Busy Busy Parents-To-Be

It has been far too long since I posted an update! And lots of exciting things to report. We are thirty weeks along now (which is amazing!) and doing well. The second trimester really was a breeze - I have felt great. Only issue is low iron which I am taking supplements for on top of my prenatal vitamin. I haven't had any heartburn or back pain, really. My feet and ankles are pretty swollen, though, which I hoped wouldn't happen...and I have also gained a LOT of weight. The bridal shower is in a couple weeks (April 30th), and Daniel and I are very excited to see all our loved ones in celebration of our little girl's pending arrival. Her room is looking more amazing every day! We got a great deal on a bookcase from a Border's bookstore that is closing and were selling all their furniture. $40 for it and a LOT of elbow grease on Daniel's part to get it all sanded and re-stained to match the dark furniture we have in Chloe's room. We also got her dresser the other day & put it together pretty easily. Her crib we have had for a few weeks and of course the bedding. I went shopping with my mom yesterday and got some more really cute clothes. Christine Tafoya gave us a bunch of books that her boys used to read when they were little, so I got those all cleaned up and ready to get organized onto the bookshelf. But there's still so much we need to do! Our roof was having issues, so we just got that repaired. Hopefully it stays in great condition for many years now haha. We also want to get a new dishwasher (we have yet to have one that actually cleans since we have been together - frustrating!), and we want a piece of carpet for the living room so Chloe won't have to crawl around on dirty tile floor. Other than that, I feel like I am constantly fighting a losing battle with keeping our house clean. Daniel is always busy now - finishing up a class for his degree, studying for the CRPC, and now in a class for the CFP. This is all very good, and I am so happy he is able to juggle it all - but our house just seems to get dirtier no matter how hard I fight it...sigh... One thing that is of a lot of comfort to me is that my sister Lyndsey will be coming to stay with us for a few weeks once the baby is born, and Daniel goes back to work. I know I will be overwhelmed by myself, so even just having another adult (sort of) around is wonderful. I am going to attach some pics of Chloe from her most recent ultrasound, but Daniel needs to get on the computer for some of his never-ending homework so farewell for now!

Prepping for Baby

So Daniel and I have been hard at work getting little Chloe's bedroom and other parts of the house ready for the new addition to our family. Her room is painted, but I discovered with all the rain we have been having that her room has a leak. We've put in new windows, but the stucco still needs to be painted. Daniel has even half-started a project to upgrade the guest bathroom to something we won't hate. The backyard is a disaster-area, but we are supposed to be having an excavation company out this week to haul away 15 tons of gravel so that we might (someday) be able to have grass. It is really exciting to have a house of our own that we can make all these changes to, but it seems like a never-ending series of projects! I hope Chloe appreciates all that we are already doing for her and will continue to do for her throughout her life. Maybe it won't be immediately...and that's fine. I didn't always appreciate all my parents have done, but I definitely do now!
On top of all these not-cheap projects, we are also working diligently to pay off debt. So far my student loan is gone, and my car is almost paid off. I have never had such a nice vehicle and never really expected to have it be mine after only a year-and-a-half, but we are committed to raising our family without the burden of debt hanging around our shoulders. This may mean that Chloe won't always get every "thing" she wants, and that she will have to learn the value of money and what it means to save, give, and spend (thank you Dave Ramsey!), but I think this will help her become a self-sufficient young lady who can accomplish all the goals she sets out for. Daniel and I made some stupid mistakes with money starting out, through no one's fault but our own. We still have his truck to pay off and his student loans, but the plan is to get everything wiped out in a few years.
So to work or not to work? This has been a crazy internal debate of mine. I'm not sure we can accomplish everything we want to do without me working for now. But I do not want my daughter in a day care like the one I worked in as a teenager. There just aren't enough people to take care of the needs of the children in their care. Maybe if Daniel and I can adjust our schedules in a way that would minimize the hours she needs outside care...but still, I do believe that no one will be able to take care of my baby the way I will be able to. Maybe the answer is for me to work for the short-term and be as diligent as we have been throughout our relationship in money smarts...so that eventually I can be home with her.
In the meantime, Daniel and I had a conversation with Chloe last night about all the fun things we want to teach her. She was being pretty calm until we started talking to her. Then she started kicking and moving around like crazy - it was hilarious! She seems to know we can't wait to meet her - we were telling her all about the people who will want to hold her and play with her and love her. All her grandparents, aunts & uncles, cousins and extended family. But we did tell her that above all, no one will ever be able to love her as much as her two parents.

*****Can't wait to meet you Chloe Joyce!*****

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy...It's a GIRL! :)

We had such a good experience at the dr yesterday! We got right in to see the ultrasound tech, who did lots of measurements of the baby - we got to see the heart beating (strong heart!), and see little arms, legs, hands, feet, spine...she was being quite the little squirmer. I had to go empty my bladder at one point in hopes that the baby would move so the tech could get a better angle of her head. Then of course we got to find out "its" a "she"! Daniel and I were both ecstatic! And still are!
We went right away to Home Depot and picked out our paint color - pink, pink, pink. Still the same plan for pink on top of the molding, chocolate brown on the bottom. I will post pictures when the room is ready for display. Our families were very excited to learn the news as well. I like that there will now be two boys, two girls on my parent's side, and on Daniel's side two boys and one girl. I am sure she will be loved, adored, and spoiled by all! (Not least of all her parents).
I also got to ask my doctor a few more questions about concerns we have had about the hospital we will be delivering at - Paradise Valley Hospital. She has pretty much alleviated any and all fears, and I know we still need to arrange for a tour so it's not completely unfamiliar territory, but we are pretty settled with the idea. I have really enjoyed having Daniel with me for the last two appointments - this was his first time seeing little Chloe through ultrasound, and he was just amazed. It's one thing seeing it in movies, or seeing pictures of the children of friends and family, but it is life-changing to see your own creation up there in all her full glory.
We are at just about 20 weeks, so only 20 more to go. It feels like ages away! Everyone says it will fly by, and I can only hope. Can't wait to hold this little bundle in my arms and get her out of my ever-expanding belly!

Blue or Pink?

So we will be finding out the gender of the baby on February 1st! We are so very excited and impatient to know. Also our good friends Weston & Christine will be having their little girl sometime in early February as well, so we've got lots to look forward to.
Daniel and I have lately been spending some time working on the baby's room. We bought some molding that Daniel painstakingly put up around the walls at chair-rail height. We're going to be painting the bottom half a chocolate brown and the top half a color that depends on the baby's gender. Maybe pink, purple, green or blue depending on what we finally decide on. My mom acquired a glider rocker for us which I am really excited for. I will probably be spending a lot of time in it this summer and fall with our new baby! I have seen a few cribs I like but have yet to settle on any in particular, and the other night Daniel was sending me a link to site with these strollers he really likes (very expensive ones that we probably won't be getting haha).
I am so grateful that I have Daniel to go through this experience with. He knows how I feel about him, so I try to spare everyone else around me with words of gushy emotions, but I just cannot imagine being happier that this man is going to be the father of our baby! Ok, enough gushing. But just so everyone knows, I do appreciate and love him very much.
My next post very well may be to declare BLUE or PINK! CAN'T WAIT!

Finally our Secret Revealed!

Ok, so I didn't post anything after the last dr's appointment. All was well - got more ultrasound pics of the little nugget. Next appt is January 6th, and Daniel will be coming with me this time because we might be able to determine the sex. I am just about 14 weeks at this point and into the 2nd trimester! What an amazing ride this has been so far.
The doctor was concerned that I had lost 6 lbs from my first appt. She doesn't want me losing more weight, so insisted that I start taking my anti-nausea medicine more consistently. So far I have been doing that and have only thrown up a couple more times since then. Still tired a lot, run out of energy fast, but I am pretty sure the weight thing won't be an issue again. I know lots of women don't get as sick as I have been, but I know there are those who have it much worse. At work I am trying to use this as a tool to "relate" with some of the people I talk to (hey, I'm in sales after all...) & a couple of the women have been hospitalized during their pregnancies due to dehydration.
Tomorrow we tell our families! I hope everything goes perfectly, but I know when it comes to these kinds of things that I nothing is going to be predictable. During presents with my family we are going to "forget" my mom's present until the very end, and then have her read a poem I wrote. Giving her a pretty pearl necklace since the baby will be born in June and that is June's birthstone. Then for Daniel's parents he took one of the ultrasound pics and made it bigger and put "Can I be your grandbaby?" on it in a really pretty frame. Hopefully they will all be surprised and happy! I am almost scared to tell them after all this time of keeping our secret (mostly) to ourselves.
Well wish us luck!

Little Baby T

So it's been a while since I posted anything. I have been feeling absolutely miserable and have had nothing new to report. I have a dr's appointment tomorrow morning but am not anticipating anything too exciting to come from it. Pee in a cup? Check. Get group-groped? Check. Have blood drawn? Check. I will try to post if we find out anything earth-shattering.

I am almost in week 12, which means almost in the 2nd trimester, which is so exciting! We are pretty sure no one has guessed our secret yet, or if they have they have kept quiet. Daniel's mom asked me the other day if I had lost weight (HA!), so apparently I am hiding it well. Poor Daniel is keeping things together like a saint. Grocery shopping, cleaning, getting rid of smells I find unpleasant...and all the while he is in school, trying to study for a big test for work, and also get adjusted to his job that he's only had for a few months, after all.

Sometimes I wonder what on earth possesses people to have children! If I had honestly known this is what I would be going through right now, let's just say I would have waited. Maybe as the pregnancy progresses I will start to feel more of a bond with the baby, but right now it is merely "the parasite" or "the only child." I am documenting this not for sympathy, but hopefully to remind myself that the next time I get the brilliant idea to procreate maybe I will take a few moments to fully weigh the decision & all it's implications. You know, there are plenty of children out there in search of a good home!

On a lighter note, Daniel & I have been discussing our options for names. We still like Chloe for a girl. He likes Cailey, but I tell him that's just switching around the letters in Chloe. We were also contemplating an homage to our mothers - something like Lorianne or Loriana, but I don't know if that's too strange. Then for a boy, we still like Aidan. But we have been discussing a lot of different options, and funnily enough Atticus was one that Daniel brought up. He loves it! And of course I love it, considering one of my favorite books of all time is To Kill a Mockingbird. But I just don't know if it's right for little baby Tafoya. We shall see!

Sorry to be so Debbie Downer - this is partially why I haven't written in a while! But I am excited for Christmas and finally getting to tell our families (if they cooperate, that is...) we have some pretty special things planned for the big day, so cross your fingers!

The Smell of Coffee in the Morning...

9 weeks pregnant - only 31 to go! Haha.
This week has been interesting. I learned that I do absolutely need to take my anti-nausea medicine or I will seriously regret it. Even when I do take it regularly it doesn't guarantee anything. All of the women I have talked this over with seem to think my case is a little extreme, which is lovely. Apparently everyone else has a great time being pregnant! Luckily, the only aversion I have is to coffee and eggs. Unluckily, my entire work building REEKS of coffee because we have a Starbucks right next to my department. I have probably thrown up at work more often than at home because of that...
We had the perfect opportunity last Sunday to tell my family about the baby, but it didn't happen because we had not prepared ourselves what to say to make it more than just a random outburst. So, we are resigned to wait until Christmas. It's going to be a long month! We are keeping busy moving into our new house, but apparently when I ordered our appliances I scheduled them a week later than I thought. So while I am at work Daniel has been trying to fix it so that we have a refrigerator in our house the first week we are living there (!). I am blaming that on the pregnancy.
Anyway, if I don't post anything until this time next week have a happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Family...

No new developments to report in baby world. We are supposed to be closing on our house in one week but haven't heard anything from our mortgage lady in a while. The last we heard was in regards to our appraisal which came in a little higher than what we are paying. We are trying to decide what to do with all our stuff when we move (keeping in mind we want to keep one bedroom free for baby, but are going from a fully furnished three bedroom house to another). This means our extra bed that my sister uses when she spends the night might have to go away or else go into the living room haha. That would make me a little sad, but we need the other bedroom for an office.
So I was walking back to my desk at work today after a session with the porcelain god in the restroom and ran right into the executive director of my department. He is the nicest guy, and I didn't want him to think that I was unhappy/sick-of-work, so when he asked how I was doing I blurted out that I am pregnant. He was really excited and talked to me for a while about it, but I felt kind of dumb for having a big mouth. I mean, I spent six hours with my older sister and her kids yesterday and didn't say anything! Oh well...
Dear family, I hope you know this is agony for me to have this secret. I wish you would all get together at a convenient time and place for me to confess the impending arrival of this baby.
Love, Shannon :)

The Little Things

Update! Doctor's appointment went really well - I got to actually meet my doctor: Shannon Moorehead. I don't know why I chose her out of all the doctors out there (haha), but I do like her! Got to see the little hybernating nugget via ultrasound & hear the heartbeat! Daniel wasn't there since he had to be at work, but I knew he would have been so excited. The next ultrasound is not until week 18, which is in January, and that's when they determine the sex. And the official due date per Dr. Moorehead is June 26th.
So that was the really great part of the day. I did have to go in to work after the appointment (my lovely 11:30-8pm shift), and it was seriously the most miserable 8 hours of my life. I threw up 5 times and thought I was going to die!
Luckily the dr gave me a prescription for Zofran, which Daniel filled for me yesterday. I have to let it dissolve on my tongue (sick), but it has really helped. We went to my nephew's baby blessing this morning (so good), then went for breakfast and I ate a full meal! My first full meal in a couple weeks! Then we went and ran all of our errands without a problem and even went to the movies & had popcorn! You know, sometimes it's the little things in life that make a difference. I hope things are smooth sailing from here, but even if they're not, I will definitely be grateful for today.
Anyway, as far as telling our families...well the longer we wait the easier it is getting. We'd really like to plan the perfect time to make it fun & memorable, but if we can't wait until Christmas then I don't really know when the best time to break the news would be. My older sister is not going to be at my mom's for Thanksgiving, and we're not even sure what Daniel's family is doing that day at all. I kind of wish the stars would align and point us in the right direction...maybe they still will. :)

Reservations & Hesitations

Doesn't Christmas feel like an eternity away? We spent time with my family (including aunts & uncles & grandma) last night at Rockin R Ranch in Mesa. It was a lot of fun, but I was again feeling sick. Thankfully with the big group no one noticed. We had my sister Lyndsey spend the night with us, and this morning during breakfast I thought I might upchuck! I didn't, but I had a lot of errands planned for this morning and have accomplished nothing. All I can do is sleep to feel better, which means the kitchen is dirty, the laundry is piling up, and I haven't been to Target in far too long!
I accidentally told a few people at work since I have been feeling so awful & had to have an explanation for the constant green tinge of my face haha. I know the news will spread, so I am trying to convince Daniel that we need to tell our families soon. Christmas is still two months away! Since our doctor's appointment is in 6 days I am hoping to make it until then so we at least have some medical proof that I really am pregnant. We will only be 7 weeks by that time, and it just seems too early to be saying anything. If something were to happen I would be devastated! And then to have everyone know about it...I am not sure I am strong enough to handle that.
Oh well - it won't be like this the entire pregnancy, right? I have a lot more respect for all the mothers out there who have gone the distance & lived to tell the tale.
So I have to tell this hilarious joke that I found online & still cannot explain why I think it's so funny. It has definitely cheered me up at a time when I have needed it!
"A frog goes into a bank and approaches the teller. He can see from her nameplate that her name is Patricia Whack. So he says: 'Ms. Whack, I'd like to get a loan to buy a boat and go on a long vacation.' Patti looks at the frog in disbelief and asks him how much he'd like to borrow. The frog says $30,000. The teller asks his name and the frog says his name is Kermit Jagger, his dad is Mick Jagger, and that it's ok, he knows the bank manager. Patti explains that $30,000 is a substantial amount of money and that he will need to secure some collateral against the loan.
She asks if he has anything he can use as collateral.
The frog says, 'Sure. I have this,' and produces a tiny pink porcelain elephant, about half an inch tall, bright pink and perfectly formed. Very confused, Patti explains that she'll have to consult with her manager and disappears into a back office. She finds the manager and says, 'There's a frog out there called Kermit Jagger who claims to know you and wants to borrow $30,000. And he wants to use this as collateral.' She holds up the tiny pink elephant. 'I mean, what in the world is this?'
The bank manager looks back at her and says, 'It's a knick-knack, Patti Whack. Give the frog a loan. His old man's a Rolling Stone.' "
Hahaha ~ well until next time!

My Bright Idea

Hello! My very first blog ~ I am way behind the times. I have to confess that my motives are not entirely pure. I have been wanting to keep a journal of the months ahead, yes, but also do not intend to share with family until the time is right.

Yep - I am the big preg-o! My husband Daniel and I were lucky on our very first try! We are six weeks tomorrow, so our little T is about the size of an appleseed. Our roughly estimated due date is June 24th, and my first doctor's appointment is a week from tomorrow. I have been doing a lot of reading (what I do best) and a lot of the advice suggests keeping a journal for posterity as well as sanity.

The secrecy has reasoning, however. I am not in a big rush to tell every family member & friend in case in the early stages of things something goes wrong. But more importantly, I have recently been subjected to some pretty grandiose-sized secret-keeping (ahem, Julie), so I think it only fair to return the favor. Maybe on the petty side, but think how excited our parents will be when we break the news on Christmas day!

Normally, I would have rushed over and told my mom right away, so this blog will hopefully be my way of communicating with her through time. Mom, I have been dying to tell you - I have been feeling so very terrible that I want to come over for saltines & ginger ale and be on the receiving end of your patented comfort in times of sickness. But if we tell you, we tell all, and we want it to be a surprise! So Daniel ran down to Fry's and bought saltines & Progresso chicken noodle & I feel a little better. He said it's giving him some practice for when I start having cravings.

I have had such an easy time with that time of the month my whole life, that I guess the last week of morning sickness (which lasts ALL day) has been my payback. It is making me doubt whether we will have more kids after this one, but hopefully I will stop feeling this way very soon. Daniel says I have a hypersensitive sense of smell now ~ and that means I think everything smells disgusting.

Well, another part of this whole pregnancy deal is that I am constantly exhausted, so this will be the end of my very first post in my very first blog regarding my very first little baby!

Goodnight all!