Hi, My Name is Jennifer and I'm Belly Deficient

For those of you who have been pregnant, did it bother you when you ran into someone out and about that you hadn't seen in a while and as soon as you saw them they would immediately look down at your stomach?  I feel like I need to have a button made that says, "Seriously, I AM pregnant!" 

I get that I'm not showing all that much yet; give a girl a few months my people!  I'm sure I"ll pop out like a balloon any day now - but for now, trust me when I say I'm in my 6th month and my baby is huge!  He's just a stealth baby!  O'Pedro is just tucked in there and kicking me like a mad baby - Seriously, he's big for his level of development.  I'm hoping he continues to be big too!  I can take it!

I wasn't a toothpick when I started and I gotta tell you, the first 4 months of the baby's development didn't include a whole lot of eating on my part.  I'm eating now, but about 1/2 of what I used to be able to eat.  I'm so incredibly hungry these days, that it's actually annoying when I have to stop because the hiccups begin.

By the way, that's my sign to stop eating - I hiccup.  I try to stop before I actually get to that point though let me tell you.  I also CANNOT drink when I eat.  It just takes up too much room.  It's sort of like when I was in college - you didn't eat AND drink beer because it was too many calories and besides, it was more expensive to get a good 'buzz" going when you had food in your stomach....I know - bad.  But I went to an all women's college.  We had our priorities my people. 

So I've gone back in time about 20+ years in reverse and am now rationing my beverage intake so I can eat instead!  How history sort of repeats itself!

So if you know me and have asked for a 'belly shot' - You won't get one for a while.  I would seriously disappoint you.  I'm hoping by Christmas-time that I'll have a 'belly worthy' picture to share - for now, trust me when I say, I have a pooch, I'm still wearing my regular pants and probably will for a while.  I have exactly 2 pairs of maternity pants - hate them and haven't worn them- but that's a whole other post....I plan on making my jeans hold out as long as is possible!

For now, please remember to not stare at a pregnant woman's stomach!  It's already miserable enough without thinking you're slacking in the belly size department!  :o)  I'll get that button made and hey, maybe I'll sell them on Etsy -

Happy Thursday Ya'll!

Spaghetti Squash and Good News!

I'm still here...sorry I've been out of touch, but I've been buried with work and oy do my hands hurt!  I am dealing with a circulation thing that when I wake up in the morning is just miserable.  It also gets worse throughout the day from typing for work, so I really don't want to spend more time typing.

I know I'm lame - but I'm working on it! 

So here's the latest and greatest on me and Pedro!    He's 22 weeks and growing like crazy.  He likes to punch me when I sing at church and when I least expect it.  I'm ok with that though, because the more I feel him, the more I know he's ok!  He's a big boy my people...it's a bit scary!

Right now he's 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and in Pedro's case, about 1 1/2 lbs. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment.  

I have to admit I'm in withdrawal - We were having ultrasounds on a weekly basis so I never really had to wonder how he was doing.   So that leads to the latest great news! On a high note, at our last appointment with our regular doctor (2 weeks ago) our doc told us to 'get out of his office.'  He won't see us for another month! :)  Woo hoo!  We're doing well enough that we don't have to be poked and prodded all the time!  What a relief.

He did say, 'what you're doing is working, so keep doing it.'  That translates to staying in bed most of my days and working from home, but I'll do it if it means he'll continue to thrive!  Anything is worth that I guess!

So for now I'll go into work when we have meetings and stay home with my feet up the rest of the time.  I miss the day-to-day interaction with my co-workers, but have really enjoyed having the extra time with the Bubbies and B - I'm spoiled now I guess. :o)

Work is full of upheaval for me right now though....I'm super duper busy but the infrastructure of my department is pretty shaky right now.  I hope things even out quickly, but we'll have to wait and see....not my strong suit of course.

Do you know that the best part of today is????  The elections are OVER!  I'm not happy with the outcome, but I have sincere hope that things will improve with our economy.  I hope the rhetoric spouted out for the last year comes to fruition and that the United States becomes more united again!  I want Pedro to have a great future in this world -

A Mother can hope....

Well, with that I'll say Happy Wednesday Ya'll!  I hope you're doing great!

Today Was a Gift I'll Never Forget

Wow - what a day it was today.  I didn't hear about my job yet - I'm hoping for Wednesday for that - we'll see.  As some of you may have seen on my Facebook page, we heard the baby's heartbeat today!  It was the most beautiful sound I've ever heard.  B and I both cried - it was impossible not to!  My doctor said everything looks really great and we're thrilled.

I finally feel pregnant!  There are so many thoughts running through my head tonight....it's so amazing to know I have another living being growing inside of me.  To see the baby's heartbeat - already - is such a miracle. 

How great is God?  Really?  What an incredible thing to give a beating heart to a being that is the size of a kumquat.  Truly - I'm humbled and feel unbelievably blessed to have been able to experience this - what a gift this journey has been.

I said to my doctor today that I thought that the fertility path was tough and boy was I naive!  This process has been the hardest thing I've ever gone through - the ups and downs have been terrifyingly crazy.   Every day changes, but I guess this is God getting us ready for whatever comes next. 

We took the longest possible path to get there, but I have say, looking back now, that it was the path we were supposed to take.  I so appreciate where we are now so much more because of where we've been. 

On a lighter note, the doctor prescribed Zofran - Yay Dr. T!  We're hoping it will take the edge off the nausea in the mornings so I can stay on top of the nausea - we'll see what happens.  At a minimum, I know I'll sleep tonight; Zofran makes me so sleepy!  I would love to be able to take off my pink striped -yet so pretty - PSI bands - even for a night.    They really bother me after a while.  I'm still nervous to take them off just yet.

One more month and this misery will hopefully be behind us - unless Pedro has it out for Mommy! :o) If that's the case, then I'll suck it up and appreciate peanuts mixed with chocolate covered raisins and Corn Chex for lunch for the next 7 months!   On a high note, I did eat a BLT for dinner tonight - B makes really good ones.  It didn't bother me in the least - it felt good to eat and not think about it for a change. 

For a person who loves cooking and baking, food is such an annoyance right now.  I dread packing my lunch and getting breakfast ready for the morning.  This is when I dream of having a food service deliver my meals - ones that I can change my mind about up to the very last minute - what I want, when I want it. 

Sigh.  For now, I'll drink my Dr. Matt special for breakfast (protein shake) so at least I know Pedro will get one 'non-Mexican' meal a day - I'll keep looking for things to eat that don't contain corn or potatoes and I'll appreciate every single, silly moment.

We are blessed.

Happy Wednesday Ya'll!

Misery Thy Name is Jennifer

Well, I haven’t dropped off the planet, nor am I on vacation in Tahiti – I was simply laid up all weekend with a wicked case of nausea – aka Pedro-itis.  It was evil my people, I cannot lie.  In fact, I really wasn’t able to eat a real meal until Sunday night. 

Fast forward to a lovely dinner with friends last night at the Melting Pot – love me some fondue!  Since cheese has been one of my recent favorite food groups, I thought it would be a great option.  It was wonderful!  I ate and ate and ate. 

Then I got home and hated my life and was sick as a flipping dog.  Lesson learned.  I won’t eat rich foods, I won’t over-indulge and I won’t go back to the Melting Pot until Pedro is here – I’m not convinced that I didn’t get some gluten in one of the dishes – that could have been the culprit.  Either way, food definitely holds little to no appeal right now.

So, needless to say, it was a pretty big waste of a weekend, but at least it happened over the weekend and not during the work week.  Things are calm for now – I’m hoping I’m back on top of the nausea and that Pedro will be more cooperative this week!

We’re all still waiting to find out about jobs here at work and I have our first “official” ultrasound tomorrow, so tomorrow will be a big day in the McG household.  I feel so greedy praying for two big positives, but I am.  I really need a job and I really want to see Pedro’s heartbeat!!!!  I'm claiming it Ya'll!

God knows what is coming, so I’m just keeping the faith and hoping He has good things in store for us.  It’s certainly been an interesting ride so far!  I promise my next blog will be more fun and interesting, but right now my creative has left the building.

I hope you’re all enjoying the Olympics as much as I am!

Happy Monday Ya’ll!

Uh Oh, I Broke Dr. Matt

Well, the deal is done - the company is sold and we are officially branded with a new identity.  We still don't have jobs or bosses,  but hey, why sweat the small stuff right? :)

I saw Dr. Matt this morning after I realized that turning my neck wasn't going to work out for me without help...that was because I'd popped a rib out apparently...go crazy.  Who knew you could do that while sitting at a desk?  The scary thing is though, that while Dr. Matt was fixing my popped out rib, he popped out his own!  Oops...is that a chiropractic foul?  I wonder if he'll bill me for his next chiropractic treatment along with mine?  Geeze...I didn't mean to hurt him!

Well, while he was nursing his side, we were chatting about a restaurant in Marietta, GA (where he went to school) that has a meal that is supposed to make you go into labor - the restaurant is called Scalini's.  They have over 300 baby pictures lining their walls and all of the babies were born shortly after eating their restaurant’s eggplant Parmesan dish.  I knew about this place when I lived in Atlanta, but it was so funny to go down memory lane and remember...their garlic rolls were 'to die for' delicious!

SO why am I bringing this up?  I think now that Pedro is letting me eat - I've become obsessed with food.  It's a love/hate relationship and honestly, I'm alternating between starving and nauseous.  Have you ever noticed that when people talk to pregnant women, they discuss food, cravings and favorites?  When's the last time you were asked if you had any cravings if you weren't pregnant?  Who cares really?  There's just such an obsession with the odd mix of foods that women crave when they are pregnant.  It makes me laugh!

I'm fascinated by the correlation between pregnancy and food.  I always thought I would eat such a healthy diet and never binge on things that were bad for me if I got pregnant.  HA!  I had french fries for lunch today.  Nothing else - just fries.  That's what Pedro wanted.    I was going to have pickles too, but showed some restraint with the salt - I was proud of myself.  The lunch I had planned made me gag.

All he had to eat today was Corn Chex, M&Ms (just a few) and french fries - that is until I went to Dairy Queen and had small Reese's Blizzard - hey it helped charity and had dairy in it - don't judge me!  I tried to fix it at dinner tonight - Pedro wanted meat - thank goodness, so I actually had a meal.  I had a small steak, a salad and a baked potato.  FOOD!  I ate like a grown-up!  I ate a vegetable!

Goodness knows what tomorrow will bring.  I'll be sure to bring my bag of Corn Chex though because Pedro sure is fickle!  (He must be a she the way he changes his mind!)  The one thing I know I'll avoid is the eggplant parm at Scalini's in Marietta! :o)

Happy Friday Ya'll!

What a Butt-Clenching Sort of Day

Well Wednesday would not be a day I'd like to repeat.  It was a pretty non-descript day over all until this afternoon.  But boy, when 3:30PM hit, all bets were off.  Work has just exploded.  Let's just leave it at that for now - and suffice it to say I'm so disappointed in people in general that I need to do something to remind myself that, people are good and caring and that the world is a good place to be.

Right now, I feel old, jaded and disjointed.  I feel disrespected and naive.  I wish I could share with you what happened, but I can't.  I can say it wasn't to me personally, it was to our whole company.  We're all at a loss for words I think.

So here I am, still waiting to find out if I have a job and really not sure if I want it.  I mean, I need it, but I don't know who to trust anymore and it scares me that my hopes are hinged on that.   I hope that this is just a rough patch and that things will look up.  I hope that the people left in our legacy company will lead well and be people we can trust.  I have hope.

It's tough enough to go into work when you're in limbo, but add in knowing this bad news and being worried about your future and bam - makes for a great rest of the week doesn't it? :)

I love the people I work with as I mentioned previously and it breaks my heart to see any of them hurt...so that made today even more difficult.  I think the next few weeks will be harder than anything I've ever been through.

I time everything well don't I?  We had a reception tonight for the final night of our company - and it was in a location that wasn't air conditioned.  I learned that I need air conditioning.   I left feeling unwell and got home and collapsed.  I swelled up like a little balloon and felt like I'd been through a marathon.

Luckily I had nothing to do, so I crashed for a bit and have rallied for now....lesson learned.  Pedro hates the heat.  I have been able to eat much more than before thankfully - so my energy is better.

So here I am, pregnant - still haven't heard the heartbeat and still not sure if I have a job....woohoo!  I sure know how to time things don't I?  I never did do things like everyone else, but I think all of this is testing things - it's a bit much isn't it?  

For now, I have no option other than to wait.  I'm practicing my 'Darth Vader' breathing and trying to calm my mind and focus only on today.  Easier said than done - but I can do this - I'll be in good company as all of my co-workers are in limbo in some shape or form as well.

Pray for all of us - it's a difficult thing to go through at any time, but add in the current state of our economy and job market and it's downright butt clenching scary.

SO the goal for tomorrow is to keep my butt cheeks relaxed and focus on breathing - and eating and drinking.  I have control over these things - life is good.  Oh and Pedro is now the size of a blueberry!   Yay!

Happy Thursday Ya'll.