First Born

Here is my post on my first born. "Second born" post to come in about 5 weeks or so... ;)

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
Yes, but it was a bit surprising how quickly it happened.

2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
Yes, for a little over 2 years.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
Shock. I had thought we started "trying" too late for it to happen that month and so I didn't think anything of it when I was having normal symptoms for that time of the month but I was also having a few weird ones. After much convincing by some friends, I took a test and it came back negative. I thought my strange symptoms could be from my new asthma medicine so I mentioned it to my doctor. She also thought I was pregnant and gave me a test, even though I told her I didn't think that was it. The nurse walked out to the waiting room where I was sitting to tell me it came back positive. I know she took me back to see the doc again but I honestly don't remember anything from that moment until I was in the car again. I called Rob, said "I'm pregnant", and he replied "um, so we're good then". Guess he was shocked too.

4. HOW OLD WERE YOU?
26

5. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
Test at doctor's office

6. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?
Rob over the phone (someone deservered to be as shocked as me).

7. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX?
Yes but Rob didn't. We agreed we'd find out with the first (since that's when you have your baby shower) and not with our second.

8. DUE DATE?
May 24, 2006 by LMP, May 30, 2006 by ultrasound/conception date

9. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
Yes! I was queasy starting around 6-7 weeks and threw up from about weeks 8-12.

10. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
Fruit and milk shakes.

11. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
People who kept insisting I wasn't gaining enough. I actually had a co-worker apologize after Hannah was born because he was so insistent that I wasn't eating enough and was hurting the baby (and then he found out she was 8.5lbs at birth!).

12. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX?
Girl

13. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
Nope, we both wanted a girl first.

14. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
22lbs

15. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
Yes, several, although two of them had to be postponed until after her birth because of restricted travel due to preterm labor.

16. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
The one at work was a surprise but I knew about the rest.

17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
I had implanation bleeding, an umbilical hernia that required surgery at 15 weeks, and preterm labor starting at 32 weeks.

18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Community North

19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
I was induced. They started the medicine at 8am and she was born at 5:35pm, so about 9.5 hours.

20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL?
Rob and Jen

21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Rob, my doctor, a few nurses

22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
Natural

23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
Yes, although if I had realized I was only a half hour from pushing I might have tried to wait it out.

24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
8 lbs 6 oz

25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ?
May 23, 2006

26. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Hannah Michelle

27. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY?
She will be 3 years old in May.

My Husband Rob

Okay Rob, how did I do? (and now go look at Amy's blog so you can see how you and Ben are practically the same person) ;)

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on the screen?
TV: some sci-fi or comic book related thing
Internet: Dr. Horrible’s Sing Along Blog

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad?
When we first got married, it was red french or catalina - now it's honey mustard

3. What's one food he doesn't like?
Tomatoes

4. You go out to eat and have a drink. What does he order?
Diet coke

5. Where did he go to high school?
Centerville High School

6. What size shoe does he wear?
I think he wears like an 11 or 12 wide?

7. If he was to collect anything, what would it be?
Star wars toys, comic books, or plaster blocks and the rubber molds to make them

8. What is his favorite type of sandwich?
Ham and colby cheese with mustard on wheat bread

9. What would this person eat every day if he could?
Double stuff oreo cookies?

10. What is his favorite cereal?
He doesn’t eat breakfast, but he likes the new Strawberry Chex I keep buying

11. What would he never wear?
I don't know - biker shorts, male capris, any other horrible thing like that

12. What is his favorite sports team?
Colts

13. Who did he vote for?
Hillary Clinton in the primary, Obama in the regular election

14. Who is his best friend?
I'm not sure he would name a best friend but he's close friends with Dustyn, Ben, and David

15. What is something you do that he wishes you wouldn't do?
Worry/stress

My Funny Valentine

What could be better than waking up to a toddler's smiling face when she has covered herself in heart stickers just for Mommy on Valentine's Day?

Friday Fill-In

Cathy's blog inspired me since I haven't done one of these in a while either. Here we go:

1. Give me carbs and I'll be a happy camper. Seriously, all I have craved this entire pregnancy is carbs. It's a wonder that I haven't gained 100lbs.

2. Whenever I try to imagine this new baby, my mind swirls with excitment. Is it a boy or girl? Will he or she look more like me? Will he or she be even bigger than Hannah? Will we ever actually decide on a name?

3. I wish for nothing but good things for my friends and family. They are all wonderful people who deserve all the happiness in the world.

4. A M&M ice cream cookie was the last thing I ate that was utterly delicious.

5. We all have to live in this world so please take care of it! One of my pet peeves is seeing a person throw a bottle out their car window or a cigarette on the ground. How hard is it to put something in the trash can? Or better yet, recycle it?

6. Other than this one, Gwyn's blog is the last blog I commented on. They redid their master bathroom and it looks amazing!

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to relaxing while Rob plays with Hannah, tomorrow my plans include getting a few things done for Sarah's upcoming baby shower, and Sunday, we will go to church and hopefully take a long nap.

I See Me

It's always been undeniable that Hannah looks like Rob. The nurses made this observation when she was less than a minute old and they were right. Hold a baby picture of Hannah and Rob together and it's a little scary. I even had someone in his hometown come up to me once while I was alone with Hannah in a store and ask me if that was Paul and Marie's grandchild. Freaky. Of course, I have always seen a few things here and there that were "mine" (she has my long skinny hands and feet, my fine hair, and seemed to take after my body type a bit more) but she's never looked like me to me or, well, to anyone else either. However, I saw it the other day. I saw a glimpse of myself. More accurately, I actually saw a glimpse of Sarah but it's close enough for me. I was watching Hannah run around the house and admiring her new haircut (which actually looks a lot like a haircut Sarah used to have when we were younger) and Hannah ran up, tilted her head against my leg, and gave me this shy half-smile with a little twinkle in her eye that I remember very well from our childhood. Now don't get me wrong. I think Hannah is adorable with her blonde hair and her blue eyes and her baby face, and I wouldn't change a single hair on her head, even if I could. And I do see myself in her when it comes to her personality and even the interests that's she is developing. But I have to admit that it was nice, after almost 3 years of hearing (and agreeing) that she is the spitting image of my husband, to glance at my child and think just for a moment "wow, I see me".

My Valentine

Since it's the 14th of Feb (and Valentine's Day of course), here are:

14 Reasons Why I Adore My Husband:

1. He asks how my day was and then genuinely cares about the answer.

2. He brings me food and gives me backrubs, even if I don't have the excuse of pregnancy.

3. He painted Hannah's room pink (even though we were going to leave it green) just because she asked.

4. He doesn't complain when the house isn't clean or dinner isn't on the table when he gets home.

5. He talks to our unborn child.

6. He prays with Hannah.

7. He is the first to ask what he can do to help.

8. He tells me I'm a good mother and has always backed me in all my parenting decisions.

9. He has confidence in me and our family. When something good happens, like this new job I'm getting ready to start, he tells me that he knew I was perfect for it all along.

10. He is slow to anger and quick to forgive.

11. He is a loyal friend.

12. He brings home flowers for no reason.

13. He helps Hannah put on her princess dress and then he dances with her during the Ball scene in Cinderella.

14. He loves our family and takes care of us.

"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." Emily Bronte

Friday Funny

Things heard around our house:

Mommy can I have some magic oranges please? (translation: mandarin oranges)

I want Sleepin Booty! (translation: Sleeping Beauty)

Take the crust off my lemon please. (translation: lemon peel)

I need my amicorn. (translation: unicorn)

Hannah's 1st Real Haircut

Yesterday, we took Hannah for her first real haircut. I don't think her trim last July really qualified as a haircut since you really couldn't see much of a difference afterwards (they just evened it up) but this time, there is a definite difference. Here she is before:

And after:

32 Weeks...

...And looking quite pregnant these days! :)

Friday Funny

Hannah has always been facinated with the TV remote. We have kept her away from it for as long as possible, mostly because we didn't want her hitting a bunch of buttons and changing the TV to spanish or something (which we would probably never be able to undo). However, she is getting older and she follows directions well so we figured it was fine now. We showed her how to aim the remote at the TV and hit "play" and she was thrilled. The other day, I put in her princess movie and she insisted "I want to do it!" so I handed her the remote. She tried hitting "play" but she wasn't aiming it at the TV so I told her "remember, we have to point it at the TV or it won't work." She looked at me for a second, set the remote on the table, and hit "play" with one hand while actually pointing her finger at the TV with her other hand. I did eventually stop laughing long enough to show her how to point the REMOTE at the TV instead of her finger. Toddlers follow instructions, you just have to be very very clear about those instructions...

Calling All Moms - Opinions Needed!

If you are anything like me, you like to shop the clearance a bit at the end of each season just to see if you can find some good deals on a few cute clothes for next year. I can usually approximate what Hannah will be but I'm having a bit of trouble with a cute coat I found. I went ahead and bought 2 sizes with the intention of returning one. I have looked at them for a few days now and I still can't decide. One size looks like it fits now with just a little room which may be fine since kids slow down in their toddler years but I worry that it could be small depending on how much she grows. However, the other looks kind of big to me and if she doesn't grow much, could end up pretty big for next year. I'm posting in hopes of getting a few opinions. Which one would you keep for next year?

Size A:
Size B: