Congrats to Craig Biggio!!

If you've read my blog before, you've probably figured out that I am a HUGE Houston Astros fan. I don't know when it happened but sometime in my 8 years living in Houston I fell in love with the Astros, Craig Biggio, and baseball all together. Yes, I'm a freak. Whatever! Anyways, Biggio got his 3000th hit tonight! HUGE milestone!! Even that loser Barry Bonds doesn't have 3000 hits. I was so happy the game was actually on TV up here and that he actually did it tonight! YAY! Poor James was busy with work stuff so I TiVo'd the whole game, just in case. I'm the best wife!

Can I tell you the worst part of the whole thing? I cried. Pregnancy hormones have not really affected me. Hallmark commercials, sad movies ... I don't cry. Craig Biggio hits #3000 ... I cry. What is that all about? Don't judge me.

Now, if they could just win a few games ...

Counting the Days!

I had an appointment with my doc this morning and everything is good. I got to hear the heartbeat again and this time it was much easier to find and hear. It was great!! I was sorry James couldn't make it because it was a good 'in and out' appointment. I had only gained a pound since my last appointment and they didn't have to take any blood. Hey, I thought 1 pound in 4 weeks was a miracle!! I expected it to be way more than that because I've been eating like a pig and my clothes don't fit!! I'm not sure of my weight gain for the pregnancy so far but I think it's a little higher than I want it to be - maybe 5-7 pounds? The doc doesn't seem concerned but then she doesn't have to lose the weight next year, does she? Also, since I had a head start in the weight gain department I'm only supposed to gain about 20 pounds total and that's not looking so good is it? I am counting the days until my next appointment. My next ultrasound is right at 19 weeks so we'll get to find out if James gets his boy. So far, I've had one dream that it's a girl and Christy's 2 year old told me it's a girl BUT the Chinese Lunar Calendar says it's a boy and one lady at work said it's a boy. I was thinking 'girl' because of that dream but that was a long time ago so now I just don't know again. Good thing we only have 4 weeks until we find out!! We are so ready to buy something ... ANYTHING ... but we're waiting to know if we should buy pink or blue!! My mom said she's very surprised we haven't spent any money yet because spending money is what we do best!! hee hee :-) That time is coming very soon!

ch ch ch changes!

Wow what a difference a week makes! I tried to get dressed Thursday morning and the pants I wanted to wear, formerly known as 'fat-pants', didn't really button comfortably around my middle. I could have worn them I suppose but I opted for something with a little more room and as soon as I got out of the office I headed to Target. I knew they had maternity clothes and I just wanted to see what was out there for when I really couldn't wear my own clothes. Maternity clothes are crap. I was between sizes, so is the story of my life, and they really were just crap. Why, exactly, does everything have to be pastel and tie in the back? And what is with the 'flutter sleeves'? Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I want to dress like a 12 year old girly-girl. REALLY. I'm not a lacy, frilly, ruffly person so finding clothes is going to be IMPOSSIBLE!! Luckily I found some FANTASTIC cargo capris but I am also quickly learning that cargo capris are the only casual pants offered in any maternity section and you really don't need that many. That doesn't help me with work clothes now does it? At least Friday was jeans day and my jeans still fit - thank GOD for the low-rise jean! I know they won't fit forever so I thought to myself - Hey! Check out Old Navy! I went to Old Navy and Kohl's on Friday but all they had was crap too. Old Navy was HORRIBLE! I don't know if they're going to quit with the maternity or if the problem was just that I live in Frisco where women make babies, it's just what they do, so they were sold out of everything. They had one pair of jeans in what I thought was my size, and let's face it, I really thought it was going to be too small but it was TOO BIG! WHAT?!?! Kohl's carries a maternity line by Motherhood and I found some cute little polos that, you guessed it, tie in the back. That seems silly to me now but maybe I'll like it when I get big as a house so I bought a couple. They were dirt cheap and they'll go with the jersey gauchos and skirts I have from days gone by that should still fit for a few more weeks. The differences in the sizes at each place has me wary of purchasing anything online, which is where the biggest selection is. The size charts are all the same. Size X = pre-pregnancy size xx-xx HOWEVER this is SOOOO not true apparently since size X hasn't fit me ANYWHERE!! Too small! Too big! It's not really size X is it? This totally bites!! I think I need to quit my job so I can wear t-shirts and yoga pants every day of my life, until next March. :-)

There really isn't anything new going on but I wanted to post again anyways. The tests I mentioned in my previous post all came back normal. My finger still hurts ... but the baby appears to be healthy and growing as it should. Apparently the growth rate is something they'll be keeping an eye on because of my thyroid condition.

We watched Night at the Museum last night and we really enjoyed it. I laughed a lot! It was a good break to watch something so silly. Then James went over to a friend's house to hang out with the guys so I watched Legally Blonde since it was on TV! Today, we watched Cellular. I missed the first 30 minutes or so but it was pretty good. This afternoon, we watched You, Me and Dupree which was another stupid movie but not a complete waste of time. I really like Owen Wilson for some reason. He's just goofy! We also fit in the Astros game! We won! We swept Seattle. It was our first three game sweep since last season. They're pitiful but showing signs of life so maybe it will get better.

Speaking of the Astros, we were a little bummed because when we lived in Houston we always tried to go to the game on Father's Day. It was always a way to brighten up a day that is usually a little depressing for both of us. This year, we had a little more of a reason to celebrate even though we're a long way away from actually being parents. It took the edge off a little, for me anyways, knowing that Father's Day will be a celebration for James rather than a day I'll really miss my dad. Ofcourse, as you just read, we did absolutely nothing today to celebrate and were couch potatoes all day long. It was nice. But what can you really do when it's constantly raining? I think we've gotten over 6 inches of rain since Friday night!!

I hope everyone had a good fathers day and a good weekend!

I FINALLY got my sonogram pics scanned and I wanted to share. It took me FOREVER to figure out how to get this done. I'm so technologically challenged. This baby will come out teaching me how to use computer stuff!

This first pic is from my first sonogram - just under 8 weeks. My baby has two heads and a tail. At least that's what it looks like to us first-timers. It was an incredible experience and I wasn't prepared for what came next ...

This sonogram was done at almost 13 weeks. I had the first tri screening done for chromosomal problems. They did a sonogram and a blood test. The nurse was not very nice and I still have a bruise on my middle finger from where she poked it. I'd like to show her that finger ... ANYWAYS ... the fact that my baby actually looks like a baby was sooooooo cool. I was barely listening to the doc because I was watching my baby kick and punch and move all around. It was the most incredible thing I've ever seen. I know ... it just gets better from here, right?

I just had to include this pic from the same 13 week sono because you can see the arm. Too cute! I like to think that's a Gig Em but more than likely my baby is shaking his/her fist yelling that I need to eat more veggies. :-)

Now, I'm no doc but I have read my fair share of books and talked to many friends. I thought this morning sickness thing was supposed to go away. I'll be heading into my second tri in a week or two and I'm sooooo queasy. I lived through the last few weeks with no problems ... other than the fatigue thing and a few less than flattering other issues. I haven't been sick at all. Then, all of a sudden, last week this queasiness really kicked in with a vengeance!! I haven't actually puked but I have definitely wanted to. Again, I probably just need to eat more veggies, right? I'll survive though because none of that really matters when you think about the bigger picture.

So, on a non-baby note ... my mom bought a house yesterday! WOOHOO! She decided to go ahead and pull the trigger. She wasn't planning to move until next spring but decided to just go ahead and do it. She's building a house in a 55+ community up here and it's actually in the same zip code. No more 150 mile round trips to her house to drop off the dog or just hang out and I'm sure she's happy to not have to drive over here! Her new house will be ready in around Nov-Dec and she has a great view of the golf course from her back yard. It was so much fun picking out her counters, tile, cabinets, carpet, etc yesterday! I can't wait for her to be so close by ... especially since she should be here in time for baby!

Another tidbit of good news, James got promoted! I'm so happy for him, even though he knows it means more hard work than ever to learn a new business. He'll be in the girls' bottoms business instead of the boys' underwear (etc.) business. Does that sound kinda bad? hee hee! I told him we'll have to have a girl since he'll be buying girls' clothes but I don't think he was very excited about that idea. It means more travel for him but we'll just have to handle that and find some time in the future to take a great vacation with those miles and points. See, another good reason for my mom to live in the same zip code! Yay!

It's girls night out tonight - Mexican too - and I will enjoy it even though I want to cry that it won't include margaritas. I really miss margaritas. A lot.

Pictures

Just thought I would throw some pictures on the blog. Not that they're of anything fun but hey, I'm bored and I went outside and took a couple pics because it's such a nice day! Nice days have been few and far between up here lately! Maybe we should go to the pool .... mmmmmm.

The dog enjoying the little patch of shade on her freshly mowed lawn!

This is one of the hibiscus plants that survived the winter. It loves the warm, rainy and humid weather we've been having and is blooming like crazy! I thought it was pretty so I had to snap a pic!

This is my dog's crate after a thunderstorm. You can see the damage so imagine ... if we left her out ... what she would do to the house. She's infamous among our friends for the absolute destruction of every window blind in our previous house. We only crate her when there's a chance of rain, which lately has been EVERY DAY!

Big News from Casa Starke

If you got to this post without noticing the ticker across the top ... you're pretty dense. OK, so that might be a little harsh. Maybe you just have pregnancy brain like me! I won't make you do the math, I'm due December 20th. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO US! It only took me about a year to finally find myself "in the family way" and it took just about that long to figure out how to add that neat-o ticker to the blog. They make these things to look idiot proof but they're really not.

So, I haven't blogged in a while so I've probably lost some readership (right, like a bunch of people really sign on to read about my slow, boring life). What was I supposed to do? Blog about all the silly stuff in my life while I was anxious to spill the beans about the big stuff? RIGHT!

So I said it took me a year. Honestly, probably a little longer than that and when you get to be my age, you start to wonder if it will ever happen (and now, if I will actually live through it all)! I haven't been too sick, just a little queasy, but two things that absolutely turn my stomach are pretzels and Diet Coke. Seriously, those are two things I used to consume on a daily basis and now I just can't do it. Unfortunately, wine and beer still appeal to me but, don't judge, I have been good about staying away from them. I have enjoyed an O'Douls but decided to wait until trimester #2 (and getting out of the woods) before I have more because of the small amount of alcohol non-alcoholic beers still contain. See, I had some issues with my progesterone level in the very beginning and that made me a little nervous about actually considering myself pregnant. I am happy to report though, that we heard the heartbeat just this very morning and it was fantabulous! It took a few minutes (literally, minutes) of the doctor practically impaling me with the Doppler thingy to find it. Poor James was getting nervous and the doc was starting to sound puzzled, which worried me a little, but then we heard it. Then, it was gone. Something about a tilted uterus and, most obviously, the extra layer of fat on my belly I have worked years to achieve with the help of beer, margaritas, and any Mexican restaurant around! :-) ha ha! At any rate, she also said we're "out of the woods" so life is good!

I have to go now but I promise I'll be better about blogging now. I have something fun to talk about! Complain about! Laugh and cry about! Don't expect any pictures of me any time soon. Until I look pregnant, instead of just fat, I don't plan to be anywhere near a camera!