20+ Week Appt- PLUS Star Trek Convention...

Michael and I attended our 20 weeks prenatal appointment yesterday (I am 20 weeks, 4 days pregnant). We are happy to report that all is well with our little tiger- and he gets very annoyed by doctors. When our OBGYN was listening to his 140-beat-per-minute heartbeat on the tummy doppler, he decided to kick at the doppler machine while she was holding it. The funniest noise interrupted his steady heart beat with a loud "thud" as he tried to pop the device out of her hand. Very funny. Up until yesterday, I had only felt small, fluttery, twingy movements here and there (similar to a gassy feeling in my lower tummy), but yesterday he was very active and his movements felt more like a small electrical current punching my tummy every so often. So far, it seems to not be painful, just a little jolting. I only felt it for about 10 minutes, but it was an awesome experience!

My mood swings started about a week ago- weepiness every few days for no reason whatsoever, and irritability about once a day; both of these last only a few minutes at a time. OBGYN says that is actually pretty good, considering how high my hormone levels have been. I still have daily bouts of nausea and constant "vurping," for which the doctor wrote me out another prescription for Zofran, just in case the "morning" sickness continues after this week (actual morning sickness after the completion of the 20th week is supposedly rare- although most women still experience occassional scent-induced nausea or stomach upset throughout their entire pregnancy, which is a different thing). My weight is up about 3 lbs from last month, making my total weight gain during this pregnancy a little more than 10 lbs. Right on track. My heart rate is a little high, even for a pregnant woman (a "normal" pregnant woman's heart rate tends to be about 100 beats per minute), but nothing to be concerned about (yet) according to the doctor. And my blood pressure and vitals are all normal. So, I am officially out of the "high-risk pregnancy" status for now. From now on, at our monthly appointments, they will continue to run the normal tests, to make sure all is progressing properly, but no more bi-weekly blood tests and constant ultrasounds. *whew* Although, I have to admit, Michael and I will kinda miss the continous ultrasounds- it was fascinating to see the development of new life every few weeks.

Michael's mom told me she was shipping us some more fun stuff for the baby today: we will be receiving ALL of Brayden's (Michael's sister's son) past baby/toddler clothes that are still in great shape, along with safety outlet covers, and a car charging bottle-warmer. Yay- our mini-man is gonna be decked out, let me tell you. And Michael put the crib together yesterday! Woo hoo! Aaaand the replacement changing table/dresser arrived yesterday too! (See last blog for more details on that little drama). His room is now full of baby furniture, so we have no more guest room- it is now the beginnings of a true nursery. Today, I am set to put the "Tigger-and-Pooh" wall border up around the nursery, and maybe some of the wall hangings and other decor, if I feel like it.

On a disappointing note, Michael and I will be unable to attend the Star Trek Convention this year. *sad face* For those of you who know us, we are trekkies ("trekkers," if you are politically correct). I love Star Trek and sci-fi, in general, and Michael likes it almost as much as I do. We have had the fortune of attending the Las Vegas Star Trek Convention every year for the past 4 years, and have autographs and celebrity photos and stories to prove it. I have to admit, I am way bummed about not being able to feel like the coolest geek in the room for 4 glorious days, but I will work thru the pain. Patrick Stewart will not be attending this year, and he is the only celebrity we have yet to get a picture with, so we've rationalized the heartache. To be honest, the trip would just be too miserable and uncomfortable for me this year; riding in a car is still not my tummy's favorite past time- and I have a sneaky suspicion being in a plane would have an even worse gastrointestinal effect.

I had an awkward neighbor moment a few days ago while I was retrieving our mail: an older man, who lives down the road with his wife, asked me how the twins were doing. I felt embarrassed to tell him that we unfortunately lost one of the twins a few months back. He apologized for our devestating loss, but then wished us happy luck on our little survivor and throughout the rest of my pregnancy, which was very nice. I think it was a bitter-sweet moment for both of us.

Weekend from H-E-Double Hockey Sticks!

Let me start out by saying that my hubby is a saint. Spending time with him this weekend was the highlight of these last few days and he is a very take-charge person when things go wrong. Because of this, problems are resolved quickly and usually do not have to be worried about again at a later date. Thank Goodness for him! Aside from that, the weekend was very frustrating and unpredictable, mainly due to incompetent vendors.

Saturday, Michael decided that we would kick off my birthday by shopping for baby furniture at IKEA in Phoenix. We left home around 9am and drove up there. I took meds, but still had nausea and muscle fatigue off-and-on all weekend long. Michael said I was a trooper though. We found some items we liked at IKEA, but not any furniture that totally suited our fancies. We decided to check out the Phoenix Babies R' Us, Target, and USA Baby. Babies R Us furniture was expensive, compared to IKEA and other online prices we had researched, and their local USA Baby had closed down!!! Ahhh! So we drove around Phoenix, in 110+ degree, monsoon-season, weather for nothing. Did I mention I am pregnant and hot and nauseous all the time? *sigh* We went back to IKEA and decided that maybe we should pick the crib & changing table combo that we liked earlier- but we just didn't LOVE the choice (on second look, Michael felt the wood was too dark for our nursery room). After spending 7 hours in Phoenix, looking for elusive baby furniture, we decided to call it a day and grab some food. We ate at Ra Japanese Restaurant (very good food and service, but a little pricey, btw) and drove the 1.5 hours home, sans furniture. Our bodies were aching and bruised from walking around Phoenix all day so a bath was in order before bed.

Sunday, Michael researched some more local baby stores and decided to try the Babies R Us on the other side of town and a locally owned store call "Aldrich Baby News." We found some great nursery items at Babies R Us, but still no furniture that appealed to us. Then we went to Baby News. They had some great looking furniture! We were so psyched. We ended up picking out 3 pieces we adored (a crib, a changing table/dress combo, and the hutch that sits on top of the changing table/dresser combo). We couldn't believe our luck! The price was higher than IKEA's assembly-required furniture, but lower than Babies R Us furniture, so we decided to purchase the items. Since the pieces were very heavy and bulky, we had to contact my brother Adam and beg him to help Michael move the furniture to our house b/c 1) Adam is a non-pregnant dude and 2) Adam has a truck. After much finagling, Michael and Adam were able to get the furniture in our house. As soon as we unwrapped the box with the changing table/dresser combo, I noticed a problem with the drawers. After inspection, Michael and Adam noticed the drawers had cracks in the wood and would not close properly due to the defect! This was right out of the package! After closer inspection, Adam and Michael noticed the top of the dresser was warped (probably due to being stored in a non-AC warehouse for months). The rest of our furniture appeared to be in good shape. Bree called the Baby News place and left a message on their voice mail (they were closed for the day) and explained the problem- they should get back to us soon. This was unacceptable, and the item will need to be replaced- by THEM coming to our house and replacing it. If the replacement is also damaged, we will need our money back for all the furniture b/c they were all bought to match each other, of course. *grunt*

We still had to go to Target to register, so at 7pm we drove over to Target (which closes at 9pm). We registered for our items until closing time and headed out. Sounds simple, right? Upon returning home, we accessed our registry as a guest. Our guests (friends and family) can access our registry just fine, but we can't! We tried to manage our registry (change any items or add items) and our password was not working! *anger* Not only that, we saw online that we were supposed to receive a gift bag when we did our baby registry at Target, and we did not. Bree printed out the page and decided to call Target's customer service (which she did and they took care of the password issue- yay Target!). Today, Bree will also be heading back to Target to get the gift bag we were meant to get. The good news for all of you who have been asking: we are officially registered at Target under either Bree Martin or Michael Martin from Arizona ( I would recommend putting in my name in the registry- much easier to find our registry list since my name is less common). You can order registry items online at www.target.com or go to Target itself and print out the registry and shop at the store. Remember: when you buy something, please remember to take it off the registry (if you find the same item cheaper at a different store, that is great- just remember to take it off the registry). We will also be registering at Babies R Us soon.

To top off the weekend, right before we went to sleep, the AC started making this loud, high-pitched whistling noise! What the heck!? Could this weekend have been any more complicated!? *crying* We decided to put in ear plugs and deal with it later. Sleep is the only thing that will wash away the pain.

Nursery shopping begins today

We are off to IKEA in Phoenix and I am soooo psyched! I hope we are able to find furniture for our baby boy today. I am kinda sad that we will no longer have a guest room, but it is for a really good cause! As the nursery progresses from a guest room/storage room, Michael and I will be taking pictures and posting them here on our website. We are gonna have fun transforming the big purple guest quarters into a Tigger and Winnie the Pooh Playland! I am considering painting the bottom of the chair rail (under the "100 Acre Woods" border we will be puttin' up) a light green- what do you think? Haven't decided yet. That will make the top 3/4 of the room purple, then the border at the crib-line, then the bottom 4 feet a light grass-green color. I am still debating and would love some input.

Michael is hesitent to let me paint. I do touch-ups a little here and there while he is at work (shhh- don't tell him or I'll get in trouble). Since I have been pregnant, I have painted baseboards in our house and done touch-ups in the future-nursery and touch-ups in our newly- remodeled bathroom (btw: Michael remodeled the bathroom himself- I have a Renaissance Man; but I did all the decorating in there and helped him pick out the new vanity and countertop, so I contributed. A little.). There is still so much to do in the house tho: we have to put up child safety latches on the cabinets (we have them, we have just not installed them yet), get those little socket stoppers so the baby won't put his finger in a light socket (I smell a registry item maybe...), and generally buy furniture and baby essentials! We also need to either get a living room toy box (for items the baby plays with or uses in the living room) or maybe I can paint out the hope chest my Dad gave me; not sure which to do on that one. I am so overwhelmed now. I need to breathe. Somebody hand me a paper sack, quick! This baby should be born in early December and there is too much that needs to be accomplished. A little over 4 months to go! AHHH!

PS On a weird side-note: I think I had a pregnancy-induced hallucination. I woke up around 1am to see (what I thought was) a biiig spider. I am not afraid of spiders, but I don't want one crawling on me while I am asleep. Yuck. The light was on in our bedroom (I guess Michael woke up and turned it on for some reason) and I woke up, looked down at the belly support pillow I keep near my growing belly, and yelped "Michael! There is a spider on my pillow." He immediately dashed into action, grabbing the pillow and pulling the covers off the bed to kill, or at least move, the spider. Major heroics for the middle of the night, huh? After several minutes of us looking for the spider and smashing our covers to bits, we finally deduced that I could have been having one of those vivid dreams I told you about in my "21 Shocking Facts" blog. Or there could have really been a spider. We aren't sure. We just had the house sprayed for pests (using "green" pesticides, of course), and I haven't seen any other creepy-crawlies since then, but you never know...

Dinner Parties and Car Seats

Forgot to mention! Last weekend, we went to a Dinner Party with friends (every two months, we get together with a group of 5 couple-friends who also love to cook; we take turns having it at each house and each couple picks a theme). The first theme was Italian. So good with the homemade pasta and sauces. Next was Greek food. Loooove Greek food. Last week's theme was Indian Food. Everything was so good- there was rice, shrimp, Chicken Tikka Masala, Saffron salad, dipped strawberries, Naan bread, Indian beer & wine (which I wasn't able to drink, of course). Everything was yummy. And I was introduced to this pregnant woman's best friend- Chai Tea. My best friend Emmy has always loved Chai Tea, and I hadn't really had much of it before, but I knew she always adored it. But the hostess at this dinner party, Rahbn, made some for the party for us non-drinkers. It was delish. I see why my bff always had to have it.

Tonight, my brother and his fiance are stopping over after dinner to chat and have dessert- and of course Adam will be picking up his gift card he won from our Gender Guessing Contest. I am making apple cinnamon muffins, half-caf coffee, and, you guessed it, chai tea. *grin*

Next week, Michael and I are heading to a Car Seat Safety seminar (free seminar to show us the legal way a car seat must be installed in Arizona). Afterward, we are gonna buy a car seat for our little boy, since we will be schooled in the proper safety guidelines. FYI: We will have to have it approved by the hospital before we will be allowed to take the baby home, so this is obviously an important class. Who knew there were so many rules and regulations and laws concerning infant travel, huh? It is a good thing, but every time we think we got all the info we need, there is something else to learn. Part of being a parent, I guess.

We can't wait for our shopping spree at IKEA this weekend, and to hear our little boy's heartbeat again next week at our next OBGYN appt. It is such an amazing experience to know Michael and I made a new human life, and that life is growing and thriving inside me. This little boy is such a blessing. After being together 9 years, being married 7 years, trying to get pregnant for 2 years, and having 2 miscarriages, Michael and I are certain this little one will be sooo spoiled. And we are okay with that.

Future Plans for the Future Mommy and Daddy

So, now that we know we are having a boy, all these things are flooding at us! We are so thrilled to find out that I am pregnant with a boy, and even more thrilled that so far he is perfectly healthy and happy playing in my womb. Now it is time for Mommy and Daddy to get serious about planning for our son. Yikes!

Friday, Michael and I are going out to eat with our friends Casie and Brett (btw: thanks for participating in the Gender Guessing Game yesterday, you two). They have two young munchkins and we pump them for info constantly about the latest pregnancy and baby info.

This Saturday, Michael and I are going to Phoenix to do some baby boy furniture shopping. We are hoping to find a crib and changing table at IKEA, and then have lunch and drive back home to Tucson. For those of you who have been asking, we will probably begin our registry at Target this week too. We are planning on registering at Babies R' Us in early August.

Next week is my next OBGYN appointment. It will be my last time to see my OBGYN for about 2 months because she is gonna be on maternity leave. Ironic, huh? She is pregnant with a boy too, and he is due in August. One of her OBGYN colleagues will be taking over our prenatal care for August and September.

Next weekend is the Tucson Baby Fair. It sounds like a lot of fun! After the Baby Fair, there is gonna be a family dual- Birthday Party for my Dad and me at my brother's house. I don't know anything else about the particulars of the family b-day party, but I am excited. I will be 29- again. And so will my Dad. *grin* After our family get-together, my brother's house is set to be transformed into a Poker tournament by nightfall. I will probably be too tired from the festivities of the day to participate in the tournament, but I am sure my hubby and all the Poker tourney- lovers will have a good time.

Today, I did something wild! I registered for Prenatal classes at our hospital. Took forever. Our hospital offers 7 different classes, but we found 4 of them interesting. Michael and I are gonna learn how to birth babies, diaper babies, breastfeed & bottle babies, and administer first aid to babies. Wow. One of these classes is 5 weeks long. We are set to begin a series of different classes in mid-September. The last class is November 19 (3 weeks before my projected due date). FYI: If I go into labor before I can take any one of the classes, they will refund our money, which is good to know. The classes are not very expensive, so we thought this would be a good investment- seeing as how we don't know nothin' about babies. There are also community classes we are looking at taking next month that are free too. And I am all about "free." Who isn't these days, huh?

Old Wives' Tales- Your Baby's Sex Revealed!

Gender Prediction- Based on Old Wives' Tales:

1) If you carry all the weight out in front, you are having a boy. If you carry the extra weight in hips and thighs, you are having a girl. All my weight is out in front. Boy

2) If the hair on your legs is growing faster than before you were pregnant, you are having a boy. Mine is not. Girl.

3) Girls are carried high, boys low. As of right now, I am carrying high. Girl

4) Sleeping in your bed, if your pillow is facing South, you are having a girl. My pillow faces South. Girl

5) If you prefer to eat the heel of bread while pregnant, vs the middle, you are having a boy. I eat both, but prefer the middle. Girl

6) If the Dad-to-Be gains weight along with you while pregnant, you are having a boy. Michael has lost weight. Girl.

7) If you have morning sickness during pregnancy, you are having a girl. I STILL have morning sickness, so I must be having a Girl, right? The biggest, baddest Girl you ever met. My Grandma Honey, who birthed two boys, had severe morning sickness with both of them.

8) If the maternal Grandmother has all gray hair when the baby is conceived, you are having a boy. My Mom does not have all gray hair, so I am having a Girl.

9) If your skin, hair, and nails are all growing better than before and you "glow" during pregnancy, you are having a boy (b/c girls steal their mother's looks). My skin, hair, and nails have never looked better, therefore I am having a Boy.

10) If breast development has been quite dramatic since you found out you were pregnant, you are having a Girl. Hmmm...I am starting to see a pattern here- are you?

11) If the sum of the mother's age and the month of conception add up to be an even number, you are having a Boy. I am 29 and I conceived in March (3), so that equals 32. I am having a boy.

12) If your urine is a dull yellow during pregnancy, instead of a bright yellow, you are having a Girl. Mine is a dull yellow. Girl.

13) If you are craving sweets, you are having a girl; craving salty things, a boy. I am not "craving" anything, per se, due to morning sickness, but I have an easier time keeping sweet stuff down than salty, so I am gonna say I am having a Girl on this one, right?

14) If your nose gets wider during pregnancy, you are having a boy. My nose has remained the same, so Girl.

15) If you are craving meat and cheese, you are having a boy. If you are craving fruits, you are having a girl. Again, cravings are not my thing yet, but I can eat grilled cheese sandwiches a lot, but also a lot of fruit. Hmmm... it is a toss up on this one.

16) If your baby's heart rate is over 140 beats per minute, you are having a girl. If it is 140 beats per minute or lower, it is a boy. See, the baby's heart rate has been all over the charts since conception- sometimes 120, sometimes 160. After his heartbeat stabalized, it was a little over 140. So he must be a Girl, right?

17) If you drink a lot of orange juice during pregnancy, then you are having a Girl. I drink orange juice. So he is a Girl.

18) If you are having headaches while pregnant, it is a Boy. I do have headaches occasionally, but not as bad as some women I know. But I do have headaches about once a week so far, so I am gonna say Boy to this one.

19) If your belly looks like a watermelon, you are having a Girl. If it looks like a basketball, you are having a Boy. This one is kinda hard to determine at this point, but after looking in the mirror, I would have to go with watermelon. So, I am having a Girl.

20) If someone asks you to show them your hands, and you show your hands to them palm up, you are having a Girl. If you show them to you palm down, you are having a Boy. Not really sure why this one is an Old Wives' Tale for gender prediction during pregnancy, but I show people my hands palm up, so I am having a Girl.

21) If you pick up a mug (of coffee, tea, milk), and you involutarilly hold the mug by the handle, you are having a Boy. If you hold the body of the mug, you are having a Girl. When I reach for a mug, I hold the body initially, then switch to the handle. So I am having a Girl.

22) If your feet are colder than before you were pregnant, you are having a Boy. If they are the same or warmer than before, you are having a girl. My feet are actually hotter since I became pregnant (as is the rest of me), so I am having a Girl.

23) If you have a hearty appetite during pregnancy, and are possibly putting on a little more weight than you should, then you are having a Boy, b/c boys have heartier appetites. As you know, I have to make myself eat on most days, so this would have to be Girl.

PS: As you all know, according to modern technology, I am having a BOY (you can see his little bottom and winky and soles of his feet on our 19 week ultrasound II pics- an ultrasound II has a 98% accuracy rating after 18 weeks gestation). These Old Wives' Tales read that I am having a Girl (78% of them indicate Girl, 22% indicate Boy). At last count, 13 of my friends and family were leaning toward the feeling that I was having a Girl, based on myths and/or gender prediction indicators; 8 of my friends and family said Boy, based on the same. Also, the Chinese Gender Prediction Calendar stated that was having a Girl, based on my age and month of conception. I checked the stats on the accuracy rating of the Chinese Gender Predictions, and it is right 65% of the time, according to one poll I read. These are a fun and exciting way to build anticipation about the gender of your baby, but not always accurate.

First Things First- It is a BOY!!!!

I am 19 weeks, 2 days pregnant today and we are nervous/ thrilled/ apprehensive about our appointment with the Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialists (try saying that three times fast). Breathe, Bree. Breathe.

Today, we will find out if our baby is a girl or a boy. Honestly, it doesn't matter to us which gender the baby is, but we are just so darned curious! Could it be a boy? Could it be a girl?

It's official: I may drive us both insane before our 11 AM appointment. We can't wait...

So, here I am: Nauseated (big shock, huh?) and excited at the same time! We have been holding off on registering at Target and Babies R' Us for over 5 months because we wanted to wait on confirmation of the baby's gender. Now, the wait is over...

At 11 AM, all our questions about the baby were answered. We have a healthy, normal-looking mini-person growing inside me. *Whew*

Blue or pink? What do you think? Our nursery is purple and the trim therein is white. Our wall-hangings, border, and stickers have a "My Friends Tigger and Pooh" theme. All gender-neutral, so you get no clues in the nursery room. Hmmm.

Our little munchkin has kept us guessing, that's for sure! We've been trying to figure out this child's sex for soo long--and the doctor told us all the "old wives' tales" would be no help. But now we know. :>

Yes, we will be posting the ultrasound pictures soon. But right now, you could be the first to guess our Lilliputian's gender based on the word puzzle hidden above in this blog. Email Michael or Bree asap with your answer. Remember, you have to include our baby's correct gender, as well as the way you came to your conclusion--based solely on the clues given in this blog. If you are the first to answer correctly and include the proper solution from our hidden words, you will win a prize! No phone calls. We will personally contact the winner asap and post the answer. Good Luck!

UPDATE!!!!! We have a winner! We had some great guesses and solutions. But Adam Boyd (my younger brother) was the first to get it right and wins a $25 Walmart gift card! The hidden solution we were looking for is: the first letter of every paragraph spells out "IT IS A BOY." One of the clues was in the title: First Things First. Thank you all for participating, or just taking the time to read this blog and share our anticipation. We had so much fun reading the responses for this word puzzle. And an even better time writing and typing this blog up. We had two separate possibilities written up and were so excited to finally be able to pick one. Michael uploaded the ultrasound pics and you can see our little boy's cute profile, toes, nose, and diddly-bits. There is a great pic of him sucking his thumb and playing with his feet- and a separate hilarious pic of his little noodle. The doctor said he is growing perfectly and we feel so blessed.

Good Cop, Bad Pregnant Woman, Pt 2

…Or at least I thought that was “The End”. It was 8 PM, so I was surprised when the salesman called out to me when I was about to get into my car. He asked me to explain to his manager why we were going to pass on the vehicle. “Here we go…” I thought.

8:00 PM. I told the manager what I told the salesman and he asked me if I would buy the vehicle if they would throw in the certification($500 value) so we would have a warranty. I told him I probably would, but it would depend on what they could give us for our trade-in. So, I filled out a trade-in report and was completely honest about the trade-in. I did not have the vehicle with me, so I did not want to misrepresent it in any way. Power Windows? Yea, but two don’t work. Paint job? Great, but the trim is rusted. A/C? Yea, works great. He asked me from a scale from 1 to 10 (10 perfect, 5 average) what was the overall condition of the vehicle for its age. For its age (operative phrase), I rated the car as a 6. She’s a good car…just old.

They came back and said they’d give us $500 for the trade-in. I told them I was 95% sure that wasn’t going to fly, but I’d call the wife anyway. I called Bree, told her, and we both agreed that this was too much money to pay out of pocket on a split decision. Therefore, I went back to them and said the vehicle is priced out of range because we were using our home equity to buy the vehicle and we all know what has happened to home equity. I also explained that tax, title and license kicked the total out of pocket price up a good 10%, which we weren’t factoring in. The sales manager told me that he’d hate to see me pass up a good deal and wondered if we could put some savings with the HELOC in order to buy the vehicle. I laughed. I said, “Sure,we have some savings, but it’s set aside for the baby. Do you want to ask a pregnant woman if she would tap out her nest egg to buy a car?” They agreed that was a bad idea.

9:00 PM. Now the salesmen were scratching their heads(probably wondering how to sell a car to a pregnant woman who is cranky and not even present). I told them I would be willing to come back in a few weeks and take a look at some other models—perhaps something in our range. The sales manager said some stuff I don’t recall and I made some comments about the economy and patience. 10 minutes passed and I was ready to go. Then the sales manager started talking about how he might be able to give us more for the trade-in. He asked me if I would call my wife and ask her what price would make her comfortable in buying the car that night. I told him I could call her, but I’d probably be yelled at. He asked if she was mad at them—I said, “No, she’s mad at me…it is after 9 PM and I’m supposed to be at home taking care of her, not buying a car.”

10:00 PM. I spoke to Bree (they were kind enough to go inside each time I called her) and she was a little cranky, but she joked and gave me a ridiculously low figure to ask them. I figured “Why Not? They could either accept Bree’s terms or consider this the ravings of a mad pregnant woman and accept my more ‘logical’ proposal of showing me some different cars a few weeks later. I got off the phone with Bree and walked back inside and they asked me what she said. I laughed and said they’d probably be better off showing me some different cars next week; however, I did understand that they had this vehicle in inventory for 70 days and if they wanted to sell it tonight, this is what they would have to sell it for. The sales manager went inside, crunched some numbers,and came back out and offered the car for $400 over what we were asking. I asked them if they would also throw in the warranty, and they said yes. I spoke with Bree and we figured it was close enough, so now we own a red 2008 Dodge Caliber. In the tradition of naming Bree’s cars some variation of “George”, we named him Geordie. You can view him (along with the loved and missed Georgina) in our PHOTOS section under "New Car."

Moral of the story: If you are buying a car, it doesn't hurt to have a cranky pregnant wife at the house setting the terms. It makes her untouchable and people tend to overcompensate when trying to make a pregnant woman happy.

Good Cop, Bad Pregnant Woman, Pt 1

Hello, this is my first blog post (Bree usually speaks for both of us because I can be long winded). Friday evening, I decided to look at some cars. Bree and I have been talking about replacing Georgina (167k miles on her) with a new family vehicle. The first vehicle I drove was a 2008 Dodge Caliber. I really liked the way it drove. It was an all wheel drive vehicle with a CVT transmission (doesn’t shift gears or use transmission fluid like normal transmissions). The next vehicle was a 2009 Dodge Avenger—a very nice car,smooth ride, and a solid feel to the interior—similar to my Gallant. However, I realized I preferred the hatchback of the Dodge Caliber. Therefore, I asked the dealer if he had any Pontiac Vibes—he did. The only thing I liked about the Vibe was the AC blew very hard (not as cold as I’d prefer) and the vents could be adjusted so that the air hit you directly in the face. The vehicle also had a thermostat, which told me that it was 109 degrees outside, which explained why the A/C’s in the cars I was driving didn’t seem to be pumping out 45 degree air. Anyway, I didn’t like the way the Vibe drove, so I crossed that model off my list of potentials. It had small tires and felt bumpy and cheap. Then again, it was a 2006 model and had 66,000 miles—so it could have just been that particular car. Next, I drove a 2009 Dodge Caliber SE—I liked the 2008 model better because it was an R/T trim, which had AWD and the CVT transmission. Finally, I drove the 2009 Dodge Charger because they had a special. The charger usually sells for $25,000 and they had this one priced at $18,000. However, I found out that only this specific car was selling for 18k and it was blue. I did not want a blue vehicle.

Next, I talked to the dealer about the 2008 Dodge Caliber.It was not a certified pre-owned vehicle, so it only had the remainder of the factory warranty (about 7,000 miles left). The dealer said I could pay about $500 to have it certified, which would raise the warranty to 6 years/ 80,000miles. I told him I had a pregnant wife at home that couldn’t be here with me because she is sick, but I’d like her to try out the vehicle, so he let me take it home. The drive home was nice and I quickly realized that this vehicle really suited me.

Bree drove the vehicle to KFC, we picked up some chicken,and she drove us home. I had to get the car back to the dealer in an hour because they closed at 8 PM. Bree liked the vehicle but it was priced more than we wanted to pay. However, I checked the blue book value of the vehicle and saw that the dealer had it priced about $900 below blue book value. We also did some research and found out that the dealer had been holding this vehicle for over 70 days. However, their already discounted price was too high for us to make a snap decision that night, so we decided that unless they gave us an amazing deal, we would not make a decision that night.

I got back to the dealer and asked the salesman what was the best price he could offer. He explained that they only had about $9.00 wiggle room because they already had it priced to sell. I told him that we liked the vehicle but it was out of our price range for a used vehicle and we felt that they should offer to pay for the certification of the vehicle so we could get the warranty coverage. He said he couldn’t do that, so I thanked him and I headed to my car.

The End.

21 Shocking Facts

21 Shocking Facts 18 Weeks of Pregnancy Has Taught Me:
(An accurate, sometimes comical, view of my pregnancy so far)

1) Morning Sickness is way worse than "they" say it will be. Imagine the nastiest stomach flu/food poisoning/hangover you have ever had- now picture all that coupled with motion sickness for over 3 months straight- sometimes 24/7, sometimes only 2 hours a day. Riding in a car makes it worse. I've tried everything- from folk and natural remedies (crackers, SeaBands accupressure bracelets, gingersnaps, Preggie Pops, sour candies, lemon, ginger ale, ginger tea, sprite, vitamin B6, etc) to expensive prescriptions (Phenergan, Zofran, Unisom/Vitamin B6 combos). Some products make it better (Zofran actually lets me eat and function socially on a short-term basis), but I have found no "cure for the queasies." Time makes it less frequent, it seems.

2) According to my OBGYN, all gender prediction Old Wives' Tales are correct 50% of the time (the same average as just "guessing the sex," since there are only two options- boy or girl). They are fun to hear- and keep the suspense going. With today's technology, the highest accuracy ratings for gender prediction are: a) anatomy ultrasounds after the 18 week, and b) fetal dna tests (can be done any time during the pregnancy, but have a small miscarriage risk).

3) Little to no social life (see #1).

4) Pain is normal. No one or nothing could have prepared me for the innocuous aches, cramps, and ouches- stabbing or dull- of gestational "growing pains."

5) Everything smells. Actually, everything stinks. The most nausea-inducing scents are smoke, fish or poultry cooking, unwashed dishes, cars (inside and outside), and trash.

6) My body grows or moves! I was prepared for the tummy getting bigger, but my hip bones have shifted (clothes fit me funny), my foot bones have spread (shoes tighter), and my nasal cavities and gums are swollen (occasional nose bleeds and pink toothbrush).

7) Porn Star Boobs! And they continue to grow every day! I was pretty happy with my God-given amount, but not only have my breasts grown an entire size so far, they are sporting blue veins under the skin too! In fact, pretty much my whole body looks like a road map of varicose veins (increasing blood flow to the baby).

8) Peeing. All the time.

9) Forgetfulness. I was gonna write more about this topic, but I can't remember what I was gonna say...

10) Pregnancy gas is more toxic than carbon monoxide. I feel sorry for my hubby and my cats.

11) Sex Drive. What sex drive? You try having gas, nausea, and growing body parts for 18 weeks and see how desirable you feel.

12) Hot. I am Hot. AC is a must.

13) Google, Internet sites, and books can be frightening. Although they are great quick-reference guides for those weird, middle-of-the-night symptoms, I can't tell you how many times I was afraid I had some odd, 3rd world pregnancy disease. The What to Expect When You're Expecting book, although it lists its share of scary pregnancy-induced illnesses, is a definite necessity for the first-time mother. Easy to read and very informative.

14) Strangers are noisy. They love to give unsolicited advice, criticism, and gender predictions to pregnant women. I actually haven't heard this yet , but if I hear, "Your butt got big; you must be carrying a boy," I may smack someone. This actually happened to a pregnant friend of mine. My butt was full to begin with, thank you very much.

15) Dreams are both vivid and odd when pregnant. For both Michael and myself actually. Technicolor tots run around black and white playgrounds licking blue lollipops. Creepy.

16) Standing for longer than 10 minutes at a time may increase dizziness, breathlessness, fatigue, and mild edema.

17) Baby clothes, toys, necessities, and furniture are all the cutest things in the world. Michael and I love getting gift cards so we can go to stores and fantasize about what we are gonna buy for the baby after our registry has been picked over. So exciting!

18) Hemorrhoids. Enough said.

19) Feminine issues. Enough said.

20) Skin, hair, and nails have never looked better. But I do get occasional skin redness and itching from time to time on my arms and legs.

21) Miscarriages are hard physically and emotionally. No matter how many babies one starts out with, no matter how far along one is, no matter how many losses one has had, no matter how common it is. No matter what.

**Disclaimer: This is my pregnancy experience. All pregnancies are different. All women experience different symptoms and for different lengths of time. Example: my own mother, who was pregnant 3 times with 1 girl and 2 boys only had a total of 2 weeks morning sickness in her second pregnancy. She loved being pregnant and had few negative symptoms. And then she had 3 different birth experiences- epidural/drugs, C-section, and natural.**

Bree needs a haircut, pedicure, & exercise!!

So, Michael came in on Wednesday looking all well-coifed from our favorite hairstylist Aubrey. I have to admit, in the 5+ years we have lived in Tucson, Aubrey is still the best hairstylist we have come across (we have been using her off-and-on for 4 years). She has moved locations now 3 times and now is back in the Tucson Mall working at the JC Penney Salon. Not as close to us as some of the salons we have been to, but she is very good and her prices are reasonable. So, from Bree's jealousy at Michael's new "do," Bree decided to call the salon and make an appointment today. Pregnancy pro: due to an increase in certain pregnancy hormones, hair and nails grow like weeds!! I haven't had a haircut in over 4 months (my bangs are down to my mouth). I have to manicure my nails myself every few days b/c they are growing so fast. I am starting to have problems bending at the waist now, since my belly is starting to get "harder" around my belly button (due to my uterus/placenta/baby moving up), so I can no longer give myself pedicures either- as a treat, my girlfriend Meagan and I are going to Chantilly for tea, and then to get pedicures at Gadabout on Wednesday! Woo hoo! Pregnancy con: the hair grows in funny places now- there is a fine, downy coating of teeny blond hairs on my tummy! Where did that come from??

Michael is going tubing at the Salt River tomorrow with my brother Adam, his fiance Brandi, and our friends Leon and Elaine. Please take a quick minute to wish them both safety and a good time on their trip. And remind them to drink lots of water and slather on tons of sunscreen since temperatures are reaching well over 110 degrees in that area every day- even with monsoon season.

I received doctor approval to do some light exercising! I am thrilled. I haven't been able to exercise at all since I was about 5 weeks pregnant b/c the fatigue, dizziness, constant nausea, and twin pregnancy were not allowing me to exercise. After over 3 months of little activity, it has been such a relief to me and Michael that these symptoms have finally abated enough that the practitioner gave me the go ahead for certain stretches, prenatal yoga, walking, and non-rigorous machine exercises. I am approved for up to 30 minutes a day (sooner if I become dizzy, nauseous, or dehydrated, of course). I still have nausea, but it has subsided to about 2-3 hours a day now, which is sooo much better than it was.

On a fun "planning ahead" note: Bree has been checking on Prenatal Classes & Tours given at the hospital (they have a minimal cost) and Community Prenatal Workshops (free). Some of these classes look really interesting and informative: "Preparing for the Birth Experience," "Baby Care Basics," "Pump & Go Breastfeeding Workshops," "Parent CPR," "Registry Workshops," and "Buckle Up and Boogie Car Seat Safety Workshops." As first time parents, we have been reading and asking questions about these topics, but we feel it would be a great experience to attend a classroom setting so we can be hands-on and possibly make new parent friends in the process! We must register for these classes soon (they fill up fast with parents who have due dates similar to ours), even though we may not be attending some of them for another few months. I would also like to attend the 20th Annual Tucson Baby Fair on August 1, to get some good info on baby care, AZ laws concerning travel with children, and baby products.

Tomorrow begins my 5th month of pregnancy! Can you believe it!!?? Technically, I will be 18 weeks pregnant tomorrow (in gestational terms, doctors consider weeks 18-22 the 5th month of pregnancy). And in 10 days we have the Anatomy Scan of our little one! We are both psyched and anxious about this ultrasound with our Specialist b/c 1) we will know, with over 95% accuracy, what the gender of our baby is (we want that) and 2) the practitioner may find certain measurements to be abnormal (we do not want that). The last scan the Specialist did came out very well and the ultrasound tech even ventured a guess as to what she thought the baby's gender was (but the gender scan has only a 70% accuracy rate at 13 weeks, so we were skeptical). Speaking of, we will be hosting a fun "Guess the Sex" contest via e-mail after this appointment- complete with a prize- so please feel free to participate. We are looking forward to it and already have plans on what the contest will be if the baby is a boy, or if the baby is a girl. FYI: we recently polled our friends and family and, based on Old Wives' Tales, Chinese Calendars, or gut feelings, the guesses are 10 votes for girl, 6 for boy. What is your guess so far? E-mail us and let us know.

Update: Bree got her haircut with Aubrey and Bree is very happy with the results (as usual). Michael called to tell Bree that he was test driving vehicles after he got off work and thinks he may have found the family vehicle for us: a red 2008 Dodge Caliber 5-door Hatchback. The dealer let him bring it home to show me and to let me test drive it. It is nice and if we can talk the dealer down in price, as well as get a decent trade-in on my car, we may have a family vehicle soon. Fingers crossed.

Waiting on Dr office to call back

So, I am sitting here, waiting on my OBGYN to call back. She left a message for me on Thursday night, and when I tried to call back Friday, I received some weird message and crappy muzak. Yuck. I spoke with my OBGYN's nurse this morning and it appears they were closed on Friday AND their night ring answering service system was messed up. Lovely. The nurse told me this morning that I need to come in this week for a Spina Bifida test for the baby. Fun- yet another blood test. They love to take blood from me. Sadists. Since we lost one of the twins, there are more tests they are considering running: a thrombophilia test ( a test to see if my blood has been clotting too much during the pregnancy, which could have resulted in the lost twin). Since this thrombophilia test is very involved and time-consuming and offers a high risk of false-positives, the OBGYN wanted to talk with the Specialist before deciding to order that test. It is probably a test that they will decide not to do, since it was the held belief that I lost the baby due to a cyst that had formed in Twin A's placenta. She'll call me back with her answer soon.

On a fun note: we received more baby stuff. Baby presents are great to open because they are tiny and cute. We have received numerous stuffed animals, so the baby has enough stuffed animals to last 2 childhoods. Michael's Mom sent us a "soothing sounds" Pooh strap-on crib toy. My Aunt Marty bought us a "soothing sounds" decorative Tigger and Pooh pillow, and a Tigger and Pooh snow globe. We have a Tigger/Pooh lamp and all sorts of fun decorations for the nursery. Michael's mom also sent me some more maternity clothes, so I will be one stylin' Mom-to-Be, let me tell you. Also, Michael's Mom sent us some Christmas outfits and Christmas bibs/burp cloths for the baby, some baby blue jeans, and an American flag t-shirt for the munchkin. I don't know if I told you, but my girlfriend Casie also gave me some of her old maternity clothes too! Ooh, and I received a lovely gift yesterday from my girlfriend Belinda: she sent us $100 toward a crib! Thank you- all of you- for the lovely gifts and well wishes. This baby will be showered with love and attention and presents. There is still so much left to get for the baby, but s/he is off to a great start, thanks to all of you.

Update! OBGYN called back at 3:25pm to say that she spoke with the Specialist and they both recommend not having the thrombophilia test. Yay! Maybe they aren't as sadistic as I think they are. But tomorrow, I will be getting the Spina Bifida test anyway. Let the blood-letting begin.

Happy Independence Day!

Happy 4th of July! Despite the impending forecast of scattered thunderstorms today (yikes!), we are heading over to my brother Adam's house for a bbq at 4pm. We will take pictures and post them in the Family Photos section located in the Photos tab of this website tomorrow.

Also planned for tomorrow is our new belly Baby Bump picture (also located in the Photos tab of this website). Yay! As of today, I am 17 weeks pregnant- getting dangerously close to the half-way point of delivering this baby. Total weight gain since pregnancy began: 7 lbs. This is a little less than I should have gained (it is best to gain approximately 8-10 lbs by 17 weeks), but my OBGYN is not complaining. Considering I still have considerable nausea at least 6 hours a day, if not more (even though I am way past the first trimester) I think 7 lbs is good. I have a feeling the weight is mostly baby, amniotic fluid, and uterus. BTW: did you know my uterus is the size of a small melon right now! And that the baby is about 5-6 inches tall!?! Incredible.

Sadly, Michael and I were not able to learn the sex of the baby on Wednesday, July 1, as we originally hoped. But we were able to hear the heartbeat through the baby's umbilical cord, which was a neat sound. The baby's hb has become regulated by his/her brain now, so the sound is no longer quick and shallow, but rather steady at 140. So far, s/he is right on track in development. Our OBGYN is sending us to the Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist again on July 20 for a complete anatomy work-up: he will measure the size of all the baby's organs, his/her limbs, his/her fingers, his/her head, and yes...drum roll please... he will also be able to tell with high accuracy the baby's gender! Woo hoo! By July 20, I will be over 19 weeks pregnant. Our OBGYN says that this is the perfect time for the gender test, because it is most accurate between 18-22 weeks gestation. Pray that our baby passes yet another test, and his/her organs and limbs are within normal measurements.

On Friday, July 3, Michael and I were both off work for the July 4 weekend. I felt good that morning, so Michael and I decided to go grab a bite to eat, see a movie, and do a little window/grocery shopping. We ate at a Chicago- style eatery called The Loop. Then, we saw Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs. BTW: I have to give my hubby props: he remembered which sequel this was; I thought it was Ice Age 4, but he knew it was Ice Age 3. Baby brain strikes again! We also did a little window shopping for the baby at Target, in order to get an idea of what will be going on our registry after we find out the baby's sex. Lastly, we went to the new Super Walmart in Oro Valley, which was huge!! I started getting tired, and nauseated again (big surprise), so we decided to get our groceries and call it a day.