Thursday, September 29, 2011

Too busy at 23 weeks

I received a book from a colleague at school this week called "Little Pea"- about Mama Pea, Papa Pea, and Little Pea, who has to eat all of his candy-dinner before he can get his spinach-dessert =)! It's darlin', and I can't wait to read it to our little Pea.

So, I titled this one "too busy at 23" because I need to start taking breaks more often. I'm seeing it at school, at St. Thomas and at home, too. I'm getting more tired than "usual" more quickly than lately, so I've been seeing how and when I'm pushing it too hard; at least I'm noticing it, so hopefully I can change it! I see myself starting to get upset about how the dishwasher that came with the apartment doesn't clean as well as I can, but I stop for a second, say to myself "Don't get worked up about this," and I just hand-wash the dishes. At school that translates into standing and waiting longer for students' attention instead of fussing about or reprimanding them so soon. 

That aside, I'm really loving being pregnant with Pea! It seems like we're at a stage now where Pea's moving as much as s/he ever has, but because there's less space now, I feel EVERYthing! Sometimes it even catches me off guard, it's so strong. I'm also feeling more comfortable now in my clothes after going shopping with my good friend, Colleen, over the weekend. She helped with all sorts of things, including maternity tights and leggings, so I can wear my old skirts and dresses instead of only the black broomstick skirt or the workout pants <=). Then we went to IKEA (as we've both moved recently) and had lunch!

Send your prayers, please; all three of us welcome them! Would love to hear from you all, too. Love from St. Paul =).



Thursday, September 22, 2011

Comments!

Dearest family & friends,

I just want to thank you for reading and keeping up on Pea's little life. It's been such a blessing =). I want to let you know that I've edited the settings here, so you can now comment right on the post. (I'd noticed getting emails or facebook comments about Pea and started wondering... .)

Thanks for joining us on this ride!
Love,
Michelle & Dylan & Pea

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

22 weeks and feeling big

Like I said from the ultrasound, Pea is active! The technician said so last week, and Dr. Anderson said it again today while looking for Pea's heartbeat. I stretched out on the little bed-counter-y thing, and you could see a big, round bulge on one side of my belly. Then, Dr. Anderson put the doppler machine to me, looking for the heartbeat, found it for a second, then said after a little *boom* of the baby's movement, that Pea moved all the way over to the other side! Just flipping around, enjoying him/herself, I guess. Anyway, positive results from the ultrasound, strong heartbeat of 145, and feeling fine! Dylan and I were pretty hungry by the time we came home, and I ate quite a bit; left me feeling huge! I asked him to take the picture right away ... and this is all I've got:
I got several "you're looking bigger everyday" comments today, and so I guess I was expecting a picture to somehow get across how much bigger I'm feeling. Oh well ... if I'm just in the middle of it all now, I'm sure the big belly is on its way. 

We've been able to squeeze in a little more time for R&R in the past few days, and it feels    g o o d. Thank you for your continued prayers! God's looking out for this little Pea.

(Note: Lucy barely made it into the photo ;) ).

Sunday, September 18, 2011

21 weeks + big ultrasound!

I haven't forgotten to post! Especially not now that there are interesting photos to show =). It's just been a horribly busy week - each night home late and straight to bed. Dylan has a couple of nights with classes until 9pm, I have one day with class til 9pm, and school had the parent-night Curriculum Night this week, too. Full!

Anyway, as per usual, we photographed the bump on Tuesday. So, although I'm writing on Sunday, everything is still week-by-week. Tuesday was also a special day because we had a thorough ultrasound, which took about 45 minutes! Dylan and I were both very pleased, surprised, and excited to see so much of Pea! I kind of didn't want the screen to stop; I wanted to keep hanging out with Pea. Active little baby!! The technician kept saying how cooperative the baby is, too, in that if one angle didn't work well to show some organ or other, Pea would move soon enough anyway to show us from a different angle. It was wonderful to see Pea move on the screen and feel the same movement simultaneously! I know it's a lot of photos, but here are the 6 that were printed out. There are two profile shots, one of each foot, one of a hand, and then one she called the "kissy face" - of just the nostrils and lips (see if you can make that one out - I love it!)


I'm feeling tops, a little less tired these days (whether due to finally slowing down, no more jetlag, no more moving, or pregnancy - dunno) and only really "notice" feeling pregnant when I can't do something at school. I feel blessed and happy carrying little Pea around =)! Here's what I've looked like this week (literally, as all I wear are these long T-shirts from Target and the same black pair of stretchy, black work-out pants; I don't want to admit to jeans-weather just yet ;) ).
Note the "new" French horn in the corner ... Dylan's birthday pressie to me! I've never owned one before =).


Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Halfway at 20 weeks

Wow ... already half done? Still half to go? Definitely the first. I can't believe 20 weeks have gone by so quickly, and that's been without 3rd grade so far. Everyone knows how fast the fall semester seems to fly by! I hope I take enough time in the 2nd half to savor it; Pea's been great so far <3. It's especially been fun feeling the increasing kicking, hitting, or head-butting. Today after school I even laid down on the sofa with a Newsweek, started snoozing and saw the magazine bumping up and down.

Ginny and Ryan spent the long weekend with us, and we had so much fun! Being pregnant at the State Fair is definitely the way to go -- no holds barred -- everything I saw, I got to eat! (Well, everything except "Big Fat Bacon" and chocolate-covered jalapenos). I even had my very first foot-long corn dog. Awesome ;). It was great spending time with Gin and Ryan, and I was really happy to show them a little bit of our corner of the world (... Peter's the only one missing out now ... no pressure.) So I include a photo of all four of us from the Sate Fair - from the Minnesota Public Radio booth, of course. Ginny even got to feel Pea move, and I think she liked that =). It's funny, though, to think about how I can't *make* Pea move; s/he's already an independent kiddo!

Today was supposed to be the big 20-week ultrasound, but (and it's a good thing Dylan and I had logistic confusion with the car) I called, and the doctor should have referred me to St. Paul Radiology. So, we got that sorted on the phone, saved a trip, and I'll have that ultrasound within the next 2 weeks ... I'm anxious, though! I was really looking forward to seeing the difference from week 9 to week 20 - now larger than a mango =). So, instead of an ultrasound photo, we have just another "bump-shot". This time fully covered up so you can see a little more realistically what I look like at school. (Note the Baylor Bear pride! Great win over TCU!) Oh, and one last thing: we have friends from law school who are also expecting, and she is a good month or so ahead of me. Dylan saw her today, though, came home and told me our little Pea's already bigger (or I am ... but I think it's Pea ;) ).
(in the new apartment ... fewer boxes than last week as things settle in a little bit. Yay!)

Thursday, September 1, 2011

A Pea Party

Pea is just dancin'! Prior to the last post, I had to kind of relax or try to feel a movement, but now it's just any ol' time Pea chooses: while I'm eating lunch, going to bed, unpacking (yet another) box, or standing in front of the class. I love it =). Except that last scenario's kind of distracting - I'd rather focus on Pea, but I have to finish my sentences. Everyone at school is - finally - starting to catch on. I've gotten so many congratulations from parents, and it's really great to see my former students happy about it, too! It's been a little strange, though, having people ASK me because, come ON, I'm a pretty little lady, and although I eat a lot anyway, I can't eat that much. Oooh, well.

So, we have moved, and Dylan and I have both started school again, too. Last week I was back at work doing the teacher in-service week, but the kids started Monday, and it has been go-go-go since. We had to finish off the moving OUT before we could relax a little and start doing the moving IN at our own pace. There are boxes galore, but we've made Pea's room the "storage area"; and so now the rest of the apartment doesn't look half-bad, actually. It can only get better from here, and Ginny and Ryan will get to see the work in progress ... MN State Fair, here we come!

This week's photo is appropriately set in front of boxes. Taken on our 3rd wedding anniversary and Pea's 19-week marker.