Baby Names

My sister, Cari, niece, Emilie, and I were discussing baby names this week. As we are both pregnant.

Emilie was telling me all of the names of the kids in her class… i.e. David, Silas (Bible names have come in style!), Sarah, Emma, Ava, Tryu (I have NO idea and no idea how to spell it either), etc…

Cari suggested a baby name, asking Emilie’s opinion of the name. “What about Gertude, Emilie?”

Emilie clasped her hands together, tilted her head to the side and with a look of pure joy said, “I love that name.”

I stared at Cari thinking… well, I hope your baby enjoys being called “Gertie” because I will never have a baby named Gertrude!

Tantrums

Tantrums.

They start early. Very early. Like, before the baby is even born.

When Jeremy and I found out we were pregnant we decided to keep the news to ourselves for a bit... a bit being a month. Okay, fine. A month and a half. I officially told Jeremy I was pregnant on May 9th. Our anniversary. We decided to tell our immediate families on Father’s Day – June 19^th. We found it to be fitting. Plus, we really wanted to enjoy being pregnant as something just the two of us could share for a bit. It is the best secret a couple can share together. To truly revel in the fact that you’ve created life. That your love will bring a new person into the world. It’s amazing.

Well, Father’s Day announcement wasn’t in the works. The announcement jumped right up to Memorial Day weekend. Jeremy’s sister Jessica planned a last minute trip to MN for a visit (she’s pregnant too!). Since she was in town we decided it would be better to tell his whole family together. And, of course, I couldn’t allow his family to have the special news and not mine, so it became the big announcement weekend. His parents. My parents. His siblings. My sisters.

After we told our immediate families, we were going to wait until I was out of the first trimester to tell anyone else. Sadly, because I had felt so sick we saw very little of our friends during the month of June. But each time we saw our friends or left church on Sunday morning, a tantrum conversation ensued in the car when we left. “Why can’t we just tell them?” “Why do we have to wait.” “This is so hard.” Even though he said all this, Jeremy was really behind our decision to guard our pregnancy until the best time to share with those around us. He even supported me through a couple moments I wanted to tell some girlfriends yet knew it was premature to what we had in mind. Pregnancy. "It's like a drug you want to share."

Fortunately, Jeremy’s dad Ken humored me Jeremy. Ken asked J to spill the beans over and over again. Each time, Ken reacted with the same great enthusiasm and joy.

Grandparents really are the best.

Maybe this is God’s way of preparing a mother for tantrums that could come later on?

Symptoms

Pregnancy symptoms. Every woman experiences pregnancy in a different way. Some fabulous. Some, not as much. I can’t complain… that much. Here is what I’ve gone through so far:

Morning all-day sickness.

Vomiting. (Let me say, the part about being sick with the flu and throwing up, you feel better… with pregnancy you only feel worse after throwing up.)

Headaches.

No desire for sex.

Constant need to eat combined with repulsion to former favorite - any food (Mexican – this is truly a tragedy)

Sore breasts.

Cramps. Some period like. Others, clearly my uterus’ growing pains. Typically, on the left side.

Tiredness. Exhaustion.

Emotions. Thankfully, I’ve recognized the moments I’ve felt (overly) emotional and pre-warned Jeremy. Or rather, Jeremy is thankful.

Those are just the “bad” things. Everything else is exciting and new. Mostly I’m just wishing and waiting for the time that I actually feel the baby move and look pregnant. Not just … pudgy.

Fighter

Today I saw my baby move, heard his heartbeat and saw the little pitter patter of his heart on the screen. I had my first ultra sound. 6 weeks 4 days pregnant and that lil bugger has a strong and healthy heart.

Even though it's still only a blob on the screen at an ultrasound and the movements are very minimal, that heartbeat is as visible as a firework in the sky.

Seeing your baby's heart beat just makes the entire experience so, so real.

I'm due January 3rd. I'm so thankful for God's hand on my body and this baby.

Mother's Day

Jeremy and I had just returned from a long weekend away to celebrate our Anniversary. 2 years of marriage. The good. The bad. The difficult. The fun. The enjoyable moments. We had a fabulous weekend in Northern MN.

I spent the weekend running (12 - 8 - 10 miles), getting pampered, taking long bicycle rides with Jeremy, riding through the Northern Woods in MN Iron Range, watching deer, shooting guns, sleeping (not as much as I wanted), eating... although, only a bit, but mostly – feeling sick.

Camps. My boobs hurt. I felt sick around any sort of food. I got winded easily, with the exception of running. I could run 12 miles like a pro… without difficulty, but walking up a flight of stairs I was completely winded. I had my period in April, a light period. So I thought I had to have been barely (3 weeks tops) pregnant.

We came home. Sunday. Mother’s Day. I said to myself, “Well, today’s as good of day to find out I’m going to be a mother as any other, right?” So, I took a test.

One line. Two lines. Pregnant. I almost threw up in the bathroom sink. I already really knew that I was pregnant. Just didn’t have confirmation of it. “Great.” I thought, “Now, I have to go spend a couple hours with my family and Jeremy’s parents to celebrate Mother’s Day. Get your act together!” I was in a daze.

Just as I thought, throughout that night my mum asked me a couple times if I was alright. I told her I was just tired from our long drive home after the weekend away.

Happy Mother-to-be Day. A happy one, it truly was. J

Baby Menz Blog

I wanted to start off by saying, I'll be frank. That's just how I'll be with this blog. Straight forward. Up front. Raw and real.

A couple girlfriends asked me to dish about pregnancy and all its ups and downs. So, that's just what I'll do. :)

I'll call my baby "him" until we know otherwise. Calling a baby "it" just seems wrong. I'm not too eloquent or witty, so it's just me that you'll get. That's all.

Here we go...