Christmas Thoughts

Oh, Risotto... being pregnant with you at Christmastime is such a joy. Singing all the songs in church about a newborn baby boy both overwhelm me and bring such happiness... I've never felt a kinship with Mary before. Though I'm grateful I won't likely be riding any donkeys during my 9th month of pregnancy, I can imagine her wonder and amazement at knowing she would soon birth her son. I love feeling you move all the time. A few days ago, Justin and I were hugging and you kicked so strongly that he felt you on his belly! Thanks for sharing the excitement of your movements with him. We love you so much already and can't wait to meet you in a few months. Feel free to stay comfy in my tummy for as long as you need, and know that we will do all we can to make your entrance into this world a comfortable and easy one.

Measurements:
Weight - 15 pounds 
Belly button - 3" (I think, haven't measured lately!)

Tummy Wiggles

I felt you today! I think I've felt you before, but today was the first time I really knew. Today was our Real Heroes breakfast for work, so I don't know if it was my arising at 4:30 am (I hope not!) or the Splenda in my coffee that encouraged you, but your wiggling felt like you were blowing bubbles in my belly. Your movements made me smile so big! My colleagues were excited for us too - especially Ann, who is a few months further along in her pregnancy. I know logically you're growing in there, and feeling you today was such amazing confirmation that you really exist. I can't wait for Justin to feel you too!

Measurements:
Weight - 5 pounds 
Waist - 1 inch

It's a...

Boy! Oh boy! He's really in there! And he's a he! What a perfectly made little wonderful boy we will have!

Ticker: Birthday! Risotto

Baby Risotto is on the Way!

Things you may want to know:
- Risotto is already so loved, and we are blessed to have so many amazing people in our lives who are looking forward to our new addition. Thank you for loving us and the baby-to-be!
- Being pregnant is fun! It's been amazing to watch my body change, and it's barely even started doing that yet.
- I will be 15 weeks along tomorrow - one week into the second trimester! No nausea or nutty pregnancy symptoms yet, besides being pretty tired during my first trimester. I'm all for taking naps and resting because I anticipate my free time will be limited soon.
- Proof this child exists:

We learned we are going to parents the morning after we got back from Italy, June 23, 2012. Not everyone gets such a great souvenir, so since we are American Rices and the baby is an Italian Rice, we are calling him or her Risotto for now. It has such a nice ring to it.
- Yes, we are planning to find out the baby's gender.
- No, we don't really have names picked out yet. Might as well narrow them down by 50% before we get serious about that.
- A little more proof:

Measurements:

Weight: 0

Belly Button: 0

Belly: 1.5”

Grape

Everyone is so excited for us about you, Risotto. My parents teared up and hugged us and Will can’t wait to be an uncle. You are already so well loved.

You’re only the size of a grape this week – I can only imagine how I’ll feel when you’re big!

We toured UCSD Medical Center, which was interesting. Since I don’t have anything to compare it to yet, I’m somewhat reserving judgment, but it seemed like a good option. I don’t know whether I want to go with a midwife but I do like the idea of a doula. We are touring Mary Birch in two Saturdays and my friends who gave birth there have all said excellent things. Elizabeth said she highly recommends them for anything related to baby producing. J

I’m really looking forward to being done with my first trimester so I can tell Andrea and post on Facebook. It’s going to be really fun to see her reaction, though I am already planning to talk about my plan to have my proposals done for the time I’m on maternity leave. I think I’ll be able to take off the full 3 months. I am so glad we did Aflac and that I’ll get nearly my full paycheck during that time, especially since Justin will probably stop working at We Olive next month or so. We are sorting out our budget to make sure that’s feasible, but we can make it happen. And it'll definitely be what's best for you!

Measurements:

Weight: 0 (again)

I need to find the measuring tape that got put away when we cleaned last J

Everyone loves you!

Oh Risotto, it has been so much fun sharing about your existence. I am most excited to tell my parents though, whom I will finally see this weekend!  I will have to keep quiet while we spend time together on Saturday and wait for Justin to be with us on Sunday. Since I’ve been able not to tell them so far, I am hopeful I can keep it up for one more day. J

Justin’s parents were pleased and perhaps a bit shocked when we told them via Skype, and Diane wrote a sweet note about the newest littlest Rice in her card to me for my birthday. Justin’s grandparents were particularly sweet, and Grandma Rice already has a blanket for you! She made it with her sewing group at church and decided it was too nice to give away, so she’s been holding it for Baby Risotto. Telling Megan was wonderful, and she is so excited for me and for you and for our family. She’s even making sure she can come down here for my shower and after your birth. Elizabeth and Erika were really excited and happy you are going to join us so soon – right close to Owen’s birthday, but a year later. They have already offered to throw a shower for your birth, which is so sweet. In VERY exciting news, Lauren and Derek are expecting too! They think they’re about a week or so behind us, which is just fun. It’s wonderful to get to share the experience of creation with such dear friends. I am fortunate that my side effects continue to be limited. Besides sleepiness (and a few corresponding naps in the Health & Wellbeing room at work!) and a need to eat something NOW with some frequency, I’ve been feeling fine. I went swimming again this weekend and it didn’t hurt like it did the other day.

Yesterday was our first prenatal appointment, and we got to see you! Justin’s been feeling sick, which I think made the whole thing even more surreal for him. When it was time for your ultrasound, you were 1.79 cm long with a very strong, rapidly beating, fluttering heart – we even got to hear your heartbeat, which was amazing. It was almost like you were contacting us for the first time. Seeing you definitely you feel all the more real. I have the ultrasound pictures on my phone and I sent them off to all sorts of friends who were excited to see you too. Our next ultrasound won’t be until ~18 weeks, so we have a way to go. But that’s when we’ll learn if you’re a boy or a girl! Today I am 8 weeks and 3 days along, and the due date is February  23. It’ll be fun to tell my parents about you the week before my mom’s birthday with you being due the week before my dad’s. Will should be here too this weekend, so everyone will get to find out! You are already so loved, Risotto. A week or so ago, Justin was cuddling me in bed. I asked, “Who’s your baby?” and he said, “You of course!” and then moved his hands to my tummy and said, “And Risotto.” Though my emotions have been running a bit high (I cried seeing models wearing the USA Olympic uniforms. Not Olympians, just models), I am just so excited that you are real. I feel like I’m glowing and though I don’t think anyone at work  probably guesses (and I do drop anti-hints like saying I had two drinks on my birthday – which was true, ½ of a mixed drink and one mock mojito), I also feel like I’m practically wearing a billboard. I am so happy!

I think we will do your nursery in the Very Hungry Caterpillar theme. I have seen some completely adorable ideas along that line, and it will fit whether you are a boy or a girl. So far, I have no idea which you are. I think of you as she sometimes, but since you’re part of me that seems logical. Other times I say he, so who knows? Since you don’t know yet (or rather, your body does but isn’t sharing the information), I think it’s fair that I don’t yet either. Maybe down the line I’ll have a better idea.

I’ve lost some Italy weight – yay! – though I do have a teeny bit of belly I can’t suck in. I don’t think it’s noticeable, probably even hardly to Justin, but I had to do the hair-tie trick to keep my pants together at work. 

It’s been fun checking websites all the time and reading books like “The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy”. I have two pregnancy apps on my phone and can’t wait until we get to announce your existence to the Facebook world. J Oh, but telling my parents about you is going to the best. They are going to love you so much and you are going to have so much fun with them. You are going to have TWO Great-Grandparents when you show up next year, and they already love you and are praying for you too. Justin’s parents are as well – you are so well loved already and no one has even met you yet! I guess I have more than anyone, but I can’t wait to see you and get to know who you really are. Oh, Risotto. I love you.

I finished our Italy scrapbook a few nights ago and Justin brought home DELICIOUS gelato last night from a great place in La Jolla. I am so glad that Justin and I got to go on that trip together and have such a wonderful time. You were created in so much love. I guess I smuggled back a baby from Italy! Maybe some day we’ll take you there – but we’ll wait a while so you can appreciate it. And can handle the plane flight.

Measurements:

Weight: -3 (woohoo! goodbye, extra Italy weight!)

Belly Button: 1.5”

Belly: 0.5" 

3 days ago...

I found out I’m pregnant!

In that time, I’ve already run through a gamut of feelings, but I am mostly just excited. It’s kind of fun to have a secret and it’s amazing to know that God chose the teeny tiny (sesame seed-sized) little person who is growing inside of me. Justin and I had decided to start trying (aka start not NOT trying) to start a family around our Italy trip. The day after we got home we went out and bought groceries, and two pregnancy tests. Both of them confirmed what part of me knew somewhere. I wish I had come up with a more fun way to tell him, but I took the test when he was unloading our groceries, and I walked back into the kitchen and basically said, “So, we’re pregnant!” and showed him the test. In that moment, I think we were both overwhelmed, but glad to be on this journey together. After the shock wore off we started to move into an excited, happy place.

                                               

My parents and my brother will all be coming to town the weekend of July 20, and I am so excited that we get to tell them all in person. We even set up Skype with Justin’s folks the other day, though they don’t yet know our reasoning. J

I’m excited that at November’s Color Run (walk), I’ll be about 6 or 7 months pregnant. Shelby and Aimee are planning to come, and Megan’s considering it (though unlikely). It would be so much fun to get to celebrate with them in person! I’ve already started a list of possible names on my iPhone, and I think we’ll learn the gender before birth. It’s all so surreal so far, it’s hard to imagine that we’ll really be parents next year. I am amazed by and grateful for God and his providence. He is so good. I was overwhelmed in church on Sunday and cried gratitude to him for this precious being he is knitting together in my womb. I am going to be a mother. I love watching Justin with children and I know he will be a great dad. I think I’ll be great mom too, though of course we’ll mess up along the way.

I had a little bit of nausea on our return flight through DC, where we had to circle the airport. Given my propensity for motion sickness, I thought nothing of it, but it was perhaps my first indicator that something was unusual in my body. I am having super minor, are they hunger pains or cramps, types of nausea so far, but nothing remarkable. My body is achy – and though some of that I’m sure is leftover from our trip, I went swimming on Saturday and could hardly get my arms out above my head. I don’t remember it ever hurting to swim, so to speak, before. Motivation to stay moving! I plan on yoga tomorrow, and a massage later this week.

I bought string cheese and crackers and took a bunch of almonds to work to help stave off likely-upcoming nausea.=Or maybe I’ll be one of those remarkable people with hardly any symptoms at all! Provided we end up with a healthy baby at the end, I’ll take that!

Little baby, I think about you all the time. Ever since I knew you existed, you’re first in my thoughts. I pray for you and hope for you and your future. You are going to make our little family so happy and complete. I promise you and Chance will get along, and he’ll be your very first pet. He’s nice and quiet, and maybe we’ll lay you next to him for some cute pictures down the line. I am so glad you are coming into this world and I am so glad that I get to be your mom. It amazes me to know that we made you, and that God already knows you and put you together on purpose in my tummy. My parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on, and Justin’s, all had an important part to play in your creation. Wow.

I am postponing eating dinner because I just want to write. But that is foolish, so I will make my nutritious and delicious salad now. 

I will be tracking measurements using today's measurements as 0. Measurements:

Weight: 0

Belly Button: 0

Belly: 0