I feel like there is a part of pregnancy that no one talks about. I've heard and talked all about morning sickness, aching backs, bizarre dreams, weird cravings...but what about the emotional part? What about the part of pregnancy that makes me want to run as far away from this thing as I can? No one talks about the anxiety, the fears, the worries...I might even go as far as to call it a "pre-partum depression."
Angie had a meltdown last night which ultimately involved washing the comforter and the bath mat, Lysol-ing the bathroom floor, Craig consoling Angie and me upset that I'm going to be the "bad guy" for the next 18 years. How did I get from rubbing Angie's belly on the bed to having an anxiety attack because of how I will inevitably one day get mad at Natalie and how I'm afraid that my temper will somehow negatively impact her life?
Of course I pray that she is a healthy, beautiful, smart and athletic little girl, but most of my prayers have consisted more of...
"Dear God (and Grandma), I have been given such a pure and perfect gift. Please don't let me screw her up. Amen."
My grandma was an Italian Red Cross nurse during World War II and she always spoke of how on their deathbeds, the soldiers did not ask or call out for their wives or girlfriends...but it was always for their mothers. I am overwhelmed with the prospect of being that important of a person for another human being. I look at myself in the mirror and don't see anything particularly special...but yet I am going to be the end all and be all for this child's life in the first few years. And the impact of my decisions, actions and words will possibly impact her for the rest of her life. How can someone so imperfect and sometimes utterly ridiculous as me be given such a great responsibility as caring for and raising a child?
I love Craig dearly but I don't think I fully comprehend the type of love that I will have for a child that I have carried for nine months. Maybe I'm afraid of the love that I will have for her because I know that with such a great love there will come great pain as I watch her throughout her life. Through the broken hearts, the busted friendships, the failures, the disappointments...I don't want my daughter to ever feel any of the pain that I felt and I can't imagine the helplessness that will devour my heart when I have to sit back and let her make her own decisions; decisions that I know might lead to heartache. I think about my own mother as she watched me through all my disastrous love affairs and how torturous it must have been for her to see her (in her eyes) beautiful, smart, funny, caring daughter be so careless with her life and her heart. I told Craig the other day that I part of me doesn't want her to be born because while she is in my womb, I can protect her from everything that is bad and evil in this world but once she is born...the process of her leaving me and experiencing life on her own, the good and the bad, begins.
And again, I will reiterate that I love my husband dearly, but I don't think he is truly grasping the tidal wave of emotions that are coursing through my body on a daily basis. He hasn't expressed any nervousness, anxiety or fears about becoming a father which makes me feel like I'm very much alone emotionally in this journey. Everyone that I speak to about pregnancy and motherhood only talks about the positive things...which again, makes me feel like I'm taking crazy pills for feeling these things. I just want to hear someone say that yes, this is normal and it's okay to feel these things, that it doesn't make me a bad mother and not brush me off by telling me that everything will work out and how I'll be a great mom.
I'm afraid that I'm just not going to be any good at this "motherhood" thing and I keep asking Angie if I'm a good mom and she just licks my face. I'm not sure if that's a "yes" or if I have the remnants of dinner on my cheek.
Monday, December 6, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Finally...an update!
Well, I am most certainly a terrible blogger. And a combination of lazy, tired and emotionally spent. Growing a baby, coaching volleyball and trying to not throw up and/or fall asleep all at the same time has made for the most difficult two months of my life thus far. Don't worry - I know that all this will A) be worth it when I meet my baby and B) be nothing compared to late nights spent feeding and cuddling a crying newborn. There's a lot to catch up on so let us get started.
- Volleyball season ended a week ago Thursday night with my 8th grade girls losing in the first round of the District Tournament. I was a little shocked by the ending of our seasons - at the beginning of the year I did not expect my 7th graders to be much good but yet they surprised me in their District Tournament and we finished in the top four of the district. On the other hand, coming into the season, I believed that I had some pretty athletic studs on my 8th grade team (they won 2nd in basketball, 4th in Cross Country and 3rd in Track last year) and therefore believed that we would have a winning record this season combined with going far in the District Tournament. This has by far been my toughest season to coach - not only with being pregnant and sick for the majority of the time, but dealing with an assistant coach who was very slow to catch on to the nuances of coaching 7th and 8th grade girls indoor volleyball. So what did I learn throughout this season? First thing, just because someone is incompetent doesn't mean that I have to take on everything myself. In mentoring my assistant coach, I realized that I really am in my job for the right reasons - I truly care about these kids and there is nothing more that I want than to see them happy, healthy and successful. I learned that I have an incredible husband who will remind me to take care of myself when I'm off taking care of the rest of the world.
- On Saturday, October 16th Craig and I hosted a "Gender Reveal" party where we invited our close family and friends over to find out if our little nugget is a "pink" or a "blue." We had lots of food and good snacks and Craig made the mistake of allowing me to go to Party City by myself - so of course the house was drenched in everything pink and blue that I could find. Everyone arrived at 7:00 pm and we ate and chatted for awhile, but by 8:00 Craig's grandmother was beside herself with anxiety and we pulled everyone into our front dining room for the big reveal. Two of my very talented friends, Heather and Amy, had created a cake in the appropriate gender color (either strawberry or blueberry) and had carefully iced the cake so that none of the color showed through. On top were two edible Converse shoes (one pink and one blue) made by Heather and on the side of the cake, a naked baby with a censored bar across it's genitals...this was courtesy of Amy. Craig and I let our mothers cut into the cake (with my father behind them for support) but before we revealed the gender, I went through all the gender guesses of our guests - most of our family thought we were going to be having a boy! Except for Craig's sister Sherika - she's a high school girls basketball coach, I think she is hoping for a 6'2 post someday. Our moms cut into the cake and pulled out the piece and there were lots of tears, cheers and laughter as it was revealed that we are having a little girl! It was a lovely party and a lot of fun to keep our secret from our families for a few days! I know there are pictures on our friends and families cameras floating around out there...once they send me some pictures, I'll be sure to get them on here. I was too busy playing hostess to take any pictures for myself.
- Since we now know that we are having a girl...this opens a whole new range of topics for the blog. First off, we do have a name for her: Natalie Teneile. I chose the name Natalie because I like how it is a classic name that a teacher will be able to pronounce when calling role, but it is also fairly uncommon these days (I've only had a few Natalie's in my five years of teaching) so she'll stand out with a relatively unique name. I also love the alliteration of "Natalie Nelson" and I think that her name will sound great being announced at the beginning of a basketball or volleyball game, but will still sound professional when she is introducing herself at a job interview. And it's easily translated into Italian (Natalia) so my mom can speak Italian to her just like my Grandma did with me. Craig chose her middle name - he was very proud of it because Teneile means "champion or passionate" which are two things that Craig pride ourselves on being. I like the idea that someday when we're telling her about our pregnancy with her, we'll be able to tell her that her Daddy chose her very special middle name because it stands for two characteristics that we would love for her to inherit. Secondly, the day after the big reveal, my mom and I headed up to Lonestar Baby and Kids in Frisco and were able to find and purchase the bedding that I wanted - the very same baby girl bedding that I posted pictures of in an earlier post. A week ago Craig and I woke up on Sunday morning feeling surprisingly motivated and we ended up cleaning out the closet of the spare room that will be Natalie's room with me dumping out a TON of trash and things that I just didn't need anymore while Craig painted the room a warm turquoise color! He worked all day and did a fantastic job - Angie even tried to help out but just ended up getting turquoise paint on her butt. I feel like we've got a big chunk of our To-Do Before Baby list taken care of and now we just need to clean out the rest of our closets, register, buy a glider and crib, take a tour of the hospital, teach Craig how to change a diaper...you know...nothing too major. ;)
Sorry for the lack of posts in the past month or two - I think with all the stress from volleyball season combined with being so sick, I was really depressed and in "survival" mode...just trying to get through the season to November when I could relax and begin to focus on the even bigger task at hand - getting ready for a baby.
- Volleyball season ended a week ago Thursday night with my 8th grade girls losing in the first round of the District Tournament. I was a little shocked by the ending of our seasons - at the beginning of the year I did not expect my 7th graders to be much good but yet they surprised me in their District Tournament and we finished in the top four of the district. On the other hand, coming into the season, I believed that I had some pretty athletic studs on my 8th grade team (they won 2nd in basketball, 4th in Cross Country and 3rd in Track last year) and therefore believed that we would have a winning record this season combined with going far in the District Tournament. This has by far been my toughest season to coach - not only with being pregnant and sick for the majority of the time, but dealing with an assistant coach who was very slow to catch on to the nuances of coaching 7th and 8th grade girls indoor volleyball. So what did I learn throughout this season? First thing, just because someone is incompetent doesn't mean that I have to take on everything myself. In mentoring my assistant coach, I realized that I really am in my job for the right reasons - I truly care about these kids and there is nothing more that I want than to see them happy, healthy and successful. I learned that I have an incredible husband who will remind me to take care of myself when I'm off taking care of the rest of the world.
- On Saturday, October 16th Craig and I hosted a "Gender Reveal" party where we invited our close family and friends over to find out if our little nugget is a "pink" or a "blue." We had lots of food and good snacks and Craig made the mistake of allowing me to go to Party City by myself - so of course the house was drenched in everything pink and blue that I could find. Everyone arrived at 7:00 pm and we ate and chatted for awhile, but by 8:00 Craig's grandmother was beside herself with anxiety and we pulled everyone into our front dining room for the big reveal. Two of my very talented friends, Heather and Amy, had created a cake in the appropriate gender color (either strawberry or blueberry) and had carefully iced the cake so that none of the color showed through. On top were two edible Converse shoes (one pink and one blue) made by Heather and on the side of the cake, a naked baby with a censored bar across it's genitals...this was courtesy of Amy. Craig and I let our mothers cut into the cake (with my father behind them for support) but before we revealed the gender, I went through all the gender guesses of our guests - most of our family thought we were going to be having a boy! Except for Craig's sister Sherika - she's a high school girls basketball coach, I think she is hoping for a 6'2 post someday. Our moms cut into the cake and pulled out the piece and there were lots of tears, cheers and laughter as it was revealed that we are having a little girl! It was a lovely party and a lot of fun to keep our secret from our families for a few days! I know there are pictures on our friends and families cameras floating around out there...once they send me some pictures, I'll be sure to get them on here. I was too busy playing hostess to take any pictures for myself.
- Since we now know that we are having a girl...this opens a whole new range of topics for the blog. First off, we do have a name for her: Natalie Teneile. I chose the name Natalie because I like how it is a classic name that a teacher will be able to pronounce when calling role, but it is also fairly uncommon these days (I've only had a few Natalie's in my five years of teaching) so she'll stand out with a relatively unique name. I also love the alliteration of "Natalie Nelson" and I think that her name will sound great being announced at the beginning of a basketball or volleyball game, but will still sound professional when she is introducing herself at a job interview. And it's easily translated into Italian (Natalia) so my mom can speak Italian to her just like my Grandma did with me. Craig chose her middle name - he was very proud of it because Teneile means "champion or passionate" which are two things that Craig pride ourselves on being. I like the idea that someday when we're telling her about our pregnancy with her, we'll be able to tell her that her Daddy chose her very special middle name because it stands for two characteristics that we would love for her to inherit. Secondly, the day after the big reveal, my mom and I headed up to Lonestar Baby and Kids in Frisco and were able to find and purchase the bedding that I wanted - the very same baby girl bedding that I posted pictures of in an earlier post. A week ago Craig and I woke up on Sunday morning feeling surprisingly motivated and we ended up cleaning out the closet of the spare room that will be Natalie's room with me dumping out a TON of trash and things that I just didn't need anymore while Craig painted the room a warm turquoise color! He worked all day and did a fantastic job - Angie even tried to help out but just ended up getting turquoise paint on her butt. I feel like we've got a big chunk of our To-Do Before Baby list taken care of and now we just need to clean out the rest of our closets, register, buy a glider and crib, take a tour of the hospital, teach Craig how to change a diaper...you know...nothing too major. ;)
Sorry for the lack of posts in the past month or two - I think with all the stress from volleyball season combined with being so sick, I was really depressed and in "survival" mode...just trying to get through the season to November when I could relax and begin to focus on the even bigger task at hand - getting ready for a baby.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Week 14
September 6 - September 12
How far along?
13 weeks and 4 days along and baby is about the size of a lemon (or about 3 inches long). Apparently this week the baby is growing by leaps and bounds and is starting flowing, continuous movements...but none of which I can feel yet. What I can feel are the random aches in my abs that FEEL like I've been working out too much (which certainly is NOT the case) but are actually my abdominal muscles moving and stretching to accomodate my growing belly.
What's circulating in my brain?
Volleyball, volleyball, volleyball. I've been having dreams about volleyball and my girls this week. I have a group of very talented 8th graders, but for some reason I can't seem to get them to gel on the court and so we've lost our first two games. I had to bring out the "mean" coach today and we had a silent practice - no talking except for calling the ball and encouraging your teammates. There were also lots of pushups and running as consequences for dropped passes and missed serves. I don't really enjoy being the serious coach and pushing the girls in this manner, but they have to understand the importance of focus and discipline. Although they're a fairly athletic team, they can't just rely on their athletiscm and there has to be a focus on the technical aspects of passing, hitting and serving. And then there is the "trusting" each other on the court aspect - I got really tired of seeing two people trying (unsuccessfuly) to pass a ball last night. Hopefully I have gotten my point across and after a few more practices like this morning, they will have a greater understanding of what I expect and we can strike the delicate balance of having fun and maintaining our focus. After all, when we focus we can win and what is more fun than that?
I have been struggling with keeping track of my "real" emotions and my "baby induced" emotions. So many times I have had to check myself with other people - is what I'm frustrated about a valid reason to be a little peeved, or am I acting irrationally? I feel more frustrated at this point in the season than I did last year and I'm not sure if it is because of external reasons or the internal reason that is residing in my belly right now. No one wants to be labeled the "crazy pregnant lady" so I am trying very hard to distinguish between what I SHOULD be frustrated or upset about and what I am just overreacting about because of my hormones. I can't tell you how many people have had to answer the "am I crazy for feeling this way" question and to all of their great character, they all answer very calmly, respectfully and most of the time agree with me...that I'm NOT being irrational.
Or maybe they're just trying not to upset the crazy pregnant lady.
How is Craig dealing with the crazy?
I married a good man. He came to the games last night and agreed - my team did not play up to their potential and I think he knew that I was very frustrated. It was so great that when I got home after a VERY long day (for more reasons than just volleyball) I was greeted so enthusiastically by a tail wagging Angie and a hot dinner on the table from Craig. He is so patient in listening to me in the evenings these past few weeks when I've been dealing with some issues at work...and he doesn't pretend like he always has the answers but instead confirms that yes, this is something I need to address, or no...maybe I should let this thing slide. I'm probably driving him crazy with my obsessiveness on certain topics but I'm just the type of person that can't let go of a subject until there is some sort of internal or external resolution.
This week's weigh-in was a little disappointing for Craig as he didn't lose as much weight as he was hoping, but I think it inspired him to hit the gym everyday this week to speed up his metabolism so that he can continue to lose bigger chunks of weight from his total weight loss goal.
What's Angie up to?
Not really that much this week - she is definitely more settled into her routine. I'm hoping the weather cools down soon so that on the weekends and the nights that I'm home a little earlier from school Craig and I can start taking her for walks again around the neighborhood. I think it would do us all some good to get out of the house in the early evenings and get some light exercise.
How far along?
13 weeks and 4 days along and baby is about the size of a lemon (or about 3 inches long). Apparently this week the baby is growing by leaps and bounds and is starting flowing, continuous movements...but none of which I can feel yet. What I can feel are the random aches in my abs that FEEL like I've been working out too much (which certainly is NOT the case) but are actually my abdominal muscles moving and stretching to accomodate my growing belly.
What's circulating in my brain?
Volleyball, volleyball, volleyball. I've been having dreams about volleyball and my girls this week. I have a group of very talented 8th graders, but for some reason I can't seem to get them to gel on the court and so we've lost our first two games. I had to bring out the "mean" coach today and we had a silent practice - no talking except for calling the ball and encouraging your teammates. There were also lots of pushups and running as consequences for dropped passes and missed serves. I don't really enjoy being the serious coach and pushing the girls in this manner, but they have to understand the importance of focus and discipline. Although they're a fairly athletic team, they can't just rely on their athletiscm and there has to be a focus on the technical aspects of passing, hitting and serving. And then there is the "trusting" each other on the court aspect - I got really tired of seeing two people trying (unsuccessfuly) to pass a ball last night. Hopefully I have gotten my point across and after a few more practices like this morning, they will have a greater understanding of what I expect and we can strike the delicate balance of having fun and maintaining our focus. After all, when we focus we can win and what is more fun than that?
I have been struggling with keeping track of my "real" emotions and my "baby induced" emotions. So many times I have had to check myself with other people - is what I'm frustrated about a valid reason to be a little peeved, or am I acting irrationally? I feel more frustrated at this point in the season than I did last year and I'm not sure if it is because of external reasons or the internal reason that is residing in my belly right now. No one wants to be labeled the "crazy pregnant lady" so I am trying very hard to distinguish between what I SHOULD be frustrated or upset about and what I am just overreacting about because of my hormones. I can't tell you how many people have had to answer the "am I crazy for feeling this way" question and to all of their great character, they all answer very calmly, respectfully and most of the time agree with me...that I'm NOT being irrational.
Or maybe they're just trying not to upset the crazy pregnant lady.
How is Craig dealing with the crazy?
I married a good man. He came to the games last night and agreed - my team did not play up to their potential and I think he knew that I was very frustrated. It was so great that when I got home after a VERY long day (for more reasons than just volleyball) I was greeted so enthusiastically by a tail wagging Angie and a hot dinner on the table from Craig. He is so patient in listening to me in the evenings these past few weeks when I've been dealing with some issues at work...and he doesn't pretend like he always has the answers but instead confirms that yes, this is something I need to address, or no...maybe I should let this thing slide. I'm probably driving him crazy with my obsessiveness on certain topics but I'm just the type of person that can't let go of a subject until there is some sort of internal or external resolution.
This week's weigh-in was a little disappointing for Craig as he didn't lose as much weight as he was hoping, but I think it inspired him to hit the gym everyday this week to speed up his metabolism so that he can continue to lose bigger chunks of weight from his total weight loss goal.
What's Angie up to?
Not really that much this week - she is definitely more settled into her routine. I'm hoping the weather cools down soon so that on the weekends and the nights that I'm home a little earlier from school Craig and I can start taking her for walks again around the neighborhood. I think it would do us all some good to get out of the house in the early evenings and get some light exercise.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Baby Gear
Yesterday I woke up feeling really great and so I convinced Craig to venture out to Frisco to look at baby stuff so we can get a good idea of how much money we'll be spending in the next few months while we prepare the house for the baby to come home in March.
Our first stop was the Stonebriar Mall where we ended up buying Craig a pair of new athletic shoes but didn't really find anything that we absolutely had to have for the baby. From there we had lunch at Applebee's (due to their special Weight Watchers diet) and then headed to Lonestar Baby which I had heard about through a friend. I was a little nervous because I thought it was a very upscale and fancy baby boutique where the prices were going to be astronomical, but it turned out to be my favorite place we visited yesterday because the prices were reasonable but the merchandise was very unique and much more suited to my tastes.
For example...
We are going to be using the white dresser and bureau that my parents purchased for me many years ago when I got my "big girl" bedroom so that the only large pieces of furniture that Craig and I will have to buy will be a crib and glider chair. With the above bedding I would probably paint the walls a shade of lime green a little bit lighter than the lime green in the pattern. We'll be putting light brown/gray carpeting in the bedroom and I would find a chocolate brown rug to throw down in the middle of the floor as well.
Boy Bedding: Bali by Cocalo Couture
I know that the color palates are similar with the girl pattern above, but I can't help what colors and designs I am drawn to! I would also paint the walls in the babys room a light green to match this bedding as well and I think the bedding would go with white furniture too.
Our first stop was the Stonebriar Mall where we ended up buying Craig a pair of new athletic shoes but didn't really find anything that we absolutely had to have for the baby. From there we had lunch at Applebee's (due to their special Weight Watchers diet) and then headed to Lonestar Baby which I had heard about through a friend. I was a little nervous because I thought it was a very upscale and fancy baby boutique where the prices were going to be astronomical, but it turned out to be my favorite place we visited yesterday because the prices were reasonable but the merchandise was very unique and much more suited to my tastes.
For example...
The baby girl bedding that I found and fell in love with:
Dahlia by N Selby Designs
We are going to be using the white dresser and bureau that my parents purchased for me many years ago when I got my "big girl" bedroom so that the only large pieces of furniture that Craig and I will have to buy will be a crib and glider chair. With the above bedding I would probably paint the walls a shade of lime green a little bit lighter than the lime green in the pattern. We'll be putting light brown/gray carpeting in the bedroom and I would find a chocolate brown rug to throw down in the middle of the floor as well. Boy Bedding: Bali by Cocalo Couture
I know that the color palates are similar with the girl pattern above, but I can't help what colors and designs I am drawn to! I would also paint the walls in the babys room a light green to match this bedding as well and I think the bedding would go with white furniture too.
After Lonestar Baby we headed back south and stopped off at Babies R Us so that I could show Craig the items that my mother and I looked at last Sunday when we were shopping. She and I found a crib that is totally convertible from a crib all the way to a regular size twin bed which I knew Craig would love because it's hopefully going to save us some furniture money in the future. Our plan is to have the baby sleep in the room with us for the first few months before moving him/her to their own bedroom at the end of the hallway. BUT I didn't want to pay over $100 for a bassinet that the baby would only sleep in for three months or up until it weighed 15 lbs. Mom and I discussed other options and figured out that since Craig and I were going to buy a pack n play anyways, why not use that as the "bassinet" for the baby in those first few months?! Craig was sold on this idea (especially after checking out prices on the bassinets) and so yesterday we purchased a Graco pack-n-play in the Hamilton pattern. It is brown with green and turquoise dots (suitable for a girl or boy) but it also will match our bedroom and living room. Next month we're going to go back and get the swing for the baby as well. I don't think we'll be buying the matching stroller or high chair because the stroller looks too bulky and I am going to use a high chair that just attaches to the regular kitchen chair.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Week 13
August 20 - September 5
How far along?
12 weeks and 4 days along and baby is about the size of a peach (or about 3 inches long). This week baby's intestines are forming on the inside of it's body and the vocal chords are aslo developing!
How am I feeling?
It's been an up and down week for me which I guess is better than last week which was mostly down. I feel like my body is taking two steps forward and then one step back. Yesterday was rough because I had my first 7th grade volleyball game night and it was an away game. Between running copies, checking things off my "to take with me" list and corraling the girls, I didn't get a chance to put much food into my tummy and therefore I was pretty sick when I got off the bus at the end of the night. But what's been fun is watching the little belly expand just a smidge...but I'm not sure if it's baby or Arby's curly fries.
What's circulating in my brain?
My assistant coach from last year and good friend Jill gave birth to her beautiful baby girl named Joley on Friday evening. All day Friday I was getting update texts through her husband about the progress of the delivery. I must admit, after a long week at work...being in the hospital about to give labor and subsequently meet my baby sounded a lot better than teaching 6th grade students how to play Capture the Flag. I've had lots of friends give birth and I've even visited one special one in the hospital not even 24 hours after the delivery but for some reason this birth hit a different chord with me. Obviously I think it's because I am pregnant and in six short months Craig and myself will be in a similar position where he is sending out updates to our friends about the status of Baby Nelson. And the promise of staying home with baby for a little over a month doesn't sound too bad either.
How is Craig dealing with the crazy?
Again this week he is being absolutely awesome and making sure that I'm feeling okay and that stuff gets done around the house. Today (Sunday) has been particularly rough and I've been in bed for most of the day. Imagine my surprise when I ventured downstairs and found that he had attached a solar light fixture to the fence so that when Angie goes out at night to potty she will have some light to help her navigate the grass! So far so good with his Weight Watchers diet - in two weeks he has lost a total of 8 pounds and he is excited about weighing in tomorrow to see how much more he has lost.
What's Angie up to?
She's getting into her routine, but she's not happy about it. We wake up and she follows me into the bathroom where she pouts in her bed and I take a shower. Afterwards she has her most enjoyable moment when she gets to "wake" Craig up in the spare room because he most likely got kicked out of bed sometime during the night for his snoring. Then she gets to sleep in some more when Craig comes back to our bedroom where he sleeps in until 7:30 or so before going to work for the day. She is still being a super awesome nurse...sitting next to me in the bathroom when I get sick and then licking my feet after I'm done to let me know she loves me. I hope she is as protective and loving with this new baby as she is with me.
How far along?
12 weeks and 4 days along and baby is about the size of a peach (or about 3 inches long). This week baby's intestines are forming on the inside of it's body and the vocal chords are aslo developing!
How am I feeling?
It's been an up and down week for me which I guess is better than last week which was mostly down. I feel like my body is taking two steps forward and then one step back. Yesterday was rough because I had my first 7th grade volleyball game night and it was an away game. Between running copies, checking things off my "to take with me" list and corraling the girls, I didn't get a chance to put much food into my tummy and therefore I was pretty sick when I got off the bus at the end of the night. But what's been fun is watching the little belly expand just a smidge...but I'm not sure if it's baby or Arby's curly fries.
What's circulating in my brain?
My assistant coach from last year and good friend Jill gave birth to her beautiful baby girl named Joley on Friday evening. All day Friday I was getting update texts through her husband about the progress of the delivery. I must admit, after a long week at work...being in the hospital about to give labor and subsequently meet my baby sounded a lot better than teaching 6th grade students how to play Capture the Flag. I've had lots of friends give birth and I've even visited one special one in the hospital not even 24 hours after the delivery but for some reason this birth hit a different chord with me. Obviously I think it's because I am pregnant and in six short months Craig and myself will be in a similar position where he is sending out updates to our friends about the status of Baby Nelson. And the promise of staying home with baby for a little over a month doesn't sound too bad either.
How is Craig dealing with the crazy?
Again this week he is being absolutely awesome and making sure that I'm feeling okay and that stuff gets done around the house. Today (Sunday) has been particularly rough and I've been in bed for most of the day. Imagine my surprise when I ventured downstairs and found that he had attached a solar light fixture to the fence so that when Angie goes out at night to potty she will have some light to help her navigate the grass! So far so good with his Weight Watchers diet - in two weeks he has lost a total of 8 pounds and he is excited about weighing in tomorrow to see how much more he has lost.
What's Angie up to?
She's getting into her routine, but she's not happy about it. We wake up and she follows me into the bathroom where she pouts in her bed and I take a shower. Afterwards she has her most enjoyable moment when she gets to "wake" Craig up in the spare room because he most likely got kicked out of bed sometime during the night for his snoring. Then she gets to sleep in some more when Craig comes back to our bedroom where he sleeps in until 7:30 or so before going to work for the day. She is still being a super awesome nurse...sitting next to me in the bathroom when I get sick and then licking my feet after I'm done to let me know she loves me. I hope she is as protective and loving with this new baby as she is with me.
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Week 12
August 16 - August 22, 2010
How far along?
I am halfway through week 12 and baby has doubled in size since last week and is now the size of a plum. According to What to Expect, the baby has developed most of the important internal organs and now the intestines are going to start doing their job. If the amount of food that I ate this week is any indication, I believe that baby has a voracious appetite. This week baby liked Arby's curly fries and donuts.
How am I feeling?
School started this week and I always kick off my school year with a 11 hour day on the second day of school - starting with 8th grade volleyball try-outs at 7:00 and culminating with 7th grade volleyball try-outs ending at 6:00. Needless to say, my general goal ever night wasy to stay awake at least until the sun went down. There were a few rough mornings and evenings this week as far as nausea goes and I unfortunately had to revert to using the anti-nausea medicine to help me get through the day. But...the good news is that this morning (Saturday) I was able to wake up with no discernable nausea, eat the leftovers of my PF Changs and drink a Sprite for lunch with NO problem! AND...I even feel like putting away laundry and cleaning out my car. Hurray! I'm not sure how long this feeling good will last but hopefully it's the beginning of the second trimester and therefor the bouts of nausea will be few and far between.
What's circulating in my brain?
I haven't really been thinking about the baby this week but instead focusing on choosing volleyball teams and then dividing those girls up into divisions. I love volleyball season because it does challenge me - how do I play my girls so that I can maximize the success of the team overall,but still make eah player feel appreciated on the court?! It's a tough puzzle to figure out and I spent the majority of Thursday during school running through several different scenarios of line-ups, switches and substitutions. I've got a fairly talented and athletic group of 8th graders this year and if this is going to be my last year coaching I want to make sure that I end on a high note.
How is Craig dealing with the crazy?
Craig has just finished up his second full week of working the Weight Watchers plan and he has done really fantastic. He is weighing himself every Monday at school and the first week he lost 5 pounds! We took my parents out for dinner last Saturday and his mother out to dinner last night and before we went to either restaurant he made sure to look up the menu before hand and calculate his remaining number of points as well as the points of the dishes offered. It takes a little more work and planning on his part, but I think he enjoys seeing that his determination is paying off. Next week we're going to be using a service called The Dinner Station for our meals. All you do is look at their monthly menus, choose the meals you want to eat and they cook everything for you and then you pick it up and freeze until you're ready to eat! They also offer all the nutritional information so Craig can make educated and healthy decisions about dinner as well. I know it seems a little lazy of us, but with me working 11 hour days ad coming home so exhausted I really think it will help both of us to eat at home, save money and stay healthy.
What's Angie up to?
I think Angie is getting back in the routine of school, although she still isn't quite thrilled about it. Every morning I leave her and Craig curled up together in bed and when I come home she is curled up beside him on the bed while he watches television after school. She is very excited because tomorrow she gets to go play with the cousin dogs, Andy and Annabelle while I go shopping with my mom.
How far along?
I am halfway through week 12 and baby has doubled in size since last week and is now the size of a plum. According to What to Expect, the baby has developed most of the important internal organs and now the intestines are going to start doing their job. If the amount of food that I ate this week is any indication, I believe that baby has a voracious appetite. This week baby liked Arby's curly fries and donuts.
How am I feeling?
School started this week and I always kick off my school year with a 11 hour day on the second day of school - starting with 8th grade volleyball try-outs at 7:00 and culminating with 7th grade volleyball try-outs ending at 6:00. Needless to say, my general goal ever night wasy to stay awake at least until the sun went down. There were a few rough mornings and evenings this week as far as nausea goes and I unfortunately had to revert to using the anti-nausea medicine to help me get through the day. But...the good news is that this morning (Saturday) I was able to wake up with no discernable nausea, eat the leftovers of my PF Changs and drink a Sprite for lunch with NO problem! AND...I even feel like putting away laundry and cleaning out my car. Hurray! I'm not sure how long this feeling good will last but hopefully it's the beginning of the second trimester and therefor the bouts of nausea will be few and far between.
What's circulating in my brain?
I haven't really been thinking about the baby this week but instead focusing on choosing volleyball teams and then dividing those girls up into divisions. I love volleyball season because it does challenge me - how do I play my girls so that I can maximize the success of the team overall,but still make eah player feel appreciated on the court?! It's a tough puzzle to figure out and I spent the majority of Thursday during school running through several different scenarios of line-ups, switches and substitutions. I've got a fairly talented and athletic group of 8th graders this year and if this is going to be my last year coaching I want to make sure that I end on a high note.
How is Craig dealing with the crazy?
Craig has just finished up his second full week of working the Weight Watchers plan and he has done really fantastic. He is weighing himself every Monday at school and the first week he lost 5 pounds! We took my parents out for dinner last Saturday and his mother out to dinner last night and before we went to either restaurant he made sure to look up the menu before hand and calculate his remaining number of points as well as the points of the dishes offered. It takes a little more work and planning on his part, but I think he enjoys seeing that his determination is paying off. Next week we're going to be using a service called The Dinner Station for our meals. All you do is look at their monthly menus, choose the meals you want to eat and they cook everything for you and then you pick it up and freeze until you're ready to eat! They also offer all the nutritional information so Craig can make educated and healthy decisions about dinner as well. I know it seems a little lazy of us, but with me working 11 hour days ad coming home so exhausted I really think it will help both of us to eat at home, save money and stay healthy.
What's Angie up to?
I think Angie is getting back in the routine of school, although she still isn't quite thrilled about it. Every morning I leave her and Craig curled up together in bed and when I come home she is curled up beside him on the bed while he watches television after school. She is very excited because tomorrow she gets to go play with the cousin dogs, Andy and Annabelle while I go shopping with my mom.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Week 11
August 16 - August 22, 2010
How far along?
I am halfway through week 11 and the baby is as big as a lime this week! It is also developing hair follicles, nail beds and the body is supposed to be straightening out as well. And although we won't be able to officially tell the sex for about ten more weeks, the ovaries and testes are developing depending on whether it is a girl or a boy.
How am I feeling?
Tired, tired, tired! I started back to school this week with inservices from 8:15 until 4:00 each day and it's been a struggle to stay awake and not go to bed for the night until at least the sun goes down. I have been consistently in bed and asleep by 9:30 every night this week. And I'm certainly not complaining because I know that I need all the sleep and rest at night I can get so that I can make it through the next day. The nausea has subsided a bit, although I'm having a bit more heartburn...which I guess is the lesser of two evils?! I was able to eat full meals on Monday and Tuesday without feeling a twinge of nausea and that made me really happy.
What's circulating in my brain?
I'm starting to get nervous about volleyball season, but not because of the team, the girls or anything like that. I just want to be able to be up here at 7:15 each morning and last until 5:30 (or later on game nights) every afternoon. I want to be able to give the girls 100% of my time, effort and energy this season because they deserve that in a head coach and I'm worried that if I keep feeling ill, I won't be able to perform my job at the level that they deserve.
How is Craig dealing with the crazy?
Craig has embarked on a major personal journey this week - losing weight. He had a doctor's appointment before we went to Europe and the doctor told him, in no uncertain terms that he needed to lose a substantial amount of weight before this baby is due. So this will be an interesting adventure - he will be LOSING weight while I am blowing up like a blimp!! I told him that we should have a weekly update on both of our progress, complete with belly shots of the both of us. He quickly nixed that idea which kind of bummed me out. Regardless, I'm proud of what he's trying to accomplish and I told him that whatever healthy recipes he finds, I will do my best to cook them for him.
What's Angie up to?
Oh Angelina Marie. Have mercy on this little dog this week. Having both her mommy and daddy go back to work and leave her at home all day has absolutely been torturous for the poor animal. From diarrhea to destruction, she has been acting out all week, trying desperately to get our attention that she is, in fact...quite miserable.
How far along?
I am halfway through week 11 and the baby is as big as a lime this week! It is also developing hair follicles, nail beds and the body is supposed to be straightening out as well. And although we won't be able to officially tell the sex for about ten more weeks, the ovaries and testes are developing depending on whether it is a girl or a boy.
How am I feeling?
Tired, tired, tired! I started back to school this week with inservices from 8:15 until 4:00 each day and it's been a struggle to stay awake and not go to bed for the night until at least the sun goes down. I have been consistently in bed and asleep by 9:30 every night this week. And I'm certainly not complaining because I know that I need all the sleep and rest at night I can get so that I can make it through the next day. The nausea has subsided a bit, although I'm having a bit more heartburn...which I guess is the lesser of two evils?! I was able to eat full meals on Monday and Tuesday without feeling a twinge of nausea and that made me really happy.
What's circulating in my brain?
I'm starting to get nervous about volleyball season, but not because of the team, the girls or anything like that. I just want to be able to be up here at 7:15 each morning and last until 5:30 (or later on game nights) every afternoon. I want to be able to give the girls 100% of my time, effort and energy this season because they deserve that in a head coach and I'm worried that if I keep feeling ill, I won't be able to perform my job at the level that they deserve.
How is Craig dealing with the crazy?
Craig has embarked on a major personal journey this week - losing weight. He had a doctor's appointment before we went to Europe and the doctor told him, in no uncertain terms that he needed to lose a substantial amount of weight before this baby is due. So this will be an interesting adventure - he will be LOSING weight while I am blowing up like a blimp!! I told him that we should have a weekly update on both of our progress, complete with belly shots of the both of us. He quickly nixed that idea which kind of bummed me out. Regardless, I'm proud of what he's trying to accomplish and I told him that whatever healthy recipes he finds, I will do my best to cook them for him.
What's Angie up to?
Oh Angelina Marie. Have mercy on this little dog this week. Having both her mommy and daddy go back to work and leave her at home all day has absolutely been torturous for the poor animal. From diarrhea to destruction, she has been acting out all week, trying desperately to get our attention that she is, in fact...quite miserable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)