The Emperor's New Clothes

Peanut has yet another new nick name this week..the emperor or the tiny dictator...this lil person is ruling the roost right now...dictating every little detail of our lives already, and the lil peanut is not even here...how does that happen? : ) Peanut has been full force this week with the nausea, so mom is not feeling well at all. Thank goodness I usually feel worse at night...so I am able to accomplish a tiny bit in the mornings after my daily dose of Eggo waffles...but after around 11am its downhill from there. I hear this will pass soon...so I am going to keep my fingers crossed that as this first trimester comes to a close, so will my sense of feeling green constantly : )

I am 10 1/2 weeks now...I know, where did the time go? Only 2 more weeks and I am past our first trimester! Woo-hoo...we are also pretty much in the clear at that time for miscarriage...so come on 2nd trimester!! I have my next doctor's appointment tomorrow, and I am anxious to see what the doc says about Peanut's growth and progression. I will report out once I hear. We also have Dustin's 10 year high school reunion this coming weekend and D is especially excited to go back and see some old friends.

D and I have been pretty diligent about walking every night, and on one of our walks the other night one of the neighbors, who has quickly become one of my all time fav girls in the whole world stopped to chat with us. D and I have been very lucky in finding this neighborhood to start our family. Seems like almost everyone is our age, and all but one couple on our street is currently expecting...so dont drink the water : ) But this one particular neighbor and I seemed to hit it off, and I really love this girl. She is a great person through and through..and although I have only known her for a short time, I hope to remain friends with her for years to come. She mentioned to us that she found a gift for our lil person and presented us with a really cute gift bag. Inside was hands down my all time favorite Peanut gift so far...so without further ado...below is a pic of Peanut's new threads. I dont think any gift could have been any more perfect..and I know I will cherish this forever. I see this onesie being packed away in baby trunk one day, it will no doubt be one of those baby items I will never be able to part with. Thanks Mel for the truly spectacular gift. It truly meant a lot to Dustin and I, we love it, and so will Peanut : )

Feeling Faint?....Bathe in JUICE!

If I havent made it clear to everyone by now that I think Dustin absolutely, positively hung the moon...well, I am failing miserably. I love this man more than you could ever imagine! More than I even thought possible. I didnt know my heart could hold this much love for someone. And why wouldnt I love this guy, he dotes on me constantly, and always makes sure Peanut and I have everything we need to be comfortable, even though sometimes that goal is just not obtainable : )
Having said that, sometimes D has the BEST of intentions, but things dont always go as planned. If you have ever heard his proposal story, you will think otherwise, now that was a well planned, extraordinarily carried out plan...but sometimes, the little things.... well...

Saturday morning I was doddling around, or as my Dad says, fiddle farting. I wasnt really doing anything...I just wasnt hungry yet and hadnt had my daily dose of Eggo waffles. Which by the way, if you havent heard yet, is by far my strongest and longest running food craving! So, I hadnt eaten breakfast yet, we were preparing it, when all the sudden I felt like I was 2 seconds away from passing out. The feeling was overwhelming and I thought I had better sit down right there in the middle of the floor before I fall. Dustin was standing right next to me as I sat down on the floor and he immediately jumped into action asking me what I needed. I asked him to please get me some apple juice. So I am now laying in the middle of the kitchen floor, Day-Z Marie is all in my face, she senses something is wrong..and here comes D with the juice. I like to drink juice out of those juice boxes, so poor D is fumbling with trying to insert the straw and keep Miss D-marie out of my face. D gets the straw inserted into the juice box and is now focused on pushing the pooch away....what he doesnt realize evidently is that he is squeezing the juice box rather tightly and it is gushing onto my face .....I immediately burst into laughter and then D looks down to see me drowning in apple juice. The dog starts licking up the overspill from the floor, and my face and all in all this is a mess....but a glorious mess, and some much needed comic relief. They say laughter is the best medicine, and boy were they right. I was already feeling better...I dont know if that was the laughter, or maybe taking in juice from the ear and eyes is a much faster way to feel the effects??? Either way, I appreciate the juice bath more than you know DK...and every time I turned my head on Saturday and smelled apple juice in my hair I couldnt help but smile. Maybe this was a prep for whats to come? With a toddler around, Im sure I will one day be happy to only have juice in my hair : )

In addition to my juice bath that morning we had an absolutely perfect day on Saturday. We got together with my Aunt, Godparents, Grandparents, sis, Lynne, and Dad for a mini "Peanut" celebration. Upon arrival at my grandma's house my Aunt Debbi had fixed up the table soooo cute. She had blue and pink napkins, silverware, and tablecloth...and then she had little baby things scattered around as decoration. and the cutest card I have ever seen! I am framing it for Peanut's room. I now have my first package of diapers, butt paste, and even teething rings, thanks Aunt Debbi. My Aunt Betty fixed my favorite chocolate cake, and the top of the cake had a heart on it made out of PEANUTS..I LOVED it. We had such a good time visiting with everyone. My Dad burned some hot dogs and burgers, and no party is complete without queso!! We really had a blast and I appreciate so much all that everyone did to make Peanut feel special. I know I truly felt blessed! Thanks to all of you for making it such a truly memorable day.

Towards the end of the party Aunt Betty needed to take a shot for her diabetes...she was likely running high since we had eaten so much all day. I couldnt help but laugh as I heard Dustin tell her..."Oh are you feeling faint, I'll go get some juice and pour it on you" Sigh..I love that guy!!

This week in Baby K world...
Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Peanut Picture

Peanut's furry friend.....

No, no..I am not talking about me..yet...although I know my growing belly will lead to some trouble shaving my legs down the road...for now..I am keeping up with it : ) But...no blog about our life would be complete without mention of Peanut's furry friend...none other, than Miss D-Marie herself. I must admit behind the financial freak out of losing your job and hunting like a mad woman to find another, I have actually enjoyed to some extent being home. One of the benefits to being home, is spending lots of time with one of my first true loves...my hairy munchkin lil mutt, Daisy. And I think she has enjoyed having me home as well. When D and I were both working D-marie would spend her days in bed in our room just lounging. Now that I am home she looks out the front window watching for yard guys, trash pick-up, new moms out walking with their babies trying to get back in shape...she looks and watches all day long. In fact, as I sit here typing I can look down at her and see her looking out the window. Now, Miss D and I have long been buds..in fact I will have had her for 8 years come this Feb. But I think Miss D knows a new lil person is on the way. They say that dogs sense things like that...like how they sense when a storm is about to roll in...a storm is about to roll in...a perfect baby K storm : )

Every day when I come home, D-marie and I have a tradition of "hug" time. She greets me at the door, stretches her front legs up on my tummy and just stands there while I rub her from head to tail. Since about 2 weeks before I found out I was pregnant she stopped "hugging" me...like she knew such a hard pounce on such a tiny developing person would hurt our Peanut. Her new thing is when I lay on the couch at night, she lays with her head on my tummy ...just sitting there, calmly and sweet. Dustin and I wonder if she can maybe hear the baby's heart beat? I know welcoming this baby into our world will no doubt be a change for her as well. They say your dog just becomes a dog when you have a baby. That is so hard for me to imagine. I hope I am able to convey to her just how important she is to me..and that I still love her, even though my attention right now may be focused in a new direction. I had a dream last night that the baby was here already and D-marie moved her normal sleeping quarters from our bedroom closet (the warmest room in the house) to Peanut's room upstairs. All I could see was a large crib with a baby sound asleep..and D-marie asleep on the rug below. : )

I thought it might be fun to tell you all too what is going on in Baby K world this week too..so read below to what Peanut is up to.
New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean — is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

Catching Up..Week #8

Wow..so much to catch up on. So much has happened in the last few weeks. D and I went to California and had an absolute blast, more on that in a minute. We came back to texas only to find that I was laid off...welcome home : ) Since then things have been a whirlwind followed by the 4th of July. But, between us getting back from CA and going back to work before the lay off we were able to get in to see the doctor..and let me just say..oh my goodness!! On our first meeting with the doctor I was able to get some answers to all those questions I had in the beginning. Not only that, but we were able to see and hear the baby inside my tummy! It is absolutely amazing!!! Seriously, this may have been one of the coolest moments in my entire life. Up until that point I hadnt even felt pregnant. I didnt feel sick, tired, too hormonal or even sore..I just had a test that said yes. Upon meeting the doctor though we were able to see our lil Peanut..."he" looks like a thumb in a really big black hole (thats what those cramps were, I was creating his home ) And let me tell you..our Peanut..thumblike as he may be...is the cutest lil smudge on an ultrasound you have ever seen! :) No biased opinions here folks. Not only that, but then we got to hear his little heartbeat...amazing...just amazing!! The lil ticker is going strong!!!
The doctor was pleased with everything. Said his heart rate sounded good, she liked his placement in the big black hole, and thought everything was progressing really well. As I mentioned I am now 2 months along, whoa how did that happen, LOL...so only 3 1/2 more weeks and we are in the clear pretty much..at least for miscarriage. What has been really nice though...knock on wood here...D and I have really been at peace about this lil nugget. I worried quite a bit the first few weeks that I would lose our tiny blessing. But since then..no worry..just an overwhleming excitement about meeting our lil angel.
As far as the whole note feeling pregnant...well let me tell you, that passed. I feel pregnant now. I swear I have a phantom tummy. Sometimes when D and I go for a walk at night, I swear I can feel my tummy 3 feet out in front of me..and I feel like Im waddling already...even though D swears I am not : ) And trips to the grocery store...TORTURE!! Seriously..the smells, the sights, the meat section...oh lordy the meat section..dont get me started....that is the worst. Peanut is still on his regular "kick" with all things spicy. Enchiladas are a constant fave. Pizza, and anything overly greasy or fish of any kind are out of the question. Fish sounds like pickles and eggs to me right now...grotesque!! So far the trend of not liking sweets is still the same. Im telling you..this is not my baby : ) With one slight exception...last Saturday Peanut was giving me a fit. I knew I needed to eat, but for the life of me I could not figure out what it was I wanted to eat. I finally settled on a sandwich, followed by a handful of Doritos...not the healthiest I know..but it did the job. About ten minutes later I had a craving like I have never experienced before. It was just like the movies where the pregnant lady has a craving and has to have it that second. I wanted 2 scoops of ice cream in a real waffle cone...STAT! So off we went...D and I loaded up in the truck and off to cold stone we went. Not only did Peanut know he wanted ice cream..but true to form..he wanted ice cream that I dont like. I wanted a waffle cone full of mint chocolate chip and rocky road..both of which I normally despise. Knowing my tummy/vessel better than Peanut I decided to go with something that complimented one another better...just to see if it could get the job done. I ended up with one scoop of vanilla cake batter and one scoop of chocolate. It did the job!! But I left feeling like I could have eaten about 5 more scoops : ) Saturday morning I woke up with another craving for breakfast...waffles!! So off went my amazing husband to the store to get waffles. But Peanut must have known that out of all the small kitchen appliances we have..a toaster was not included on this list. So not only did Daddy DK go out for waffles, but he came back with a toaster, butter, and syrup as well...now if he didnt look like a guy with a pregnant wife with a craving in line..I dont know who did : )

And I will wrap this up with a tiny tidbit/insight into our trip to CA. As I mentioned we had a phenomenal time and were lucky to partake in the amazing host/hostess that is my Aunt Boopy's house. My Aunt and Uncle are the absolute best. We had a cooler packed for us every day with artisan cheeses, juice, nuts, cookies, and crackers. She was the essential tour guide heading us away from the tourist traps and towards the must see places in CA. And to top it all off, one morning she made Dustin homemade blueberry pancakes, complete with blueberries from her own backyard. My Aunt and Uncle are amazing. But something significant happened on that trip. While sitting at the dinner table one night I actually shut up! : ) For whatever reason D was being especially chatty that evening and I was listening to him talk to my Aunt and Uncle. At one point my Aunt asked D to eleborate on his career and what he did for a living. D is usually so modest I end up filling in for him on his greatness and just how amazing he is. But this time, he gave a really accurate description of what he does. I know what this guy does...heck thats how we met...I didnt need to hear the run down of his daily tasks yet again..but there was something different this time. Sitting there at the table that night I was so overwhelmed with pride. There sat my husband.... such charisma, such charm, poise, confidence, compassion, honesty, and handsome to boot..and that smile...anyone that knows D knows he has that ever so adorable, yet often mischevious smile. It was at that moment I told myself I am ONE LUCKY GIRL. I remember thinking in the shower that night just how amazing my husband was. And I promisedto blog about it when I got home..so there it is...thank you Aunt Boopy for your overwhelming hospitality...and for letting me see once more just how incredibly amazing this husband of mine is.

Our next dr appt is July 30th...but I promise to put up pictures and blog much more now that I am back in the saddle.

Houston..we have a due date! Sort of....

So...last night I slept like a rock...probably some of the best sleep I have ever had! It was so good I could almost compare it to the kind of sleep you get when you have surgery..that lovely anesthesia induced coma...it was that good last night! As I mentioned in our last blog, we are leaving for CA tomorrow morning. My first doctor's appointment is on Tuesday at 2pm..and I honestly dont know which one I am more excited about..the vacation or my first appointment! I never thought I would be so excited to get poked and prodded! But I am!! : )
My sis-in-law who had a baby 12 weeks ago told me to check out http://www.babycenter.com/. So I decided to do that and sit back and relax until the appt. OH MY GOODNESS! Its a mommy-to-be's dream website. How on earth did our mothers survive without the internet? I really dont know!
This website is the best thing since PB&J..which is my new craving evidently! On the website they have clubs you can join for moms that are expecting around the same time you are. They have an extensive list of Q&As and you can list your own question to members and they write you back! Its so cool! Thank you Steph for that tip, its awesome!

One of the other features they have is a due date calculator..which also helped explain to me how the nurse at the doctor's office determined I was 4 weeks already? I didnt get that math..now I do. Anyways...I plugged in the numbers it asked me for..and viola..we got a TENTATIVE due date! So..without further ado...drum roll please...our due date is none other than OUR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY! FEBRUARY 20TH!! So, I guess we will see if Peanut makes "his" appearance then or not. The sooner the better. But not until "he" is healthy! D and I were talking last night..we just dont know how we're going to make it 9 more months...we're so excited..we're ready for Peanut to come already. BUT we're also reminded of how broke we will be once Peanut comes (who knew insurance on Peanut alone would cost us an additional $300 a month, plus day-care, diapers, and baby STUFF) and we still have so much to do before Peanut comes, and then the 9 months of pregnancy just doesnt seem so long anymore. How does that country song go..."You're gonna miss this" ...so I keep telling myself to cherish every moment about this journey and not try to rush to the delivery date. And Im sure the song is right..one day I will miss this part and want it back...

Oh and trust me..I made sure to remind D..if Peanut comes on our wedding anniversary, that will be QUITE a gift...but Peanut's birthday and our anniversary are 2 separate things..so no skimping on anniversary gifts, LOL! Just kidding, not really : ) I know having a baby will be the greatest gift ever, but I do not want to lose sight of what a tremendous accomplishment one more year of marriage is each year. So many couples just dont make the cut these days. Trust us, we know : ) So I want to cherish every year I have with this amazing man. D, may you continue to put up with me..and my antics! Cheers my love..have one for me : )

Are we lucky or what? : )

This week Peanut (thats what D and I have started calling Baby K) is going to be a traveling peanut! In just a few short days we will set off for the great state of California. Last year, pre-peanut, we went to Cabo and flew Continental Airlines. They asked us to take a later flight, which we obliged, and they gave us vouchers for $200 a person that were good for a year. So this year when I asked D where he would like to go he said he had always wanted to go to CA and drive up and down the coast. So..we booked our flight for arrivial in Sacramento and figured we would take advantage of casa de la Aunt Boopy and Uncle Fred's hospitality. So...here we are..diligently planning our vacation. Originally we had planned to spend a couple days in Sacramento, a couple days in San Fran, and maybe a day trip to Lake Tahoe south. Well..since it wasnt ski season we decided to nix Lake Tahoe. Tuesday June 8th D comes home grinning ear to ear. I finally get it out of him what he is so excited about..and he tells me he has booked a trip to NAPA for me while we are in CA! I am BEYOND elated...next to Dustin and family, and a good choc milkshake...wine may be my very favorite thing in the world. He not only booked the trip, but enlisted the help of my Aunt for the very best places to go while there in Napa. She told him to take me to a winery in an old castle, as well as one in a cave. I am so excited I can barely sit still. Then..just 4 days later we find out Peanut is on his way! LOL!!! What a mess. The trip of a lifetime and well..the news of a lifetime : ) "He" is worth it. Dustin tells me he will buy me a bottle of all the wine I think I might like and we'll bring it home and drink it in a year..now doesnt that sound awesome..a year...really : ) Good thing wine gets better with age.
Well with Napa having a sligth bummer..we decide to focus a lot of our attention on the San Fran leg of our trip. Dustin's work schedule is really hectic right now so he delgates this portion of the trip to me. I gladly take it on and hope we can book some fun things to do and places to stay. As I start booking our vacation I soon discover that many of the hotels are already booked. What the heck? I finally find a great hotel and book it and decide to inquire, while I have a body on the phone, as to why everything is so booked. The guy proudly fills me in on the fact that this is San Fran's greatest weekend. It is none other than GAY PRIDE weekend in the gay capitol of the world. Seriously?? I mean..who does this happen to? Napa trip and you cant drink...San Fran trip and its gay pride weekend. I quickly fill Dustin in and ask him if he wants to rethink this whole Lake Tahoe thing...and to my surprise he is still game for San Fran!! I am actually really excited to make it back there...SF has been a long time top pick on my list of fav cities. And maybe the parade will keep a lot of people away from Alcatraz AND the Ghiradelli chocolate factory...because I plan to spend quite a bit of time in there. I hope Peanut allows it. So far he has had nothing to do with sweets still. The lil dictator! : ) So Peanut..we promised to be good parents and like my mom did with me...expose you to culture and art...so..we are keeping up our end of the bargain! We love you Peanut...may you enjoy your weekend in SF..and more importantly..please let mom enjoy this weekend without showing my lunch and ruining everyone's parade : )