Marathon Weekend

Today is my Friday! Woot! Tomorrow we have our official anatomy scan. I hope Miss Thing is, well, still a Miss. Otherwise my good friend who is due a few weeks before me is getting some cuuuute stuff! Ha. I actually think it would be hilarious if she turned out to be a boy. I would have had three weeks of a sweet girl and then the rest of my life as a mom to a boy. Seeing as the whole "I'm having a baby" thing is still surreal, my girl doesn't feel 100% real. Maybe after tomorrow. Some have asked me if I would be sad if she were a he. Heck no. We a pumped either way!

Tomorrow we are also going on a registry whirling dervish. Hoo-Boy. Just thinking about it puts me in the mood for a marathon.

You run? Um, hells no.

I mean a movie marathon. Maybe Harry P? One of Mr. Knip's (surprisingly not gay) friends wants to watch the Twilight series. Maybe we can do that. I'm tired this week and just want to veg out.

Baby Legs are the Devil

I ordered two sets from BabySteals. I am dying from a cuteness overload. I think I need about 10 more. I mean pink argyle on fat little legs? I think they have subliminal messages in the stitches, buy more, you need these.

Also? I am totally going into mom mode. I ordered a few things for myself from Old Navy. They are sitting in the bag because I only had time to open one package. I don't care about my stuff, I wanted to see baby girl's stuff.

Who am I? And how many more pairs of Baby Legs can I snag before Mr. Knip cuts me off?

It shouldn't be this way

Look, I get it. Life isn't fair. But days like today are very hard to understand.

Why do women who are so kind, loving and supportive lose their little ones? Why do couples who have nothing but love in their hearts lose the chance to conceive? Why do ungrateful, selfish, lazy people get to pop out children like a Pez dispenser? Why is TTCAL/PgAL such a bitch?

I try to see God's plan, I do. I don't talk a lot about my faith, because it changes. I'll never see God's hand in a loss, but I try to see it in the future. Some days, it's just too hard.

Days like today.

To all the women who have had a loss, your angels are in my heart. To my sweet friends who are still struggling to conceive, your journeys are in my prayers.

Being Selfish

This pregnancy has really turned us in to a Go, See, Do couple. Many on evening has been spent dreaming about what we want to do and show E, but it's more than that. In a way, it's helped us to be selfish and focus on us. What do we want to do that we might not get a chance to do again for a while, if ever. That may sound awful to you, but I think it's great. I think we need to enjoy these months as a duo. It will make us stronger when we become a trio.

For example, the only vacation we have ever taken without friends, family, etc, was our honeymoon. So, we are taking a mini-vacation to Vegas in October. I know that sounds like an odd destination for a pregnant gal and her man. Mr. Knip is going for an IT conference and we decided I should tag along. Great hotel, lots of shopping and BUFFETS. MMM. Who knows when we will ever take another vacation that's just us.

We are also going to a football game at our Alma Mater. That may sound like no big deal, but I graduated in 2003 and have not been to a game since. Every season, we found an excuse not to go. Not that we won't take E to games, we just wanted to enjoy the time alone. It will be fun.

We are also relishing quiet nights and weekends more. While we get more done, the down time is just a little sweeter.

Seeing as life after February will force us to be more selfless than we can imagine, I think a little us time is just fine. If nothing else, we are slowing down and really enjoying every day of this pregnancy.

Weekend Re-Cap

Our weekend was hectic, and amazing. I really needed an extra day. I day just to be off and watch TV. That didn't happen, but it was so worth it.

Friday Mr. and I watched a little 20/20 (bad idea, I might be hooked) and went to the grocery. I was in bed by 9. Being sick really takes it out of you.

Saturday was what I lovingly call "Prep and Clean." You know those days? When you are having company, have slacked on your house and have 8 billion things to do? I was up by 7. By 3 the house was spotless, we had two clean dogs, seven loads of laundry were washed and I had baked cupcakes and made a pasta salad. We cleaned up, went and bought a new couch cover. (a must when you own a light couch.) (a super must when a 50 pound and 100 pound dog look at you like your are nuts when you tell them off of said couch.) By 5 we were visiting with Mr. Knip's mom and grandma. By 7 we were eating at an awesome Thai restaurant. Mmm, calamari and Pad Thai. I was jealous of the Sake Mojito my SIL ordered. By 10 I was out.

Sunday was another 7am day. A quick run to the grocery for things I forgot, and things I didn't need. I'm looking at you Halloween candy. The off to my FIL's for brunch with a giant clan of awesome. I finally got my hands on our new niece. Gah. Swoon. Love. It is so strange loving on a baby when you are pregnant. Mr. Knip and I were passing her back and forth and all I could think was, "This is about to be your life." She was such a cutie pie. Our nephew is on the verge of three and amazing. Everything is so exciting. He is very, Go, See, Do. (emphasis on DO.) "Let's go outside." "Watch me Jump." "OMG, aren't you jealous of my energy." Mr. is so in love with him. It's so fun watching all the boys be boys. It almost makes me think about... Stop that. Hush your mouth. Please ignore that brain fart.

After Brunch Mr. Knip and I got to lay down for about 20 minutes. We just talked and took a minute to breath. Sheer perfection. The afternoon was spent at soccer. Not only did our team dominate (6-0) but Mr. Knip's brother got to play. They have not played soccer together since the elder Mr. graduated college roughly 8 years ago. I know it was wonderful for both boys.

We hosted a BBQ at our house to round out the weekend. That God the babies had to get home to bed. Everyone was gone by about 7:30. No joke, Mr. Knip and I were in bed and asleep by 8:30.

It was an amazing, exhausting weekend.

I'm tired just typing it our again.

Maybe not that one.

I love the idea of a labor playlist. A mix of low key and upbeat jams to get me in the mood. Or, at least something for the Mister to turn up over my. "ihateyourfuckinggutsyoudidthisyoubastarddon'tevenlookatmyvaginaagainever" moments. We have a great "Gen X" radio station that I listen to. Many of the oldies (wait, is my generations music really oldies now? WTF?) will make it to my list. They put me in a great mood. One song I heard today that will not make for a good mood?

Color Me Bad "I Wanna Sex You Up."

Great jam. Great memories. NOT great for when you are shoving a watermelon out of an opening the size of a key lime. Especailly when the "sexing up" is what got you here in the first place.

Happy Weekend!

My PBK sheets are here! Hooray!!!!

It's a great start to the weekend. I'm still feeling a bit off so cleaning has been a PITA. My BIL and SIL are here, along with my nephew and new niece. I cannot wait to meet her! She is about three months and I've only seen pics. If she is half as gorgeous as she is in pictures, oh boy.

My MIL is here too. i'm so excited. joy. rapture. liar

I better start cleaning. I've made Key Lime Cupcakes and a Pasta Salad. Next is laundry and dusting.

Whoa, this chick on Lifetime is wearing the same dress in wore in my senior pictures in 1998.

Today is better

Yesterday I got down liquids and a little chicken noodle soup. I still feel pretty weak today so I am staying home. I hate, hate, hate using another sick day. On the flip side, I'd rather use it than go back a day too early and feel worse tomorrow.

To give you an idea of how sick I've been, a weight fact. I weighed Monday. I weighed again this morning and I weigh six pounds less than I did Monday. If I wasn't pregnant, that would be awesome. Since I am, it's scary as hell.

And just like that

I lose my shit.

I have not been able to keep anything down/in since 9 am yesterday. All I've has since 1pm is small sips of Sprite/Ginger Ale/7-Up. They won't stay down. I have never been this sick. To the point I'm puking up mucus and struggling for breath. The point where I am not sure which end it's coming from. (TMI, yes.)

The doctor said we don't worry about the baby until we hit 24 hours.

That is two hours away.

Please, Please, Please let my sweet baby girl be alright. I don't even care about me. I just want her to be OK.

It's starting to sink in.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr. Knip and I are so excited. Why you ask?

Because we are having a baby...















GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She is going to be so well dressed, cost daddy an arm and a leg and we couldn't love her more. I'm going to have a daughter.

If I don't put my news on Facebook, why in God's name would you think you had the right to? Hmmm? If you don't see a mention of a huge event online for the whole effing world to see, wouldn't you assume that I.DON'T.WANT.IT.THERE?

I assume that most of you have the sense God gave a fig. If you don't and someone you love, or even remotely like, hasn't put something on Facebook/Twitter/Sky Writing, don't you dare*.

This PSA brought to you by an angry woman. I may over share here, but that is my business. I do not want my pregnancy on facebook. I really don't think I need to explain why.

*this also goes for telling people. If we just found something out, don't call my husband's best friend and tell him our news. And then post on FB when I asked you not to. We won't be friends much longer if you keep that shit up.

OK, I'm excited. Sue me.

I know I said I wasn't going to get excited about tomorrow, or get my hopes up, but damnit, I LIED.

I'm so excited I could BURST. I can't wait to see the baby and I have a really good feeling we are going to find out tomorrow. If not, I get to see the kiddo and that makes me smile.

I did one last "gender test" for fun. Have you heard of Madame Zaritzka? Go. It's funny.

It also scares the poop out of me. Mr. Knip was a big baby. He comes from a line of big babies (his dad was a 7 pound twin.) My niece and nephew were big ( 9 and change and 8 and change) and my BIL and SIL are small. We've said this kid is either going to be a whopper or a nice 6 pounder that makes my sister in law hate me. 10 pounds 8 ounces? I would not be going unmedicated.

For your viewing pleasue...

"The day you deliver, outside will be bright. Your baby will arrive in the evening. After a labor lasting approximately 8 hours, your child, a boy, will be born. Your baby will weigh about 10 pounds, 8 ounces, and will be 19,19-1/2 inches long. This child will have dark green eyes and barely there black hair."

Green eyes? I mean COOL, but no clue where those would come from. No, I don't take any of this seriously. It does make you wonder a bit. Like I said, I'm cool with all of that.

Well, everything but the 10 pounds of kid coming out my hooha.

Dear Friends, Family Co irkers workers, and Strangers,

I understand your need to judge concern with the status of my body/ute/business. I appreciate your questions and comments. They do remind me that I am pregnant, and grateful. Truly. But they are starting to get old.

"Can you have that?" (Don't touch my coffee)

"Are you sure you can eat/drink/look at that?" (yes, in moderation, eff off)

"Wait, can you do that?" (yes, flying is safe at 21 weeks)

"Wait, But, Don't, Can't, Should..."

When it's friends and family, I don't mind as much. They are invested in this kid. Mom's and grandma's don't remember what's OK and what's not. Different doctors have different views. I do get that. I guess what drives me nuts is the fact that this isn't some whoopsie, one night stand baby. This kid is so wanted and so loved and has been prayed for like you can't imagine. (well, lots of you can.)I heat my deli meat, I drink 90 oz of water, I won't drink 1/2 a glass of wine or a mimosa, I look up fish/seafood before I order it. I'm pretty freaking anal.

It's the relative strangers that make me nuts. They don't know me. Their kids are 40 or they've never had any. It's so hard not to remind them that while XYZ might have been taboo in the 60's when they were making babies, booze, cigarettes and Lord-knows what else, were OK. Things change.

I know it will only get worse adaI get farther along. I know I need to have a better attitude. But right this minute? I'm pissy and whiny. And that's OK.

Let's Talk About Sex (of the) Baby...

Well, there is a very good chance we will know if we have a Baby Boy S or a Baby Girl E in just a few days. I still am trying not to get my hopes up. I know that the babe may not cooperate. I keep telling myself we will find out at the end of September just in case our kid takes after us and is difficult. Just for fun, I decided to take a few of the Gender Quizzes online. Some of them are hard because I don't have a solid answer on all the questions. If we don't find out TSaturday, I might take a few of these again just for funzies.

Labor of Love: Girl

Just Mommies: 50% chance it's a boy (um, thanks a lot?!?!?)

TheBump.com Girl

Babyman: Girl

Sexratio.com: Girl

Shettles: Boy

I didn't look up all the old wives tales because I'm just too lazy. Maybe if I'm bored at work later.

Freezer Cooking

My house smells like Buffalo Chicken Spaghetti and Taco Soup and White Chicken Chili.

And I am exhausted.

I started yesterday by putting five pounds of chicken in the crockpot to cook. After that was done I browned 4 pounds of beef. Once I got rolling with the beef and chicken for the chili and soup, I started another five pounds in the crockpot.

I won't bore you with the step by step, Pioneer Woman I am not, plus I get tired just thinking about it. All in all I made a lot of food. Everything is in 2-3 person servings. I ended up with 1o taco soups, 12 chili and 5 spaghetti. I froze everything save one of each. I figure we will eat these this wee because I am NOT cooking again.

Well, at least until next weekend. I'm thinking meatloaf and another casserole. Yep, tired just thinking about it.

Keep the Guesses Coming!

So it looks like Team Blue is winning. I cannot believe we might find out in a week from today what baby Knip is. I'm trying not to get too excited just in case the Widget won't cooperate. Truthfully, I am just thrilled to get to see the baby again.

Just in case you want to guess but aren't sure, here's my chart.

So, I know we've got some time until Christmas. Everyone always asks me what I want. While I am sure I will want all sorts of baby things, I know I need a list for myself or that's all I'll see. Also, my birthday is right after Christmas so I tend to plan ahead.

Today I went on a mega cleaning jag. I think I over-did it a bit because my hips are on fire. Anyhoo, in my deep cleaning (which I have not done since May) I thought of a few things I want. What better place to store it than here?

It's boring. I just want new throw pillows for our second couch, a new bathroom rug for the guest bath and a new rug for the master bedroom.

$20 bucks says I forget this "list" and buy all this before Thanksgiving. Whatever. At least my house is clean!

I might be a model after all

Dude.

My nipples look like the cover of National Geographic. And I don't mind, not really, I just keep thinking, isn't this too soon? I'm just finishing week 15, shouldn't this happen later? And if this is happening now, what will this body of mine look like in 6 weeks? or 16? Wow.

Even though the progression of my small, pinkish nipples into these large dark appetizer plates is less that glamorous, it's still kinda cool. Though Mr. Knip has been commenting on the color change for a few weeks, today was the first day I walked by the mirror and said, "Holy &^*$!" It's no secret, I am not in love with my body. I hate the weight I've gained, I hate how it failed me last August and November, but right this moment? I'm loving it a little more. Sure, I cringed at the belly pic Mr. Knip took of me. Yes, I'd love to be a lot lighter. But right this minute, these strange changes make me smile. My body is going what it's supposed to. It's growing and changing like a pregnant body should.

Even if I look more like a National Geographic model that a Sports Illustrated one.

More Room Stuff. Much more fun than cleaning.

I am a planner. I hate having to make snap decisions because I always second guess. 9 times out of 10 I end up regretting my decision. So, it stands to reason that I have been looking at nursery bedding since I got pregnant. Oh hell, I started looking (and might even have a folder of nursery inspiration) before we even started trying.

I've always know that "themes" were not for me. While I don't want a grown-up room, I do want a room that can grow. I like the option of multiple colors. That way it's easy to change a room by painting or adding new accessories. Accessories are another thing. I don't want to be stuck with 875 matching items (Lamp, trashcan, curtains, pillow, rug, blahblahblah) because they go with the set. I know I'm anal, and may sound ungrateful. I just really know what I want. Also, due to SIDS risks, you can't use 50% of bedding sets. So, where does that leave us?

We have decided to go with sheets, a crib skirt and breathable bumper. I have looked high and low to find exactly what I want. Girl stuff has been a breeze, which probably means we are having a boy. Wanna see? We are set on boy bedding. Girls? It's down to two. I think the second set will win based on the wall decal. You'll see. It's divine.

The boy bedding is from Caden Lane. Unfortunately, they only sell the sheets separately, not other pieces. Luckily, I found a seller on Etsy who will make a custom crib skirt out of the Caden Lane Fabric. I WIN.

For Baby BOY Knip:
Love
Love
Love
Crib Skirt Fabric
Probably need this too.

First GIRL choice:
ETSY IS THE DEVIL.
I have seen 15 different sellers with this fabric. I hem and haw about what will go where and with who. (Who's on first?) Today my plan is D, F and either H or M for sheets with O as the skirt.

I also should not get on Etsy anymore. I had to stop looking. I seriously forgot I was blogging I got so sidetracked. In fact, don't click on my etsy link. It's a wicked place.

OK, now our second choice caught me by surprise. I was reading a blog that had the CUTEST nursery pictured. I had to find the bedding. Hello Pottery barn Kids, why have we never met before? Oh, that's right. It's because I would be broke if we had.

I think that this bedding is going to win. It's to die for and has a slight air of whimsy that I really do want. Plus, there are a lot of colors to choose from. So far green has been the leading nursery color choice with all of the bedding. This bedding throws me off though. I can imagine soft yellows, rich greens, vivid pinks, delicate blue. I think I am a liar. This will be our girls bedding. I just wanted an excuse to log onto etsy. OH! Double bonus? Half the price of the other bedding. Sweeeeet!

SWOONSWOONSWOON.

And maybe this skirt.

This will be the alternate sheet.

And I really like the crib skirt.

Pretty sure this has to come to my house. I'm also 99% sure it's why the PBK bedding is winning.

So, what do you think? Which would you pick?

The Beast Within

Last night it happened.

It was scary and evil and in the light of day I am rather embarrassed about my behavior.

I had my first honest to God craving.

Now, prior to this things have sounded good. Things like juice, BBQ, sugary cereal, almonds, food others are eating/talking about. No big woo. This craving started like any other. About six weeks ago we were at the grocery store. It was 175 degrees out and ice cream sounded so nice. I didn't want the huge gallon because I knew I'd A) eat it all by myself and B) we didn't have the new freezer and our fridge one was full. I really, really wanted Neapolitan. It's like getting three in one you know? Alas, they did not have the pint size. I grabbed plain old vanilla and it did the trick. Happy girl.

Unfortunately, this is not where our tale ends. Unbeknownst to the sweet, unsuspecting husband, a demon slept in his house.

Last night we were watching TV and a Klondike commercial came on. Mmm, Klondike. Yeah, well, those assholes at Klondike? They make a Neapolitan Klondike bars.

I swear to God, a switch was flipped. I asked. I whined. I begged. And then I actually stood up and stomped my feet like a toddler. I have not thrown a fit like that since 1998 when my parents took my car for some teenage infraction. I think I scared my husband. I think he will be even more traumatized if this baby is a girl and he sees last night's outbursts as foreshadowing of ages 13-21. I even tried a bribe.

I got my Neapolitan.

Poor Mr. Knip. He called with trepidation. They did not carry the Klondike bars. They did carry Neapolitan pints. The beast was happy.

I woke up this morning gassy and a bit ashamed. It was worth it though. Mmmmm.