The Longest Month Ever

Hello there! So as you've noticed, I haven't been keeping up on my blogging. To be honest, I am feeling done with blogging about pregnancy. Done being pregnant, ready to be a mommy. So ready. Liam is ready too--the non-stop rib kicking being the clearest indicator in my mind.

So, what to blog about? Life is good in spite of discomforts. Daytime goes pretty well, I teach, I cook, we laugh, we play, the usual Speedie stuff. Nighttime is another story. Just finding a position where I can actually feel quasi comfortable, that's a challenge right now. It is a little ridiculous how many pillows and props it takes to get myself into a spot where I can settle for the night. My discomfort has my family a little worried I think. Sasha the cat, she reminds me of one of those stoic guards that is planted outside of Buckingham Palace. She positions herself right by my face at night, and if I so much as utter one groan, she is on me with full purring healing power. Marley is great too. She is always there to hang out with me when I simply cannot sleep. I feel a little bad for her after I've been up all night, because the next day she can hardly keep her eyes open. Normally the most persistent 5 am alarm clock ever (it's a breakfast thing) this morning after being up all night she slept right through breakfast. For any of you that knows her at all, you know this is an absurd abnormality.

Nevertheless, as I said before, daytime is great. Sure, it does not feel awesome lugging around another human being all day long, but I am in good spirits! I am excited for what's coming up and feeling as prepared as I can at this point. As usual God's timing is just right and amazing as ever. I realized about a week ago, that Liam is due the same week Don's school is set to complete. Translation: Don will actually be able to enjoy his paternity time without fretting about his project.

I also realized the other day just how insensitive our culture is to what new dads are going through during this whole process. This morning I read an online article about how dads shouldn't be jealous if their wives openly admit that they love their new babies more than they love their husbands. The other day at the doctor's office while reading a parenting magazine, I read an article with a similar message. These senseless articles written "just for dads" both discussed how to NOT voice any honest feelings regarding breast feeding, sexual frustration, and even jealousy towards your newborn. The long and short of the article was basically: suck it up dads, you have no idea what your wives just went through. Their pain and suffering will always be more important than yours. Your job at this point is to give your wife jewelry and smile like a robot at your new baby, even if it seems you are as worthless and unimportant to your family as ever. Nice, eh? Somebody please slap me (not too hard though and on the wrist please) if I start buying into that mentality. Don't get me wrong, I am all for jewelry...David Yurman to be specific, but geez...it's no wonder everyone is divorced or cheating these days.

The fact is, your husband might feel neglected, because he is suddenly being neglected. He might have sexual frustration because you aren't having sex for at least six weeks after delivery, and he might even just feel like you do...worn out and overwhelmed with all of the change. Husbands have a right to be heard and validated too. They even (as my friend Linda would say) have a right to express an HONEST EMOTION.

So I know it's hard to juggle everything and to be loving and gracious towards your husband when you are hormonal and dealing with a newborn who leaves you sleep deprived and cranky. I know this, and I dread this fact of new parenting. I just wonder as a society, why we accept and even perpetuate shelving our husbands after they provide for us, nurture us, and give us children. Any thoughts?

I love my little family, ready for another member though!

So I am to the point in my pregnancy where every day feels like one big exercise in waiting. I definitely want Liam to cook for at least three more weeks, but I still feel like the waiting is relentless. It's not just the waiting, but the waddling, the fatigue, the achy bits, and other unmentionables.

Nevertheless, I am still in good spirits, and I am really enjoying my family these days and cherishing the last few weeks I will have alone with my husband for many, many, years. Don and I have been spending our time in lots of wonderful deep discussion, long (slow) walks, and lots of laughing, sometimes at each other, but most of the time at our crazy animals. They sure do add to the flavor of the household.

My family is experiencing pregnancy with me in a way that has really surprised me! The other day as Don and I were out walking, I stopped, turned to him and said, "now why are YOU waddling?" He stopped, thought about it, and said, "well, I don't know, I think it's the only way I can walk as slow as you!"

Marley who normally bounces around the house first thing in the mornings, has been a lazy dog these days. She has completely adopted my energy level, and when we go for walks together, she is perfectly content to let the leash be slack and walk as slow as her pregnant mommy. What a good girl she is.

Sasha is just a bad kitty. She has been trying to prepare both of us for parenting by crying loudly in the middle of the night for Don and I.

Anyhow, things are peaceful and happy at the Speedie house. The latest update on the pregnancy is that I think I have started having practice contractions. I guess that's a good thing, although they are pretty uncomfortable.

New Name

http://www.livescience.com/culture/baby-names-effects-100610.html

So, we changed his name...again. Sorry for anyone who might have been monogramming or praying for "Owen" who is no longer "Owen." We changed little Speedie's name from Owen Eric Speedie to Liam Eric Speedie.

Liam is a great name! We are really excited about it. I have changed this little guy's name so many times, but this time, I am sure! This is the only name that has felt and sounded right once I started saying it aloud. Liam is a short version of the name William. It has two meanings. In Irish it means "strong-willed warrior," and in English it means "Guardian." Strong-willed warrior is a little intimidating as a first time mother, but guardian is nice, especially for the first born boy.

We are ready...I think. Don's project in Downtown should be wrapping up within the next four to five weeks and Liam is due in 5.5 weeks on August 19--which happens to be two days before my 29th birthday. The nursery is 90 percent finished, and I think emotionally, relationally, mentally, physically (for me), we are ready to get this show on the road. I keep asking Liam to come a couple of weeks early. I think an August 5th birthday would be nice. I'll probably start doing jumping jacks the first week of August--does anyone think that will help at all?

Anyway, pregnancy issues are as follows...nothing major, a little insomnia here, sore legs and pelvis there, a little carpel-tunnel from inflammation, and a few bruised ribs (he is a strong kicker) but nothing I can't handle--especially because the reward at the end is so awesome!

Post-partum things I am most excited for besides Liam...sleeping on my back, eggs benedict, walking without waddling, jogging with Marley, sleeping without 5 pillows surrounding me (it's really cramping any cuddling Don and I used to do) and of course, getting my body back to myself.

Post-partum things I am most excited for that include Liam...just holding him, and looking at him. I want to meet him and love him. I am also so excited to see Don with Liam. How amazing that we get to go through this adventure together. Oh, and as all of you know, Marley is going to be the best nanny ever, so that will be cute to see as well.

Anyway, please keep praying for Liam, that God would help him be a strong, healthy baby with a kind character. Also, please pray for me to have a safe delivery (2 weeks early!) and a smooth transition into motherhood that doesn't involve any serious post-partum depression. Lastly, I ask that you please pray for my sweet husband, that he can have endurance as his project comes to a close, and that his transition into fatherhood is one of happiness. Please pray that God keeps our marriage strong as we welcome Liam into our family.

God Bless.

Father's Day

Hello there friends,

I just realized I am really behind in my blogging! All of the extra sleep I have been needing has severely slowed down my productivity. Sorry, here's an update for you guys...

Don and I celebrated his first fathers day on June 20. What a blast we had. I had a big surprise up my sleeve for Don--which ended up forcing me to act like a crazy, moody, pregnant, maniac, but it all worked out for the best in the end. The end result was a 42" flat screen TV. We have been without a TV entirely for nearly two years. I have been secretly saving little by little to get Don the TV that he really wanted, so of course I wanted it to be a big surprise for him! Anyway, I had it all worked out. I was going to take him on a date to the bookstore for Father's Day, and let him spend my 6 month old $25 gift card (so generous, I know). Being the easy-going Canadian that he is, he was thrilled with that, saying things like, "I am so lucky to have you for a wife. I love going to the bookstore. Thanks so much for thinking of me in this way." I couldn't believe how happy he was for a bookstore date and a $25 gift card, you can imagine how excited I was to give him his "real" Father's day present. Anyway, we were supposed to be out of the house by 10 am so that my friends could come over and set up the TV for me. I was supposed to text my friend as we were leaving, but just as we are ready to leave, I realize my phone is lost. Now, you have to understand that earlier that morning, we discovered my GPS had been stolen out of my car, and about two years ago my phone was stolen out of our house, so you can imagine we were a little worried. Needless to say, I was trying to play it cool, so that we could just leave the house before they got there. Don however had different plans. He adamantly said that he didn't want to leave the house until we had peace of mind about my phone. This is when I started to panic, and decided to through a small hissy fit. After about 15 minutes (it's 10:15 now) I whine to Don that having a nice date with him at Border's is really important to me, and that I don't want my stupid phone to ruin our father's day date. He still insists on searching for the phone, so at this point I am stomping around looking for my phone, slamming things around until he finally catches on that I am actually irritated and really want to go. Finally, Don decides we can go, and forget about the phone. It's now 10:30, meaning we are 30 minutes behind schedule, and Ty and Danielle are most likely going to be at our house within minutes. Sure enough, just as we are about to drive away, they pull up to the house and the conversation starts going something like this:

Don: "Hey, Ty and Danielle are here."
Rachel: "Who cares! Can we please just go before they see us?"
Don: (Bewildered) "They are our friends, why would we do that?"
Rachel: "Because I just want to go on a father's day date with you!"
Don: "Can't we go to Borders after we see what they need?"
Rachel: "Fine!" (Eye Roll)

Rachel stomps out of the car, and goes up to Ty and Danielle's car.

Rachel: "What are you guys doing here?" (wink, wink)
Danielle: (Slightly panicked, but playing it cool) "Um, we were just in the neighborhood (they live 20+ minutes away) and we have been trying to call to ask you what you are bringing to the father's day bbq, but you didn't answer, so we thought we would come by and ask."
Rachel: (Thinking to herself, this girl is good at fabricating stories!) "I am bringing corn."
Don: "Did you guys need anything else?"
Ty: "No, we are going to go to the store now to get the rest of the stuff for the bbq now that we know you guys are bringing corn."
Don: "Ok, see ya soon!"

Ty and Danielle drive off fast and I think at this point Ty runs a red light because he is so nervous about the surprise nearly being ruined.

Don and Rachel get back in the car, and I decide to throw a little bit more of a fuss just to keep Don from thinking too hard about how it doesn't make sense at all for Ty and Danielle to just be in the neighborhood. I say, "Can you believe our friends? They shouldn't just stop by without asking, how rude!" Poor Don at this point just thinks he married a very high maintenance woman, nevertheless, he just kind of nods in a confused way, and off we are on our very important Father's Day Date.

Things calm down at Borders and we have a great time. Afterward, we make our way to our friends house for a BBQ, and find out another person in our circle is pregnant. Yeah! Looks like my baby will have a friend to play with about 7 months after he is born!

Anyway, the whole thing ended with Don walking through the front door, and saying "Wow, someone's been in our house, and they stole your phone, but brought us a TV!" I laughed so hard. Once he figured out it was his, I laughed even harder because he asked who on earth brought over the TV. Ty and Danielle of course!

It was fun to surprise Don. If his husband skills are at all indicative of his fathering skills, he is going to be one heck of a dad, and I am so happy my baby gets to have him for a daddy.

Missed all of the dads and grandpa's in Reno and B.C. Happy late father's day to all dad's around!

Owen Eric Speedie

A name...FINALLY! It's true, we are naming him Owen after well nobody, we just thought it sounded cool, and Eric, after my grandpa Eric....who is the worlds GREATEST grandpa ever! I had a 30.5 week ultrasound a few days ago and little Owen is looking not quite so little anymore. He is about 3.5 lbs. and he has his head down and arms tucked like he is ready for take off. He is so big now that he doesn't really fit on the ultrasound image, so she gave me three photos of him, one of his spinal chord, one of his VERY large foot, and one of his hem hem, scrotum. So, yep, there you have it, he's definitely a he.

Don has been such a trooper these last few weeks. He has been spending weekends refinishing/painting nursery furniture. It's looking amazingly beautiful and I am once again reminded of how thankful I am that I married a man whom I find both handsome and handy. I promise to post pictures as soon as the whole thing is finished.

Besides some stiffness in my legs, I am feeling GREAT! Can you believe it? Tomorrow I will be 31 weeks pregnant and I feel amazing! A few weeks ago, when my brother in law was visiting, I felt terrible! Overly emotional and achy all over, but that seems to have passed. If there's one thing about pregnancy that I have learned, you just have to remember to relax and think to yourself , this too shall pass. At least for me, the uncomfortable symptoms have only seemed to last for a week or so, and then it's on to something different--which is so manageable. Like, at least they aren't all snowballing on each other, eh?

Baby shower last weekend in Reno was so wonderful. The whole trip was amazing actually. I had two nine hour dates in the truck with my husband...which was fun, and I got to see everyone I love and miss--even Marley got to reconnect with her best buddy Stella. There were close to 30 people at the shower, and it consisted of family, old friends, and former clients. My little students have grown up so much this last year! It was terrific seeing them. I was literally overwhelmed by everyone's love and generosity. Thank you so much to all who came. I loved every minute of that trip, my favorite part though was putting my niece Audrey and my nephew Greyson to bed. It just got me so excited to have a little guy of my own to take care of.

As the weeks count down I am trying really hard to give Don extra love and attention, as I know we will be a little distracted right after Owen arrives. Please pray for us, that God would unite us more than ever and prepare our hearts for our new son.

Love you guys!

The Nerve and the Newly Gained Perspective

So this morning I am out jogging on the beach with Marley, and while most of the feedback I get from perfect strangers is completely positive, such as, "look at that pregnant woman, she's jogging, wow!" I of course let the one negative comment I receive nearly bring me to tears. Literally this woman stops me as I am jogging to ask me when I am due. When I respond with my due date of August 19, she breaks into hysterics and says, "Good grief, how many babies do you have in there, whoa?!" I am totally stunned with the comment, and give her a big eye roll before whisking Marley away with me to finish my jog. As I am running home, between chocked up sighs, I start patting myself on the back for biting my tongue and not saying what I was really thinking, which was, "yeah, well, how many babies do you have in there???" You see, this woman was a little bit toothless and a little bit obese. I was reminded once again this week of the Proverb I am learning to live by, "In the multitude of words sin is not lacking, but he who restrains his lips is wise." Proverbs 10:19

Anyhow, today I was asked if I am enjoying pregnancy, and I wasn't able to answer "yes, it's wonderfully delightful, and everything I ever imagined." Being a control freak myself, watching my body expand exponentially, and not having much say in the matter is a little alarming to me. Oh and did I mention this is the second stranger in one week to laugh after I told them my due date? Yeah, not exactly the feedback a pregnant woman desires.

Anyway, the picture I am posting was taken this morning, and looking at it, I think I look great, especially for being 28.5 weeks pregnant! My best friend (who is even more pregnant than I) came over today and took the photo, and you know what, it's all a matter of perspective (thanks Lorri for that) so I am gaining more weight than I intended, and my belly is just popping straight out, but at least I have great teeth (unlike certain insensitive strangers) and at least my skin is clear and shiny thanks to the baby, and at least I am having a baby in the first place, and at least I have a hot husband who still thinks I am beautiful.

So I guess that settles it then, whether I gain 10 or 15 more pounds, or whether I swell up at the end like a balloon, I am going to enjoy this, and keep smiling, because God loves me, Don loves me, Marley loves me, Sasha loves me, and you guys too, I think...:) Ha! I love all of you too!

Patty Cake

Last night I said goodnight to the baby and pat my tummy three times in a row. The baby promptly high-fived me in the exact spot where I had placed my hand. So, naturally I did it again, and he did his thing again too, and we went back and forth like that for about five minutes. It was amazing! Sleepy Don was able to keep it going for a bit too, until he pooped out and fell asleep with his hand on my belly, leaving the baby back to entertaining himself for the night.

When I was at the doctor's office last week she asked me if I had felt any movements yet. I reminded her that I felt movement over ten weeks ago, and she seemed surprised. I was so confused why she would ask that. Sometimes he kicks so strongly that I feel seriously startled! Is it possible some women are just starting to feel movement? Does this mean I am going to have an extremely active, and mobile child? Probably. Great. It's looking like he will most definitely take after his dad, who according to my mother in law was practically out the door by the time he would walk. It's also looking like I will most definitely be worn out chasing him all over the place for the next few years. Good thing I will have Marley to help me baby sit! She is going to be the best nanny ever.

I got my 26 week baby gram today. Apparently the baby is more than a foot long, and weighs over 2 pounds. I can't believe it! He's bigger than an eggplant already! Wednesday night Don and I went to a class at our church and one of the pastors asked me if we were ready yet for the baby. We laughed and joked together, and then Don and I left to go home. About one minute into the car ride on the way home, I realized how not ready we are, and I started to cry. I can't believe my mom was only 21 on her first go. I wish she lived closer!!! Needless to say, we decided this weekend to have a date at the Library and to rent a few DVD's on baby care, and Lamaze. I think that will help a lot.

Missing you all!

Happenings...

I am finally sitting down to formulate all of the many thoughts that have been floating around in my mind for the past few weeks. I went to the doctor yesterday, I am now almost 25 weeks pregnant...not bad, only 15 weeks to go!

Things have started to wind down a bit. April was a very busy month filled with lots of good stuff. First was the move from S. Francisca Ave. to Avenue C. The new house is so much better! It feels much more like home than the other house. About a week ago one of my adult students was leaving the house after her lesson, and on her way out the door she said, "I love having my lessons here, this is such a happy home." Her compliment delighted me--especially because I believe it to be true. The house itself is lovely, but as for the home being happy, that comes from Don and me. We have worked so hard in our marriage to get here, and I am relishing in it, cherishing every moment.

Sisters Lauren and Joy came for a visit the week after we moved. They were so funny and fun to have around. They stayed up late eating loads and loads of junk food, and watching TV and then slept in until noon or so the next day. It brought back memories for me of my early twenties and single life. It also made me realize those days were long behind me. I live with a 33 year old who is happiest if he gets into bed by 9 pm. He blames it on years of sleep apnea, I blame it on his 4:45 am alarm.

Does anyone out there love daylight savings the way I do? I swear it makes all the difference in the world as far as my energy level is concerned. I could never move to I don't know, say Nunavut, Canada where December leaves you with up to 24 hours of darkness. Sorry Nathan and Robin, June will be awesome with all the sunlight, but sheesh! Since we've moved the clocks forward I have been able to send my husband off in the morning with a sunrise, and been able to enjoy a few hours before sunset with him in the evenings. I think for both of us being able to be home or enjoy walks on the beach before sunset on weeknights has been terrific.

Somewhere on facebook, one of my "friends" mentioned that she couldn't stand people who go on and on about how happy they are, or how great their lives are going. It's possible I am one of those people she was referring to, what do you think?

So, I keep thinking about my little boy that's on his way. I honestly can't believe we're having a boy. I am not sure what to make of it, you see I was raised with a pride of women...not a pack of men like my husband. What do boys like? What do they need? I am good at fixing hair, throwing tea parties, and applying make up. Terrible at sports and with high adventure. When I mention to Don how concerned I am with this, he gives me a wry smile and states, "well what do you think I am here for." Thank you God that I have Don, nevertheless, are you sure you meant to give me a boy?

How about boy names. I have a million girl names I like, but with boy names I am still feeling stuck. I would love ANY input anyone has...so far we are thinking of Ethan, Evan, or Luke. Still, I am not convinced we have yet stumbled upon the right name.

Last night I woke up on two separate occasions due to high intensity kicks. This baby is feisty, and strong, and I think he is ready to stretch his legs and get on with life. Even though his gender intimidates me a bit, I cannot wait to meet him, and have been day dreaming of holding him close and drinking in his little delicious baby scent. It's going to be a beautiful thing!

Probably the strangest thing about being pregnant is all of the advice I am constantly receiving. A lot of people have such strong opinions about how to raise a child, and parenthood in general. It's definitely overwhelming, and I am constantly having to reign in my own thoughts, and ask God for wisdom and discernment. You know what I notice the most, the people giving the advice are generally the people that complain the most about motherhood. Just the other day someone told me to be sure to not quit my job because I would regret it and resent having to stay home and mother my child 24 hours a day. Talk about discouraging advice. Where are all the moms that will tell me raising a child is wonderful and rewarding? Please come out of the wood works if you are there! I so hope to enjoy this experience, and even if I have a strong willed difficult child, I pray that God grants me an abundance of love that is big enough to conquer any negativity I may feel through this process.

My life in roughly 15 weeks is going to completely change, and I am excited about it. I want to know what it feels like to lay down my life and my selfishness for another human being. I know it will be hard, and at times I will need a break (Grandma's get ready!) but I also know that through Christ I will be able to do this. "I am the vine and you are the branches. If a man remains in me, and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Apart from me, you can do nothing." John 15:5.

God Bless!

It's been awhile

It's been awhile since we have posted anything on the blog... about three- and-a-half weeks actually, so here is a little catchup; Here is a shot of Rachel relaxing the other evening (she was being modest with her belly exposure unfortunately... I dig it when it shows!).

We also had our gender revealing party which turned out to be a huge success thanks to all of our friends that made it a hit. There was a strange tension that built up to the point when we cut into the cake revealing a blue icing telling everyone that we were going to have a boy! Even Rachel was nervous, and she was the one that made the cake. Everyone cheered.

Since that time we have been getting the baby's room ready. Lots of painting and trips to the store to get everything just right.

Rachel is sleeping more and is having a very fit looking pregnancy. We have researched everything we need for the little rug rat and created a list on MyRegistry.com. Only 4 more months!!!

Rare Form

Don and I had our 20 week ultrasound yesterday, and were lucky enough to be able to determine the gender of baby Speedie. The big California reveal isn't until April 10 (sorry friends!) so I am not going to spoil the surprise by giving anything away on this posting.

Anyway, the checkup went well. Speedie's growth is right on track, measuring between 20 and 21 weeks. It was nice to have Don there, although the quality of the ultrasound machine was a little disappointing after my experience at the genetic testing center. Little, tiny screen, and little tiny body parts, and I have NO idea how the doctor saw what she saw, but the good news is, she said she was 100 percent certain! Anyway, I will say this, the baby was NOT cooperating and was wiggling around so much that the doctor couldn't get a clear look. She was going to send us home without a definitive answer, when I asked her to check one last time. She did and low and behold, Little Speedie was in full cooperation on the back with legs spread wide open. Haha! I don't think I am going to have a modest child.

Next posting will be April 10, after our gender reveal party! I am excited, now I just have to figure out how to make a colored cake without food coloring...yuck. Happy Easter friends and family! Lots of love!

Cave Men

So my mother-in-law Lorri reminded me a few days back that I haven't been keeping up on my postings! Sorry! Things have been busy around here, but rather non-eventful in the pregnancy department. I feel the baby moving around quite a bit now, and next Wednesday Don and I are going in for the ultrasound that will hopefully identify the baby's gender. YEAH! We have been keeping ourselves busy around here with shopping on Craigs list for nursery furniture, packing boxes, and filing tax returns. Craigs list is the best! We bought all of the furniture we will need for our nursery last weekend, and we got screaming deals...especially on the beautiful Made in Canada Ragazzi dresser and hutch set that we bought.

I am definitely starting to show in a big way now. I know my friends are able to tell, but I think I may still be in that, is she or isn't she stage when it comes to strangers...if they even notice at all, which is unlikely.

I am struggling a bit with feeling self-conscious about the weight gain. I shared this with Don early this morning, and at first he said all the usual "nice guy" things one would expect. "Honey you look beautiful, it's natural, yadda, yadda." I wasn't really buying it until he finally just said, "OK, so I wasn't going to tell you this, but when I look at all of your new curves, I feel all manly, and hear grunts in my head like a cave man, 'I did that...grunt, grunt, grunt.' " Needless to say, I was cheered up after that, because Don feels manly to have a pregnant wife, and that makes me happy. You think you know someone, and I have this view of my husband that he is this sensitive, sweet guy--which he is! However, he is also a man, a typical, red-blooded man. I like that side of him too--thank God for men, sensitive and cave alike.

Beethoven

I feel like such a proud parent already! Yesterday the baby was pretty quite all day. I told Don I was concerned that something was wrong because I hadn't felt any movement all day. Don, being the sensible person that he is told me the baby was probably just in a deep sleep all day. Anyway, yesterday evening Don and I trekked to downtown Los Angeles to Disney Concert Hall. I was really looking forward to hearing the Elgar: Cello Concerto, and had been listening to it on my ipod all day in preparation. To my great disappointment we arrived and found out the program had been changed to Beethoven's third piano concerto. Due to my disappointment, I was determined to sit through the performance and sulk. Instead, and to my delight, my sleepy baby was awoken from his or her slumber by the Orchestral Exposition of the piano concerto. I was sitting there with my arms across my belly when I felt the kicks hard enough through my belly to feel them on the backs of my arms. The music must have really excited Baby Speedie because there was tons of activity throughout the whole concerto, and the best part or all was that Don got to feel the baby kick for the very first time that night. Talk about a good memory!

Kicks and Wiggles

So thank you everyone for reading about my migraine complaints. I think a lot of people must have prayed for me after my post because I literally woke up the very next day without a migraine and am going on day two with no migraines! YEAH! Thank you Lord!!!

Big events to tell from the Speedie residence...first order of business is baby news. I am 99 percent sure I can feel the baby moving around in my belly! Thinking back, I have been able to feel the baby since week 15, however I wasn't sure exactly what I was feeling, and the sensations were few and far between at that point, so I chalked it up to the strangest gas I have ever had in my life.

Now though at 17.5 weeks, I am definitely sure I am feeling the baby, and this baby is active!!! The kicking and wiggling feels almost like I have a tiny bowl of Rice Krispies in my belly. It's so faint still at this point that it doesn't feel like a kick, but just the tiniest little pop, pop, pop. I didn't think it was possible to be internally ticklish, I was wrong. The baby's movements totally make me feel ticklish...talk about strange sensations! I am looking forward to the kicks being a little harder so that Don will be able to feel them with his hand. He hasn't tried to yet, but maybe in another week or so.

Second order of business...Don and I are moving! We will be moving Saturday April 3. Papers have yet to be signed, but I am pretty sure it's a go, we just have to connect with the landlord to give her our deposit check. Our new place is so pretty. It's in a neighborhood called the Avenues, and it's just lovely. The home is an early 1900 Spanish style home complete with lots of built in bookshelves and a wood burning fireplace. We are looking forward to having more space! We will actually have a dining room, and a little office. Even the living room is much bigger than the one we have now. The bedrooms are still really small, but we will be able to make due!

On Saturday April 10 we are throwing a big party for our friends here in Redondo Beach. Any Renoites or Canadian folks that would like to come are welcome too! The party is a 3-1 combo party. The plan is to have a little bit of housewarming, a little bit of game night, AND....a little bit of announcing the baby's gender. Any votes for team pink or team blue? We are finding out the sex on March31, but are going to keep it to ourselves until April10. I already had a friend ask me if I would tell her before the party...but I won't, sorry! Don and I decided everyone has to wait, just to make it more of a fun surprise!!!

I read a posting on the internet that the sister of a pregnant woman posted. She was complaining about having to go to this stupid gender revealing party for her sister. She went on and on about how self-centered it was and how her sister needed to realize that people are busy and have lives of their own that don't resolve around her pregnancy. Anyway, my first thought was, "Uh oh, are people going to find me self-centered for throwing this party?" Then I realized what's it to them, it's not like I am twisting anyone's arm. It's really just an excuse to eat a lot, bake two cakes (one pink, one blue) and play games with friends. Anyone that finds me self-centered and finds the party in poor taste, can go do their own thing, eh?! I am glad I don't have that girl for a sister. My sisters are the best...love you girls...Sara, Lauren, and Joy!

Migraines

The second trimester was going amazingly well until last week when I started getting migraines. I have basically had a migraine since Thursday of last week, with a few hours of reprieve here and there from day to day. I can't remember ever experiencing anything like this, but it is making it challenging for me to be as productive as I would like to be. I guess the headaches starting coming on last Sunday, but it wasn't until Thursday that I realized they weren't "normal" headaches. First of all, the headache won't go away. Secondly, I only get the headache on my left side, and the pain goes from my temple down onto my face and the back of my neck. Third, my vision in my left eye has been compromised, and fourth I have started vomiting from the pain. Anyway, I am going to the doctor next week, and in the meantime, any suggestions any of you have that don't include medication would be greatly appreciated. I am still thankful, still joyful, just lagging a bit from discomfort. Thanks for reading!

Sweet Sixteen

This is my sweetheart at sixteen weeks. The more pregnant she looks, the more I see there is to love!

Don

Clothes Shopping

This Saturday was loads of fun! Don took me out to coffee at Starbucks (decaf.) and after that we stopped at destination maternity and picked out a bunch of cute maternity clothes! It was super fun...who knew True Religion made maternity jeans...not that I bought any True Religion jeans, I was just surprised. Seriously, who could spend close to $300.00 for maternity jeans?! YIKES! We did find a lot of cute clothes by Pea in the Pod and Motherhood. I am excited to start needing my maternity stuff. It's not absolutely necessary yet, but I feel much prettier in the roomier tops...for awhile there I was looking like I was sporting a muffin top. YUCK.

The sales people at destination maternity were pretty funny. For starters they were like 12 years old, I am pretty sure they have never been pregnant and yet they were seriously trying to up sell me on expensive pregnancy products that seemed over the top. I mean really, do I need a special pregnancy sleep bra to avoid sagging? If I am worried about that, shouldn't I just wear a sports bra? AND they tried to sell me four ounces of "stretch mark cream" for $35.00, I told them I was happy with my Target bought Eucerin. Anyway, according to parenting.com all of those things, especially the cocoa butters and creams are hype, and if I am going to get stretch marks, there is NOTHING I can do about it. I either have skin prone to that, or I don't. I like to think that my thick half Japanese skin has got me covered. Mom, what do you think? It bugs me how these 12 (OK, maybe 19) year old girls were trained to prey on the insecurities of pregnant women. So, I am pregnant, and my body is going to change, and it's going to be fine, because my husband thinks I am beautiful, I like myself and my body, and in the end that's all that really matters. Stretch marks and saggy boobs...a small price to pay, for a bundle of joy, and a lifetime of lessons.

Anyway, I think the baby is doing well...we're just waiting to start feeling some kicks and stuff. Supposedly I should start feeling them this week, but since this is my first pregnancy, I probably won't feel it for a few more weeks. How exciting!

Four Pounds

I had a check up today with Dr. Fisher and it looks as if I have put on four pounds since getting pregnant. I feel like I have gained ten pounds, but apparently I am at a meager four. She listened to the baby's heartbeat and said everything sounded great! I am going in for another checkup in four weeks, and on March 31, I am having my 20 week ultrasound...which means if Baby Speedie Number 3 is cooperating, we will find out the gender of our little one!

I am feeling really happy and blessed today. I have a pregnant friend here named Stacy who is eight weeks ahead of me. This is her first pregnancy too, and I have to say, it's wonderful having a friend to bounce symptoms/questions off of. I also have an amazing group of girlfriends all in their 20's who I love, including a girl named Danielle who always bends down to say hi to my belly, calls herself Auntie D, and has promised to spoil my baby rotten with junk food and processed food. She owns a catering business called The Sweet Touch, and makes the best baked goods ever. My baby is going to LOVE her.

Don and I celebrated his 33rd birthday on Monday with friends, cake and ice cream, and we had a grand time. He said it was his best birthday ever! I doubt that, but at least it was a really good one!!! He is being so supportive and loving, and pregnancy has been a wonderful time for us to share and reflect on many interesting topics. I am looking forward to parenting this little baby with him. What a blessed woman I am! Thank you God!

Well, I couldn't resist posting this picture of Marley as a pup...I mean really, how can Don and I have a baby blog without a picture of our first baby on it!

Big Ultra Baby at 13 weeks

Ultra Baby Week 13

Man this little guy's heartbeat sounded like a whoosh, whoosh, whoosh and was pretty fast. What an amazing thing!

First Timester Screening

My second trimester started a week ago, and I am now in my 13th week of pregnancy. I am starting to feel much better, as of this week. My fatigue levels have dropped, and the nausea is lessening everyday. It's good to feel a little more like me again. Yesterday was a wonderful day. It started out in the usual way with Don and me dragging ourselves out of bed at 5 am. I packed Don his lunch while he got ready for work and then we shared a little breakfast and prayed together before he left. After that I took Marley out for a run, and then engaged in laundry and house cleaning. The good part of my day really started around 11 am when I had lunch with my friend Sarah. We met up at The Coffee Bean with our boxed lunches and had a lovely conversation. After that, I went to the Farmer's Market (on the Redondo Beach Pier), got loads of fresh produce, and then spent some time looking for a new rental with my neighbor Edith. I think we may have found something to rent that will be perfect for our new little addition!

The first trimester screening was not something I was really looking forward to. It's good to prepare yourself for any birth defects your baby may have, but I was a little nervous about the whole thing. The appointment was at 3 pm, and I had lots of friends praying for me and the baby which was really reassuring and amazing (thanks Danielle and Stacy!) Although I was a little nervous, I have to say the whole appointment ended up being a terrific experience. The facility was very nice, and the staff was incredibly friendly at the Megalla Medical Group. My appointment started on time with the ultrasound--which was decked out with a large screen for me to watch without craning my neck, and heated jelly for my belly. This was an incredibly fun experience! I was blown away by how developed the baby looked compared with the last ultrasound I had. I could see his/her whole body from the little froggy legs to the nubs on the hands, the big belly, and the giant head. I could even make out eyelids, lips, and a nose. I think the baby has Don's lips, and my nose, I don't know how to feel about that yet. Anyway, the baby was very snug on his back, and the tech. was bouncing the wand on my belly trying to jiggle things enough to get the baby to roll on his side. She needed him to be on his side to take measurements as part of a Down's Syndrome screening. It was pretty funny to watch the whole process. Every time she would jab the wand into my belly, the baby would kick up his feet and throw up his hands, but he wouldn't roll no matter what she did. Finally we took a break, and I had my blood drawn. After that we tried again, and again the baby was snug as a bug in a rug on his back. Then she told me to go walk down the hall and use the bathroom, to try to get him to roll, so I did. I came back, again with the warm jelly, and the wand, and ta-da! The baby was still on his back. After that I started rolling my body on the table from left side to right side to get the baby to roll with me. It didn't really work. Finally, I just said to the baby, "OK, I really hope this behavior is not indicative of a stubborn personality." Still no rolling. Lastly, I just asked nicely over and over again, and FINALLY the little one decided to roll, except he rolled the wrong direction. So then instead of looking at the baby's spine, we were looking at the baby's face, and he was just looking at us like, "Can I please get some sleep in here!" So we waited a little longer, and I keep rolling and coaxing, and after about 30 minutes the baby decides to get right where we need him to get. It is adorable watching him finally get into position. He takes his sweet time rolling to his side, and then once he gets there he just stretches and stretches and stretches, and we just wait, and wait, and wait, until he finally stops arching his back enough for the tech. to measure the fold in his neck. Although the baby was a little stubborn (or lazy depending on how you want to look at it) I am glad about it because it meant I got to watch him hang out in my belly for over half an hour. I can't believe how much he can move already. At one point he put his hands together right next to his face and it just looked so cute and cozy.

Once the tech. got the measurements she needed, she surprised me by turning up the volume on his heartbeat. That was my first time hearing his heart, and it was so amazing. I called Don at work, and put him on speaker phone, and he started tearing up at the job site. Haha! So much for being the tough big boss man.

Anyway, thanks for reading my long story about baby Speedie number 3 (1 and 2 are nephew and niece Oliver and Charley). I am so excited to meet this little guy. Oh, and NO, I don't know the gender yet. Also, the measurement on the neck looked just right, so most likely NO downs' syndrome, and I won't know the rest of the results from yesterday for another 7 business days.

The wonderful day was capped off with a wonderful evening with friends Dale and Victoria, at Messob--an Ethiopian restaurant in Little Ethiopia, Los Angeles. That was my first time eating Ethiopian food, and it was delicious!

PEACE!

Random Things

Random things that are going on...
Rachel is having funny cravings. The smell of coffee turns her off and I thought I was the only one that had sudden hamburger cravings (until last night). This weekend we get to go shopping for maternity clothes. We have been "trying out" different baby names and are not any closer to anything really. We are starting to contemplate and discuss different parenting methods. Life is moving very fast. Rachel is into her second trimester! Don

Baby at 9 and a half weeks

OK, here it is. We weren't kidding. 9-1/2 weeks and 29mm (1.25"). Rachel is doing good aside from a little morning sickness discomfort. Whooooeee! I am lucky to just feel JAZZED!

Don 01-21-10

Second Ultrasound

Hey friends,

Monday I woke up and said in great alarm to my husband, "I don't feel sick! I think something bad happened to our baby!" Tuesday I woke up and puked, so I was feeling better about the well-being of our baby, and Wednesday I woke up dizzy and vomiting, and was therefore, convinced I was still fully pregnant. I guess some days I just wake up and think I have spontaneously stopped being pregnant, and I get really nervous, but I don't think that happens too often, so I am trying to stop the irrational thinking. Don is awesome of course, he is confident no matter what I am going through. I tearfully tell him my concerns, and he takes my hand sweetly, looks into my eyes, and says, "I am confident our baby is doing just fine."

Being pregnant is a total trip. Most of the time, I find it hard to conceive the fact that I have a 29 millimeter baby living in my uterus. I mean seriously, the baby is the size of a kumquat, yet he or she has fully developed vital organs. How crazy is that?! My only link so far to the baby is the fact that my bladder has shrunk, my sweet tooth has disappeared, and my appetite has tripled. That and the occasional vomiting and not so occasional mood swing. I can't really feel the baby and my body looks the same, so I am finding it challenging to bond this early with the little rascal. I am really looking forward to the upcoming months where I will be able to feel movements and kicks, and hear the rapidly beating heart.

Don and I had our second ultrasound yesterday. I believe the baby has morphed from a seahorse to a peanut. Don was blown away to see his baby's first picture. We both started laughing. We again saw the flashing heart, and the doctor said things looked great. She also said her original due date of August 19 was dead on. I am hoping the baby will come on August 21, so that we can share a birthday.

I am going in two weeks to have some standard testing done for birth defects. Please keep us in your prayers!

With love,
Mama-to-be

The First OB appointment

Good news today! I had my first visit with my OB Dr. Fischer and she did an ultrasound. It was a little hard for her to get a good look at the baby, but we both saw the little guy (or girl) and we saw the little flashing heartbeat. She said based on her measurements that I am about 7.5 weeks pregnant. She gave me a tentative due date of August 19...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME (mine is August 21). Anyway, because he was kind of hiding, she wants me to have another ultrasound in two weeks, to get a more accurate measurement and due date. I will give you guys the updated due date at that time. Don is way jealous that he didn't get to see the baby's first photo, but he will have a chance in two weeks. Love to all!

Rachel

Finding Out

Hey everyone,

Thanks to big sister Pam Riley for suggesting we publish a blog to help keep the family updated on the exciting baby news!

We are both super stunned and stoked to be having a baby. As most of you know we started trying to conceive a year ago exactly, right after we got married. Based on my sister Sara's two pregnancies, I figured I'd be knocked up in a month, but obviously things didn't work that way for me.

We went and spoke with two fertility doctors this year, and they were both pretty convinced the process of getting pregnant was going to be difficult for us. We discussed some options and decided that we didn't want to do fertility treatments, so we started looking into adoption towards the end of 2009.

I have to admit, this past year has been very difficult for me. I think the biggest challenge came with trying to understand God's desire for my life and our marriage. Don has been absolutely amazing this year. Whenever I would express my feelings of discouragement to him, he would say, "just relax, God is in control." Don constantly encouraged me to stay committed to trusting God and his perfect timing. Furthermore, he never stopped praying for a baby. Something else that really helped me to trust in the Lord was the verse from Genesis 30:22, "Then God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and opened her womb." I cannot even tell you how many times I asked God to remember me too.

Needless to say, we are very excited and although we have no idea just how pregnant I am, we are choosing to celebrate and be thankful for life even when it's less than a millimeter big and comes in the form of morning sickness and backaches. Praise God!

We will keep you posted! Please keep us in your prayers. I have my first doctor's appointment tomorrow January 6. Hopefully we'll know a lot more after that.

Love,
The Speedie's