Much like her mother, Harper does not seem to be able to sit still for long. In the several weeks that have passed since I became aware of her movements, I feel like she is quite the busy-body! Whereas I once only felt her strongest movements during the rare occasions when I was completely still, now I feel all kinds of jabs, swooshes and "kick-step-jumps" at any given moment!
She actually woke me up in the middle of the night with a flurry of activity taking place in my mid-section. It was 2:15 in the morning, and she was on a roll! I have no clue what that child was doing in there - I mean, 2 a.m. is no time to cause a ruckus...nothing on the up-and-up ever occurs at 2 a.m., and I would know! Despite the disruption of sleep, Jeff and I thought it was pretty cool to have front row seats to her show! If she stopped rustling for a minute or two, I would shake my stomach around to stir her back into action...much like one might shake a Diet Coke can according to El Jefe. (Rest easy - we will not shake her once she is out of the womb, but for now, fair game!) I'm sure there will soon come a time when the disruption of sleep is not welcomed with such open arms, but at least this time it was a nice, random reminder of HOWE (sorry, can't resist) blessed we are with this little girl.
Her ears must be burning right now, because her arms and feet certainly are moving with ferocity this morning! Ahhh, every single day I become more and more anxious to meet her!
Friday, May 30, 2008
Friday, May 23, 2008
It's in my head...
I referred to myself as "mom" this afternoon. It was only in my head, but that was all it took. The realization has set in. I am a mom. Not tomorrow, not in four months, but today. I was thinking of how it is my responsibility to take care of myself, but also to take care of this little girl, Harper. I pictured her (well, it was more of an audio clip) calling me "mom" and telling me to take care of her. It was a strange feeling, yet possibly one of the best, for the idea to become tangible...I am a mom. I am many things, and I am a mom.
She kicked me just then, I swear! See, she is already embarrased by me, but she'll get over it in 20 or so years. :)
She kicked me just then, I swear! See, she is already embarrased by me, but she'll get over it in 20 or so years. :)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Tiny dancer in my hand...
I thought I could convince Jeff to blog a bit last week, but apparently I wasn't as convincing as I had hoped.
Jeff felt Harper move for the first time last Monday, and it was a rather momentous event! I have been lucky enough to feel her movin' and shakin' for the last few weeks as I am her landlord for the time being. She moves the most when I am sitting at my desk at work, or when I rest late in the evenings. Last Monday, I was lounging on the couch in the office while Jeff worked/played on the laptop. I rested my hand on my belly out of curiousity as she started her evening recital. Then, "pow!" I felt her tae-bo kick from the inside and out--what a crazy feeling! I yelled for Jeff to come over and try it, though I am sure he thought I was playing another prank on him. He put his hand on my belly in semi-disbelief, that is, until the ol' Mini Peel gave her dear Dad a swift punch in the palm of his hand. The look on Jeff's face would definitely have qualified as a Kodak moment. It was priceless---his eyes were so wide, and his smile so big! As I mentioned, her dance recital had just begun, so Jeff was able to feel her move around quite a bit.
If this blog entry had a soundtrack, my favorite song would be the obvious choice. Ahh, these are the days!
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand...
Jeff felt Harper move for the first time last Monday, and it was a rather momentous event! I have been lucky enough to feel her movin' and shakin' for the last few weeks as I am her landlord for the time being. She moves the most when I am sitting at my desk at work, or when I rest late in the evenings. Last Monday, I was lounging on the couch in the office while Jeff worked/played on the laptop. I rested my hand on my belly out of curiousity as she started her evening recital. Then, "pow!" I felt her tae-bo kick from the inside and out--what a crazy feeling! I yelled for Jeff to come over and try it, though I am sure he thought I was playing another prank on him. He put his hand on my belly in semi-disbelief, that is, until the ol' Mini Peel gave her dear Dad a swift punch in the palm of his hand. The look on Jeff's face would definitely have qualified as a Kodak moment. It was priceless---his eyes were so wide, and his smile so big! As I mentioned, her dance recital had just begun, so Jeff was able to feel her move around quite a bit.
If this blog entry had a soundtrack, my favorite song would be the obvious choice. Ahh, these are the days!
And now she's in me, always with me, tiny dancer in my hand...
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Let the madness begin!
Well, I went ahead and made the first big purchase for Harper last night. First of many, I'm sure! We bought her crib last night from Amazon.com. (How I love that site!) Free shipping AND no tax (as long as none of you tattle to the state Comptroller!) - how awesome is that? I had a hard time picking out a crib I really liked, which was compounded by the fact that espresso-stained cribs seem to be harder to come by than cherry, natural or white. I thought I had another crib picked out as the final choice, but decided to look just one more time before I hit "order." I ended up finding a deal I could not pass up on an even better crib, which of course just made my night. (Breyer, you of all can best understand the joy of finding a great deal!) It will be here in a couple weeks. Obviously a bit sooner than we need it, but sometimes Peels can be a bit agressive! (It is a trait I am currently perfecting in order to accurately represent the name!)
I have included a picture below of Harper's new crib, as well as the pattern I picked out from Target. Of course, it was a complete ordeal to pick out the bedding as I was torn between wanting a more modern look without looking too adult. I think this design will end up being somewhat modern, yet still sweet. The best thing about it is the color palette of light brown, light pink and cream. I bought a very luxurious baby blanket in giraffe print from Lane's, and it looks great with the Target print. Stripes, dots, etc...almost any print can be worked into the room as long as the colors don't conflict. It is going to be so fun to design her room! I already have a ton of ideas bubbling around in my head!!
Alrighty, I need to get some other things done this afternoon. I'll leave you with this one last amusing fact. As I drove to and from lunch this afternoon, a Biggie cd was playing in my car. It was quite a contrast from the cd in the previous slot that played on my way to work this morning. Anyhoo, as I jammed to some Biggie, little Harper seemed to be enjoying it as well! It felt like she was feeling the beat and dancing around in her temporary "apartment." I'll have to try out some Big Tymers or Fat Pat on the way home...see if she prefers the Dirty South. ;)
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
the votes have been counted...
..and it's a GIRL! :) Kudos to those of you that correctly voted for a girl! Your prize for guessing correctly is your own self-satisfaction, unless of course you are interested in owning two Brussel Griffons!
It was awesome to see our sweet baby girl movin' and groovin' on the video monitor! She kept waving her hands out, and then pulling them back in front of her face. I am pretty sure she was practicing her "jazz hands!" Jeff saw her yawn, but I didn't catch it. She was laying with her back facing out, so I had to jiggle around and move onto my side in order to get all the shots of her that we needed. It looks like she has a really great spine, two kidneys, a stomach, a brain, a bladder, a heart...oh, and a vagina. Hehe...
Ah, little Harper Elle Peel. You have already stolen our hearts.
Now it is time to start working on your room! I will post her latest pic as soon as I get my grubby hands on a scanner!
It was awesome to see our sweet baby girl movin' and groovin' on the video monitor! She kept waving her hands out, and then pulling them back in front of her face. I am pretty sure she was practicing her "jazz hands!" Jeff saw her yawn, but I didn't catch it. She was laying with her back facing out, so I had to jiggle around and move onto my side in order to get all the shots of her that we needed. It looks like she has a really great spine, two kidneys, a stomach, a brain, a bladder, a heart...oh, and a vagina. Hehe...
Ah, little Harper Elle Peel. You have already stolen our hearts.
Now it is time to start working on your room! I will post her latest pic as soon as I get my grubby hands on a scanner!
Sunday, May 4, 2008
rockabye baby
It is 2:00 am and I'm still awake--I am quite impressed! Over the past few months my regularly scheduled bedtime is no later than 10:30 pm, because I just cannot keep the eyelids propped open any later. Tonight is a different story.
What is the cause of my caffeine-free alertness tonight? Rockband! Austin, Breyer and Coats are over tonight, and we set up the band around 10pm. I could easily have gone to bed at that point, but as soon as the first song played and the jokes began -- different story! Laughter truly is energizing!
I hope Mini Peel is enjoying his/her first concert! Surely he/she is enjoying my skills on vocals. :) Surely he/she is enjoying Austin's spot-on British accent, too. ("Hey guys, ya wanna grab some coffee?" in what is actually a poor Boston accent. Close, but...well, no, not even close!)
Alrighty, time for the encore performance. Rock on!
What is the cause of my caffeine-free alertness tonight? Rockband! Austin, Breyer and Coats are over tonight, and we set up the band around 10pm. I could easily have gone to bed at that point, but as soon as the first song played and the jokes began -- different story! Laughter truly is energizing!
I hope Mini Peel is enjoying his/her first concert! Surely he/she is enjoying my skills on vocals. :) Surely he/she is enjoying Austin's spot-on British accent, too. ("Hey guys, ya wanna grab some coffee?" in what is actually a poor Boston accent. Close, but...well, no, not even close!)
Alrighty, time for the encore performance. Rock on!
Friday, May 2, 2008
another reason why i love target
After a delicious dinner at my favorite Thai place in town, I headed to Target to buy what seemed like a million mother's day cards (really, I needed 7 of them, but still!) and a blank VHS tape for our ultrasound on Tuesday.
I checked out the blank media section first, and was disappointed to learn that my only option was to purchase TWELVE blank tapes. The six and four-packs were out of stock, and they don't even offer a single VHS tape for sale. Ugh! What am I supposed to do? Buy the twelve-pack, use one, and then give the remaining eleven as gifts as my friends get knocked up down the road? That could take forever! I decided to keep looking in hopes that I can find a single tape at Wal-Mart or another store. (Side note: I checked at Hastings across the street and they sold a four-pack for the same price as Target's twelve-pack, and Wal-Mart is completly out of stock of any and all VHS tapes. I had no idea this simple task would become quite so difficult--still looking!)
After I gave up on the tapes at Target, I mosied on over to the greeting card section. I needed 7 mother's day cards (my sister, my mother, Jeff's mother, Jeff's three grandmothers and one great-grandmother--whew!) and finding seven decent cards was not an easy task. Honestly, their MD card selection was seriously lacking in quality! I read card after card, completly canvassing two entire racks, yet I was still empty-handed at this point. Here comes the good part!
A voice from behind me casually offered that he was really talented at picking out awesome cards if I needed any help. I turned around, expecting to see a Target employee connected to the voice, but not so! It was a college-aged guy randomly offering his assistance. I said thanks, laughed, and added that I needed eight cards and it didn't look like any of the cards there were going to make it. He seemed surprised by the number eight, and asked why I needed so many. I said, "well, my sister, my mother, my husband's mother (insert screeching halt to the guy's smile), my husband's grandmothers...." His face kind of fell as he said, "oh, you're married." Me: nodding. Him: "Ah, I didn't see the ring, I'm sorry." I laughed and said it was ok, expecting him to bow out of the conversation and let me be on my merry way to sift thru more terrible greeting cards. Instead, he continued to make small talk about how he likes to make cards for his mom (really? he did not seem the type to ever have touched glitter or glue!), and I tried to end the convo nicely and move along. He finally began to back away and wished me luck in my quest, apologized again and that was it. I had to laugh at the fact that a college guy tried to pick me up...me, a married woman, and almost five months pregnant! Hehehe... I do think he was on to something with his tactic of approaching women in the card section, though he may need to work on his pre-approach scan for certain accessories!
Oooh, one more thing before I head off to hang out at the Chamber golf tourney. I had my first pregnancy massage on Wednesday, and it was GLORIOUS! Plus, I love love love the massage therapist, because she made three separate comments about how small I still was for being at 20 weeks! Mental note - anytime I need a self-esteem boost, head over to Lori at the massage clinic asap!
Ultrasound appointment on Tuesday! Woo hoo!! Mini Peel better cooperate and show us his/her goods!
That's all for now!
I checked out the blank media section first, and was disappointed to learn that my only option was to purchase TWELVE blank tapes. The six and four-packs were out of stock, and they don't even offer a single VHS tape for sale. Ugh! What am I supposed to do? Buy the twelve-pack, use one, and then give the remaining eleven as gifts as my friends get knocked up down the road? That could take forever! I decided to keep looking in hopes that I can find a single tape at Wal-Mart or another store. (Side note: I checked at Hastings across the street and they sold a four-pack for the same price as Target's twelve-pack, and Wal-Mart is completly out of stock of any and all VHS tapes. I had no idea this simple task would become quite so difficult--still looking!)
After I gave up on the tapes at Target, I mosied on over to the greeting card section. I needed 7 mother's day cards (my sister, my mother, Jeff's mother, Jeff's three grandmothers and one great-grandmother--whew!) and finding seven decent cards was not an easy task. Honestly, their MD card selection was seriously lacking in quality! I read card after card, completly canvassing two entire racks, yet I was still empty-handed at this point. Here comes the good part!
A voice from behind me casually offered that he was really talented at picking out awesome cards if I needed any help. I turned around, expecting to see a Target employee connected to the voice, but not so! It was a college-aged guy randomly offering his assistance. I said thanks, laughed, and added that I needed eight cards and it didn't look like any of the cards there were going to make it. He seemed surprised by the number eight, and asked why I needed so many. I said, "well, my sister, my mother, my husband's mother (insert screeching halt to the guy's smile), my husband's grandmothers...." His face kind of fell as he said, "oh, you're married." Me: nodding. Him: "Ah, I didn't see the ring, I'm sorry." I laughed and said it was ok, expecting him to bow out of the conversation and let me be on my merry way to sift thru more terrible greeting cards. Instead, he continued to make small talk about how he likes to make cards for his mom (really? he did not seem the type to ever have touched glitter or glue!), and I tried to end the convo nicely and move along. He finally began to back away and wished me luck in my quest, apologized again and that was it. I had to laugh at the fact that a college guy tried to pick me up...me, a married woman, and almost five months pregnant! Hehehe... I do think he was on to something with his tactic of approaching women in the card section, though he may need to work on his pre-approach scan for certain accessories!
Oooh, one more thing before I head off to hang out at the Chamber golf tourney. I had my first pregnancy massage on Wednesday, and it was GLORIOUS! Plus, I love love love the massage therapist, because she made three separate comments about how small I still was for being at 20 weeks! Mental note - anytime I need a self-esteem boost, head over to Lori at the massage clinic asap!
Ultrasound appointment on Tuesday! Woo hoo!! Mini Peel better cooperate and show us his/her goods!
That's all for now!
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
tummy sticks and belly bands
To some of you, the title of my blog may indicate that I have, in fact, finally lost it. What are tummy sticks and belly bands? (Lose two points for any guess that involves Rock Band or Guitar Hero, and do not pass go.) Let me enlighten you!
Tummy sticks is the name Jeff has given to feeling the baby move. It originates from the movie Wedding Crashers, and has nothing to do with babies. Rather, it involves a very creepy guy holding Vince Vaughn's character quasi-hostage and tickling his midsection, aka playing "tummy sticks." Mini Peel finally played tummy sticks yesterday afternoon! I've read various descriptions on baby web sites and in baby books of what those first movements will feel like, but I think they were a little off. A few different sources mention a feeling of butterflies in the stomach, but that doesn't quite sum it up. It is more like an actual butterfly fluttering about inside your lower stomach! Some of you former preggos may recall another way of describing those movements, but for me - a flutter by of a butterfly! It occured sporadically for a few minutes and that was it until the middle of the night. I woke up for a couple minutes (this happens a lot more than I believe is reasonable!) and felt a flutter followed by a swift, direct punch/kick straight out! I smiled and fell back asleep...for a little while at least! Even crazier is the fact that I have felt a random "flutter" in the last week or so, but it wasn't until yesterday afternoon that I was 100% convinced that that was tummy sticks! Keep it comin', Mini Peel!
Ok, now what about these belly bands? Again, the former preggos or their friends may well be aware of belly bands. For the rest of the world (or at least that tiny handful of people that read this blog), let me explain. Belly bands are an awesome, awesome creation that will enable me to extend the use of pants or skirts that will no longer fasten properly at the waist, but otherwise still fit perfectly. You simply pull the belly band up over your unzipped or unbuttoned pants and fold over - wah lah - pants stay up like magic! I was a doubting Thomas as I perused the selection online, but was more than convinced after trying one on tonight with my favorite suit pants. It really does work, and it actually looked good, too! Hopefully, this wonderful tool will be one of use thoughout the pregnancy provided only one area of my body continues to grow! 20 weeks and so far, so good!
Oh, one more thing to share tonight. A coworker's wife told me a neat way they kept one aspect of their baby's arrival a surprise. They were confirmed the baby was male through an amnio, which they shared with their family and friends. When they learned this fact, they shared it with family and friends without sharing the baby boy's name to be. Instead, they told everyone the initials only. This enabled their family and friends to monogram away should they care to, and also provided a fun game of guess the name. Apparently, no one even came close, but the guesses likely provided some comic relief from time to time. I am not good at hanging on to things (or information) that I already have in my possession with an intent to share at a later date. I give Christmas presents early, give birthday presents early and then buy another, etc... So, there is no way I could keep the gender or the name to myself, and you can bet that I will never be one of those people that chooses to be "surprised" with the gender until delivery! I will be surprised next Tuesday when we learn if Mini Peel is a boy or a girl, and that is about all I can wait.
Ok, time for bed and, if I'm lucky, another short round of tummy sticks! Later tater tots!
Tummy sticks is the name Jeff has given to feeling the baby move. It originates from the movie Wedding Crashers, and has nothing to do with babies. Rather, it involves a very creepy guy holding Vince Vaughn's character quasi-hostage and tickling his midsection, aka playing "tummy sticks." Mini Peel finally played tummy sticks yesterday afternoon! I've read various descriptions on baby web sites and in baby books of what those first movements will feel like, but I think they were a little off. A few different sources mention a feeling of butterflies in the stomach, but that doesn't quite sum it up. It is more like an actual butterfly fluttering about inside your lower stomach! Some of you former preggos may recall another way of describing those movements, but for me - a flutter by of a butterfly! It occured sporadically for a few minutes and that was it until the middle of the night. I woke up for a couple minutes (this happens a lot more than I believe is reasonable!) and felt a flutter followed by a swift, direct punch/kick straight out! I smiled and fell back asleep...for a little while at least! Even crazier is the fact that I have felt a random "flutter" in the last week or so, but it wasn't until yesterday afternoon that I was 100% convinced that that was tummy sticks! Keep it comin', Mini Peel!
Ok, now what about these belly bands? Again, the former preggos or their friends may well be aware of belly bands. For the rest of the world (or at least that tiny handful of people that read this blog), let me explain. Belly bands are an awesome, awesome creation that will enable me to extend the use of pants or skirts that will no longer fasten properly at the waist, but otherwise still fit perfectly. You simply pull the belly band up over your unzipped or unbuttoned pants and fold over - wah lah - pants stay up like magic! I was a doubting Thomas as I perused the selection online, but was more than convinced after trying one on tonight with my favorite suit pants. It really does work, and it actually looked good, too! Hopefully, this wonderful tool will be one of use thoughout the pregnancy provided only one area of my body continues to grow! 20 weeks and so far, so good!
Oh, one more thing to share tonight. A coworker's wife told me a neat way they kept one aspect of their baby's arrival a surprise. They were confirmed the baby was male through an amnio, which they shared with their family and friends. When they learned this fact, they shared it with family and friends without sharing the baby boy's name to be. Instead, they told everyone the initials only. This enabled their family and friends to monogram away should they care to, and also provided a fun game of guess the name. Apparently, no one even came close, but the guesses likely provided some comic relief from time to time. I am not good at hanging on to things (or information) that I already have in my possession with an intent to share at a later date. I give Christmas presents early, give birthday presents early and then buy another, etc... So, there is no way I could keep the gender or the name to myself, and you can bet that I will never be one of those people that chooses to be "surprised" with the gender until delivery! I will be surprised next Tuesday when we learn if Mini Peel is a boy or a girl, and that is about all I can wait.
Ok, time for bed and, if I'm lucky, another short round of tummy sticks! Later tater tots!
Thursday, April 24, 2008
it smells like pineapple in here
A little bit of advice: don't mess with a pregnant lady.
Jeff likes to tease and pester me sometimes simply for the sake of amusement, but he made one slight mistake yesterday. He was sitting in the chaise lounge playing a video game, intently concentrating on the TV screen with his hands glued to the controller. I stepped into the kitchen to grab my dessert for the evening--vanilla yogurt and pineapple chunks on the side. I was half listening to Jeff as he rambled on about something or another while attempting to pester me. Suddenly, I realized he was vulnerable at the moment. He was sitting, relaxed, not looking my way, and both of his hands were occupied. I decided to seize the moment...carpe pineapple, you might say! I ran over to the Jeff and without any notice, stuffed a pineapple chunk into his nostril.
Oh, I laughed!
It all happened so quickly, but I am pretty sure he thought I was going to hand feed him said delicious chunk of pineapple into his mouth....not so, my friend! I ran back into the kitchen and doubled over in laughter. Jeff, with his hands still glued to the controller, turned to me with an incredulous look on his face and pineapple dangling from his nose....I laughed even harder. He seemed unable to comprehend why his sweet wife assaulted him with a piece of fruit. Hehehe... (I was so mad when I realized my camera was not at home--this was picture perfect!)
He finally removed the pineapple, nonchalantly continued on with his video game and said, "it smells like pineapple in here."
Don't mess with a pregnant lady, or you too, might become a victim of a run-by fruiting.
Jeff likes to tease and pester me sometimes simply for the sake of amusement, but he made one slight mistake yesterday. He was sitting in the chaise lounge playing a video game, intently concentrating on the TV screen with his hands glued to the controller. I stepped into the kitchen to grab my dessert for the evening--vanilla yogurt and pineapple chunks on the side. I was half listening to Jeff as he rambled on about something or another while attempting to pester me. Suddenly, I realized he was vulnerable at the moment. He was sitting, relaxed, not looking my way, and both of his hands were occupied. I decided to seize the moment...carpe pineapple, you might say! I ran over to the Jeff and without any notice, stuffed a pineapple chunk into his nostril.
Oh, I laughed!
It all happened so quickly, but I am pretty sure he thought I was going to hand feed him said delicious chunk of pineapple into his mouth....not so, my friend! I ran back into the kitchen and doubled over in laughter. Jeff, with his hands still glued to the controller, turned to me with an incredulous look on his face and pineapple dangling from his nose....I laughed even harder. He seemed unable to comprehend why his sweet wife assaulted him with a piece of fruit. Hehehe... (I was so mad when I realized my camera was not at home--this was picture perfect!)
He finally removed the pineapple, nonchalantly continued on with his video game and said, "it smells like pineapple in here."
Don't mess with a pregnant lady, or you too, might become a victim of a run-by fruiting.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
19 weeks
I think the 18 week picture looks more pronounced than today's 19 week pic... possibly because I am back to my normal eating habits after being on the road for awhile? It is so good to be home, by the way! We are just a pinch shy of hitting the halfway mark--only 21 more hot summer weeks to go!
Jeff and I took Mini Peel to his/her first baseball game complete with womb-side seats last night. ;) It should be the first of many baseball games to come as I have such fond memories of going to Cubs games at Wrigley with my dad when I was a kiddo. (Hence my love of all things Cubs-related, and naming my best dog, "Wrigley.") Not sure how the game ended, because we left around the seventh inning stretch to squeeze in dinner at Bangkok Royal. Ah, how I love that place. I haven't experienced any pregnancy food cravings, but I am not above pretending that Bangkok is my new craving in order to eat there as much as humanly possible. Jeff has actually suggested naming our kid after our favorite waiter, Pom. (Don't get me started on the craziness of baby names that has spouted from Jeff's mouth...honestly, Ahab Peel? Lorenzo Peel? Vince Young Mack Peel, Jr.? Not a chance!)
Speaking of names, we did renew the conversation for a girl's name. I had always liked Campbell, but it has been losing appeal mostly due to the fact that I cannot come up with a middle name to pair with it. In an somewhat democratic manner (okay, maybe not), I believe we have arrived at our final choices of name for a boy and a girl. Now we just have to wait until May 6th to find out! Ahhhh....
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