Schwartz Babies Blog

Pregnant Again! Week Five

2012-02-02T10:39:00.000-05:00

Week Five Status:
Weight: 131.8 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Poppy Seed

When I posted in May 2010 that I was "following in my mother's footsteps and having my second child a mere 16 months after the first. And I used to call her crazy." I never came close to imagining I would continue to follow her path. Yet, surprise surprise! I'm pregnant again! And, I'm most certainly mimicking her pregnancy timeline. My mother had my older brother Joshua Ryan on September 23, 1980. Sixteen months later, my older sister, Rachel Sarah came into the world on January 25, 1982. Yours truly, arrived only nineteen months later on August 16, 1983. In similar fashion, I had Sebastian Lawrence on October 1^st, 2009, then came Izaak Atlas on January 24, 2011, about sixteen months apart. If I am correct in my calculations, Wooster aka Chewy (yes she/he already has a womb name) is due around October 4, 2012. That would put her/him around 20 months after Izaak. Mom, you beat me by 42 days! Ha! Probably more if Chewy decides to be late like her/his big brother Izaak.

With Andy getting out of the Marine Corps soon due to an injury to his shoulder, and the future being quite unsettled, it goes without saying that Wooster was not planned. However, despite the initial shock, I am excited to welcome her/him into the world, secure in God's plans. Also, it gives the grandparents reason to hope again that their will be a little girl in the family. We shall see… I'm sure, as we will, the grandparents will be happy no matter the gender.

So far, things have been a breeze, I am five weeks and a day at the moment, and I have no nausea, only intermittent fatigue and mild cramping. That said, I have already broken out the pregnancy clothes, the pants anyways…because they're so comfortable, ha ha! I think because of lack of exercise, my weight is a little freakishly low, despite the fact that I have more around the middle than I did pre-babies. I definitely need to build up some muscle mass over the next couple months before I have a bowling ball weighing me down.

Sebastian is old enough now to understand that a baby is growing in Mommy's belly, and it's incredibly cute that he seems to be excited by that fact. Izaak may not feel the same, he is a cuddly mommy hog, who wouldn't dream of sharing me with yet another child, but I'm sure he will grow more independent as the time approaches.

Thankfully, I am in my last semester of school, and only taking three classes: Russian Politics, Inter-religious relations of the Middle Ages, and my Undergraduate Thesis. My thesis is pretty much complete, in fact I go today to get my advisor, Dr. Linda McGreevy's comments and suggestions for wrapping it up. The other two classes meet in the evening from 7-10, which is difficult with the fatigue, but much less stressful than dealing with the horror that is Hampton Roads traffic at all other times.

Things may get a little more complicated if Andy gets a job he applied for in Charlottesville. If he is so blessed, it will mean he will leave for Charlottesville for work, while I become a single parent, and our friend Rachel watches the kids on the nights I'm in school. Needless to say this will cause a fair amount of stress, but I am going to do my best to give it to God, and take it in stride. We should find out if he got the job very soon.

Well, I guess that's it for now! Welcome to the womb Wooster!

The Conservatory: Elisha and the Widow

2012-01-07T12:56:00.000-05:00

The Conservatory: Elisha and the Widow

The Conservatory: Learning Grace Through Ice Cream and Waffles

2011-08-30T13:50:00.000-04:00

The Conservatory: Learning Grace Through Ice Cream and Waffles

Happy Birthday Izaak!

2011-06-21T15:25:00.005-04:00

I realize that it has been months since I was last on here, and after several complaints, I have finally acquiesced to requests for an update! I forget that some of the people who read this blog don't have any personal contact with me. To be honest, I don't really write it with strangers in mind, so I often forget the fact that there are women reading it who value hearing about others' experiences. Ironically, such were my initial reasons for starting this blog back in 2009, so I apologize for the gap!

I left off right before what should have been my Christmas post and my final post before Izaak's due date. However, the holiday season, as I too often let it, took things by storm (figuratively and literally) and the business of it all left me with no time or desire to pursue this hobby. Therefore, I will recall it all to the best of my ability:

Christmas was spent between two houses, ours and my brother and sister-in-law's down in NC, and it was filled with good food, gifties for the kiddos and quality time dwelling on the meaning of the season. It was also filled with the unexpected excitement of a blizzard!

When we left my brother's house to return home, Andy and I were surely being guarded from above, as our nearly bald tires on our truck had us on pins and needles until we could get to a Wal-Mart to get some new ones. More than a few times we almost careened off the road or found ourselves sliding backward down a hill. New tires relieved some of the tension of driving on ice, but the eight hour drive down US-58W that usually only took about 2 and a half hours, is testament enough to the chaos spurned by the winter storm...cars were spun off the road everywhere. My parents (who were driving back to Swannanoa at the same time on I-40) and Andy were praying all the stress didn't send me into an early labor.

Thankfully, it did not. And little did I know that Izaak was, in fact, not even close to making his appearance to the world. Believing what the nurses at Portsmouth had told me--that I was likely going to go into labor at any time based on my dilation and effacement--my mother took time off of work and drove up a week before my due date of Jan. 13th. Two weeks later, she sadly packed her things and drove back to work, without the expected blessing of holding her new grandson. While she was here, she got some quality time in with Sebastian, I taught her some crocheting, and I am pretty sure we walked every mall within a 40 mile radius! (Around Hampton Roads that is A LOT of malls!)

The hospital would have been happy to induce me during her visit; in fact, they pretty much tried to force me into it, with as many fear and manipulation tactics as they could muster up. But I wanted to let Izaak take his time if I could. According to ultrasounds and non-stress tests, he had plenty of fluid and he and I were both doing beautifully. So, needless to say, I was a little peeved when some nurse, who for one, had never had a baby, came in the room telling me that waiting any longer might kill mine. Not nice! Anyways... At 41 weeks and 3 days my husband and I weighed our options and caved to an induction, otherwise my sister would have come and gone as well, and the hospital staff really began to lay on the fear thickly...I could tell it was not only stressing me out, but every one else in the family as well. I will always wish I could have been in an environment that was more friendly to natural methods, but I can not live with regret. Especially when all turned out well enough in the end.

Back to the story: around 4:30 pm we came in to the hospital for our induction as they instructed. Little good that did us, since we sat around for the next four hours waiting for a room, all the while I could have been much more comfortable, and could have eaten. :) No more food once they hook you up to the IV! Finally, after once again being mauled by the nurse trying to get an IV in my arm, I got to a room, and what do you know? Yep, more sitting around. It wasn't until 10:30 pm that they finally started the induction. I remember not being very gracious over those few hours, as time seemed wasted, and they were the ones who had told me only an hour before I came in, that I should get there at 4:30 pm...so forgive me if my recollections of impatience seep through. In hindsight, I know I was blessed to have a happy baby boy no matter what trials were required of me to arrive at that happy conclusion.

Thankfully, the nurse who was inducing me was very respectful of my initial birthplan which was very strictly natural. So she was willing to try and let the Pitocin work similar to natural labor, which meant the lowest dosage for an hour, and then up a number every hour or half hour.

It was a very long night, with my sister, my husband and I all trying to sleep through the induction and intrusion of medical personnel. I braved the smell of pizza, as I didn't want them to starve as well, and they slipped me a few taboo bites! Pitocin wasn't too bad until I reached 12 (not sure what the number means, but I remember it distinctly), because it was the point at which a terrible pain on my left side became unbearable and I finally agreed, through the advice and encouragement of my sister Rachel, to have an epidural. Unfortunately, the epidural only worked on the right side above my pelvis...so the pain stayed...although the rest of me was so numb, I was certain I wouldn't be able to push. Unhappy, I asked them to turn down or off the epidural. I was dilated to 8cm at this point and it was around 7 am. Finally, feeling came back. And although this meant pain...I was in pain anyways. And it wasn't something I hadn't lived through before, my first baby was born naturally after a much longer labor.

During the last few hours of labor I constantly had to be moved around, because Izaak's heart rate kept dropping due to umbilical cord compression depending on my position. And progress seemed incredibly slow. However, with the epidural flushing out labor progressed a might quicker, and by 10:15 I was ready to push. Well, I was actually ready much earlier, but had to wait for the doctor to come back.

Pushing was easier than I remember the first time around...and in a few minutes, at 10:22am, on January 24th, 2011, Izaak was born! All 10 lbs and one ounce of him! Praise God! The same birthday as his Grandpa Harper! (Although this is a matter for debate for him...his mom tells him one thing, his birth certificate says another--either the 23rd or 24th...but it's been the 24th for all my life).

If I were to write another birthplan, this would very likely be my least ideal labor experience, but I am still happy that I didn't require a C-section, and we all know there are worse things that could have happened. It turns out the cord was wrapped around little Izaak's neck, which slowed things down considerably. Also, my ovary was extremely swollen, somehow it got bruised during labor. Thus the pain in my left side throughout labor.

But in the end, we were all happy, and healthy! Andy went home to retrieve Sebastian while Izaak got his bath and was put in the warmer, and I rested. Two days later we were sent home, and although we were instantly put through the unpleasant experience of a stomach flu for those first 24 hours (I kid you not!) we were so happy to have our little family under our own roof.

Pictures and Videos of Izaak's Birthday!

Month Eight

2010-12-12T21:56:00.011-05:00

~Amanda

Thirty-Five Weeks Status:
Weight: 178.6 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Honeydew Melon (>5.25 lb. & >18in.)

Well, the past few weeks have not been all too exciting on the baby front. Of the two appointments I've had, neither yielded ultrasounds or anything more than what seemed like a social visit designed to simply see how much I've grown. I have grown larger, of course, and I've grown increasingly less comfortable. I swear over the last few days, Izaak has dropped so low that his head (at least I hope that's his head) is giving me a bruised feeling on the top of my pelvic bone where it's resting. This has not been helped by recurring bouts of sickness...one which I began telling you about last time, some sort of stomach bug that came and left after a week, only to be followed a week later by another awful head cold, and many muscle cramps. I am blaming most of these ailments on my inability to keep up my prenatal workout regimen with all the schoolwork I've been juggling on top of sickness. I am still dealing with the residual effects of said sickness...blech.

In any case, I need to start thinking about packing my bags for the hospital. Considering I didn't use more than a quarter of the junk I lugged to my first birthing experience, I doubt it will take me very long. With a mere five weeks to go, unless of course Izaak is early (as so many people are thinking he will be), I should probably start thinking of doing a lot of things. Somehow I need to make room for all the infant stuff that has miraculously been stuffed in every nook and cranny unimaginable to me even now. No way I shoved stuff in the attic, right? No...

Anyways, it's getting closer, and while I'm in no hurry--things are usually much more peaceful and calm when the little tikes are in the belly--I can't say I'd be too disappointed by an early arrival. As long as he's healthy, I'm more than happy. Andy, no doubt, would be most pleased by the tax exemption, ha!

In other news, since last I wrote, I successfully pulled off hosting my first Thanksgiving at our house. It was a ton of fun, and it wasn't nearly as complicated as I thought it was going to be. Thank you Alton whatever-your-name-is from the Food Network, for the awesome turkey brine recipe! Andy helped too, making his famed Sweet Potato Casserole...yes it deserves all caps. Soooo sooo yummy. We didn't get to have family up, but we had our close friends the McSherrys and Osterfelds and their children. Sebastian loved having other kids to play with, and so did we adults.

Other than that, Andy and I have been toiling with term papers, presentations, and other fun projects related to our edumacation. I would say we both had a good semester, as we should maintain our straight A's into the new year. (taking a bow) Hmm...what else. I also took a trip down to NC to see my brother and his wife and my nephew, as well as my parents. The grandparents chipped in and got little matching Adidas track suits for the cousins, which was occasion for some cute photos. I think other than that, and a trip to Monticello Andy and I took to celebrate my one week sans-illness ( I say this only because I got sick shortly after it and was only well for a few days before it) that was it for recreational activities.

Well, next posting will probably be the last one, and with Christmas coming and a break in store for us, it will hopefully be a cheerful one. I will attach a few photos of the last month below.

'Til next time!

Thanksgiving Spread

Kids enjoying each other...

Turkey!!!

Wii was an integral part of our Thanksgiving...

Boops and me at Monticello.

Month Seven and a Bit O' Eight

2010-11-11T16:15:00.008-05:00

~Amanda

Thirty-One Weeks Status:
Weight: 167.1 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Four Navel Oranges (>3.3 lb. & >13in.)

Forgive me blog-readers, for I have sinned. It has been seven weeks since my last post...

Things have been a little too hectic with writing lengthy term papers for me to keep up with posting every four weeks. I should have suspected as much. To make matters more complicated, starting yesterday I've been feeling quite ill. Apparently the third trimester can bring back a lot of the yucky first trimester symptoms, although this wasn't the case for my first pregnancy. I have been extremely fatigued and nauseous, among other symptoms. Sleeping at night has also been difficult, as Izaak is apparently not interested in sleeping for a better part of the day and all through the night. Either that or he just moves a lot in his sleep. I'm hoping for the latter, as I am afraid his patterns in utero might be reflected in his sleeping habits post-partum. And, Hunger pangs, and restless leg woes to boot. So....whine, whine, whine...I am physically miserable, but I thank the Lord that I can in fact feel my baby happily moving about, and I can only repeat the wise words of mother to myself, "This too shall pass." Here's hoping these symptoms are more flu related and they pass tomorrow!

Since last I wrote, we had Sebastian's big One-Year-Old celebration. It was a cute backyard farm-themed party, which Grandma Harper, Uncle Josh, Aunt Shelly, and Francisco & Rachel Gaxiola were able to attend. I made him a pig cake out of Red Velvet cake, just to be more realistic, hahaha! He devoured its snout, and enjoyed opening all the presents. I will post a link to some of the pictures below.

Other than that, Andy and I have been very busy with schoolwork. In order to get things done we've been taking turns taking Sebastian on little one-day adventures, so whoever is writing the term paper of the week, can work in peace. It's been working pretty well so far. I only have one more to finish up this weekend before I'm in the clear for term papers the rest of the semester. Well, until next time...hopefully I'll be feeling a little more chipper then.

Sebastian's First Birthday Photos

Month Six

2010-09-22T18:38:00.002-04:00

~Amanda

Twenty-Four Weeks Status:
Weight: 159.8 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: An Ear of Corn (>1 lb. & >12in.)

Well Izaak Atlas Schwartz it is...although Andy and I will likely war over the spelling of Izaak v. Isaak for the remaining 16 weeks until he arrives. Like proper siblings, Sebastian and his baby brother have already learned how to fight, with Sebastian using my belly as a drum from the outside and Izaak doing his best to respond to these challenges from the inside. Boops giggles like crazy every time he sees my belly, which has grown rapidly into the size of a soccer ball over the past four weeks. I think that Izaak can recognize his brother's voice too, since he usually gets quite active when I get home from school to Sebastian's excited little self.

Oh yes, as I mentioned, school started up again at the beginning of this month...I cannot say this is a very thrilling development. While I have certain classes that I find very intriguing, such as Asian Art or Fin-de-Siècle European Art, there are also those terrors such as Dance Appreciation (in which I've already been subjected to public humiliation through the form of doing a clumsy oh-so-sexy pregnant version of R. Kelly's Step in the Name of Love line dance) and Natural Hazards (in which the material itself is very interesting, but the teacher drones on reading from PowerPoint presentations that say the exact same thing as he has us read in the book before each class by threat of pop quiz)....ZzzzzZzzzz....

It also does not help that I once again have developed a severe case of baby brain. Just like last year, I went to school with a purse containing only my wallet, but didn't think to grab my book bag with my notebook and pens in it. On this particular day, I also forgot my phone, which thankfully Andy saw in the car and brought with him to class to give to me when I handed off Sebastian to go to night class. Of course I left the keys to the truck in the diaper bag with Andy, which meant that after he drove all the way home in rush hour traffic he had to come all the way back to give his loopy purse toting wife the keys so she could get home. He is a saint... Speaking of baby brain, I completely forgot to mention last month that Silas Xavier Schwartz was born on Friday, Aug 13 2010 @ 12:21 pm, a healthy 7lbs 4oz, and 20 inches long. Now Sebastian has two cousins who have birthdays that day! His cousin Lunden turned seven this year.

In any case, thankfully this month ended with a fun-filled visit by Grandpa Schwartz aka Gramps. Although he was only able to leave his busy work-life to join us for three days, we packed almost every minute with good times. The weather was perfect, in the high 70s, low 80s, so we went by way of Ferry to the Jamestown Settlement, Colonial Williamsburg, and the Isle of Wight state fair the next day. The pictures, thanks mostly to Gramps, were fantastic. In addition, Sebastian had the time of his life running around outside. Instead of posting photos here, I will just post a link to the photo album. Enjoy!

Gramps's Visit Photos

Month Five - It's a BOY!!!!

2010-08-27T17:39:00.010-04:00

~Amanda

Twenty Weeks Status:
Weight: 152.6 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Banana(13 oz. - 7 in.)

Well, as it should be obvious from the title of this post, this week we discovered that Lord Chitty is indeed a Lord and not a Lady. I can't say that anyone was really surprised, as he will be the fifth boy born to a Schwartz of this generation, in which no girls have yet been produced. There are also no girls born yet to this generation of Harpers. However, on September 9th Josh and Shelly will find out of things will stay that way. Any bets??? Regardless, we are happy that Sebastian will have a little brother to play with (and also that we will not have to have a baby shower or buy hundreds of items in all manner of pinks and purples known to mankind). Don't get me wrong, I would love to have a little girl someday, there is something to be said for ribbons, bows, lace, and the occasional beheaded Barbie doll...but we really were wanting Sebastian to have a brother close to his age. Alongside the announcement of Merlin's gender, was the reassurance that he is more than healthy and almost too quick and uncooperative for the ultrasound technicians...I was secretly rooting for him to give them a hard time. Is that wrong? Hehehe...

Well the fifth month has been exciting to say the least. We spent about a week and a half of it vacationing with my family in North Carolina. My brother and sister-in-law needed some emergency babysitting, which jump started my portion of the vacation. It was exciting packing Sebastian and myself up for a week and a half in a night's notice. Insane! Yet, 'twas fun for some reason. And alas, my master list-making skills paid off in the end. After a few days at my brother's house babysitting Cash and Sebastian, Andy joined us and we headed for the mountains to stay with my folks for a week. It just happened to be my birthday, so we reignited our awesome birthday tradition of making the best hideous-creation-that-almost-can't-be-called-a-cake and had a little celebration of frozen pizzas and video gaming. By the end of the week, I had almost eaten an entire lemon behemoth cake sans help, and Andy and I were completely addicted to Wii Mario Kart. Sebastian on the other hand will be missing the rocking horse my folks bought. Especially the song it plays, which we now sing to him while filling the roll of the rocking horse by letting him "ride" us. In any case, Andy and I weren't missing the Wii for long, as Andy surprise gifted us one (complete with Mario Kart) while he was supposed to be out picking up groceries a day or two after we returned from vacation. Fun! I hope I do my homework at least some of the time this semester.

Well, that's about all. I will post pics as usual and hopefully will be back to recap month six ( going to school pregnant starting Monday...oh joy).

Month Four

2010-08-08T20:13:00.008-04:00

~Amanda

Sixteen Weeks Status:
Weight: 147.6 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: An Avocado (3.5 oz. - 4.5 in.)

The second trimester is not to be underrated. The drastic boost in energy I've experienced over this past month couldn't be more welcome. While I choose not to take much advantage of this energy other than the occasional forced workout (I need to get my hands on some Richard Simmons to get the groove going) or walk around the grocery store or maternity section, it has allowed me the bare minimum fuel supply needed to keep up with school and tropical storm Sebastian, who has taken over my house. With every new bold step, and yes, every random dance move (he likes doing Lord of the Dance impressions) he is becoming more confident and pleasantly erratic. He now talks to us in Sebabble language, which delights the ears. It is most pleasing when he goes from low toned grunts to supersonic screeches in milliseconds...it neither ceases to scare nor entertain. He is just so darn cute, and we never know what to expect next with his exploratory behavior. As for Lord Chitty, he/she has begun making her own challenges to the strange creatures of this outside world in an attempt to be noticed. I have a feeling he/she is usually unsuccessful in these attempts except for when I am lying down for my evening Netflix binge or book-in-bed session. Thankfully, school is over and there will be a lot more lying around going on while I have the chance. I'm sure these three weeks I have off before the Fall semester picks up will fly by with my expected itinerary of visiting fun people and places over the next few weeks as well as relaxing at home. Speaking of fun places, we recently made a trip to the Virginia Air and Space museum, which was filled with such exhibits as "Animal Grossology" (all about disgusting animals or animal bodily functions if you care to imagine) and "Make a fool of yourself being an air traffic controller" simulations. Needless to say, we took full advantage of every opportunity to dork things up. I will post some of the better pictures below. Until next month...

Month Three

2010-07-14T17:05:00.006-04:00

~Amanda

Thirteen Weeks Status:
Weight: 144.6 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: A Medium Shrimp

Month three started off with the best part of the first trimester: the first ultrasound! Even though we've been through this entire process with Sebastian so recently, we were still completely captivated by the awesome image of our child rolling around inside the womb. Merlin is a cutie just like his big brother was in utero. Here is his first picture:

According to the doctor, our little one is doing perfectly and everything seems to be going well to this point. Thankfully, all of the unpleasantries of early pregnancy have abated now, and I no longer have unbearable fatigue to battle, nor nausea to plague my every waking moment. Woohoo! Thank God! And with the end of the trials of early pregnancy the belly shall grow. I have definitely started showing now and have transitioned into maternity clothes. Now we can just sit back and wait for the first kicks and the revealing of the sex in the next ultrasound, which should take place sometime in the beginning of August.

In Sebastian news, he never ceases to amaze us. On July 1st, the day he turned 9 months old, he took his first wobbly steps. I don't know many people whose 9-month-olds walk, and it's hard to believe that we have a little toddler on our hands already. My mom came into town to visit us for the Fourth of July and got to witness all the fun of his first few days learning to walk. By now, a couple weeks later, he has pretty much mastered it. The doctor was quite impressed yesterday at his 9 month well-baby visit when Sebastian walked across the room to me. We're so proud! A second, and perhaps (on some levels) more exciting, development is his recent propensity for sleeping longer stretches at night. He slept for an entire 7.5 hours straight one night this week...an unthinkable feat up to this point for him. He still wakes most nights a couple times, but he is definitely improving.

Well, that's it for now. I will post a video of Sebastian walking:

Month Two

2010-06-16T10:41:00.003-04:00

~Amanda

Nine Weeks Status:
Weight: 143.0 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: A Grape

So I'm not exactly sure how the first three months are divided...I guess by the time you find out you're pregnant the first month is pretty much over. According to Babycenter.com there are 13 weeks in the first trimester, so I guess week nine is the last week in month two...I barely made it on here! In any case, on to the blogging...

I wasn't as lucky this time around as I was last time. Unfortunately, I got hit with some icky nausea this time, and it would pretty much persist all day long. It was actually pretty confusing to distinguish whether I was simply hungry, or whether I was feeling "morning" sickness. I feel like with Merlin, I have been hungry constantly! Anyways...a few things have happened worth noting.

First of all, Merlin's Aunt Rachel helped us to perfect his (or perhaps her in the off chance a Schwartz actually gives birth to a girl in this generation) womb name. His full womb name is now, officially, Lord Chitty Merlin Arthur CaChoob Pendragon Schwartz III. Ha! I'm sure he'll enjoy it at some point in the future.

Perhaps the most exciting news was that Shelly and Josh are also expecting another baby! It's so crazy! They are due one month after us, so our deliveries have the potential to be very close. It really is awesome to have someone so close, going through the same things (at least some of the same things). I was originally going to wait until Father's Day to tell the whole family, but then they surprised everyone with their news a week before, so I figured to bombard everyone with the unbelievable news that we were both pregnant at the same time! It was pretty funny.

In Sebastian news, he's getting sooo big! He was 23.8 lbs this week when I weighed him. He can now reach the piano keys while standing, and can even feed himself with a spoon- provided I put the food on the spoon for him. Such a cutie! Well Next week will be the start of the final month of the first trimester. Thankfully I bought four new prenatal workout videos...it's nice to have variety. I got kind of sick of the two I used while pregnant with Sebastian. I am quite sore at the moment from one of them...kicked my arse! Well that's about it for month two. Enjoy the video!

Sebastian's Self-Feeding:

Month One

2010-05-15T15:45:00.016-04:00

~Amanda

Beginning of Month One Status:
Weight: 140.4 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Poppy Seed

That's right! We're having another baby! I'm following in my mother's footsteps and having my second child a mere 16 months after the first. And I used to call her crazy... We are very excited, but rather surprised we reached success the first time we officially tried. Considering this is one of the rare occasions in the career of a Marine when he is guaranteed to not deploy (to remind everyone out there, Andy is in the Marine Enlisted Commissioning Education Program at Old Dominion University where I attend as well) we figured it is a perfect oppurtunity to have kids. Or at least start the brood.

Well last week (week 3) was a bit strange. I just had a feeling I was pregnant, so I took an at-home pregnancy test. At first glance pretty much anyone would have seen it as a negative...but Andy and I both swore that we could see the faint hint of a line. So, after going to school to take a final exam I decided to stop by the doctor's office to get the answer, according to everyone I know and the doctor's themselves, a blood serum test is never wrong, even if you go in two days prior to your expected period (which is what I did). After a ridiculously long wait at the doctor's office, however, they told me I was likely just imagining a pregnancy, and that I was indeed not pregnant, "these tests are quite accurate, i'm sorry!" were her exact words. She had a somewhat condescending and almost laughing demeanor to her as she dismissed me as a loony want-to-be prego. I felt like a moron.

In any case, on Tuesday I still had this overwhelming feeling that I was in fact pregnant. And I still had a few tests to waste on my delusions, sooo again I took an at-home pregnancy test. This time the line was faint...but it was much less so....this was driving us crazy! Thinking maybe the cheapo brand of test I had purchased was to blame, that day we went and bought a digital test for me to try out on Wednesday. The rest is history. On Wednesday morning, the day my cycle was supposed to start, the digital pregnancy test came back positive. I promptly went to the doctor's office the first thing that morning in the hopes of proving the rude PA wrong who had attended me...unfortunately she wasn't there. This time the lab results coincided with my premonitions and positive tests, and I was able to tease Andy by initialing telling him it was another false alarm. I only held out for a few seconds though. :)

Woohoo!!!!!!!!!

With Andy's mom in town, we were able to go out on the town for a celebratory dinner and movie date while she stayed home and watched Sebastian.

Well, here we go again...(it's week 5) the good old baby blog is back with a few improvements and changes. Now we will be able to record Sebastian's progress as well as Merlin's (our new child's womb name has already been chosen). Yes, we are aware how dorky we are. Also, I will be tracking my weight gain in decimals. The day I received my positive pregnancy test I was at 139.6, so I've already gained some water weight or blood weight (week 5).

Thankfully, so far, nausea has been minimal. I'm pretty sure I am in the clear in that respect, but only time will truly tell. The most exciting news from this week is that Sebastian learned to crawl, way to go Sebooboo! Since I last remarked on his progress he has quickly excelled from learning to sit, to pulling up to stand, to this most recent accomplishment. He also grew a few teeth. Now if we can just make sense of his sleep... In any case, I will post a few images/videos to catch everyone up on his developing cuteness-hopefully.

Well...week 6 was my first and most annoying doctor's appointment. As last time, I had 8 vials of blood drawn, and had to sit through a class with a group of pregnant ladies. Death by lack of powerpoint! I actually think it would have been much shorter if the lady hadn't tried to remember everything from her PP presentation which she couldn't get working. Anyways...pregnancy has been pure fatigue lately. I am just trying to get enough sleep in my schedule. We had fun taking Sebastian to the pool for the first time today. Unfortunately they don't allow floatation devices in either of the pools we went to (we bought him some fun mommy and me (or daddy and me) floatation crafts that looked really fun, but we couldn't use. We made the best of it though and Sebastian really seemed to enjoy himself. Nevertheless, our search for a pool not run by dictators continues...

Some videos of Sebastian's Journey:

Poo!

2010-02-04T20:54:00.006-05:00

Well, it has been far too long since I posted anything on this blog. With Sebastian here, and me in school, it is pretty difficult to find the time to post. I could write a novel about my experiences thus far, but I guess I'll attempt to just do an update and maybe scratch the surface of a few thoughts.

Sebastian just had his four-month check-up this week, and he is growing less rapidly now. Thank goodness! It was pretty hard keeping up with his healthy appetite during his growth spurts. Things change so quickly with him from week to week, that I really regret not spending more time to write down my thoughts.

For instance, I can remember when he seemed barely able to focus on my face, and now he is cooing and reaching for it with a big smile when I look down at him. I remember when his little neck was too weak to support his big head (he was a bobbly-headed mess) and now he can almost sit up without support. It has only been four months, but he is changing so fast. He has more than doubled in size already, and has grown 30% in length.

Sebastian still wakes up to feed at least three times a night. We usually put him to bed in his crib around six, and he will wake up around 10 for either a feeding and back to the crib, or I'll bring him in our room to spend the rest of the night with us. I have found co-sleeping to be the best situation for us, since it's the only way I get any sleep. Once he has his first few long sleeps he wakes up every hour or so after that.

Soooo there's your update.

Now let's talk poop. I had no idea what to expect when I was playing with that rumbly ball in my belly. When he came out, his pooped changed so much from day to day I couldn't believe some of what was coming out was technically considered poo. Needless to say I am now accustomed to the gift that is my son's excrement. It seems, rather, to be the bane of his existence most days. He will be so happy one moment and than go into some tantrum seeemingly out of the blue. A few minutes later the culprit announces itself when Sebastian explody-poos (as we have lovingly taken to calling these events).

So, those are my thoughts on poo. I think with that I'll bid you adieu for now.

For more recent pictures of Sebastian check Facebook.

7 Weeks Post-partum

2009-11-20T20:46:00.006-05:00

Well it has been seven weeks since our little mancub entered the world. He has been such a joy, and it's so unbelievable how quickly he's growing. He has gained almost six pounds since birth and is already wearing 6 mo. and 6-9 mo. clothing.

The first few weeks post-partum were a little rough. On the third day after giving birth, I came down with a bit of a fever. It wouldn't have been so bad, yet it was exacerbated by a seven-hour emergency room wait. I was finally readmitted with a temperature of 103, by this time freaking out with worry and feeling awful. Thankfully, after two days of IV broad-spectrum antibiotics for some mystery infection I likely got during delievery (they insisted on checking how dialated I was an absurd number of times due to their own impatience) I was released to go home. We were fortunate that Sebastian was able to stay with me at the hospital so his feeding wasn't interrupted.

Life at home was difficult at first, as I had a lot of pain . Just lifting a big baby so often and getting so little sleep seemed to slow my recovery. Unfortunately, around three weeks, I came down with another fever. This time, it was mastitis, which thankfully I caught quickly. After a few days of antibiotics, AGAIN, I was feeling fine. And thankfully I have ever since. This is the first week where I can really say I feel back to normal. I had my six week checkup and my doctor seemed to think I was healing quite well considering all of my complications and stitches.

Through it all, Andy has been awesome. He makes dinner, helps with most of the diaper changes when he's home, and he is always willing to hold, bottle-feed, and entertain Sebastian.

Right now, the little guy's day is made up primarily of sleeping, eating, and diaper changes, but I make sure and read, sing, and dance with him when he shows signs of alertness. He always gets some tummy time in after diaper changes too. My favorite part of the day is his smily time. A few times a day he will start "talking" and sending smiles and laughs our way. It's soooo precious!

Well, that's about all for now..I could go on forever about all the blessings of motherhood. But I should probably sleep while little one does.

Enjoy the new pics:

Baby Pictures

2009-10-12T18:17:00.000-04:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2024527&id=1245400673&l=ede4360bf2

Happy Birthday Sebastian!!!

2009-10-04T10:23:00.009-04:00

Our Beautiful Baby Boy Has Arrived!

Sebastian Lawrence Schwartz was born at 2303 (11:03pm) on October 1st (so punctual of him to arrive on his due date) at Naval Medical Portsmouth. He weighed in at a healthy 8lbs and 130z. and was 21 inches long. Exactly the same as his Uncle Josh was 29 years ago.

Birth Story:

The day before, I started feeling contractions that were pretty mild and were very sporadic, I'm assuming these were the Braxton-Hicks contractions that most women feel for a while during their last trimesters. Around 0300 on Oct. 1st, however, I awoke to contractions that were a bit stronger. I could tell they were different, although they were still somewhat mild. So, I went and grabbed the laptop and put it on my endtable so I could chart how far apart the contractions were and in the case that they were actual labor contractions get some more sleep before the big event.

By morning, it was obvious that the contractions were not going to go away as those the previous day had done. They were still pretty abnormal for the better part of the day however. Andy stayed home from school and plugged all the contractions into an excel spreadsheet to try and see if there was a pattern...I can show this to anyone who is curious as to how sporadic true labor contractions can actually be...

Well, I spent the day breathing through the contractions, and making sure I had enough to eat and drink to keep myself fueled up. With the contractions falling anywhere from 5 to 13 minutes apart, I figured I was in for a long wait. However, around 1530 (3:30pm) the contractions all of a sudden started coming consistently 4 to 5 and a couple of times fewer than 4 minutes apart. Not wanting to risk it, we quickly loaded the remaining things we needed into the truck, and headed out to the hospital.

When we checked into the hospital, the staff were pretty skeptical about my being ready for admission because I was able to talk through my contractions. I'm not sure if all the exercises I did to prepare for the big day turned me into an atypical case, but for whatever reason, I was able to accomplish this feat of talking through contractions. They were all as surprised as I was to find out that I was dialated to 7cm and 80% effaced.

We earned ourselves a room! Yay! So, after getting into our room, we were visited by all sorts of people making us listen to all sorts of disclaimers and sign release forms or try and talk us into all manner of things from epidurals to pitocin, etc. etc....I still don't understand why they thought I needed pitocin with the way my contractions were coming. In any case, my room became the focus of a lot of attention, as I was choosing an all natural birth. Suddenly every resident, intern and nurse had to make an appearance and get in on the scoop...I didn't realize how rare natural birth is anymore.

After a few minutes on the birthing ball, my water broke. I was disappointed to see that there was meconium in the water, because this meant I wouldn't be allowed the instant bonding time after delivery I wanted, but Sebastian's health is more important, and we will have plenty of time to bond. Shortly after my water broke the contractions picked up their punch, and thankfully my mother arrived to help Andy encourage me through the nightmare of transition labor. At this point my deep breathing wasn't enough to keep me fully focused and relaxed, and their relaxation techniques were what got me through it.

After what seemed like hours of transition...I finally was fully dialated and effaced enough to push. Thank the Lord! And then....cue the entire hospital training staff! It was insane how many people showed up to get front row seats to the natural birth. Right next door I could hear someone else in the same state screaming just as loud as me...it was pretty unreal. And soon enough it was over and I could see my gorgeous Sebastian being welcomed by his Grandma Harper and his dad.

Happy Birthday Sebastian!

After what seemed like an eternity of delivering the placenta, getting stitches...not so easy when you don't have an epidural...I finally got to hold him and welcome him. We even got a chance to breastfeed a bit before he was given a bath and placed out of reach in the warmer. The experience was amazing and I wouldn't have had it any other way! All the doctors were amazed at how alert Sebastian was (he came out of the womb crying). His apgar was a 9 and he looked just perfect! We're so proud of him!

Now, after a day and a half in the hospital, we are finally home. Ready to relax and settle in to our new life as a family of three. We are so blessed!

On the way to Labor and Delivery!

Sitting on the Birthing Ball...

Love!

Week 38

2009-09-29T14:10:00.003-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 38 Status:
Weight: 189 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: A Mini Watermelon

Well, this is it! We are on the final stretch of pregnancy. With week 38 behind us, today marks 39 weeks and 5 days. Sebastian is due to arrive in two days and can basically show up at any point now.

I had an appointment today that was highly unpleasant. The doctor was not very gentle, and the procedure involved checking the effacement and dilation of my cervix. If it was any indication of what labor will feel like, I'm in for some serious pain! It will help having Andy there for support, however. They keep scheduling my appointments on days when he can't attend due to school, yet the doc thinks it will be my last appointment.

For whatever its worth, AND I'm NOT sure it is NOT just a bunch of useless information...I am 3cm dilated and 50% effaced. The doctor seemed to think this meant that Sebastian would likely show up before they threaten to induce me. I seriously abhor the idea of being induced, so when they told me they scheduled me for this unnatural and potentially harmful procedure for the 8th, I was understandably caught off guard. I hope the doctor is right, and that Sebastian starts things up on his own, so neither one of us must endure the horrors of Pitocin or a C-section. I can see myself begging for an epidural if I have to go through Pitocin...God and Andy help me!

My contractions are much more frequent now, although they are still quite sporadic. Here's hoping this is the last pregnant post I will write, and the next time you hear from me will be by way of birth announcement, phone call, or follow-up blogs in the future.

What an amazing journey it has been!

Week 37

2009-09-21T13:37:00.006-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 37 Status:
Weight: 186 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: A Leek

We are at 38 weeks and counting. As of today Sebastian has ten more days to hang out before his expected due date. I can't help but hope he decides to make an early entrance. Andy is just as impatient as I am, and I feel sorry for him because he doesn't get to have the closeness I share with him until he is born. I guess it's all fair since I'm the one that has to go through labor, ha!

We continue to receive cute gifts and clothes for Sebastian. This week his Granny Schwartz sent the cutest blanket that says "Granny Loves Sebastian" embroidered onto it, as well as sending some adorable outfits. It's going to be hard not to play dress-up with him and take tons of pictures. Speaking of blankies, I finished crochetting the blanket I was making for little Tin-tin this week. I had a hard time with it, and had to restart things over and over. I know a made a few rookie mistakes with it as well which may cause issues later (just knotting and cutting ends at first instead of sewing them in) but I have lots of extra yarn to fix it whenever such mishaps might occur.

No more contractions this week, but tomorrow I am going to see the doc, so we'll hopefully get an update on how things are moving along. Who knows? This could be the last blog I post pregnant!

Well, that's it for now. Here's a pic of the baby blanket I crochetted as promised:

Week 36

2009-09-15T16:39:00.002-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 36 Status:
Weight: 186 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Like a Stalk of Swiss Chard

Sebastian is 37 weeks this week, which means he has reached his final milestone before birth: He's full-term! Along with this accomplishment I experienced my first Braxton-Hicks contractions which were actually quite painful. Apparently I've been having them all along and have not been able to feel them. However, the other night I think I got a few especially strong ones which caused me to tense up in reaction to the pain. The good thing is, they are a sign that things are getting closer. As of today, Sebastian has 16 days left to cook before he's due.

Everyday I do a little more to prepare, organize things, clean, etc...yet I don't think I'll ever accomplish everything I want to have done before he shows up. To pass the anxious waiting time, I also started crocheting him a baby blanket this past week--SO HARD! I really hope it turns out halfway decent. It took me several do-overs to get to the point I am now. In any case, I don't expect it to be perfect. Homemade things are usually more charming when they aren't.

Family and friends have been such a blessing to us lately, as we have recieved countless items, from homemade hats and baby carriers to lots of clothes and books, and items they found useful when pregnant that I know will be an enormous aid for me over the next few months. We finally did the last of our shopping for baby items and once everything arrives next week we will have absolutely everything we wanted. Thank you to everyone for making that a reality for us!

Well, I'm going to go do some more crocheting, I will post a picture of the finished product when I am done.

Week 35

2009-09-08T15:58:00.002-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 35 Status:
Weight: 182 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Crenshaw Melon

'Tis 36 weeks this week. Week 35 was fun. Andy and I had a short trip to Jamestown, where he picked up some books he'd been wanting and explored the exhibitions. Also, our friends moved up from South Carolina so we hung out with them some. Other than that, I have been busy putting the finishing touches on Sebastian's room, and assembling things like the swing, the monitor and the baby sound machine....it's making me very impatient.

Well, I'm going to keep this short and sweet, because I want to do some more laundry and there's nothing much new going on. No point in carrying on when my mind is stuck in one mode...I want to greet my baby:)

Week 34

2009-09-01T15:08:00.002-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 34 Status:
Weight: 180 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Honeydew Melon

Well it's 35 weeks this week. Week 34 was filled with fun, as Sarah came down to visit from Philly, and we spent some quality time at the ocean and Back Bay Wildlife Refuge and making some delicious dishes to eat. We also had our baby shower this weekend and our friends all pitched in to give us the must-haves for Sebastian's arrival. We received many diapers (Emilie made one of her famous diaper cakes!) wipes, burp cloths, blankets, money, Fran bought the bedding set we wanted, and we also were given a few cute outfits. I'm so grateful for our friends, a lot of people get very impractical items at their showers, I feel very blessed that we probably won't have to buy a diaper for the first few months. The next day we went shopping for the things we put on the registry/shopping list and aside from a few unneeded things we have everything purchased that we will need for Tin-tin's coming.

I am having to adjust to Andy going back to school this week, but I dare not complain seeing as he will still get four-day weekends and it's only two days a week. How many parents can spend that much time together and at home? Not many, that's for sure. It will be a little more difficult in January when I go back two days a week and Andy goes back for the other three. We will be swapping Sebastian's care every other day, so we won't get to see as much of each other, nor have as much time as we are accustomed to for doing homework. I know we can make it work, however, and it is better than having to pay for and put Sebastian through Daycare.

Well, that's pretty much it for this week, lots of fun. Nothing exciting is happening for the next few weeks, so I might not write much....now it's time to sit and wait anxiously. Oh, and nest...I will be doing lots of nesting...

Week 33

2009-08-26T15:40:00.007-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 33 Status:
Weight: 178 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Average Cantaloupe

It has been week 34 for almost a week now, so it's about time I get around to describing week 33. We had an awesome time on our vacation. Our last big hoorah as childless adults. It started off on Saturday with a relaxing slow-paced drive through the Outer Banks, or as locals call it "The OBX." We stayed in Buxton, NC for the first night, where we swam in the hotel pool and the ocean, which was only a short walk away. The beach was surprisingly uncrowded for the middle of August, and it was so refreshing to just relax the day away. We had breakfast at a charming Bed and Breakfast the next morning and headed off to explore the rest of the OBX--taking pictures in front of every lighthouse along the way.

That evening, after riding on several ferries and exploring the charming small-town offerings of Ocracoke, we arrived in Jacksonville, NC, at the McSherry's house. There, we got to meet their four-month-old son Aiden, their lovable cat Oscar, and just catch up with some pizza and TV commentary. The next day Rob let us play with Aiden, watch how to change a diaper, and learn how to hold him....an invaluable experience for both of us.

The next morning we were off to Charleston, SC. The drive wasn't as interesting this day, but we still managed to find a few winning locations along the way. I can't wait to rent a beach house some day at one of the spots we visited, Caswell Beach. We arrived in Charleston pretty late, and were lucky enough to find an Indian restaurant still open. So, we ran out to grab our food, and stayed in the rest of the night watching "Operacion Repo" on TruTV, ha!

Tuesday we spent the morning exploring Charleston, and it was HOT and HUMID! I was downing bottle after bottle of water to make sure Sebastian didn't feel any of the ill effects. The old buildings were beautiful and the waterfront walk was quite enjoyable. However, we both were looking forward to the highlight of our trip, arriving in Swannanoa, NC at my parents' new house. After a quick drive up to the mountains of NC, we finally arrived, and spent the rest of our trip being pampered and relaxing with my folks in their beautiful new home. Well, I was relaxing and being pampered...Andy enjoyed some "man time" with my dad assembling and moving all manner of things to get the house more comfortable for everyone. Mom and I picked out Sebastian's high chair as well, so that was an added bonus gift on top of the many things they gave us from their move.

All in all, the trip was amazing. I'm glad we got to explore some more before Sebastian arrived, we are big road trip lovers and with school starting up again and Sebastian being young, we probably won't get around to another one for at least a year.

Well, week 35 starts tomorrow, but I'll wait until after the baby shower on Saturday to fill you in on all the details of the past week. Here are a few select photos from the trip:

Week 32

2009-08-10T05:53:00.012-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 32 Status:
Weight: 175 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Pineapple Doctor-measured Baby Size: 5lbs. 2 oz.

I accidentally deleted Week 31...oops! I didnt' write much anyways. I was at 174lbs. and I was too tired to write, so I wrote about a paragraph telling about what was coming up this past week. So without further adieu...

Week 33 is here and we have some great news! We went to our ultrasound appointment this morning and were told that the placenta has moved all the way out of the way. It needed to be at least 2 cm away from the opening of the cervix, and it is a whole 5 cm. Way to go Sebastian! (We are convinced he's been playing tug-of-war with his umbilical cord to aid in the placental movement.) We also got a few pictures back but he was being very uncooperative with the u/s tech, putting hands, knees, and all manner of body parts in front of his face, so they aren't good enought to really tell what you are looking at.

Thankfully, I did not get jokes from the doctor this time about having a 15-pound baby. He said Sebastian is right on track to be around 7-8 lbs. While the babycenter.com estimate for this week is "a little over four pounds," Sebastian's doc said he was about five pounds and two ounces. It's always a good day when we get to see the little guy, but today was even better. To celebrate the placenta moving, and partly for my birthday which is this Sunday, Andy bought us a new 40" flat screen TV. We got a really great deal. For someone with eyes like mine, this was cause for celebration. I can see the TV now!

Well, I have to finish the laundry, make some brownies, and pack for the trip tomorrow. Yay vacation!!! We'll be heading out to the Outer Banks tomorrow, and then to Jacksonville, Charleston, and Swannanoa, NC to my parents' new house. I'll tell you all about it next week.

Week 30

2009-08-03T19:41:00.012-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 30 Status:
Weight: 173lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Four Navel Oranges

It is week 31. I have been busy wrapping up my summer semester at school, and Andy has been busy planning our trip, being Mr. Fix-it and playing Chef. We just had a taco night last night that was DElicious! In Sebastian news, we have lovingly ascribed to him the name Lumpy. This is because of the charming little lump shapes he likes to make on my belly. He's becoming more and more active every day (and especially every night).

Not much else has been going on this week, it has thankfully been slow, except for the weather being crazy with what seems like a scary thunderstorm complete with tornado warning each afternoon. We came home to a neighbor's tree strewn across our driveway one day this week; we were blessed that the truck was not parked there at the time. After growing up in trailer homes in Minnesota and Iowa, where air-raid drills sounded at the sight of tornadoes, I am terrified of them. So...I have to force myself to remain calm and just pray every time we get a warning.

Sebastian got a package of gifties from his Granny Schwartz today. Among them was the softest teddy bear I've ever felt, and it has lavender inside its tummy to help babies sleep, it's soooo sweet. He also got a rattle and I got a mommy sack with music stuff on. I will post pictures of the tree and the bear from Granny below.

That's about it for this week; I hope the next few are this easy. We have our Childbirth Prep Class on Saturday so you'll hear all about that next week. Toodaloo!

Week 29

2009-07-27T14:59:00.008-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 29 Status:
Weight: 170 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Head of Cabbage

It has been week 30 for a few days now, but I wanted to finish my research paper before devoting time to the blog this week. It's finally done! I forgot to mention last week, but we once again got some great news from Josh and Shelly....they're expecting again and their little one is due in March. Yay! I'm glad Sebastian gets to have a cousin the same age as him.

I am finally in the home stretch of this summer semester, which has officially worn me out with the mega research paper in my upper-level Modern Architecture class, and the packing of three months worth of French and the history of Asia into one month. It feels good to make up for some of the credits I will be missing out on to have the baby this fall though.

We started mapping out our mini-vacation for the 14th to the 21st of August. So far we have the possibility of hitting the Outer Banks, Charleston, Savannah and the NC mountains. Not sure what order as of yet though. We also plan on taking my baby belly to the Asheboro Zoo for one of the days on the way back (or there if we got to the mountains first). Seeing as it's hurricane season, weather will have a lot to do with it.

I think the pregnancy heat wave has officially rolled in. Despite the fact that my hair is at this very moment soaking wet, and our house is a comfortable (to Andy anyways) 73 degrees, it feels like a Sauna in here to me. Welcome back the endless water bottles, frequent naps and trips to the head. I still feel very energetic, healthy, and mobile for now though. No swelling or severe back aches. I'm definitely glad I've been putting myself through a prenatal exercise regimen this whole time.

I'm kind of excited because I get to meet a midwife for my next appointment, and hopefully if I like her, I can keep her the rest of the time. I hate having a different doctor everytime I go to the hospital, it's annoying! The last guy I saw didn't speak English well at all, and I had to really try not to laugh at his pronunciation of words like "placenta" and "cervix" which sounded more like pkhlacyentia and syervishka.

Hmm...what else? Oh yea, we finished the last room of the house- the study...crown moulding was not a fun idea, but it looks nice. I'll post a picture below. Well, that's it for now, see y'all next week.

Week 28

2009-07-19T14:44:00.014-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 28 Status:
Weight: 169 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Chinese Cabbage

Well, week 29 has arrived, and 28 was a week filled with work. We finished repainting the living room, steam cleaned the carpets in the whole house, and picked up some furniture from consignment shops so we have a place to relax now. It's sooo nice having a comfy space again. The house will be a work in progress for another year probably, but finishing the living room makes the rest of it seem like less of a chore. The last big project is repainting the study, which we'll probably start sometime this week.

Other than housework, I've been trying to maintain my French homework load and write this 20-page research paper on the Roman Art Museum in Merida, Spain. I am just taking things in stride so I don't freak out. I don't know what I'll do with myself in August when I no longer have all these projects going on. At the moment we have plans to make a trip to the Outer Banks and then to my parents new house in Swannanoa, NC. I have all of my parenting and birthing classes scattered on weekends throughout August so we're only going to have about a week to travel, but I am looking forward to it.

Well, I suppose I'll post some pictures of the living room progress. I don't have very many before pictures, but all you really need to see is the color change and fixed baseboards/door trims to see what we did. I'm so glad I don't have to look at poo brown on my walls anymore, haha.

Before Pictures:

After Pictures - We still have lots of family pictures to hang:

Like the one on top of the TV...it needs to be hung and it needs company:

And the ones on the fireplace...look at our pretty new tablecloth!

Pet picture Coasters! Aerwyn, Harley, Ivan and Tito:

Week 27

2009-07-11T09:02:00.008-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 27 Status:
Weight: 166 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Chinese Cabbage 15.5 inches long, 3 pounds(official hospital measurement)

WOOHOO! It's the THIRD TRIMESTER this week, and week 27 was pretty blah. I've mostly been involved with schoolwork the whole week, and there haven't been many exciting happenings.

We did have an appointment yesterday to see if my marginal previa had improved at all, so we got to see little Sebastian snoozing. Good news is the placenta did move about a centimeter and is now looking as though it will be out of the way by the time for delivery. However, to make sure, we have to go back again on August 14th. The doctor also told us that we were on track to have a 15-pound baby, hahaha...he, of course, was joking. But Sebastian is larger than the average baby boy at this point by about 3/4lbs. This is not all that surprising, since Andy was close to 11 lbs, and I was close to 9. I'd rather not think about it honestly...haha.

Anyhoo, here is the ultrasound photo from yesterday as well as the pictures I promised of the baby things we purchased and the curtains and what not we put up:

Week 26

2009-07-05T12:35:00.004-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 26 Status: Weight: 165 lbs. Estimated Baby Size: A Head of Cauliflower 14.5 inches long, almost 2 pounds.

It's Week 27 and Fourth of July weekend! We acquired many exciting nursery items this week as well as a travel system (stroller, car seat, carrier combo). We now have a crib, a froggie wall organizer, a froggie stuffed animal, a cute fluffy baby book, and a rocker/glider as well. Having all these things will probably make me even more impatient to greet Sebastian, but we were given such great deals on the pieces we bought that we couldn't pass them up. The froggie stuff and cute book were gifts from my parents, but the crib and stroller we purchased from local families off of Craigslist. They are both really nice and I spent a while yesterday scrubbing, disinfecting and machinewashing all of their parts. The glider Andy splurged on a little bit in Fredericksburg on his way home from Quantico; he's the best! I'm sure Sebastian and I will make great use of it during naps and nursing time.

After a hectic Friday of pure research for me and taxiing Marines to Quantico for Andy, we were gifted with the oppurtunity to relax in the sun with our friends. Stacey and Curtis invited us over to grill and swim in their pool for the fourth, and another group of friends had us over for shrimp, crabs, and steak after that. Mmmm, cheeseburgers, watermelon, steak and dessert all day long! I loved the pool, I didn't have to concentrate on keeping my balance at all, and I think Sebastian enjoyed the experience as well. We didn't get a chance to catch fireworks this year, but we saw a few being fired locally when we got home. Apparently our neighbors made a trip to North Carolina in preparation for Independence Day.

Next week is the beginning of the last and final trimester! I'm almost scared at the prospect that Sebastian will be allowed three more months to grow, he seems so huge as it is! If he truly is only two pounds as babycenter.com claims, however, then I suppose it is definitely for the best. I just can't imagine my belly can stretch much further. Sebastian has grown strong enough to kick on all sides of my belly at once...and has grown accustomed to having dance parties when I go to bed at night. He has also developed a special affinity for my rib cage, kidneys, and stamping on my bladder at random. It's a pretty interesting ride, but I love it.

Right-o! I'm off to exercise, and attempt to reassemble the millions of pieces I had to take apart to machine-wash all the parts of the stroller yesterday. I will take more pictures of the new things next week when I have them assembled. See you then!

Week 25

2009-06-27T23:11:00.005-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 25 Status: Weight: 163 lbs. Estimated Baby Size: An English Hothouse Cucumber 14 inches long, 1 and 2/3 pounds.

It's been week 26 for a few days now, but I wanted to finish painting the nursery before I made a post. I have a video of it attached to the bottom of this post. I've never had so much fun painting before...I just built upon the mural that was already in the room when we moved in...but transformed it into a boy's theme. I added froggies, owls, and a turtle. I also got inspired to start the registry this week. I wasn't expecting it to be so much fun. I am pretty sure we will end up buying most of it, but it's fun to have a shopping list and imagine playing with all the stuff when Sebastian gets here.

Other than tha, I'm happy to say I finished another course at ODU this week, just took a final on Friday and it went well. The appointment on Wednesday was pretty noneventful other than having to drink a glucose drink and wait around in the waiting room for an hour so they could draw my blood. Boring...but worth it to know if I have gestational diabetes or not.

Here's the nursery:

That's it for this week, my next class starts on Monday...French II, I hope it's not too much work...I'm looking forward to a little more time for non-school related activities. Okie dokie, that's it for this week, Ciao.

BABY REGISTRY!!!

2009-06-23T11:33:00.003-04:00

This was a lot of fun to make:

http://www.myregistry.com/public/Amanda-Andrew-Schwartz

Week 24

2009-06-21T16:25:00.007-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 24 Status: Weight: 161 lbs. Estimated Baby Size: Average Ruttabaga 13.5 inches long, 1.5 pounds.

Well, 'tis week 25, and we had some first-time-mom-cluelessness-driven excitement in week 24. I was sitting in class on Monday and all of a sudden my entire lower abdomen seemed to seize up. I couldn't move for about 10 minutes. The pain diminished to the point where I felt mobile by the end of class, and by the time I got home, I was curious and concerned as to what could be causing the discomfort. My mom and I snoofed around online for some explanations and we decided it was most likely round ligament pain. However, most of the sites said that the pain would subside in about 30 minutes if it was RLP.

Itching for a little bit of RnR, Andy and I went out to get some pizza, freshmade Ice Cream, and catch a movie. We saw Angels and Demons, and it was quite good. However, seeing as it was now about seven hours since the initial pains had developed and they were still persisting, we decided to be safe and go to the hospital to make sure Sebastian was okay.

After what seemed like hours of neglect in a hospital bed, we finally were allowed to leave with the diagnosis of none other than round ligament pains....big surprise. At least now I know what they feel like, and I don't have to worry anymore. We also were granted the gift of seeing Sebastian again, which made the idleness less excrutiating. I've since found that as long as I exercise every day, the pains occur very infrequently. I can't say the same for my middle back. It aches almost constantly all day long...I'm guessing this is because it is countering the weight of the baby from the front. In any case, I will live.

Andy let me record him doing the jazz version of the Opus de Sebastian, which he is calling "The Sebastian Swing." So here it is, a little rusty but he was on the spot and not fully prepared:

That's it for this week, I have an appointment on Wednesday and I should have some pics of the nursery next week so stay tuned.

Week 23

2009-06-13T08:59:00.007-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 23 Status:
Weight: 159 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Ear of Corn nearly a foot long, 4 more ounces since last week.

C'est la semaine 24. Nothing much to report for this week, everything has been pretty quiet. We are looking forward to our weekend of relaxation. I plan to do as little homework as possible and just enjoy the nice weather we are expected to have.

I may start to de-girlify the baby room. The last owner had a baby girl named Lily whose name is all over the room as well as pink flowers and butterflies. My mom gave me the idea of frogs, so I may put some little frogs, and just add blue sky to cover up the spots with the butterflies. I dont want to go overly boy because we plan to sell the house in three years and I would prefer it to be more gender neutral.

The bird who laid eggs in our hanging plant in early spring has just become a proud parent of some punk chicks. They have little mohawks, so cute! I will post a picture. Hmm, what else...Andy has been working on a jazz rendition of the Opus de Sebastian which is coming along nicely, I will post that when it's ready as well. Well I guess that's about it, Sebastian is doing well and moving a lot...and we are happy.

Week 22

2009-06-07T15:05:00.008-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 22 Status:
Weight: 157 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Large Mango 11 inches long, just over a pound.

It is week 23. According to babycenter.com, Sebastian (yes, we've settled on the name) can hear music and feel me dancing now. Not so much in honor of this landmark as by coincidence, Andy wrote an Opus in honor of him this past week. I will post it to the end of this blog. It is perfect, and we both hum it all day long...Sebastian should have it memorized by the time he arrives. Each morning we sit down at the piano and Andy plays it, then I go through piano books and pick out songs I want to hear, providing Sebastian and us with some musical entertainment to start the day.

Other than that I've been extremely busy with school everyday...my second class picked up, and it seems I will have to master Modern Architecture alongside learning the history of Asia in one month. At least they are both very interesting subjects, I can't say I mind all of the reading anyways, it is rather relaxing.

Well, back to enjoying my weekend, Andy and I have been playing Trivial Pursuit and Yahtzee everyday, and we are quite addicted.

Week 21

2009-05-30T17:49:00.005-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 21 Status:
Weight: 155 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Spaghetti Squash 11 inches long, just under a pound.

We are at 22 weeks this week, and week 21 has been fun! We started off the week pondering names, since we now know that it's a boy. So far the most popular have been Sebastien or Vincent Lawrence Schwartz. Lawrence is definitely the middle name, but the first name is still up in the air. Sooo, despite the protest of some, Gorthar is still our little boy's title for now. Speaking of Gorthar, he has grown quite strong. We can actual see him moving if we watch my belly now. So amazing!

The week was really just about settling some more into the house and spending time with family. I have been thrift shopping for maternity clothes, as I am now incapable of wearing my normal clothes any longer. I start school back up on Monday and will be at it until my birthday in August. I really only have about seven shirts that fit me now, so I'm hoping I will find some more so I don't have to repeat them over and over again during school. However, there are worse things I could deal with.

I also had to schedule a follow-up ultrasound this week because I apparently have a marginal placenta previa they want to keep an eye on. In 90% of cases, the placenta will fix itself by the due date, so I'm not too terribly concerned. They have given me some restrictions and told me to come back mid-July at 28 weeks to see if it is corrected. If not, I may have to have a C-section.

Other than that, I have just been catching up on the homework for my online Modern Architecture class. Pretty interesting stuff. I will be quite busy this summer. Just as well considering I can't really enjoy the weather as hot as it is. Well, hmm....I guess that's all for now. My cousin got married today, so congratulations Megan and Rock! I wish I could have been there. Love you!

Week 20

2009-05-25T07:40:00.006-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 20 Status:
Weight: 154 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Carrot 10.5 inches long, 3/4 of a pound

Well it's 21 weeks this week, and week 20 has been awesome! We are having a BOY!!! So, the Schwartz continuum remains in full force. In fact it appears that this is boy season, as everyone I know that's having or had a baby this year has had boys.

Andy and I are right now considering the name Sebastian Lawrence, but who knows if it will stick or not. We finally got around to having our housewarming this weekend, which was a lot of fun. It would have been a lot more fun if the men hadn't got a call from the ROTC unit saying they screwed up their schedule and they had three hours instead of two days to get to the unit fully prepared to leave for OCS. Needless to say chaos and anger ensued shortly thereafter.

After a painful and sleepy goodbye around midnight, Andy was off to OCS. The good thing was, my mother arrived the next day to cheer me up.

A day or so after she arrived, Andy phoned letting us know that he would be home shortly. Apparently they check whether you've been to medical for anything in the past six months...which he has for a rotater cuff injury. When they sent him to a specialist to do some resistance tests, his arm did not pass the test. Poor Andy will have to go back next year.

The positive side to all of this is, there is a lot more that needs to be done this summer, and next year I will have Sebastian to keep me company so I'm not so lonely...so it may all be for the better. I would rather he didn't permanently injure his shoulder at OCS and ruin his career...best to just get it fixed now. Now, I am very impatiently awaiting his return....I miss you ANDY!!!!

Other than that...my brother and Shelly came down to visit on a spur of the moment decision...so Josh has been doing fix-it things for me in Andy's absence. Thanks Josh!

Well, they are all still here, so I will stop being anti-social and go tend to my visitors...

Talk to you next week, here are the ultrasound pics:

Week 19

2009-05-18T07:11:00.010-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 19 Status:
Weight: 153 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Bell Pepper 10 inches long, 10.5 ounces

We reached 20 weeks this past week, halfway there! Not a lot has changed since last week, and we continue to improve the house one project at a time. I am just trying to contain my excitement for finding out the sex of the baby this week and finally getting to use a definite pronoun.

Well, there isn't much to say...we did find out that the vermin living in our attic was in fact a squirrel living in the overhang of our roof, not our attic. So that was a funny discovery. I will post pics of the new improvements we made to the house...stay tuned on Thursday for the revealing of the baby's sex!

Main Bathroom - Before & After:

Guest Bedroom - Before & After:

Week 18

2009-05-11T07:33:00.010-04:00

End of Week 18 Status:
Weight: 152 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Large Heirloom Tomato

We are at 19 weeks, day 5 today. We finally resolved the issue of getting internet connected at our new house, yay! Week 18 was full of excitement. In preparation for our move, we got to work on improving the new house. Believe it or not, I have been very involved in the toils of home-ownership.

I have had lots of energy, and keeping busy has been great. We put in some nice hard flooring in our dining room and reading room, and Andy did some tiling in the kitchen. My favorite part was revamping the landscape of our much neglected lawn. Once we put a contract on the house, the bank was obviously no longer interested in maintaining it....it was a jungle! However, after buying a lawn mower, some weed & feed, mulch, and renting a tiller, we were able to produce a pretty nifty design. It was a lot of hard work, but it was definitely worth it to me. I love our yard! I will post pics at the end of this blog.

In Gorthar news, taking his/her cue from his/her parents, the little one has been extremely active this past week. I have been feeling the ever-growing strength of his/her jabs and punches. My mom has told me that one of us (I don't remember who she said) used to kick her in the ribs when she was trying to fall asleep at night...that sounds less cute...but still kind of cute.

In the midst of the moving chaos, we received some less exciting news. My sister-in-law Shelly lost the baby this past week. She is very strong though, and they have decided to keep trying. I know that everything will happen when the time is right, and I will have a beautiful niece or nephew.

Well, I better get back to this week's project....stripping the paint, priming, and repainting the guest bedroom, and the main bathroom. A lot less fun than landscaping, especially since I have to wear all sorts of dust and fumigation masks, ha.

Talk to you next week!

Before/After

Week 17

2009-05-01T10:01:00.004-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 17 Status:
Weight: 148 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Bell Pepper

It's 18 weeks this week. I am starting to feel Gorthar swimming around, and he occasionally decides to start popping popcorn. It's funny looking at the photos each week, how much my posture or how close I am to the camera alters the look of the "tummy shot." I guess I need to start taking them in a more controlled manner. Once I start taking them in the new house I will try to do a better job.

We closed on our house this week...YAY!!! So far we've done prepratory work to move in. I have been working on the decorative gardening, while Andy tackled the jungle the bank had let the yard turn into. We also picked up some flooring, a mower, a fridge and a grill. Needless to say we've also been doing a lot of packing in our apartment. Moving day has been set for next week.

Well I'm exhausted from another long day of work, so I'll talk to you next week.

Week 16

2009-04-27T01:03:00.004-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 16 Status:
Weight: 146 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Turnip

Well, we've been at 17 weeks for going on 5 days now, but I was late to get started writing this week, and then Andy surprised me with a getaway to visit Josh and Shelly (my brother and sister-in-law) in Rochester, NY. We are just getting home, so I'm gonna get to bed and pick this up after my exam tomorrow morning. It was an exciting trip!

Phew! Glad that's over...only two more finals left 'til I get a few weeks off. So, back to the trip--on Friday night Andy said he wanted to drive the next morning to catch the Indians game in Cleveland. I, at first, wasn't too excited about the idea because I had just asked my brother earlier in the day if he would be going to any of this series' games (the Indians were playing his team the Minnesota Twins). He said he wouldn't, and when he asked if I was I had said "no, not if you aren't"...so, when Andy said we were, I felt kind of bad. A few minutes later, Andy went out to retrieve my much-craved spinach, olive and pepperoni pizza from Sal's (SOOO GOOD), and I received a call from my brother.

Josh started the conversation off with "I get to go somewhere you don't tomorrow" in a childish taunt. Well he, of course, was talking about the game in Cleveland, and so I finally got motivated about the trip. I don't get to see my brother and Shelly enough, so despite the tons of homework and studying I had to do, I agreed to the trip. It gets more exciting, though. About halfway through the trip, I started asking too many directional questions, I guess, because Andy was forced to come clean with their whole plan. He and Josh had tricked me into thinking we were going to a game, when actually we were going to spend the next few days at Josh and Shelly's in Rochester! It was pretty funny, and I was happy, because spending money on tickets, a hotel, and being pregnant really dampened the thrill of going to the game in Cleveland.

The last big surprise? When we got there, we found out that just that day, Shelly found out she was pregnant!!!!!!!! Hahaha! So crazy! I'm so excited that Gorthar will have a cousin three months his younger to play with. So many life changing events in this family this year, and so many blessings. Andy and I are moving, my parents are moving, Shelly and I are having babies, and now they might be moving to NC too! Excitement, excitement, excitement.

As far as Gorthar is concerned, there's nothing new to report. Things are about the same as last week, except I am just starting to show (with my clothes on, ha) and he/she seems to be growing more rapidly. Well, I'm STARVING so I'm gonna go.

Au Revoir!

Week 15

2009-04-18T08:04:00.005-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 15 Status:
Weight: 144.2 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Avocado

Well we are now at 16 weeks, 40 percent of the way through the pregnancy. This week was pretty unevenful...so I don't think I'll be writing a great deal. I have been trying to feel the baby moving all week, though the chances of me feeling him/her this early aren't very great. Most books and Websites say that the earliest you can feel the baby is around 16 weeks, but it could be as late as 20 weeks before you feel something. Maybe by next week, I'll have something to report on movement.

School is winding down, and this coming week is our last full week of classes...thank goodness! I and Gorthar both need a break from the stress of schoolwork for a little while. I am only planning on taking four classes over the summer, and all but one of them start around June. So, May will be a breather.

My mom and my sister Rachel made final plans this week to come visit me for Memorial Day. I am excited, since Andy will have just left for his summer OCS fun at Quantico. :( It will be nice to have them here, and we plan on working on the new house for some of the time. We close next Friday! So exciting!

Speaking of closing, I'm going to do some packing...we've a lot left to do, and I've nothing more to write about.

Oh yea, and one more thing....the Indians beat the Yankees 10-2 on Thursday, and it's likely Gorthar experienced his first Tribe-related sounds this week; they were happy ones! Just so his expectations were not falsely set, they lost by one run last night. However, Gorthar will be getting much more exposure to the sounds of baseball over the coming summer, maybe the Tribe will have a good season.

Cheers!

Week 14

2009-04-10T07:54:00.006-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 14 Status:
Weight: 143.4 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Apple

Moving on to 15 weeks, and each passing day I feel better and better. The 2nd trimester really is sooooo much nicer. Not only has my mood brightened, but my energy levels are climbing again. Despite a little bit of pregnancy rhinitis (stuffy nose cause from hormone changes) and increasing difficulty with abdominal space to bend over or sit up, I feel quite normal. I find it hard to think about anything but the baby, so I am giddy all the time. This is a pleasant change from the feelings of dread for going to school and road rage I was experiencing during the first trimester.

Andy and I revisited the enormous baby names list we started compiling when we first discovered I was pregnant. We have narrowed it down some, but I have a feeling we will continue to add and subtract to it for quite a while before we make a resolute decision. Here is our list as it stands now. I highlighted my personal favorites in yellow, and my "if I had to pick right now" names in green. Andy is still sleeping, but I will try to get him to highlight his at some point. We are open to suggestions of any kind...and if you see one you hate or love for any reason, feel free to let us know.

In other news, our next ultrasound is scheduled for May 18th, which is when we hope to find out the sex of the baby. Also, our efforts in real estate have paid off, and we expect to close on April 24th on our new house. Yay! So many blessings!

Well, I better go; I'm going to be late for school. See you all next week!

Week 13

2009-04-02T17:43:00.007-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 13 Status:
Weight: 143.6 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Lemon

Well it was Baby Schwartz's first ultrasound this week, and we were blown away by the experience. I had no idea how much joy hearing our little baby's heartbeat would bring me. It was just sooo cute! Like a little rabbit. When the nurse first did the sound ultrasound...not sure what this is called...she said she thought she could hear two heartbeats. We both heard it too, and were a little shocked. We started getting excited at the thought of having two babies for the price of one pregnancy, but as it turns out, Gorthar or Baby Schwartz I sometimes call him/her now that i've seen his/her gorgeous face, was just playing a little April Fool's joke on us. I don't blame him/her since his/her Grandma Harper just tried to play the same joke on Grandpa Harper yesterday. I guess he/she showed us how it's really done, ha!

The visual ultrasound was just as remarkable as the audio version, as we could see the baby rolling over, stretching, moving its arms, and we could see its little heart beating away. Ahhh, what a relief to see it being a healthy little baby. Our next appointment will be in the first few weeks of May sometime. We should be able to find out the baby's sex at that time. I think that while everyone agrees they are contented to see a healthy baby, Grandma Harper is pulling for a girl, and Andy for a boy. I can't make up my mind at all. I used to think I only wanted boys, but I can see being just as excited if she is a girl. I just know it will be nice to have a specific pronoun I can use. :)

Well, I think I'll have some peppermint tea, and watch something. I could use some relaxation after all this excitement today.

See you next week!

Week 12

2009-03-26T14:43:00.005-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 12 Status:
Weight: 142.5 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Medium Shrimp

Woohoo!!!! We've made it to the SECOND TRIMESTER! We are officially 1/3 of the way to having a baby. Week 12 was rather dull....so I'm not going to have a whole lot to say. All that happened was school related, and wasn't interesting. Babywise, we are really excited about our first ultrasound appt and visit with the doctor scheduled for this time next week.

My diet has been hard. I have been trying to avoid sugar, but the quest is driving me crazy, and I seem to only crave fatty, salty, or sugary foods. I have to basically force-feed myself broccoli and mixed vegetables along with my meals. If I followed my cravings I would have some sort of pizza, cheesy Italian , spicy Thai, Indian, or Chinese dish with dessert for every meal. I can't imagine that would be very good for Gorthar. Sooo, I've been being good for the most part. I do sneak the occasional sugary glass of V8 Splash once in a while, but as soon as this last jug is finished it will be banished from the shopping list. I have decided to allow myself pure dessert-type sweets in small portions once every two or three days. I am combatting generations of sweet-tooth genes; my dad's side has a notorious weakness for desserts, and my grandparents on my mom's side used to manufacture their own chocolates for the whole family every single Christmas!

Other than cravings, I've been getting headaches, which I can only guess mean I need to drink more water. I try to have a bottle with me at all times, but it can seem a chore to make constant trips to the bathroom. They wouldn't be so annoying if I wasn't having to utilize the nasty public toilets of Old Dominion University. I can't imagine hovering will be very easy to manage in the later months of my pregnancy. Ha! In any case, I will have to get better at forcing myself to drink up.

Well, I hardly want to drone on forever about pizza cravings and potty breaks, so I shall bid you adieu. Tune in next week for the ultrasound update!

Week 11

2009-03-19T21:48:00.007-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 11 Status:
Weight: 142 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Lime

Welcome to Week 12! Week 11 wasn't incredibly eventful...I didn't feel well for the better part of it, and going back to school and dealing with rainy weather didn't help. I do feel better now, however, and have a weekend packed with studying to look forward to. Both Andy and I have exams on Monday; I also have two papers due. It's interesting how our classes seem to use the same day to make all big projects due. Anyhow, this is hardly of any interest baby-wise.

My arm has a bit of a charlie horse right now from the flu shot I endured earlier today. When I first was shot, I had the impression that I got off easy. I barely felt grazed. In a chipper mood, I carried out the rest of my daily tasks not realizing the second I ceased my scurrying about I would pay for it with an achey deltoid. I only wish they would have picked a less useful "muskel." I can't remember the last time I used my extensor carpi radialis...furthermore, I can't remember the last time I had the flu! However, I guess it's a mandatory vaccination for pregnant women. It takes about two weeks for my system to build enough antibodies to combat the virus, so I will be shunning sicklies until then.

Other than a sore arm, my belly has been raising an itch fit. Every few minutes or so I have to run my fingers across it lightly to stop the stretching itches. It may not be that apparent from the tummy shot, but I am definitely in a process of expansion at the moment. It's a good thing low-rise pants have been in style the last few years; I don't know how women in the 80's managed without them....that's just painful to think about! And kind of funny...let's find a picture...

Well, Ok, she might as well be living in the 80's....what's with the double belt???

Alrighty, it's past Gorthar's bedtime, and I'm pretty exhausted myself. I am observing the kiddies at the elementary school tomorrow and it might be my last day there. Those 30 hours flew by.

See you next week for the 2nd trimester!

Week 10

2009-03-14T19:19:00.014-04:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 10 Status:
Weight: 142 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Fig

I know I am late writing this, as it's already day 3 of week 11, but Andy and I have been enjoying our break, and I just didn't feel like writing until now. Spring break has been a wonderful respite for both of us. We started it off with a trip to the Back Bay Wildlife Refuge just south of Virginia Beach on Virginia's outer banks. It is an awesome place, so filled with beauty. I plan on making many more trips there in the next few years. Sunday afternoon we had a barbecue in the park with our friends Bob and Marcia. We are going to their daughter's birthday party tomorrow, which little Caroline told us is going to be a Wonder Pets fiesta!

I was hoping there would be lots of exciting stuff to add this week as my first prenatal appointment was on Tuesday, but it ended up just being some sort of orientation for the hospital, and there were several other pregnant couples present. I didn't eat before we left, not sure why, but I definitely regretted it when I found out they wanted 8 vials of my blood. I am lucky I didn't pass out. I guess I had more than enough to spare. :) It will be another few weeks before we get to hear our little one's heartbeat, and we can't wait. April 2nd, Day 1 of Week 14!

Fourteen weeks is a long time to have to wait for most people, but I am fine with it. I was really impressed with the hospital, and I feel completely confident and comfortable to be in their care. Naval Medical Center Portsmouth is more progressive than most civilian hospitals, as they allow options such as natural birth, midwives, shower labor, and even low lighting or music at birth. I am very relieved, since after watching the instant viewing film "The Business of Being Born" on Netflix, I am not incredibly keen on the idea of drugs, or being on my back for delivery. I'm going to go with the Europeans on this one, ha! I have been in a lot of pain many times in my life and it has never killed me. I know this will hurt more than anything I've ever experienced, but I consider it a rite of passage, and am determined to do it my way on God's time, not some hospital's.

Well, Gorthar is thirsty and hungry and I'm still not really in the mood for writing--which you can probably tell from my lackluster sentence structure--so I'm gonna sign out for this week. See ya soon.

Week 9

2009-03-06T22:25:00.024-05:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 9 Status:
Weight: 142 lbs.
Estimated Baby Size: Kumquat

Week 10 has gloriously arrived and I revel in disbelief at the fact that I am already a quarter of the way through my pregnancy. I will admit that I am forcing myself to write this week. Today marks the beginning of our Spring Break, and the last thing I feel like doing right now is writing...but I know I would regret it later if I didn't. Now that Week 9 has come and gone, I suppose it is time I fill you in on all the excitement. We finally have a house that is under contract, which we are hoping to close on in April sometime. Here are a few pictures just to give you a taste:

We are very excited about it, it has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, two living rooms, a dining room, and an eat-in kitchen. It also has an attached garage, and a detached garage/workshop art studio in the backyard. The yard is my favorite part, see the picture. It was taken from a tree loft--I won't call it a tree house because it has no roof--which has a place for a swing. In any case, I'm sure I'll be writing a lot about its progress and the baby's room in the future weeks...but just in case something happens and we end up not closing on it, I have nothing more to say about it for now. Besides, it feels like all I've been doing in my French class has been describing houses, their rooms, and whatever else...I'm bored with the idea of writing it in English.

Andy and I continue to do well in school despite the insanity of juggling midterms, huge writing/research assignments, orchestra practice, and (for me) observation at the elementary school, (for Andy) NROTC stuff and writing for the newspaper. We are planning on thoroughly relishing this Spring Break, and I already have a cookout planned at one of the parks in Virginia Beach to enjoy our 70 degree weather this weekend....finally! I miss exploring trails.

I know I shouldn't complain when my brother and sister-in-law in Rochester, NY have had so much winter weather, but I have been spoiled by beach weather for too many years now...I need my swamp! Hmmm...I will most likely eat those words along with any other smorgasbord that gets set before me around July when I weigh another 20 lbs, and it's a humid 98 degrees outside.

Pregnancy has become considerably easier this week. My fatigue has started to wear off a bit, and I have been getting fewer mood swings. It is nice not to have random road rage. I do, however, still have the handicap of baby brain which likes to send me off on wild goose chases.

I have my first prenatal appointment on Tuesday this week, so Week 10's post should have lots of pregnancy specifics.

Until then, enjoy your week everyone. I know we will!

Week 8

2009-02-27T16:15:00.013-05:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 8 Status:
Weight: 140 lbs
Estimated Baby Size: Grape

Week 9 has arrived, and I have been working at Hermitage elementary school observing the art program there. It's intense to think that in a few years I will have one of these little rapscallions that I've been watching weave paper and play with glitter. Actually, I'll have one in a few months, but I am talking about a school-aged child. The kids are all so different; some are sweet, intelligent, and/or shy, while others are rotten, rude, and rambunctious. I pray for patience. If I can handle twenty children that belong to other people for a few hours of the day, I have a feeling I will be fine with one or more of my own all the time every day.

As is usual, I have been really tired all week. Doing exercises helps, but the prenatal pilates made my abs really sore. I am assuming that means they are working, so I plan to continue my regimen of them every couple days, along with a mile run. I have been eating healthy again all week, sticking to Kashi cereals, fruits, yogurt, and other yummy stuff. --Sidetrack-- Dinner is always my favorite part of the day. I love salmon and wild rice.....mmmm...and all kinds of pasta. Getting hungry.....very hungry....

Other than fatigue and hunger I have been pretty crampy off and on. I finally broke down and went to my primary care doctor this week because I was afraid I might have had a UTI. I had one earlier last year and didn't even notice, so I didn't want to take the chance. My abdomen had been pretty sore for a few weeks. Thankfully, I was cleared. Getting sleepy....very sleepy.... Hmmm, what else... We're going to our friends' baby shower this weekend; it was fun looking at the baby stuff on the registry ,yet kind of scary too. There is so much stuff we're going to have to buy! Ok, really, I'm tired....I'm gonna go veg out now, sleepwise and tummy wise...see you next week!

Week 7

2009-02-19T14:49:00.013-05:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 7 Status:
Weight: 139 lbs

Estimated Baby Size: Kidney Bean

Today is Day 1 of Week 8. So.....I just ate six pieces of pepperoni pizza, which I drove three miles to get...in Norfolk traffic, just a 20-25 minute trip. I didn't wait to get home to eat, so anyone peering into my truck window saw a nerdy, skinny-looking girl with Clark Kent glasses trying to navigate city traffic with an open pizza box in her passenger seat and a silly preoccupation with the slice in her hand. But I didn't notice their stares. I was much too concerned with savoring every cheesy, salty, pepperoni bite. I don't know what it is about pizza, but it's got a hold on me and Gorthar. This is probably the third time this week I've had the craving for it, and I can only hope for both our sakes that this primal hankering for Pizza! Pizza! can be replaced by something a little more healthful.

Prior to this week, I've been very mindful of the quality of food I've subjected Gorthar to. Each day I have prepared an apple, pear, or plum, baby carrots, a PB & All-Fruit sandwich, cheese and yogurt to take to school with me. Andy has been making nice healthy homemade dinners as well. Perhaps we were just not getting enough grease. In any case, every time I indulge in my cravings for grease, an inevitable coma follows that requires me to nap for a minimum of one hour.

I think I may need one now, nothing else has really happened this week, so I'll see you next week (the beginning of Month 3!!!).

Week 6

2009-02-13T07:27:00.013-05:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 6 Status:
Weight: 138.5 lbs
Estimated Baby Size: Blueberry

Today is Day 2 of Week 7. Very little happened this week, as it seemed to kind of crawl by. Don't be alarmed by the apparent tummy loss, I took the picture in the morning when I hadn't had anything to eat. The others were taken in the afternoon.

I have been dealing with mood swings off and on all week, alongside an apparent case of baby brain. I have developed a strong aversion for going to school, studying and doing homework. I think fatigue is partly to blame, but it can not account for all of the anger I experience at knowing I have to get up and go. It's pretty weird, since I usually enjoy going. I know it will pass, however. In the meantime I am half-heartedly going through the motions.

The baby brain situation is something else completely. It is actually quite amusing until it gets out of hand. Earlier this week, I left for school with a novel I was reading the night before, an apple, and some cheese, but no notebook, or writing utensil. I have no idea why. Just yesterday, I was supposed to complete observation in an elementary school, but despite the fact that I had just talked to the school teacher a day or two before, remembered about it the night before, I woke up and completely forgot about it. This is not unprecedented behavior for me if I go back to say high school, more likely middle school, but I haven't pulled an irresponsible misstep like that at least since graduation back in 2001. Now I have to deal with the embarrassment as best I can, and hope the teacher doesn't hate me and give me a hard time for the remainder of my observation for the next few weeks. Oh well, out of my hands :)

I also started my prenatal exercise regime this week with two videos (Prenatal Fitness Fix, and Prenatal Pilates). I didn't start earlier because I still haven't been able to see a doctor, and one of the videos says women should wait until week 7 before they use the film. Everywhere I've read says you are supposed to keep your heartrate under 140 bpm when you are pregnant, so I wore our Garmin heart rate monitor while I was exercising. Needless to say, it was a pretty ridiculous task. Before I even started the videos I walked/jogged a mile on the treadmill, only walking because I couldn't keep my heartrate low enough otherwise. The videos made the issue even worse, with specific movements designed for the sole purpose of raising your heartrate, do they not know this 140bpm advice I see everywhere? Or is the advice simply outdated? In any case, I completed the first portion of the video after several breaks to keep my heartrate low. Hopefully if I keep going like this I will be able to take fewer breaks. I remember even when I was able to run 21-minute 3-miles a couple of years ago, my heartrate was still never at the target range for my age group. Perhaps mine is just always faster. Surely everyone cannot be lumped into a category of "this is normal for you."

Will all of these mounting frustrations, I am so grateful to have a husband who does everything he can to make my life easier. He has been making dinner from scratch lately, chicken rice soup, and chili, sooo yummy! I also am comforted by the knowledge that God is watching over my pregnancy, and will not give me more than I can handle.

With that said, Yay for Week 7!

Week 5

2009-02-06T17:49:00.013-05:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 5 Status:
Weight: 138lbs
Estimated Baby Size: Lentil Bean

Today is day 2 of Week 6, and Week 5 was a really busy week for us. We started the week off with an all out house-hunt to accomodate our expected family addition. Anyone who has ever embarked on a similar journey surely knows this is not an easy task. We spent the better part of our time holding our noses and raising our eyebrows in amazement at the quality and condition of the homes in the price range and area we were looking for. Thankfully, with a little effort and perseverence, and a great realtor -- Fran Barbaree of Long and Foster for anyone looking in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia -- we were able to narrow down the search to the quality of houses and neighborhoods we desire. We put an offer on one house today, and have another in waiting in case the conditions we laid out in the first offer are not met by the seller.

As for pregnancy particulars, Week 5 was host to some cramping, spontaneous mood swings, and some monster naps. The fatigue was pretty overwhelming at times; we attempted to attend a super bowl party, but by half-time I was borderline comatose so we headed home.

In other news, we settled on the womb name Gorthar. Apparently a running joke in the Schwartz family, the name just seems to fit and has given our "little one" a pet-like presence. I have recently taken to using such phrases as "Gorthar is hungry" when I feel like snacking, or "Gorthar is renovating" when I start to feel crampy.

Yesterday we attended the memorial service for Andy's grandfather Lawrence Ollie Schwartz, in Southern Pines, NC and it was a very special time. The family was amused at the baby's womb name, and Andy spoke about the connection in the timing of Grandpa's passing, and Gorthar's conception. If Gorthar turns out to be a boy, we are considering giving the baby the middle name Lawrence to memorialize him further. Prior to this idea the Schwartz consensus seemed to be Grover Cleveland Indian Schwartz :)

I am a little peeved right now because my prescription prenatal vitamins are being discontinued, and they are the second prescription to do so. Also, the Navy apparently wants me to go to their hospital in Portsmouth, so instead of having my first appointment next Tuesday at the OB/Gyn they've been perfectly happy to send me to for the last 6 months, I have to wait until March 10. I don't know how long after that my first ultrasound will be, but they said it should follow it shortly. As annoying as all of this felt at the time, I am so blessed to have free health care, and be in good health, so I thank God for that.

Other than that, the week was about going to court and writing papers or taking tests for school. I really don't feel the need to expound on any of these, except to tell you, DO NOT be as dumb as I was and speed on New Year's Eve or you'll end up with a 150.00 fine and an annoying trip to the courthouse.

See you all next week!

Week 4

2009-01-29T09:36:00.016-05:00

~~Amanda

End of Week 4 Status:

Weight: 136lbs

Estimated Baby Size: Sesame Seed

Well, it's officially week five today, so I thought I would recap the first week of expectant parenthood, Week 4:

A majority of new parents decide not to tell their family and friends until they are past the first trimester. While I can understand the reasoning behind it--the greater risk for miscarriage in the first three months--it's not my style. If I were to have a miscarriage I would be devastated, and would want the support and understanding of my close friends and family. I also don't like the idea of giving into that kind of fear. Expect the best unless you have reason not to. As for those unfortunate ones of us who get morning sickness, hiding the real cause for our condition may simply worry everyone if they don't know what's happening.

So, once the initial fun of telling family and friends was over, by day 2 of week 4 ( Jan. 23rd, 2009) I became very anxious and overwhelmed. I began to analyze my every action and how it may impact the baby. I went out and bought a book "What to Expect When You're Expecting," which really only seemed to perpetuate my fears. I started to worry about the baby, whether or not my diet was sufficient, whether exercising would effect the pregnancy, and so on. After a day or two of nerves, some good advice from friends, and embracing the reality of the situation, I managed to relax

Around 6pm on day 2 the nausea hit me. I felt gruesomely ill, hot flashes, accompanied by a chill sweat and dry heaving. I won't go into all the grisly details, but lets just say I ended up sitting on the toilet not leaning over it. This particular side effect seemed only to affect me for that one evening, thank goodness! However, the nausea continued for day 3 and less severely on day 4. It generally felt like my body was rebooting its digestive system to adapt to the many hormone changes and new hardware being installed. Digestive problems, whether accompanied by full out nausea or not, are very common in the first trimester. By day 5 I reclaimed some normalcy, and didn't feel apparently pregnant at all. I would have been concerned by this, but I had checked out a video blog of a girl who had actually delivered her healthy baby a few months ago, and she had almost the exact same experience. She had nausea around week 5 for a couple of days and then she was fortunate enough to have it dwindle away.

Days 6 and 7 were the same as day 5, with everything seeming normal except for some fatigue which I had been experiencing since day 1. Andy and I spent these last few days searching for new places to live. We contacted our friend's mother who is a realtor, and she is going to start showing us places starting this Saturday! We know all will be well in that category of our lives, some way or another. Well that's pretty much it for Week 4!

We're Pregnant!

2009-01-29T07:25:00.002-05:00

~~Amanda

On Wednesday, January 21, 2009 I noticed I was not experiencing any of my usual menstrual symptoms and I was supposed to start my cycle that day. So, I took a Walgreen's Early Response pregnancy test first thing that morning. It was positive! However, the line was very faint, so I didn't want to get overly excited. I sent Andy a text message--he had already left for PT at school--and started scouring the Internet to see the likelihood of a faint line meaning anything other than "positive." After browsing several answers websites and blogs, it was apparent it was extremely rare for it to mean anything but positive, so I decided I would go to the doctors and get a blood test to confirm it after school.

Needless to say, it was hard to concentrate the whole day. Andy was really excited about the possible pregnancy as well, so he decided to accompany me to the clinic. When we got there the physician's assistant drew my blood and told me it would take about 30 minutes for them to let my blood clot, spindle it down, and to confirm the presence of hCG (the pregnancy hormone). After an interminable 35 minutes, the PA came back and with a slight pause, looked at us both and said..."Positive!"

Woohoo! We did it! :)

On the drive back home, we both called our mothers and told them the good news. I decided, however, to keep it a secret from Rachel (my sister) and my Dad until Friday, since it was my dad's birthday, and my sister's was Sunday. Happy Birthday dad, you're getting a grandchild this year!

Welcome to Amanda and Andy Schwartz's Baby Blog

2009-01-29T07:13:00.001-05:00

Welcome all! This is the Amandy Baby Blog: A Journal of the Journey of My Pregnancy.

I really wanted to keep a record of my thoughts and experiences during the next nine months. I realized when I first heard the news how intriguing it is for first-time mothers to hear the experiences of other women, especially family. I plan on recording all of my ups and downs along the way, so I can someday share my story with new moms and my family-to-be. Enjoy!