If it walks like a duck...

So - it's official.  I'm waddling now.  I'm not sure if it's because I'm just that big now or if it's because I was blessed with some lovely side-effect of pregnancy, which I'll discreetly call PS.

PS is a very painful side effect, and it feels like someone is tearing me apart at my legs.  ewww.  But, the good news is that I only notice it when I stand for long periods of time, or walk.  It has something to do with the hormones that loosen up your bones to make room for the baby to get out when it's time.  Apparently 1 in 300 pregnant women deal with this thing.  And honestly, because I have a desk job and don't really have to walk too much, it's not completely terrible.  But it's not really helping me to get any exercise in, or reduce the obviousness of my waddle.

Looks like I'll be ducky for the next 3-4 months...  quack! 

Hump Day Bump Day! (12/16)

And since it's been so long since our last comparison, here's the first photo again:

 

Wow.  I can't believe I was ever that small...

Updates and Thingamabobs

Don and I just finished watching Julie & Julia - it was a great flick.  And for those of you that don't know - it has to do with cooking... and blogging.  The main character in the movie was a much more dedicated blogger than us Bratschies though.  But alas, thanks for hanging in there with us and checking back everyone once and again to see what's new.

So - be warned, I was inspired to write another blog entry.  And I fear it will be a lot at once.  You might want to tackle this post in sittings.  Anyway - here's what's new:

The biggest news is that we've decided to build an extra room into our loft space instead of moving.  We really love our home.  It's a great fit for us and I have a hard time imagining us moving anywhere else.  If you've ever been in our place, the nursery/den will be where the dining room currently is.  A good friend of ours drew up some plans for us on what the new room will look like, we just have to find some contractors to put in drywall and schedule it all to be done after the Holidays and before Baby gets here.

Also, I'm at 26 weeks now - if you don't feel like figuring it out, that's 6.5 months!  And I'm constantly at the point where I don't think I could get any bigger.  For anyone that's already had kids - I'm sure you think this is just adorable...

Baby is kicking all the time too.  It's really cool to feel Baby moving around inside.  A lot of people have asked me if it hurts - and to be honest, I'm not sure if it will when I get closer to delivery, but it sure hasn't yet.  It feel more like bubbles moving around - or like my stomach is growling, except there's no actual hunger pangs. 

I just had to change my footwear too.  I used a DSW reward coupon to order myself a cute pair of flat boots.  Not as sassy as my heeled boots, but still cute.  I think I might just wear them every single day.  They have an easy zipper too - makes getting them on and off actually something that I can do.  (I'm starting to get to the point where I can't touch my feet anymore - the baby bump is just that big - like I said I'm always convinced that I just can't get any bigger...)

I've also started to rely on some new things to help me keep it together during this time that Baby and me are spending together prenatally.  I might do separate posts on each of these things - which would help me get back in the habit of blogging and keeping folks informed on the Baby Bratschie happenings, but here's a list just to get started: a neti pot, momma bee belly cream, aveeno moisturizing lotion and regularly changing my toothbrush.  The belly cream and lotion are probably obvious - my skin (particularly on the belly) is stretching out and in order to avoid dry, itchy skin - I need to keep it constantly moisturized.  The neti pot and new toothbrushes are my way of avoiding getting sick.  Because us preggos can't really take cold medicine or even sinus spray - and because my immune system is particularly susceptible to all things contagious right now - I'm doing everything I can to help my immune system out.  And if you don't know what a neti pot is - don't worry, I'll definitely blog about that all on its own.  You'll love it.

25 Weeks! What's a Rutabaga?

As of Friday, Baby is roughly the weight of a rutabaga - or 1.5 lbs.  I know, I know - what exactly is a rutabaga anyway?  Although it's interesting to say/write - I'm not exactly sure anyway.

But I did score a cool picture from that babycenter slideshow.  Here it is:

So - we know it's big.  And in the family of turnips.  And for anyone who has some extra time on their hands, I even found some recipes online for rutabaga.

ENJOY! :)

Hump Day Bump Day! (12/2)

We missed HDBD last week - I think I was in a turkey-induced coma, or maybe we were overcome with black friday deals...
Anyway - we're back and on track again.

Here's proof that Baby's in there - rattling around:

Can you believe I'm only at 6 months?  Sheesh. 

Those diapers are sooooo tiny!

Somehow, we managed to have a free sample of a newborn diaper lying around the house.  Mamma-jamma, is that thing TINY!  I had no idea just how small that diaper was going to be - I almost can't believe it!  For those of you that don't know how small these are - or haven't been around one in awhile, here it is - next to my hand for comparison...

And now the real test - next to Don's Blackberry...

That's right - a newborn diaper is only slightly bigger than a standard Blackberry.

What are we getting into?

Hump Day Bump Day! (11/18)

We barely made it today.  Phew!

Not only am I getting HUGE - but I believe my nesting instincts are starting to kick in.  I'm knitting a blanket - and I baked cookies from scratch twice in the last 4 days.   Of course, maybe those two things are related?

Anyway - enjoy the update.  It's time for me to toddle off to bed.  ;)

Photo Shoot #4...

Yesterday morning we went for the 2nd half of our Ultrasound.  Again, Baby was uncooperative.  However, we did manage to get one good shot from the ordeal.  Yes, it's fuzzy.  Yes, it's blurry.  But it's Baby, dang it.  And we LOVE Baby.

That's Baby's profile on the left and belly on the right.  It kind of looks like Baby is blowing bubbles here...

At one point, Baby's feet were rolled up over Baby's head!  It's getting to be tight quarters in there...

Weeks 21 and 22

So - it looks like weeks 21 and 22 have flown by without me posting the produce pics!  I can't believe what a bad preggo-blogger I am!  Let's blame this one on momnesia, shall we?

Here's the info for week 21:

Your baby has grown as big as a banana. (Length: about 6 1/2 inches from head to bottom, and 10 inches from head to heel.)

And here's the info for week 22:

Your baby -- currently the length of a carrot -- weighs about 3/4 of a pound. (Length: 10 1/2 inches, head to heel.)

We'll know what the next magical produce item is on Friday or Saturday - so stay tuned.  ;)

Hump Day Bump Day! (11/11)

We've made it to another HDBD!  This one almost got by too!  You'll have to forgive my lack of posting lately.  I'm going to blame it on a shorter-than-usual attention span...

The bump is getting so big - I think we should call it something else now... maybe a mound?  No - probably more like extra-planet-on-my-belly.  That doesn't have quite the same ring to it though.  I guess we'll stick with bump for now...

Hump Day Bump Day! (11/4)

Good news!  We found my phone!  I had left it in a friend's car.  I know, I know - I should be more careful.  But hey - at least I didn't leave it in a cab... this time.

So - without further adieu - this week's HDBD photo...

TA-DA!

While we were taking this photo, Don said "stop sticking out your butt."  He really did.  And then he immediately lost brownie points.  It's okay though - he won them again when he made me a delicious lunch.  YUMMY!

Oh - and purely for fun comparison - here's the first HDBD photo - from the archives:

HDBD - later today... or maybe tomorrow

So - we actually took the HDBD photo this morning.  and I meant to post it as soon as I got home.  but now I can't find my phone - and that's the camera I use to take the HDBD photo.  Grrr.

This momnesia business has really got to stop.

Happy Halloween Baby!

We enjoyed quite the party on Saturday night at our friends, the Tjepkema's. They are from Michigan originally but we still like them. They even had the Michigan State game on but I did a good job of avoiding it - I still have a hard time with that green. I still have nightmares from that dreadful 1998 game and Kevin Ruth singing 58 yards and a cloud of dust. To no avail. But I digress.

We love those Tjep's and the awesome entertainer and hostess that Lindsay is - she would make Martha, Julia, and your grandmother proud! She had wonderfully delightful ghoulish treats and Amanda got a nice sugar buzz from it all. We also saw our best friends in another life, the Johnson's... Michelle is 8 months now and we got some great motivation and tips from them! Thanks Johnson's!

Well here we are... I introduced Amanda all night as "my pregnant wife", hence the bun in the oven...

I would then go on to say that yes, I actually baked both of the buns. Cute but possibly inappropriate. Who knows. We had fun. I sang Thriller. And I had the HOTTEST date in the room. (Cause of course we can heat her up to 550 degrees F.) Oh, and she really is hot.

So the decorations are down and the oven is in the trash and we have set our sights on the upcoming holiday season and we are both excited for all the festivities and fall baking and cooking yet to come from our other oven as I dream up new and fun ways to feed my wonderful wife and baby.

Oh, and I want to share my current favorite verse... I just love this and it make me feel less like I might screw this kid up...

Jeremiah 1:5 "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations."

He may not be a prophet, but God KNOWS him and has a PLAN for him!

Many Blessings from the Bratschie's!

HDBD Stall Tactic

Well, the Hump-Day-Bump-Day shirt has gone missing. Who knows where it is. So even though I KNOW you tuned in to see the bump get just another stage larger, you will have to settle for my ramblings...

I realized yesterday how much we still have to learn. This was the big ultrasound and our biggest fear going into it was that we would accidently find out the gender, since we have officially decided not to find out (that it is a boy to be named Boaz). "Overheard on the Street" would have done good to hang out at our Doc's office with us....

Tech: See that big black void? That is the bladder.
Amanda: That explains a LOT!
(Don and technician exchange a puzzled look)
Amanda (obviously feeling bad for us not understanding): You know cause I have to pee ALL the time.
Don: Honey, that's the Baby's bladder....
Amanda: Ohhhhhhh

She is a cutie but she and I have lots to learn. Later back in the waiting room...

Don: He was flailing his arms and legs but just wouldn't flip over.
Amanda: She
Don: He
Amanda: She
Don (muffled whisper): he
Stranger next to us chuckles and draws our attention.
Stranger: Sorry, that just sounds all too familiar!

So I guess many couples argue about such things. Truthfully I want to be able to call Baby something other than Baby. Maybe it is my deep disdain for Dirty Dancing. Who knows. And "he" just has a nice ring to it. Well, only 4 more months and we will know for sure!

Stay tuned - hump day bump day photo will come late tonight. I actually have a date with that hot pregnant woman I live with.

The "Big" Ultrasound

We had our "big" ultrasound this morning.  This is the one where doc and the tech were supposed to be able to see everything that was going on with Baby and my uterus/placenta/other relevant organs/parts.

At first, Baby was moving, kicking and practically somersaulting up a storm!  It was so cool to see all that movement because I'm still not really feeling that much - it's wonderful reassurance that we're on track and everything is progressing happily.

However, after we got going and got a few of the key measurements and pictures in, Baby decided to settle down... face down... and stay there.  It's good to know that Baby is already a lot like Momma - stubborn.  Baby wouldn't move for anything.  We even took a little break where I got up and moved around - did some jumping jacks, toe touches, side bends... heck!  I even had an impromptu dance party of just me and Baby!  But no - nothing except kicking legs and pushing arms around.  {sigh}
Doc said that we have to come back in two weeks to try again because they're still missing vital information.

At any rate - here's the few pics that were able to get at this photo shoot (aka ultrasound).  Enjoy!

My favorite is the little foot (second from the top)...

Ultrasounds are awesome... and a funny story

The "big" ultrasound is tomorrow.  Yep - this is theeee big appointment that we've been waiting for for almost two months now!  I'm SO EXCITED!!!  This little photo shoot is where doc checks out how Baby is developing and looks for all kinds of that fun developmental stuff.  Have I told you how excited I am for this appointment?  If you're the praying type, pray for all kind of good news.  {thank you!}

No - we're still not going to find out if Baby is a boy or a girl - but along those lines I have a fairly humorous story to share that happened at work.  Because some co-workers may read this, I'm leaving it anonymous.  This seriously happened...

Other person: (while swatting at my growing belly) What's that?

Me: um - a Baby.

Other person: I know that!  I mean "WHAT IS IT?"

Me: Do you mean, "is it a boy or a girl?"

Other person: YEAH! 

Me: Well, we've decided not to find out.

Other person: Well - that's your choice.

Me: Um yes, you're right - it is.

That's right - I can't make this stuff up, people.  It's very "office-esque" isn't it?  Awkward...

so much to do...

the excitement of becoming a mother is starting to turn into anxiety over everything that we have to do to prepare for Baby.  and when i say "everything", I really mean it.

up to this point, the only thing we've done is make our monthly checkup appointments and watch me get bigger.  Oh- i also take my vitamins every day.  But that's it. 

Last weekend, Don and I took a test called Strengthsfinder 2.0 by the Gallup peoples.  Anyway - it confirmed a lot of what I already knew to be true - and that is: I'm strong at developing relationships with people, but I usually lack vision.  It also revealed to me what I previously did not know - Don is also a relationship builder and not so much into planning for the future...  that one was quite a bit of surprise for me.

Now this isn't to say that we NEVER plan, but just that our natural tendencies don't fall that way so much.  Now - point being, because I know this is something to we need to focus on in order to make happen, I'm blogging about this for a little bit of accountability. 

Here are some things that we need to start working on in the Bratschie house:

• Nursery area
• register for classes at the hospital
• register for baby things

Also - if you know the layout of our place, or if you just happen to be an interior designer - we need some serious help planning out our nursery area.  You can consider this an official cry for help.  ;)

19 Weeks!

As of yesterday, Baby is at 19 weeks.  WOW.  I can't believe it's already 19!  One more week and we'll be at 5 months!  This seems like it's going by so quickly!

According to our babycenter.com email, Baby is approximately 8.5 ounces and measure about 6 inches from head to rump - or, in produce terms, is as long as a large heirloom tomato.  Because "large heirloom tomato" is quite vague, I'm including the official picture again.  Here it goes:

Again - use the quarter for comparison.   Because of the latest produce comparison, Don has enlightened me that a heirloom tomato merely means that the tomato is not a hybrid, but a pure tomato.  So - the quarter is even more helpful than I thought... (here's the wikipedia article for anyone that might be a doubter out there: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heirloom_tomato).

Hump Day Bump Day! (10/21)

Week 18! - Bell Pepper

Baby is about the length of a bell pepper this week (5.5 inches long).  Wow!  This little one is growing FAST!  The gender organs are also developed at this point too - but no, we're still not going to find out if it's a Brat-he or a Brat-she. (HA!  Get it?  A play on our last name?!  I'm so funny!)

Anyway - I included this babycenter.com picture to help anyone who may not know what size bell pepper these peeps are comparing Baby to.  It might help to use the quarter for comparison...

Enjoy!

Hump Day Bump Day! (10/14)

Preggos are EVERYWHERE!

In case you've been under a rock for the past 6 months or so, I feel I should come right out and say it.  "Everyone is pregnant".  This is, of course, a slight exaggeration, but I assure you - not by much.  It might be more like 1 out of 3.

I run into other preggos everywhere.  Everywhere except work, that is.  I'm definitely the only one there - at least the only one that's been "outed".  And now I'm so big that I couldn't hide it even if I wanted to (which I don't).

But back to my first point - preggos are everywhere.  Maybe it's just Chicago... but I'm not so sure.  I think it's a National epidemic.  When we picked up my prenatal vitamins, the pharmacist said "been fillin' a lot of these lately".  Um yeah - that's your job.  And I heard the hospital where I'm supposed to deliver Baby has broken the 'birthing record' every month for the past few months - meaning they birth a record number of babies every month than from the month before.  Wow!  That's a lot of babies!

You have to wonder - why all the babies?  I heard someone mention snarkily that it was the recession to blame.  I'm not sure about all that.  It really didn't have a lot to do with our Baby - Don and I are both employed full-time and hadn't really stopped going out when Baby came to be.  I heard another theory that it's the boomlet's having babies.  That's right - that Baby Boomer's kids are now having kids.  That makes a little more sense to me - but what really explains this?

I guess it doesn't really matter in the long run - but it's great for those like me and the preggos coming after us - we've going to have so much maternity clothes for them to borrow/buy from consignment shops!  Speaking of consignment shops - I heard a recommendation for a great kid's clothes/maternity wear consignment shop in Chicago - called The Second Child.  I'll have to check it out and write a review. 

In the meantime - i'll leave you with my deep thought for the day - "preggos are everwhere".  Except my apartment.  I'm the only one in here right now...

How am I feeling?

I'm asked this question probably more than any other question.  Well - how am I feeling?  Honestly - it depends on when you catch me.  I'm almost always nauseous first thing in the morning - at least until I get a little something in my stomach.  My personal theory is that the blood sugars get thrown way off when my stomach is empty and that's what leaves me feeling queasy.  Of course, it could just be tiny unicorns in my belly poking holes in the lining of my quease-barrier...

Besides that "I'm-about-to-puke-but-only-in-the-morning" business, I'm feeling great! Well, that and I've been learning lately that I actually have to schedule in down time every once and again.  Or have a series of mental breakdowns.  Whichever.

We have such a full schedule all the time.  I'm so used to it that I don't stop to think if I've rested enough - or thought about nothing in particular enough.   Or even built time into our schedule to do laundry enough.  And it really only seems to be catching up to me lately - there have been a couple of days in the past week or two that were particularly rough.  When I got home at the end of the day, I kicked off my shoes and went straight to sleep - barely even saying "hi" or "good night" to Don.  Poor guy.  So, yes - I'm queasy in the morning and I'm learning to slow down and work some downtime in my life now.  And that's how I'm feeling. 

17 Weeks - TURNIPS!

As of yesterday, Baby is 17 weeks and  I still haven't felt any kicks or flutters (although I wasn't sure if maybe I felt it last night... could've been indigestion).

According to my weekly babycenter email, Baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to hard bone.  Seems like good timing for Halloween, no?  ;)   And now Baby weighs roughly 5 ounces - the size of a turnip.  YAY for turnips!

 I don't even know of what we can make with a turnip though - anyone got any good turnip recipes?

Hump Day Bump Day! (10/7)

Finally!  The long-awaited HDBD photo!

Enjoy!

HDBD - later today...

Greetings, loyal readers!  The HDBD photo will need to be posted this evening.  I'm having a heckuva time tracking down the official photo pants.

Stay tuned!  I'll post later...

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

but the dark is what's going to keep me in.  My workout buddy and I decided to move our morning walks indoors to the gym now that it's getting darker outside in the morning.

As you might be able to tell from the picture I took this morning, it's still gorgeous even thought it's dark out now.  The sunrise was, well... "wow"!  Or as my dad might say, "breathtaking and beautiful".  But in spite of the beauty, it's still very dark and there's not nearly as many people out in the morning anymore - it just kind of makes for a less safe feeling walk.  (Hence the move indoors).

I think it's going to be okay though because we already decided to start incorporating light hand weights into our time at the gym - maybe get some toning in our upper bodies to match the toning I see in my legs from carrying around all this extra weight in my belly. 

16 Weeks! And Babies are Really Just Produce...

Baby is 16 weeks (4 months) as of yesterday.  Wow.  We're almost halfway through this pregnancy thing.

According to our Babycenter email - Baby is roughly the size of an avocado and is growing toenails, among other things.  The first thing I thought when I read that was, "Getting toenails is the first step to pedicures - YAY!"  (If Baby is a girl, that is - not that boys don't get pedicures, but they don't usually talk about it).

The second thing I thought was "what size avocado?"  Out of pure coincidence, we made guacamole last night - yeah, I guess that's a little sick in retrospect but take heart in knowing that it wasn't planned.  Of course, now we might actually try to work whatever produce item Baby is currently the size of into our menu.  I kind of think that would be funny.  Anyway - we used 5 avocadoes and they were all such different sizes!

So - back to this idea of Baby being the size of produce - Babycenter has this slideshow that compares Baby's development every week to a 'common' produce item - to help give people a better idea of how big their baby is getting.  (As if a giant belly wasn't enough of an idea)...
They have everything from a sesame seed to a pumpkin.  That's right - a pumpkin.  

The key to note here is that the growing baby is like this produce item in some way, usually weight or length.  Otherwise, some of these don't make sense - like an ear of corn at week 24?  I can hear it now "What?  My baby is like an ear of corn right now?  NO WONDER I'm uncomfortable!"

Alcohol-removed Wine?!

I was watching Food Network the other day when I saw a bit about these wines (below).  They're "alcohol-removed" wines.  The brand is fre (http://www.frewines.com/) and they're made by Sutter Home.  The wine is made like normal, and then the alcohol is removed afterward via some fun, secret spinning cone method.  Interesting.

We had some close friends over last night for Don's birthday (which is today) and decided to get a couple of bottles to try out.  And it was good.   We had the Chardonnay last night.  It smelled exactly like a Chardonnay wine and my mouth watered.  Even though it tasted complex and fruity and oaky and delicious, it didn't quite taste like anything I'd ever had before.  It was very similar to wine - but almost like a grape juice - but not.  I guess I'm not doing a very good job of explaining it here...

But just know - for those of us that are choosing not to drink alcohol - for whatever reason - there's a good alternative out there.  It's yummy and will fill that "wine-shaped hole" in your palette.

Latest Checkup - 10/1

We had our monthly checkup yesterday morning.  It was what they call a "belly check".   I just go in, pee in a cup (they check it for potential problems), get weighed (up a few pounds from last month), and wait for the doc to come in and make sure Baby and I are doing great.

This time we had Dr. Chen.  He was quite personable and very funny.  He commended me on using the old hairtie-wrapped-around-the-button-hole trick.  And then - he pulled out this special "heartbeat listening" device so that we could hear Baby's heartbeat!

The first heartbeat we heard while that thing was on my belly was my own.  lub. lub. lub.  We heard my heartbeat through my belly - cool.  Doc found Baby's heartbeat shortly after that.  Baby's heartbeat was much quicker and not quite as loud - Doc guestimated Baby's heartbeat at 140 beats per minute!  Wow, that's quick!  :)

Then, to top it all off - I got my first ever flu shot!  Yay for parental preparedness!  :)  But - my arm is still sore.  :(