please forgive me for being such an AW

sorry. the tree fabric has exploded into the beginnings of THE PERFECT NURSERY. well, for us anyway. :)

mary kay and i had so much fun putting this stuff up. i can't thank her enough for using her oh-so-wonderful talent to help me make the 'nursery-in-my-head' become the 'nursery-in-real-life'!

there is still a mural to paint and details to take care of so i am sure i will inundate you with a wealth of photos when it is closer to completion. the owl fabric has taken a backseat for the moment (oh but there will be owls!) and i am pretty sure the rocker is no longer going to be a part of the room - we are remaining flexible to whatever looks best/feels right. if you are in town, COME SEE IT IMMEDIATELY. it's even better in person.

29 weeks, 4 days

you know you should wear more clothes and brush your hair when

OR, maybe i should title this post, you know you look like a pregnant teenager when...

i got home from work today and took a nap.

i woke up.

put on some shorts and a tank top all sleep eyed and bed headed and make up flaked to run to the grocery store for milk, cereal, and some fruit. (and some mac and cheese but that is neither here nor there).

get in line to check out.

THEN the sweet girl (who is probably a good five years younger than me) checking me out asked if i qualified for WIC and had any WIC items in my cart. (looking pointedly at my three gallons of milk and cereal!)

(not that there is anything wrong with participating in WIC programs at any juncture in your life... but i just love when people assume things).

so, no need to be offended or anything silly like that...but karl and i have been giggling about it all night. and next grocery trip i will be, um, a little more dressed and awake, maybe? haha. i might even wear my wedding ring.

really, three gallons of milk was almost $15! i mean who couldn't use some lower food costs!?

29 weeks, 3 days

wonderful friends and SUNSHINE

ladies and gentlemen, DECK WEATHER has officially begun. my nose and shoulders are sun-kissed to prove it. i love the first sun-kissing of the year. (well, as long as it isn't a crispy fry).

i feel very grateful to friends and family tonight. it is overwhelming to be showered with gifts for the baby. huge thanks to elizabeth, audra, susan, and melissa for hosting the most perfect baby shower in the world. and for everyone who attended. thank you for coming. there were no april showers saturday; the weather was perfect - sunshine all around!

boys, babies, barbeque, and beer = perfect combination.

today, i may have had a mild anxiety attack trying to decide where all this STUFF goes. it is scary to have STUFF. babies use STUFF. my child will use the STUFF we received yesterday. a little frightening. but awesome. onofre loves all the STUFF he has gotten so far. he is currently kicking and punching his thanks.

29 weeks, 2 days

click click click: 28 weeks or so w/ arlo

ah, gratuitous photo taking of ME&BABY. let me tell you how much karl LOVES it. he takes about twenty images, i complain and yell at him about how they all look like crap and THANKS A LOT, then i download them, and i think, "oh those aren't so bad." let me reiterate: HE LOVES IT. it's comical really. pretty much he is quiet throughout the whole process. he just click, click, clicks and silently passes over the camera before heading back to his tippy tappy machine.

i must admit, i kind of love my basketball belly. it makes me laugh. i guess i fall in the category of "women who love being pregnant." (please don't say "JUST WAIT" if you have had babies or even if you haven't... every time i tell someone i feel good still, they seem to say "JUST WAIT" like it is going to TURN HORRIBLE any minute - i really believe some women make it through to the end loving being pregnant and i have convinced myself i will be one of them. (possibly and probably naively - i will be the first to admit! i'll let you know in a couple of months.) though the nail and hair and skin things - total myths for me. my skin is worse than a 15 year olds. especially on my arms. which is pretty sweet for summer. oh, and the recurring nose bleeds are a little annoying.

sorry to overinform you of my pregnancy news but it is a little hard for me to concentrate on anything else lately. i hope you don't mind! i had a doctors appointment today. i was all prepped to get my SHOT IN THE BOOTY. (rhogham for rh negative factor). Guess what? Um. I'm not negative. No shot necessary. Yea, they rewrote my blood type incorrectly on my new chart when i switched doctors. Um, have I mentioned I love doctors/western medicine model? On one hand, I am less mad at OB#1 - he didn't tell me b/c there was nothing to tell (and I am still glad we switched). On the other, HELLO. it makes sense why my mom was like "are you sure?" and I didn't know prior. Gaw. Was I wrong to trust them when they said I needed a shot? (Another reason everyone should have an advocate when they go to the hospital for any reason! There are some stats that say every patient who is checked in a hospital experiences at least one mistake throughout their stay. Don't know the validity of the stat, but I don't find it that hard to believe! )


Anyway, whatever, no shot. All "the usual" tests done - baby heartbeat in 140s, blood pressure on target, urine clear of protien (oh i know you needed to know that!), gained two pounds this visit (gained five last so kind of evening myself out), belly measured right on target (i love that they measure you with like a fabric tape measurey thingey; it seems so antiquated amid all that medical technology), doc said if he had to guess by feeling he would say baby is head down, so that is good. um, i meet with the two other doctors at the practice my next appointment (one more monthly visit and then i go bi-weekly, then weekly). so, overall doctor had nothing bad to say. in fact, he said he wished all his patients were as easy. i like to hear that!! don't you? he made me feel like i was doing everything right. which is good. so, to celebrate, i MAY HAVE had two coca-cola classics today. don't tell him. i promise to only drink water tomorrow. ;)


28 weeks, 4 days

28 week fruit - a chinese cabbage

i also got "A SACK OF FLOUR" as a comparison. i like the cabbage. hmmmmmm... cabbage. i have no idea what chinese cabbage is vs. regular cabbage? yum yum yum. however, don't ever do the cabbage diet. STINKY.

i have pregnancy brain - i can't concentrate on ANYTHING. i have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. will keep you posted.

28 weeks, 3 days

Team Pink v Team Blue

i mean, really, does it matter?

a few snapshots from my family time in STL. my beautiful cousin bridget finally gets a belly pic in reverse - i am usually the one with my hand on her belly (she has 3 babes). blue v pink features her youngest, mylee jayne, and my cousin jake's youngest, daniel patrick.

karl is still holding out for team pink and i for team blue! i'll share some belly pics shortly for little ono who has been flipping and flopping in some strange positions in there. (um, please just get your head completely down and stay down, please and thank you child. he was laying head down last week but this week i am pretty sure he is in some weird sideways/diagonal position. it's a little early to worry about baby being positioned exactly right, but it would make me feel a whole lot better to feel those kicks back up in my ribs).

28 weeks, 2 days

fabric: i heart you. all of you.

i have a general LOVE for fabric. sometimes i surf the web for fabric. someday i will DO MORE with fabrics. CREATE more and what not. (read: learn how to sew!) for now, i will be thankful to have a fabulous mother in law (thanks Mary Kay!) who is helping me create a dreamy tree nursery. fabric #2 with the trees is THE ONE. it will be our crib skirt and curtains and some other stuff. the owls are just fun and for some small accent stuff (pillows for guest bed and possibly portions of crib bumper... we'll see where it fits - don't want to overwhelm the room in patterns. (sheets will be a solid on big bed and crib bed - yes, we are keeping our guest bed!) more updates to follow on progress. (does this interest you? i never know.)

finally, i would like to share something. my belly button is BRUISED in a perfect little circle from popping out. (oh, and it popped out.) HA. this pic is a few days after the bruise was discovered so it has faded a bit. who would have thought it would BRUISE - it cracks me up. and doesn't hurt. the ole tummy seriously starting to STRETCH OUT. and it is lopsided in this pic - generally it is lopsided one way or the other. please close your eyes if this is not something you wanted to see. sorry! (and, yes, i'm like, pregnant, for all of you wide-eyed out there! hahaha!) i am still looking pretty small. people keep telling me how small i look and i never know whether this is a good thing/compliment or not. i'm taking it as one! i have had three people at work tell me this week (not people i work with very often) they felt silly because they had no idea (which means i must be SHOWING - 7 months later). doctor said my torso is SHORT (really? thanks dude i had no idea!) so i will be going OUTWARD from here on out.

27 weeks, 5 days

27 week belly pics from baby's first cards game

these are the 27 week belly pics you get! (sorry for the low resolution images - my camera died the second i took it out so i had to use my phone. boo.) it was a beautiful day for a game - i must say i miss the old stadium, but MAYBE only because it is just that: old. i have now been to several games in 'the new' and, well, it's pretty nice. PLUS, the weather was GORGEOUS and the seats were in the sun. and dad ALMOST caught a foul ball. (bounced off his hand). AND the concession stand dude gave me free nachos "for the baby." (like i needed them with my hot dog!) oh, AND, THEY WON and are off to a great start for the season. (side note: i never realized that pujols was our age. seems like he has been playing forever. really, the majority of the team was around our age or younger. i guess we have been in our careers for years, so it makes sense, but still!)

more family pics to follow. not to tease but MY FABRIC GOT HERE YESTERDAY and it even dreamier than i imagined. nora kate/bridget kathleen/imogen/anna/lorelei/hayes/eliot/gabe/reid (price matheney robus) HILLS is going to love it. er, love throwing up on it?
27 weeks, 4 days

1/2 marathon: 2 hours, 6 minutes and runner etiquette

we are back from our weekend jaunt to STL. we flew, which makes both of us very happy. (short weekend plus driving sucks. plus karl was running and who wants to drive home after that?)

the weather was perfect and karl had a GREAT race. it was a half marathon; 13.1 miles. there were over 13,000 total runners across marathon and half categories. 2:06:27 was his official chip time (for you non-runners, they time the race according to a chip you attach to your shoelaces. the chip starts when you cross the official 'start' line (think long rubbery mat) and it picks up your time as you pass over several mats along the way. the race stops when you cross that final mat!) i think karl was pretty pleased with his time. he wanted to break 2:10 and he did. YEA! now he might take a break. er, not. he is really looking for his next race. ADDICT.

as for that last picture down there, i put it up to share with you a little bit of runner's etiquette. these ladies took the cake of poor runner's etiquette for the weekend. so i took their picture. i don't know who they are, but they should know better. shame on you ladies! what was their fault? they were, shown here, "running" with the less than 8:00 minute mile group. do these ladies look like they will be putting out eight minute miles for 26.2 miles? NO. this photo is at the start and they aren't even actually running. (which is great - walkers are awesome! anyone who participates is awesome!) BUT you line up for a race according to your pace group. please don't make people who are seriously competing for time run around a group of walkers who like to be in the front. line up with your race pace. please and thank you. (also goes for 5Ks, 10ks, and, well, really any race. nothing more annoying than having to fight your way around people in that early break out shuffle). rant over.

we also hung out with fam and saw the cardinals (pics to follow). additionally, i have belly pics, fruit (oh, it's funny), baby pool updates and fabric on the way this week. stay tuned.

27 weeks, 3 days

third tri exhastion has begun

i think TOTAL EXHASTION has returned. my energy has been taken from me. i know i have a list of people to return phone calls to and i promise tomorrow you are all getting a call or email. cross my heart.

being exhasted and carrying extra weight can be trying at moments. also, craving cafeteria food (can't get enough corn/veggies at the moment) and then trying to go to luby's at lunch only to find out the luby's in NLR is closed - like sign ripped off the awning, windows taped over closed - (franke's is better anyway!) CAN AND WILL make a pregnant girl burst into tears. other things that made me cry today: a new project at work (too much!), forgetting my milk at work, and another work issue. let's just say preparing for maternity leave has brought up some issues AT WORK. work, ugh. i think i need to take a day off. (can't; saving all those for maternity leave since they don't pay for any leave! yea!) i cried all the way home! haha. ridiculous. none of it was that big of a deal.

on to more important things: BABY NAMES (as promised!)

here are our preliminary LISTS!

TEAM PINK:
bridget
nora (maybe nora kate since we do live in the south now and double names are standard, right?)
lorelei
anna

TEAM BLUE: (WE HATE BOY NAMES!!! WHY ARE THEY SO DIFFICULT?)
hayes
aiden (yea, yea, it's popular blah blah blah)
emmit
reid
elliot
gabe (ok, i just threw this one on just now)
seamus (fine, karl vetoed this one BUT whatever!)

we really don't LOVE any of these little man names. so, really, we are open for suggestions.

you can vote if you would like BUT if you have a negative opinion about one of our name selections, please do NOT make this pregnant lady cry for the 6 millioneth time today. oh, and, don't even bother asking about middle names, unless you have a GLORIOUS suggestion! these were difficult enough.

oh, and also, i like the name imogen. and james. (one last for each list!)

26 weeks, 5 days

roxy helps with sunday pics

roxy wanted to dance with the baby. so i let her.

i have no words to share for now. i am buying my nursery fabric tomorrow. i will share soon. i am kind of in love with it. but not quite ready to share. i am also intending to share (prepare yourselves) our POTENTIAL NAME list later this week. one for boy baby, one for girl baby.

26 weeks, 2 days

happy 94th mimi

karl's grandmother mimi turned 94 today! we had a weekend long party - starting friday evening and ending with a bday lunch today. i must say mimi held up longer than me. i am exhasted! visitors from NC (aunt judy), NYC (phillip), and Mountain Home, AR came in town to celebrate.

pics: mimi with her grandsons, mimi with her daughters, and mimi blowing out her bday candles. i don't believe the candle count was accurate.

spring has sprung

this morning: first day i didn't have to wear a coat or jacket on my morning trek from the car to the office!

ten minutes later: check weather. it's going to be about 80 today.

five minutes later: find out the AC is, like, broke at the office.

I don't care! I'll take it. And appreciate it.

sign me up for summer. makes a girl not want to sit in her office all day, eh?

25 weeks, 6 days (please note: 99 days to go - er, well, approximately)

sunday night pictures moves to monday this week

well this picture kind of sucks - i am not sure it is an accurate representation. i am kind of having a pregnancy-sucks day - don't tell anyone. (everyone is allowed to have a moment, right?).

as previously mentioned, i failed my prelim gestational diabetes test. when one fails, one must take a three hour test. that i took this morning. the day after easter. (how stupid am i?!). anyway, three hour test entails them taking your 'fasting blood sugar', consuming a yummy orange glucose drink, and then taking blood (via fingertip pricks at my doc's lab) every hour for three hours. fasting blood sugar was normal, i failed the first hour, and then passed the second two. (if you care about #'s, my fasting blood sugar was 60, first hour was 204! (had to be below 190), second hour dropped all the way down to 140 (what i needed to pass the test in the first place!), and third hour down from there.) TALK ABOUT A CRASH. for me and for baby. next time i have a child, i think i shall decline this test. it was awful and i don't understand why they do it. unless you are OFF the chart, it is treated through diet anyway. why can't they just randomly test my blood sugar instead of making me eat a drink whose sugar levels are equivelant to like four candybars that i would never eat anyway. never mind, i am going to stop there before i launch into another speil about medicine and tests. argh, i am in too crappy of a mood to launch! (and if i failed, they gave my information to a diabetes clinic for yet more testing and "plans" and appointments. and stress!)

whatever, i guess i passed. i am thankful i passed. very thankful. it would have been okay if i failed also. talk about an emotional roller coaster. the lab tech said my test was "highly unusual" - i think she thought i somehow cheated - ha! i also had to go straight to work after my test, so i am spending the evening in recovery mode. everything can wait a little bit while baby and i sleep it off.

additionally, i have like 15 more guesses to add to the baby pool! will update that tomorrow! it's getting good!

25 weeks, 3 days

friday fruit moves to saturday

sorry, basketball is taking OVER my life. we spent all day friday passing out NCAA publications to the attendees of the first round games here in LR and then friday night, scored some free tickets and watched mississippi st. beat oregon (good game!) and memphis slaughter, um, whatever 16 seed they were playing. i left the memphis game at half to watch the Razorbacks - who had an awesome game! (a win). okay enough about basketball... most of you don't care! and karl and i are going back for more on sunday! oh, and let's wish marquette good luck v stanford TODAY - my sister picked a much better basketball school than me!

here is my TWENTY FIVE week fruit - who knows what it is? (some of the girls at work had never even heard of it!). It's RUTABAGA! not only fun to say, but also DELICIOUS to eat. i highly recommend if you've never had it. YUM.

i have more udpates; i have to take my GD (gestational diabetes) test on Monday morning. More news of this later (I failed the prelim test! and am pissed!). No doubt in my mind I will pass. (alright, that is a lie, but I really feel like I am going to pass just fine.)

25 weeks, 1 day

MARCH MADNESS: I AM MAD ABOUT YOU!

LOOK! I took this picture!! Sometimes working for THE PRESS is fun b/c you get an excuse to go spend your afternoon, camera in hand, watching teams gear up for first round play of the NCAA March Madness Tournament! (after you have spent the last week feverishly working to produce an extra special NCAA publication and web!)

Here is my fame: Arkansas Sports 360 Blog AND your place to go for NCAA Coverage! ;)

it's a beautiful, gorgeous day in the rock, and we walked over to the Arena where all the games will be taking place to watch Miami and Texas' open practices. (well, the games slated for LR - yes, Little Rock! got some games!). Karl and I have tix for a second round game on Sunday and possibly scored some for Friday night.

i have preggo news also (nothing big just an update!); i will update tomorrow with my Friday Fruit. It's a good one (the fruit).

24 weeks, 6 days

RELEASE THE BRACKETS!

had a busy one! karl had some basketball games. we went to a wedding shower for our friend liza who is tying the knot in may. kristen and jr had a fabulous house warming party. we put together a crib. it now houses a yoga ball and some miscellaneous baby items people have given us (i haven't bought one thing yet!). i watched a lot of basketball. i took sunday belly pictures. they were all horrible (no lie) except for this one. next week i am going to prove that i do wear more clothes than tanks and POSSIBLY show you a belly pic in a normal outfit. maybe.

i can't wait to pick my final four! woo hoo march madness i love you. additionally, does everyone but me realize that cardinals season opener is MARCH 31! Wha!?! Baby Hills will be attending his/her first Cardinals game in utero in april. got to start the wee one out right.

we really had a good weekend. i apologize the pics just don't do it justice!

tomorrow is st. patty's day! my favorite holiday! someone make me corned beef and cabage. no? fine, i'll do it myself.

24 weeks, 2 days

friday fruit

i forgot to post my friday fruit for week 24. ono is now an ear of corn. yum, that sounds good. (s)he weighs roughly 1 pound. taste buds are developing. (read: must eat what baby says!)

speaking of corn, aparant-leee, (on GMA this morning) it is in everything and making us fat. sweet. one more thing to add to 'THE LIST' (of things wrong with the world!).

happy weekend! goal: RELISH my time off this weekend. and pluck my eyebrows.

(p.s. pregnancy has done some weird things to my hair. like, i don't have to wash it. ever. i washed it tonight for the first time since TUESDAY. and it has stopped growing on my legs. but started growing on my stomach. it's all bizarre. and like half of the hair on my head fell out in the first trimester - no complaints there; i have a crapload of hair. i don't even pretend to understand these things. long, shiny pregnancy locks have eluded me. maybe i will just cut it off. who wants to give me a mom haircut? HAHAHA. that's not really funny, actually.)

24 weeks

st. patty's day is just around the corner

i don't have a lot to say:

• The Biggest Loser made me angry last night. Trainer Jillian tried to get all up in Allison Sweeney's face. DOESN'T SHE KNOW THAT IS SAMANTHA BRADY from Days of Our Lives. You don't want to make her angry!
  
• Please send a warm welcome to our dear friend Ryan joining us in the blogorama. Here is his link. Add it to your google reader.
  
• Also, our dear Karl is attempting the blogosphere with a new design over at 84boxes.com - it is fun! AND, if you don't click it because you hate me (or karl), READ THIS STORY. i know karl and i fall a bit extreme on the don't-use-medicine-eat-healthy-and-exercise-scale, (and getting further extreme every day!) but PLEASE. at least READ the AP article. it is interesting if nothing else. my soap box over. drugs aren't always the answer for every sniffle. our actions have consequences. (in more things than this i realize!)
  
• st. pat's. that is all. break out the green and orange! team catholic and team protestant UNITE.
  
• antm. tonight. it is going to be a good cycle. last week one model called another model 'big' (ahem, bigger) in her apple bottom jeans. hilarity and waist-measuring with one of those fabric-ey rulers ensued. i can't stand that show - it stands for so many things i hate - BUT I CAN't STOP WATCHING. Addiction.
  
• basketball tourney for karls kids tonight.
  
• um, i have a long list of things to do. going to get started NOW!
  

ready? go!

23 weeks, 5 days

the entertaining bending habits of pregnant women

i am looking a little larger - it's funny how you spend so much time wishing for a baby belly and then you are like WHOA slow it down. that being said, i still feel pretty small and comfortable. though i have been insatiably hungry the past few days. trying to eat good things - doing an okay job. i thought it would be fun to share a few pictures of the interesting bending and snapping movements i have going on. i know this is what i look like when i do squats in my step class and it makes me giggle.

i tried to find a 'fun fact' about development and growth for you guys to go "ewww" about. instead, i found this tidbit ("MOM TIP!" is what it was titled) that made me snort milk out of my nose.

"Some expectant mothers wear a bell on their tummy. Thus, the baby becomes familiar with a happy tinkling sound along with the noise of the bowels and the beating of his mother's heart."

DEAR GOD. that is wrong in so many ways. who are these "some expectant mothers"? are they seriously comparing bells and bowels as similar happy sounds? and how do you tie this bell on you? do you wear it all day - to work, to bed? wouldn't it just jingle every time you moved? I DON'T GET IT. it makes me have mental pictures of moms tinkling bells furiously in front of their screaming newborns in a desperate attempt to soothe them. Karl says he is going to buy me a cow bell. DREAM BIG!

that being said, onofre has been moving around a lot in there. i thought i would feel more relaxed when the baby started moving around. but, really, i just think, 'is (s)he moving enuf? too little? too much on one side?" hahaha. i wonder silly little things like that. then i eat some pineapple and ono goes crazy jumping around and what not. the increasing consistency of movement makes me smile. kick away. i love soccer players.

the weekend is almost over. nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo. why do they go so fast?

23 weeks, 2 days

this is what 1-4 inches looks like in little rock

hardee-har-har, weather man.

took this photo on my way in to work this morning. no snow day for us. (can't speak for the other no-shows in my office!) there are some flakes coming down; but it is also 36 degrees. this morning they said there might be "another" three to four inches today in lr. correct me if i am wrong but don't you have to have something on the ground to add "another" few inches?!?!? i don't get it people. GO TO WORK.

on a happy note, here is a nugget of internet goodness: CLICK HERE! (warning: it is six minutes long and about safe sex; pictures of condoms are shown in this very strange and entertaining indian psa. and you might be humming the tune for the rest of the day).

23 weeks EVEN!

especially good if you have seen juno

i have nothing pertinent to say about the presidential race 08. that is that boys and girls. enjoy the song.

i have been having a great week - jenny and her parents were in Little Rock and they graciously took me to Cirque du Soleil (yes, in little rock!). It was pretty sweet though my heart almost dropped out of my chest a few times. crazy trapeze artists swinging from the ceilings. it was a fantastic show.

last night karl benched one of the kids on his team (well, the other coaches team as he was filling in for another coach) last night and i was very proud. basically the kiddo lost his temper and there was a technical foul involved.... karl pulled him right out and didn't let him go back in the rest of the game (it was a very intentional foul). Thumbs up, coach. Church league is not for fighting, right? Got to have some sportsmanship! What an upstanding man i have married. (good father material, really. man, our kid is lucky! haha!)

work blows this week. for many, many reasons.

it is supposed to snow tonight and, for once, i think it actually might do so. we might ACTUALLY have a legit snow day tomorrow.

more preggo news and pics tomorrow. i think ono might be going thru a little growth spurt b/c i have been extra ti-ti this week. sleep is good.

22 weeks, 6 days

the marathon that shalt not be mentioned

so the warm weather and the lingering illness didn't make for the greatest race ever. however, karl finished and we are all happy. well, we are all recovering anyway. he isn't feeling so hot. i'm not feeling so hot. happy marathon day! arlo was a great companion and cheerleader... he was calm and collected the whole time - though he did try and take off after karl a few times.

yea karl! thanks to everyone who cheered him on - in spirit or in person. sorry if we haven't answered your calls this afternoon - sometimes recovery means turning off the phones.

normal sunday belly pics will be delayed until later this week. baby ono is very happy and proud today.

22 weeks, 2 days