to continue counting my pregnancy weeks as renewing on Wednesdays rather than Fridays (today puts me at 15 weeks, thanks).  I don't know why I'm so sensitive and unrelenting on this.  It'll serve me right if he or she holds out on being born till April 16th, huh?

In other Baby B news, we're scheduled for the big ultrasound on November 24th.  Stay tuned to find out whether you'll be aunts or uncles!

why we won't be surprised if I get gestational diabetes

My friend Jill and I were talking the other day about how I've not gained any weight yet with this pregnancy.  She marveled at my ability to make good food choices.  Pride goeth before the fall, people.  Monday afternoon, I ate an entire 3-serving bag of gummy worms over the course of 2 hours.  Yeah...

Last Thursday, we had an ultrasound done as part of the neural tube defect and Downs screening.  Baby was perfectly compliant while the sonographer worked on all the measurements and such.  At one point, it appeared that Baby might be praying with his/her hands placed together.  Afterward, Baby had a ball flipping, turning, and even giving a nice wave to Mom and Dad.

I realize I've not posted any preggo pics of me.  They're not great.  Let's face it, pregnancy has an overwhelming ability to make a girl feel utterly exhausted and incapable of functioning.  The second trimester glory days are before me, though, and I'm hoping to make full use of them!

no answers, lots of questions

I'm pretty sure the title of this post will sum up the next 18+ years of our lives now that we're in the family way.  Here are just a few of the questions that have popped into mind lately....

- Does your hair really not dye evenly in the 1st trimester or is that a scare tactic?
- I keep hearing that diapers fit differently.  Who can tell me the "makes and models" of this?
- That "itzben" thingy looks handy.  Is it really, or does it just prey upon the insecurity of first-time parents?
- What would you consider as your must-have items?
- What do you wish you'd not wasted the money on getting?

Mark wants to take preggo pics of me on Sunday mornings as I'm rushing out the door, late for work after a hard morning and overwhelming exhaustion.  He's only been successful once.  If not for the aforementioned exhaustion, I might take the time to find the camera and upload the pic.  Better luck next time, dear reader!

Well...

This little person should be making an appearance around April 14th!  We love him or her already and are so thankful everything seems to indicate health and good development.  YAY!

And maybe now that I'm not having to conceal what's really going on in our lives, I'll attempt to be better about blog updates.  Then again, a nap sure does sound good right about now....

Mark has told me for months -- maybe even a year -- that he thinks I'd look good in purple. I hadn't found anything I liked in a shade that I liked, but I kept his comment in mind. So over the weekend, I bought a purple shirt and just knew he'd be excited about this wardrobe addition. I trotted it out today and do you know what he said to me? "Hey, Barney...." I feel totally duped.

O-o-o-o-oklahoma

The wind didn't seem to sweep down the plain too much whilst I was enjoying my Girls Reunion this past weekend. Too bad, or I might've tried to use that as an excuse when the nice police officer pulled me over for speeding.

I've only received 2 tickets in my life, and both have happened in Edmond. The first was at 15th & Bryant during finals week my junior year in college. The other was this past Friday at 15th & Santa Fe as I was on my way to Mandy's so we could leave for dinner. My excuse? I REALLY had to pee. Surprisingly, the officer wasn't the least bit interested in my explanation. Alas and alack....

And yeah, I was thinking I might need to avoid 15th in the future, too. Dara and Mandy, any interest in moving? :)

hmmm...

I know I haven't updated my blog in a month, but it kind of puts me out that Blogger goes around telling everyone so matter-of-factly: "Variety is the Spice of Life - 4 weeks." Not much variety, eh?

Here's a recap of some of our latest and greatest:

- How many Blankinship kin can you fit under one roof at the same time? Here's a hint: roughly the same number of clowns can be packed into a circa 1964 VW Bug.

-We've done lots around the house lately. Replacing the carpet has rivaled the interior paint job as "the most dramatic rose ceremony...er, home updating project...yet."

- I took a great group to Camp Impact! This was definitely the busiest I've ever been at camp, so please accept my apologies if you were hurt/offended/etc. by my not getting to see you. I was hurt/offended/etc. by it too!

- I had the deluxe edition of a stomach virus last week. I was wanting a vacation, but a week stuck on the couch and/or toilet isn't exactly the luxury retreat I was after. I'm just keeping it real, folks. And no, "stomach virus" was not code for "morning sickness." There is no bun in this oven. But thanks for asking.

Warm Fuzzy

So I just have to tell you that I absolutely love the kiddos at church. We started our new summer series, SUPER U, this week for our K-5th graders. We had such a blast and I was so excited to see the kids soaking in their memory work, getting the point, etc. And then Becky and I filled in with the 4th & 5th graders in their small group time. We're having the kids do prayer cards each week this summer, and their teachers are committed to praying for them weekly. Well I just read my kids' cards and am so touched by their tender little hearts. It's a great reminder of how powerful a child-like faith can be!

And speaking of awesome kiddos, I'm also pumped to have Reed and Cassidy here among throngs of other Blankinship kinfolk. Note to self: take some pictures!

Do you...

... change your shampoo and conditioner regularly so your hair doesn't become "immune" to its effects? How often?

... ever forget other people are around and can actually see you do the weird things you do when you think nobody's watching? Like what?

... use q-tips even though your ears allegedly clean themselves? Me too!


Just checking!

Recap: Anniversary

We celebrated our first anniversary by taking a little weekend trip.  We stayed at Floy Farm, a little ranch in Flatonia where we went quail hunting.  That's right.  I said WE went quail hunting.  In the name of trying to spend a little quality time with my darling husband, I agreed to try my hand at quail hunting.  Pictured are the flowers Mark got for me, along with our cake topper that we actually ate a piece of (Jayna, that was for you!), 

Mark and me with our "loot" -- 11 of 20 birds, 

and me with the first of two birds I managed to shoot myself (we were both shocked).  

After our stay at FF, we went to La Grange where we stayed at Brendan Manor, a quaint little B&B.  That was definitely my part of the trip -- jacuzzi tub, long nap, no agenda, etc.  All in all, it was a great weekend.  Time has really flown, but I am so grateful to have spent it with Mark.  He is a wonderful, caring husband and I am so blessed to have him!

What?!

How is it that 3 months have passed since my last entry? I must be having lots of fun because time sure is flying.

We've been plenty busy these past few weeks with our trip to see Team Blankinship in FL, Mark having back surgery (he's doing great -- starting PT this week), David and Debbie coming down to see us and help over Easter weekend, a trip to Dallas to see the King Tut exhibit with David and Debbie and Grandma Jane, and plenty of other things too. Not that Becky reads this, but I owe her a shout-out for helping me work on the back yard for 7 hours on Saturday. Thanks! (And Morg, the "shout-out" part was for you. I know you're fond of it.)

Pics to come...you know, if anyone is still reading this thing.

4

Kimberly (or Kim Berly, as it says in Mark's phone) tagged me to post the 4th picture in the 4th folder. Here it is, a collage from Mandy & Matt's wedding:

I think I'm supposed to tag 4 people, so.... MANDY, MORGANDI, MYRA, and MAEGAN -- go for it! (And yes, I'm going to gloss right over the fact that I haven't posted in almost 2 months and act like it's no big deal. Thanks for asking.)