Don't be Sceeered.

17w 4d

It's time again for a reader question. I really do love getting these and hope that more of you will crawl out of the woodwork and ask away. Don't make me put a tracker on here (you know, the trackers that broadcast what city you visit the page from)! That's right, I am resorting to threats now.

Dear Tiff and Little Luc,

With 17 weeks under your belt and 23 weeks until you meet the little one, I have to ask this. What scares you the most about the whole pregnancy/motherhood experience? I ask this because I, for one, am frightened by the whole idea of pregnancy/childbirth/being a mother.

Thank you!

Love,
Frightened in Garrettsville

Dear Frightened in Garrettsville,

What isn't scary about pregnancy and impending motherhood?! This was the perfect question to ask me this week, because I think I am fast approaching the point of FREAKING OUT. Paul and I officially began nesting this weekend (more about this tomorrow) and I distinctly remember one day talking with Paul about how in 2016 we will have an almost 8 year old. Now don't ask me how or why we were talking about this, or why that year in particular because I cannot remember. BIG surprise, huh?

First I will tackle the pregnancy part of your question. I think the scariest part of pregnancy is not knowing (at least for the first 20 weeks) if there is anything wrong with the baby. I know this is something that scares Paul the most, and me too of course. You have to be somewhat careful (without completely disrupting your life) in everything you do because there is always that, "Is what I am doing going to affect the baby?" question looming in the back of your mind. Apart from that, which you honestly cannot let put a damper on your pregnancy (positive thinking is key for me) I think labor is going to be, by far the scariest part. Let's pretend the baby is in the proper position here and not breech. It's not so much the pain (they make drugs for that) but the fear of the unknown. When will my water break? Will I make it to the hospital in time? Will I be able to have the epidural? How long will I labor for? Will I need an emergency c-section?

Notice that I didn't include the alien-esque movement in my tummy, which I know is a concern for some, *cough, cough*. That might be one of my favorite parts so far, if only because I know he is okay and likes what I am doing at the moment (this is what I tell myself).

As for motherhood, that is just plain scary! You are responsible for a living, breathing human being and they rely solely on you for a good amount of time (or a good time?YEAH). Plus there are always the sharp objects, SHARP OBJECTS! like corners, knives, and keys. Oh and choking. Huh? And there are always those household items that closely resemble child-friendly drinks.

Apple Juice?

Most of all I think the thing that scares me most about motherhood is the question of, Will I be a Good Mother? Another fear of the unknown, I see a pattern here. I guess there is no way of really knowing if you are doing/did a good job until you reach those milestones. You know the ones: Did he resist in pinching the little girl in preschool back? Did he come talk to you about having his first crush? Did he call you for a ride home the first time he got drunk? What?! In all seriousness, I think that motherhood is going to be challenging. But I am always up for it and I know I have a wonderful support group around me. I cannot wait for that first, "Mommy, I love you." - that will make it all worth it.

Hopefully I answered your questions, Frightened. I try to take things day by day, because really what else can we do? I always take the Scarlett O'Hara approach if things get too tough. I'll just think about it tomorrow.

Old-Megan, your answer is coming soon! My fingers need a break!

Feeling Twitty?

I joined Twitter after reading Dooce's blog about it.
Follow me. I will follow you.

*Update - guess I should give you my address huh? www.twitter.com/TiffanyL

Holy Ouch.

17w 1d

The round ligament pains really decided to kick in this week. Every time I stand up, I have to do it slooooowly. Change positions? Slowly. Sneeze? Make sure you double over, cross your legs and try not to flex you lower abdomen too much, or it will KILL. Then on Tuesday, I started getting these lovely pains, almost like pulled muscles, but not quite, only on my right side. It starts usually around my belly button and stretches into my back, down my right thigh and sometimes into my arse. I decided to give it a day and see if it went away. You know what? It got WORSE. I called the best two doctors I could think of: my sister-in-law Chrissy, who somewhat recently had 2 kids, and then my OB of course who is the REAL doctor of the two. Guess what?

SCIATICA.

Good times. Especially when you already have round ligament pain. Can I explain to you what I went through last night? Good. Every time I switched positions in bed, I could barely flip over because it hurt so bad. I even had a dream that I wanted to go to the hospital and no one would take me. I let out a little whimper every time I flipped over. The best part was when I had to pee. I couldn't even walk with my right leg, it hurt so bad. Sitting down on the toilet? Agony. Climbing back into bed? Not fun.

Evidently, the Baby Luc thought it would be fun to lay on my sciatic nerve. Or this is what I like to think. It usually starts hurting when I sit too long, or lay down to long. What's next? Sleeping standing up? I have been walking around more, doing cat stretches and politely asking BL to MOVE IT. I get the whole uterus stretching thing, but with a splash of sciatica? Come on now. I guess this is my payback for not having any morning sickness.

Oh well, this is all worth it. And the belly rubs from Paul are a nice added touch!

Dear Baby - 17 Weeks

17w

Dear Baby-

Some very amazing things have been happening this past week. I am sure this is just the start. I have been feeling you more and more as you grow stronger. I am beginning to learn about the person you already are each and every day. For example, last night while I was cooking, you were kicking me. It was really the first time I could actually feel you kick me when I wasn't laying or sitting completely still. I went to take a breather on the couch beside your dad and he decided to try and feel you. I had to be really still, pretty much hold my breath, and he had to push in on my stomach, but he felt you. The look on his face was the sweetest thing ever. He was so happy. I know how frustrating this must have been getting for him. I am getting to have all the fun.

I am also realizing that it is pretty easy to tell the difference between gas bubbles and your soccer practice sessions since my stomach and intestines are getting pretty high in my abdomen now. My belly has really popped this week and on Easter I resembled quite the egg. I am amazed at how different my body looks now, but I must say, I have never looked better (well, minus the break-out this past week, my fault though). I also had a dream this past week that you were a girl. This confused me. The entire time through this pregnancy I have been getting very strong boy vibes. Now I have this dream. What am I supposed to think? I am all mess up now. Either way, we will love you so much. But I must warn you: If you are a girl, be prepared to like sports.

You are continuing to get so big! You are now over 5 inches and weigh 5 ounces - the size of an onion, or turnip and the weight of a 3 cup Tupperware container with a staple remover, highlighter and 3 pens in it. No, I don't know how I came up with that. No, I FOR SURE didn't weigh all that stuff on the postal scale just now. You are starting to get that cute baby fat this week and are practicing reactive listening. I sure hope you like the Peanut Butter Jelly Time song and would like to apologize for my singing skills. My goal this weekend is to put a mix tape together on my iPod for you, and find some good headphones to drown out the sound of my horrible singing.
Here's me at 16w 5d, but we'll use it for the 17 week photo since nothing has changed in two days. Also, I apologize for the picture quality, must teach Paul about focus and lighting.


Countdowns: 3 weeks until gender discovery and 23 weeks until I meet you!

I changed my mind.

16w 6d

My mom and I went shopping on Friday night and while perusing around Nordstroms, we came across a wall that had some Petunia Pickle Bottom (PPB) diaper bags. Earlier while in Motherhood Maternity, I spotted the Lemongrass PPB bag and decided that I really didn't like the color in real life. Back to Nordies. I spotted this bag:

My mom loved it as well and....Happy Easter! I am beyond excited! My diaper bag collection is now complete. We now have the mommy + daddy friendly PBK Ultimate bag (which I had to order a new one, missing changing pad), and the stylish PPB Baroque Boxy Backpack.
Look what it does!

So cool! AND the backpack straps detach in case you don't want to use it like that. I am in love with it and can't wait to use it!

Exactly what I am talking about.

16w 5d

Remember the genius radio host that was talking about his pregnant wife and push presents? Well, this morning he was discussing with his co-hosts that he believes his wife (now 37 weeks) should be able to park in the handicapped parking spots. Do you also remember my little list last week? There was one point that went a lil something like this:

• People will think you are handicapped because you are pregnant.
• You will witness other pregnant women who actually believe they are handicapped.

Remember now? This guy is out of his freaking mind. Can you imagine the uproar? Some stores do have the Expectant mother/New mom parking spots but I think they should only be used for the latter. If you are lugging around a baby carrier, diaper bag, etc. etc. then by all means park there. I don't get why some pregnant women, even those at 37 weeks feel the need to a.)not have their husband drop them at the door, b.)not want to get a little exercise. I mean you can go any day now. Walking is sometimes recommended to get labor progressing.

I know, I know. I haven't reached 37 weeks yet and blah blah blah. But guess what? I will be damned if I am dragging my huge ass to Target in 95 degree heat. That's just not safe. Did you read that - I won't even go out in it. And if I do, I will just have someone drop me at the door. What does he think women did thousands or even hundreds of years ago? What is so damn important at Target that she HAS to venture out by herself before the hour of 11am? Even if she has to go to the doctor, most of them maybe have a grand total of 20 parking spots to choose from. I highly doubt they are position 5 miles from the office front door.
Come on now. Save the spots for people who truly do have a disability. Wouldn't you feel horrible if you came skipping out of the grocery store to your handicapped spot only to see granny hobbling along from the last spot in the joint because you were lazy?

Don't even get me started on the people who abuse the handicapped signs that aren't even theirs.

Annnnnd exhale.

16w 4d
So here it is, the long-awaited very first reader requested post. The lovely Colleen requested that I do a post explaining the whole breathing during labor thing. More specifically:

Could you possibly explain the whole ordeal with breathing and pushing properly? Thanks, Childless in Aurora

Dear Childless,

According to the American Pregnancy Association (who knew?!), the goal of using specific breathing patterns during labor is to calm and relax you. Little to my knowledge, there are various types of breathing that is used during labor. The first, patterned breathing, is to help the patient through pain and should be administered during contractions. Since breathing is an automatic response to pain (gasp!), it is used during the contraction to calm, bring purpose to the pain, and get more oxygen to mother in baby resulting in more strength. The APA recommends trying patterned breathing techniques to get you through every day stresses. I often use patterned breathing during a large poo. I do not suggest using this technique during an especially stressful board meeting with you boss, as he may become scared and call 911.

Breathing is also used to avoid pushing at the wrong time. Imagine having to take said large poo, but it being the wrong time, such as rush hour in your car. You may feel the urge to hold your breath, but this is bad as you will focus more on the impending poo. You should breathe in and out constantly to avoid extra pushing and a no-doubt unpleasant commute.

Expulsion breathing is used during the second stage of labor (baby or poo). If it is during a child birth-type of labor, this would be when the cervix is fully dilated. The breathing technique would go a lil something like this:
1. Let out a big sigh and let your body go limp as soon as the contraction begins.
2. Focus on a positive image such as the baby/poo moving out.
3. Breathe slowly, gathering strength until you feel the urge to push. At this point, it is okay to bear down and push that sucker out...I mean baby.
4. When you are not contracting, breath steadily to gather strength for the next contraction.

Hopefully this helps, Childless. If you have any more questions, let me know.

I would love to do a reader question every week, so if you have an idea for one, please leave it in a comment! All I ask for is that it is something pertaining to me or pregnancy, and that you buy me ice cream from Handel's within one calendar year.

In the meantime...

16w 4d

The baby should be able to start hearing outside noises soon, so I have started playing songs for him. I am working on my reader-requested post, but to hold you over, here is one of the songs I played for him yesterday, as well as one of my favorite YouTube videos. If at anytime I feel blue, this usually cheers me up! Happy Monday!

*since the video isn't loading...try THIS.

Let the countdown begin.

16w 1d

28-ish days. That's a normal month of February. Oh boy (or girl?).
We met one of the possible doctors that will be delivering the baby today and she was very very nice. We also listened to the heartbeat (like we will every appointment from now on) and the baby wasn't running around this time. He's either running out of room, or was sleeping. The BPM (beats per minute) was at 145 by the way. Perfect!

AND, drum roll please.....I gained 5 pounds!! Wahoo!! Although I did eat a rather large breakfast this morning and kept my shoes on (I usually take them off), but lets pretend that I really did gain 5 pounds, just to make my Friday happy. I never in a million years thought I would be excited to gain 5 pounds. And what a wonderful place the OB/GYN is, they actually get all excited and pat you on the back for a job well done, for gaining weight. The funny thing is, you can totally tell where every single one of those pounds are. I'll give you a hint: the baby lives there.

Have a wonderful, or shall I say Good Friday (wink,wink) everyone. I am working on a super-informative post for one of my best readers but it may not appear until Monday, so stay tuned!

Dear Baby - 16 Weeks

16w

Dear Baby -

I am sure your dad would want me to tell you Happy NCAA Tournament Day! That's right Baby Luc, it is that time! Today marks the first day of one of the most important (almost) month-long celebrations in your fathers life. Today also begins the LONGEST month of my life. In 4 weeks, we will know if you have girly bits or boyish bits. What can I possibly do with myself for the next 4 weeks? Learn to bake a cake, that's what. And trust me, it will take 4 weeks to learn. Thankfully, I have enlisted the help of your Aunty D. You see, I am going to be one of those moms who buys the store-made cookies when you have a class party at school. And at Christmastime? Grandma W. makes THE BEST cookies ever, so why should I try to compete?

Enough about me, lets talk about you. You are getting so big! 4.5 inches and 3.5 ounces! I grabbed a ruler just now and I am going to measure some things around me for comparison. Here are some things I found:

-you are the same size as my computer mouse!
-you are BIGGER than my tube of lip gloss!
-you are longer than my cell phone!
-remember last week (I think) how you were the same size as my palm? Well now you are down to my wrist!

Your head to body ratio is evening out and you no longer resemble a light bulb. You are about the size of an avocado - and all websites agree! FINALLY! In the next 3 weeks you will double in weight and add inches to your length. This is going to be fun to watch and I am going to have to keep up on the belly shots. You are also starting to grow toenails. Hopefully yours are not growing as fast as mine!

We have an appointment tomorrow and get to meet one of your doctors. We will also get to listen to your heart again and see if mommy gained any weight. You are doing a great job of telling me which foods you like and don't like. It is very clear. Thank you for that.

24 more weeks, can you hardly wait?! I know I can't!

Things I have Learned During Pregnancy Thus Far, Part I

15w 6d (still?)

• People love to tell your their opinions.
• You become very opinionated in return and say things like, "Shove it up your ass!".
  
• Maternity pants are a gift from God, or the Gap. Whatever.
• Pregnancy is NOT a 9 month break from PMS. It is 9 months of PMS x100.
• You will return to the eating habits of your childhood. Mac n' Cheese, anyone?
  
• The food you thought you liked...yeah, not so much.
  
• People are grotesquely under-educated about their bodies, women in particular.
• The majority of things you think you can't have are usually fine in moderation.
• You have never been more thirsty in your life.
• A growing fetus is one of the most amazing things ever.
• 9 months is a LONG ass time.
• People will think you are handicapped.
• You will witness other pregnant women believing they are indeed handicapped.
• You have to start thinking about things like "Will my child mistake the Pine Sol for orange pop?", while you are eating breakfast.
• Men really are saps for babies. And it is the sexiest thing ever.
• Above goes for husbands only. Dads should be referred to as "Cute" when they are being sappy.
• As long as we are talking about men, some of them will be scared of you (particularly the single ones, ones with horny girlfriends, and ones that already have too many kids to handle).
• Pregnancy is not contagious to men. Only women in most cases.
  

Twas Two Nights Before the Tourney

15w 6d

To preface my story, I have prepared a little poem for you. It may seem a bit familiar.

Twas two nights before the NCAA Tourney,
and all through the house,
Not a fat cat was stirring, not even his toy mouse.
The brackets were nearing completion with tedious care,
in hope that Thursday tip off soon would be there.
The Lucs were nestled all snug in their bed,
While visions of March Madness danced through their heads.
And Tiff with her body pillow and Paul with his ankle wrap,
Had just settled down for an 8 hour "nap".
After my 3rd pee break, Paul mumbled a little and started to stir,
I rolled over slowly and tried to incur.
When what to my wondering ears should I hear?
but a fantasy upset prediction, with the games so near!

As you can hopefully tell, the boy is obsessed. He rolled over in his sleep last night and said,
"Uhhhgehg St. Joe's" and went back to sleep. He informed me this morning that it was in fact, some insider info he was spouting off in his sleep. How nice of him. I think I'll keep Oklahoma.

A St. Patty's Day Picture Post

15w 4d

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Have a green one for me!
I haven't done a picture post in a while, and when I look at other people's blogs these are typically my favorite kinds of post. Here it goes, with narration.

First of all, I kind of woke up pregnant this weekend. I promise the belly shots will start zooming out a little, but Paul is still having trouble balancing. I am not exactly sure when it happened, but here is a picture from yesterday at 15w 3d:You can compare to the last belly picture here.
I ordered some spring-y maternity clothes yesterday online since Old Navy only has their maternity line on the web. Here's what I got:


We went and looked at cribs on Saturday and thank goodness we did. Of course we want one of the most popular cribs out there and delivery won't probably happen until late May or early June (perfect timing actually). We chose the Munire Urban line. It got an A in my bible aka Baby Bargains and converts into a toddler then full size bed. It is tres chic:

I also ordered a diaper bag (I promise this is the last baby related purchase) from Pottery Barn Kids. We had a leftover gift card from the wedding and since there really isn't anything we need for the house, I decided to go ahead and use it. It has really good ratings, converts into a backpack and is daddy friendly as well:

I also have my eye on this bag (a more stylish mommy-only bag for those shorter trips), but will not be purchasing it:
In other news, only 30 more days until we find out what the Baby Luc is, so get your votes in now! Looks like boy is still in the lead with 20 votes and 7 people think it is a girl. Also, congrats to the Golden Flashes for securing a spot in the brackets by beating Akron on Saturday - did we have any doubt?!

A post about poop.

15w 1d

I won't devote the ENTIRE post to one of my favorite things in the world. I will try to cover all of the bases. You know, indigestion, gas.....and poop. Holy poop slinging monkeys. I don't think the baby enjoys my consumption of Tabasco. In case you have not had the pleasure in hearing me discuss my love for Tabasco, here is a summary: I love it. I would marry it (sorry Paul). I put it on a large variety of foods from eggs to toast, to chili, to apples. Okay, maybe not the last one, but you get the point. I am convinced that it is one of the best inventions of our time. You can find at least 2 bottles of this magical sauce in my pantry at any given time. I always stock up to make sure I will never be left without it. Had enough yet?

Well, as one might suspect, if you consume too much of the groovy sauce you can imagine the fire in the hole you may experience approximately 12-15 hours later. This is usually the case, and I spend those terrifying 10 minutes on the porcelain God promising I will never do it again, only to go to Chipotle and use an entire bottle on my burrito at lunch.

Last night was a totally different experience. My stomach hurt about 1 hour after I ate it. I was so confused. What was this burning sensation in my upper abdomen? That never happens. And the gas. OH the gas. I actually woke myself up from a dead sleep. Then the pooping this morning. OH the pooping. I think the toilet water actually boiled! This hurts me so bad to type this but, I don't think the baby enjoys Tabasco. WHYYYYYYY? Must I retire poor Tabascky to the back of the fridge for the next 5 months? I am so distraught. The rainy weather outside of my window describes, in perfect detail, the deep, dark feeling I am experiencing today. My friends, it is a truly sad day.

In other news, if you seeing Colleen this weekend, be sure to wish her a very happy birthday! And send her some popcorn tins.

Dear Baby - 15 Weeks

15w

Dear Baby-

So you are 15 weeks, does that mean that next week you can get your drivers license? No? OH! That's years, not weeks. Oops (I can actually hear Britney Spears saying this). What are you doing this week? Well, you are still being a gymnast. Do it while you can little one, because pretty soon things are going to get really cramped in there. Your major organ systems are increasing their capacity as well and your scalp patterns are forming. Listen, I hate to tell you this, but you were created by two people with some pretty funky hair. Just this weekend I had to shave your dad's head! My hair never lays the same way two days in a row and your dad's hair grows faster than, well, my nails hopped up on vitamins. I am very sorry about this and I promise I will make it up to you. You are about 4.5 inches in length and weigh a little bit over 2 ounces which is about the size of a naval orange, softball or apple (depending on who you ask).

Upside-down baby!

The belly (yes, I am now referring to it as THE belly) is growing bigger every week. I will be sure to post a new photo soon. Sleeping is becoming less and less comfortable even with a body pillow. I just can't seem to get that sucker in all the places I need it. Actually, I sleep best on the couch but I refuse to move down there already. That would mean that Binx would be the only person sleeping in our bed at the moment (dad is on the couch due to his ankle issues and maybe a little bit because of the KSU-UA thing). I am still getting the fun ligament pains and may have even felt a tap from you the other night.


I can't believe how far we are already! Please don't be shy in 5 weeks when we try to see what you have between your legs, we have been waiting so long and are so excited! See you in 25 weeks (or less, if you like. But not too much less - you know, wait until you are done baking, then try to come out, Oh around 38-39 weeks?!).

Tiring Tuesday

14w6d

Yesterday was a busy day. Monday night we noticed that Paul's ankle was really swollen so on Tuesday morning when the swelling hadn't gone down, I called the doctor. He wanted us to come in of course, and since we only own one car right now, that meant me driving home to get Paul then to the hospital, back home then back to work again. It's amazing how exhausted I was once I finally got back to work. Paul was right last night when he told me my body was really busy right now and when you add a stressful day on top of that, well you know what happens! All is good with Paul though and tonight we have his CT Scan and then he goes back to the doctor tomorrow for a check-up. Cross your fingers that he will be cleared to put some weight on it this weekend!

There is not much going on in the baby department right now, which is always good news. I am anxiously awaiting our next OB appointment which is next Friday. There is finally going to be some girl action amongst my friends and family. Baby Luc's cousin is a girl! She has a name, but I won't post it here unless I get clearance from the appropriate parties. I guess since it is Wednesday already, that I will do a Wordy one for you:

Linea Nigra - I don't have this yet, and I may not ever get it since it varies from woman to woman, but since it usually shows up in the second trimester I thought it would be a good WW.
The linea nigra is Latin for a "black line" that runs vertically down a pregnant woman's stomach. While it looks a little "alien-ish", it is caused by an increase in pregnancy hormones (there they are again) that produce the pigment melanin. It usually goes away post-partum. So if you see a pregnant woman this summer in a bathing suit that looks like she had been drawn on by a very meticulous toddler with a brown marker, don't be scared!

House Divided

14w4d

Before I get into today's topic, I wanted to share this with you: Madame Zaritska's Reading. You just answer a few questions, and she tells you about your baby and delivery. Enjoy.
Madame Zaritska's reading

Madame Zaritska, our resident clairvoyant, wants to help you prepare for the arrival of your child. Here she does her best to predict certain aspects of your labor and birth experience.

What she senses for you
The day you deliver, outside will be warm. Your baby will arrive in the early evening.

After a labor lasting approximately 5 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 8 pounds, 6 ounces, and will be 18-1/2 inches long. This child will have green eyes and dark hair.--

I guess this somewhat makes sense. It will most likely be warm (hello, it's summer), and I have green eyes and dark hair. Hmmm.

Anywho, Paul and I have been going back and forth about this child's future (you know, because we control it). Paul graduated from the University of Akron, I graduated from Kent State. In case you are not aware, these schools are close together and because of that, are rivals. I of course would like to see Baby Luc attend KSU, a not-too-big, not-too-small public university with a rich history and nice campus atmosphere. Paul on the other hand, for some ungodly reason wants the Baby Luc to attend UA, a college in the middle of a city that has weekly gang shooting and a shitty ass basketball team. By-the-way, in case you were unfortunate enough to miss the KSU-UA basketball game last night, Kent whooped on Akron until there was about 1:37 left, their efforts were not enough though and KSU was victorious to clench the regular season MAC Title, AGAIN. That's because Golden Flashes have TALONS. What do Zips have? Pouches.

Talons?

or Pouches?

Where was I? Oh, right, colleges. So Paul and I go rounds in which I insult Akron to my every ability and he tries to insult Kent (to no avail of course). It is fun to think that we will have some say in this, when we most likely will not. I like to think I have the upper hand here. Not because I went to the better of the two schools, but because I have more experience in the college department. I lived the college experience, Paul did not. I attended two different schools (Ohio University and KSU), Paul only attended one. I held VARIOUS majors, Paul didn't explore any options. So, I think I know best here. All hail the Golden Flashes.

I think I am done now. Oh, by-the-way we get to find out what Baby Luc's cousin is tonight! I can hardly wait! Think Pink!

My Snow Pile is Bigger than Your Snow Pile

Okay...maybe not some of you.

Dear Baby - 14 Weeks

14w

Dear Baby-

I was excited to learn this morning that you are now between 3.5-4 inches long, which is the size of my palm (my hands are small, don't laugh). I feel really good knowing that all I have to do this week is look at my palm and I can instantly see how big you are. Every time I see a baby commercial I get more and more excited because all I want to do is kiss your little feet. And hands. And nose. We have something in common this week (besides having arms, feet, etc.) and that is fine hairs all over our bodies. Remember when I talked about how my hair is growing faster than Teen Wolf's (don't worry about who that is right now)? Well, I seem to be getting covered in hair. You dad and I were looking at my stomach in amazement last week and laughing because of the hairy-ness. Your tiny hair growth is called lanugo, mine is called body-is-hopped-up-on-vitamins.

You are also moving your eyes even though you can't open them yet. You might also be sucking your thumb, wiggling your toes and making faces. You also now have eyebrows and your bones are beginning to replace the soft cartilage. I am guessing this is why I could probably drink a whole gallon of milk by myself in record time.

How am I doing, you ask? I am doing good. I haven't had much energy this week but that is probably because of everything that is going on with you, your dad and just life in general. I seem to be falling asleep around 9 or 9:30pm every night and dragging ass..sorry booty, up to bed around 11pm. The round ligament pains and overall itchiness of my stomach is FUN (we'll talk about sarcasm later). We get to find out what your cousin will be on Monday, but I must say, my little muffin, that there is an overwhelming amount of boys that are going to be born around the same time as you! I can't wait to find out what you will be. Our next appointment is in 2 weeks, then we have another 4 week wait until we find out. Those will surely be the LONGEST 4 weeks of my life. Luckily, I have American Idol to get me week to week. Thank goodness you can't hear the outside that well yet. They are weeding out the bad ones though, just in time for you to hear the good ones.

I am kind of over the fruit thing, but for fun...The Nest says you are the size of a lemon this week.

Hang tight in there, for 26 more weeks!

Just call me grandma.

13w 6d

I have now come to an evidently super-fun part of pregnancy: the part where my body thinks it needs to either stretch itself out, or cramp itself up. For the past couple mornings I have been getting out of bed and either walking hunched over or on my tippy toes. My calf muscles HURT and feel as though they do not want to stretch out so I can stand up straight, they are also sore to the touch. Stretching them out does nothing here people, and neither does water. Another fun thing I have been experiencing since this weekend: round ligament pain, which makes a great Wordy Wednesday.

Round ligament pain (which I thought didn't start until waaay later) can begin in the second trimester and is caused but the ligaments stretching and thickening, which support the growing uterus. This causes sharp, stabbing-like (STABBING is an understatement) pains in the lower abdomen and groin region. My pains usually last for about 30 seconds to a minute and sometimes happen all on their own, but more than likely follow me standing up too fast, sneezing, coughing, laughing or just plain LIVING. These scared me at first, but after doing some research, I quickly realized what was going on. I just was under the impression that this didn't happen until much later in pregnancy. I often forget that everyone is different.

And finally....
Dear Nails,

Please stop growing so fast. I am burning through nail files like it is my job and cannot even imagine if I had fake nails on right now. I would be getting fills every other day. Although I have complained in the past about you not growing very fast or 'looking pretty', I am now taking this statement back. I know that you are being fed enormous amounts of vitamins right now, but honestly. You are out of control. Get a hold of yourself.

Love, Tiff
----------------------------
Dear Tiff,

What? You don't like us scratching your face, arms, legs etc. in the middle of the night? You don't like looking like you got attacked by a pack of wolves? We'll try harder. *snicker*

Love,
Nails

Baby's First Election

13w 5d

Happy primary day! The baby had no choice but to go vote with me this morning, in the rain. I hope all you Ohio/Texas/Rhode Island/Vermont-ians exercised your right today. I have been thinking about this for a long time, and what a wonderful year to be brought into the world. Yes, there is a recession, gas prices are crazy and we are still at war, but let's not focus on the negative. There is a great possibility that this baby will be born right before a black man or a woman is about to take office. How cool is that? What else? Cleveland sports are FINALLY looking up. The Browns went 10-6 last year and are looking better than ever. The Cavs went to the NBA finals last season and are also looking great. King James is here! The Indians almost made it all the way last season. Ohio State - there's not much I have to say there! Britney seems to be getting the help and the extensions she needs, I can't imagine bringing a child into a world where Britney has no hair!

I could really go on all day about what a wonderful world we actually do live in. A lot of times we are faced with constant negativity, forgetting how great things really are. Babies don't know what a recession is, or even a war. It really excites me that I have the opportunity to raise a new person and teach them about all these things - and try to do it as positively as possible. Oh, and I cannot tell you how happy I am that I will not be forced to explain to a infant that living in Cleveland can be hard, especially being a fan of Cleveland sports. Oh and that lady that mommy sometimes dances to, she once shaved her head, lost her children and beat an SUV down with an umbrella - but she's okay now.

Cue the Baby Mohawk

13w 4d

I stumbled across the COOLEST thing ever last night while purchasing new iTunes. Rockabye Baby! I know you are all probably sitting there reading this saying, "Yeah Tiff, like, DUH. I have known about this like forever". Well, I haven't. When would I need lullabys? So anyways I was browsing for new tunes and while looking on the U2 page, I noticed this:


There are TONS of records including The Eagles, Green Day, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Tool, Nirvana, Metallica, Bob Marley, etc etc etc! This company transforms your favorite rock songs into kid-friendly lullaby songs. After I found these, I of course played the "Do you know what song this is?" game with Paul for about 30 minutes. The website, which you can find here, sells the CDs for $16 each, but they are $10 on iTunes, or you can do what I am going to do and pick your favorites (.99 a song on iTunes) and make your own 'mix tape'.

Even if you aren't pregnant, I highly suggest going and taking a listen. Paul swears he has heard these songs in elevators.

Belly and Presents!

13w 2d

Hey look, a Saturday post! I thought it was only fair that I post today since I missed out on yesterday. Paul is doing okay, he is in a lot of pain, but I keep feeding him the pain killers. I have been busy all morning shoveling and cleaning the house and I am in need of a nap now! A couple days ago, we got a package in the mail and I wanted to make sure I gave a shout out to Aaron, Ann, Lauren and Ben for the cute gift! Once the baby comes, I can use this to make an impression of his hand and make an ornament (when he's sleeping of course). So, thank you guys so much - we love it and can't wait to use it!
An of course, the 13 week belly picture. If anything, I think it may have gotten smaller since the bloat is finally going away. Compare for yourself! It's a little close because I had to take this one by myself (it's a little hard for Paul to balance on one leg and take a picture).
Okay. Everyone have a wonderful weekend and I'll be back Monday!