Hibernation

My body literally feels like it is going into hibernation mode. I left work with all intentions of going to the gym at about 6 or 7 o'clock but...

Zack called and informed me that he wanted fried chicken from Publix. I got ill just thinking about eating the fried chicken but I got t anyway. Sometime in between getting my bags at the register and walking to my car, I began to feel like crap. By the time I got home, I barely wanted to get out the car (those darned seats in my car have all of a sudden become way to close to the ground). I sat waiting (and hoping) Zack would come to the door and help me into the house. Luckily, he met me at the door and carried the food.

I explained how i felt and that I didn't know if the feeling of discomfort was from the baby spinning around, my belly going the
through a growth spurt, or horrible gas. Long story short... My body felt like it was fighting itself, and my belly was so tight and heavy that it felt like it was going to fall off my torso. My body's reaction to this???

HIBERNATE!

There is no way to get comfortable, so I'm just gonna go to sleep.

Battle of the Sexes

Many of my coworkers are pregnant and due this school year. Seriously, based on the number of women at my school who are pregnant, you'd think we all made some kind of pregnancy pact. One baby was born last fall, one last May, another this past summer, and there is a baby due every month from November to April (except December). I suppose that's what happens when working with a bunch of young women.

So far, little baby girls are dominating. The ratio is about 2 girls to 1 boy... Which is probably the national average, but that is totally besides the point... The point is that it really seems like there are way more girls than boys.

Since I'm not finding out the sex of my baby, I'm trying to predict the sex of my kid based on the sexes of my friends' babies (instead of a more scientific method like coordinating my ovulation and sex dates).

See... TJ has a one year old son, AC has a girl, KC has a girl, SR is having a girl, and KG is having a girl... KH is the only one in a year to have a boy as far as we know because we don't yet know what HV and I are having.

So, with that information, I'm declaring my baby a boy... Well, at least this week I am.

Because I don't want TJ's and KH's sons to get all the attention of the pretty little girls!

The State of Exercise

I haven't been to the gym in about a week and a half. Not because I didn't want to go, but because I just didn't have the energy after such long and busy days.

I was resolved to going today for sure! What else would I be doing on a Saturday besides lying in the bed?

So...

I finally got up the "umph" to go around 11am, and this is how it went....

As soon as I walk into the gym, I run into my old trainer who just so happens to be standing and talking (loudly) at the front desk. He turns and sees me then LOUDLY welcomes me to the gym because he hasn't seen me "in 2 years."

I lower my voice so that he could get the hint that he is way too loud, but my efforts fail. He proceeds to ask me how I've been feeling then asks, "Are you menstrating?"

The girl behind the counter and I look at my obviously pregnant belly, and I say "Menstrating is definitely what I'm NOT doing." The girl laughs, and I frown.

He continues to correct what he meant to say but never quite gets it right... he went from menstrating to ovulating to dialating, to something else. I tuned out and interrupted his ramblings by asking questions about him. As he spoke, I inched away from him... but that resulted in him getting louder so that everyone could hear him.

At this point, I'm almost away!

I turn my back to walk away and almost made it, but not before he began belting out a verse from a John Legend song.

I hurry away... not looking back.

I make it to the treadmill and set my phone to play Beyonce... because B-Day is my ultimate workout album. The plan is to start slow and gradually increase until I'm at a 3.7... nothing new, nothing hard.

As I increase the speed to 3.0, I realize that my baby is either turning his/her position or has decided to walk with me... on the right side of my rib cage. The feeling is instantly uncomfortable and slightly painful.

I increase the speed to 3.3, and after about 45 seconds, I realize that my belly is going to jump off my torso and roll away, so I slow down.

Long story short... I had to press my palm into the right side of my belly to keep my comfort level decent, and I could not go faster than 2.5 (which is the equivalent to a walk in the park). I forced myself to go two miles, and that took 45 minutes.

I don't know if I've just gotten lazy, if I have painful gas throughout my stomach, or if my 'ear of corn' sized baby is running out of free space. But whatever it is, I don't think exercising is gonna get any easier.

Whats in a Name?

I'm not quite sure of the answer to that question, but I do know that my husband and I are having a tough time coming up with boy names.

If we have a little princess, her name will be easy... Zoe Marie. The "Z" is in honor of Zack, and "Marie" is my mother's middle name. I adore the name "Marie" because it is so feminine and delicate... and doesn't hurt that the woman I love most in the world bears the name. It was a given that my daughter would be given that name.

Zack likes the name "Lola". I'm not crazy about it, but I don't hate it either. If we have a daughter, and I look into her face and see a "Lola" and not a "Zoe"... "Lola Marie" she will be.

*sigh*

But those darned boy names are KILLING me.....

Zack and I have totally opposite ideas on what are considered good, strong boy names.

My first pick is "Trevor"... I LOVE that name!!! As a matter of fact, there was this beautiful little boy in one of my classes with the name. He had the prettiest chocolate skin and he was as cute as a button! I would want my son to be like him. Another good thing about the name is that it is not common. Of all the students I've come across in these four years of teaching, I've only come across ONE "Trevor"...

I also like the following names: Tristan, Torion (my husband's middle name), Michael, Landon, and Cooper.

My husband doesn't like any of these. On his list, he has written names such as Brice, Cameron, Riley, Andrew, and Zachary.

I don't care for ANY of these as I have students with these names... and not just one student, but at least two (or three) students I know have these names.

I never knew that naming a child would be this difficult!!! Seriously! Its slightly torturous.

I might just grin and bear whatever name my husband comes up with... that way, if our kid happens not to like his name, I can proudly say, "Well, your dad named you! I would've given you a much cooler name."

Slightly Off Topic

So... i have a few friends I've been "close" with for a very long time. No, we don't talk on a regular basis or see each other more than twice a year, but we still consider ourselves good friends.

Well, today... I find out that the one I've been friends with since the age of eleven and who was the maid of honor in my wedding has moved or is moving to New York (like, today).

I got no phone call. No text message. No email.

I found out through her status update on Facebook!!! Based on how other people were responding, she must've told them weeks ago.

WTF!!! WTfreakinF!!!!!

I also sent this chick a text message of my baby's sonogram the morning I got it, and she hasn't called or returned the text yet. That was over a week ago.

Is this anything new? No! She constantly and has always done things like this but insists that I shouldn't take it personally.

Well, today is a new day. I don't know if its the hormones or simply being fed up with being treated like a stranger, but I'm totally over it.

I tend to treat my friendships like romantic relationships. I'm fiercely loyal and will take a lot of crap, but I know when its time to move on. And now, with this relationship, it is time to move on.

I understand that our lives and decisions have taken us on different paths, but DAMN!

She can definitely consider this relationship over... no invite to the baby shower. No call when the baby is born. No answering anymore of her calls. No nothing. No more listening to her whiny ass act like I'm over reacting to her treating me this way. NO MORE because I'm effing over it!

And funny thing... I'm so sure she won't know how I feel until someone else tells her because this chick has NEVER read my blog!

To Be Like God

We had our first ultrasound yesterday, and it was amazing! Even though I complained about not having one sooner, I think I was probably more amazing to see after waiting five months. You could actually see that it was a baby- with a head, a heart, a stomach, a brain, and a nose!

While sitting in the lobby waiting to be called, I felt and noticed my stomach move ever so slightly. The baby was kicking me (or possibly had the hiccups). I told Zack so that he could see it, but surely enough, he wasn't able to.

Then, we were called to the back and met the lady doing the ultrasound. I'll admit that I wasn't actually uber excited about the ultrasound, but I totally began to feel the "realness" when she turned out the lights and lubed my belly up with (surprisingly) warm jelly.

I became an absolute geek! This is my reaction:

Me: Zack! Zack, come stand next to me! Come now! You can't see it over there!
Z: Steph, I can see it from here.
Me: You're supposed to stand over here by my head! Come look at this screen!
Z: ok (hands in pocket, probably nervous)
Me: Are you excited?! I am! I didn't think I would be, but I am right now! I didn't get excited until she turned off the lights!
Z: (still looking at screen)
Me: Are you gonna cry?! I'm so excited!
Tech: (begins ultrasound) There you go!
Me: OMG!!! Zack, do you see your kid?!?! Look at that kid!!! Thats his head! Look at his belly!!! This is crazy!!!
Zack: (smiling)
Me: This is freakin crazy!

Just in case you didn't know this about me, I tend to talk a lot and very fast when I'm nervous or excited. There really is no middle ground... just "a lot and fast".

The baby opened and closed its mouth the entire time and also stuck its tongue out!!! Seriously, you could see his/her little baby tongue come out of its mouth and go back inside!!! Then his/her little hand covered its heart and made it look like s/he was saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

I will say that this ultrasound was THE MOST amazing experience EVER!!! To be able to see something that God has allowed my husband and I to create is probably the most fun I've ever had. To create something so unique and to know that it is now YOUR responsibility to care for it. To love something you don't even know yet so very much. I bet this is the closest feeling to being God and to know how He feels of us.

It truly is amazing!

The Little Things

I was in the shower the other day looking at how my body has changed in these last 20 weeks.

I can no longer see my "hoo haa" without bending down and being intentional about it. My feet are slowly starting to be eclipsed by my growing belly. That dark line that has a technical name I cannot remember at this time is getting darker and more visible from my bra line down to the goods.

Of all these things, I am most excited about something else that is changing...

Can you think of it?????

I'll give you a minute...

I was washing my belly and noticed...

that my belly button is beginning to widen out and become shallow. I'm expecting my innie, like so many other pregnant bellies, to become an outtie...

Now, this may not seem like much to some people... maybe even you.

But I've spent a good portion of my life trying to figure out how in the heck I'm supposed to clean out ALL the lint in my belly button. Don't get me wrong... I clean it all the time. Sometimes with a q-tip and alcohol. But it never gets fully clean because there are years of gunk stashed in all those little folds of skin.

With this growing belly, I'm TOTALLY looking forward to my pregnant outtie so that I can clean the crap out of it and marvel at how wonderfully clean it looks! I'll practically have a brand new belly button when all this is over with! BRAND NEW!!!