Endocrinologist

After a very successful new business presentation this morning, I went to see the Endocrinologist. I have been very nervous since I found out I had a thyroid issue. The doctor was very personable and really spent a lot of time talking to me. He explained in great detail how the thyroid functions and works along with the pituitary gland. Essentially, my thyroid is not producing enough hormones causing my pituitary to overproduce. This is the number they are concerned with in pregnant women.

They took 6 more viles of my blood - I think we are up to 25 since I have been pregnant. I should hear back from the doctor next week on my levels. If they are rising, he will most likely give me a low dose hormone which I will have to take for the rest of my life. If it is the same, he will just monitor it throughout the pregnancy. He assured me that no harm is being done to the baby so I have nothing to worry about. I feel so much better after talking to him and I am very thankful my OB recommended such a great doctor.

Doggies

Now that we have a fenced in yard, we have been watching my parents dog when they are out of town. And since my Dad is retiring in June, he has been taking advantage of every business trip possible and taking my Mom along. My parents had Bert last week at the lake while I was in Phoenix since Erik works 15 hour days during soccer season. Both dogs love the lake because they can run free and explore in the woods. Bert had his first experience with the water and was not shy at all. He just ran right in and started to swim. It will be so much fun to take him up there when the water is warmer.

During the summers, my parents have always shaved Ivy. She has a lot of thick fur and she gets really hot out in the sun. We decided to have Bert shaved a few weeks ago as well. Well, he used to be a black dog with some white/tan streaks. When he was shaved, all of this white under fur came out and he has this black stripe down his back.

Bert loves to mess with Ivy every chance he gets. Ivy typically comes in from outside with slobber all over her ears and neck. This picture is a rare moment where they are both actually sitting still. Ever since we had Bert fixed, he has sat a little crooked. Such a stinker!

Another Doctor

Last summer, I went through a 6 month period where I was just exhausted. I have always been the type of person that did not need much sleep and was energetic in the mornings as well as at night. It was strange to be so tired and unmotivated. This led to some depression which I know Erik did not enjoy. I went to my primary care doctor for a physical to see if he could find anything wrong with me. He tested my thyroid and said I had borderline hypothyroidism, which means my thyroid is not producing enough hormones. He checked  it again a month later and apparently it was normal so he said I had nothing to worry about.

I had told my OB about this when I first discovered I was pregnant. She tested me and said it was normal. She wanted to check it again on my last visit and it showed abnormailites again. She has refered me to an endocrinologist who I am going to see on Friday. Hopefully, he will just monitor my thyroid level and give me a hormone if necessary. I really hope this has not caused any problems for baby lentil. Of course, I am going to worry until a doctor tells me otherwise.

Slacker

I have been such a slacker at updating the blog lately. Actually, I left early Sunday morning for Phoenix and did not return until late Friday night. Last year, I was awarded a scholarship through the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). The scholarship paid for my trip to Scottsdale where I took leasing classes at the John T. Riordan School of Professional Development. It was a great course and I learned a lot about our industry. It was also a great networking opportunity since people from all over the world were in attendance. We stayed at a Doubletree Resort which was nice although we did not get to enjoy the pool much or the nice weather. It was a good precursor to the big ICSC convention in Vegas next month.

On Saturday, Erik and I went to the Delta Employees Credit Union car sale. We test drove several SUV's and were able to rule out a few we do not like. We still have no idea what we are going to buy but at least the list is now shorter. And of course we got caught in the horrible storms so we were slightly wet. A few of our friends were in town from Denver and San Diego so we met up with Erik's gang for dinner. It was great to see everyone and spend time with the baby!

Sunday was a beautiful but windy day. Fabulous weather for a three hour, three set tennis match. At least we pulled it out with a win in the third set tiebreaker. My ALTA team moved up to A5 this season and we took first place yesterday securing another bag tag. We are off to the playoffs this weekend!

Registry

How do you register for baby stuff? It is really overwhelming because there are so many items out there. For every item like a Pack 'n Play, there are 15 different brands with 30 different kinds and then 20 variations of colors and patterns.

When Erik and I registered at Macy's for our wedding it took us 10 hours. I can't even begin to imagine how long this might take. I am trying to do some background research online to get us started. The only thing I have done is look up car seats to find the safest and easiest to release. I also found the stroller to match.

There are so many lists out there that seem pretty extensive and I highly doubt we will need everything on them. Do you really need a glider, bouncer, swing, jumper and exersaucer? Someone did suggest the Snap and Go which looks like a great thing to have for errands with a baby. I am open to any other suggestions on brands or items to buy or things that I really don't need.

Pimp My Ride

Now that we are going to have a little one, I think it is time to get rid of the Civic. I must tell you that this car has been so great over the years. I have had her since my Junior year of college when she had 30,000 miles. She now has over 230,000 miles and is still going strong. She has had minimal repairs - radiator, clutch and boots - the radio only gets AM stations and the air conditioner has been on the fritz the past few years. She does hold the crazy record of 5 flat tires and being hit 7 different times while parked, twice by the same person in the same night. She has been a faithful little car and I will miss her!

We are now faced with the decision of what kind of car to buy. We have been looking at the midsized SUV's and Crossovers. Erik and I would both love to have a 4Runner but they are so pricey. I am just not sure I want to spend that much money on a car. We have considered the Toyota Highlander, Nissan Murano/Rogue, Kia Sorento and Honda Pilot. I also like the Volvo XC90 but it received terrible reviews from Consumer Reports. We want something with room for a child or two, Bert and storage. Safety and gas mileage are big factors as well.

       

I guess we need to get out there and test drive some to find out what we like. Any suggestions? 

Doctor Visit

I went to the doctor today for my 16 week visit. All of my blood tests from the previous visit came back negative which is great. I got to hear the baby's heartbeat again which is just an amazing sound. It was much louder than last time which is a good sign. The lentil was moving around like crazy.

I have been really worried about my weight gain over the past few weeks. I have been working out every day and eating the right foods. But I just feel like I have gained so much. Well, I stepped on the scale and only gained 2 pounds in 4 weeks which is right on track. Yay! I guess my body is just changing and adjusting getting ready for the baby.

I scheduled my 20 week ultrasound for May 10th. If we were going to find out what the sex is, we would know in 4 weeks. I can't wait to see how much the lentil has grown and changed since my last ultrasound.

I decided to register for Prenatal Yoga classes once a week. There is a great studio in between work and our house so it will be convenient. I have heard it is very beneficial for labor and a fast recovery after delivery. I am going out of town next week so I will start the following week. I can't wait!

Exhausted

As most of you know, I have worked with a wedding planner over the past few years. I work day of weddings helping with everything from coordinating the ceremony to packing gifts to setting up favors. A few months ago, Janice split from the old company (name not mentioned) and started Janice Blackmon Events. We have already worked several weddings together and Saturday night was our first Bar Mitzvah. It was over the top and cost more than most weddings.

If you can imagine 115 young teenage kids eating sliders & pizza, drinking coke and enjoying brownies & cookies. Then we opened the candy bar with over 20 different types of candy, mostly pure sugar like fun dip and sour patch kids. To help them wear off their sugar high, they had an incredible DJ with hired dancers. They passed out glow sticks, blow up guitars, big clown glasses, flashy rings, etc.

Later in the evening, the rap music started playing. Music that is typically played at a club and not even at most weddings. These 13 year old kids were out on the dance floor grinding on each other. It was awful and most of the adults at the party just let it happen. At the end of the night, the room was completely trashed. The photographers told us early in the evening that it would be a great form of birth control. A little too late for that!

On Sunday, I had an ALTA tennis match. Our team moved up this season to A5 which has not been too different from last season. The only difference is that I have been playing line 1 for the past two weeks. It was the first match that was really hot outside and the other team ran out of ice and water. It was strange to play hard which I am used to but get tired much faster. I hope to continue to play tennis throughout the pregnancy. I am playing T2 which starts next week and then USTA starts in June. I will just have to learn that I can't make the shots I used to make and I will most likely get a little bit slower. And no diving for the ball on the court!

Clothes

For now, I am still able to wear most of my clothes although some of my pants are a little snug. I am so glad it is warmer outside because skirts are easy to pull off with a little baby bump. I am afraid of that morning that I wake up and can't fit into normal clothes. Luckily, my friend Renee let me borrow two huge bins of maternity clothes. She has some really cute stuff so I am very thankful.

I have not done too much shopping but I am trying to be prepared with the basics for work. Here is what I have found at stores so far.

• Target - like two racks of big, bulky clothes. No thank you. More selection online.
• Old Navy - more casual clothes but online ordering is great.
• Ann Taylor Loft - online only with a small selection but good quality and excellent sales.
• Destination Maternity - have only been in once but they have some cute stuff.  

I am trying my best to be frugal with maternity clothes. I kind of have this thing where I don't like to repeat outfits more than twice a season, especially at work. Well, that is going to be somewhat difficult when I am having to buy an entirely new wardrobe. Guess I need to get over it!

I did go to Sweet Repeats today which is a consignment store for maternity and children. Some of the clothes were not my style and a little dated. But I did find some cute work pants, Bermuda shorts and a great top all for less than $40. A few of the items even had the original tags on them which I assure you doesn't ever happen in my closet! The owner said they accept new clothes every day so I will certainly go back.

Dreaming

The Crawford family and the King family are heading back to St. John in June. It will be a slightly different trip for me this year but we will still have a fantastic time. Whenever I have a rough day, I just take a look at the Soggy Dollar Bar Cam and I feel just a little bit better. We will take a ride on the Calypso Catamaran to do some snorkeling and visit Jost Van Dyke. We eat lunch at the infamous Foxy's and then sail over to White Bay to Soggy Dollar and One Love. This is probably the most beautiful beach I have been to and I can't wait to stick my toes in the white sand.

This year, we are staying at a villa called Blue Skies. It has amazing views of the islands and the pool makes you want to take a swim. I am sad that Tracey will be going this year and I won't be able to dive with her. It is truly an incredible experience and I would love to share that with her. But she will go with Erik and his Dad and I know they will have a great time. Meanwhile, the rest of the ladies will probably be relaxing on the beach with a drink (virgin for me) in hand. Is it June yet?

Bert

We adopted our puppy Bert from Mutt Madd-ness in November when he was only 10 weeks old. He was just this little ball of fur - so cute and cuddly. He could not climb the stairs and he was not potty trained. He was a smart puppy and learned very quickly.

Today, Bert weighs 50 pounds and he is only 6 months old. The vet said he still has a few inches to grow taller and longer. She thinks he will be around 65 pounds. I just can't believe that our little fur ball has gotten so big. His coloring has changed as well and he has a lot more light brown fur around his neck, on his chest and his belly. Bert loves to play with other dogs, especially his Aunt Ivy. So bring them on over!

I know our child will grow really fast as well but at least they will stay small longer than a few months. Have a great Wednesday!

Cravings

I have had a pretty easy first trimester. I did not have morning sickness and I was actually more energized rather than fatigued. I did have some trouble sleeping for several weeks and I have had some other issues due to my Crohn's. But the main change has been my cravings. And they are bad! I want sweets and I want them now. Cupcakes, cookies, ice cream - you name it. I have been trying to be really good about what I eat so I compromise with frozen yogurt or sorbet. But if I am around sweets, I just can't resist at least a taste.

At my last doctor's visit, I had only gained half a pound which was good. I am scared to see what the scale says next week. I am still working out pretty much every day and not drinking alcohol has certainly helped with my calorie intake. But then I bump it right back up there when I eat sweets. Easter was no help with my favorite jelly beans surrounding me everywhere I went.

The cravings seem to be better now so I will hit the gym hard this week and hope for the best when I am weighed next Wednesday. I know I am going to gain weight with the baby but I just don't want it to be in my butt and thighs!

Expecting

So we have pretty much told everybody that we are expecting our first child on October 3rd. Erik and I are both very excited. We are not going to find out what the sex is which I am sure most people don't agree with. They keep asking how we are going to plan for the arrival, decorate the nursery, buy clothes, etc. As much of an organizational freak as I am, I want to wait for that moment after going through labor to hear the surprise of "It's a ____!" To me, it will just make that moment even more special. Who knows, we could get halfway through pregnancy and I might just have to find out.