Friday, July 31, 2009

We're creating a monster

I have one day until comps! Needless to say I would love a good night's sleep. In order to accomplish this task I went to be at 8pm on Wed. Ray came in and we prayed and I got settled in but Ray refused to say good-night to be Baby Bud. He said the baby was not ready for bed so he would be back to wish the baby a good-night. Well I didn't fall asleep until after Ray wished Baby Bud a good-night 2 hours later!
In fact I honestly believe that Ray's refusal to say good-night to the baby was reason I started to hurt that night, Baby Bud's feelings were hurt. I was sleepy and feeling pretty good. 8pm seems like a good bedtime for a pregnant girl and for a baby too. In my house, growing-up, we always wished each other a good-night. Since we've been married, Ray and I always pray together before we go to sleep, or better said, I go to bed and he stays up til like 1am. I like the ritual of wishing each other a good-night. It feels like family. I'm guessing that Baby Bud is growing to like our nightly ritual too. Every night since we found out there would be a baby, Ray has talked to Baby Bud and usually sings too. Baby Bud must have his good-night kisses from daddy. If this kid is this way in utero, I hate to see how demanding he or she will be out in the real world. Considering the demanding nature of this child, I am beginning to think it is a girl!

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

The pleasure of being pregnant

Okay this is sort of embarrassing but I'm here to share so here it goes. I woke up in middle of the night on the verge of an orgasm. I had read in on of my books that it was possible to have an orgasm in the middle of the night while you are pregnant. I didn't think anything about it.
We haven't been having much sex because I'm so tired! I have noticed it is easier to orgasm and they last longer but one in the middle of the night that was different.
I think the most embarrassing part is that I was dreaming of eating curry! Totally nothing to do with sex, no cute waiter, nothing, just getting curry from a buffet! Even weirder is that I could smell the curry and the jasmine rice. It was a strange moment all the way around!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Planning for Bud

Well we have decided on infant care for Baby Bud. The place we've chosen has a great reputation and I've talked to several people about the place. It's one of the cheaper options but has really tight security so I don't have to worry about anyone stealing Bud. They are also supportive of breastfeeding so I can pump and leave breast milk for them to warm up for Bud. I'm glad we have at least that much figured out.

I've also been in touch with my sister-in-law via Ray for advice for stuff. It's nice to be able to ask people who actually know for advice. Books are good but books aren't everything.

I have my first baby shower scheduled! One of my friends who lives out of the area is here for the summer and wanted to throw a shower for me before she had to go back home. It's great to think that someone cares enough to throw me a shower. I know it can be a pain to plan but I'm trying to be laid back about the whole thing. Once I have Bud in my arms am I really going to care what the theme of the shower was? Showers also bring up a feeling that I'm begging people for stuff. I know it's my first baby and you only get showers for the first one so I should be hitting everyone up but at the same time it's my responsibility to pay for the baby. I'm not sure what the proper etiquette is. What is the price limit? Is there a limit to how many showers I should have? I'm also wondering if I should ask my mom or mother-in-law to have a shower in Texas for me. I want people back home to feel like they can be involved but I hate to ask people for things. Would it make me greedy if I had a shower in Texas even though I won't be there?
I just don't know. I don't want to seem prideful but I don't want to seem greedy either. Where exactly is the line?

Thursday, July 23, 2009

2 years of Jaz


Today is the 2 year anniversary of our adoption of Jasmin, our beagle/terrier mix. When I think of Jasmin from day one to today, I can hardly believe that she is in our lives. Unlike Snoopy, Jasmin has had a hard life and her eyes and body have a hardness that Snoopy will never know. If Snoopy is our pampered pooch, then Jasmin is our street-wise fighter.
It amazes me how Jasmin came into our lives to begin with. After having Snoopy for about a week, we knew he needed a playmate, dogs need a pack. We searched at the local animal shelters and even contact private dog rescues and nothing. If we liked the dog, Snoopy did not. If Snoopy liked the dog then we did not. Then one day I found myself on petfinder.com and found a posting for a 9 month old beagle/lab mix female and I thought perfect! She'll be close to Snoopy's age and beagles and labs are both known for their friendliness. Snoopy and I drove the hour to meet Jasmin. Was it love at first sight? Not really. Jasmin was shy but once we stepped inside the house, Jasmin was in foster care, Jasmin and Snoopy began to play. So Snoopy quickly decided that Jasmin was the one.
We don't know much about Jasmin's history. She was found, pregnant, behind a local fast food joint, fighting for food. The girls at the restaurant asked the local dog rescue lady to take her. So Jasmin had just finished weaning her last puppy and was spayed the week before we adopted her. She has at least two bb gun pellets in her body. She was already house broken and had great doggy manners. She must have been someone's pet. Why would anyone dump such a sweet girl? When we took her the vet, we also found out that she was no where near 9 months nor was she a beagle/lab mix.
Jasmin was nothing we were looking for and yet everything we needed. She has become Ray's little girl. If Jasmin our dog has him wrapped around her paw, I can just image what a Baby Girl Bud will do to him. Jasmin definitely taught us to look beyond the physical and just plain old give people, or dogs, a chance.
It has been a long process in winning Jasmin over. But as she has gotten more comfortable she has had less nightmares. She no longer sleeps with her legs straight out, like she is ready to fight. She is happiest with us, whether outside or inside. She treats Snoopy like her baby brother, which means any dog that thinks of hurting him has to go thur her first. She is truly a wonderful dog and even though we've had many offers to adopt her from us, I know we would all be crushed if we were lose our Jasmin. I don't think Ray could handle it and Snoopy would go crazy with grief.
So that is the story of our 5-6 year old beagle/terrier mix. When we adopted her we thought we had a 25-lb 9 month old beagle/lab but God knew better. She is a chunky 40 lb dog, who brings us all joy and sanity. After a crazy day there is nothing better than relaxing on the couch with Jasmin in your lap.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Sleeping on my back

Sleeping on my back is another thing I can no longer do! Who knew? Why aren't people telling me these things? I know other pregnant women complain about getting advice and stories but no one is telling me a thing! No motherly advice, no mother-in-law calling me up, no sisters, no sisters-in-law! No one. I kinda feel alone in the whole thing. Just me, Ray, and Bud, and none of us has ever had a baby before. I find myself asking my puppy Jasmin about being pregnant. She is only one in the house who is ever had a baby, well puppies. Give me advice people! For once I have no answers, only questions. I can do lots of research but something tells me that talking to other woman might be more helpful. Besides crazy advice would make a great posting for my blog!

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

things I miss

Okay, why doesn't anyone ever tell you all the things you have to give up just by realizing you are pregnant? I'm not talking about alcohol or smoking, I mean the normal everyday things that you enjoy on a daily or weekly basis, such as chocolate. I know I spend a lot of time whining about being pregnant but I have found that this is one time that I can whine with being called a whiny-baby so I'm taking it.
But back to my point, no one told me that mint could or in my case does lead to vomiting and added nausea. I love peppermint! Now I can't even chew mint flavor gum without throwing my stomach into fits. I miss soda and sweet tea. While you can actually have about a cup of coffee daily without any problems, I have really tried to cut my caffeine consumption to nothing. I do make de-caf sweet tea at home but it's difficult to find de-caf soda or tea in the real world, outside of Lemon/lime soda, which I have already stated piss Bud off since Bud hates lime.
Lots of other things I've had to give up come mostly from being me and being pregnant. Things like fried chicken and limes are not a general pregnancy thing but a Martha pregnancy thing. Not that that makes them suck less but at least other woman can take heart in knowing that they won't have to suffer with those food aversions, they will have their own.
I think the part that I find most upsetting is the feeling that everything is changing. Yes, I knew that things would change for me but every woman in my family got to have carefree pregnancies but I get to suffer. Just doesn't seem fair. I was watching ABC the other day and they were running a special on teen pregnancy and this 16-year-old girl was crying and saying, "It's just not fair. Everything is changing for me and nothing is changing for him!" I laughed at first but now I kinda understand. I watch Ray eat fried chicken and wish I could enjoy one with bite but it's just not worth the vomit fest that would follow. What has he had to give up? Ray is a good man and I know his life is changing too but all I want is to enjoy my two boxes of Thin-mints! Truly, life is not fair.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Emergency Trip #1

Well on Tuesday, we made an emergency doctor run. It turned out to be nothing but nothing will put the fear of God in you quite like thinking you might be losing your baby or that something could be wrong with your baby. While I had fear that something was wrong, I also felt strangely calm so I was pretty sure that everything would be ok.
On Tuesday while at work I had pink discharge. Not a bad sign on it's own but my back was and is hurting and was hurting very badly on Tuesday, which could indict a UTI. So down to Eden we ran! I think Ray was more freaked out then me. He tends to panic. I am usually at my best in a crisis. My head gets very clear. I freak out well after everything is done. It wasn't until yesterday that i cried about the whole thing. I think my brain shuts the emotions out so that I can just get done what needs to get done. I guess that's a good thing. I have had many chances to manage a crisis and I image that having a newborn will lead to many mini-crisis moments. But I hope this is not the beginning of a difficult pregnancy. I like to stay busy. I hate to sit all day. I know that I need to take it easy but that is so hard to do!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Family

I was recently speaking to a friend about his grandmother. She has been on a steady decline and they expect she'll pass any day now. But this really got me thinking about my own grandmother, who died in 1997. She lived in Mexico but we saw her usually twice a year at the least. My parents always worked hard to make sure we didn't lose our connection to Mexico and to the family there. Now I find myself in a similar situation. How do I make sure that Bud knows his/her family?

Since moving to Virginia, we have made a few trips back to Texas. I know the situation is a little different. Mexico was an eight or so hour drive and Texas is an 18-24 hour drive depending on the traffic. But I still wonder how will Ray and I ensure that Bud knows the rest of the family. I guess the easy solution would be to move back or at least move closer but we are happy here. I think Ray and I have finally found our place in the community and we feel like we have support enough to raise a child. If we moved now we would have to start that process all over again. I know our parents would love to see us move back. Maybe someday we will but for now we're staying put. So how do we raise our child to know about the family when we have no family around?

Thursday, July 2, 2009

Welcome to your 2nd trimester

Well today I officially entered the second trimester! I'm hoping this is going to be mean an end to morning sickness. I already feel like I have more energy. But this big milestone means that I'm 1/3 of the way done. In 6 months Bud will a baby in the world and no longer attached to me.
It seems that the time is flying! I'm sure I'll be ready for Bud to come out in December. I can't wait until the next ultrasound to see how much bigger Bud is.