Baby Parker

Well, it's been about a month since I last gave you much "detail-wise" on our little peanut.  So, for those who are interested:

This week s/he is likened to the size of an apple or a navel orange (about 4 inches crown to rump).  I'm 15 weeks pregnant/entering my 16th week. 

I had a doctor's appointment last week.  Not much to report.  I haven't gained any weight yet (which may be a miracle since I crave salty snacks like a maniac).  I got to listen to the little one's heartbeat - which was harder than you might think because the wee muffin wouldn't stay still.  Finally the baby settled down long enough for us to take a good listen and count the bpm - right around 150. 

Although I feel like I'm living in a stranger's body, I'm not really showing yet (unless you have the misfortune of seeing me naked, then I look a little pregnant, or perhaps like I ate too much of the aforementioned salt).  I'm still wearing all my normal pants, but some of my shirts have had to retire (especially the button-ups). 

We have an ultrasound scheduled just three weeks away on June 13th and are excited to get a good look at baby Parker - and hopefully a good look between his or her little legs! We also found out our hospital has a 4-D ultrasound machine, so we'll get to see that as well.  This half freaks me out and half excites me. 

Overall I've been feeling great.  Tired.  I go to sleep much earlier than I used to and I have developed a new love of naps.  Geoff and I went to a class at the hospital last week and after being told how miserable I should be, I'm feeling pretty optimistic about this whole pregnancy thing.  I'm hoping that 2nd trimester energy bump I keep reading about hits me soon.  I've got so much to do before I'm too big to do it.  :) 

We moved Geoff's office to the downstairs so that the baby's room will be upstairs across the hall from us.  All that's in the baby's room right now are a crib and a red couch (that has no other home in the house, so it got relegated to the baby's room for the time being).  But it makes me happy that the baby has a room already.  It helps the whole thing seem real when most of the time it feels like it's all a big theory.  I secretly can't wait until I'm showing, so it can really feel...real. 

And that's what's going on on the baby front. 

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We Got Skillz

So, I previously mentioned that as my Easter/Mother's Day gift, I was getting a new kitchen sink and faucet.  The existing sink was, let's say, adequate.  It was only 6 inches deep.  Combine that with the faucet that provided relatively no clearance and I was pushing it trying to clean my bigger pots and pans in there.  Originally I decided that a new faucet would solve most of my problems, but as we started looking at faucet costs versus replacing the whole thing, it made more sense economically (and aesthetically) to go with the whole replacement.  Not that I minded! 

We purchased the sink and all the necessary components and plumbing tools last weekend and waited for a day when Geoff would be able to install it.  Tuesday night was a good, slow night for us.  Geoff texted a friend of ours to see if he would come help, but he was out of town that night.  So, Geoff looked at me and asked the question, "Think we can do it?" 

Not one to turn down a challenge, I said, "I'm sure we can." 

So, we became plumbers.  With relatively little issue (or bum cracks), we removed the old sink, widened the hole in the counter top, installed the new sink and faucet, and reattached the disposal.  Pretty good, if I do say so myself.

Before:

Shallow, but not overall terrible.

A good shot to show how little clearance I had with that faucet.

After:

Gorgeous.  Big. 

Look at all that clearance!  I can even fill a mop bucket now!

It came with some protective pieces, I love them.



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S. P. R. I. N. G.

S: Sunshine.  Fargo does not have a day in the 10 day forecast with a high below 58 or so.  And some days it's supposed to be in the 70s.  A final goodbye to the long winter we had this year. 

P: Pretty Flowers.  Things just started getting really green around here and the trees are starting to bud.  There's not a lot of color to be found, but I bought some happy Pansies for my walkway up to my door and planted them on Saturday.  Poof, instant happy.

R: Riding.  Geoff and I [gladly] hopped on our bikes this weekend for the first time this year.  We rode somewhere between 30 and 40 miles together on Friday and Saturday and Geoff did another 10 with his scouts Saturday morning.  Our bums are sore, but it's totally worth it.

I: Inching along.  Geoff and I have lots of projects around the house that we want to do this spring and summer, but since things can get expensive really fast, we have to pace ourselves.  First up: I'm getting a new sink and faucet in the kitchen.  We bought the sink and faucet this weekend.  Now it just has to be installed.

N:  Nests.  The birds are out in full force.  They've been around for a month or more now, but they are singing exceedingly glad tidings that the freezing temps have ceased and that they can, again, dig for worms.  We have 6-7 trees on our lot and I'm keeping an eye out for nests to watch our little bird friends grow their families. 

G: Grass.  We are going to be buying a used lawnmower shortly, but the grass has finally reached that fantastic shade of spring green we get out here.  I love opening my blinds wide and looking out at the front and backyard at the quickly growing, happy green grass.

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Dear Louis Pasteur

So, us pregnant ladies owe a lot to good ol' Louis Pasteur.  Without him, I'm pretty sure I'd never be able to drink anything beside water.  And, for anyone who knows me, a life with only water as my liquid is bordering on torture.  I am generally against all liquids with calories in them, but since my pregnancy reading has scared me away from aspartame and the little one growing inside me seems to LOVE orange juice, I have let go of these aspersions for the time being. 

However, all juice is not created equal.  It is suggested to me, again in that stupid pregnancy reading, that I should only drink pasteurized milks and juices to prevent me from getting THE PLAGUE and whatnot (okay, it's actually listeria and salmonella). 

However, not all pasteurization is created equal.  I'm supposed to avoid flash pasteurization (which is done cold to "maintain flavors" but doesn't kill all bacteria).  Due to this distinction, I read a lot of juice labels.  During this time I have found that Pasteurized and Flash Pasteurized are not the only types of pasteurization you will find on a label.  "Gently Pasteurized" was my favorite up until this morning. 

I'm drinking a 12 ounce bottle of milk I picked up at the grocery store on my way to work.  I look down to find that it is "Ultra-Pasteurized."  I'm not sure what it means...but I do know this - I can drink it!

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