Mike hates this shirt, but it's sooo comfy.

Also, my co-workers took me out to lunch today and gave me a very generous gift certificate. I swear, some of those ladies are more excited about this than I am. I’m looking at you, Darcy and Jenn.

Ignore the drip of toothpaste on the mirror.

There’s really nothing else interesting to report. I just can’t wait to meet our little guy face to face. And the waiting… oh the waiting is killing me!

I do realize that once the Sprout is born I won’t be able to jump back into all my old clothes right away, but my limited selection will expand just a little bit — and that makes me happy. Also, I fear that my mile-high work shoes have worn out their usefulness, and I’ll be either giving them away to friends or taking them to the Goodwill. I weep for them. But in time I will replace them with slightly more sensible counterparts. Like these adorable little numbers from plasticland.com. *SIGH*

Perhaps horizontal stripes were a poor choice.

Plus, I am so freakin’ sick of maternity clothes! I squeezed into this non-preggo shirt this morning, and figured I was good to go. On second thought, it might be a little too tight, but I could really care less at this point. My co-workers said I looked cute, but they might have just said it to be nice.

He's getting big in there!

I check out my belly in the mirror every night and this weekend I think he dropped a little. I’m certainly noticing a lot more low movement — perhaps a little elbow or fist jabbing me on the inside of the hip bone. Let me tell you… It feels SO WEIRD! He did it while Mike and I were watching a movie the other night. It happened so fast and without warning that it startled me off the couch.

This may come as a shock to you, but I have almost no concept of how to care for a newborn. Everyone keeps saying, “Just feed him and change him; you’ll be fine!” I mean, I’ve been reading the Baby Book, trying to cram for the trial-by-fire final exam. No amount of cheating is going to help and there’s no bonus extra-credit. I’ve done my share of babysitting, but never a tiny newborn. Rough and tumble toddlers are more my style. It’s not going to be pretty!

Last night, as the Sprout began his evening calisthenics, Mike finally got to see first-hand the extent of the baby’s movement. He’s seen and felt kicks before, but this was a totally new experience for him. The belly wiggled, rolled and jolted for what seemed like several minutes. When I looked up at Mike, his eyes were saucers and his mouth gaped — clearly, the sight had him awestruck. I don’t think he was fully prepared for what he’d see when I said, “Hey, the baby’s moving, check it out.” He’s so used to being disappointed by a lack of action. I can’t help it if the kid usually stops moving at the precise moment I tell him to look. He was so impressed that he coined the spectacle the “Belly Show”.

Yeah, I still refuse to wear maternity clothes sometimes.

Oh yes, the waddling has begun. :)

In related news, the gifts from our two baby showers (one in NJ, one in Rochester) have left us with 30 pairs of 0-3 month infant socks. Some of those I have returned but that’s still a lot of socks! If anyone was still intending to buy us a gift, please heed this message: We have plenty of infant socks, thanks!

Woah Momma :)

It’s getting tougher to do certain things now: buckle my sandals, pick things up, wash the dishes (my gut hits the counter and I can’t bend into the sink as much as I’d like), etc. All in all, I’ve been fairly lucky in terms of discomforts. I can still sleep pretty soundly and, with the exception of minor soreness/stiffness, my mobility isn’t too limited. But there’s still time… :)

Ooooh, the bare belly with koi!

And for those of you who complained that there were no pictures with my face in them… Here you go.

Big Pregnant Dork!

So the pregnancy commentary continues: Someone came up to me on Sunday and said that she and her mother were discussing how I don’t look pregnant in my face yet… I know that some women gain weight all over when they’re pregnant, and thankfully I haven’t. But I couldn’t help but think, “It’s not like I’m giving birth to this child out of my mouth!” Now that would be scary!!

Also, I’m proud to announce that my beautiful cousin gave birth to a baby boy yesterday. Everyone thought she was having a girl – everyone except for Mike. He’s very proud of the fact he was right, but I think he was just trying to be contradictory. Anyhoo, congrats cous’ and welcome to my family’s newest addition: Dominic Richard!!

Mostly the “cute” comments come from people I know–not total strangers, thank goodness! And I know it’s all meant to be complimentary, but they tend to make me squirm a little. Perhaps I’m just bad at taking compliments. I obviously don’t want to make anybody feel bad, so I try to take it graciously and in stride… with varying success.

Case in point: Since yesterday was Easter Sunday, I got a little dressed up for Church with a cute (there’s THAT WORD again) multicolored maternity top. As soon as I got there, I was accosted by a woman who loves all things pregnant and adorable. While I know she means well and she’s a very nice woman, we don’t exactly agree on cute philosophies. She rushed up to me and gushing with excitement exclaimed, “I just have to say!! You look like a big Easter egg!” I tried to crack a smile but only managed to come out with an “Oh dear” and a pained look on my face. To which she quickly rebounded, saying it’s because I’m so cute… Those within earshot erupted with uproarious laughter. I knew what she meant, and I wasn’t upset with her, but I know my response made her feel bad. I couldn’t help it. I don’t want to feel like a big anything, which is ironic because I AM a big pregnant lady.

So last week I had another ultrasound, and it was pretty cool to see the “sprout” all formed and looking like a baby rather than a bean. We were also excited to learn that the sprout is a boy! I’m pretty relieved about that, actually, since we had been unable to agree on a girl’s name. My mother is a little disappointed though. I think she wanted to buy little ruffly dresses and cutesy things.

The child already has Mike’s nose and my chin.

Again with the exclamation points. :)

He waved just as the ultrasound tech was finishing up… HOW CUTE!!!

I’ve been feeling him move quite a lot now, which makes this whole pregnancy thing seem so much more real and interesting. It’s not as if I wasn’t excited before, but now it seems so much cooler! I know I’ve still got about 5 months, but I can’t wait to meet him!