The two week count down...

Dr. appts., Dr. appts., and MORE Dr. appts. Sure seems like there's a lot of them!

I/we had another check-up at the OB's yesterday - pretty uneventful. They took some measurements (said I'm all on track) and listened to the heart beat (beating beautifully)... all was "text book" as the NP commented.

Now... next appt. is exactly two weeks from today... and its a BIG one. Its the ultrasound to check out the baby in detail... AND... if we want... to find out the sex. However, we have not yet decided if that's an option we want. We're are in a debate. Brandyn wants to keep the sex a surprise... and I want to find out!!!

Brandyn REALLY wants the excitement of the baby being born and calling family/friends to say "Its a ...." Me... I just wanna know... 'cause I want to talk to the baby... bond with him/her more, etc. Oh... and buying clothes/decorating would be more fun too!

So... I put it out to you... our friends and family... do YOU want to know the sex of Baby C before he/she arrives in the world... or wait and let it be a surprise!


*Disclaimer: Your vote may or may not effect the outcome of our decision. (Yes, I work with lawyers!).

Congratulations Derek & Jen!

Last Sunday we attended the fabulous wedding of our good friends Derek and Jen. Derek has been Brandyn's roommate, basketball teammate, and grooms man in our wedding. Jen, while living in Japan for a lot of the time we've known her, is part of the Osteen family who runs the Pumpkin Farm in Clayton. Their wedding was held on a beautiful Sunday afternoon at a breath-taking winery in Livermore. The ceremony was touching, the food and drink (minus the wine for me!) were delicious and the friends abundant!

It was also a great opportunity for us to tell several of our friends who didn't yet know that we're expecting.

Pregnancy and Public Transportation...

For most women... the first few months of pregnancy are the worst. You feel like crap - nauseated, exhausted, dizzy, etc. That would be the time when you need an open seat on public transportation the most!! Unfortunately - people don't give up their seats for tired/queasy looking women... only enormously pregnant women with heavy bellies!

Lucky for me, my commute on BART these last couple of months have been pretty uneventful. I've been feeling pretty great pregnancy-symptom-wise (no morning sickness, etc) just pretty exhausted by the end of the day. I almost always get a seat on BART in the morning (if I don't - I just wait for the next train). And on the way home - I ride the train backwards, deeper in to SF - so that I can on a less crowded train and find a seat. But BART has been so crowded lately (with the higher gas prices) that some people who NEED a seat aren't getting one.

And so it was that I found myself last week... siting comfortably in my seat... settling in for my 40 min ride... when a VERY pregnant women got on the train. I waited... waited... waited... no one stood up to give her their seat. And so... *I* - a pregnant women myself - stood to give up and gave my seat to someone who needed it just a little bit more. I found it a very humorous and ironic moment.

I hope Karma is good to me as the months progress... my belly grows larger... and BART gets more crowed.

It pays to have friends...

Especially ones who have been there, done that!! Last week Catriona sent me a box of maternity clothes!! This week Sandra dropped off several bags of clothes... and this weekend Michelle P. is bring me clothes that her sister is passing along!! Wow- do I feel lucky!! Wait 'til you SEE the fashions I'm sporting!!! (The shirt below is one of the pieces Catriona sent!!)

Ha!! I think this was directed at me!!

Just got an e-mail in my in box from BabyCenter.com. I've signed up for a newsletter that tells me each week how the baby is developing, how big the baby is, how I should be feeling, what I should expect, etc. Today's BabyCenter e-mail had the following comic in it... do you think it was specifically directed at me!?! ;)

A WHOLE NEW meaning to the phrase "does this make me look pregnant?"

In normal, everyday life, women ask their husbands "Honey, does this shirt make me look pregnant?" hoping that they will respond "Of course not!"

But when you're newly pregnant and trying to sort out the fine line between your growing stomach looking, well, just plain bigger... and actually looking like a pregnant belly... the answer your looking for now is "Why yes honey, what a cute pregnant belly!" ;)

Brandyn has been answering this question a lot lately!!

So.... does this shirt make me look pregnant!?! :)

14 weeks exactly.

P.S. My belly at the end of the day... looks much more "interesting" and "bloated" that it does at the beginning of the day!!

The excitment spreads to Aunt Katie & Uncle Ryan!!

On Sunday Katie (my sister-in-law, my brother Ryan's wife) came by to pick up concert tickets that I snagged for her. But Katie didn't arrive empty handed. Oh no. Soon-to-be-Aunt Katie arrived with ARMS FULL of books to get B and I ready for Baby C...

And... BABY'S FIRST SLEEPERS!!!

Thank you Katie for your extreme thoughtfulness (and Ryan too!). We both were so excited to have Baby Items in OUR house!! :)

Coming out... well... maybe just a *little*

Its a secret no longer. B and I will are expecting our first child early next year!! March 15 or so!

We're super excited, of course! So, I've decided to start a blog so that I can share all the excitement with family and friends. I hope that reading this will be an entertaining look at our adventure. So, to start us off, a few pics.

Baby C making his/her photo debut at our ultrasound on 8/29. Head is on the left. Not a super clear pic... but Baby C was waving to us and everything! A very fun moment.

And... my very *little*, but definiately growing belly!