Sunny San Diego Surprise

April 23-25, 2011
10 weeks, 2-4 days

CJ and I decided that we had to tell the Malcolms (all of them!) in person.  And, it just so happened that everyone (all 17 of us....) were going to be in San Diego over Easter.  So we plotted and planned, finagled our schedules and secretly charged out to San Diego.  We spoke with Larry on Saturday morning wishing him a wonderful Easter weekend.

We had never been the ones doing the Surprise - and it was fun!  Long story short, everyone was super surprised.  I don't think I have ever heard 5 girl cousins scream as loud as they did, "AUNT HEATHER! UNCLE CEEEJ!!" (....followed by a series of incomprehensible words sounding something like, "Aieeee!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhh!").  I was practically tackled to the ground.  There was no shortage of love, that is for sure.

Saturday night was dinner at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse celebrating Natalie's 9th birthday.  CJ and I had conjured up a scheme to tell Natalie first and then have her be the one to blurt it out at dinner.  It was her birthday dinner after all.  Within 15 minutes of being at the restaurant, CJ had yet to pull Natalie aside.  I was getting antsy (shocking, I know) and had already blatantly told Rosemary that I was not pregnant.  I lovingly nudged my husband and gave him the look of "If you don't do this soon...."  He got up, pulled Natalie aside (with 17 people I don't think anyone noticed) and whispered into her ear.  Her face got bright red.

She came back to the table and started whispering to all of her cousins.....CJ captured the moment:

Athena, Natalie and Marea.....



Then, in unison, the cousins yelled, "Aunt Heather's pregnant!!!"  It was a beautiful moment.  Tears, smiles and exclamations filled the room.  Followed by Marea's ingenuity, "That means they had sex!"  Ah, the joys of being a child.

As Rosemary and I attempted to explain "womb" and "baby" to my 3-year-old nephew, Christian, he scrunched up his face and said, "That's yucky!  I'm going to through it in the trash!"  I can only imagine the image he had in his mind.  The innocence of youth.

The rest of the weekend was fabulous- more good food, wonderful memories and I even made it into Athena's newspaper:

Please note: It is still to early to know the sex....but, they may have insight that I do not!



The Malcolm Clan

(to be 18 come November....)

Fun Baby Fact: The fetus is the size of a prune!  We have nicknamed it "Prunella" this week.  Soon, it will graduate to "Haus" - as it will be the size of an avocado pit.

Cravings

April 18, 2011
9 weeks, 4 days

It is common for first trimester pregnant women to lose weight.  Nausea, vomiting, severe reflux all lead to the inability to truly enjoy food.  Total bummer.

I am not one of these women.

I will be the first one to acknowledge that I have had a blessed first trimester thus far.  So maybe I feel tired more often than not, can be incredibly moody (which doesn't directly effect me) and suffer from having to go pee 3 times a night - but, really, I would take it all over feeling disgusted by food.  I will even gain a few pounds.  I can be a real sacrificial lamb, I know.

I was thinking how nice it was that I haven't had any weird cravings yet.  No pb and ketchup sandwiches or sudden urges for coleslaw.  But today as I was scarfing down my 6th blueberry muffin in less than 24 hours it hit me - I LOVE blueberry muffins.  Let us take a walk down memory lane and look at 24 hours earlier.....

I had gotten home from work, taken Owen for a walk and was really needing a rotisserie chicken.  (Remember, at this point I am denying any existence of pregnancy cravings....)  I drove to the store (Thank goodness it is only a mile away...) and went straight to the rotisserie oven.  I grabbed a bag and, with complete and utter disgust, realized it was full of ribs.  With a look of complete horror on my face, I threw it back in the oven and marched off on the verge of a mental breakdown.  I could either 1. Drive 50 minutes to Williams or 2. Drive 1.5 hours to Flagstaff or 3. I found myself in the baking isle (how that happened I have NO idea!). 

At this point you'd think that I would understand what was happening.  But I am sure if you are or ever have been pregnant, you understand me.  For those of you who aren't or never will be, please do not judge us - we know not what we do.

So here I am in the baking isle.  And then something happened which is just incredible:  Everything went fuzzy except for the box of Krusteaz Blueberry Muffins.  I swear it was a sign.  Again, this should be the point where it clicks in your brain, "Heather, this is a craving.  CJ is not home and you do not need to make this box full of partially hydrogenated soybean oil and artificial flavors."  Clearly, there was no clicking.

So, instead of coming home with a rotisserie chicken (which I am still craving and they were still out of tonight!), I came home with vanilla yogurt, Rice-a-Roni and Krusteaz Blueberry Muffin Mix.  I am embarrassed to be writing this, to be perfectly honest.

While the Rice-a-Roni was cooking, I mixed up the muffin mix.  I know you already know what happens.  But I just couldn't foresee it.  After eating about 1/5 of the batter (I decided to completely forget that raw eggs and pregnancy do not mix), I concluded it was time to put the remaining 9 or so muffins in the oven.  13 minutes later I enjoyed Blueberry Muffin (BM) #1.  Warm and fresh out of the oven.  Fantastic.

I stopped there last night- feeling completely full of Rice-a-Roni, muffin batter and the carrots and cranberry sauce that I managed to engulf as well. 

I woke up this morning quite refreshed, forgetting of course that there are artificial flavors and partially hydrogenated soy bean oil coursing through my veins, feeding my beautiful baby who is trying desperately to grow brain cells at a rate of 100 cells/minute.  Lovely.  "I think I'll have another muffin."  BM #2.  Escaping to work, I was secretly glad that I would not be able to eat any more muffins (BM #3).  At work, my lovely co-worker Kathy baked blueberry muffins this morning.  I am not joking.  They were fresh out of the oven.  BM#4.  I came home for lunch.  BM#5.  This is getting ugly.

Sometime in the early afternoon, as I was standing over one of my patients as she vomited bile and had liquid poo coming out the other end, I desperately needed a blueberry muffin.  Please do not judge me - I know not what I do.  BM #6 (after I thoroughly sterilized myself....).  And that is the moment it hit me- as I announced with glee to the clinic workers, "This is my 6th blueberry muffin of the day!"  No one there knows I am pregnant.  Poor souls think I have lost my mind.

I am feeling mildly guilty. 

BM#7 is calling and I must go.

And the due date is.....

April 7, 2011
8 weeks

In for my second ultrasound- and to find out the official estimated due date.  I came prepared this go around -I mildly dehydrated myself so that I wouldn't block the view of the baby.  I am a dedicated mother already!

Baby measured in this week at 1.6 cm!  And, most spectacular, I could watch the baby's little heart beating (around 150 bpm).  Yes, I did shed a few happy tears.  Because crying is something I do fabulously these days.  That and nap.  The medical term is "pregnancy fatigue".  CJ says I am using that as an excuse to nap.  He may be right :-)

According to the length of our baby, the official estimated due date is.........(drum roll please)......

11.17.11

So mark your calendars, people.  There will soon be a little Christian-Heather joining the world.  Scary thought, huh?

Fun Baby Fact: The baby is making spontaneous movements!

Breaking the News!

April 2-3, 2011
7 weeks

My parents came to visit this weekend.  CJ was away at a Fire Academy at Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and still debating whether he was coming home for a night on Saturday.  Needless to say, I think I called him every hour to ask, "Are you coming home?!  Because I really want to tell my parents now!"  After hearing this from a hormonal pregnant woman hourly, you can only imagine the love my husband was feeling toward me.  But against all possible odds, I waited.

After finding several ways to decline a glass of wine, CJ finally came in the door around 8:30pm and by 8:40pm, I ran to the drawer, grabbed the ultrasound and set it in front of my parents.  They were mildly confused....and then ecstatic! The board game of Lord of the Rings Risk was put aside (a ploy on my part to distract them from asking me any questions...) and we enjoyed the rest of the evening talking.

Out walking the Rim Trail with my parents - before we told them.

Fun Baby Fact:  The baby is now 10,000 times bigger than at conception. And about the size of a blueberry.

Ultrasound Numero Uno

March 24, 2011
6 weeks

I decided to pop into my OB-Gyn's office for the "Confirmation Pregnancy" appointment.  Expecting to pee in a cup, get some blood drawn and be on my way, I was pleasantly surprised to have my first ultrasound.

The first several ultrasounds are a most wonderful experience- spread eagle as the ultrasound wand goes in search of the baby, which at this point is the size of a poppy seed.  The first attempt my bladder was already full (one of the beautiful side effects of pregnancy) - I ran streaking to the bathroom in my gown.  But, lo and behold the baby wanted to be found:

For those non-medical people who are wondering, "What the heck am I looking at?!":  There is a circle - inside the circle are two white dots.  One dot is the yolk sac, the other the baby.

The doc said she wanted to wait another 2 weeks to give me my official estimated due date.  Supposedly, the measurements at 8 weeks are the most accurate.

Fun Baby Fact: The baby's heart is beating 80 times per minute and getting faster each day.

Welcome!

Well, as they say, first time's a charm!

Baby Malcolm is due 11/17/11.....just after our 5th Anniversary!

We first found out on Ash Wednesday- CJ was out changing the oil on our truck at O'dark thirty in preparation for our road trip to the Sierras.  I came prancing out to the garage (in mild shock). 

Heather: "CJ, I think I'm pregnant."

CJ: "Huh? I can't hear you." (as he scoots out from under the truck)

Heather: "Can you see the faint line?" (handing him the pregnancy test)

CJ: Um, maybe. (holding the test with his oily glove)

Cross country skiing at Mammoth Lakes a few days later....

And so it was that Baby came to be known.

Moments after we told Mike on the chairlift...