Moving to a new blog

Due to the fact that if I want to post on my blog, I actually have to do two identical posts and post them on two identical blogs, I decided, what the heck. I'm moving. It will be nice to only have to post to one blog. So, my new blog address is:

donalderinbrady.blogspot.com

So, come and visit us, and check out Adelei's adventures!!!

36 Weeks

I can't believe that I only have about month left until Adelei comes. It seems so surreal. She's definitely changed me, and not just on the outside. I do crazy things because of her, like waddle, giggle in the middle of work meetings when she kicks me, and the pregnant lady squat. And as of this weekend, I have another one:

scrapbooking

Don got me a Cricket for Christmas and I found myself wondering several things. What is it? Can it poke it with a stick? Does he realize that I don't have that gene? It skipped me. Actually, it took one look at me and frantically ran the other way. My mind flashed forward to ten years from now, when I would morosely be looking over hundreds of digital pictures that had never been developed, and obviously never been scraped. It's similar to the feeling you get after you flip through a Victoria's Secret magazine, and realize that even if you ran 10 miles everyday for the rest of your life, you would never look like those freaks of nature. Stupid models. Dang scrapbooking.
Besides from the fact that it depresses me, my rational side also points out that it's like pulling on an unraveling string. You will never be able to stop once you start. There will always be that glitter pen, or that adorable new stamp that you have to have. It's vital to your happiness.
Unfortunately, someone's got to document my daughters growth. And since the prospect of Don doing it is as unlikely as him dancing around in a pink, sequined ballerina tutu, I'm afraid the task falls on me.
So, I am pleadingly calling all scrapbooking divas, I am in desperate need of your help!! And to the rest of you...pray for me.

Unexpected

If I could pick a theme for my life, it would be, "expect the unexpected". And I think that after two decades, I'm finally catching on. There are a few things about pregnancy that I didn't expect:
• The pregnancy. But since I was a little surprise to my parents, it only seems like poetic justice that my own daughter would be a surprise as well.
• Bending myself into a human pretzel just to tie my shoe.
• Gagging at every unpleasant smell or every single time I brushed my teeth for the first two trimesters, or that my gums would bleed because of said toothbrush. Gross.
• Massive heart burn.
• Craving hot dogs (7-11's are the best), chicken broth, Arby's beef & cheddar sandwiches (me oh my), chocolate (ahhh! ambrosia!), ice cream, chocolate ice cream (rocky road rocks my world!!...no pun intended.)
• Leg cramps in the middle of the night...whose idea was that?? Is it supposed to be funny??
• Taking to this pear shape as well as I have. The first time I went maternity shopping I was only about 3 months pregnant. They have these little pillows you can strap to your belly to see how you'll look in a couple of months, and after putting that on and some maternity clothes, I laughed uncontrollably. It looked ridiculous! And I was a little worried that I was going to get that big. To be honest, I was really worried, and the uncontrollable laughter was a defense mechanism. The second time I went begrudgingly. All of my clothes were looking ridiculous, and something had to be done. This time, after trying on an outfit, I laughed again in surprise...I didn't look ridiculous--I looked pregnant, and kind-of cute.
• Turning into Fumblina. I've just barely learned the cause of this: a hormone causes your joints to relax, including all the joints in your fingers, thus causing you to drop more things. I think that this is a practical joke as well. Hey, you guys! Do you know what would be hilarious?? If we made it so that pregnant women couldn't grip things very well, and make them drop them, and then they have to actually try to pick them up with a soccer ball sized belly in the way! Wouldn't that be funny?? Ha. ha. ha. So funny. I drop everything. I watched my grandmother's crystal hurricane lamp shatter into a million pieces on the floor because of this.
• That my relationship would change with every single person I knew because I was pregnant. I admire mothers everywhere. I give pregnant woman a sympathetic, "I know how you feel" look, and they give one back.
• Falling in love again. It's like life has given me another set of rose colored glasses to slip on-only with a more powerful prescription that helps me see clearer, and a deeper hue that gives me the capacity to love deeper.
• My worry gene to switch on. It's true, mothers don't sleep; they just worry with their eyes closed.
• Being baby hungry. It took me being pregnant to catch the bug.
• My "momma bear" gene to kick in. If anyone hurts my baby, I will tear their eyes out with my bare hands.
• How ecstatic I am every time Adelei moves. I'm proud and a little terrified (for the future) at how active she is.
• That a cradle would make me so dang happy. Oh, and ruffle bum tights.
• How relieved I am that Don thinks pregnant women are beautiful. (thankyouthankyouthankyou)
• How extremely sweet it is to have your honey's hand on your stomach as you fall asleep. Don loves Addie. And even if I'm asleep before he gets there, sometimes she'll give him a little kick goodnight while I'm sleeping. In fact, she moves more for him than almost anyone.

I was so certain that I would be a miserable pregnant woman and that I would have morning sickness 24/7 for nine months straight. But, unexpectedly, I love it, and I'll put up with just about anything for Addie.

Oh, Baby!!

I thought it would be fun to have a little poll on the side of my blog and see what the majority of you thought we would have. As it turns out most of you voted for tornado. I'm sorry to say, you're wrong, well, partially.
Last Friday morning we went in for our 20 week checkup. After filing into one of the rooms I jumped up on the table, and proceeded to show my blossoming belly. The ultrasound technician squirted some warm gelatinous goo on my stomach.
"Today we're going to do a full check-up on your baby," he chirped. Then he started dabbing at the goo like a painter with a paint brush. People do weird things to you when you're pregnant.
He smeared the goo across my little bump.
"Your baby's head is down here...here are the legs, and here's the stomach. Everything looks normal so far..."
After manipulating the frequency and intensity of the ultrasound machine he went down his check list...heart, brain, spine, upper lip, umbilical cord, ten toes, and hands which were close to the face and held like a boxer. She weighed 12 oz. the same as a can of pop. Don and I relaxed more and more as the picture the technician was painting for us became clearer.
"So, what do you think you're having?"
"Uh...I have no idea." That's why we're here. Now for the love of Pete, just stop toying with me and tell me what my baby is!
"Oh, you have to guess, what do you think it is??"
"A girl. I think it's a girl"
"And you?," he turned to Don.
"I think it's a girl, too. Although I really want a boy."
The technician moved the ultrasound around my stomach some more. The goo was making it itch. And I wanted to scratch it like mad.
"It looks like you're having....
....a....girl. Yep. A girl. No little boy parts there!"
I grinned in contentment. A girl. My own little angel. My little Adelei. I knew it.
"Let's try and get a good shot of the face for you."
He jiggled the ultrasound up and down in hopes of changing the baby's position, and then reached for more goo before going down to the head.
"Nope, she's not taking her hands away. She's camera shy."
He tried the jiggling trick again. No luck. And a third time with no success. I decided to try, and took both hands and shook my stomach, "Come on baby!!" I encouraged.
The technician moved the instrument down. "Your baby...."
"...Your baby...is flipping us off." He said in wonderment.
I glanced sideways at Don, and we both started laughing uncontrollably.
"Sounds like she has a little bit of me in her!" Don exclaimed.
"I have a feeling she has a lot of you in her."
I giggled the rest of my way through the ultrasound. I couldn't help it. My little baby has some sass, and she's definitely going to need it to survive here. But, we're going to have to have a talk about her cute little middle finger when she gets here. The little tornado.
The ultrasound technician was kind enough to include a photo of our little girl's gesture so that we could document the moment. We also got a CD with a few more photos. And since photos are important, I've decided to include them on my blog.
My sweet little Adelei:

And, no, I didn't include the infamous 'flipping off' photo. You'll just have to come visit and see.