Random updates... at 23 weeks

I am now 23 weeks pregnant.

FITNESS: I took in that Get Fit class. What a great class with weight lifting and stretches which resulted in being a little sore despite biking and running still. I cant make the class during the week unless I can come up with a great excuse to have to leave work on Wednesday's at 10 for an hour. I may try to lift a bit when Jacob does. I have hit 2 yoga classes as well. We have suggested they try a Get Fit class at night during the week so I am hoping the schedule will change for August. I have signed up for Yoga at least twice a week for the rest of the month. I will try to keep that going until the end of my pregnancy.

REGISTRY: We went to Babies R Us to register for baby goods. I had read a book called Baby Bargains by Denise & Alan Fields which is like a consumer reports and mom's opinions on what to get. As we walked around I had that book with me so I think we got all the basics covered. It is very overwhelming to see all this stuff and trying to figure out what is really needed and must haves versus the fluffy stuff. If any mom or dad out there sees stuff that are must haves that we missed please let me know. :^) We didnt register for a diaper bag as we want to get a custom laptop bag from timbuk2.com. I didnt register for a jogger as I am still looking for a good one for our use meaning running and going on trails. Bob and Dreamer are suppose to be "the" brands so I have catalogs coming to compare. A pack and play we have one covered. Then we have two gates from when we got Kona which he agreed to give Emmi although our house isnt easy to block off so it will just be for the stairs.

MATERNITY LEAVE & RETURNING: I had a brief conversation with my boss about maternity leave and when I return. Luckily there is a program rolling out for people working full time from home. I did express to my boss that I will be looking to do that next year when I return. We also have a great thing within my company called back up day care so if I need to be in the office I can make arrangements to bring Emerson to their day care. It is 5 star, and it is first come first serve but you can call in advance to set up a day. In regards to maternity leave, I hope to be out 12 weeks. Due to the timing of when Emmi is due, my leave could push into 2008. Since I only get 8 weeks paid leave I am looking at creative ways of covering the last 4 weeks paid like vacation time, etc. All this was just some initial conversations with my boss and he was going to research some information for me. Hopefully in the next month or so we will have things set more in stone.

BAPTISM: We also have tentatively set up the Baptism of Emerson to take place over Christmas in Gardner. If things work out we will have her baptism at the same church, Holy Spirit, we were married performed by Stan. Stan is Jacob's best friends dad who also married us. Still have some leg work to make it all happen but that is at least what we are targetting. This also means anyone in MA around Christmas will get to meet the little one.

My belly is getting a bit bigger now. The picture Jacob took this morning doesnt show it well so we will have to try again later. I hope to post one up in the next few days.

22 weeks and still active..

Another one down…. I am 22 weeks or 5 ½ months pregnant. I have been riding my bike a ton this week. Hit a ride Sunday with Jacob at Cane Creek, yesterday with the girls at Sherman Branch and then tonight again with the Divas at Cawtaba. One guy did snap a shot of me yesterday while riding (note the Core Four shirt for the New England representation).

I am still able to hang on to the girls riding which is cool. They make extra stops so I can catch my breathe, thanks guys!!! Since I don’t ride with a heart rate monitor I feel this at least keeps things under control for Emmi. I don’t hit any of the little kickers, which are small dirt mounds that one can catch air off and I am quick to push my bike up a steep hill. I hope to still ride trail for another month or so. After that I am thinking I may start riding the greenways. Greenways are just like many of the railroad beds back home so the chance of me crashing is greatly decreased but I can still be on my bike. Charlotte has quite a few to pick from.

Patti and I are going to head to Destination Maternity tomorrow morning for a Get Fit class. She called yesterday to say she had gone to one of their yoga classes and loved it. The best part is it is free on a first come first serve basis. I hope to grab a schedule while there to start hitting yoga classes on a regular basis.

As far as the outfits go, this week I have been wearing all maternity clothes. I figured that since I can still fit in some of my regular clothes I would be able to go back if I were having a bad morning trying to pick something out. Plus it is a short week so I only have to come up with 3 work outfits and Fridays are casual. So far so good.

Looks like we will be heading to the movies this week to see.... Transformers. Jacob has been obcessed with this movie since they announced they were making it. It comes out today but I think we may take it in tomorrow while everyone else is watching fireworks.

Have a happy and safe 4th.

Just kickin' it

For the last couple weeks Emmi has been kicking like a mad woman. Taryn has been able to feel her kick(obviously since she lives in her belly for the time being), Kona has been able to feel her kick since he likes to lie with his head on Taryn's belly, me? I've felt nothing. Until last night. We were lying in bed watching how people make cheese on the History Channel and I had my hand on Taryn's belly. Oh!! What was that?? I finally felt her kick a couple time!! Visions of Alien and the thing coming out the the guys stomach ran through my head. This made solidified the realization that I'm going to be a dad and I'm going to have a daughter. It wasn't what I expected. I was expecting a thumb or something. This was more of a pushing out against the belly. I can't wait to be able to see her little feet or hands pushing out.

Good times! So excited!

Dr Appt

Just the run of the mill appointment. Checked my weight, I have put on a total of 12 pounds. Only 2 since my last visit. Since we don't have a scale at home this is the only time I find out how I am doing in that department. The pee test which checks for proteins was normal. My heart rate was excellent and so wasn't Emmi's at 160 beats. It was really cool to hear her heart beat because since she is so active now you could hear the Doppler pick up her movements. It would be thump thump really fast for the heart then all of a sudden there would be a big rustle where she would move. Really cool to hear. Then my uterus measures where it should. He did check for swelling in my ankles. No swelling and he said I shouldn't really expect it until my third trimester.

In regards to the clothing department, I have on a complete maternity outfit today, black pants and a blue striped shirt. Just figured that since I would have to slide my waistband down for the Doppler and doctor checks I would try to make it easy without the bella. When I first get up I have to keep pulling my pants up but I guess soon enough I will fill them out completely.

My next appointment is July 26th which will be just like this one. The one after that is when they check for diabetes.

Pictures pictures pictures....

Here are two pics of me at 21 weeks. The one in gym shorts was taken yesterday after we had gotten back from riding bikes at Catawba. The other one is from this morning on my way out the door for work.

Can you see my issue??? The way I look in the work picture is how I feel, or at least the way I am seeing myself.... Not very pregnant yet I am 5 months and one week along. The pants I have on are my normal size pants that I have buttoned, no bella band. Although I think I am getting to the end of wearing them without the bella so I brought it in case the afternoon bloat pushes me to needing the extra room. The shirt is a maternity shirt I picked up this weekend and no tent like feel. Over the week, I had a fashion show for my stylists, so thanks to the shirts Sara gave me, Pam's stuff, and a couple shirts I picked up over the weekend, I think I have 8-10 shirts to wear to work which has been the struggle for me. Now I know what to wear to work... Yeah!

I haven't broken out the maternity pants or shorts yet on a regular basis. The first pair of pants I wore to work on Friday were capris. They felt great but I still don't feel the need to wear them all the time. I will continue to wear my regular pants with a bella band as long as they are comfy. I think I have one or two pairs that may get retired this week so I may work some maternity pants/capris into the mix.

If all I have to write about is my struggles with what to wear then I am definitely thankful with this miraculous experience. I have a doctors appt on Thursday this week. Nothing special just the normal check up.

Don't forget to sponsor us for the 24 Hours of Booty.
Taryn's webpage
Jacob's webpage

24 Hours of Booty

Jacob and I have signed up to ride in the 24 Hours of Booty. For those of you who do not know it is a fundraising event for cancer. There is a loop in Charlotte called the Booty Loop that they shut down for 24 hours and cyclists get out and ride. It is an amazing experience. One of the groups to benefit is the Lance Armstrong Foundation. This is the same foundation that we supported with our wedding favors for those of you still wearing your livestrong bracelets.

We each have to raise a minimum of $100 by July 20th. So please help us reach our goals and donate to this great cause.

Taryn's webpage
Jacob's webpage

Thanks for your support.

Goldilocks and the 3 Outfits......

I am officially half way through at 5 months or 20 weeks. Yeah. My belly is getting bigger but I still think I look like I put on weight opposed to being pregnant if I wear normal clothes. But I need to get this clothes thing figured out.

On Friday, I met my co-workers wife who is a week behind me. She was wearing a maternity top and pants because she said normal clothes just dont fit. Then Patti, the girl I rode bikes with who is 4 weeks ahead of me, was in majority maternity clothes by now too.... I began to think, are these clothes really comfortable and I need to wear them? Am I just fooling myself thinking I can still wear my regular clothes with a Bella Band? I am all about comfort and what will work best.

Saturday I went through the maternity clothes that I have piled in the spare room since it has been a while since I went through the shirts. Plus Sara had given me a box of stuff I hadnt even opened yet. I tried on a few tops that looked smaller but they still felt so big. I felt like I was wearing a tent. I didnt try on any pants as I know there are a few pairs I may consider wearing this week and had just went through them in the past few weeks. I have secretly been eyeing Jacob's stuff to see if some of his shirts would help in this time but no such luck. His stuff is too big or just not right.

The mornings are the worst for picking out what to wear. My fashion consultants, Jacob and Kona, are still supportive although I am sure they cant wait for me to figure things out myself. I had on 3 different outfits this morning. One outfit was just right but there was a spot on the shirt. One even included a pair of maternity pants. The maternity pants are baggier or have the panel at the top so I need to make sure I wear a longer shirt to cover the top of the pants. Once again that would bring me to maternity shirts which feel like tents. I ended up wearing the trusty Bella Band with a pair of pants that the weeks are numbered with getting away with the Bella and the one button up shirt that I can still wear.

Why cant everyday be the weekend where shorts and T-shirts are it?

Check back later for a picture of me.