Snap, Crackle, Pop!

Happy Friday Peeps! I am so happy the weekend is finally here. We don't have anything out of the ordinary planned, just relaxing and spending quality time together. I keep reminding myself that we should try to get out and enjoy the last few months of a carefree lifestyle while we can because it won't be long until life as we know it is forever changed.

Since the weather is warming up here we are considering a trip to the beach tomorrow. I need some sun on this lily white skin, but I am a little reluctant to sport a bikini right now. I love my new pregnant belly because it is finally hard and not mushy. This change alone sort of makes me feel like I can flaunt my belly at the beach. Of course Danny thinks the sun is going to give the squirrel a sunburn through my belly. Geesh! Can we say "over protective"? :) I promise to wear plenty of sunscreen.

This week we also had some exciting developments in the pregnancy. I finally started to feel the little squirrel moving around in my belly. It started at church on Easter Sunday. The baby was definitely moving and grooving to the music. Later in the week it happened again after I ate Taco Bell. It was moving around so much that I swear the baby was having its own little fiesta party in my tummy. The funny part about the Taco Bell incident is that last week I thought I felt the baby move after eating Taco Bell (I can't help it...I am craving Mexican food all the time) but I wasn't sure if the popping feeling was gas or the baby. TMI? I know, I know, but you can never be too sure these days. After all the incidents this week I am positive that the snap, crackle, pop sensation in my stomach is all baby. I love this feeling. It is absolute validation that a little being is growing inside of me. You would think that my bulging stomach would be enough evidence, but for some reason feeling the baby move makes me feel more connected to this little angel. We have also determined that the baby either loves or hates Taco Bell because the firecrackers that went off in my belly both times were a sign that he/she has a definite opinion on the matter.

Next week is also going to be a big week for us because my mom is coming to visit from Alabama and we finally get to see another picture of the baby. We have our 20 week ultrasound on Wednesday and we will hopefully find out for sure if the squirrel is indeed a little girl. Even though the doctor said she was about 80% sure that it was a girl at our last appointment, we are still not 100% convinced. I have heard too many stories from people who were told it was a girl one month, only to learn it was a boy the next month. At the end of the day we really don't care if it is a boy or a girl. The biggest upside to knowing the gender is that we can actually start preparing the nest for the little squirrel's arrival. When you think about it, 20 weeks doesn't seem all that far away!

Here are a few pictures we snapped from Week 18 & Week 19. The baby is about the size of a mango this week.

Week 18
The baby's first Easter Sunday! Next year we will get to dye and hunt eggs, dress them up in a pimp Easter outfit, and fix Easter baskets. Danny better hope that the squirrel isn't anything like me when it comes to hunting eggs. My poor parents had to hide Easter Eggs year round when I was a kid. :)

Week 19
Comparing bellies with Krystle at work.
We are one week apart!

Have a fabulous weekend everyone! I will be sure to post again next week after our ultrasound.

xoxo,
Jenn

Holy Baby Registry!

Happy Sunday Friends & Family! I feel like it has been forever since my last update. Everything is going well here, but lately work has been crazy busy for both Danny and me. This weekend we finally managed to find some time to go and start our baby registry. Honestly, this was one of the most overwhelming tasks I have had to complete in a while. Who knew babies required so much "stuff" AND that there were so many options to choose from at the store??? We both shut down as soon as we hit the first aisle. I promise you there were at least 100 different types of pacifiers and bottles on one wall. Let's not forget the gadgets we had never even heard of like the warmer for baby wipes, an electric snot remover, bags that go in your bra to catch any breast milk that might leak out in between feedings (apparently that stuff is like liquid gold), and a monitor that attaches to the baby's diaper that will alert you if the baby stops breathing or moving for more than 20 seconds. Really??? People, we need to start inventing gadgets for the baby world because there is a ton of money to be made there.

Picking out car seats, bouncers, high chairs, and monitors was no small feat either. However, the most challenging task of the day was picking out a stroller. Despite the fact that there are a gazillion models to choose from we also encountered a snotty "product expert" who should count her lucky stars that I didn't Kung Fu karate chop her after she talked to us like we were morons. How in the hell are we supposed to know that you need an infant car seat and a special adapter to snap into some stroller models when the baby is an infant? Danny quickly created a distraction to get me away from her as soon as he noticed my neck turning pink. I tell ya'...these pregnancy hormones are nothing to mess with!

I seriously felt like we were shopping for the baby's first car. Of course it didn't take me long to fall in love with the Range Rover of strollers...the Bugaboo Cameleon. Isn't it fabulous? I am SOLD on this stroller even though I know it is completely ridiculous.

Side note: Now before you all scoff at me for putting this ridiculous item on my registry let me be clear that we do not expect anyone to buy this stroller. We only added it because we get a 10% discount on everything left on our list after the baby is born. Make no mistake about it though...unless I find something else that tickles my fancy between now and September then this stroller is coming home with us! I just love it!

We are truly enjoying every second that goes into preparing for this sweet baby's arrival. I still wake up every day and think to myself, "I can't believe I am pregnant!" As soon as I look in the mirror though I am quickly reminded that this is really happening. :)

Here are some pictures we took this week to document Week 17 in the pregnancy. According to my baby books the baby is the size of an onion this week!
Danny took a picture of an onion at the grocery store this weekend to put the size of the baby into perspective.

You can really see the bump forming now! Danny says that the squirrel is making itself known to the world this week!

A bird's eye view of my belly! I can barely see my feet! He He!

I can't even imagine what I am going to look like in 4 months!

Sugar & Spice and Everythig Nice...We Think!

Well...the results are in...the doctor "thinks" that the squirrel is a girl. I want to emphasize "thinks" because the sweet little squirrel was not very cooperative during the ultrasound today. Apparently we caught "her" napping so it took the ever so patient and determined Dr. Sumen about 15 minutes to get the shot she needed to determine the gender. After pushing on my stomach, having me roll on my side, and using more cold gel on my tummy she was finally able to get the baby to move "her" legs into a position that allowed us to see what the doctor thinks are the "lady parts."

She did caution us against going out and buying frilly and girlie baby clothes at this point because the shot was not 100% clear. She did say that she was about 80% positive with her prediction though so that leads us to believe that a sweet and sassy little dolly is in our very near future. We have a follow-up ultrasound with our genetic specialist in 4 weeks who uses a high-tech 3-D ultrasound machine so we are even more excited to see if he confirms Dr. Sumen's prediction.

Either way we are over the moon with joy and excitement about this baby. Danny is already stressing out a little over how he is going to handle "dating" and "boys" with a girl. I told him to relax because we had to get through potty training and the terrible 2's first. I told him that if it is in fact a little girl that we had to find a way to increase our income because all of the adorable little girl clothes I have been eyeing are going to break the bank. AND if she is anything like her mother we know that we are going to be in trouble. :)

On a side note, Danny is already exhibiting "protective daddy behavior" because he was definitely not comfortable with the continuous pushing on my belly to try and get the baby to move. He kept telling the doctor, "It's OK, we don't have to find out today." He really is going to be an amazing father. I asked him when we were in the car if it really bothered him that we kept trying to get the baby to move and he emphatically replied, "Yes, it made me mad because you two were harassing my little squirrel!" I just love him to pieces!!! :)

Busting at the Seams

So after the 6 pound weight gain and all the "bloating" that takes place during pregnancy I decided that it was time to bite the bullet and purchase some new pants. The belly band and the rubber band looped around my button hole just weren't cutting it anymore. A trip to the maternity store was definitely in order!

For those of you who know me well you know that blue jeans are my weakness. I absolutely LOVE my jeans and I usually spare no expense when it comes to buying a good pair. I was actually pretty depressed when I thought about trading in my designer digs for the elastic mom maternity jeans. Luckily for me (and all the other fashion forward ladies out there) someone in the fashion industry got smart and realized that there was some serious cash to be made by designing stylish maternity clothes. After talking to my sister in law who recently gave birth, I discovered that all of my favorite brands also had a line of maternity jeans. I was delighted when I discovered that True Religion, Joe's Jeans, 7, Citizens of Humanity, Mavi and Lucky were still options for a solid pair of jeans.

Unfortunately, pulling the trigger on a pair of designer jeans proved to be tougher than I expected. My first outing to "A Pea in the Pod" took place last weekend and lasted over an hour. Poor Danny sat outside the dressing room and waited patiently as I modeled at least 15 different styles. He was so sweet and kind telling me that I looked gorgeous in every pair. God love that man! ;) I tried to make the experience exciting for him by coming out of the dressing room with the fake 7 month baby bump strapped on under my shirt but I think he was bored to tears.

7 month fake bump - I can't wait until the bump gets this big!

After trying on all the different styles I still couldn't make up my mind. We decided to call it a day because I was really stressed out and I felt like I needed another woman's opinion before I made the final purchase. I returned the next day with my sister in law who I can always count on to shoot it to me straight ( Thanks, Jenn for spending the afternoon with me while I tried on a gazillion different jeans). I still didn't purchase the jeans on this trip, but at least we narrowed it down to three different styles. Before making the final decision I wanted to do a little Internet shopping just to make sure I couldn't find a better deal/style. Here is one style that made it into the final cut:

Week 14 - You can really see the bump starting to poke out now!

After returning home and comparing styles/prices on the Internet, I finally decided on a fabulous pair of Joe's Jeans. My dear friend Kristine went back to "A Pea in the Pod" with me to make the big purchase on Friday. At first I felt a little guilty about purchasing such expensive jeans but I finally decided, "what the heck I deserve them after all this hard work"! I think we should all live by the saying, "When mama's happy, everybody's happy!"

And on another note...I absolutely LOVE them. They feel so cozy and they look like "real" jeans! Some of you might be thinking that it is ridiculous to spend a ton of money on something that I will only wear for the next 9 months (I've been told that you still wear your maternity pants a few months after delivery), but I have also decided that I am going to wear them every Thanksgiving for the next 20 years just to get the full mileage out of them!

The First Trimester...AKA Hell on Earth!

7 week ultrasound - 2/1/11

The feeling we felt when we saw the heartbeat for the very first time is impossible to describe. I will never forget the moment when our doctor said, "Congratulations! You did it! You made a baby!" The little heartbeat was flickering so fast on the screen and I could not take my eyes off of it! It was love at first sight! :)

7 weeks pregnant...not showing yet...just bloated! ;)

Week 7 - The baby is the size of a blueberry this week.

Let's fast forward about 7 weeks into the pregnancy when my fantasies of the perfect pregnancy were rudely interrupted. I am still not sure why all the books and doctors call it "morning" sickness because that is a big fat lie. For me it was "all day AND night" sickness. I woke up one day and I was nauseous from the moment I opened my eyes until right before I finally drifted off to sleep at night. Thank goodness I couldn't keep my eyes open past 8 o'clock at night because the only time I felt good was when I was asleep. I am sure some of you might be thinking that I probably lost a few of the pounds I had managed to pack on over the holidays because I was so sick. Quite the opposite my friends. Even though I was nauseous 24/7 the only thing that made me feel somewhat better was to eat...and I am not talking about the healthy stuff either...I am talking carbs and milkshakes!!! Poor Danny. For about three weeks straight he was constantly running out to fetch the Neapolitan shake from In-N-Out Burger or the Banana Chocolate Chip shake from Carl's Junior. I swear shakes were the only thing that hit the spot.

In hindsight I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when I went for my eleven week check-up and discovered that I had already gained 6 pounds in this pregnancy! Let me just go ahead and tell you that this was not a very good day in the Callaway household. I truly cried for a week straight. I know I am supposed to gain weight during this pregnancy but I would really like to avoid anything more than the recommended 25-35 pounds if at all possible. My metabolism has already slowed down drastically since turning 30 so I can only imagine the havoc that this pregnancy is going to wreak on my body. I can hardly wait for varicose veins, more cellulite, stretch marks, and hemorrhoids...NOT!

Side note: Since the 11 week checkup my eating habits have undergone a complete 180. I am sure I am going to get a good report at the 16 week check-up next week. More good news...the nausea finally subsided around week 13. As a result I have cut out all daily milkshakes and the majority of junk food (with the exception of a few indulgences here or there - hey! - there have to be some perks with pregnancy) so that has to mean good news, right? Of course I am not brave enough to step on the scale at home because I will crumble if I see another 6 pound gain. Keep your fingers crossed people.

11 week ultrasound - 3/1/11

Our little squirrel is actually looking more like a baby now! The sweet pea was super active during this ultrasound. As soon as the image appeared on the screen we saw the baby doing cartwheels and somersaults. Danny describes one of the baby's moves as the "rocket launch" because it would stretch out and kick off of the side of my uterus and bounce to the other side.

We were both shocked at how much the baby had developed in 4 short weeks. After a few minutes of very active movement the baby decided to take a nap and put his/her little arms up on it's head and stretch out! This is definitely our baby...plays hard and enjoys a good flop! ;)

11 weeks pregnant...still looking bloated and a little fluffier from the 6 pound weight gain! :)

11 weeks...no bump yet...still easy to hide in clothes!
Week 11 - The baby is the size of a lime this week! ;)

Let's talk about another little fun bonus of pregnancy in the first trimester...red, itchy bumps all over my back and chest. Ewwww!!!! I swear I look like I am going through puberty again. If it were winter and we lived on the east coast I probably wouldn't care because I could hide my awful skin with turtlenecks and sweaters. Unfortunately, I live in La La land where 70 degree temps and sunny skies are pretty much the norm year round. Tank tops, sleeveless shirts, and low cut tops are completely out of the question right now. And of course you can't use any cream or medicine to dry up the spots because all medication (except Tylenol...what a joke) is off limits during pregnancy.

Side note: The bumps are slowly beginning to disappear on my chest this week. I am hoping and praying that my hormones are finally starting to settle down and that the pesky little blemishes on my back will soon fade into the sunset as well. A girl can dream right? On the bright side (if there is one) at least the bumps are not on my face...yet! If there is one thing that I have learned from this experience it is to never say never!

In addition to the inconveniences associated with nausea, weight gain, and the bumps, I also spend way too much time in the bathroom these days. I am convinced that the little squirrel growing in my body is using my bladder as a trampoline. I didn't think it was humanly possible for a person to go to the bathroom so many times in one day/night. It is not at all uncommon for me to wake up at midnight, 3 a.m., and 5 a.m. to go to the bathroom. Danny finally insisted on buying a night light because he was afraid that I was going to injure myself when stumbling to the bathroom in the middle of the night. In his defense I have turned into somewhat of a klutz since becoming pregnant so I agree that it was definitely the smart thing to do. Besides the fact that it is annoying to get up and go so many times in the middle of the night, it is also making it really difficult to get a solid night of sleep. I guess the sweet little nugget is preparing me for all the sleepless nights that lie ahead, right? :)

Needless to say I was ready to throw a party when the 1st trimester ended 2 weeks ago. Besides all of the dirty little secrets associated with pregnancy that no one tells you about, I also managed to have a few little terrifying incidents that had nothing to do with Mother Nature during the first twelve weeks. One involved a trip to the ER in Las Vegas (that was an experience) after falling down a few stairs at my mother in law's house. Two ultrasounds and 4 hours later we were relieved to hear that our little angel was kicking around without a care in the world. I guess all the extra pounds, along with the amniotic fluid, cushioned my fall. Maybe I should be thankful for that 6 pound weight gain after all. :)

The second incident included a frantic call to Poison Control after the liquid Drano we used to unstop the shower drain suddenly came back up the pipes and filled up the bottom of the tub while I was taking a shower the next morning. As soon as my feet started to burn I knew something was wrong. I jumped out of that shower so fast I nearly took the shower curtain with me. Luckily the only damage sustained from this incident was the slight irritation my piggies suffered from the chemicals. The Poison Control representative and our doctor assured us repeatedly that there was no way this incident could harm the baby. If you have another opinion about this incident I don't want to hear it.

Full Disclosure: I would be lying if I didn't tell you that I was positive our baby only had one arm because of this incident. When we went for our 11 week ultrasound the angle of the image only allowed us to clearly see one of the baby's arms. I didn't say anything at first because I didn't want the doctor to think I was crazy, but after we left the office I later confessed to Danny that I was worried about this and I blamed it all on the Drano incident. Danny already knows that I am crazy so I didn't care what he would think about my latest fear. Thank goodness we had our 12 week genetic screening scheduled for the following week because I am sure I would have obsessed over this for months. When the tech pointed out both legs and arms on the screen I have never felt such relief in my entire life ! Phew! :) Let's continue to pray for all 10 toes and fingers. Oh...and more good news...our risk factor after the genetic screening came back as a 1 in 7,000 chance for Down's Syndrome & a 1 in 77,000 chance for other genetic abnormalities. Those are odds we are willing to take. The genetic specialist was also very happy with these results and he recommended that we pass on the invasive tests like the amniocentesis and CVS. No arguments here. The idea of a giant needle being poked into my stomach or cervix does not sound appealing to me at all.

In a nutshell I had no idea pregnancy would be so hard. I have never worried about something so much in my entire life. I guess I finally understand what parents mean when they talk about how much they love and worry about their kids. Even though I haven't met this little person growing inside of me yet I feel so incredibly connected to him/her and I would do whatever it takes to protect them.

My heart goes out to Danny too during this time because he constantly worries about the squirrel and me. He refers to me as the vessel and he gets a little anxious when I am out of his sight. He wants to protect us and he is convinced that I am going to get injured if he is not around. For example, I rode the train to work the other day and he was convinced that I was going to get rolled by a gang member or get involved in a tragic crash. :) Apparently the Metrolink in Los Angeles has the highest rate of crashes in the United States so I get it. He is SO cute! He talks to my belly every morning and night and he cannot keep his hands off of my stomach. I know he is going to be an amazing father. There is one thing I know for sure at this point...this baby is loved!

Stay tuned for more updates. We have our 16 week check-up on Tuesday and we are hoping to find out if it is a boy or a girl then. I feel like it is a boy but I would not be surprised at all if it is a girl. We will be happy with whatever God sends us...we just pray that he/she is healthy and happy.

How Did This Happen?

The first 3 tests

The 4th test...just to be sure!

A plus sign??? Really??? How did this happen? Don't get me wrong I know all about the birds and the bees, but Danny and I were shocked (and thrilled) when we learned that we were pregnant. As many of you may know we have gone back and forth about whether or not it was the "right time" for us to start a family. After turning 35 last year I secretly started to panic because I swear I could actually hear my biological clock ticking. Even though I still feel like I am "young", I slowly began to realize that my window for conception was getting smaller. Everything I read about pregnancy over 35 was depressing - infertility issues, higher risk for babies with genetic abnormalities, and the overall toll it takes on your body. As each month passed I felt like my eggs were rotting and having a baby felt more and more out of reach. Of course Danny didn't share my same sense of urgency because he is 4.5 years younger than me (no, that doesn't make me a cougar). Plus men don't have to worry about an expiration date on their goods. One of the many things about conception and pregnancy that is not fair (I will cover more on this later).

Anyway, in early December, after the loss of someone very special in our lives, we started to reevaluate where our lives were going. We decided that if having a baby was God's will then we were ready to see if a baby was in our future. In other words, we pulled the goalie. :) Yep...that's right...we decided at the beginning of the month to let nature takes it course and by the end of the month we were pregnant. I guess it was meant to be. :)

Of course when I took the pregnancy test in mid-January I was in total shock and disbelief. I actually took 4 tests just to be sure. I took three the first day and then followed up with a fourth a week later because I wanted to be certain that this was really happening. Of course all 4 tests were positive...2 tests with bright blue plus signs & 2 tests with the word "Pregnant" in the display window. Yes, I made Danny buy two different brands to make sure the first brand wasn't defective.

My first reaction was a mixture of panic and joy. I know we said we were ready to put this in God's hands...but I didn't really think it would happen so fast. Everything I had read said that it takes most people up to a year to conceive. We were in the process of planning a trip to Europe, I was going strong in my 2nd week of my new weight loss program (give me a break...it was after the holidays and I was up about 7 pounds from all of the delicious treats and cocktails I had indulged in over the past two months), and I had just agreed to participate in a 5K mud run with my girlfriends in June (I know a 5K is not anything to brag about but let's remember that I don't like to run even if I am being chased. Plus if we are being perfectly honest here I only agreed to do it in the first place because there was a huge party after the event that included lots of beer) . Needless to say all of my current plans changed in an instant. Of course after the shock wore off then postponing the trip to Europe (we are currently taking volunteers for future babysitters because Danny has promised to take me after the baby turns 2) and tossing the diet out the window, along with the mud run and the booze didn't seem like such a big deal after all. As a matter of fact, within 24 hours of realizing I was pregnant everything in my world changed to "all things baby". Pregnancy, babies, nurseries, and a healthy lifestyle (think vegetables, yoga, no caffeine - yes, I gave up Diet Coke immediately - and stress-free days) consumed my every thought. Of course at this point I was only a few weeks pregnant so I had no idea what was lurking around the corner.

Welcome!

Pregnancy is such an amazing miracle, but people rarely talk about the bizarre, crazy, gross, or funny things that happen to your mind, body, and soul during this journey. This blog is my attempt to document the adventures of my pregnancy and share my experiences with family and friends both near and far. Plus Danny thinks that I need a new project to keep me busy because I am bored all of the time. :)

Some of you might be wondering about the name of our blog: The Squirrel Makes Four. A few years ago Danny's sister had a baby. Since Bama had never been around an infant before I decided to do some research about dogs and new babies before we went to visit. Even though Bama loves kids I was worried about how she would act around an infant. One of the articles I read on the Internet said that some dogs might think that an infant is a small prey like a squirrel or bird. Of course this freaked me out because I didn't want to bring Bama around the baby if there was any chance that she might act a fool. When I shared my concerns with Danny he was outraged that I thought Bama was stupid enough to mistake a baby for a squirrel. He quickly dismissed my fears and loaded Bama into the car for our road trip to Vegas. I hate to admit it when he is right but of course he was right about this one. Bama absolutely loved the baby and could not get enough of him. She even earned the nickname "Nana" that weekend because she acted just like the dog from Peter Pan who watched over all the children.

Naturally as soon as we found out we were having a baby "the squirrel" immediately stuck as the nickname. We are positive though that Bama is going to be a fantastic big sister. :)

We look forward to sharing all of our latest updates, developments, and funny stories on this site. We are thrilled that our sweet little family is about to become four!