12 is the Magic Number

I've been counting my blessings since the whole pregnancy journey began. The counting, of course, started with finding out that we were pregnant but I think I really started racking up the blessings when I escaped the dreaded first trimester "morning" sickness. I even enjoyed no more than the usual pre-pregnancy crabass-age (or mood swings if you prefer).

The whole process has been such a breeze that I wouldn't even believe that I was pregnant unless it were for the ultrasound!

Well, as it turns out, 12 is my magic number. On Friday, I entered my 12th week of pregnancy. On Saturday I couldn't find enough food in the house to keep me satisfied. I ate, and ate, and ate and still my stomach rumbled!

Fast forward to today, Tuesday. I woke up this morning at 5am from a vivid dream - ok, so that's one more symptom that I'm suffering from, vivid and memorable dreams. The dream goes a little like this: Stephen and I were in what looked like movie theater seating. My parents were there, my Aunt Amy & Uncle Jim, Cousin DeeDee and Great Aunt Betty. Everybody was hugging and smiling and congratulating us about the baby. But then, Aunt Betty wrapped her arms around me and I just lost it completely. I began SOBBING uncontrollably. No reason, it was a VERY happy dream. But I just couldn't hold it in any more. My dream crying woke me up where I proceeded to be racked with sobbing, for real.

Again, I didn't really have any reason to be so moved! Yes, this process is scary. Yes, I have no idea what I'm doing. But I also have full confidence that I can do it and I have an amazing partner by my side to lean on when ever needed.

So after a few minutes of steeping in my own tear soaked pillow I decided that I needed a change of scenery. Maybe if I got away from "the scene of the crime" I could focus on something else and stop the blasted crying.

So I got up and made myself some Malt-O-Meal for breakfast. I poured the water in the pot, added all the ingredients and as I stirred tears rolled down my cheeks. My lips twisted in grimace. When it was finished, I sat down at the kitchen table and nursed my breakfast while I read a magazine thru bleary eyes and tear stained glasses.

Finally finished with my breakfast and fed up with my behavior, I slipped into some workout clothes and got my heart pumping. Finally, relief! Something else to focus my energy into...for a half hour.

After my work out, it was time to get ready for the day. So I went back into the bedroom where Stephen was groggily wishing the sun wasn't up yet. I sat down and was telling him about my morning (I had been up for about an hour and a half by then). And the damn tears started again.

I thought I was going to be in trouble ALL day long!

Thankfully, I wasn't. As soon as I got to work, my brain locked in on the task at hand and the day went by without so much as a whimper.

But I didn't stay that lucky.

I picked up a few movies from the Library today, so after dinner I popped in "Juno". For those of you who don't know, it's a charming story about a 16 year old girl who gets pregnant. It has just enough humor and happy endings to make it light and easy to swallow. How was I supposed to know that I was going to unintentionally torture myself for the duration?

Well, this may be the most powerful movie I've ever seen (even thought I thought it was too annoying to even get thru the first half hour the first time I tried to watch it a year ago). Or at least that's what you'd think if you had watched me watching this movie. Thankfully, Stephen was at Aikido class and only witnessed the last twenty minutes of me and the movie.

Again! Uncontrollable sobbing, however, this time, the tears were mixed with deep belly laughs. I was completely amazed at myself! I don't crumble like this! I'm a woman in control. But this movie triggered in me some torrent flood of unstoppable erratic emotions and I could do nothing but strap in for the horrific ride.

*sigh*

Now it's 9pm, bedtime. I think I should be able to make it up the stairs and into bed with out slipping in a puddle of my own salty brine.

So, apparently, 12 is MY magic pregnancy number where the symptoms really started to hit hard.

Peanut Watson

Yes, it's true! With God's blessing, Stephen & I will be welcoming the newest generation of the Watson clan in March 2010. We're pregnant!

"Peanut", as we are calling it, is now 10.5 weeks along and we've just come from the doctor's office where we had our 3rd visit and ultrasound.

Everything is going splendidly, and I've had no trouble at all these last several weeks. This includes no morning sickness (knocking on wood)! In fact, things are going so well, Peanut is already 6 days ahead of schedule - that's my little overachiever!

I'm so excited that the ultrasound picture turned out so well. For those of you who need decyphering, in the photo above you can see the baby's head & brain (inside the large black spot, on the left side), the baby's body (almost the same size as the head) and just above the baby's nose, is a little hand with 5 fingers waving hello!

We still don't know the gender (won't know for a good 10 more weeks or so) but we did see the beautiful little heart beating, the umbilical cord pulsing and lots of other interesting things like the brain and an eyeball.

So that's the latest news for us, stay tuned for updates as we branch out on another crazy adventure.

Don't forget to check out the latest photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/nikkiwatson/sets

Keep us in your thoughts and prayers! And stay in touch.

Totally new car buying experience

Stephen and I committed to our next new vehicle - 2010 Volvo XC60. It was a totally new car buying experience. Our "car salesman" was more like a waiter than a salesman. He took our order! We selected the features and functions that we wanted, he wrote them down and now they're off to the factory for the order to get "cooked up".

We're expecting to be able to take delivery on the new car sometime in November. Oh, and that too will be an experience! Volvo offers several options to pick up your vehicle: 1) from the dealer or 2) from the factory.

We decided that we wanted to take the Volvo Experience and pick up our new car at the factory in Sweden. This option had 2 methods: 1) fly up, drive home or 2) train/ferry up, drive/ferry home.

We decided we wanted to take the ferry option. Apparently this is an overnight party cruise ferry. It leaves from Kiel Germany (WAY up nort') sails thru the night and ports in Gotenberg Sweden.

After we arrive, we'll be able to tour the factory, see the crash test facility and do other Volvo inspired activities before we pick up our new machine. After we pick the car up, we drive back to the ferry, cruise back thru the night and drive home.



We're so very happy with this whole process and can't wait to get our new car. However, in the mean time our BMW is now on the market.