Gross

So I read in the pregnancy book a long time ago about how some pregnant women get bloody gums when they are pregnant. Much like most of the things I read in there, I thought, "that's gross. It won't happen to me." And much like many of the things I said wouldn't happen to me, it has. I woke up this morning and discovered that I have fallen prey to the bloody gum pregnant woman phenomenon.

So I guess I need to break down and go ahead and go to a dentist to get a cleaning. That is supposed to help. In the meantime, I'm feeling pretty good.

Yesterday Justin and I went to Fernbank with my sister and brother-in-law and our nieces. It was very very fun. The snakes and lizards were great, and I got to be reunited with the giant prehistoric sloth that has haunted my dreams since I was about 12 and went there. There sure are a lot of taxidermied animals in there... The dinosaurs are great, and not taxidermied. Just bones. I took lots of boring pictures that I'll be sure to post on our Flickr account. They might interest you if you are a science teacher. Or a naturalist.

I should not look at these things...

Last night I read a really interesting article in Creative Loafing about the Mayor of New York suing quite a few gun stores in Georgia, South Carolina and Virginia for selling guns in ways that break the rules. Then the guns make their way up Highway 95 all the way to New York, where they are used in crimes. One of the most interesting facts in the article was the ratio of murders in New York and Atlanta. In New York last year, it was 7.2 in 100,000. Atlanta was 22.something in 100,000.

This prompted me to look around some more, and realize that while Atlanta is definitely not the worst for crime, it does seem to be in the top 5. Especially for violent crime. I guess you don't think of a place in that way when you are from there and you're used to it. I also read that the violent crime rate in Atlanta is actually on the rise, unlike places like New York City, where the crime rate is falling. Then I started thinking about having a baby in a place with a high crime rate. And Justin and I were talking about how many victims of the crimes are sort of innocent by-standers and how many are other criminals or people hanging out with with wrong crowds...

In any case, we are not going to move to the suburbs, as we feel very strongly about the cultural importance of living in a city, and we really want Hosey to be around all of that. I've also been reading how much crime is spreading to the suburbs anyways. I guess the moral is just that you should be careful wherever you are. Unless you are in Honululu, where the murder rate is 1.4 in 100,000 people. Awesome.

This website has really interesting facts (from 2003) about crime rates in all the major cities. It's morbid, but interesting.
http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0004902.html

Well, now that I've brought up yet another not nice topic, I'll sign off and get back to work. Sorry Justin, I know you hate it when I write these kinds of blogs, but I guess I feel that people should be aware of these things.

Cold coffee

I just wanted to complain for a minute. Last night, Justin and I went to the Flying Biscuit in Candler Park for dinner, and we got rained on as we were running from the car to the restaurant. Of course, it was freezing cold in the restaurant, and so I ordered a decaf coffee (I'm trying to limit my caffeine as much as possible) anticipating eating breakfast for dinner. And I wanted to warm up...and they have real sugar cubes there. Who can resist that? Anyways, the coffee came, and not only did it have an extremely strange smell, it was cold. Like room temperature. I didn't send the coffee back, just made Justin smell it. He was equally disgusted. We mostly just thought it was funny. And anyways, the food was wonderful. Good salads, and good biscuits.

The real thing that irritated me in the restaurant was a couple who was sitting near us. They came in, and the man immediately got on the phone. He proceeded to spend the next twenty minutes talking on the phone while his date looked out the window and seemed mildly embarassed. We see this a lot these days, but it never ceases to annoy me. I guess I just don't understand why you would bother to go to a meal with someone and then ignore them the whole time. What could possibly be so important?? We went to a restaurant in Oakhurst a few months ago (The Universal Joint, yummy but too busy) and a couple on the patio stayed on their respective phones for the full hour we were there. Didn't look at each other or anything. Just drank beer, smoked cigarettes and talked on their phones. They even would call someone else when one conversation was over. Maybe they were fighting? But for goodness sake, go home!

Anyways, I just wanted to vent about that a little. I think it's sad when people ignore each other, and it's also rude to your waitress, who has to interrupt your phone call to get your order. Hosey will not be getting a cell phone until he or she is old enough to be courteous on it. That's all I have to say... :)

18 Weeks!

Today marks the beginning of the 18th week for me and Justin and Hosey. We'll be going to the doctor on Wednesday, August 8th for the next ultrasound. This time Hosey should look like a real baby. Not as much like a little peanut. We would be able to find out the sex at this ultrasound, but we're sticking to our guns and not finding out. At least for now. I think we should start some kind of gambling pool on the sex. Sort of like fantasy football or something.

If only I knew anything at all about gambling... sigh.

If anyone else is knowledgeable about gambling and wants to start a pool, let me know! I think it's nice to bring a baby into the world with some seriously interested parties in the background. And by interested, I mean invested.

I read that roughly 75% of couples find out the sex of the baby, and so we're in a pretty small minority, which I think is pretty neat. I read a quote from a mom who didn't find out, and I thought it was very true. She said that after we find out about the Easter Bunny, and Santa Claus, life doesn't have too many great mysterious surprises, and this is definitely a big one! Another mom said that finding out the sex was the only thing that got her through labor. I thought this was a pretty good point, too. I know I'm not a big fan of pain, and I'm going to need all the support I can get...

I have also added a link to our friend's blog, so that everyone can see their beautiful new baby, Evie. She's adorable!

One last thing

Justin is in the process of posting our vacation photos right now. Well, he's trying to. He seems to be having a little trouble...

Oh, and for everyone who has kindly shown interest, I'm feeling really well. Just a little heartburn from time to time. Still waiting to feel the first movements, but I think I have a few times, but I don't want to confuse it with regular old tummy movements. It's so hard to tell!

Back to work

Well, our beach trip is over, but it was absolutely wonderful. We really enjoyed ourselves, and spent lots of time just relaxing on the beach and listening to the waves. Neither of us got sunburned, due in large part to Justin's insistence on using SPF 45 (he's such an old fart...) but I did get stung by a jelly fish on my left foot. This and the cankle further supports my theory that my left foot is cursed. Seriously.

We also started filling out the baby book while we were on vacation, and that was really really fun. We tried to take lots of pictures, too. We especially had fun at Fort Frederica, taking pictures with Spanish moss. The weather was perfect, with one fantastic storm that was big and lasted only for the amount of time that we were eating dinner in downtown St. Simons. Everyone came in soaking wet. We had amazing timing...

When we got back last night, we had the pleasure of meeting our good friends' new arrival. She was born on the 19th and she is just perfectly gorgeous. Since Justin and I live so close to them, we can walk over and then leave again when the fussy time starts (not that she ever got fussy, she was perfectly sweet and quiet, but you know what I mean). It was really neat seeing such a new baby, and having some practice at holding one again. Justin held her for about half an hour, and she just slept in his lap. He is smitten.

Getting out of town...

Today I am officially 17 weeks, and Justin and I are officially getting out of town for the weekend. We'll be leaving after work tonight and heading to the beach! Again, I can't thank Ellen and Patrick enough for letting us stay in their gorgeous condo. We are so excited! I guess the next blog post will be all about Hosey's first trip to the beach. And our first anniversary celebration that does not involve any toasts... At least not the kind where we both have an alchoholic beverage. Maybe I'll get some sparkling cider for me, and something a little stronger for Justin...

Good News!

My doctor called me today and left a message saying that all of my bloodwork is fine. I am very relieved, as some of those tests are scary. Well, that's all for now! I was just excited and wanted to share the news!

Back to the grind. Work is busier than ever!

Our New Camera!

Justin and I splurged a little and bought a new digital camera today. We did some research online, and ended up getting a perfect Canon digital camera. It suits us really well. Our other digital camera just gave out on us, and we knew we wanted to take pregnant photos, and we're going to the beach this coming weekend (due to the generosity of Ellen and Patrick, thanks again!) and we have to take pictures there...

So anyways, here's me and Justin each doing our belly poses at 16 weeks. Enjoy!

We have procured the baby book

Last night after dinner and ice cream with our friend Sarah, Justin found it in his heart to let me go to Borders. I just got $20 in gift cards and a 25% off coupon through various promotions that they offer. The gift cards came from getting five of my friends and family members to sacrifice their e-mail inbox and sign up for Gather, a sort of online book club thing. Thanks guys!

Anyways, I had my eye on an Eric Carle baby book, with the hungry caterpillar on the cover (that's it in the corner). It's very cute, and very gender neutral. Justin liked it for the three seconds that he looked at it (he gets uncomfortable in the baby section). I also found the perfect paperback Chronicles of Narnia, which has ALL of the books in it. It's very manageable. I read Hosey the first two chapters of The Magician's Nephew out loud last night. Katie was extremely confused. She was alternately excited and uncomfortable. Hosey, however, was most certainly enjoying everything. I am going to do my best to make this baby a reader.

All in all, it was a very relaxing evening, and I am excited to read to Hosey. I read in my baby book that it's good to talk to the babies a lot, since they will get used to your voice and it will soothe them. I've got to talk Justin into talking to my belly more, since the baby can officially hear everything now.

Today I got a leg ultrasound...

Getting up to go to lunch today, I looked down to see that my left ankle and foot were extremely giant and swollen. So being an appropriately worried mama, I called my doctor's office and left a message for a nurse. I rigged up a chair at my desk, dangled my foot on it (very lady-like in the dress that I was wearing) and waited for the phone call to tell me that I was being paranoid.

So about three hours later, the nurse called to tell me that I was being paranoid, and said the usual things: drink lots of water, etc. Then a half hour later, the doctor called me, asked me to confirm that only one foot was swollen, then asked me where I was and how fast I could get to her office.

Appropriately panicked, I left work and went to the doctor. After looking at my foot, she agreed that it was indeed very very large and swollen, but did not look like a blood clot, especially since there was no pain involved. She sent me to get an ultrasound anyways (better safe than sorry she said) and adding that it was a precaution that wouldn't hurt anyone except for my insurance company.

So after wasting half an hour wandering around the maze that it is also known as Piedmont Hospital trying to find the ultrasound place, I finally did (after checking in with five million or so admissions people). A very nice girl who asked me all types of personal questions about being pregnant did the ultrasound and told me it looked fine. She said the doctor would have to back her up, but that she thought it was fine. So now I just have a cankle (calf-ankle blending into the same body part) that has no good reason for being there. At least it's not a blood clot! And I got a hospital bracelet with my name and birth date on it. It's very official.

By popular demand

Lots of people have been asking us about names, and I never have a good answer. I'm also quickly realizing that it's scary to tell people baby names that you like, since they seem to have absolutely no fear about telling you they hate a name that you like. Seriously. Then you have to think, "Well, what if I end up naming the baby that name? Then I'll always know that this person who is important to me thinks it's a dumb name..." and that's not a nice thing.

Talking to Justin, we think we'll just have a top two or three names per gender, and then we'll make the last minute decision once the baby is born. Justin wants to know what happens if we disagree, but I promised that wouldn't happen. I told him I'd probably be so drugged up that if he picked "Sprinkle" as a name, I'd probably think it was awesome.

Then I talked to an attorney at work who has four kids, and him and his wife disagreed on a baby name for their son in the hospital, and he really didn't like the name that she picked. However, considering that she just spent the last 12 hours bringing that baby into the world (not to mention the nine months before), he let her win. And now he can't imagine that child being called anything else. I think our baby would be the same. Even if friends or family don't like the name that we pick in the end, they will still have to call the baby that, and they will get used to it.

So that being said, we have a few ideas for first names, but we are definitely not decided at all. We like Roxanne for a girl, as well as Josephine. We also like Elliot for a boy. Beyond that, we are still looking.

I made the mistake of buying a baby names book with 25,000 names in it. I knew I wanted one, and I was at Borders looking to get one in the $5 price range, of which there are many. So then I narrowed it down to the ones that were in the price range, had a cute cover, and had the most names in them, thinking that obviously, more names was a better buy. However, I'm realizing that this baby names book is awful, since it has way too many names (they have Shakira and Shaquira as two seperate entries. Wow.). The book is also seperated into boys and girls names, and I really like gender neutral names. Oh well. At least there are lots of options!

Today was the day

where the doctor took about 10 pints of my blood. I am also exactly 16 weeks pregnant today. We also officially told the doctor that we do not plan on finding out if Hosey is going to be a boy or a girl. I'm sure when I go for my ultrasound on August 8, I'll be wondering if this was really the right decision, but for now, we think it's the best way to go.

I didn't really learn anything new today, just had to answer more questions about myself (No, I don't smoke. No, I don't drink. No, I don't do drugs. No, I don't work in a coal mine.). We did get to hear the heartbeat, which was about 140 beats per something... At least I think that's what the doctor said. She sort of mumbled it, and I didn't think to ask her to repeat it. It didn't occur to me until afterward that I have a baby book that talks about the old wive's tale and the heart rate. It even gives ranges, so you can guess your baby's gender based on the heartbeat rate. Not that I believe it, but it is sort of fun. The other day I made Justin dangle his wedding ring over my belly on a "string" (the only thing we had available was a bra strap from one of those convertible bras that I will never use again) but the results were inconclusive at best. It's supposed to go in a circle or back and forth based on the gender of the baby. For us, it went back and forth and then in a circle. So either it didn't work, or we're having a baby that is both boy and girl...

I'm still a little bit in shock, as though the fact that I'm pregnant still hasn't sunk in. I'm feeling so much better these days, no more all-day nausea and generally yuckiness, and I'm starting to feel pregnant. I am noticing my belly more, and although I'm barely showing, it's exciting. I can still wear some of my regular pants, but I have to do the rubber band trick, or wear the belly sling over the top of them to hold them closed. I figure I'll be sick of the sight of my maternity clothes soon enough, so I should try and not wear them too much yet.

Justin has been very very wonderful, and is doing his best to make sure that I am comfortable (sleeping with a pregnant woman is not an easy task, since I kick, move around all the time and I'm constantly itchy...). He's a trooper, and I know he's going to make a wonderful father.