In the 10 week countdown!

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One day shy of 30 weeks!

We're officially in the 10 week countdown now! And what's more, we're leaving to go to Yokosuka on May 11th (at 37 weeks) to wait nearby the hospital! We're all getting very excited. The house is more and more ready with everyday. All the tiny clothes are washed, diapers are prewashed, folded, and ready to go, and Bennet felt his brother move for the first time the other day! Tim still hasn't read the birth coach book I gave him. And now that we're in the countdown, my polite pleas for him to prepare himself for the birth of our son and my strategic placing of the book where he's sure to see it have morphed into slightly less polite demands that he read the damn book before I have to strategically place it somewhere else. I'm happy to report that I caught him reading it today, unprompted, during siesta. :)

Baby dropped!

Already! Can you believe it? I was shocked. This morning when I woke up, I had lots of pressure and pain very low in my abdomen. Hoping it would go away, I went about my normal routine. But it only got worse. So I headed in to see the doctor just to be sure everything was ok. And it seems he's flipped into the head down position! Yesterday, he was kicking my ribs, and now he's so low, my whole belly has changed shape.

***TMI WARNING***

Just to be safe, she checked my cervix, which is still long and closed. So no preterm labor worries, thankfully!

***TMI WARNING ENDED***

His heart rate was 144 bpm and I'm measuring 29 weeks. My glucose test came back perfect and I'm just barely borderline anemic (12.0-16.0 is normal and mine was 11.6). I also got my rhogam shot today. So all in all, a good, clean bill of health.

I go back in 2 weeks now instead of monthly. And I finally got a date for me to head up to Tokyo to be near the hospital. I'll be leaving on monday, May 11th when I hit 37 weeks. Just one day after mother's day!! I am thrilled about this especially since last year, Tim was gone for training on my first mother's day. I am very happy that we'll get to spend the day as a family this year.

A Tiny Hat for a Tiny Head

I found a great pattern for a hat to fit a brand new baby (it's soooo tiny). So I knit one up (with a few modifications to the pattern of course) the other night when I was supposed to be folding laundry. So, our little one is certain to be the most stylish, fashion forward baby on the labor & delivery floor at USNH Yokosuka!

View From the Top

27 weeks

Miyajima and Monster Feet

Over the weekend, we went back to Miyajima. We visited back in August when we first arrived here, but it was so darn hot that we never got to go up Mt. Misen. So, this time, we took the ropeway up to the summit. It was a great day for it too! Not too hot or cold. While we were there, we had a local specialty called Okonomiyaki. It's a thin crepe-like dough with lots of cabbage, pork, egg, and special sauce on top. Tim got it with shrimp and squid. I got it with oyster which is abundant in our region. Bennet tasted squid and oyster! He seemed to like both of them!


After lunch, we walked around the market for awhile before we went up to the mountain. It was a gorgeous walk on the way to the ropeway. We of course had to stop to take pictures along the way!


Once we got to the top, we saw deer and monkeys all over the place. Bennet was very interested in all the animals running around! We walked around the summit for awhile, but poor Tim soon learned that pregnant women and three year olds are not the best hiking partners! On our way back to the ferry, Tim had squid on a stick, a popular street vendor food. Yum!


And on a completely unrelated note, I knit some monster feet booties for Squiddy!

27 weeks and OFFICIALLY in the third trimester!!

Title says it all! Only 13 weeks to go!

99 Days!

That's right! This morning marked the official foray into double digits. Only 99 days until my due date. I cannot even begin to express how good that feels! To celebrate, I'm sharing my latest belly photo from last night. I'm just a few days shy of 26 weeks. Which means I only have one more week left in the second trimester! I would ask where the time has gone, but I actually can't remember what it feels like to NOT have a human being inside me. 99 days doesn't seem all that long though! Not when I started with 280 days to go!

And, we've been having issues getting photos off of the camera and onto the computer. I can only do them one at a time, which takes FOREVER. So don't hold your breath for tons of pics! We're working on the problem and you're just going to have to hold yourself over with these!

Just because they're so darn handsome!

My new wrap carrier makes an awesome hammock for Bennet. Check back in 99 days for pics of Baby Nelis being worn in it. I cannot wait to babywear again!

Belly shot

Here's our most recent belly picture from the very end of 22 weeks. I'm starting to really FEEL pregnant. It's taking a bit more effort to roll over, get up, and bend than it ever did before. Hard to believe I have 16 more weeks to grow!


Per my doctor's orders, I've been relaxing more and having fewer braxton-hicks, which is great. But now it seems that I need to relax less. Apparently, if I sit for too long (which is kind of necessary for relaxing), I get horrible sciatica pain when I get up. Long story short, Tim had to come home from work today to rescue me! We went to the doctor and his new advice is to not sit for too long, but rather keep moving and changing positions. Oh, and I'm allowed to take a whole tylenol!!! (note oozing sarcasm) I'm just hoping I have no attacks next week while Tim is in Alabama for training!!!

Relax! Relax! Relax!

That's the doctor's order I got this morning. I've been having some Braxton-Hicks contractions lately. Probably due to the full social agenda that Bennet has been keeping me busy with. The doctor isn't too concerned as long as the contractions don't become more intense or too frequent. So for now, the official order is to let the house go and relax. Should be fine today, but tomorrow B has gym playgroup in the morning and then school in the afternoon. So I'll just do my best to get some rest in between, and of course, plenty of hydration.

Baby Boy's heartrate was 150 today, which is just perfect and my belly is measuring right on target too! So, it seems that other than the contractions, we're doing pretty well.

Snips & Snails or Sugar & Spice???

Isn't that the sweetest little foot you ever saw?

Well, we just got home from our (long) trip to Yokosuka for the BIG day! And Squiddy was ready for us! We got to the hospital and checked in for our appointment around 9 am. The sonographer took us back to the room and we all got ready to see how much Squiddy had changed in 5 weeks! We found out that the Squid is now a whopping 12 ounces and we even got to see our little one yawning and squirming around. It would seem that the softer kicks I've been feeling aren't actually kicks at all!! They were punches! It was really fun to see AND feel the movement. We also found out that my placenta is on the front of the uterus which means that it should be much harder for me to feel movement. Of course that has certainly not been the case. Although, it would explain why I never felt the flutters everyone talks about! I just started getting kicked from the get go.

That's a hand covering the face, in case you can't tell!

I suppose you're all waiting for me to get to the REALLY exciting part, huh? Well, it turns out that my fear of a modest baby was completely unfounded! We didn't have to search around at all, because Squids flashed us as soon as the ultrasound wand hit my belly!! Tim and I didn't even need the sonographer to tell us that we're expecting a sweet little BOY!! It was obvious!

How cool is that?

We are both so thrilled to welcome a second son! And Bennet is very excited that he is getting a little brother this summer! After the appointment, we headed upstairs to the maternity floor for a tour. It was nice to see where our son is going to be born and we got to talk to one of the midwives there. She is one of the two midwives on staff, so there is a very good chance that she could be the one attending our birth! We actually didn't know that the hospital had any midwives and were thrilled to find out! We're planning a natural birth and we'd had some anxiety about delivering with doctors who might not be as gung ho about it as we are. So that was a VERY pleasant surprise for us!

And there's our sweet boy's face! Look at those chunky little cheeks!!

After that, we all trekked over the department store on base for a little (a.k.a. a LOT) of retail therapy!! We bought a play yard, some babyproofing stuff, socks, bibs, and about 10 outfits. Bennet even picked out a toy for his new baby brother! We all had a really good time oohing and ahhing over all the sweet baby things!

47 hours!!

**I have no excuse for my bad blogging habits. And I'm not making anymore promises about when I'm going to start writing more regularly. So, think of it as a surprise when you get a new entry!! That will make it fun!**

On to the blog!!!!

Only 47 hours until we find out what "kind" of baby is in my belly!!! Tim is still holding firmly to his guess of "boy" and I still have a strong mother's intuition that it is definitely NOT a puppy or alien! As far as boy or girl, I really have no clue though.

Unfortunately for all you, you're going to have to wait a few days longer to find out! Since we're here in Japan and I'm high risk, I have to birth in Yokosuka (near Tokyo) and so that is where I have to go for this ultrasound. Which means that we won't be getting home until Saturday night (Saturday EARLY morning for those of you US dwellers). Good news (for Tim and I) is that the weekend we are in Yokosuka, their NEX (Navy department store) is having a big baby sale!! Ok, so really that is good news for me moreso than Tim, but that's really just semantics! I've been eyeing up all the cute, frilly dresses, and the adorable little boy rompers. Now we just need to find out which I should be buying!!!

In other news, Squiddy is becoming quite active!! He/she sleeps all morning, and then comes alive after dinner! Kicking, rolling, stretching, and even tap dancing at times! We've even had a few times that the Squid kid has stretched so hard that Tim and I could feel both ends of the baby!! Tim still has not felt any kicks yet, but that's only because EVERY time he puts his hand on my belly, Squiddy instantly calms down! Should be a GREAT trick after he/she is born, but for now, is annoying mommy who just wants Tim to feel a swift kick!!

We've also determined that Squids has his/her father's taste in breakfast foods! I've been craving cereal and cheese omelets. But not even the good omelets with cheddar, tomato, onion, and green peppers. No no no. Squiddy wants omelets a la Daddy (i.e. american cheese)!!! The natural, eco-friendly, organic-loving girl in me is outraged! But the belly has spoken! Tim has been known to make me an omelet at 11:00 at night so I don't have to go to bed hungry! How's that for romance?

Bennet is starting to get excited. He says hi to the baby now and is stil enraptured by all the babies we meet around base! He's also starting preschool and therapy next week. He's VERY excited!! I had wanted to try homeschooling with him for a few years, but he gets SO excited everytime we walk past the school, say the word school, or pull his backpack out of the closet. I think he's REALLY going to like it!!

And just for fun, here are some of Bennet's shining moments from the last few weeks!!

16 week belly

I've been slack on the belly shots. So here's a quick one from over the weekend. We were in Hiroshima for the day. I'll post about that one later. It was a really amazing city and great trip!

More baby news!

I'm 17 weeks today and have been feeling some movement for about a week now. It was only here and there, but now I'm feeling it daily. Just little pokes and jabs once in awhile, but it's so cool!! I also had my first braxton-hicks contractions. Not painful at all, but it was cool to feel exactly how my uterus is lying now. It's all the way up to my belly button now!

We also made our appointment for THE ultrasound! January 9th at 9am! Let the countdown begin! Tim and I are, of course, VERY excited to find out if Squiddy is a boy or girl. But we have gotten even more anxious to find out as we have FINALLY settled on names!! So, instead of finding out if it's a boy or girl, we'll be finding out exactly who is in there! Of course, we are going to be mean and not tell any of you what those names are. But take comfort in knowing that Baby Nelis WILL have a name when it's born!

We had an ultrasound and found out....

...that we're expecting the cutest, smartest, wittiest baby ever!!



I mean, look at that nose and the little fingers curled into a teeny tiny fist!! Ugh...so cute it hurts!!



And already sucking it's thumb! How flipping precious is that? We even saw Squiddy get the hiccups! And he/she graced us with a beauty pageant wave and showed us all five little fingers! Feel free to ooh and ahh all you want! We certainly are!

Are you sick of hearing about my pregnancy yet?

Hope not!! Because we haven't been doing too much exploring around Japan lately and the pregnancy is really all that's going on with us right now!!

We've got our next appointment on Thursday. It's my 15 week appointment, but I'll technically be only 14 1/2 weeks. But Tim is going to be gone on a business trip for a week and half so I scheduled it early because he really likes to be there for all the doctor appointments. We don't have an ultrasound scheduled this time though. Our next isn't until mid-January. I'll be 20 weeks then and we should be able to find out the gender then!

In the last few days, I've started feeling quite a bit better and my appetite has finally returned!! And it had returned in a big way!!!! Which is great because a woman of average weight pre-pregnancy is recommended to gain 25-35 pounds throughout the pregnancy. And since I lost 15 pounds in the first trimester, I need to regain those 15 PLUS the recommended 25-35 which will be quite a feat in a mere 6 months! Luckily the morning sickness seems to have flown the coop and I am back to cooking healthy, filling meals. My goal in the first tri was just to eat, now my new goal is to eat HEALTHY! I'm also getting back into my walking routine and prenatal yoga. I'm really beginning to enjoy this pregnancy so much more now that the mind numbing fatigue is edging off and the nausea is finally dissipating!

Oh, by the way, now that I am 14 weeks (in 4 hours), Squiddy is about the size of a lemon and is covered in fine hair. The Squid is moving a lot too now, though I can't feel it yet.

Oh, and I'm officially in maternity clothes only now...and my high heels are shivering in their storage bin in the storage shed. *sigh*

Thanksgiving and Belly Shots

We just got home from Thanksgiving dinner at a friend's home. They were wonderful enough to invite us to their home, thus sparing the poor pregnant woman from having to cook and clean up after Thanksgiving dinner. I am VERY thankful to them!! I decided to include two belly shots, as I've had a few requests and this is the first week that I feel like I have some belly to show. They are both from today (13 weeks 3 days), one before the turkey dinner, and one after. You'll notice QUITE a difference between them!

13 weeks FINALLY!

So today is the official beginning of the second trimester! Unfortunately, I am still exhausted and not feeling quite myself. Though it's not nearly as bad as the first trimester! Squiddy is now about 3 inches long and can suck his/her thumb!! My belly is starting to pop out and I am officially in the in-between stage where nothing fits me! My pre-preggo clothes are a joke, and maternity clothes are like tents! So I wear the same pair of yoga pants everyday! Which is no big deal, because I'm still too tired to leave my house! So no one is the wiser! I have another appointment in two weeks, but no ultrasound planned until the BIG one at 20 weeks. I recently made our first Squiddy-specific purchase: a new, gorgeous, sling to carry the little darling in! Granted, I already have a lovely black and white one that is perfect for carrying a large tot in. But it's just a wee bit big for a newborn. Not that my shopping craving has subsided in the least! Now I'm searching for the perfect wrap for summer! GypsyMama makes a gorgeous light weight batiked wrap that is perfect for carrying a baby in the hot summer months. I know EXACTLY which pattern I want, and now I'm just searching for it used!

We're making plans now to visit our very good friends in Guam in late February as a sort of "babymoon" before we officially become a family of four. We're really looking forward to seeing them and it will be a nice break from the cold weather we've got here!

In other news, my college room mate got engaged last week and is planning a summer 2010 wedding!! So, those of you who know Jo, wish her congratulations! She is going to be a gorgeous bride!

Bennet is currently in the throes of the terrible three's. About a week after his birthday, the body snatchers came and took my sweet darling and left behind a whirling tornado with a ferocious attitude! Despite the fact that he does not yet say the word "no", he's mastered the dirty look and angry shout that so clearly lets us know EXACTLY what he thinks of us!

Tim is busy working long days, but he always makes the time to come home and spend his lunch break with us! He's become quite the chef lately as well! He's really taken to his new role as Expectant Daddy (a.k.a. slave to the gestating queen) wonderfully!!

10 weeks today!

And our appointment went great!! The obstetrician decided that we will be able to deliver Squiddy at the (semi) local Naval hospital instead of having to travel to Okinawa for the second half of the pregnancy!! We also got to peek in at Squiddy today. I couldn't see the screen very well, but Tim got to see the baby's heartbeat. He even saw him/her moving!!! I'm pretty jealous, but we got a great picture so I'm ok with it!



That's Squiddy's head on the left and body to the right. The legs and arms are curled up so you can't really see them. But if you look hard, you can see the face!!

Oh yea, Squiddy is officially no longer an embryo today, but a full fledged fetus!!

See you all in a few weeks!

So, I thought the queasy feeling I had 24/7 since 4 weeks was the full swing of morning sickness. Over the weekend, however, I learned that I was oh so wrong! For your sake, and so I don't have to relive it, I'll skip details and just let you all know that you shouldn't expect to hear from me for the next few weeks!!

See you all in the second tri!

I lied to all of you...

So, do you remember back about 2 weeks ago when I complained about the Iwakuni funk? Well....I lied.....



We found out on September 18th that Bennet is going to be a big brother!! Actaully it was EXACTLY one month since we had arrived in Japan, so this little bean really IS our "Iwakuni Funk"!!

Now, on to more important things...I'm just shy of 8 weeks along. Baby Nelis is due in early June and has already been wreaking havoc for his/her poor mommy! Tim has been wonderful the last few weeks, cooking, cleaning, and doing everything for me! I've been too sick and exhausted to do anything at all really!

Sorry for the poor quality of the picture!! Our household goods still aren't here so our scanner isn't here. Which means that I had to take a picture of the ultrasound!! No big deal though. You get the gist! We are in love already and Tim has lovingly nicknamed our child "Squid"!