Tuesday, May 31, 2011

The Best Way To Do A Summer Pregnancy...

I spent my Memorial Day at the pool - and that is the way to go! If I could spend every second floating on the water until Evey is born, it would be the most heavenly few weeks of my life!!




It was the most relaxing day and it was so great to spend time with old friends. Sandra, Dennis & Jaclyn - thanks so much for letting me lounge! I can't wait to do it again!




Friday, May 27, 2011

Heartbeat

Now that we're visiting the doctor every two weeks, it feels like Evey will be here so much sooner! I've only got two more check-ups before we start going weekly and we're less than 10 weeks away from our due date!

We had a great check-up on Thursday. Dr. Ashmun says that I look healthy and Evey is growing exactly as she should be.


I had Ali record her heartbeat so everyone can hear! It sounded SO different than what I've gotten so used to hearing. When she was younger, it made a "whooshing" sound and this time it sounded so strong and loud. The nurse said she was picking up both our beats and I couldn't tell if it was hers or mine!




I'm feeling really good - although I can definitely tell she's getting bigger. My belly doubled in size over the past week and I suppose I'd better get used to that over the next couple of months. Her brain is developing like crazy and she's gaining more fat and strength every day.


As she grows, I can tell major differences in her movements. I still get the kung-fu kicks, but I feel her more often. It's such a great feeling!

Monday, May 23, 2011

Evey's Day Out!

On May 21, Christopher and I were invited to join his colleagues at Churchill Downs for the Preakness. It was the end of the year staff party for Louisville Collegiate School - all expenses paid - at Millionnaires Row 6!

I have never been to the races before and had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that last Thursday, Christopher brought home one ticket, $20 in Churchill Downs dollars and a $10 bill for betting. His RSVP was messed up, so they were going to get my ticket the next day. Friday afternoon, he came home with another whole packet (including the money) and we were ready to go!

Saturday morning we jumped in the car and made the trip to Louisville for our big day. When we arrived and found our way to Millionnaire's Row, we sat down with Christopher's friends and enjoyed prime rib with black eyed pea and caviar salad. They had aged gouda, brie, and blue cheeses and brownies with strawberries that were to die for! Talk about a pregnant woman's dream... ALL YOU CAN EAT for free! I loved it!

Christopher picked our first horses to bet on when the race started and we won! It was so exciting to have a reason to cheer on a specific horse - even if we lost! Christopher enjoyed the free alcoholic beverages and I just stuck to water, but we got to bring home the glasses, so I can enjoy them after Evey's born!

Overall, we would've left with $20.25 (whoo hoo!) if I wasn't so clumsy!! I had our bet in my mouth while I was shuffling everything and the wind took it away. The bad thing was - that was our second biggest winning ticket at $4.60. Oh well... It's a good thing I've got pregnancy brain to blame it on!


We've got a winning ticket!

Picking up our first winnings!


Christopher with his Mint Julep.

Evey definitely enjoyed the races!! She was boucing all over my belly!


I was good at calling the turf races - Topher was better at the dirt track!
We left before the Preakness and drove to Covington to spend the evening with Jason, Naomi and Lucy! It was definitely a big day, but it was one of the best dates Christopher and I have had since we found out about Evey seven months ago!

Monday, May 16, 2011

One To Grow On

We've only got one trimester left until our little girl arrives!

I can't wait to hold Evey for the first time. I've been dreaming about her almost every night - imagining what she looks like, when she gets here and what it will be like to finally have the daughter we've been waiting for.

We had a great check-up last Tuesday. Evey is growing exactly as she should be, and my belly is growing right with her!

My doctor told us to begin monitoring her fetal kick counts. Basically, they want her to move at least 8 times in a one hour period. I asked if it was okay if she moved 8 times in the first minute. She's getting more and more active by the day. She has so much personality. Already, I know that she loves car rides and she loves music!

I had a conference call, via Skype, with the owner of the company I work for the other day. When the call was ringing in it had a musical ringtone and Evey went crazy! As soon as the call was answered, she quit wiggling. She loves the Glee version of Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody"! Every time that song comes on my iPod she drums away on my belly and my mom and sister finally got to feel her move over the weekend.

She definitely keeps me laughing. I love knowing that she's doing well. She's growing like a weed and I can tell a difference in my figure every day. It's the best feeling ever!

Sunday, May 1, 2011

Franco, Milkshake, Scabbers, and Remy

So, the other day on the way home from work I had to stop by a pet shop down the street from my work to get some fuzzies to feed my snake. Fuzzies are baby mice that are just beginning to get fur, usually between 5 and 10 days old. I knew that I would be getting back home before Jenni, which would be time enough for me to feed one of the mice to my snake and freeze the other three.

Unfortunately, she got home right after me and saw the mice. Despite the fact that she has seen me feed the snakes live food before, seeing the four baby mice was too much for her. She started bawling, saying that I cannot feed the mice to the snake and insited that we foster the mice. She went on to name them Franco, Milkshake, Scabbers, and Remy.

Being the supportive husband I am, I took Jenni to some pet shops to get some info and supplies Ato foster raise the mice. We finally got to Animal House where the owner knows how to foster orphaned animals. She proceeded to tell us how to take care of them, which included hand feeding them kitten formula every one to two hours around the clock and massaging their bellies with a q-tip after every feeding to stimulate them to poop. Once she realized that they weren't the offspring of a pet mouse that died, but mice meant to be food for a snake, the owner of the pet shop began trying to talk some reason into Jenni.

Jenni finally gave in and decided that saving the four mice, especially since they had gone close to four hours without food, would be, in all odds, a hopeless venture. A venture that, to say the least, she would not have the time to actually perform. In the end, we left the pet shop with Jenni in tears, feeling like she had failed the baby mice.

I agreed to call our friend, Amber Lyons, who has a snake of her own, to see if she would take the mice to freeze and feed to her snake so that Jenni wouldnt have to see them fed to ours. It was so hard to go along with what she wanted but knew that it was all because she saw Evey in those mice. And that, I understood.