Sorry 'bout that

I feel like I owe Jack an apology. We were both excited for today because I finally went to the doctor again. It was suppose to be for our first ultrasound. So Jack got off of work early and went with me. We got there and ended up waiting foreverrrrrrr. I have no idea why it took so long, but it did. Imagine Jack and I in a small little examining room all alone. Jack was like a 5 year old - wanting to investigate everything and play with all the little trinkets. Hopefully he didn't permanently break anything. But anyway, finally the doctor came in. But to our dismay, no ultrasound today. Apparently that is scheduled for a different appointment. So Jack waited patiently with me for over an hour, and all he got to see what was goes on when a girl gets a pap smear. Sorry Jack. I'm sure that was more than you ever wanted to know.

But anyway, we will have our first ultrasound for real on Monday. We were both bummed not to have it today after so many people have been asking about it, but Jack handled it well. He even cooked me dinner!

The Bet.

Jack has won the first battle of parenthood - the battle over whether to find out the sex of our baby. At first I liked the idea of being surprised. Because, you have to admit, that would be a pretty big surprise. But as the weeks go on, and Jack continues to use phrases like "our son" and "Bruce" when referring to our unborn child, he has convinced me to find out the sex ahead of time. My biggest reason is that if it does end up being a girl, I don't want to go for 9 months talking about Bruce and then Whoa! it's a girl! That would be quite a switch. I think it's probably a good thing to know ahead of time so we can both be mentally prepared.

So now that we have both agreed to find out the sex another debate has ensued. Of course we will both be thrilled with no matter what we have. But Jack insists that it's going to be a boy, and I have a gut feeling it is going to be a girl. So what else should we do but make a little wager? Maybe betting on your child is not a good habit to get into, but for now it's all in fun. So the question is, what should the stakes be? It has to be something good (because of course I am going to win ;).

Seriously, give us suggestions. The bet is on.

In related news, I go to the dr. in a week for my first sonogram! More to come on that later...

For the Love of a Dog

Meet Boomer - The best dog ever. Boomer is a Lab/Golden Retriever Mix. We got him about a year ago when he was just a 12 pound pup. Now he's 81 pounds of lovable goodness. If you've ever gotten to meet Boomer, you know what a great dog he is. He doesn't know a ton of tricks, but he's really good at the basics: high fives, sit, lay down, etc. But better than that, he is great outside. When he needs to go to the bathroom, we let him out the back door, he does his business, and then nudges the door back open when he's ready to come in. If he takes longer than you want you just call his name and he's back in a flash. This is especially nice on days when it's raining or in the winter when it's really cold. I sit comfortably inside while he goes out and does his thing.

On top of being a good listener, he is also a great cuddler. It's a good thing we have a king size bed, because by the time you get me, Jack, and Boomer in there, there's not a lot of room left. Usually I get sandwiched in between the two of them. Occasionally, when laying on the couch, Boomer will jump up and lay smack on top of me. While it's not the most comfortable, I don't really mind. He just wants to be close to us, and that's a good feeling.

To be perfectly honest, last summer I wasn't really thrilled about getting a dog. To me all dogs were just annoying, slobbery, hairy things that jump all over you all the time. But I'm happy to say that Boomer has proved me wrong. He's the perfect dog - no jumping or licking! I may not have wanted a dog before, but now I can't imagine myself without him. It's great to come home to someone who is so excited to see you! We may not have the best luck with cats, but if anything ever happened to Boomer I would be devastated! When I think about it, if I can love Boomer this much, how much more will I love our baby when it gets here in the spring? I can't wait to find out!

Update

We* are now into our 11th week of pregnancy, so as things grow and change, I'll try to document as much as possible. (* I say "we" because even though I am the one that is actually pregnant, Jack is just as much a part of this as I am.)

This week baby Donohoe is about the size of a prune (about 2 inches). Sometimes I wonder if there really is something inside of me. I can't believe that something so tiny will grow into a fully functioning human. It really is an amazing process. So far I haven't felt a huge impact physically. I can't tell if I've really gained weight - maybe 2 or 3 pounds throughout the whole process, but nothing major yet. And as far as I can tell, I feel fine. I probably get asked 5 - 10 times per day (no, that's not an exaggeration) about how I'm feeling. So far I have not thrown up at all - no morning sickness! I definitely feel blessed about that part (I think teaching would be a little difficult if I had to rush out to vomit every so often). But I also feel a little guilty - I'm not sure if guilty is the right word, but I guess I feel like if I'm really pregnant then I should be a little sick too. It's only fair right? But I guess different people handle pregnancy differently - at least that's what I've been told. So I'll try to relax and just enjoy the fact that the prune-sized fetus inside me is not causing spontaneous vomiting.

In other related news, we have started accumulating our first baby gear. We have gotten a few presents - including diapers, onesies/neutral clothing items, a teddy bear, etc. We also got our first baby furniture. A little early? Perhaps. But it's never too early when you find a good deal. I went to a big consignment sale last week and found a crib, changing table, stroller, bedding, and lamp for dirt cheap. It's all used, but in great condition. I ended up paying $100 for what could easily cost $500 or more brand new.

Slowly the pieces are coming together. It is still very early on, and we have a long way to go. But the shock is starting to wear off so the excitement can set in. I now find myself watching shows like Jon & Kate plus 8, and Bringing Home Baby, and a Baby Story with a whole new appreciation and fascination. I feel like I have 7 months to learn everything there is to know about having a new born. I have come to the conclusion though that you can never be totally prepared for a baby. So I guess we'll just do what we can and see what happens!

Ok that's all for now... this is starting to get as long as one of Jack's posts... ;)