Monday, September 28, 2009

VOTE FOR FAME!

CutestDogCompetition.com
Vote for my DogSponsored by All American Pet Brands makers of premium dog food.

I've entered Fame in the Cutest Dog Competition!!! This isn't the most ideal picture to show off his cuteness, but I don't really have anything on my laptop since it crashed a couple months ago. Even if we don't win the $1 million prize, the $500 to win for the week will be great for us!!!

VOTE HERE!!!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Some fall fun

It was pretty nice out today - around 60 degrees and sunny with a slight breeze - so I asked hubby if he wanted to go apple picking. I know he didn't want to go, per se, because he just doesn't care about that kind of crap, but a couple weeks ago I suggested it as something different to do, so he said he'd take me.

We ended up with about 13 pounds of delicious looking apples (and a dozen fresh cider donuts- mmmm!), so I feel some baking coming on this week!

Here are some pics from our little outing:
There's my short little self, picking apples from the bottom of the tree. However, my butt looks GREAT in those pants, so I can't complain too much.
Ha! A big one! I'm trying to squeeze the living daylights out of it.
I'm so jealous that he could reach that high. That's where all the good ones were!
After a near miss from attempted assault by an apple (notice the apple plummeting to the earth in the bottom center of the picture).
Yeah, that's right- mine's bigger than yours. Sorry 'bout your luck.
And here is the first good picture we've taken together since we were in Las Vegas two years ago!

20 weeks!

I hit 20 weeks yesterday, which means I'm halfway there!!! Woo hoo!!! I have reached the top of the mountain and am on my way back down. With hiking, the way down is usually faster and easier than the way up, so let's hope that's the case and I'm not jinxing myself by saying that! lol

The girls on Fertility Forums brought up the topic of astrology and what our babies would be. Here's the scoop on Marius' zodiac:

He will be Marius the Aquarius (ha!) unless he's over a week late (Pisces) or over 3 1/2 weeks early (Capricorn). The Chinese New Year falls on Valentine's day this year, so he's due to be an ox, but if he's 2+ days late, he'll be a tiger.

I'm a sagittarius/ox, and hubby is a gemini/ox. I like the personality traits listed for a tiger, but ox/tiger is NOT a good combination. lol According to one site, an ox/tiger combo is "one of the worst possible pairings", and a relationship between an ox parent and a tiger child is an "uphill struggle" HA! Great! Another site said that for the ox/tiger pairing, it will be "lots of tension and lots of hardwork to make the relationship work." Wonderful. lol

According to one site, people born under the ox sign make excellent:

Painters
Interior designers
Carpenters
Mechanics
Horticulturists
Engineers
Draftsmen
Architects
Army Officers
Managers
Quarry Workers
Academics
Archeologists
Osteopaths
Physioherapists
Bankers
Investment brokers
Real estate agents

Hence why mommy likes to work on cars, and daddy is in the military. lol It looks like a lot of these are very hands-on kind of jobs.

According to the same site, tigers make good:

Actors
Comedians
Chauffeurs
Musicians
Race Car Drivers
Pilots
Artists
Writers
Flight Attendants
Travel Agents
Advertising Agents
Office Managers

These are more artsy type jobs, which are good too.

I guess we'll see what happens in 2010! Marius, if you decide come out late and be a tiger, I'll tell you right now- I'm NOT looking forward to an "uphill battle" with you. But isn't that what parenthood is anyway? lol

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Here he is!

Today's ultrasound was awesome! We got to see everything in detail, and he was moving around so much (thanks to some orange juice about 20 minutes before my appointment), and we SWEAR he was in there flexing his muscles like daddy! He's still measuring ahead - today I was 19w5d, and he's measuring 20w2d on average. His head was measuring 20w5d- a full week ahead! He also had broad shoulders and a big butt. Great. It should be a fun delivery. lol

The only thing that pissed me off is that the ultrasound tech wouldn't print a picture of the "goods"! I was like WTF? Everyone I know with a boy has the "Look at my junk!" picture! Grrrr! Maybe I can go see the girls at CNY and see if they'll get me one ;)

Well, without further ado, here's our son Marius No-Middle-Name-Yet Tucker! lol


This is a picture of his chest and neck mostly. lol His head is turned to the side. He's saying "Look at my pecs!"


He's flexing here. Like, "Check out my biceps!"


Another shot of his hand by his face. Look at that lil thumb! He's saying "Who's tough? This guy!"


And here are his feet!!!! I LOVE baby feet! They measured 3.77cm long, which is just about 1.5in! Shoot, according to the books I have, at this point babies are around 6 inches crown to rump, so in comparison, those are some big feet! Takes after daddy!

Blahhhhhh I can't sleeeeep

I'm too anxious about my appointment tomorrow (or shall I say later today lol). And I have wicked heartburn to boot. Tums used to be my best friend- I used to be able to eat them like candy. But now I'm SOOOOOO sick of them that the thought of crunching on that chalky tablet makes me want to puke. I'll take heartburn over puking any day.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

A little over 24 hours to go!

Today went by a lot faster than I thought, even though I didn't really do much. My stomach hurt really bad last night, and my mom said hers hurt, too. My aunt bought a cooked rotisserie chicken from the grocery store, and I think it was either slightly undercooked or sat out too long at the store, b/c that's the only thing me and my mom ate in common, and it's the only thing I had before my stomach started hurting. It hurt so bad that I made myself throw up to get it out of there. It was just sitting in my stomach and not moving. Yuck.

I can't wait for tomorrow. As soon as I get visual confirmation of the "goods" I'll post the name we picked out. :) Well, the first name, anyway. Still haven't decided on a middle name yet....

Monday, September 21, 2009

Less than 64 hours to go...

I've been waiting for my anatomy scan for 4 whole weeks now, and it's finally around the corner! Time is gonna drag by between now and 4pm Wednesday. I can't wait to see my lil man again, and to make sure he is, in fact, a lil man. I have seen far too many instances lately of women who found out the gender of the baby, then after getting excited and preparing, found out it was the other way around! The genetic testing we had is like 99.9% accurate, but there's always the chance (and our luck) that they transferred the wrong embryo (scary!). So I can't rest until I see the family jewels!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Catching a cold...

Blahhhhhh. This sucks. My head hurts. My face hurts (and if anyone says "Yeah, it's killing me!", I swear.... lol). I have like no appetite. I really don't want to be sick.

I've been sucking on vitamin C drops (I got the store brand and they're all citrus flavor so I have wicked heartburn. I'm gonna actually have to go get the Halls brand, because I'm pretty sure they make a watermelon flavor) and have been taking extra strength Tylenol every 4-6 hours.

I called my OB's office, and they said I could take Sudafed decongestant or Robitussin DM. I REALLY don't want to take any of that stuff while I'm pregnant, so I'm going to avoid it at all costs. I know I'm definitely not gonna take Sudafed- I took it exactly once in my life, and it made me angry as all hell. I have no idea why, but I was in a rage and my heart was pounding and it was scary! I may consider the Robitussin if this gets really bad, but I hope I don't have to. I hope I can fight it off enough with rest, fluids, a good diet, and vitamin c. I better go out and get some tissues. We don't have any in the house, and toilet paper is too rough.

I guess I'll just have to take it easy and rest and do a lot of snuggling with Fame (he always pushes the door open and comes in as soon as daddy leaves for work because he knows he's not allowed on the bed when daddy's home). He's such a big baby. Here's proof of how good of a snuggler he is:




Grrrr. Go away, cold!!!

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

This kid is gonna be a martial artist.

He's been kicking me so much lately! I feel like he's training in Muay Thai! I guess he's gonna be a fighter like his daddy...

All the kicks are low and in the center (like right above my hairline) and I'm very ticklish in my lower abdominal area. It feels so weird, but reassuring at the same time. I can't wait to see him again! Only 8 days to go!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

I LOVE fall.

This is my absolute favorite time of year. I wish it could be September in upstate New York all year 'round. Seriously. I mean, what's not to love? Great weather - if it's sunny out, it's not hot. If the skies are clear, it's a little cool, but perfect for wearing a light jacket or hoodie. Nights are cool, but not too cold. The apple is our state fruit, and it's definitely in season now! You can get the freshest, juciest apples, which leads to delightful confections - caramel apples, apple pies, baked apples. I swear I could eat 'em every day! I love the smell of the spices used this time of year - cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Mmmm Mmmmm good!

Also, the leaves change colors, and it's so beautiful. It's so nice just to take a stroll or a drive and look at the trees.

And Sherry's post yesterday made me think about one of my FAVORITE things about the fall - pumpkins! I love pumpkin flavors. No, I don't mean pumpkin pie (although it IS pretty good, but I prefer other pumpkin-infused foods). There are so many things you can make with cooked pumpkin, and roasted pumpkin seeds are delicious! I also LOOOOOVE carving pumpkins. It's so fun to get creative and see what kind of intricate designs you can carve. The last time I carved a pumpkin was 2006. I never got around to it the last 2 years, although I wanted to, but I just ran out of time.

I don't know what to carve this year. I feel like the pumpkin I carved in 2006 was the absolute best I could ever do. I made the stencil myself from a photograph of Malcolm X, and it was very intricate and detailed. I have a photo around here somewhere- I'll find it and post it soon!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Sweet deal!


I've wanted a Fisher Price Drop & Roar Dinosaur since they started advertising them a couple years ago, and I always told my mom that she had to get me one when I had kids. Well, they stopped making them over a year ago, and the new ones that are left for sale are going for $150+ on Amazon. No thanks!


On a whim, I checked Craigslist, and found one that's damn near brand new for $20! It's mine now. I'm so freakin' excited!


Monday, September 7, 2009

'Tis the season!


I've been wanting a caramel apple for... oh, about 17 weeks now. lol I've been waiting for my mom's best friend Susie to make some (she works at an orchard), but she says Gala apples aere the best and the Galas aren't ready to be picked yet. Today, hubby and I were at Colonie Center and there was a chololate shop in there. I dragged him in there because I could use a little pick-me-up, and I saw a bunch of chocolate-covered apples. Bummer. There was an 8X10 piece of paper in a frame with prices listed on it, and hubby said "Babe, look at the sign." The sign had prices for caramel apples, with and without nuts!!! They are regularly $8 each (GASP! But it was a fancy chocolatier), but they were on sale, 2 for $10 (still a little expensive, but a lot better than $8 a pop!)


Needless to say, I got 2. I just had half of one, and it was pretty good. Look how thick the caramel is on it (especially at the top!) Not as fresh as it could be, and it was a Granny Smith apple, so the flavor wasn't quite right. Susie's apples are better! But it satisfied my craving for now until the Galas are ready!


Friday, September 4, 2009

Shoot... If I can't think of anything to talk about, I'll do a survey!

How far along? 17 weeks!
Total weight gain/loss: Still 5 lbs under.
Maternity clothes? Couldn't live without maternity pants at this point! I can still wear regular shirts because longer shirts with empire waists have been in style.
Stretch marks? I had 2 starting before pregnancy from some stress weight I put on in my belly over the last year, but so far they haven't gotten any bigger. Using Palmer's every day! lol
Sleep: Not so great lately.
Best moment this week: Hmmm.... Nothing really happened with my pregnancy. Hubby took me out to dinner last night and it was delicious, and I made a new friend in CA who I've been able to help with IVF-related issues.
Movement: Haven't felt anything like I did a few weeks ago, but I've felt pressure shifting around.
Food cravings: Potato anything, hot pretzels from the mall, and I reeeeallllly want some real caramel apples! (Luckily we're getting into apple season!)
Food aversions: Haven't really had any since week 8.
Gender: I BETTER see a hot dog at my anatomy scan!
Labor Signs: None. (Thank God!)
Belly Button in or out? In. I think my belly button is too deep and I have too much meat on my belly for it to ever poke out like that! lol
What I miss: Nothing, really. I know if I get a cold I'm definitely gonna miss being able to take Mucinex, though!
What I am looking forward to: Um, my little man being born! Duh! And the first time his daddy gets to hold him.
Weekly Wisdom: Huh?
Milestones: I've gotten to the point where I have to pee more frequently. That's about it.

Not much to say...

I feel like things have become boring over here on the baby front. I don't really have anything to report. I don't really feel pregnant, even though I have a belly. I haven't felt him move since the one time a few weeks ago. I feel pretty good except for the headaches I've been getting the last few days.

I do feel like I have to pee more often, but that's about it. I'm just sitting here, waiting for the anatomy scan on the 23rd. Just waiting. I'm sure I'll have a lot to talk about then!

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Hubby's new tattoo

Yesterday, hubby had a tattoo appointment after work with Christian at Dead Presidents Lounge on Madison Ave. This is where my old tattoo artist went after she closed her independent shop when she was in the process of moving, and she has since moved to Portland, which is a little far for me to travel for a tattoo. So, these guys are my new tattoo people.

I've been asking hubby if he would ever get my name tattooed on him for a long time now, and it never happened, and then recently he decided he was going to do it. His original idea was to have a scroll with text on his chest, with how he felt about me explained in the text. He wrote it all out(it made me cry), but the design just wouldn't fit right in that area, and that was the only place appropriate for such a sentiment. So we met with Christian to discuss our options, and we're quite pleased with the results. Here's the best photo I could get. If you can't see it that well, blame hubby for being dark.



If you can't tell what it is, it's a human heart with a banner that says "Amber, this belongs to you." I love it. I'm so excited.