One of my favorites!!!

B4 is now comparable in size to a cantaloupe! Growing right along here now. 21 weeks along in 30 minutes or so! Incredible. More than half over. WooT! WooT!

Raging hormones. Lack of motivation. Full panel pants. Tripping over my feet. Falling down stairs. Tightening stomach muscles--Braxton Hicks--caused, perhaps, by a UTI. Dry skin to the point of rash. Very sore lower back. Inability to get comfortable.

All in all. Pleasantness with a capital P.

Proud to say my weight gain as evened off. So far in this second trimester, I've gained 2 pounds. Yay!

I've been home all of 4 days this month. Is it a problem when you begin to need vacation from vacation?

I can't wait to get home for Christmas. It's been a minute since I've seen my fam. It'll be a good few weeks.

Mango Tango!

For the second week in a row, B4 formerly known as B3 is the size of a mango. Tomorrow marks a rather gigantic milestone for me, though. Tomorrow will begin my 20th week of pregnancy. That means I'm halfway done. Yay! and Yikes!

B4 is moving like a little champ. (A little less following the glass of wine last night. I'm certain it's a guilt trip!) I've SEEN my stomach move as he kicks. Jeff has felt it! It's wonderful. I find that when I'm sitting down--with my abdomen being squished a bit--he kicks a whole lot. "MAKE ROOM FOR ME!"

Now we're in Vegas watching Charlie Brown's Christmas special. *LOVE* We had a massage and mom had a mani/pedi in the spa here at the Venetian. Wonderful and lovely. We're not so much looking forward to the 4.5 hour flight tomorrow. BUT...it's shorter than the 6.5 hour flight to San Francisco we suffered through on the way. Little B4 enjoys making me uncomfortable!

Oh, B4 enjoyed a DELICIOUS ribeye steak at Tom Colicchio's craftsteak last night. WoW!!!!!!!!

Christmas time is sneaking up on me super fast! How will I find time to get everything done when I'm only going to be home for ONE WEEK in December??????

Oh dear.

B3 is now B4...

Jeff and I found out that our little B3 is now a B4 : Baby BOY Bump Baxter. So now I'm finished with the he/her issue. HE is growing big! I'm fairly certain I've felt him move. I know I've felt the fluttering occasionally, but I'm also certain I've felt a little kick with my hand. Chances are NO....but it's nice to think I did!

I've had a few braxton hicks contractions, I think. My stomach gets very tight and it's a slight cramping that goes away after a few seconds. Another thing I may have imagined...it's my first time, you know!

I've been reading to him a lot. I've read him Beatrix Potter, Dr. Seuss and a few French books by Hugo, Appolinaire and Dumas.

Jeff and I have been spending the holiday weekend mulling over thousands of baby boy names. Needless to say, we've made very little progress. Our list is 60+ names long...all of which one of us is unsure about. Oh boy. :P

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

B3 is the size of an onion. Or a turnip:

Either way...the size of a pungent, smelly vegetable that many people don't like.

B3, though, is more noticeable. My (eww) uterus has moved up and out...and I can feel it. No hint of any baby arms or legs yet, but I can imagine that, at the rate of growth, it's getting close!

B3 also was with my as I worked my last day at my job. I'm taking the easy way out and giving myself all day to sleep enough and leave off for trips galore.

Jeff and I are on our way out tomorrow afternoon for West Virginia. We're going to the Greenbrier Resort to do some outdoorsy type things galore. Hopefully we'll get some good pictures and some fun experiences! I do know that I'm scheduled for my first prenatal massage....yuuuuuummmmmmmmm!!!! I'm spoiled rotten!

I'm still fighting my craving for boneless buffalo wings. It's a losing battle, but at least I've slowed my weight gain and haven't really gained in the last few weeks. I guess I can breathe a sigh of relief! Phew!

As I sit here, I'm noticing my newest side effect: a very sore lower back. Thanks to the newly protruding uterus (as opposed to just flabbbbbb), it was expected. Uninvited and unpleasant, but expected.

Off to bed. Yes. It's 9PM. But I got up at 4:30 AM.

Got any tortilla chips....

...to go with some guacamole?

B3 is now the size of an avocado! And it's a bit of a hassle lately! Morning sickness and...well, my newly protruding stomach is getting in the way. Thanks to my home fetal doppler, we've been able to listen in to the little heartbeat of our avocado. It's simply wonderful to hear!!

In my many attempts to domesticate myself, I've learned things about myself. Firstly, I'm not good at domesticities. Today, while attempting to cook dinner--delicious artichokes, which we love AND which I've successfully made a few times--I spilled scalding water down my arm and on to my belly. Jeff saved the artichoke and I went to the bedroom and sobbed. Not because of the burn. Not because of the hurt. Not because I almost lost my artichoke to the kitten-fur-filled floor. Just because. Lovely. My husband will either go insane with my emotional roller coaster or he'll never come home from work ever.

Second, I'm just no good at it. Wait...did I say that before? In any case....I put off my laundry for weeks (essentially, my laundry is never done). Dishes stack up to the ceiling before I begrudgingly clean them. And I empty the dishwasher as we eat. Jeff has a lot of patience.

Tomorrow I am making a pot roast. But I have no potatoes. So...technically...I am NOT making a pot roast. Groan. Pork Chops it is.

Monday, I have a dentist appointment to get a filling refilled. It fell out sometime last week and I've had a temporary put in since Tuesday last. O joy!! Another lovely pregnancy side effect.

B3 can hear through the tummy now. I'm signing off and playing a bit of Tim McGraw to serenade Avocado. Ciao!

(Naval) Orange you Glad?

At 15 weeks along, B3 is the size of a naval orange (is there a difference to an orange orange?)...4.5 inches long! Along with these 15 weeks comes my strongest craving:

Boneless Buffalo Wings. Dipped in Ranch. Every day. It's driving me insane. I actually ate boneless wings AND some Chinese food yesterday for dinner. Um...what? Such a strange combination, but I guess that is to be expected.

B3 and I miss Dad, who is in Las Vegas (for "work"). A few more days and he'll be back home.

We had a good "first" halloween. I went dressed as a construction worker. B3 wore an "Under Construction" sign :P. Then we went trick or treating with a gigantic group of kids. Was such fun!

Boy...I'm less and less exciting with each passing post. Oops.

Sour Lemon!

Little Baby Bump Baxter is now the size of a Lemon. Why do I say sour? Because along with this lemon sized baby came the morning sickness that never came in tri-1. The unpleasantness comes around in the evening. Following dinner and into the time when I am trying to fall asleep. Lovely. Makes laying down loads of fun. It is, however, a very great motivation to keep the room clean so I have an unobstructed run to the ter-let.

B3 was thrilled to watch the Redskins/Lions game yesterday. Lots o' movement...especially at night following the Lions' win over dad's team! B3 also got to enjoy the first Halloween in Sterling...good food and lots of cute kids and adults in cute costumes!! Mom got to chat with some mothers--including one expecting twins the first week of May! Wow!!!

Tomorrow, there will be 176 days left until B3 is supposed to be born! Seems like a lifetime away--but I'm sure it'll fly by. The next few months are going to be nuts! Lots of traveling to do!!!

Until next time! Byeeeeeee!

PS-Dad got B3 lots of cool shirts...can't wait for you all to see!!!

Princess Peach (or Prince)

Princess (or Prince) Peach is the welcomed beginning to my second trimester. 7 (or 8) pounds gained on me....not even 1 ounce of that be baby. Ah well...what can I do?

Headaches. And a few food aversions are my side effects. Starches and I don't get along so well at the moment.

Nesting has started a bit early. Cleaned up the room that is to be the nursery a bit...lovely! Can't wait. But could time move any slower?

I've had a few shopping "sprees" in the maternity sections of Old Navy and Target...my pants are getting a bit tough to sit down in (standing...we're all great)...

I'm also starved...and the food just arrived. Will update later this week!

In the library, with a candle stick...who was it?

Why, Professor PLUM!!!

Baby Bump Baxter(B3) is now the size of a plum at 12 weeks hiber-creation. Milestone? I guess so. This past week saw the end of the 200+ day count down...now there's only 196 days to go. But who's counting?

B3 is moving around quite a bit---but I've not felt anything---except gas and rumbling of my digestive system. Lovely. I surely can't wait for the day to first feel that flutter in my stomach that isn't attributed to baked beans.

Another main side effect of the hormones is the fact that I will most certainly cry about anything. I cried at a car show while thinking about my Grandpa. I cried while watching a video about my school because I was sad I didn't do more extra-curriculars. I cried because I was too nervous to walk into the team room at work because I'm afraid there's 1 officer than doesn't like me. (That being said, I'm sure there are plenty more than one!) I cried just last night because our upstairs neighbors thought that vacuuming at 11:30PM was a brilliant idea. In the car before work, the button popped off my shirt...luckily I held back the water works on that mishap.

One more week left of the dreaded first trimester. If that was dreaded, I should feel better than perfect during the second tri. Fingers crossed that all continues on. I need to stop reading people's theories. The theories that state that you have higher risk of losing the baby if you don't have morning sickness (vomiting is apparently a good indicator of healthy fetus!). The theories that state that if you get your ankles rubbed, you'll most definitely be thrown into labor.

Doctors appointments should, perhaps, be more often, lol, for first time pregnant fools!

Wrinkly!

At 10 weeks along, the baby is the size of a prune. Figuring a few (I'd be lying to say they were short!) weeks ago, the baby was the size of a poppyseed....there's been a lot of change. I'm gaining some unrequired weight due to some uncontrollable cravings---I'm just not fighting them off well since I've misplaced my motivation. It's probably wherever I've left my car keys, my cell phone, my lunch, etc...I've surely got what people call the "pregnancy brain." For all those worried, my head is attached, so I've not misplaced it.

Strange feelings have been popping up....everywhere. My back sometimes (I am sleeping half/half on my back/stomach, so it's bound to be the reason)...I've had strange pains in my rib cage (hein? pourquoi??)...I get foot rubs a lot from the wonderful husband...Three more weeks and I'm supposedly in the clear--the second trimester, I mean.

Jeff and I joined a church yesterday. We've enjoyed going the past few months and hopefully it'll open us up to some new acquaintances and friends. People are very friendly there.

I've been back to work full time for a week and a half so far. It seems like it's lasted and eternity, but I have noticed that the extreme fatigue has dissipated a bit. I'm relieved for that. That was the symptom driving me the most insane. Of course, I slept until 10AM this morning. Oops. I am NOT supposed to do that.

Other than that, I'm done for the day. Will update later this week!

Ciao!

Shaken, not stirred!

Graduation!

Our little Blueberry is now a Green Olive. Not only that...but our embryo has graduation to elementary school---and is now a fetus. Yay! Now just about an inch in length, its heartbeat can be heard via Doppler, which I hopefully have scheduled for this coming Wednesday! Woot!

The biggest suffering for me now is the pregnancy fatigue. It nearly takes a bulldozer to get me out of bed--and then I only take a few steps to our recliner sofa where I veg and eat. My diet and exercise routine has taken a beating.

Yesterday, I took a run. I ran for half a mile before the pain on my side hurt more than I could stand and my breathing was much too labored for my speed and distance ran. So I walked a little longer until I found Little League. I watched some 7 year olds playing baseball...and perhaps for the first time, I thought I'd be ok with having a little boy. I can't wait for that stage!

Well, I foresee an update following my appointment!!
Ciao!

And it begins...

As Blueberry Baxter is fixing to upgrade to "Raspberry Status," the stronger symptoms are beginning to shine. A sprinkle of nausea, midnight trips to the restroom to give my bladder a break...oh lovely.

Blueberry is making it known that it's there. Cramping. Hunger. Some more cramping. This week, it's forming (hopefully) two arms and two legs. It still has a tail--making it more alien than I care to think about. But it's forming. Heart is beating at more than 100 beats per minute. Ear canals are forming, but Alien Blueberry still can't hear for another 7 weeks. We're already watching our language, though :p!

I'm doing well with my exercise. Walking is my exercise of choice and my brother in law, Max (a mini/toy poodle), is being helpful with that cause. I feel good about keeping active!

More later following the berry upgrade!!

Introducing...

BLUEBERRY (MUFFIN!)!!
Little baby Baxter is now the size of a blueberry---keeping in the spirit of Blueberry season chez my parents in Holland! Yumm-O!!! It's a sad thing, though, that every time I think of the Little Blueberry---my mind goes to muffins, pancakes and the most delicious bowls of Frosted Flakes around. In any case, the Fetus Formerly Known as Poppy Seed is making great progress.

It's spent a week out in California (well, half a week so far) meeting the paternal grandparents and future uncles and aunts and cousins and Dog...it's had a blast.

It does regret the Personal Sized pizza from Round Table it just ate. Perhaps the morning sickness starts now? Tonight may be the first trip (albeit short) to the hot tub out at Grandpa and Grandma's house. The weather's no longer scorching its carrier.

Everyone's excited. Janet and I went out shopping yesterday (more like window shopping) and found some really cute toys at a placed called Giggle. Luckily, they have an online store, so I'll be able to get some of the hard-to-find items it sells back home in Virginia when the time is right. We also got to test the stroller/travel system I'm preferring at the mo and it seems like it'd work perfectly. The price tag is a bit steep...but we'll research more! And we've got plenty of time!

I need a nap. Jeff is sick and I slept poorly in a child-size bed. :P It's quiet in here!

Ciao!

OUR LITTLE SWEET PEA!

It's been yet another slow moving week in Herndon. Apple seed now is the size of a sweet pea. Little sweet pea is giving me pretty bad cramps (different than those that Aunt Flo brings along). No morning sickness still. We've worked hard and are doing ok on a diet plan to keep healthy. I'm chugging loads of milk daily (I actually finished a 1/2 gallon before it went bad). I'm eating my apples (sauce, mostly), my veggies (in pureed soup form, yummo!) and chicken. I'm craving sweets...buuuuutttttt....that's not abnormal for me!

I've been working a bit, picking up shifts here and there. My pants don't fit well much anymore. Uncomfortable. Top it off, apparently, another side effect is a higher body temperature. I don't know if I've ever sweat so much while standing or sitting still. Polyester pants stink!!!

We're packing up and leaving on Saturday for a 10-day visit with Jeff's parents in Bay Area, California. Can't wait. Should be fun :)! Not sure what I'll get up to while there. Phoebe and Daphne, the nittens, will be taken care of by the kind people at our Apartment Complex. Or so we hope.

We still don't have our dryer back.

So, now in my 5th week of pregnancy, I keep seeing women at work, at the store, on tv far along in their pregnancies and I begin to wonder if I'll make it that long! Hopefully I'll get used to the strange side effects. And I hope that when I get to doing something, time will go much faster.

Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Wait...the batteries of that clock are dead.

Until next time,
Cate

Johnny Appleseed

Johnny APPLESEED
A lot of you will be reading this post retrospectively (if you know who I am), as I've not technically shared the news with everyone...figure sharing it with the world that doesn't know me would be pretty harmless.

Embryo is now the size of an APPLESEED. Two days ago, it was the size of a POPPYSEED. Crazy to think it's more than doubled in size in one week. Crazy to think there's something growing inside of me that isn't simply a product of laziness and poor dietary choices. A doctor has confirmed early pregnancy and let me know not to get my hopes too high...there's a 25% chance of miscarriage. So, rest assured that I am aware of the risks of sharing the news too early. We both decided that if it happens because something didn't develop right, then it was meant to happen that way...and that apparently we both are very capable of getting pregnant fairly easily again.

I feel blessed. I know so many people who have endured super-long struggles to get pregnant for years on end. Who've suffered losses that---no matter how far along they were--broke their hearts. I feel guilty that we didn't have that struggle. I guess God thought we were ready right away!

So far the side effects of the pregnancy have just been minor cramping. Not nearly as intense as menstrual cramps. (yay) I also am starting a prune regimen. Imagine that side effect. Unpleasant bloating has been the most uncomfortable side effect so far. If that's the worst of it (I know it won't be), I'm good to go.

Jeff is excited. I imagine he's already figured out college funds. He's requesting information for 2029 admissions to Harvard (I'm planning to look into Grand Valley State). I'm so thrilled to be bringing a child into the world with a man who's looking forward to it just as much as I am. Again, I'm blessed! Got him (ok, the baby) a onesie that reads "My dad is a geek" on the front. He loves it. I planned on telling him the news whenever it came with gifting him that shirt. Unfortunately, he was out of town when I found out. I couldn't imagine waiting 3 days to tell him my news...it was long enough waiting to a decent hour to send him a picture of the positive test!!! Plus, I wanted to talk to my mom and it just wouldn't be fair to tell her and not him!!!

Alright...blah, blah, blah. I've talked enough. Now I have to go pee again. Oops, TMI.

Cate

The Bike...

It felt awesome popping my bike up onto the back of my brand new Escape. I stood back and gawked for a while. That's the way an SUV is supposed to look. Like it has purpose. And I wanted to put off the actual ride. I put it off a bit too long, but it felt great.

I love biking. It takes away the mundane that is running. The slow that is running and the lack of breeze that is running. It provides struggle (up a hill...) and built in breaks (...down a hill), breeze from your speed alone. Incroyable. Best. Investment. Ever.

Dinner will be around 9PM, but I'm glad my bike ride didn't start and end in the hottest part of the day. My legs feel good. My back does not feel so good. My lungs feel good. I'll be back on next week. (Hey, I can't overdo it!!)

So if any of you out there don't already, get a bike. It brings back your childhood (just a little bit). It's more interesting exercise than an elliptical or a treadmill or a recumbant bike at the gym. Find a trail, an empty road and ride. Ride like the wind!

It starts!

Hello readers (or reader),

Welcome to my blog. I'm Cate Baxter. Born in Indiana...raised in Virginia, Maine, Hawaii, Michigan, Kentucky...and Michigan again. Middle child of your typical military family. I got married to my best friend, Jeff, on July 3rd after a year and a half of the fun time known as dating.

We tied the knot in Holland, MI. We honeymooned in Niagara Falls, ON and New York City. We've snuggled into our new apartment in Herndon, VA. We are both thrilled that we survived the blur of time that was July 2010. We've resumed our routines. Gotten comfortable. Having a blast.

We began attending the First Baptist Church in Herndon, VA. We were greeted by a very friendly congregation. We intended on checking out a few different places...but we may have found our home (run) on the first strike. Hopefully, we'll get the connection (beyond the one with God) we were hoping would accompany our healing of the souls. The first Hymn I sing every week makes me smile---and usually is stuck in my head all week. It's wonderful. I'm glad that Jeff is going with me too!!

Until next time,
Cate