I love people.

I’m a true flâneur- a people watcher, an observer. I like to drink it all in. This can be a good and a bad thing. Overly observant people can find themselves easily annoyed at something you’re observing obsessively. For me, my down fall is noise. I can hear Denver gulping down a bowl of cereal when I'm 20 yards away. It's annoying for all parties, but it isn't just family that I put under the microscope.

Take the lady next to me in the locker room today. Every move she made was accompanied by a loud moan or a groan. Taking off her socks, “Aaaaah!” Reaching into her gym bag, “Gaaaah!” It didn’t look like she had been working out hard or anything- no signs of sweat. It’s like she thought groaning and grunting would make it seem like she had a tougher work out then was actually the case.

Who are these people who make noises to themselves? You know who I’m talking about. Take the deep sigher in line behind you at the coffee shop. Is that their way of engaging conversation, a deep sigh? I think I prefer the genuinely rude person who just blurts out, “Could you hurry up with those cappuccinos???” These noisemakers are all over town these days, in the midst of the holiday season everyone has a “tsk” and a “grr” up their sleeve somewhere.

And then there are the mumblers. These are the people who are less passive aggressive than the noisemakers but not quite confident enough to be 100% all-out rude. Back to the coffee line, there was fella behind me at Starbucks who would not let up about the prices for the coffee and all the fancy drinks (um, where have you been buddy?). He kept on mumbling to himself, “All I want is a drip coffee, I just want coffee, what do I need to do get some plain old coffee, how much do they want for this coffee, this is ridiculous.” He had no patience for the chick ordering the no-whip, half-calf, soy, sugar-free latte. At first, you think maybe this guy is on a cell phone or with a friend but then you realize he’s just nuts and looking for someone to commiserate with- not it fella.

Is it any wonder that everyone is wearing an ipod these days?

Welcome to the Third Trimester

So it’s pretty obvious that I’m pregnant. Even in my fluffy down “sleeping bag” of a coat you can tell. Either that or, as Denver says, “It looks like your trying to steal something from (fill in the blank for wherever we are at the moment).”

It’s a study in psychology- the “showing” of the belly. For the longest time you feel like nothing special is happening because there are no physical signs. But you want so badly to look pregnant because no one can tell that something very special is happening and you want everyone to know, kind of. Then suddenly you pop a bit but you just look fat. I mean, it just looks like you over indulged on beer and pizza, so you’re excited that there is proof but no one would dare say anything to you about that new edition in your gut. But then all of the sudden it’s like “BAM” you’re full blown pregnant. And then you just can’t believe it. Denver took this picture last night and I had him take like 5 shots because every time I checked the screen I just couldn’t believe that I was really that big. And you’re kind of oblivious to the whole thing. I had no idea how far my belly was sticking out. I need to spend more time in front of a mirror I guess.

Old Wives' Tales

Since Denver and I elected not to find out the sex of the baby in the somewhat fool-proof medical method of the ultrasound, I've turned to old wives' tales. There are literally dozens of websites with "quizes" you can take to determine the sex of your unborn child. I'd like to list the "symptoms" that are pointing to the different sexes below. Basically, I am clueless!

Things that make me think it's a boy:

1) I still have a waistline. Dwindling as it may be, I have a slight indentation at my natural waist. Apparently when you carry a girl, this whole area fills out very early on in the pregnancy.
2) No morning sickness. I never really had morning sickness. I had 1 or 2 moments where I felt icky, but I never had true nausea day in and day out.
3) Linea Nigra. What the heck is Linea Nigra you ask? It is a line that all women have that runs from your rib cage down to your pubic bone. When you become pregnant, your skin pigment changes and the line darkens. Not everyone gets this, but when it runs from top to bottom, they say it's a boy. From the belly button down, it's a girl. Mine runs top to bottom!
4) Denver hasn't gained a pound- allegedly the husband gains sympathy weight when you carry a girl.
5) I love the color blue.

Things that make me think it's a girl:
1) Acne. I've heard this one can signal in either direction but my skin definitely hasn't improved during the pregnancy. I thought I was supposed to be glowing? Maybe that happens next.
2) Hair. My hair is not the same awesome head of hair I had six months ago. They say if your hair improves in texture it's a boy, if it becomes dull/icky then it's a girl.
3) Cravings. I can't get enough sweets. I mean, I probably could but I haven't tested the limits quite yet. It's so great to be pregnant around the holidays, I mean, I have license to eat anything in any quantity- sweets in particular.
4) Chinese Birth Predictor Calendar says girl. This might be the most compelling of all the tests.
5) I like wearing pink.

For the love of cookies

I love Google. What did we do before Google? Yahoo, ask jeeves, altavista- these are all sad and unfortunate alternatives to the one and only Google. Google can settle bets, end arguments and locate far corners of the Earth within minutes, seconds even.

We've had two boxes of Thin Mints (yes, the one and only Girl Scout cookie, heaven-sent) in the freezer since I began my pregnancy. Very early on I vowed that these two boxes could last me the full 40 weeks. It was a hope and a promise to myself at the same time. With twelve weeks to go I'm getting a little frantic. I have 6 cookies left and they could all be gone in seconds. SECONDS!

So in the hopes of ending this crisis I just Googled "where can I buy girl scout cookies." Nothing. Not even Google can help me at this point. I am at the beck and call of some little uniformed do-gooder going house to house (me, 20 years ago). I did discover that you can find them on ebay- but the Thin Mint supply was thin, for lack of a better word.

If anyone hears about Girls Scout cookies for sale anywhere, anywhere at all, please send me some Thin Mints. I'll make it worth your while.

CHA-CHING!

Organic Baby

When I first became pregnant I bought a book about having an organic pregnancy, whatever that means. It was ridiculous. Not only was it written by two completely unqualified persons (journalists, oy) but what they claimed was completely unvalidated and lacked any substantial evidence to support their claims. In their view, if you didn't go out and buy a new 'organic' mattress, repaint your walls with 'organic' paint, and install a thousand dollar water filter, you were poisoning your fetus. Not to slant anyone's opinion of the publication, but I think they both worked for the New York Times at some point. If you are reading this and that media outlet still holds a positive place in your mind, stop reading and never come back to this blog again.

The truth is I buy into of that line of thinking a little bit- I take fish oil, I try to eat organic foods, and I have a soft spot for the environment. But you can't believe everything that you read or hear anymore. Just this week a huge report came out which debunks the idea that multivitamin supplements of any kind (fish oil, vitamin E, etc) are good for your health. In fact, the study claimed that multivitamins could actually be harmful to your health. Jeez-o-Pete! If you actually paid attention to every study that came out you'd be changing all of your habits on a weekly basis. Coffee is good, no it's bad. Wine is bad, no it's good. Broccoli is good, no it's just okay.

What I've learned is two-fold: 1) Don't listen to anything that anyone on TV says unless you've read their resume and they have legitimate research & scholastic merit in their background (this excludes every single news journalist and most of their guests) and 2) Everything in moderation. Want a donut? Then eat one. ONE. Eat a dozen and you're on your own, but one isn't going to kill you. Same goes for everything else that is allegedly terrible for you. Except crack. Crack really is whack.

And when you're pregnant you enter a whole new world of data-mined statistics. I've read that one glass of wine on occasion can:

a) lead to delinquency in the teenage years (Um, weren't we all a little delinquent for a moment in time during that period?)

b) create more relaxed toddlers (maybe because their mothers aren't freaking out about drinking one glass of wine?)

and/or

c) cause learning disabilities. Now I had a lisp and couldn't tell time until I was like 5 and my mom never touched the stuff- so what does that tell you? Nothing.

The lesson today is as follows- if you want to prove something is good or bad, you can always find the statistics to back that up. In the meantime, stop watching the news, it's all malarkey. Except for that bit about Illinois being the most corrupt state for political officials, that is actually true.

Happy Friday!

In this overly PC world, I should put out a disclaimer about my previous blog. I happen to like all three names that I poked fun at- so if you know an Astrid, a Parker, or a Gretchen, call me because I don't believe you. I'm kidding, I'm kidding, but seriously please don't be offended. The hilarity of those names was simply in Denver's assessment of their applicability (or lack there of) to our unborn child.

I can just see us in the delivery room going back and forth and back and forth about names. I can, just as clearly, see me getting wheeled out of the hospital to the car, baby in arms, flipping through a baby name book. Maybe we'll just toss a coin and name the baby after some derivative of the letters on that side of the coin. Anyone every meet a Pluribus?

Naming Baby

Naming a baby is a serious task. Parents feel an enormous amount of pressure to pick the “right” name. And the reality of that situation is that the baby will become the name assigned to him or her, not the reverse. Denver and I have struggled coming up with names that we both like. A typical baby naming discussion involves one of us throwing a name out there and the other one gonging it because of some kid we knew in the 3rd grade who sucked at dodge ball having that same name. For the record, I was definitely that kid.

But the baby name discussions have been very entertaining to say the least. One of Denver’s greatest gifts (and hidden talents) is when he can just “roll” with something in comedic fashion. Lately, he’s been rolling with my name ideas. Let me give you a few examples of how Denver has reacted to a few of my ideas for baby names.

“What do you think about the name Astrid?”
“Asteroid?”
“No, Astrid.”
“Astrid? Astrid. It sounds like the main ingredient in a hemorrhoid cream. As in, ‘hey buddy how are your hemorrhoids?’ ‘oh I’m so glad you asked because they are much better, all thanks to the Astrid. I don’t know what I would’ve done without the Astrid.’”

Astrid is off the list.

“Howabout Gretchen, I like German sounding names”
“Gretchen?”
“Yes, Gretchen.”
“Gretchen. It sounds like a medical condition or something. Like, ‘Hey buddy, you coming out to the party tonight?’ ‘Oh no, I can’t man, I’ve got a real bad case of the Gretchen.”

And most recently...

“Do you like Parker?”
“Parker?”
“Yes, Parker.”
“I mean doesn’t that sounds a little over preppy as in, ‘hey let’s go by and pick up Parker on the way to the country club, his parents are always drinking some fabulous wine out on the patio. And he’s always wearing a perfectly pink polo, maybe even two polos. It’s fabulous.”
“I was actually thinking for a girl”
“Oh”

Parker is out.

We’ve got 14 weeks, that’s like a college semester. Plenty of time! Right?

24.8 Weeks

HEY-YOOOOOOO!!! Somebody has a big fat baby bump!! If you look REALLY closely you can even see my belly button. It's hanging on for dear life.

I think if you can be pregnant during Thanksgiving you are truly lucky. We all get license to eat to excess this week- but not only do I have license but I also have reason. And while I don't get to enjoy those fabulous holiday cocktails, I'll be drunk on pumpkin pie and mashed potatoes. The food hangover is much easier to manage.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Pregnant and Brazen

El train phenomena is the subject of endless conversation. You get all kinds of crazies on the El train: First timers who don't think they need to hold on and are quickly jostled into reality, people who never learned to use their "inside" voices to have extremely intimate and/or graphic conversations on their cell phones-I feel like I could testify at a child custody hearing with the amount of garbage I've overheard. And then there are the people who push through the crowd to get to the doors when the train is still many minutes from their stop. These are classic El train amateurs- it's like they really think they'll be stuck on the train if they aren't right at the door when the train pulls into the station.

But my favorite quirk about the El is the Sardine Effect. Everyone likes to congregate towards the doors, especially at rush hour, and the result are sparsely populated middle and end sections of the train. So when the doors open, all of the people smooshed together look like a can of sardines between the doorway. That's all well and good unless you're me, and you're trying to get on the train when it's 30 degrees and windy and the Sardine Effect is already in full swing. So last night, for the first times in a long time, I pulled out the loud mouthy city persona and instructed the sardines to disperse so me and my fellow train stop friends could get on board. Not only was their room for all of us, but there was plenty of it.

In defense of a $900 stroller

Blogging is tough. I tell you what, since starting this blog I also started one for the gallery and sitting around trying to think of clever things to keep people interested in reading is no easy feat. I've struggled lately with this blog because everything I want to talk about is too polarizing: breastfeeding in public, dogs off leash in the city, and, of course, the rising costs associated with having a baby.

Can you believe that they can charge $900 for a stroller and get away with it? Furthermore, can you believe that people buy them? What's more, would you believe that Denver and I are considering being THOSE people? (stop nodding your heads up and down)

Here is the thing: we live in the city and what that means is a stroller (much like a large designer handbag), serves more as a full-time vehicle rather than just a basic functioning device. Consider this: schlepping up two flights of stairs with a 30lb bag of potatoes or a 20lb bag of potatoes at least twice a day, everyday, for 2 years. I'll go with the 20-pounder everytime, even if that means a huge ($900) premium. And did I mention the weight of that little bundle of joy that comes with those potatoes? My arms are going to be ripped out Madonna style. Do potatoes even come in bags that big, I wonder?

The stroller I speak of is the Bugaboo. Made famous on Sex and the City, it is now a staple for city dwellers. No stroller comes close in terms of weight, ease of use, or terrain maneuverability. We aren't hauling this thing from a garage to a Target to a suburban shopping mall, all via automobile. We're going from side walk to curb to tiny city grocery store to tiny city boutique to the lake front to the alley and back up the stairs to our apartment again.

So of course, I feel the need to justify this expense. I used to point and laugh at the people who bought these things. Now I point and ask, "How much you want for the stroller?"

Savannah

Denver and I spent the weekend in Savannah with Jack Wahl and family. As you can see from the photos, he is one cute baby. It was quite a learning experience for both Denver and myself. I learned that a baby really will put anything into his or her mouth, Denver learned the value of garish looking toys, but most of all we learned to appreciate the all to often taken for granted art of a good night's sleep. I think Denver and I will be the ones sleeping like babies tonight, actually I can guarantee that.

Couvade, really?

There is a real medical term called Couvade which is just a fancy French word referring to symptomatic prenatal sympathy. Yes, you guessed it, sometimes the mates of Pregnant Patty's will suffer along with their significant others. It seems a little unbelievable, but apparently it's real. We had our own run in with some Couvade symptoms just last week.

First off, it's no secret that when you're pregnant you loose your marbles. I can't tell you how many times I've started a sentence and just totally lost it- no train of thought, no clue as to what was coming next. And some of the things that come out of my mouth are, in a word, dumb.

You should also know, that Barack Obama is a member at our gym. I've never seen him working out there, but he's a busy guy, I get it. My other theory is that he's smoking cigarrettes up on the pool deck talking about Hegelian theories and the like with the hourly workers.

So the day after the election when I got to the gym there was a HUGE banner hung up which stated, "Congratulations to our new president, member since 1984." No surprise there, but a nice gesture.

That night, after our workouts, Denver and I met for dinner at the restaurant in club. The restaurant is called, Maxwells- it's a new name, before it had just been the Restaurant or something ultra generic. As we're sitting there we started kibitzing about the new name- how random it seemed and how uneccesary all at the same time. Then Denver said (outloud), "Maybe they named it after the new president." I just kinda looked at him, puzzled and responded, "The club has a new president?" and then he looked at me like I was the crazy one and says, "yeah, didn't you see the gigantic sign?"

Um, yeah. Saw the sign and put it together pretty quickly actually. The look on Denver's face when HE put it all together was delightful. It was a 100% eureka moment.

22 Weeks

Here I am at just about 22 weeks. The whole tracking of your weeks during pregnancy is so confusing. So right now, I'm 22 weeks along but I'm IN my 23rd week, so does that make me 23 weeks?? And the 9 months thing is a total myth. You're pregnant for 40 weeks (at least, in some cases), which is more like 9 months and a third or something.

Regardless, I am certainly getting there! I can hardly button my coat. The great part about that one is, I have had more guys offer me their seats on the El then I ever have before. I don't know if it's the belly or if chivalry is in the air but I like it!

I could watch this all day long.

It's not secret that I love Shelties. L-O-V-E them. And the proof is in the fact that I've watched this video a dozen times already, and it still makes me chuckle every time. Click below and enjoy the simplicity of watching a dog eat a cookie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Zl-6Vlqpac

Week 22 Ultrasound

Denver and I had the 22 week ultrasound today and I wanted to share the best shot of the babe. I almost had to smack the tech because she kept complaining in her broken English that "baby not cooperating." Child after my own heart.

Baby did great and looked fantastic. He/She was curled into a little ball most of the time so this shot was truly a flash in the pan. We were clearly disturbing a mid-afternoon nap. I, too, sleep in a tight little ball and I, too, don't like being disturbed while sleeping. This baby and I have lots in common already!

Please, sit down.

Every morning I ride the train (the "El", if you like) to work. It's about 5 stops to my destination which can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. Now, early on in my pregnancy I didn't think twice about the commute and how comfortable I would be if standing for those 20 minutes. But over the past few weeks I've started to wonder what the heck I'm going to do when I'm really big. Because even today, at 22 weeks, my back is aching and I am just uncomfortable when standing for a long while.

Most mornings, I can get a seat. This was a God-wink during the first trimester, but now it's a necessity. However, if I had a dollar for every time a YOUNG man slipped in front of me to grab the last seat, I'd be a millionaire. Or at least a hundred-aire.

Anyway, this morning was classic. I hop on the train, I eye three vacancies and before I can shimmy my way, three YOUNG men have stolen my prize. I could have spit. So I stood there for the next ten minutes just thinking about all of the venom I would spew on the blog this morning and all of the sudden a fellow stander takes out his ipod earphones, taps me on the shoulder and offers a recently opened seat that was out of my field of vision. I was so taken off guard, and feeling quite stubborn, that I kindly declined his offer. I was one stop away at that point and if any of those YOUNG yahoos had heard him, my point was made already.

Thanks super-nice-seat-offering-train-guy!

And for the record, this isn't about me being pregnant (the super-nice-seat-offering-train-guy was behind me, couldn't see my well concealed bump through my trench coat), it's about gentlemen acting like gentlemen. Men arm wrestle, spit, and drink scotch (often times, in that precise order) and as such, women get priority seating and we get to go on the lifeboat first. Hey, I didn't make the rules, I'm just trying to play by them.

Million Chicagoan March

It's a big day and whichever way it goes, this election will go down in history as being one of the most pivotal of our generation.

Here in Chicago, the festivities are already underway (what is that saying about counting your chickens before they hatch?) Grant Park has been transformed into a maze of tents and peddlers are selling trinkets by the fistful. Apparently people have driven from all parts of the country to celebrate Obama's potential achievement en masse. Could you imagine driving thousands of miles (or even a couple) to congregate with 1 million of your closest friends?

As I rhetorically asked Denver last night- when was the last time you had a great time with 1 million people? He suggested the Simon & Garfunkel concert in Central Park. Then I reminded him that it was a rhetorical question but if there were an answer it would be never. Getting together with that many people stinks- literally, figuratively, you name it. I ask anyone who is attempting to go to that rally tonight to take caution and screw their head on a little tighter.

To the locals I say run: get on the train or the bus and get out of the city now! Settle in for a long night of watching the "media elite" run their mouths about how they looked into their crystal ball months ago and could've told us then that tonight is playing out exactly as they had suspected. Either that OR they will be completely flabbergasted by a McCain victory. Paramedics will need to be on guard, in either case.

Election Day!

Happy Election Day!

Don't forget to vote because every vote counts.
Remember that whole AlGore-Florida-HangingChad scenario??? We don't want that again.

Choose wisely!!!

Happy Halloween!

Is there anything cuter than kiddies in costumes??
Wishing everyone a sugar-crash-free holiday!!

Phillie's Best!!

In honor of the World Series victory by the Philadelphia Phillies (HOORAY!), I wanted to talk about cheese steaks.

On Belmont Avenue, not far from our condo, there is a restaurant called Philly's Best. I was first introduced to Philly's Best 4 years ago by Denver. Can you imagine my skepticism when Denver (a Midwesterner, but the son of a Philadelphian) claimed that there was a shop in Chicago that could serve up a cheese steak just as authentic as those on the East Coast? I was even more skeptical when the take-out guy on the phone said they didn't have sliced pickles for my steak. Hello? There was no way this sandwich was going to be right.

Well, I was totally wrong. Even without the pickles, Philly's Best is truly that: It is the BEST cheese steak in Chicago and it can stand up to any Philadelphia steak out there. They import the bread, they use white American cheese, I could go on and on. Suffice to say that in a blind tasting I would bet dollars to donuts that Philly's Best could beat any East Coast Steak.

The last time I ordered, (my usual: chicken cheese steak w/ onions & ketchup) the guy looked at me and says, "You from Philly?"

I immediately gave him that glare of, "who wants to know" but still answered, "No, Delaware. Why?"

"Ketchup on your steak, only Philly people ask for ketchup."

"Oooh..." And a genuine smile hit my face, my East Coast authenticity shows through even at a steak shop.

"Wait a sec, I'll be right back" And this heavy set Philadelphia-turned-Chicagoan hustles off for what seemed like an eternity. When he came back, he stuffed a Tastycake into the sack and gave me a wink.

I'm now a regular at Philly's Best.

Honeymooning

Denver and I in Avignon, France, on our Honeymoon.

I am officially at the halfway point in my pregnancy! I can't believe it's been 20 weeks already. This would be the theoretical honeymoon phase of pregnancy: I'm not so big that I'm terribly uncomfortable and there is not an immediate need to do a lot of planning or baby stuff buying quite yet. We're in a lull. Which is nice. It could be the last lull for a long while.

I love animals

It's no secret that I love animals; tame, clean, well-behaved ones in particular. So whenever I have a camera in hand, I like to record my brushes with the wild. I thought I would share some of my favorites below.

Denver-A rare breed of wine drinking animal.

This Kitty was spotted at Taylor's Automatic Refresher in Napa. She was a wild one.

This little guy was at a truck stop in southern France. By truck stop, of course, I mean gourmet restaurant serving wine & fresh bread that happened to be off of a highway.

Charlotte, my favorite. She was in the IN-and-OUT burger parking lot and I immediately accosted her owner. It looks like I'm strangling her but really I'm just trying to grab her collar and make a run for it.

A true Parisian. This mutt refused to acknowledge me or my camera.

An Eze, France Border Collie. There was nothing to herd in this town but tourists, unfortunate for the dog.

This is not a zoomed in photo- this is actually how close the squirrels come to people at MSU's campus. He thought I had food.

This is Winston, a wild little Corgi we met in Washington. He was a rascal.

This is me in a few more hours.

Break Stuff

Years ago, during my waitress-ing days, I specifically remember an incident where I had dropped something (a ramekin perhaps?) and a coworker jokingly asked if I was pregnant. It would've been very Jamie Lynn Spears of me at that time so the answer was of course, no I am not. This coworker went on to explain, quite simply, that pregnant women drop stuff.

That bit of wisdom has stuck with me through the years, but it was not until just this week that it took on a whole new meaning.

Monday morning I dropped the bar of soap in the shower so many times that I gave up.

On Tuesday I dropped my glasses, a bottle of water (capped), a book, and my keys (repeatedly).

On Wednesday I dropped my glasses again, a food covered fork, and an empty plate (causing the plate to break, but with no audience there was no "OOPAH")

I think eventually I'll just stop picking everything back up.

Russian Wisdom

I am all about natural remedies and holistic cures, and I've learned from experience that foreigners seem to know more about this type of thing than the average joe. Mostly because the FDA is brilliant at disabling natural practices from superseding anything remotely pharmaceutical, but that is neither here nor there.

I had my first prenatal massage yesterday. I've had a very tiring few days and I thought a good massage might help coax my muscles into action. Typically when I get a massage it is for a specific problem- crink in the neck, knot in the back, etc. But this was the first time I had nothing to tell the therapist when she asked me why I was there. I just sort of shrugged and said, "I'm pregnant," as if to say, "isn't that enough?"

I've had this therapist before- and she's a talker. Usually I like to just sit in the silence, but this woman is full of that Russian wisdom about herbs and the like, so when I'm there for a particular problem, I appreciate any advice she can impart. However, yesterday's advice was of a different sort, more like fortune telling. Keep in mind that during this dialogue she has a very thick Russian accent.

"Have you felt baby kick"

"Yes, I have!"

"What was the date?"

"The exact date?"

"Yes, do you remember?"

"Actually, yeah I think it was the 9th"

"Do you know why I ask you this specific date?"

She waited for me to respond.

"No. Why."

"20 weeks from this date, you give birth"

"Oh, okay, that would be a little early but that could work."

"Yes, this always work for first time mother. 20 weeks from first kick you will have baby."

Mark your calendars everyone- February 26th it is. Hmmmmm, I sure hope it's not a leap year.

19 Weeks!!

Drumroll please...She has a belly!!! WOOHOO!

Granted, this was after a big meal of pasta and then an ample serving of Yo-Berry...but there is no denying it- I officially have a baby bump. It's been fun thinking of new and creative ways to wear clothes. And the best part has been not buttoning up the jeans or trousers and throwing on a Bella-Band. That little miracle has saved me from getting into the nightmarish world of maternity pants. Gag.

Week 18, where is the belly?

I'm nearly to 19 weeks and I know what you're thinking, "when do we get to see more of Kristen's belly?" Well I'm sorry to have to tell you that I've decided that the exposed belly is no longer fully appropriate. I don't really want to see it, and frankly, I don't want any of you to see it either. So we'll do clothed versions from here on out. (queue the Debbie Downer music)

How about that survey- 'Boy' has jumped ahead! Shocking! 21 more weeks of anticipation, I can hardly wait!

In other news, I continue to feel fantastic, with the rare day of pure exhaustion being the only exception. I finally feel like I've tackled my major prenatal acne attack so now we are just rolling along. I'm hungry all the time and I'm even starting to like vegetables again. Life is good!

And the most exciting news of all, I've begun to feel the babe move! I noticed some flutters about 3 weeks ago and now I'm feeling full kicks! It's been the coolest part about being pregnant up to this point. I take that back- having a root beer float just because I feel like a root beer float regardless of time of day or proximity to meal-time has been pretty awesome as well.

Northern Michigan Pics

Overlooking Glen Lake from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park

COLOR

Ginger the Dog. The sweetest pup I've met in a long time.

View of Lake Michigan from the beach at Glen Arbor

Sunset over Lake Michigan

Spartans vs. Hokies

I feel compelled to share a brief, but all too common bit of dialogue that Denver and I exchanged this weekend as we watched the MSU vs. Whoever-they-were-playing game on Saturday. Not only can I not recall their opponent because of my Pregnancy Brain, but frankly I was asleep for most of the 4 quarters.

The whole thing started when MSU scored, and Denver had the fight song queued up to play on his ipod.

I grasped on to my belly, and half jokingly said, "Don't listen baby!"

"How could you say that?" Denver was SO perplexed by my comment, but still in good spirits.

"Well, I don't want the baby to think it's a Spartan"

Denver lost all of the color in his face at this point. "I can't believe you just said that."

"It's true."

"But I'm a Spartan, and you married me."

Which prompted my need to explain to Denver that I didn't marry him because he was a Spartan. Shocking.

Eventually, we had to agree that imposing a school choice on an unborn child is as useless as arguing over the idea of imposing a school choice on an unborn child.

Secretly I play the Hokie Pokie on my ipod, on repeat, up to four times per hour, every day.

Zen Baby

As you may have noticed, we are not finding out the gender of our baby before the birth. Which actually makes the polling seem all the more interesting. Girl is in the lead, and most everyone has guessed girl thus far which leads me to think boy.

Denver, from the get-go, has said girl, I think mainly so that when and if it is a boy he will be doubly excited. Either way, he's banking on being able to throw a football around with whatever it is. Good luck with that buddy. I'm like a dodge ball team's nightmare: I can't catch and I'm scared of the ball. Hopefully Denver's genes will win that battle.

In the mean time, nursery planning was getting tricky with no decided gender. That is until we made the decision to go completely Sprocket-style with our newborn. No elephants or fluffy ducks allowed here. We're sticking to wooden blocks and completely neutral decor. It'll feel like a European jail except with softer finishes.

Think back to what your nursery looked like...keep thinking...keep going...that's right, you have no idea what your nursery looked like because you don't remember. So it was decided that WE should really like the way all of the stuff looks and we don't really dig crazy bunnies and plastic gizmos all over our city apartment.

I know, I know, we're like total party-poopers, a la Lilith & Frasier. But we're okay with that if it means keeping it feng shui for our little zen baby.

Fall Color

To celebrate Denver's birthday we're headed up to Northern Michigan for the weekend. Wait- did I already post that? Apologies, that would be pregnancy brain in full swing.

We'll be sure to post a new belly shot after the weekend!

If it LOOKS like a Hokie....

Denver celebrates a rather significant birthday on Sunday, so significant that I feel it would be inappropriate to announce his age out loud.

(HE'S GOING TO BE THIRTY-FIVE, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??)

To celebrate we are headed to Northern Michigan to take in the Fall colors over the weekend. We're very excited to get out of the city for a few days and I think Denver is even more excited to be unplugged, particularly from anything resembling a stock ticker.

Canada, eh?

I'm headed to Canada tomorrow for the Toronto International Art Fair where Gallery KH will be showing the best of the best in the hopes of some major sales! I'll be back on Tuesday and will be sure to update you on the adventures of being pregnant in a 'foreign' land.

I sure hope they sell Doritos in Canada....

16 Weeks, belly full of nachos

So here we are at week 16 and I swear I just look like I've eaten one too many trays of nachos. Wait a minute, I did eat one too many trays of nachos. Just kidding!! But that really does sound good now. Mmmmmm nachos...

Nachos or no nachos, we have serious progress. I even ripped a seam in my beloved Diane von Furstenburg skirt in a vain attempt to zip it up all the way. So close!!! I'm sure that won't be the last victim as I begin full blown expansion.

I can't get enough....

You may have noticed the absence of a Belly Watch image this week. This is for good reason, mainly because there's not a whole lot of rapid development in the Belly Watch arena. As a result, we've decided to make it a bi-weekly tradition. This creates an opportunity to supplement the blog with some other interesting information, namely my latest craving, which will ultimately make Belly Watch all that much more fascinating.

This week and last my #1 craving was cream cheese. On a bagel, on a muffin, with a cracker- anyway I could get it. On a Ritz cracker is the best. Cream cheese reigns supreme on my list of things I'd like to be eating right now.

In my own defense, I am trying to stay on the healthy eating train but it is just so hard. The thought of broccoli in my mouth makes me want to gag and grilled chicken breast sounds about as good as chopped liver, worse even.

I'll tell you what does sounds good right about now: pizza, Doritos, a baked potato (loaded), french fries, Swedish fish, an apple with peanut butter, and a jar of pickles. Preferably in that order.

Maybe if I eat all of those things, next week Belly Watch will really be a hit? I'd say it's worth a shot.

Meet the Daddy

This is Denver, my fantastic husband, and the daddy-to-be. He's very excited about being a father. I mean he just won't stop talking about the abundance of athletic scholarships that are available for women and how even a marginal pro male golfer could feasibly take care of any retirement issues we may encounter.

But seriously, he's going to be so great at this! Denver is as patient as the day is long, plus he has the ability to convince anyone of anything. I can just picture him trying to convince Baby that sleeping at 3AM is a much better option than crying. It could work!

SPAR-TANS

We are off to East Lansing for a weekend of football and, well, probably just lots of football! Don't fret, we'll be back in Chicago in time for another installment of Belly Watch on Sunday night.

Go Cubs!

Go Hokies!

Go Spartans!

A Natural Digression

A few weeks ago we took a trip out to Oregon, Washington and the Hood Canal. It was a very relaxing trip with lots of great scenery. And if you're into hiking, camping, nature, etc. it would be like Mecca. This photo was taken moments before the end (and sadly just after the beginning) of the nature portion of our trip. I was already searching the forest floor for snakes and large bugs, when abruptly, Denver uttered the only phrase that I really can't hear while in the wilderness.

"WHAT IS THAT!?!?!"

He says this in a low, hushed, yet panicky tone, all the while grabbing at my hoodie.

The 'that' he refers to is just a log in the trail, but from 25 yards and from the combination of my anti-outdoors state of mind and Denver's slight panic, it was definitely BigFoot or a cougar.

Whatever it was, I was done.

The rest of the trek back to the car was uneventful, save for a bratwurst sized slug.

And that was how we spent our 15 minutes of nature in the Pacific Northwest.

Meet the Grandparents

Introducing the Grandparents! You should be able to guess who's who...
We're so lucky to have both of our sets of parents in Michigan and within an hour from one another. Everyone is thrilled about the arrival of Baby Hagan!

The Cutest Cub Fan Ever

As the Cubbies enter the home stretch, I thought a shot of the world's cutest Cub fan was appropriate. For those of you who don't know, this is my nephew Jack McKenzie Wahl, he's adorable.

Go Cubs!

Belly Watch Begins

14 weeks

I've found a small hiccup with my Belly Watch idea and that is the actual picture taking process. Denver took this task very seriously- like Olan Mills style seriously. Next week I'll probably be kneeling on a carpet covered ledge with a bookshelf in the background.

The authenticity of my belly was also questioned.

"Are you sucking it in???"

To which I replied a vehement, "NO!"

I'm a girl, I've spent the better part of my 29 years sucking it in. But trust me, you can't suck in your uterus.

Welcome!!

Welcome friends & family!

We thought a blog would be a great way to keep everyone in the loop from coast to coast and farther afield.   So check back weekly as we continue to post pictures and share stories about our exciting journey into baby-dom!

Much love,

Kristen & Denver

14 weeks

As we approach the 14 week mark, I have to say, the first trimester has gone really smoothly.  I've been feeling really great with only the rare bought of nausea and the occasional sleepy day.  Denver has been fantastic.  If I want a banana milkshake, then he wants one too.  If I feel like Mexican food for dinner (AGAIN), then he is all for it.  Hats off to the father-to-be.  He's even started having conversations with the baby right in front of me.  Apparently those Spartans start recruiting VERY early on in life.  Just so we're clear, Hokies start soon too.  And that orange & maroon color combination is unmistakably eye catching, even to a baby.

Coming this soon..."Belly Watch"  where we will post an image of Kristen's 14 week belly and follow up with a picture each week after that.  Always in the same outfit, always in the same pose, watch as years of yoga, and cross training crumble into oblivion.  It's okay though, we all saw Dara Torres in Bejing.  If she can bounce back, then I have a 5-10% chance of a similar outcome.

The First Trimester

Above is an ultrasound picture of the baby at 8 weeks. This pretty much confirmed any doubts we had about a baby being present in Kristen's belly. Denver literally jumped out of his chair when the image came up on the screen. Even after 5 pregnancy tests, our GSB grad still hadn't seen quite the right evidence. (click the image for more detail)

And here are three images from our 12 week ultrasound. At the top you'll notice that the baby is waving to the crowd. Either that or he/she was signally for more food. Whatever you say baby! (click the image for more detail)