Humor in Pregnancy...

He Won't Wear a Tutu!

I love to have the gender debate with Bo. Yesterday we were driving to lunch after church, and he asked me what I my gut instinct was with the baby, and I said boy. He agreed. He said he just feels like he says "He" and lot more than "She." That really means nothing, but maybe my mama senses will be correct.

So the other night, Bo puts his hand on my tummy and prays for me and the baby before we go to sleep. It's very sweet and I love to think about all the things that we hope for you, Peanut. We pray that you will be smart and healthy and happy. We pray that you will grow up to love and respect God, and know Jesus as your personal savior. We pray that you will marry someone that will support you, make you laugh, and love you as a Christian spouse, to choose to love you every day, even when you aren't so loveable. (You know, in case you take after your mom's dramatic tendencies.)

I told Bo that I got all emotional when we watched the movie Juno because of the scene where her dad is sitting with her after her delivery. It is a sweet moment where he is stroking her hair, and I realized that my dad is the one person that WON'T be there when I have a baby. So I told Bo that he has some big shoes to fill. He has to teach our kids all about sports, the outdoors, fixing things and being handy, all about animals and rodeo... And I will be the one to make sure our kids have manners (I'm super anal), are cultured with museums and music and books, and will help them be eloquent speakers and dress nicely. I said I can't wait to take our kids to plays and the ballet.

So this is where the conversation gets fun. Bo says, "If we have a boy, he is NOT taking ballet." I said, "Well if he wants to, he can. What's the difference between that and gymnastics?" They both teach balance, flexibility, muscle control, and make them better prepared to play other sports in the future. All Bo pictures is a little boy in a tutu prancing around "like a girl!" I am not one of those people who wants their kids to be totally free to choose things against their gender, and later get beat up everyday. I just think it is funny to push Bo's buttons.

Then he says, "Would you let your daughter play football?" I said sure! Girls and boys play soccer together when they are litle, so why couldn't she play flag football? Tackle might be another thing, but I don't really want my son doing that either. Having a husband for a trainer made me really assess the risk of horrible injury differently.

I just laugh because we have had that conversation about ten times since we were dating. Particularly when I took a sociology class all about gender differences. Very interesting... I don't plan on traumatizing our child, but I did say that what daddy doesn't know can't hurt him.

Whoosh, Whoosh, Whoosh!

Fourteen weeks tomorrow! Man, I am too lazy to even keep up anymore. I had another checkup today and the doctor says I am about to enter the really pleasant phase of pregnancy. If this is supposed to be unpleasant now, I must be facing a few months of instant pedicures, flawless hair, chocolate binging with no weight gain and a husband who will always say I am right. I might even be one of those annoyingly happy women who say, "I just loved being pregnant!" (Right up until the point when you are supposed to give birth...)

I also got to listen to the baby's heartbeat, but it sounded like a whooshing sound more than a bump. Bo got all concerned because apparently when you are an adult, that sound means you have a heart murmur. But I told him that I am sure they would have mentioned it if that sound was bad! So I guess everything looks good. They said I have gained 6 pounds so far (for fourteen weeks, who cares?) and that I should feel like exercising more in just a little while. So I am thinking I should celebrate with brownies and a movie!

Sorry Sam.

My husband isn't big into snuggly pets. Judging from the horse and our gigantic dog, he only wants to feed and shelter things that are useful or have extreme entertainment value. So a few months ago, before we knew I was pregnant, I told him that I was having snuggle issues and that he had better get me a cat soon or we would have a baby. You can see which one came first.

My sister Amy is a former graduate of A&M Vet School (but is apparently never leaving) and often tries to pawn off animals that need good homes that they have neutered or nursed back to health or whatever. So she sends me this email with pictures of three adorable cats that need good homes. Meet Sam:



He is fixed, "very sweet and laid back." I figure he could hold his own with our dog and I could get my fix on holding and petting something. This is the exchange of text messages with my husband this morning:

Me: Can we take a free neutered cat from the vet school? He is very cute!

Bo: Don't think a kitten is something we need need. I'm allergic.

Me: Liar. Cat hater!

Bo: Why do my eyes itch and water when I pet a feline?

Me: They are tears of longing. He could stay outside! And he's full grown, not a kitten. His name is Sam.

Bo: How about we get you a baby human. You could snuggle it and raise it as your own.

Me: Nice one.

Who's Counting?

Oops. I have been telling people all week long that I am at 12 weeks, and really I am at 13! Well, I guess that it a good thing, that they are passing by so quickly. So this week, our baby should weigh about as much as 4 quarters! Weird to think about... The other cool thing is that the baby's hands are becoming more functional, so he/she will start to move them more and by next week might even be sucking a thumb! Peanut, it is amazing to think that you already have a determined eye color, fingernails on your tiny hands and feet, functioning organs, and your teeth are already waiting under your gums. All that and you are only about 3 inches long! God is certainly an imaginative creator.

This weekend was really nice since I got a lot of rest on Saturday, and Sunday afternoon we got together with all the coaching staff from Reagan to wish everyone farewell that would be leaving this year. Two other coaches took jobs elsewhere and obviously Bo, plus we had a few kids that were graduating high school. It was so wonderful to celebrate the good relationships they had built over the years, and I am sure it is rare to be a part of such a strong Christian staff. Everyone was very excited to hear about the baby, and we even got a few cards and gifts. It was a great surprise and we are very blessed to be moving on with good wishes from everyone.

It is almost May, so say a prayer that I really start to get more energy. Work is going to be very busy this next month with a special project, so I can use all the help I can get. I am still trying to avoid caffeine (except the occasional tea because that's un-Texan) but this past week I think I polished off two boxes of cereal all by myself. I have been eating one bowl in the morning and one before I go to bed! Better than ice cream, I figure.

And the other blessing is that I had a friend graciously loan me a bunch of her maternity pants and a few great sweaters. The only bad part is that she is about 5'10" and I think the pants are going to need a temporary hem. Does anyone know if you can put in a stitch to hem them up that can be easily removed later? These short legs need to know!

Recent Pics

Some recent pics of our family:


Downtown at the Alamo



The sign Bo's students gave him when he announced we are expecting. Yes, it says #1 Baby Maker. :)



At this year's rodeo, boots and all!



Getting in some cuddle time....

Little Blessings

Well it has been such a fun week here in San Antonio since we have hosted the NCAA Men's basketball Final Four. There were tons of cool things to do downtown this weekend, so Bo and I spent the afternoon walking around to see it all. We even got to see the end of a free concert with Kid Rock. He is definitely not what I would call "family-friendly" but it was kind of cool to see him play all the different instruments in his band. The guy is actually very talented in many ways. Bo and I were however completely disgusted with North Carolina's performance on Saturday evening, and I couldn't even bring myself to watch the final game between Kansas and Memphis. Turns out, Bo said it was one of the best games in Final Four history with a last-second 3-pointer sending them into overtime.

It has just been such a blessing to be able to spend more time with Bo on the weekends. He says that he loves being able to do work outside in the yard, play with Joe, and just hang out with me. I think he initially wondered about his new job and if he would be happy there, but now I know he has seen the impact he is having on the people he interacts with every day. I have always known that he is such a positive influence with an uplifting sense of humor, but now apparently total strangers are telling him so. What a blessing to have a happy husband.

And in the totally selfish department, I was super blessed to find a pair of maternity jeans on Sunday that I don't absolutely hate. They have NO huge elastic band and really don't look like prego pants at all. They even have normal button waist. Thank you Liz Lange Maternity! I don't think I want to live in a world without Super Target.

Here's hoping I can make it through the week with some energy left. I have somehow agreed to be an emcee for my sorority's annual production, Sing Song. It is the 50th anniversary this year so they really want to involve alumni. I just hope that we are funny and entertaining without looking like total idiots. Story of my life, right?

My Favorite Spot

One of the new joys of my life is the "Expectant Mother Parking" at my HEB grocery store. They are in the very front, directly across the row from the handicapped spaces, and I think they are the best invention ever. I figure that I only get to park there for about 8 more months, so I might as well enjoy it now... But I feel a little guilty when I park and get out. I know that I don't really LOOK pregnant yet, so I feel obligated to push out my stomach as much as possible. Nothing worse than getting dirty looks in the parking lot. But I did catch a guy parking there the other day, and man, did I ever give him the stink eye!

Cutest Baby Laugh

Avoiding the Strap-On Tummy

I had a really depressing moment yesterday. I have admitted that my jeans are no longer buttoning, even though I don't really appear pregnant yet. But it just becomes super uncomfortable to sit with them buttoned. So I keep doing the rubber band trick, and so far my pants have not fallen off nor have I been humiliated in public. So hey, if it ain't broke...

But I realized that eventually, none of my pants are going to fit. Now Peanut, your mom likes to think that she is pretty well-dressed. I'm not shopping on Rodeo Drive here, but I have nice basics that keep me looking professional and neat. I have great suits from Banana Republic and Anne Klein, great wide leg pants from the Gap, etc. And the thought of not being able to wear those babies for the next year is really depressing. Just yesterday, another mom of a 15-month old was telling me that she just now made it back to her pre-baby weight because she got a stomach virus and barfed for a few days.

So I broke down and decided to go shopping just to see what was out there. Passing by all my favorite stores made me wish I could run in there and pick out whatever I thought was cute, not just the things that I can tolerate. Everyone says the rule for maternity clothes should be that if you wouldn't wear it before you were prego, you shouldn't wear it now. Don't settle for mumus! But the reality is that all of the cute things that I really like are expensive. Is it worth it to buy nice clothes that I will keep and probably wear for these long months and possibly again in the future?

So after wandering around Macy's uneventfully (with a gift card burning a hole in my pocket) I gave up and went to Motherhood Maternity. My only joy came when I found a pair of super stretchy pants that had no tummy panel! They just looked like normal pants, but you could unbutton these panels inside to give them more room. But here is my problem - obviously my stomach is not going to be the only part of me to grow.... So if they fit me now, they probably won't fit me later. But the next size up was falling off of me. There was even a scary strap-on tummy in the dressing room. I just couldn't bring myself to see what I will look like when I am officially humongous.... So the only thing I bought was a black tulip skirt. Hopefully I can still feel cute when I start to really fill it out!