That Weird "In Between" Stage

Tomorrow will mark the start of my 2nd trimester! It feels exciting and like quite a milestone. We are 1/3 of the way there! I've been feeling so much better the past couple weeks. I actually had it pretty good in the first trimester compared to some people, but still....I did have mild nausea and felt extremely tired. But, now the nausea is gone....yayyyy! And, I don't conk out on the couch at 8:00 every night anymore. I'm also finally able to cook without feeling sick, so after about 3 months of either just heating up something frozen or eating out or hitting the drive thru, we can finally enjoy a nice meal at home.

I've gained more weight than I had hoped in the first trimester, but what can I do now? I'm now at that kind of awkward stage of.......is she pregnant or has she just packed on a few pounds? I guess I could wear a "baby on board" t-shirt.....but that's just not really me:) I'm gonna break out the maternity pants here in a couple weeks. My pants are a bit snug, but not quite ready to move on yet. I'm excited for my stomach to "pop" as they say and finally have that baby bump.

My next midwife appointment isn't until January 7th and then shortly after that we will be able to have our ultrasound to find out if we are having a boy or girl. I'm so excited for that. I'm so ready to start buying some things and to start being able to work on the nursery.

We've got a lot coming up in December and January. We are heading to Nebraska for Christmas and then celebrating Christmas with Chad's family over New Years. Then January 15th, we close on our new home and start the moving and settling in. Lot's of excitement and lots of change coming our way.

Thanksgiving in Chicago

We just got back to Nashville after a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend in Chicago with Chad's parents. They live in Newburg, Indiana which is about 2 1/2 hours from Nashville and then about 5 1/2 hours to Chicago. The night before Thanksgiving, Chad and I drove up to Indiana and spent the night with his parents and then on Thanksgiving morning we all headed to Chicago for the weekend. We had a nice drive to Chicago with only 2 bathroom stops.......not bad with a pregnant girl along:) We arrived at our very nice hotel - The Allerton Hotel around 3:30 and relaxed a bit before meeting to head to dinner. We had a little time to kill before dinner that night so we went up to the top of the John Hancock Building and saw a great view of the city at night. We ate at McCormick and Schmick which is a seafood restaurant, but they had a special Thanksgiving meal which everyone but Chad got. It was yummy and we all ended up ordering dessert that night.....so we were quite full!

On Friday we headed out to do some shopping at Crate and Barrel at 9:00 but found that they didn't open until 10:00. So, we went to an indoor mall on Michigan Avenue and shopped around a little before lunch. We headed to the area near Lincoln Park to have lunch at a place called Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders, a place that I had been before with my brother and it's amazing! We got there early and walked over to Lincoln Park Zoo....which is free! I love zoos and we had a ton of fun checking that out until lunch. Lunch was wonderful and it was a hit with everyone. Thanks goodness, since I had really raved about it. After lunch Chad and I went our own way and did some shopping in the afternoon before we had a nice date night at an Indian Restaurant and then to see the musical "Wicked". We had a great meal and the musical was really fun!

On Saturday we started our day by going to Millenium Park to check out the bean sculpture. It's actually called "Cloud Gate", but it looks like a bean and people kind of just called it that. It's really cool and fascinating to look at. The park has such a gorgeous view of the city skyline. Then we checked out the Navy Pier, which was very chilly with the wind off Lake Michigan and not too busy in the morning. We were all starting to get alittle hungry, but didn't have a plan for lunch. We felt like Mexican food, but when you are in a big city you don't really know where to go. I had a little guide book in my purse and flipped through to see if there were any Mexican restaurants and I found "Frontera Grill", which is a restaurant owned by a chef that I know about names Rick Bayless. Sounded good to us and we hopped in a cab. It was delicious. Chad's dad thinks it's the best Mexican food he's had! After lunch Chad and I headed our own way, Chad's mom headed to Nordstroms and his dad back to the hotel. We all did our own thing for the afternoon until dinner. We went to Gap where I tried on some maternity clothes. They had a fake belly you could try on which was kind of fun and enlightening. After I picked out a few things there, we got alittle snack at Starbucks and then just walked around all over. We went down by the river which is such a cool area. A bit cold out, but invigorating as long as you kept moving. We wore ourselves out....or rather I got worn out and headed back to the hotel for a break. Chad headed back out to the Apple Store. That night for our last meal in Chicago we went to a famous classic restaurant called Gene and Georgetti's. We are pretty sure there were some mobsters there. It had that classic italian look with the red checker table clothes and a very lively atmosphere. It was yummy and once again we were full after a big meal. Back to the hotel for bed since were were heading out the next morning.

Sunday we headed out around 9 and our plan was to get to IKEA at opening at 10:00. We got there a little early and they have a cafe that was open and they were actually serving a free breakfast. Cool! We ate and then hit the shopping. We had a list of things we wanted to get, so we had a strategy that made us pretty efficient. We also knew we were limited by the amount of space in the car to get it all home. But, we wound up with a good amount of stuff for our new house and we were really excited! It was snowing when we left and had about 5 1/2 hours driving ahead of us. The roads ended up being fine, but it was a long drive home and we were all very happy to pull into the driveway that night. We got to hang out a bit with Braxton and Sarah (Chad's brother and our sister in law) and our little niece Jolie. We had some yummy tortilla soup that Chad's mom made and I was really to hop in bed by 10:30.

Today (Monday) we headed home for a short 2 1/2 hour drive back to Nashville. We had a wonderful weekend full of memories. But, it feels good to be home and have a little time to relax before getting back to real life. I actually have Tuesday off from work which is wonderful. It's been a nice break. Now it's December and it'll be a whirlwind month. I'm very excited to go to Nebraska for Christmas and then once we get back it's just a few more weeks until we close on our new home! Lot's of changes for us. It's been an exciting year and it's gonna be another exciting year in 2009.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Is There Really a Baby in There?

On November 6th we were able to get our first ultrasound. This was such a huge relief to me. I think once the initial thrill and shock of finding out we were having a baby wore off alittle, I started to feel worried about whether everything was okay. I kept having this horrible fear that maybe I was not really pregnant and that my symptoms were all in my head. I know it sounds crazy, but I couldn't help it. How embarassing that would be to have to tell people that we weren't really having a baby and that Oh, by the way....I'm a crazy person. So, when the ultrasound tech said the wonderful words of "There's the little baby", I think a 2 ton weight was lifted off of me. And to see the little flashes of light on the screen which was the baby's heartbeat. I think it made this all seem much more real to both Chad and I. The timing was perfect because we were flying to Orlando later that day for vacation and I just needed this reassurance that things were okay so I could relax and enjoy our trip.

I'll post the pictures of the ultrasound later.....Or feel free to check them out on Chad's blog.

First Midwife Appointment

Wow! So much has happened since my last blog post and I just haven't taken the time to sit down and compose my thoughts to write about it all. I'll take you back to October 31st, which was our first appointment with our Midwife. Once I found out I was pregnant I had to make a decision on a new Doctor. My current doctor was not an OB, so she could not deliver our baby. Plus, I wasn't too crazy about her anyway. I had heard about a practice here in town called the Vanderbilt Nurse Midwives and I checked out their website and tried to find out what I could about it. I was impressed with what I was reading and hearing and decided to go with it. I get major anxiety when it comes to doctors and hospitals and I wanted an experience that was more personal and tailored to us. Not knowing what to expect at the first appointment, I was hoping for an ultrasound and thinking it would be a full exam and everything. Well, turns out that day the midwife that we will be seeing had to be out on an emergency, so we met with another midwife and it turned out to be more of a consultation. It was great. We talked with her for over an hour and we had nearly 3 notebook pages of questions for her. Then, I found out that she actually went to college with my sisters. We asked many questions about how the process will be with a midwife versus a physician. We felt 100% comfortable with every answer and we were incredible impressed with the patience she had to address each and every concern. We will be delivering the baby at Vanderbilt Hospital and feel great knowing that it's such a reputable medical facility with the capability to deal with absolutely anything. I asked about getting an ultrasound and they send you to a separate place for that and she was happy to schedule one for me about a week later. They also drew lots and lots of blood. I don't deal well with that and had to lay down for awhile. We left feeling good about our decision with the Vanderbilt Midwives. Plus, Chad loves saying the word "midwifery", so that's just an added bonus:)

Peeing on a Stick

Well, now you all know that I am in fact pregnant. Here's the story of the week we figured that out. We knew and hoped that it would be a possibility and I had done plenty of research on the topic to know exactly how to make this happen. During that waiting period of not knowing.....I over analyzed every feeling I had. But, I'm good at that and knew all too well that it could all be in my head. One day I even had a dizzy spell that required me to lay down. But as the day approached that I could "know" for sure I tried to not get my hopes up too much. Tuesday October 7th I did my first pregnancy test. I took it in the morning after Chad had already left and it came up with the words "NOT PREGNANT". My heart sunk and I let Chad know.....we'll have to try again next month. Well....the next few days did not being my "monthly cycle" and so I was confused. I had a couple other pregnancy tests from the internet that I did and both were negative. I was convinced I wasn't pregnant. So, on Friday night Chad and I had gone out to an event at Vanderbilt University and then to coffee afterwards. We have a conversation about how even if this takes us awhile, we need to stay positive and just focus on how much we have to be thankful for and just enjoy life. On the way home I wanted to just pick up another pregnancy test as at this point......still no "monthly cycle". We got home and to put it bluntly, I peed on the stick and set the microwave timer for 3 minutes. I wasn't even eager as I had convinced myself I wasn't pregnant. BUT, the timer went "ding" and I squealed "THERE'S A LINE!". Of course, still not believing it......I had to concur with my favorite source, the internet. The internet said......if there's a line, no matter how faint......YOU ARE PREGNANT. I also had to email a picture of the test to my friends JJ and Anna.....they both agreed....there was a line.

So, that first night was a bit restless as we were in total shock although very excited. The next morning I took another test...just to be sure. Another line! Yayyyyy!

We were able to tell all of our immediate family in person that first week. It was so fun to see the surprised reactions! This will be my parents first little grand baby and the 2nd for Chad parents. The reality is still sinking in and now that the word is out if feels even more real. I'm glad we have over 8 months to prepare for this little person that we will we will be given to love and care for.

Big news from Jen & Chad!

We're having a baby!

Time To Pick Out This Year's Wrapping Paper

We have a really fun Holiday season coming up and to get the whole scoop.....check out Chad's blog. So, today it was getting me in the mood for the Holidays and I started looking at all our holiday pictures from last year. I don't think of myself as a traditional person at all, but then I realized that I do love some of the new little traditions we have around the Holidays. In my family growing up we started a tradition where Greta makes donuts for Christmas breakfast and it's a recipe from my Grandma Petersen that we have all always loved. Now, as much as we don't need donuts...it just wouldn't be Christmas without them. Chad and I have already started a Christmas Tradition where we have our own "Feliz Navidad". Christmas of 2006 is when we got engaged and the day that it happened we had planned on making Mexican food and exchanging our Christmas gifts to each other. Well, little did I know that one of my gifts would be a diamond ring! So, we decided that every year we would have our own Feliz Navidad Celebration with just our own little immediate family. This past year Chad even bought a pinata. So, it might sound kind of silly, but it's now something that we look forward to and it's become a little tradition. It's just gonna get bigger and bigger as the years go on. Our kids will definitely have to wear sombreros.

My "thing" around the holidays is that I love wrapping presents. It sounds crazy, but it's one of the only areas of my life that I am a perfectionist....using double stick tape and everything. So...I have already started looking around for some fabulous wrapping paper. I loved my last years polka dot theme and so we'll see what I pick this year. I just know the suspense it killing you. I'm kind of a nerd.

Oh yeah...I almost forgot to explain the picture of Chad leaping in the air in an adult sized onesie. That was a white elephant gift that we found in the lingerie section of Goodwill. It was hysterical and was the hit of the party at the white elephant gift exchange. That picture is priceless.

No, Chad didn't leave me in Mexico

You may be starting to ask yourself....hmmm...Chad has blogged about 10 times since Mexico and Jen's blog is still saying she is IN Mexico. Don't worry. He didn't leave me there. I will admit he's been out blogging me big time. He's such a great writer. How can I compete? But...then again...we do have our own different little obsessions that we like to write about. What have I been up to lately you wonder?

Some of our new shows have started their new season and so we find ourselves planted on the couch or tivoing then to catch up later. Here are the shows we don't miss. Fringe, Heroes, Biggest Loser, Grey's Anatomy, Project Runway, America's Next Top Model (are we weird?), The Soup (always making fun of America's Next Top Model) and I'm sure I'm missing something. So, one might wonder how we have time for much else. But..we stay busy. Last week we went to Tara, Adam's and Greta's softball games on Tuesday, stayed home Wednesday, had a book club at our house on Thursday (I'll plan on doing a whole blog about that sometime) and dinner at our friends Jonathan and Miriam's house with them and David and Keeli on Friday. So...really we pack in a lot.

So....this is my promise to all my loyal blog readers. I'm going to start being a better blogger and I hate the thought that you have all been deprived of hearing about my mundane and not so mundane activities. I sincerely apologize....please forgive me.

Hola....Como Esta?

Having a fabulous time! Not gonna try to write about everything we've done yet....but some highlights......first stamp in passport, didn't buy a time share!, eating wonderful guacamole daily, snorkeled and saw a sea turtle (so cool!), rented a golf cart to tour an island, having some yummerific food, can't believe how gorgeous the water is and I'll tell you more about it all later!

Framed!

Our house is starting to be framed! We were so excited to drive by and see that the bottom floor of our house is framed! It helps us to see the light at the end of the tunnel. We wrote our contract in February 2008 with a closing date of January 2009 and that seemed an eternity away. But, both Chad and I are actually now happy with the wait. We've been color scheming and planning furniture layouts and basically just obsessing about it....but luckily it's fun for us. I loved my old townhome and I actually really love our apartment, but it's just going to be so special to have our 1st home TOGETHER.

Countdown to Guacamole Heaven!

Two weeks from tomorrow Chad and I will be sitting on the beach in Cancun! Anyone that knows us, probably knows that within minutes of checking in, we will be ordering up some fresh guacamole and salsa. Yummy! They say avocados are a healthy fat....so I'm just going with that.

Chad has already gotten out the suitcase and if I know him...which I do...he'll start packing anyday. We are so excited to have our first "out of the country" vacation together. And....it's our first beach/relaxation type of vacation which I think we are both looking forward to. We plan on doing just 1 or 2 tours/excursions with snorkeling and then just doing nothing but chilling out.

Stay tuned for vacation updates.......

Married 35 Years and Still Happy in Love!

My Parents, that is. They just got back from a 3,200 mile 10 day trip that they took riding their Harley! Starting in Nebraska through Colorado, Utah, Arizona and back. What an awesome way to celebrate their 35th Anniversary. They looked forward to this trip for a long time and it's been so fun to hear about their motorcycle adventures. My mom said once that "They feel like newlyweds again!". That means so much to me to hear and I love looking at their pictures from their trip and knowing that they are best friends and had a trip of a lifetime together. I can't imagine being more thankful for them and I think they are the best parents ever! Just wish they lived closer!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD! LOVE YOU LOTS!

A bit of everything we love all wrapped up in a Friday

I'd call today perfect. And...it's only 5:30. Today was one of my days off and Chad took the day off too! So, we just planned on having a really fun and relaxing day. Sleeping in, cashing in all our loose change we have been accumulating, lunching in downtown Franklin, strolling around and shopping in the little shops, me- getting ice cream, Chad - getting Chocolate at his favorite place, going to the paint store for paint swatch ideas and THEN.......FINALLY going to see if they have started our new house! Yayyyyyy.....the foundation is ready to be poured! It's kind of surprising how exciting it is to just see a mess of pipes sticking out of the ground and wood framing in where the concrete will go. But...we know that it's so much more than that. It's going to be our new home and we can't wait. We stopped in at the model home in the neighborhood we are building and had our paint swatches, measuring tape and notebook and just spent forever pondering ideas. Fun and overwhelming.

In just a bit we are going to a Nashville Sounds Baseball game. Our church (www.thevillagechapel.com) has a section reserved and it's something called Family Faith night. Should be a lot of fun!

We realized we are nerds. We sat across the table each with our own I-phones. No need to talk when you can text!

It's All About Goats

That is the name of the "Summer Saturday" event we went to at the Ellington Agricultural Center right by our house. The highlight (obvious by the name) was goats. And....I just love goats and think they are the cutest things ever! Also at the Ellington Ag Center, they keep the horses that are used by Metro Police Dept. and we were able to see their stables and watch several of them getting their baths and feet cleaned. It was like a day of the farm in the middle of the city.

More Blueberries........

Gotta use up all the fresh blueberries I bought....so for dinner we had Oatmeal Blueberry Pancakes and roasted red potatoes. Yummerific!

Muffin Mania

Here's my blueberry creation! I've been a bit obsessed about baking muffins lately, so it seemed like the most logical thing to make. The recipe called for 1 cup of blueberries and I have this thing when I cook that I tend to add "just a little more" and they are oozing blueberries. I told Chad to "eat it over the sink." But, they are extremely healthy with bran and flax seed and very little sugar and really YUMMY!

Low-Fat Blueberry Muffins

Contrast of Culinary Delights

What a fun day Chad and I have had starting at a workout at the Y (thank goodness) because from there it was lunch at Zacky's Hotdogs which is a hotdog place in historic Germantown. Yummy! Got the turkey dog with authentic Chicago style relish and ketchup. My first time trying any type of relish and I loved it! Hotdogs have made a big comeback with at least 4 specialty hot dog restaurants here in Nashville. A fave being....I Dream of Weenie:)

After the unhealthy lunch indulgence we headed to the Farmer's Market which I LOVE! It's so colorful and inspiring and great for people watching. I didn't go crazy with produce, but I did get: 2 sweet potatoes, 1 green chile pepper, a couple normal sized heirloom tomatoes, a small basket of tiny heirloom tomatoes, 2 ears of sweet corn and a basket of fresh blueberries. I'm most excited about the blueberries and I'll be sure to blog about what I decide to make.

This is my favorite kind of day and I got to spend it with my best friend.

Speaking of Happy Nests.....

we are patiently (okay, maybe not so much) waiting for our new nest to be built!  We are so excited to buy a place together that is ours where we can start a family:)  Our anticipated move-in date isn't until January 9th, so it will be a great way to start the new year.  In fact they haven't even started on ours.  Kind of like the saying "a watched pot doesn't boil", we have decided not to drive by our empty lot for 1 month in hopes that something will happen.

To check out a video of a model home that is the same as ours, follow the link and click on the Dunnaway plan!  Enjoy!

Centex Homes -Dunnaway

Us...Looking Fabulous!