27 in week 26

All About Us

Birthdays - they come and they go. To a 16 or 21 year old, a birthday is the best day ever. To this 27-year old on her birthday, it was just one more day that brought me closer to the birthday of our precious baby girl. While I appreciate the calls, cards, e-mails, presents, text messages, and facebook messages, it was really just another ordindary day for me. One of the best things about the day was being able to spend it with my parents - something I haven't been able to do in years. Jason, me, and the puppies went up to their house for the weekend and relaxed. Mom, Jason, and I went through all of my junk from high school and college that hadn't been sorted through since my parents moved 6 years ago. It was fun going through old yearbooks and college pictures. I was able to part with a lot of things, leaving only one box of "keepsakes" to grab when Jason and I are able to move into a bigger house. One of the items I found was a book that my mom had given me. She always gave me such meaningful books - a couple were dedicated to "daughter" quotes, which will come in very handy when I will soon have a daughter of my own. Any book given to me by my mom always had a special message written inside by her. This particular book simply stated: "To: Amy, From: Mom, Why: I Love You." It was touching when I first received it, but even more so when I read it while thinking of Lidia. And then I read it again aloud to Jason and we both cried. This book is an inside look at the lyrics of a Lee Ann Womack song titled, "I Hope You Dance."

To Lidia:

As my mother once hoped for me, your Daddy and I hope the same for you...

I Hope You Dance

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder;

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger;

May you never take one single breath for granted;

God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed;

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean;

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens;

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance;

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance;

I hope you dance;

I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance;

Never settle for the path of least resistance;

Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin';

Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin';

Don't let some hell-bent heart leave you bitter;

When you come close to sellin' out reconsider;

Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance;

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance;

I hope you dance;

Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along;

Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder

where those years have gone;

I hope you dance

100 Day Special Edition!

Belly Bump

I cannot believe we are already at this point! 100 days left until Lidia Louise, the joy of our lives, enters this world. To commemorate this joyous occasion, I have posted the Belly Bump picture. Erin and I are both 25 weeks pregnant in this picture and Uncle Bob is 12 years pregnant.

25 Weeks - Oops I'm late!

All About Us

OK so I tried to be perfect and deliver you all an update every weekend. It looks like this week I fell from my perfect podium and have to admit that I completely forgot about the blog. I have some really good excuses, so I thought I would share and then maybe you all will forgive me. Jason and I were both ecstatic that we had a nice, long weekend to spend together. Saturday started off poolside with a couple of my girls while Jason spent some time at work. When he got home, we headed up to Dayton to celebrate Jason's dad's retirement. We got to hang out with all of Jason's family. Stay tuned for the "Belly Bump" picture. It is as amusing as it sounds! Jason's sister-in-law, Erin, and I are at about the exact same stage of pregnancy. It is so great to be able to talk to someone who is going through the exact same symptoms and issues as I am. For example, Erin and I found out that we both suffer from two not very common pregnancy symptoms - bloody noses and blurry vision. This seems odd, but I actually find it exciting to talk to other women about our strange, fun, and downright nasty pregnancy ailments. After our fun family get-together, Jason and I headed home exhausted. The next day, we decided to go to Lowe's to get some plants to spruce up our back patio. Then, Jason's parents came down to see our new home renovations, took us out to dinner, and bought us the best birthday present ever - a kitchen table from Ikea! So needless to say, even though it was 10 pm before we started, we decided to put the table and chairs together from start to finish. A few mistakes and a couple hours later and we now have our first ever kitchen table! So, has my day-by-day recap of the weekend made you want to forgive me for being a day late on the blog? I hope so!

Eggplant Parmesan

Mom's always say that their children owe them "big time" for having to go through pregnancy and labor. I, on the other hand, believe that I owe you a big one, Lidia. Not only have you brought the politeness out in people, but you have afforded me so many luxuries that I wouldn't normally get. People give up their seats for me, they let me go ahead of them in the grocery line, they pile food on my plate, they offer to do things for me, and the list goes on. I have felt like a princess ever since you came into our lives and I have no one other to thank than you, my dear. And God, of course!

As always, you have been moving around like crazy. We got to see the doctor again this week and all blood tests that have been done are great! Mommy's blood is O+, so no need for shots, which would have been the case if I was Rh -. The doctor said a specialist took a look at your ultrasound and everything looked perfect. They moved up your due date 1 day to September 5, but I will probably still use September 6 as your date. I have a feeling you might be here earlier than both of those dates anyways. The Doctor asked me if I had felt small little movements from you yet and I responded by saying, "Are you kidding?" I told her just to watch my stomach and then she will have the answer to that question. I absolutely LOVE to see and feel you move. It has got to be the greatest feeling in this entire world. I could write a whole book on how much I love it! It is an even more special feeling when Daddy sees and feels you move, too.

You've got some exciting developments going on this week. The capillaries under your skin are filling with blood and the capillaries that line air sacs are developing in your lungs. Your lungs are also developing surfactant that will help them expand after birth. Your nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are beginning to open so you can begin to practice the art of breathing - something we all take for granted. Also, your vocal chords are completely functional now and this apparently leads to you hiccuping. OK, your Daddy wants to cuddle with me and you now, so we will catch up next week my dear. Just always remember that no matter what, your mommy and daddy love you and will always be there for you. Goodnight my love.

24 Weeks

All About Us

This week has been extremely low-key, which is much needed sometimes. This weekend was especially delightful because we had no plans. I love having one of those weekends every once in awhile. I spent a lot of time relaxing and Jason spent time checking things off of his house chore to-do list. I joke with him that he has a touch of ADD as he cannot stand to just sit and relax before 9 p.m. He always finds something that he can be doing. I, on the other hand, have the opposite of ADD. Each day this weekend I took a nap - or a "nipper" as Jason and I call it. I hate to say it, but it's one of the things I enjoy doing most. And knowing that in 3 months my nippering will be non-existent makes them that much more enjoyable. My energy level lately has been declining day by day. I can't help but believe it is because I haven't been able to do vigorous exercise since the foot injury. So hopefully I will back on my feet again soon and maybe even develop a smidgen of ADD myself. After all, we've only got 3 months left to prepare for our little lady!

A Pineapple?

I was thinking that we could compare you to a pineapple. Daddy and I bought one today and it looked as though you might be the same size as one. Who knows! I do know that you are inching closer and closer to the 2 pound mark. You are beginning to gain 6 ounces every week from now until you are born, which seems like a lot, but your grandma and I counted today and it would equal about 6 pounds. Don't you worry, you will have no problem putting on those extra ounces as your mommy does very well to feed you. Speaking of food, mommy has yet to learn her lesson - which is that her appetite is a lot bigger than what her tummy can hold at this point. So after I ate a hamburger, a sausage, vegetables, and fries tonight, I am sitting here bloated and unable to move. I can't help but wonder if my fullness is crowding your space as well. One of these days mommy will learn to eat small meals instead of big meals - maybe.

You seem to have found a comfortable position this week. I can't tell exactly what appendage of yours is doing the damage, but my bladder is getting a beating. Before too long, I may have to invest in some depends. This week, your eyebrows and eyelashes are full and in place on that beautiful face of yours. Speaking of your beautiful face, we will get to see it again in 6 short weeks. We have scheduled a 3D/4D ultrasound so we can have a sneak peak of what you look like. Daddy and mommy cannot wait! OK it's time for Daddy to put his hand on mommy's belly to feel you move. We love you Lidia!

A Crippling 23rd Week

All About Us

The recipe on how to make a delightfully crippled pregnant lady:

1 newly waxed floor

1 dash of rain-soaked high heels

2 bags of groceries - one in each hand

1 pregnant, ambitious worker who is already suffering from a lack of balance

Mix the ingredients together vigorously and you will have yourself one pain in the ass! As you can imagine, this week has been nothing short of interesting. This little mishap happened on Wednesday and I am still feeling the after-effects. I have a badly sprained foot and a killer bruise on my knee. Of course none of this even phased me until I was sure that Lidia had escaped any injury from the fall. While there is no way to tell this for sure, she has been as active as ever. That, coupled with the fact that my OB said as long as I didn't have any bruising or scrapes on my abdomen, then the baby is fine. So once that initial concern was addressed, the pain slowly kicked in. My wonderful husband drove me to Urgent Care where I had X-rays done and was given crutches. No broken bones - just a badly sprained foot. Since I would be the one to break my arm while on crutches for a non-related injury, I decided to only use 1 crutch on which to hobble around. The night of the accident was brutal. I laid in bed with my foot elevated and throbbing. I tried to position myself so that I wasn't on my back, as the added weight from dear Lidia and all of her components puts too much pressure on a major artery that leads to my heart and brain. This pressure leads me to feel dizzy and uncomfortable, so all night I was trying to maintain a comfortable position while still having my foot elevated. The pain was so bad that I just couldn't help but cry...and cry and cry. I likened the pain to that of labor and delivery pain, so I tried to breathe through it, which helped. Then, there was a point in the night where Lidia was moving non-stop. She was throwing kicks, punches, elbows, and knees all over the place. This helped me keep my mind off the pain, but I couldn't help but think that she was somewhat feeling the discomfort as well. Somehow I managed to get to sleep that night. Really, it was thanks to Jason and all of his efforts to make me well that finally got me to sleep. The next day, I did not want to go to work, but I made myself because I knew that I could do my job sitting in a chair with my foot elevated all day. Jason drove me there, helped me into my office, and told my coworkers to make sure I was partaking in the RICE method of recovery. Needless to say, it was quite a sight to see a pregnant lady hobbling around on crutches. I was referred to as "waddles" for a whole new reason. While I did fill the prescription for Vicoden that my OB called in for me (yes, I was just as amazed that pregnant women can take Vicoden!), I didn't end up taking any. My feelings were that if the pain got as bad as the night before, then I would pop one immediately. It never did, so I never took it. While the pain has subsided the past few days, it is not gone and my gimpiness continues. I can't walk for long periods of time, let alone exercise, so I am in major withdrawal from lack of physical activity. I may try the stationary bike tomorrow, as it seems it wouldn't put too much pressure on my foot. I certainly do not thank God for this happening to me, but I do see it as a blessing that it happened THIS week instead of LAST week. I would have been completely crushed had that been the case. So, the moral of the story? The lesson learned? There are a couple. One - I learned that as hard as it sounds, it will always be instinctual for me to put Lidia's health and well-being before my own. Two - that I am very BLESSED to have two sisters who gave me EXCELLENT advice (better than the Orthopedic specialist I saw on Friday), one of which is a Physical Therapist and the other who is an Orthopedic Nurse Practitioner. Three - Jason and my parents have won the battle - I will no longer be wearing high heels - at least until Lidia arrives. Four - I can always count on my husband to be there for me when I'm injured. This includes being able to tell him a little white lie - that the Orthopedic specialist told me that having someone massage my foot will make it heal faster because it increases blood flow to the injured area. Hey, it sounds believable to me! And, it's working! :)

On another note, our kitchen renovation is finally complete! The finishing touch, the kitchen faucet, was completed today by none other than that handy husband of mine. Take a look at how snazzy it is! New floor, new window coverings/blinds, new cabinets, new hardware for cabinets, new faucet, new light fixture, and mostly impressive - new granite countertops!

You Are Still a Papaya!

I must apologize. As I had mentioned in the last blog, I was going to try to find a fruit or vegetable to compare you to this week since the Web site I rely on to do this is no longer doing week-by-week produce comparisons, just month-by-month comparisons. Needless to say, I haven't been able to find anything to which to compare you. So, I have decided to post a picture of us hanging out today. You, in my belly, and your siblings, by my side, as I was trying to find a recipe in my Betty Crocker cookbook for Scalloped Potatoes. I found the recipe and made them for dinner tonight. I made sure to scoop a couple extra out on my plate just for you, my dear. They were delicious - I hope you liked them!

One thing mommy has to confess - I have come down with little baby girl clothes shopaholic syndrome, otherwise known as LBGCSS. Yes, Lidia, I admit it. I have been buying clothes for you like they are going out of style. Which wouldn't make much sense, but you get the picture. Every time I'm out, I have to buy you something. I've already bought you close to 5 going-home outfits, about 15 onesies, and 5 sleepers. Not to mention the oh-so-cute newborn booties and a "Daddy loves me" bib. And though I thought my 2-store shopping spree yesterday had subsided my addiction for awhile, LBGCSS struck again today. You will be sporting a Bengals onesie from 0-3 months and a Steelers onesie from 3-6 months. You see, I planned that perfectly because you will be about 4 months when the Steelers are in the Superbowl again next year. Daddy doesn't think you will look good in Black and Gold, but I know that you will be born to wear those colors! Girl, you are going to be one stylish baby!

Your development this week continues to be on a maintenance and maturing cycle. Your organs continue to practice what they will be doing in the outside world. Your brain is continuing to grow exponentially. Fat is continuing to build on that skin-and-bones frame of yours and because of this, you will double your weight by the end of this month. This month is also our last in the 2nd trimester. Let's make it a great one, Lidia! Your Daddy and I continue to read to you every night in an effort to get ourselves into a routine for when you are finally here. In the meantime, we hope you are able to enjoy our witty rendition of Dr. Seuss' ABC's! Until next week, Liddie Lou, we love you!

Week 22 - A Victory for Team Lidia!

All About Us

The secret is out. We are having a baby girl and could not be more excited! Her name is Lidia Louise. It seemed like you all really liked the name Stella, as it showed on the blog poll. But there was one small problem with the name Stella - Jason hated it. So after much consideration, we agreed that Lidia would be the perfect name for our little girl. And even though I grew up hating my middle name, it has become such an important part of me and I couldn't imagine our first born girl with any other middle name. I am just so happy that I can start using the pronoun "she" instead of "it" now! A secret holder I am not, so keeping this in was very hard for me. I knew that it would be well worth it in the end, though! You see, it was this moment that kept me training instead of giving up and succumbing to the traditional role of a pregnant woman. I pictured Jason and I with our shirts on, crossing that finish line with our cheering section and their "Team Lidia" shirts. While our cheering section ended up only being 2 people, it was the best cheering section for which we could have asked. Now, let me bring you all back to the start of the race.


I was on edge, to say the least. While Jason and I have ran 2 5k races before, this one was different. There were many factors that tied into the major anxiety that plagued me as soon as I woke up that morning. First of all, this race was huge. Not only were the number of contestants around 2,000, the build-up to the race was enormous. Part of that could be because I told just about everyone I knew that we were running it. My reasoning behind that was because the more people I told, the more obligated I was to continue training and actually make it to the race. Another anxiety-related factor were the hills. I have been known to get extremely fatigued going up A hill - so knowing that I had hills plural scared me to death. Finally, the past 2 races we ran, I had been on my anti-anxiety medicine. For obvious reasons, I had weaned myself off of this before Jason and I started trying for a baby. So I no longer had that medicine as a crutch. The worst part of the race was the 5 minutes before we started. I almost literally crapped my pants! I just wanted to start running - instead there was a countdown and music and mass people all around me just acting crazy. Then relief came. The gun shot off and the crowd finally started moving. As soon as Jason and I started running, I knew that I was going to finish the race. I had no injuries (I had to take it easy the week prior due to shin splints) and I had a surge of energy. Knowing that Jason was right there beside me was like my natural anti-anxiety medicine. So we ran - and we ran up the hills and through the crowds of cheering fans. We ran around the walkers and joggers and witnessed someone fall, but pick himself up, right in front of us. There wasn't one second where I felt like I needed to stop and walk. I later told Jason that I thought I could have ran 3 more miles on pure adrenaline alone. As we came upon Pete Rose Way, I knew that we were almost finished. I picked up the speed and as we approached the finish "swine" I couldn't help but hold back tears. My parents were right there, wearing their "Team Lidia" shirts with their cameras ready to catch Jason and I as crossed the finish line at 33 minutes and 49 seconds. Not my best time, but definitely one of the best goals I have ever met. My mom was very proud to say that I was the first pregnant woman to cross the finish line, so that alone was worth it! And I couldn't have done it without my key people - Jason by my side, my parents waiting for us at the finish line, our other family and their motivating words, my friend Cindy who has known about this goal of mine since day 1, and most importantly - our sweet little girl Lidia, to whom this race was dedicated.







Popping Papaya
And what a popping papaya you are as I can feel you move like crazy! Last Sunday, an amazing moment happened. While I have been able to feel you wiggle around for weeks now, your Daddy actually got to feel you move for the first time. Although we don't know if it was a kick or a punch, it was definitely you - and you definitely scared him (but in a good way!). Your movements just amaze me. It makes me so extremely happy to feel you on the inside, as well as put my hand on the outside and feel you that way, too. I can almost predict now when I am going to feel you. Lately you've been shy when I try to get Daddy to put his hand on my tummy and feel you move, but I'm sure that you will come around. You are most definitely over a pound now, since at our last Dr's visit you were 14 ounces. I will have to say, most people, including your mommy and daddy, were very surprised that you were a girl. I had a couple of the traditional girl pregnancy symptoms, but definitely more traditional boy symptoms. For example, I'm carrying low, out in the front, craving meats and cheese, didn't get too sick in the first trimester, and eating like a teenage boy - all boy symptoms. For the traditional girl symptoms, I have the acne and have had dreams that I was going to have a boy (as did daddy). So to be honest, it took your daddy and I about a day for it to sink in that you were actually a girl. This is by no means a bad thing! I love little baby girls and I know that you are going to get Daddy in a way that a boy never could. You are going to be our little princess, the apple of our eyes! We have already talked about what we want you do when you get old enough. Daddy wants to get you started on soccer and I want to get you into gymnastics and piano lessons. Of course, you will end up being your own person with your own interests. Which according to the meaning of your name, you will be funny and cute!

In terms of your development this week, you are just growing and growing! Your senses are developing rapidly. Apparently, if I point a flashlight towards my stomach, you will be able to see this, even though your eyelids are still fused shut. For some reason, that just seems cruel to me - so no worries! I won't be shining a flashlight in your eyes. Your daddy and I have been reading books to you since you can hear us now. Your favorite right now is a Dr. Seuss book called Mr. Brown can Moo, Can You? And we know it's your favorite because Daddy and I sound very goofy as we read it. I am a little upset that the Web site I use for your fruit of the week has now started lumping the fruit into 4-week periods. What am I going to do next week? I will have to find my own way of comparing you to produce. Lidia...it is so sweet to be able to call you by name, our little one. We are truly blessed.