Bumpdate: 15 Weeks

Baby still loves artichokes! My sister Lindsey looked them up and apparently they’re a great source of folic acid, which baby needs anyway! I get the occasional headache, but it looks like the nausea is subsiding, yay!



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Baby Klein, Ph.D.

During our last sonogram, we were given this overhead view of baby's brain. It was incredible to see! You could make out both hemispheres, which Max and I both thought was amazing (I mean, we don't have pictures of our brains!).



I figured that it was a Ph.D. brain just like daddy's ; ) And so, I just had to purchase a little something to point Baby Klein in the right direction. Here's hoping baby follows in daddy's footsteps : )



Of course afterward I immediately ordered something from my alma mater, UC Santa Barbara. I don't want Baby Klein to be too biased towards daddy's school!



Granted, Stanford beats the pants off UCSB in this world ranking of universities (#2 compared to #35). But, UCSB has that I'm the prettiest college campus ever and I sit right on the gorgeous Pacific thing going for it. Just thinking about my sunny bike riding days there makes me oh-so happy!

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Miscellany Monday

1.

Our 2012 babymoon is booked! I cannot wait to spend four nights snorkeling in the ocean and relaxing on the sand with my baby's daddy in this paradise! It's hard to believe that this will be our very last vacation as a couple! I'm so ready to soak in every last moment of Me and You, Just Us Two ; )


2.

Pregnancy brain is for real. I always thought it was a myth, until I found studies that showed pregnant brains actually shrink in size. Apparently, us preggers actually do suffer from impaired cognitive functioning and I've so been experiencing it. It's super frustrating. I'm smart, I'm well educated, and yet, I won't be able to recall simple names for things. I have to try to explain them until Max catches on: The place where they sell cars... The dealership? Where you go to buy lunchmeat... The deli? Other times, I'll just plain say the wrong thing. I told my husband that I came home to a bunch of penguins on top of our house. It made perfect sense to me. Luckily, he knows penguins live only in the southern hemisphere and prompted me until I remembered the real name - pigeons. We had lots of pigeons on top of our house.


3. Football season is here, however I've only caught one 49ers game - one! Unfortunately in Scottsdale, only the nationally televised Niners games are broadcast. Of course we could purchase one of those ridiculously expensive season passes for Dish Network, however these days I see prices in baby (i.e. we could buy a stroller for that amount of money!). In the meantime, I'm getting my football fix with these: 



Football shaped oreos? My pregnant tummy says yum! 


miscellany monday at lowercase letters
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Bumpdate: 14 Weeks

 

Baby loves steamed artichokes with lemon butter. Yum. Still feeling nauseous about once a day... apparently Mama's body did not get the memo that it's the second trimester ;) Crossing my fingers that this is the last of the morning sickness! 



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What I'm Loving Wednesday

I'm loving that I just signed up for the December Hot Chocolate Run! I'll be walking instead of running and participating in the shorter 5k and not the 15k because (I still can't believe this) I'll be six months pregnant by then! Six months along is so hard to imagine! The best part of the race is the post-race snack (see below). Yum. I mean, have you ever heard of such a wonderful event?? They are happening all over the country, so look for one in your city! 



I'm loving my newest maternity-wear purchase! Do I have to wait for Halloween to wear it? 

I'm loving that there was no school on Monday and next week is just a three-day work week! Yay for days off! 

More than anything, I'm loving my sweet husband who has been too, too good to me during my first trimester. I'm still hoping our little bean turns out just like him ; ) 




What are you loving today?

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Bumpdate: 13 Weeks

Baby loves strawberry-banana smoothies, pork chops with fig jam, fruit snacks, and pickled asparagus. I'd say my appetite is officially back ; ) Mamma loves sleeping with her new Snoogle pillow (though still wakes up tons of times every night!).

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Pregnancy Books

My sweet mom sent a couple pregnancy books my way when she found out I was with child :) The first book, Belly Laughs, I had heard tons about and was excited to read:

I hadn't realized what a short book it was! It was a collection of very short, humorous pregnancy stories. Jenny McCarthy was super entertaining as a writer. I literally read it one afternoon when my nausea was so bad I couldn't think of leaving my bed or my room. It was a great distraction! 

The next book, Your Pregnancy Week by Week,
(which I have as well), in that it gives guidelines and advice about everything from eating to sleeping to exercising when pregnant.



In some ways, it was stricter than What to Expect When You're Expecting  (like parameters for limiting certain foods and caffeine), and in some ways it was more lenient. What I really loved about the book, however, is that it's broken down by week instead of month. For each week, I get a ton of information plus (the best part) detailed illustrations of what baby looks like in utero. 

Week 8: 


Week 12 (incredible the growth and change in just one month!): 


I hands down prefer this book over What to Expect (thanks, mom!). 

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From Teacher to Mommy!

Now that the secret of our expanding family is out there, I can share that this was why I made the decision to give up my full-time teaching position this year. At the beginning of the summer, I was given a new assignment due to the fact that my school was splitting and I was still low on the seniority list. It was still first grade, just at a different school. However in July when we found out we were expecting, I knew I had to give it up. 

Max and I had always planned that I would stay at home with our kids for the early years, if we could. We're lucky that we are in the position where I don't have to work, so we're sticking to the plan. I didn't want to start a new year at a new school with a classroom full of firsties if I knew that I was going to leave in March and not come back for some years. 

While I'm so incredibly excited to become a full-time mommy, and so happy that I have that privilege, part of me just can't believe that I'm giving up the classroom for a while. Back when I met Max, I had been teaching for a few years and it was already part of my identity. As a single bachelorette, so much of my free time (and spending money!) went to my classrooms. Now that I'm in my 8th year, teaching has become a big part of who I am. We can't even go on vacation without me tying something to state standards and video taping a segment to show my classroom. 

My new part-time position is perfect for me for many reasons, with number one being that it's a great transition out of the classroom. Instead of just stopping work cold turkey, I get a baby step down. In my new job, I work afternoons only so I'm spending half my normal time at school, and my classes rotate so I only see each class just once a week (which is very different from spending all day everyday with one set of kids). 

In addition, it's so much easier (and way less time consuming!) to plan for one day and repeat three times! Working full time I was spending afternoons, evenings and weekends planning and grading, so this break from all that extra work is welcomed - especially during my first trimester when I was also dealing with morning sickness and fatigue. 

Finally, I completely love the content and structure I get to work with now! Each day is seriously so much fun! My second graders mostly study classical composers. Last week we learned about Vivaldi!


We listened to The Four Seasons and drew pictures of what we heard and saw. I can't wait for baby to begin to hear outside noises (I think that's 20-24 weeks along?) so baby will begin to learn about classical music, too! 




My kinders and firsties get to march, use rhythm sticks, and learn sight word songs. Here are the kinders on a sight word hunt highlighting the sight word he on their copies of the song. 

For the sight word songs, I use this incredible book: 


It was actually written by a teacher at my old school in California! I've used it for the past two years in my kinder and first grade classrooms, and it's so much fun to introduce the songs to a new school! The songs are catchy (the kids will start singing them all on their own!) and the accompanying books are a great way to reinforce the new content. 

I'm cherishing these last months as a teacher, but can't wait for my next title of Mommy!
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Months One, Two and Three!


Three Months

Total Weight Gain/Loss: The last I checked, I was up 6 pounds. This did not correspond at all with my pregnancy books, which said I should gain one or two pounds the whole first trimester. When I started to worry, Max hid our scale (and threatened to hide my books). So, technically, it might be 6 and it might be 16. I won't know until he gives me the scale back!

Symptoms: Still nauseous for long parts of the day. I had a few days when I felt okay and would only get nauseous for a couple hours. Max pointed out that these were weekend days when I was sleeping in, taking naps, and going to bed early, so it's not that the nausea went away, it's that I was only awake for a few hours. 

Maternity Clothes: I have my maternity leggings and added maternity pants from Old Navy. I tried just buying pants that were four sizes bigger, but while they fit my tummy I was swimming in the rest of the pant. So maternity it was. 

Cravings: Steak and lobster, mashed potatoes, sliced apples, rice and soy sauce, Thai Green Curry, Taco Bell bean burritos... husby has been doing an exceptional job making sure I get to eat whatever crazy thing I crave the baby wants ; )

Aversions: Veggies are usually on the list, but I also don't want anything to do with foods I used to love like Hot and Sour Soup. 

What I Miss: My old clothes! I totally expected to get big and not be able to wear my skinny clothes, I just didn't think it would happen this fast (I seriously can't wear anything in my closet that has a zipper). I also cannot wait for the second trimester blessings of increased energy and lack of nausea (please, please, please!). 

Best Moment: Watching Baby Klein at our 12 Week sonogram! Baby is now a tiny person with hands and fingers and legs and feet and toes! It was incredible to see our little one moving all around and waving its hand in front of its face. 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Feeling movement! I know it will be a while before that happens, but I can't wait to feel those kicks! 




Two Months

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Up two pounds (12 according to my pants!).

Symptoms: The nausea has arrived! It lasts all. day. long. It showed up at six weeks and has not left (ever). I'm also super exhausted by afternoon. 

Maternity Clothes: At around seven weeks with the new school year rapidly approaching, I realized it was time to dust off my teacher clothes (which had been hanging in the closet the past couple months while I favored dresses and casual ensembles). I pulled on a pair of capris and realized that, not only could I not button them, I couldn’t even zip them up! I’m not sure this was supposed to happen at just seven weeks. I tried wearing a belly band to get more life out of my pants, but I was not a fan. Looks like I’ll be getting some bigger clothes soon! (Or perhaps I'll just wear leggings forever...)

Cravings: Anything I can get down. Most of the time the thought of food grosses me out. When something finally does sound good, it’s junk food like the boxed macaroni and cheese (with the dehydrated cheddar), or Chick-Fil-A chicken, or Burger King breakfast sandwiches, or pizza (come to think of it, this might be why my pants aren’t fitting!).

Aversions: Pretty much everything these days. I’ll be hungry but nothing sounds good. I had an especially bad experience with No-Bake Granola Balls (bleh!). I made a batch and then I couldn't imagine eating them, and ended up throwing them out. 

What I Miss: Being able to eat like a normal person.

Best Moment: Going to our first ultrasound at six weeks and seeing baby’s heartbeat (140bpm!). I totally cried.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Our next ultrasound at nine weeks!




One Month

Total Weight Gain/Loss: Starting at about 115 lbs.

Maternity Clothes: Not wearing any yet. 

Cravings: None so far, though I am now a breakfast eater. I used to easily skip this meal and now I must have food first thing in the morning. 

Aversions: Coffee! It’s making cutting out caffeine so much easier!

Symptoms: I cry at anything remotely sentimental no matter how cheesy. Also, I’ll randomly start crying in conversations – Max is handling it remarkably well!

What I Miss: Cured meats! Right before I took the pregnancy test (literally, earlier that morning) I had went grocery shopping for the week and bought a pound of prosciutto (which is a lot of prosciutto). I was going to make prosciutto and melon pasta, prosciutto wrapped chicken and prosciutto and peach salad. I took out the prosciutto that evening and remembered – no cured meats. Boo! 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Our first ultrasound at the beginning of August.

Best Moment: Getting word back from the doctor’s office that hormone levels are looking good! 

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Bumpdates! (9 Weeks to 12 Weeks)

9 Weeks
Baby still likes making mamma nauseous. Mamma likes eating saltines in bed (but husby's not a fan of the crumbs). 


10 Weeks
Baby wants Pink Lady and Gala apples all day every day. Now sporting a little bump, though I'm not sure if it's apples or baby? 



11 Weeks
Baby likes Thai Green Curry and Nutella. And making mamma nauseous. Definitely sporting a small bump! 

12 Weeks
Baby loves homemade strawberry-banana smoothies! Mamma loves maternity shorts (thank you to my mom and sister for both sending me a pair!). 

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Bumpdates! (5 Weeks to 8 Weeks)


5 Weeks
Feeling good and on such the pregnancy high! No morning sickness to speak of at this point (little did I know it would show up a week later) though I wanted food in my tummy much more than usual.

6 Weeks
First experience with pregnancy hormones. During a phone conversation with my sweet husband (who was at work none the less) I started sobbing over something ridiculous (I thought a receptionist had been abrupt with me). My husband tried to console me but in my crazy pregnant head I thought he was belittling my situation. So I threatened to lock him out of our house. I kid you not. I have no idea even where that even came from. As the words were leaving my mouth I was thinking about how it was such an odd thing to say. Luckily, Max doesn’t hold a grudge and has since joked about not being able to get into the house (I of course did not actually lock him out of the house). 


7 Weeks
Baby likes fast food, and making mamma nauseous.

8 Weeks
Baby likes steak and lobster with mashed potatoes. Mamma likes taking naps. 


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How We Found Out

On Sunday, the 8th of July, I took an Early Response pregnancy test first thing in the morning. Max and I watched as only one line appeared. Boo. I kept looking back at the test all day long, as if a second line might magically appear. It didn’t. Since it was a bit early to test, we talked about doing another one the following weekend, which would for sure be able to tell us.

On Tuesday the 10th, I was home alone fiddling around on the computer late morning (actually, making a photo book for Max’s upcoming 30th birthday). All of a sudden, I got the idea to go take a pregnancy test and ran to our room to get one (at this point I basically had a stockpile of them). I chose the digital Clear Blue one since they are less sensitive and it would be negative anyway. As I was unwrapping it I was thinking what a waste it was, but it was too late and the test was open.

I remember looking at the test while it blinked the hourglass symbol (showing that it was working), then looking again at the hourglass. I glanced at it one more time and BAM- Pregnant. I did a triple take. I kept waiting for the “Not” to pop up (it didn’t). I started pacing around like a crazy lady all over the house, test in hand. Max and I always said we would look at pregnancy test results together (and we had looked at a million of them – all negative). When it finally turned up positive, I was all alone! 



I was debating what to do about my husband, who was working away at the office with no idea of what was going on at home. I thought about not telling him and taking another test with him that night. I decided against it since 1. I probably wouldn’t be able to convince him we should take another test so soon after the negative one, and 2. I’m really bad at telling lies so I wouldn’t be able to keep the secret anyway.

I decide to text Max and ask if he could face time. Now, I never face time with Max during the workday. Sometimes he’ll face time on his way out of the office, but that’s usually when he’s leaving super late and no one’s around. Luckily, we had actually talked about face timing that day so he could walk me through turning off the house’s load controller when it clicked on. I was pretty confident that that’s what he thought the face time invitation was for. As soon as he got me on the monitor, though, he knew something was up and guessed it right away!

I felt sooo bad for taking the test without him, but at the same soooo excited!! We took another test together that night which confirmed it. Two lines! We were pregnant!! 




I promptly changed the laundry room chalkboard to reflect the latest and greatest. 


At this point, baby was the size of a poppy seed and we already loved our little poppy seed so much! 
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Pickles and Ice Cream...


We've been keeping a secret...





Baby Klein: Debuting March 2013! 

Yes, I'm pregnant! Baby is due March 22, 2013. We're currently 12 weeks along and couldn't be more thrilled : ) We've been keeping track with weekly bumpdates (thank you to husby for being photographer) that I'll be sure to post soon. 

We first saw Baby Klein and heard a strong heartbeat of 140 bpm at 6 1/2 Weeks (listening to the heartbeat was the most amazing thing; I totally cried!): 

And here's Baby Klein at 9 Weeks, heartbeat 179 bpm (I cried again upon hearing the heartbeat!): 

Cutest lil' bean ever, right? We were amazed by how much baby had grown in just a short amount of time. 

Just yesterday, we went in for a 12 week sonogram. We were blown away by, again, how much baby had grown and changed. I thought I was going to get away without crying, but as baby moved all around and waved its cute little hands in its face, I lost it again! 







It's so nice to finally be able to tell everyone! I had been having a bit of a hard time lately keeping the secret because I am definitely rocking a little baby bump! In fact, last week while I was greeting one of my kindergarten classes at the door to my music room, I had a girl march right up to me and start petting my dress (I know that this touching of others might not fly at your job, but after years of teaching the little ones, I'm totally used to it. Most often they like to touch the necklaces that I wear, sometimes my shoes if I'm reading a story in the rocking chair -this always startles me, but my dress was leopard print and super soft, so I figured that it was something enticing to feel too). I was trying my best to usher the student to her seat on the carpet (while reminding her kindly "hands to ourselves"), but she kept rubbing my belly. And rubbing and rubbing and rubbing. Then she proclaimed "There's a baby in there!"

Her teacher, who was still at the door, looked away probably embarrassed for me thinking that I had hit the cupcakes too hard. I, on the other hand, was wondering how it was that this girl was psychic. Of course it caught on with the rest of the class and I had a handful of little ones shouting out, asking if I was having a baby. Instead of answering I started singing, which totally worked and they completely forgot about the whole thing (try that at your job!). When I told the story to my sister she asked what I could possibly be wearing to warrant that kind of attention, so I snapped a self photo to send to her. It convinced me that the kindergartner was psychic, because to me this looks like a tummy full of cheeseburgers and french fries. But no, at this point baby was in there and measuring about the size of a lime! 




More to come on the newest Klein! 
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