This is a new experience for me... I'm blogging in the car on a roadtrip using my new work laptop, equipped with a Verizon aircard. It's amazing how far technology has come even in my 24 years, but I digress...
Anyway, I brought my laptop with the good intentions of getting some work done on the long drive up to Illinois for my cousin's wedding, but some issues with our main server have prevented me from doing so, so what better way to pass the time than write a new blog entry?
There's nothing much new in the Patricks' world, just me being pregnant. Anyone who's been pregnant before knows that's no walk in the park. I think I jinxed myself early on by assuming that since my mom never had any morning sickness with me or my brother, that I was in the clear. Boy was I wrong. At about 6-7 weeks, nausea hit me with the force of a brick wall and didn't subside for almost 2 weeks straight. Now, at 9 weeks and 5 days, I'm just now finally starting to feel semi-normal again, although I never know what sights, smells, or tastes will send me running to the nearest bathroom to dry heave for fifteen minutes. Tyson has been as helpful and supportive as possible, running to the store for the random bland food items I think I can stomach, and getting rid of the ones I can't. And he also doesn't complain that I come home at 5:30 everyday and immediately take a spot on the couch or in bed and don't move until it's time to go to work the next morning. Who knew growing a baby could be so much work, and cause so much exhaustion?
Morning sickness aside, the arrival of our baby is the one thing I've looked forward to more than anything in my life. I thought I was excited about our wedding, but the time flew by for that in comparison to the wait I feel like I have to endure until November when we'll finally meet our little Patrick. Every time I see a baby now, I get choked up and emotional and feel sad that I still have to wait so long. I know those feelings are ridiculous, and 7 months from now I'll be freaking out and thinking how little time I had to prepare for everything. But right now the due date just seems to be light years away!
So far, we've gotten two ultrasounds and two amazing chances to hear the baby's heartbeat. Our OB couldn't be more reassuring and positive about the pregnancy right now, saying everything looks perfect...which makes sense, since I can't imagine my baby being anything less! In our last visit, we actually got to see little tiny body parts...the whole head, and we could even see where the eyes and nose are forming, and arms and legs with little feet... Truly a miracle to see it! And we found out our little nugget is quite an active little thing! While watching the ultraound, tiny legs were kicking nonstop. It was so adorable, and Tyson especially was so giddy he couldn't stop laughing! The doctor told me to get my rest in now, because when TOM gets big enough for me to feel those kicks, I won't be getting any sleep! :)
Funny little anecdote...a true one...that happened to me recently: I'm going to be a bridesmaid in a friend's wedding in mid June. Obviously I'll be showing by then, and the procedures for doing a dress fitting are slightly different than for a non-pregnant person. My friend had called ahead and asked what the process would be for me, and they had told her that they would take my current measurements and ask me a few questions about how far along I was and whether or not it was a first pregnancy, etc. So last weekend I brought my mom with me to David's Bridal to get my measurements done. Of course, it's prom season, so the store was packed with a million teenage girls trying on dresses for that. We were assigned a sales associate who had worked there for less than a week. I explained that I was pregnant, and she asked me what size I normally wear. I told her a 2-4. She brought out three different dresses....sizes 8, 10 and 12. This alarmed me a little, but I didn't say much. She brought me to a dressing room, and right before I went in, she handed me a pillow with two velcro straps and told me I would need to strap it around my stomach underneath the dress. I just stared at her. This was not the process I had been expecting. Coming out of that dressing room was pure misery. I swear I had 50 sets of eyes staring at my huge deformed stomach, with a consultant who was poking and prodding my body but really not making any progress as to what we should do about sizing. In the end, after standing in the middle of that room for ten minutes in front of everyone, it was decided that my normally petite body should order a size 10 dress....3-4 sizes bigger than normal. Not in the mood to argue and really just wanting to escape from the store, I adopted the belief that too much fabric is always better than not enough, and signed the credit card slip and bolted.
So that's our life in a nutshell right now. Well, it's mine anyway. Sleep, pee, take prenatal vitamins, eat something...ANYTHING...as long as I can keep it down, repeat. They say the second trimester is easier...I'm about 3-4 weeks away from that, and I'm sure hoping for even the slightest burst in energy and appetite. Other than that, we're just spending our time making baby plans and, in Tyson's case, waiting for lake and football seasons, respectively. (I think it helps for him to break long waiting periods into smaller, highly anticipated parts...in Tyson's case, it's always summer fun and anything Volunteer related.) Until next post, here's to hoping for less nausea and potty breaks!
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Thursday, March 10, 2011
First Comes Love, Then Comes Marriage, Then Comes Baby in a Baby Carriage!
Well if you believe everything you read on Facebook (and why wouldn't you?), word in the social networking world is we're having a baby. I must confess, this particular rumor is true! Tyson and I are going to be parents. God help that poor child, he/she never even had a chance at a normal life.
Tyson has already convinced me that our baby's first outfit, regardless of gender, will be a UT Vols outfit. He has also stipulated that Baby Patrick's first outfit home from the hospital will be a completely different UT Vols outfit. I used to think I had some semblance of reasonableness left in me when it came to the Vols, but I think Tyson must have completed my conversion phase without me even knowing it during the last football season. What other explanation can there be for a young, excited mother-to-be agreeing to deck their newborn out in orange rather than the traditional adorable pinks for a girl and blues for a boy? I must officially be just another crazy obsessed die-hard Vol for life. If this kid's blood doesn't run orange straight out of the womb, I'm afraid it's in for a life of torture by its father, and apparently even its own mother. There's no safe ground!
All kidding aside, we could not be happier or more excited about becoming parents. At barely six weeks along, we are already making plans for a nursery, itching to start a baby registry, and have started buying packages of diapers at every trip to the store so that we have a stock built up before the baby even comes. We've bought three baby books and have all but shouted our expectant status from the rooftops to anyone and everyone who will listen. We're pumped. And young though we may be, at my age of 23, almost 24, both mine and Tyson's mothers had already given birth to two children each by this point in their lives, so I have no doubt that we are ready and capable. We know how much life is about to change for us, and in fact it already has for me, but we welcome the challenge and can't wait to start building our own little family.
Our first ultrasound is scheduled for two weeks from today on March 24th. So far, so good at this point in the pregnancy. All my levels look good, and I've had absolutely no morning sickness so far (fingers crossed it stays that way). I tire out very easily, but other than that, not much has changed yet. Tyson has already become the junk food Nazi, denying me anything that wouldn't be good for the baby and asking me incessantly if I'm "supposed to be eating that." He's going to be a great dad! :)
Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks and months for more updates on Baby Patrick's progress. He or she should be making his or her first appearance in the world around November 7th, not even a full 8 months from now!
Tyson has already convinced me that our baby's first outfit, regardless of gender, will be a UT Vols outfit. He has also stipulated that Baby Patrick's first outfit home from the hospital will be a completely different UT Vols outfit. I used to think I had some semblance of reasonableness left in me when it came to the Vols, but I think Tyson must have completed my conversion phase without me even knowing it during the last football season. What other explanation can there be for a young, excited mother-to-be agreeing to deck their newborn out in orange rather than the traditional adorable pinks for a girl and blues for a boy? I must officially be just another crazy obsessed die-hard Vol for life. If this kid's blood doesn't run orange straight out of the womb, I'm afraid it's in for a life of torture by its father, and apparently even its own mother. There's no safe ground!
All kidding aside, we could not be happier or more excited about becoming parents. At barely six weeks along, we are already making plans for a nursery, itching to start a baby registry, and have started buying packages of diapers at every trip to the store so that we have a stock built up before the baby even comes. We've bought three baby books and have all but shouted our expectant status from the rooftops to anyone and everyone who will listen. We're pumped. And young though we may be, at my age of 23, almost 24, both mine and Tyson's mothers had already given birth to two children each by this point in their lives, so I have no doubt that we are ready and capable. We know how much life is about to change for us, and in fact it already has for me, but we welcome the challenge and can't wait to start building our own little family.
Our first ultrasound is scheduled for two weeks from today on March 24th. So far, so good at this point in the pregnancy. All my levels look good, and I've had absolutely no morning sickness so far (fingers crossed it stays that way). I tire out very easily, but other than that, not much has changed yet. Tyson has already become the junk food Nazi, denying me anything that wouldn't be good for the baby and asking me incessantly if I'm "supposed to be eating that." He's going to be a great dad! :)
Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks and months for more updates on Baby Patrick's progress. He or she should be making his or her first appearance in the world around November 7th, not even a full 8 months from now!
Friday, February 11, 2011
WARNING: V-Day Lovers Don't Read This
Ok, is it weird that, as a woman, I don't like Valentine's Day? I guess "don't like it" isn't the right way to put it. I guess it's more that I'm indifferent. It's like any other day to me. I don't look forward to it, or expect a big surprise, or even do much planning for it of my own. And I know what you're thinking, clearly I had a bad experience when I was younger when I was alone, or going through a breakup, or had a crappy boyfriend who didn't treat me right on that day... but no. Since high school, I've ALWAYS had a boyfriend on Valentine's Day, and with the exception of one year, they were all really good guys. Even the one exception year wasn't a bad one, it's just not a guy I would brag about.
So what the heck am I lacking that every other girl on the planet has, that makes me not care about this holiday? I have no idea. I used to think it was because I didn't buy into the whole consumerist Hallmark holiday idea, but I really don't think that's it. I mean sure, it's kind of ridiculous that it's pretty much just a day for all greeting card, chocolate, flower, spa, and restaurant companies to triple their year-to-date revenues in one day, but that really doesn't affect me, so who cares? If anything, it's a day of economny boosting that we desperately need in these times.
I've never been a very openly affectionate person, so maybe that's it. I'm not a big fan of public displays of affection, and aside from holding hands and an occasional hug or quick kiss, I've never participated in much of it myself. One of my biggest all-time pet peeves is going to the movies and seeing a couple of teenagers a few rows down in the middle of a heavy petting session while I'm trying to watch what's going on on the screen. It's distracting and inappropriate, and some stuff you just keep private. So maybe I just don't like that that kind of thing increases tenfold on Valentine's Day.
Today is February 11th and Tyson and I haven't even talked about making plans for Valentine's Day. A bunch of our friends have nice romantic evenings planned, or are celebrating early this weekend with some day trips or fun activities, but not us. I'm sure Tyson will do something sweet for me, as he always does. He is really good about spoiling and pampering me, despite me telling him I don't expect it. And I do make it hard on him, because Tyson IS a very affectionate person, and I'm sure it's frustrating to deal with someone like me when it's in your nature to be romantic. But aside from whatever sweet thing that Tyson has planned, I envision that our Monday night will be much like any other Monday night -- dinner in front of the TV watching HIMYM and Hawaii 5-0. And you know what? That sounds pretty damn near perfect to me.
One positive thing I will say about Valentine's Day... In recent years, I will admit I have come to look forward to this day for one reason in particular. My brother, one of the most infuriating, annoying, headstrong, obstinate, and disagreeable people in my life, does a complete 180 on this day. My parents have really raised this boy right, and I have to say, Erin is one lucky woman to have Justin as her boyfriend. In addition to the wonderful day I'm sure he will have planned for her, Justin will get me, my mother, and my grandmother all a Valentine's Day card and gift. He writes the sweetest, nicest things a sister could ever hope to hear from her brother. Seriously, his words always make me cry. And the gifts are always so thoughtful, which is a welcome change for a sister, especially when rest of the year at any gift-giving occasion he relies on me to think of and buy the gifts for our family members. One year he bought me two of my favorite movies on DVD, and last year, in the midst of some very stressful wedding planning, he gave both me and my mom gift certificates to a spa so we could go get a massage together. He is the best, and honestly I think Tyson and my Dad secretly hate it when he trumps them like that! ;)
So there's my Valentine's Day rant. I definitely don't mean to bring anyone down with my V-Day negativity. It's just not a holiday for me, and it probably never will be. In fact, if any of my single ladies wanna hang out on this day, feel free to holla at me. I'll be the one in the sweatpants with a TV tray watching whatever crazy antics Marshall, Lily, Barney, Ted, and Robin get into this week.
So what the heck am I lacking that every other girl on the planet has, that makes me not care about this holiday? I have no idea. I used to think it was because I didn't buy into the whole consumerist Hallmark holiday idea, but I really don't think that's it. I mean sure, it's kind of ridiculous that it's pretty much just a day for all greeting card, chocolate, flower, spa, and restaurant companies to triple their year-to-date revenues in one day, but that really doesn't affect me, so who cares? If anything, it's a day of economny boosting that we desperately need in these times.
I've never been a very openly affectionate person, so maybe that's it. I'm not a big fan of public displays of affection, and aside from holding hands and an occasional hug or quick kiss, I've never participated in much of it myself. One of my biggest all-time pet peeves is going to the movies and seeing a couple of teenagers a few rows down in the middle of a heavy petting session while I'm trying to watch what's going on on the screen. It's distracting and inappropriate, and some stuff you just keep private. So maybe I just don't like that that kind of thing increases tenfold on Valentine's Day.
Today is February 11th and Tyson and I haven't even talked about making plans for Valentine's Day. A bunch of our friends have nice romantic evenings planned, or are celebrating early this weekend with some day trips or fun activities, but not us. I'm sure Tyson will do something sweet for me, as he always does. He is really good about spoiling and pampering me, despite me telling him I don't expect it. And I do make it hard on him, because Tyson IS a very affectionate person, and I'm sure it's frustrating to deal with someone like me when it's in your nature to be romantic. But aside from whatever sweet thing that Tyson has planned, I envision that our Monday night will be much like any other Monday night -- dinner in front of the TV watching HIMYM and Hawaii 5-0. And you know what? That sounds pretty damn near perfect to me.
One positive thing I will say about Valentine's Day... In recent years, I will admit I have come to look forward to this day for one reason in particular. My brother, one of the most infuriating, annoying, headstrong, obstinate, and disagreeable people in my life, does a complete 180 on this day. My parents have really raised this boy right, and I have to say, Erin is one lucky woman to have Justin as her boyfriend. In addition to the wonderful day I'm sure he will have planned for her, Justin will get me, my mother, and my grandmother all a Valentine's Day card and gift. He writes the sweetest, nicest things a sister could ever hope to hear from her brother. Seriously, his words always make me cry. And the gifts are always so thoughtful, which is a welcome change for a sister, especially when rest of the year at any gift-giving occasion he relies on me to think of and buy the gifts for our family members. One year he bought me two of my favorite movies on DVD, and last year, in the midst of some very stressful wedding planning, he gave both me and my mom gift certificates to a spa so we could go get a massage together. He is the best, and honestly I think Tyson and my Dad secretly hate it when he trumps them like that! ;)
So there's my Valentine's Day rant. I definitely don't mean to bring anyone down with my V-Day negativity. It's just not a holiday for me, and it probably never will be. In fact, if any of my single ladies wanna hang out on this day, feel free to holla at me. I'll be the one in the sweatpants with a TV tray watching whatever crazy antics Marshall, Lily, Barney, Ted, and Robin get into this week.
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