Oh, hi!

I really don't post here as often as I should. Mindy worries a lot about the changes that a baby will bring to our lives. Personally, I'm not worried. We were both babies once, and as far as I'm concerned that makes us both uniquely qualified to be parents.

I know I have no idea what I'm doing as far as parenting goes, but I guess I just don't see what there is to fret about. Human beings have been reproducing for quite some time. If you go back far enough (which isn't even very far, really), you can find plenty of my ancestors who weren't born in hospitals and whose parents didn't read a bunch of books about how to be parents.

I think a lot about the theoretical underpinnings (how pretentious does that sound?) of my philosophy towards child-rearing. It's totally impractical from a preparatory standpoint to think about guiding principles, but I just don't see how an in-depth analysis of diaper changing, breastfeeding, and not sleeping can really improve my proficiency in any of those things.

Everyone wants to talk to you about what being a parent is going to be like, but (and I hate to admit it) I just don't care to listen. If the only thing I have in common with someone is a baby that I don't even have yet, I don't want to listen to that person's advice about anything. I guess I've just never been much for advice in general. I'd like to learn things the easy way, but I don't know if there is an easy way for me to learn anything. I get bored trying to listen. And, honestly, I kind of like the hard way of learning. Unless my health or financial well-being is at risk.

Soo... that's me being crabby for the week. Until next time!

Ahhhh! I'm crazy busy!

Well, it's been a long time since I've posted anything. I'm a terrible mom-blogger. :( 


I've been really busy with work, and I've been completing a four week interview session to be an online teaching assistant for Ashford University. I'm also enrolled in CMPA 110 online through SCAD so I can learn Illustrator and Maya. I've used Photoshop before, and I thought this would be a good chance to learn some more software. Back when I was a bored housewife, I made comics that I would post to my myspace blog. I'd like to get back to doing that at some point in my life. Funny enough, I have one where I'm having a conversation with my uterus by phone, and I hang up on it. Maybe I can dig that one out for the blog... 


Enough about me. This blog isn't about Mindy. 


So far, the pregnancy has been fine. I'm definitely getting a belly now. I've been wearing some maternity clothes already. They're just so comfortable. Oh, and I can actually feel my uterus. Derek was able to feel it, too. It's like I have a basketball under my skin, just above my pelvis. It's neat :D 


Lately, I've felt awful because I think my blood sugar may be really low. Typically, I don't eat small meals throughout the day. I eat breakfast, snack for lunch, and dinner. End of story. Yesterday, I went for a run in the morning, and I came back and ate. By 9, I had a headache. I was ridiculously tired, and I felt a couple times like I might faint. Well, I went and ate a Veggie Sammy from Quiznos for lunch in lieu of my Kefir. It was tasty. It helped for a little while to have something more substantial than drinkable yogurt. 


I came home last night and ate a Chik'n Patty  and a salad. I don't really like meat, and I was once a vegetarian. It's really hard for me to eat a lot of meat without forcing myself to do it. I honestly feel better about myself when I am a vegetarian, but my anemia forces me to eat red meat. Anyway! Back to the story! About 30 minutes after my patty, I felt HORRIBLE. I was lightheaded, and I felt physically sick. My heart was racing like I had gone for a run. Then, I went to bed, and I woke up several times, sweating profusely. Ol' trusty WebMD says that these are signs of hypoglycemia. I had already been warned by my doctor's office that I had low blood sugar, so I wasn't surprised. 


Today, I felt pretty much the same until I had a big lunch. I had some peanut butter crackers along with my Lean Cuisine pizza. 

Tasty.

Well, I guess the point of this story is to say that I've felt pretty yucky lately, but I think I just need to eat more, and I need to eat more often. 

My cravings so far have mostly been milk and citrus-y stuff. I've never had so much grapefruit in my life. I've also craved Mexican food, but that was a pre-pregnancy craving, and who doesn't crave Mexican food? 

Once the belly is a little more visible, I'll post some pictures. I can't believe I'm almost finished with my first trimester. Only another full week! So exciting! 

Second Appointment

Wow! Today was such an exciting day! Where to begin...


The Appointment 


Well, I went for my second OB appointment, and I expected it to be pretty routine. I got to actually meet my doctor, Dr. Helmken, and she seems super nice. Anyway, she and I are having a chat about symptoms and my uterus and all that exciting jazz, and then she says, "Well, let's listen to the heartbeat." I'm like, "Wait! What?" I didn't know they had a handy device that you could just pop up next to your stomach and listen in. I was too excited!


Well, she sticks said device to my stomach, and, lo and behold, there's the heartbeat! Baby Ratcliff's heartbeat was going at a rate of about 171 beats per second, and I, of course, say, "That's normal, right?" This entire pregnancy has been one series of amazements. At first, I didn't even think I was actually pregnant, "That's too easy - right?" Then, I thought, "This can't be true," and it was. Now, it's like I get to hear the baby's heartbeat! This is too freaking exciting! :D :D


In the middle of my excitement, there was this weird wooshy noise, and she said, "That's movement." And then it happened again! I was so geeked out. Can I get one of these so I can just sit on my couch and listen in to the little guy? I mean, I didn't want to stop! It was just amazing! 


No - seriously - can I buy one of those? 


Oh, and here's the icing on the cake (literally) - I have only gained 1 lb. ONE POUND! Woohoo! I'm celebrating with leftover cake tonight... You have no idea how happy that made me! 


The Saga Continues... 


I scheduled my next appointment for October 18th. I'll be 15 weeks, so no ultrasound.  She told me to schedule the gender scan for 16 weeks, so I had to schedule another, shorter appointment on October 25th. A couple people in my office did the gender scan, but I keep worrying that it's silly and I should just wait for 19 weeks. I really want to know, though. I guess I'm a sucker. 


In short, the next big countdown is Oct 25th. I can't wait. I'm convinced it's a boy, but I don't care one way or the other. I do think it would be so exciting to have a girl. Girl names are so easy for me. Boy names are not. We've really struggled to find one we like. Either way, Little Kid Ratcliff will be out in the yard with Derek and me playing soccer and watching football, so I guess a boy suits us... we'll just see. And, a big shout out to Lindsay and Neil who just found out they're having a girl! Even if I do have a boy, I can still buy cute, pink, girly things for Baby Miller! :) 


Like I said, I just want Baby Ratcliff to be healthy, and October 25th can't get here soon enough so I can start nursery shopping :D 

Waiting list after waiting list!

Who knew that finding a daycare would be so impossible?!

The other day at work I was talking to one of my coworkers about her son's daycare and our future need for one. I was like, "When do I need to take care of that?" She says, "You need to get on a wait list like 2 months ago." I was like, "Uh... wait list?" Well, I did a little research, and I found one daycare for Baby Ratcliff. ONE. From everything I've read and heard, St. Paul's Preschool is the best. I excitedly called, and they told me I could wait 16-18 months. Really?! Should I have really called and put my name on the list in like March of 2010? That's ludicrous! I immediately needed a back up plan. 


Thanks to my coworker for showing me a handy website from the State of Georgia. It basically tells you everything any daycare has ever been cited for doing wrong. I had been considering a couple different daycares, but when Christine and I looked at a few, it said that one place left a 2 month old baby with a bottle propped and didn't clean the changing tables - WHAT?! You have to be kidding me?! Another one let infants "sleep in other than appropriate positions" or something along those lines, i.e. that's really bad. Needless to say, I didn't go with any of those.


I found no other good options in Savannah even though we wanted something close to work. Well, we resorted to Bluffton, SC, since it seemed to actually have some decent places. We called Amazing Creations and hope to get on that list soon. Apparently, you have to fill out a form in person, and with drop/add and the first week of the quarter going on, we won't be making it there until things slow down. That joint has a 9-12 months waiting list, so we needed another option.


I looked around and did some research. I used this handy website to check out places in SC.  I found Lowcountry Day and it had good reviews. No complaints or anything fishy. I called, and the lady in charge was really nice. My biggest issue is that the toddlers are given cheese puffs. I mean, I don't eat cheese puffs, and I sure as hell don't want Baby Ratcliff eating cheese puffs. Otherwise, the menu looked decent, but we'd like to have the little guy in St. Paul's by the time he's actually chewing, so no worries - right? 


Well, if any of the people I know in the Lowcountry have heard of this place and it's terrible, please tell me. It has openings as of July which is what I need. She said they're full until May, but July is doable. 


Who ever dreamed that just finding decent childcare would be so hard? I assumed all daycares had the sense to wipe down a changing station after they use it - you know? I mean, come on - it's poop! That's like not wiping your butt after you use the public toilet, ICK! Wait, it's worse. It's like someone rubs her butt on the toilet all dirty and then you go rub your dirty butt on it, and then nobody cleans up anything. Now, you can't tell me the thought of that isn't disgusting. 

Kumquat?

Today marks 10 weeks on our calendar, so we're in double digits on the weeks counter. A small milestone... Yay! 

My handy weekly updater tells me that Baby Ratcliff is now the size of a kumquat. Really? That's the best fruit or vegetable you could come up with? I've never even eaten a kumquat. I guess these are kumquats...

I mean, those look pretty big to me. The other fruit/vegetable ticker says that Baby Ratcliff is the size of a prune. Kids, I know what a prune looks like, and I've eaten them. That makes sense to me. I guess kumquat is more fun to say, though. 

As far as Baby Ratcliff is coming along, I don't feel as terrible as I did. I'm not AS tired or AS grouchy - Derek may disagree. My bloating seems to have disappeared, and one of my coworkers said that will happen before the true belly arrives. I'm just going to enjoy wearing normal clothes for now.

Speaking of which, I ordered some maternity clothes today because Old Navy is having a crazy good sale. Some of that stuff is 9 bucks! I love it! 

I guess if Baby Ratcliff continues on his citrus-y path (next week, he'll be a lime which is very exciting :D), then he'll be popping out before we know it! Then, I can wear those maternity clothes that I saved some mad cash on.

The Bloat Belly Part Deux

As I sit here using someone else's unsecure network to even look at the internet, I figured it was time for a Baby Ratcliff post. 

We moved this past weekend to Alston Park in Bluffton. Thank you, God. That shit hole on the Islands was really cramping my style. I could go on for hours about what a pain in the ass that place was and how much I hate the staff and community manager, Randall. Yes, he and I have a first-name relationship. All I will say is this: we were paying as much rent at Colonial Grand at Hammocks as we're paying for our house. Yes, that should make you shudder. All that aside, Baby Ratcliff is relieved to be in a new, clean, and healthy home. This place is fabulous. There are running trails and a happy little park in the center where you can walk your dogs. Iggy, Maggie, and I just returned from a delightful evening walk. It was perfect. 

Now that leads me to my next topic: three different people today told me that I'm "showing." Normally, this might not upset an expectant mother, but when the expectant mother is a mere 9 weeks along and her baby is the size of a green olive (reference the ticker at the top), it's a very bad thing indeed. Ann, our office Administrative Assistant who is amazing (I must add that), even asked if I was expecting twins. Ouch.

I know everyone meant no offense, and most people would love to hear that. I, on the other hand, would rather be told how small I am and how little weight I've gained. A good, "Oh, wow! I didn't even know you're pregnant!" would be much appreciated. Instead, my stomach is showing all of the heinous food I've eaten over the past couple days. I mean, come on! We were moving! What were we supposed to do? Making a f&^$#ing salad?!? Right. I couldn't even find my forks for two days!

I promise this, dear readers, that I will get up in the morning and exercise from now on. I've been slacking because we're unpacking, but today's comments have been burned into my memory and will be a constant reminder that just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean that I can have a Quarter Pound Cheese Coney.  

Well, Baby Ratcliff,  if there's anything I should gain weight for, it's you, but  I really wish you didn't like ice cream and macaroni and cheese.... and 810 calories worth of Coney. :( 

I just wanted to take a break from creating a fantastically entertaining database of hotels to share the Royal Suite of the Burj Al Arab. I hate to imagine that this would be the best I could do for Baby Ratcliff's babymoon, but in these uncertain times it's just so important to be grateful for what we have.

The Bloat Belly

I figure the number one thing people care about during a pregnancy is the belly - right? It's cute and tells the entire world you're having a baby. Well, I don't actually have a belly yet, but we need a starting point. Today, my skirt didn't really fit, and I thought, "Okay. It's time." Right now, I'm just disgustingly bloated, so that was likely the culprit. I don't really want to miss the opportunity, though. Anyway, here you have our starting point:

8 weeks. I feel like I've gained about 20 pounds, but Derek insists that I haven't. Regardless, I'm not wearing that skirt anymore because I couldn't hardly breathe today. Maybe it's all the Easy Mac... 

I do think I may have already gained a couple pounds because of the lack of running. I still run, but it's a lot harder. After about 10 minutes, I poop out and just start walking. I really want to run as long as I can, and I'm sure I'll have more energy later. I walk a lot, and typically, I'm pretty good at watching what I eat (save the Easy Mac). Today was a bit of an exception: at work, we had cake and brownies for one of my coworkers, so that really tanked the diet.Then, Derek and I had cheese sandwiches for dinner because I've already packed up our pots and pans. Go me! Everyone loves ridiculous amounts of fat and convenience food! 

Well, I'm sure you're sick of me griping about food since that was the topic of the last post. I'll post another, heftier picture in a couple weeks. 

The weirdest thing...

For the first time in what seems like forever, I'm not absolutely starving. Of course, this immediately freaked me out. I feel bloated - especially bloated - today, but other than that, it hasn't been so bad. Typically, I'm starving by 10 am. I should add that when I'm starving, I'm also the world's biggest b word, so don't let me get hungry. Back to the absence of hunger, I wonder if it's my breakfast switch...


Two days ago, Derek realized we had no food for breakfast. Sad, I know, but we're getting ready to move. He runs to Wal-Mart before work, and he comes back with his choice breakfast: double fiber bread and peanut butter. For me, he got

Delicious!

I would not typically eat this cereal. Usually, I'll have Cheerios, and that's good. When I eat cereal, kids, I eat cereal. Giant bowls. Well, I'm thinking I had about 500 calories worth of cereal this morning (maybe more, let's hope not), rather than the 200 I usually have. I'm wondering if that's the reason...

Around 11, I had a brownie from our office sweet supply. We have sweets in this office nearly every other day. It just wasn't that great. Now, I'm eating my lunch - my usual Easy Mac. I know, I know. It's not "healthy."  I want macaroni and cheese, and I want it to be convenient, damnit! Anyway, it tastes okay, but not as absolutely delicious and gooey and wonderful as it usually does. 

We'll see how today progresses, and I'm going to finish my Easy Mac. Maybe it's just new the breakfast cereal and my abnormally large quantities of it.