What I'll Miss

There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to doing again when I'm not pregnant anymore.  On the list:

- Walking up a flight of stairs without getting winded.
- Eating spicy tuna -- cooked sushi doesn't quite cut it!
- Toasting with champagne instead of Kiddie Cocktails at weddings and other celebrations.
- Fitting into clothes that have actual waistbands.
- Being able to put my shoes and socks on without having to adjust around my belly.

The list goes on.

Still, despite the fact that I'm excited to chow down on a Fire & Ice Roll at Kyoto, there are definite things I'll miss about being pregnant, and I don't think I mention those enough.  So, here goes:

- Feeling my baby pumpkin kick.  I can understand how women feel a void when their babies are no longer safely in their bellies -- I've grown used to (and quite fond of) Gavin's little squirms.
- Preparing for Gavin's arrival.  It's fun to envision what it'll be like when our baby gets here, and actually have time to set everything up the way we want to!  Once Gavin arrives, there will be all sorts or other things to look forward to, but it's pretty fun looking forward to meeting him for the first time.
- Expectant mother's parking spots.  Stephen and I feel pretty accomplished when we find a grocery store or mall that has them.
- Food cravings.  Once this baby gets here, I no longer have an excuse to eat Skyline nearly as much as I have throughout this pregnancy.  Operation "I Hate Baby Weight" will commence 4-6 weeks after Gavin's arrival.
- Having Stephen talk to my belly and feel for kicks.  It's neat to feel so connected as a family.  I know that'll continue even when Gavin gets here, but there's something special about building that relationship.

Anyway, throughout the rest of the pregnancy, I'm going to try and focus on the things I enjoy about being pregnant rather than look forward to the things I get to do when the baby arrives.  Hopefully it'll make the rest of September and October fly by!

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Stephen and I have had a very good week in terms of baby Gavin.  We had our 3D/4D ultrasound on Thursday and found out that G is weighing just over three pounds and is right on track for where he's supposed to be.  I also got a clean bill of health, which is comforting to hear.  We got some great photos of his chubby bunny face, as well as a DVD of the ultrasound itself.  All in all, it was my favorite appointment yet.  Now I start seeing the doctor every two weeks...we're in the single digits for weeks left of this pregnancy!  Ahhhh!

I had my work shower on Friday night at Slatt's -- it was wonderful.  Beth and the rest of the people I work with put together lots of cute, personalized things for me and the baby, and we got spoiled with so many great gifts!  I'm washing some of Gavin's new goodies as we speak.  Dinner was great, the company was great, and I felt very special.  :)  Now I'm looking forward to another shower next weekend!

I also had the chance to celebrate my soon-to-be nephew at Mindy's shower yesterday.  Mindy looked adorable, and after all the gift opening, it became clear that baby Quinn is going to be a well-dressed little nugget!  I got to chit chat with Doug for a bit, which was wonderful because he's always sooooo busy, so it was a really nice opportunity to talk about all the exciting things we have coming up in the Berg and Dowd families.  I'm super excited for Doug and Mindy -- they are going to be incredible parents.

Alright, I think that officially catches this blog up on the big news.  It's hard to find time to update when there is so much going on!  It's only going to get crazier from here...  I can't wait!  :)

Why do short weeks always FEEL the longest?

We had a wonderfully relaxing Labor Day weekend, but this week has dragged onnnnn!  I don't know how it's possible, but Tuesday felt like a Monday and a Friday all at the same time.  It doesn't help that I haven't been feeling well (my back is KILLING me).  Still, some fun things happened this week:

- I had an OB appointment on Tuesday with the fifth and final physician in the practice.  I didn't really care for him or his lackluster bedside manner.  He had clearly not read my chart and had no idea when my due date was, what was going on with my pregnancy, what doctors at my previous appointments had told me...I mean, it was really off-putting.  Also, just to kill his credibility, he told me I should sit in a hot tub to make my back feel better.  A whirlpool, actually.  While pregnant.  I felt like asking him if I should drink a bottle of wine while I'm at it...maybe eat some raw fish too?  I mean, come on.  Still, it's nice to have finally met all five doctors.  Now I just have to hope that Gavin's big debut falls on a day where one of the three docs I like is on call!

- Stephen has been able to join me for every single appointment so far -- seriously, he wins Husband of the Year for his involvement in this pregnancy -- but unfortunately, this last appointment coincided with a surprise orientation for his new term at Cincinnati State.  Since we have our ultrasound next week and he'll get to see Gavin then, we decided to keep this week's appointment and ask my mom to go with me! Stephen and I have obviously heard the little pumpkin's heartbeat a few times (though never enough), and my dad has gotten to hear it via stethoscope at the office, but my mom hadn't had the chance yet.  It was a really neat experience to share with her and I'm glad she was willing to go with me.

- My belly started MOVING this week!  Like, really moving.  I first noticed it when I was in the tub (the regular bath tub, not the doctor "recommended" hot tub) and the water started rippling around my tummy!  Then Stephen and I were sitting on the couch when I saw one side of my stomach cave in and the other side bulge out.  It was sooooo weird and amazing.  We watched it for like twenty minutes -- it was better than television, I swear.  Every new milestone makes us that much more excited to meet our baby boy.

- And since this week was filled with sharing experiences, it was also exciting that Dad felt Gavin kick for the first time yesterday!  Gavin was having a particularly active day while I was at work, so I waited until I could see him moving and had Dad put his hand where I felt the movement.  A watched pot never boils, so of course G wasn't kicking as much as he had been, but Dad did get to feel him once or twice!  He had been disappointed that he couldn't feel him when he checked the heartbeat a few weeks ago, so I was really happy that our little booger was more cooperative this time around.  :)  

So, that's that!  Lots of fun baby milestones, Stephen started his new term, pumpkin spice lattes are now at Starbucks, and rumor has it that my little brother might be making an appearance in Cincinnati this weekend!  It's been a good, long "short" week.

It's HERE!

Well, Fall isn't technically here yet...but it sure feels like it outside!  We went to the Loveland Bike Trail this afternoon for a walk -- it'll be nice to get back to biking and rollerblading next year -- and it was nothing short of perfection.  The temperature was in the high 60's, the leaves were rustling, someone had a campfire going nearby, and everyone was outside with their families and loved ones.  It's crazy to think that two days ago, Cincinnati was breaking records because of the heat (over 100 degrees), and now it's cool enough to wear a scarf and sweater.

This evening we're making chili (yum) and sacking out on the couch -- enjoying the last night of our long, relaxing weekend!  Throw in a pumpkin spice latte (decaf, of course) and you've got yourself an amazing start to my favorite time of year.

Weddings

Stephen and I went to the wedding of our friends Emily and Michael last night, which was lovely.  I worked with Emily at Creme a few years ago, before either of us were engaged, and we would talk nonstop about our dream weddings (and rings, and dresses, and all the other fun stuff that comes along with a wedding).  She and Michael attended our big day almost a year ago, and it was neat to see her dream wedding come true last night.

My favorite kinds of weddings are the ones where the ceremonies are meaningful.  I'm all about a great cake and beautiful centerpieces, but at the end of the day, the wedding should be about the couple and the commitment rather than the sparkly accessories.  Both of my brothers had ceremonies that were special for them -- Doug and Mindy hand-selected meaningful quotes and traditions, and Ken and Erin had Beatles music (Erin's favorite) as the backdrop for their big day.  Stephen and I worked closely with our officiant to create a ceremony that was very us.  Emily's ceremony was perfect -- there wasn't a dry eye by the end.  Michael looked blown away by how beautiful his bride was as she walked down the aisle, and they wrote their own vows.  Anyone could see how in love they were.  The cocktail hour and reception were just as nice -- I enjoyed endless Kiddie Cocktails with extra maraschino cherries, haha.  It was a sweet, intimate event.

When we got home, one of the first things Stephen said was, "I wish it were our wedding again."  Quickly approaching our first anniversary, we've been thinking a lot about how great that day was.  Our lives have been so rich since then, so filled with love.  And now to welcome a baby into our lives is such a blessing!  I'm very excited to celebrate our anniversary next month and feel lucky every day to have made such an enormous commitment on October 30, 2010.  

Congratulations, Emily and Michael!  Here's to a beautiful marriage to complement your beautiful wedding!

Mmm!

I washed all of Gavin's baby clothes, hats, burp clothes, bibs, hooded towels, wash clothes, and blankets this afternoon and am now convinced that there are few smells better than freshly washed baby things.  I can only imagine that a freshly washed baby will smell even sweeter.  :)

Weekly Update

- I am now officially in my third trimester!  Hooray!  Gavin is kicking up a storm, usually at night, and today Stephen and I actually saw him nearly punch through my belly...he's got some spunk!  I can't believe our little man will be here in a few short months.  My goal this week is to wash all of his cutie pie clothes and bedding.  We chose his coming-home outfits this week -- one newborn size and one 0-3 months size, just so we're prepared either way.  I LOVE both outfits, and their matching hats (of course).  We're signing up for the hospital tour and birthing classes soon, so it's all becoming very, VERY real and exciting!

- My old Macbook Pro burnt through the video card this week and will no longer turn on, so we did some research and ended up buying another Apple yesterday!  I looked at a bunch of PC laptops, Dells and Sonys mostly, but I really preferred the Mac operating system and had grown used to how everything on an Apple worked...so I'm writing this blog entry from my sparkly new computer!  I can't figure out how to download Microsoft Office yet, and I can't do the data transfer from my old computer until I get Office, so right now my computer is just good for Internet, but it's a start.  I'm looking forward to having my photos and music again.

- We took Gavin to his very first (in-utero) football game last night!  I love preseason games, in part because everyone is still really excited for the season and in part because the night games have such nice weather.  It was beautiful and breezy and, maybe more importantly, the Bengals actually played well!  We're planning to go to the final preseason game against the Colts next week, and hopefully one or two games at the beginning of the season (the Colts come back October 16) -- then I'll probably be done for the year.  Stephen will most likely catch a few games after the baby arrives, but Gavin and I will watch at home in our Bengals gear (because, trust me, G has lots of Bengals gear already).  We are already excited to take him to Paul Brown Stadium next fall.  There was a little boy sitting in front of us last night, probably four- or five-years old, and you could literally see Stephen envisioning himself in the stands with our son.  It was a great, great night.  :)

- September is shaping up to be a busy month!  We have a few fun appointments (including a 3D/4D ultrasound), I have a work shower and a couples shower towards the end of the month, Mindy has her shower, my mom celebrates her birthday, and FALL BEGINS!  We are approaching my favorite time of year and I am slowly but surely getting more emotional (in a good way) about all the changes about to take place.

Nursery, Part III

I'll post pictures later, but Stephen and I built Gavin's dresser yesterday.  It took us three tries and nearly five hours -- thank goodness Bobby helped build the way-more-complicated crib/changing table last week -- but it's built.  Not only is it built, but it looks AWESOME.  Now we just have to wait another few weeks for our glider to be delivered -- but thankfully, no assembly is required for that!

Having completed the furniture-building process, Stephen and I agreed that if your marriage can survive building a dresser together (when neither of you possess that skill), your marriage can survive anything.  There were a few tantrums and tears (I'm six months pregnant, give me a break), but at the end of the day it's nice to feel like we really worked hard to make an adorable home for Gavin (and his many, MANY clothes).  My parents came over for dinner last night and oooh'd and ahhh'd over the near-finished nursery, which of course made us forget the torture of building that dang dresser and just beam with pride over the weeks of work that have gone into the room itself.

My mom starts work on her under-the-sea themed nursery next week!  The bedding is ADORABLE (it's one of the sets I was looking at if I could've swayed Stephen from the sports theme), so the room is going to be precious.  We spent a lot of time at Lowe's looking at paint colors and carpet samples, so it'll be really neat to see how everything comes together.  The nursery is going in my old room at my parent's house, so Gavin and Quinn will hopefully have as many good memories in there as I do.

The set my parents ordered for the babies.  So cute!