Monday, September 29, 2008

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.

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

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.

Monday, September 22, 2008

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!

Friday, September 19, 2008

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.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

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!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

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!

Monday, September 15, 2008

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.

Friday, September 12, 2008

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)