19 weeks

This week has been a fun week. I've felt Newbie a few times this week, which has been cool. I've also eaten as much Mexican food as I could get...if I didn't already love it so much, I might call it a craving. Yesterday at the end of my workday in the office, several of us were talking about our favorite Mexican food restaurants. When I left work, I drove straight to a small tortilla factory that has the best chips and fresh salsa. Yummy! I stopped after that on an errand to Wal-Mart, and I sat in the Wal-Mart parking lot for about 5 minutes just chowing down on salsa. :)

After my errand, I tucked a napkin in my shirt and put everything within hand's reach so I could enjoy my chips and salsa on the way. Probably not my safest moment, and I did put it away after a bit. And oh, it was so yummy.

One would think that so much salsa would bring on some heartburn, but I haven't had any trouble this week. I told a guy yesterday, "I don't know what women complain about; this pregnancy thing is easy!" He immediately said, "And I'm sure they've all been wrong about delivery as well!"

Well, I wouldn't go that far. I've SEEN delivery, and it sure didn't look easy.

Though I will say that getting up and going to bed has become a slight chore. In the evening, there's the body pillow (which retains an enormous amount of heat, by the way) on my back to keep me sleeping on my left side. That pillow is turned and tucked in between my knees to keep my hips in the right place. Then I have a small pillow tucked under my belly...no real reason except I'm not used to the feeling of my belly hanging over. It's weird. And oh, I have to wear a bra during the night, so it still feels like I'm ready for the day, or maybe just taking a nap. I don't get that "Aah, comfy t-shirt and into bed I go" feeling at night any more. I miss it.

So in the morning it's not so bad, except my body pillow seems to have raised the temperature in the bed by about 10 degrees. After my shower I have to put the stretch cream on. Which, by the way, I wouldn't recommend until the second trimester. I started just about as soon as I found out I was pregnant, which was silly because my baby was the size of a pea. Now it's more important, as pretty soon Newbie won't be so many ounces as he will be pounds.

A funny thing happened to me at work yesterday. I was not wearing a maternity shirt, but one that had an empire waist with a billowy bottom section. When I walked in, a lady I worked with gushed, "You look so cute. Is that a maternity shirt? It looks like the boobie fairy has been visiting you!!"

The wha..??? Who?? Eh??

Yeah, just about the weirdest thing I've ever heard. But it made me laugh for sure! And she's right; I've had to pick out some new bras lately, though I'm told the boobie fairy is not done, yet.

Moving on....I think the pregnant hot-naturedness has hit. It could be the 100-degree temps outside, but I don't think so. I take my sweater everywhere, and I haven't used it in about two weeks. Well, once at church I did, but even hot people get cold in church. We're looking at getting some fans pretty soon, so that will be nice.

And hm...anything else? Did I tell you I felt the baby?? Yeah, that was cool....

So where is Newbie in all this, besides tapping on my insides? Well, he's about 8.5 ounces and 6 inches long. His brain is developing like crazy, and he's gotten just about all his limbs in proportion to each other now. BabyCenter says, "Don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you." If you know me (and you do), you know the mood strikes me quite a bit!

And that's it for this week! Whew! I haven't added a new photo to the sidebar because we take the picture on the weekends, so you'll get one sometime early next week.

I did it!

I finally got my belly pics up! The numbers are for the week it was taken. Check it out in the sidebar!

The second hello

I've read that after the first "tap tap" from the inner sanctum, it may be days or even weeks before feeling the baby again. So, I wasn't too worried about it. Today, though, at dinner, I had a nice little bop on my stomach! Haha! It made me smile immediately. Hello Baby!

18 Weeks: Hello Baby!

Jon and I talk to Newbie a lot: Hello, baby. Good night, baby. We love you, little baby!

So, it was a great feeling yesterday when Baby talked back! Jon and I had just finished up dinner and were discussing the day together, when I felt something low in my belly. It was gone before I was even aware of it, but I'm pretty sure those little flutterings were Newbie wiggling around! Hooray! It's good to have tangible evidence without having to wait the month between dr. visits.

We're now at 18 weeks. This week I have shown a bit of absentmindedness. The other day I was talking to KarenN on the phone about 10am. I realized that I hadn't eaten breakfast, yet, so I started scrounging around the kitchen while I was talking to her. Suddenly I realized I was making nachos!! So, I ate them. I had cereal for lunch to balance things out.

As a side note, after the cereal I got a splitting headache--the first one I've had in several days. Maybe I'm reacting to the milk?? Don't really want to chug a glass to find out.

So back to the nachos: I think cheese is my craving...specifically Mexican-food-related cheese. Cheese enchiladas, Taco Bell tacos (with cheese), queso and chips, nachos. Those have always been on my Very Yummy list, but I'm pretty sure I could eat them every day and be happy. I love cheese and spicy stuff!

And speaking of spicy stuff, I've started to have my first bouts of heartburn. Perhaps it's related to the jalapenos and other spicy peppers I've been eating.... Nah.....

Newbie is still growing! 5 1/2 inches from crown to rump, and 7 ounces. His ears are in their final position, though Baby Center says they may still be sticking out some. Heehee.... So, if you want to talk to my belly, the baby can hear you now!

I'm starting to look more pregnant and less like I ate a plateful of enchiladas (not that I didn't....). So, maybe some belly pics will come soon! I've been taking one a week, but they just haven't been that eventful until recently.

17 Weeks

The weeks are just clicking by! The big news this week is that Leanna and I went baby mama clothes shopping yesterday. We had a lot of fun, and I was SO glad Lea was there to help me make decisions. And today I'm wearing a new tank tops and shorts! Hooray! We bought some cool and casual summer clothes, as well as a few things I could wear to work/church. The fun purchase of the day was black leggings: we'll see if I have the guts to wear them! We found a cute shirt that goes with them pretty well. Now all that's left is finding the perfect flats. A girl's wardrobe is never complete!

Newbie is 5 inches long from head to rear. I just pulled out a ruler, and that's quite large! I feel like I have a baby belly, but not one big enough to house a 5-inch baby! Newbie's bones are starting to harden, and lots of good growth continues to happen. Only three more weeks before the Big Reveal! I've added a poll in the side column so you can make your final predictions. I have a feeling how most of you will vote....I've even already gotten a lamb with a pink ribbon in the mail from my aunt and uncle! Sheesh.

Dr. Appointment

Yesterday we made our monthly trek to the doctor. (Trek used for dramatic purposes; her office is about 5 minutes away requiring all of four turns.) Remembering how long we waited last time, we were armed with books, and I gulped down a glass of water on the way out the door, figuring I'd have an hour or so for it to make its way through for the urinalysis. :)

However, when we got in the office, we were one of three people in the waiting room, and my name was pretty close to the top of the list. So, before settling down to wait, I decided I better go get that urinalysis over with. Sure enough, as I came out of the bathroom, a nurse said she was ready for me! Okay, let me just go grab my husband!

I weighed in, and the scale said I gained two pounds since last month (one pound overall). My scale at home says I've gained 5 pounds overall, but either way the nurse seemed fine with my weight. BabyCenter says I should have gained a bit more weight by now, but I'm sure it will all catch up to me. When that time comes, I'm hoping all these creams I'm putting on my belly do their job and prevent those stretch marks!

I told the nurse about my constant headaches, including some pretty sharp ones sometimes. She said it sounded like a blood pressure problem, but no, my BP was 109/76 or something like that. And that was after she made me nervous telling me I might have a problem!

On to the listening the baby's heartbeat: at first the nurse had trouble finding it (the dr. was out of the office, so the nurse did everything today), but she was just looking in the wrong place. Eventually she found a nice steady heartbeat. She didn't tell me the heartrate, so I can't tell you that. She did say it was strong, and she could tell that Newbie was moving quite a bit. I can't wait to feel those little movements!

We didn't measure the uterus like I thought would happen this week. She said it wasn't big enough, yet, and we'd probably start that next month. She said the headaches are probably hormonal, and she prescribed a stronger medicine for it than the Tylenol I had been taking.

After a few more questions, we were done! In at 4:00 and out by 4:30. Next month will take much longer, because we get to see Newbie again, this time to find out the gender! Plus, they use that sonogram to take lots of measurements, so it takes awhile. Hey, the longer I get to see the baby, the better!

And that's this month's report!

16 weeks!

Another week has passed! I've blogged a couple times this week, so not much to update on my end. Oh! The biggest thing this week was that KarenN helped me trade out all my normal clothes for maternity! It was pretty crazy, and I'm so thankful for her help. We ended up with two trash bags full of stuff for Goodwill, two big Rubbermaid bins full of normal clothes, and a closet full of maternity! I am so blessed to have received all the clothes I have. Most of the summer clothes are pretty outdated, so some of it is going to Goodwill as well, and I'll be contributing to the "summer collection" through this summer. I've already added a pair of shorts and a cute top! And hopefully Leanna's going to go shopping with me next week so we can add even more! (Right, Leanna??) I haven't actually cleared it with her, but I'm hoping she says yes. :)

It's fun to have a whole new wardrobe, but also a little intimidating. I don't have my old standbys and I don't know what tops go with what pants. All my favorite comfy clothes are gone. So yeah, I went through a little shock, but it's also so nice to know that whatever I pull out will fit! Some of it's still too big, but a lot of it works just fine.

The Norvells got me a high chair this week, and are scouting out the perfect Pack 'N Play. It's amazing how much variety is out there. I tried to look at baby toys online the other day and quickly got overwhelmed. I think my kid is going to play with cardboard boxes and pots and pans--if only so I don't have to decide what to register for!

On the baby front, Newbie is 4.5 inches, and is "poised for a growth spurt." In the next few weeks he'll double his weight! And sometime in there I'll start to feel his little movements. How cool will that be!

I've got an appointment on Monday--just routine stuff--though John tells me we'll get to hear the heartbeat every time, which is way too neat to be labeled routine.

The Baby Belly Blues

I think baby bellies are so cute. I'm sad when I hear of a woman who feels fat or wants to hide her belly. I don't have much of a belly, but once people have known I was pregnant, I was excited to show it off. I don't mind people commenting on it (as long as the word "fat" is not involved), and I don't mind people touching it.

So imagine my surprise when I tried on a dress on Saturday night, and I was shocked at what I saw. The dress is particularly unforgiving--the stretchy fabric makes it a good transition dress, but it's one of those dresses I've always worn with a conscious effort to suck in my pooch. And now there was no sucking in. That pooch was out there to stay. And it didn't look like pregnant pooch to me at that moment.

I came out to Jon and said, "I'm not skinny anymore!!"

(Not that I would ever describe myself as "skinny," but it made for a more dramatic statement.)

Jon hugged me and affirmed, no, that I was not, but that I wasn't supposed to be, and I looked beautiful.

I wore the dress the next day to church, and by that time I'd gotten a little more used to the idea. I did get immediate comments about my belly when I walked into Sunday School, and I just decided to enjoy it. I mean, how often will I get to wear this dress and not worry about sucking in?

I'm standing at a slight angle, which makes the belly protrude less than in real life. Believe me, it was quite noticeable!

Dreams

On Saturday night, I dreamed that I got my sonogram, and we were having a boy! At the end of my dream, I saw the newborn little baby boy. The odd part (and there always is one in my dreams) is that I was giving myself the sonogram, and had to stand on the bed to see the monitor, which was mounted on the wall near the ceiling.

Last night, I dreamed I was starting to nurse for the first time (I was a champ at it, by the way), and I was nursing a baby girl...who, in retrospect, did not look like a newborn at all. She had lots of dark curls and looked more like...a one-year-old maybe?

Some women say they just had a feeling about what gender their baby was. I think the past two nights' dreams prove that I still have no idea!

Fifteen Weeks

Another week has zoomed past! I got to see my grandparents whom I don't see very often, and show off the little baby belly that I have. I'm quite proud of it. If you mention it, it will make me smile. :) My in-laws are here this week as well, so there's another part of the family who hasn't seen me since I announced.

The past two days I've been wearing maternity shorts--the kind with the hideous full panel. I definitely do not fit in that, yet, but it worked when I rolled and tucked and folded the panel down. Today I pulled out some capri pants, this time with a yoga-wear-like elastic waistband, and it fits just perfectly. Thanks Karen! I think these are my new favorite pants. That paired with my favorite tees from Motherhood (they're not frumpy, and they're nice and long), and I'm good to go.

I've also designed out what the nursery will look like! I'll scan it in and put it up soon, I hope. I'm really excited about it.

A couple weeks ago my mom and I sat down and rearranged the house (on paper), so Jon and I will start shifting things around pretty soon. Then by the time my mom comes on Labor Day to help us organize everything, we'll have hopefully gone through all the junk stuff in our storage closet and thrown away what we don't really need.

I'm realizing I do need to simplify things. I've cleaned out all my magazines, which is really a small part of the Norvell household, but it's a step! And an admission that I can't keep everything. I'm tired of all the random things stuffed into our house, but I haven't been willing to actually cull anything out. So, maybe I will do that now.

Other than that, things have been quiet! Newbie is 4 inches long now. When I say that, it doesn't sound like a big deal. Then I look at something that's about 4 inches long and I think, "Wow! I can't believe there's a 4-inch long baby inside me!" I don't know when I'll get over the craziness of carrying a living being in my belly--probably about the time I push it out!

Oh, so that brings up another story. On Mother's Day weekend, my mom was helping me try to get an earring in my cartilage piercing. I had my head down on the bathroom counter because I was feeling faint, my mom had put a cool damp cloth on my neck, I was holding a piece of ice up to my hear, and yelling, "Ow! Let me do it! Ooohh....be careful!!" and making all kinds of commotion about my ear. At one point I looked at my mom and said, "I guess I should get the epidural, huh?" and she quickly replied, "Yes, dear."

Fourteen weeks and falling apart!

I seemed to have missed officially reporting on week 13. Well, I guess we'll just say it was uneventful.

Week 14, however, has had its share of events. I seem to be falling apart! Apparently, during my pregnancy, my ligaments and joints will start to loosen. This is to prepare for the Great Trip that Newbie will take. All the books warn of trouble during exercising, etc, because of these loose ligaments. I figured that would happen around, oh...week 36 or so. You know, just in time for Newbie to come. However, that seems to not be the case.

I was at DFW airport, grabbing my bags to board for Boston, when I jammed my finger. I have no idea how--I did nothing more than open and close my hand--but my finger felt like it had been jammed. I had severe pain for a few minutes, then it subsided to an ache for a day or so, and then it was gone.

My foot also started hurting. This actually started the weekend before when we were visiting my parents. It went away during the week (because I don't walk much), but the miles of walking I did every day in Boston, and the weight of conference paraphernalia took its toll. I'm sure pregnancy was only one factor in my foot problems.

My feet have also been going to sleep much easier. Just by crossing my legs (which is the way I always sit), I feel that tingling sensation only a few minutes later. No more leg-crossing for me, I suppose.

I've been trying to sleep with a body pillow, to keep me on my left side (which is recommended) and to help my hip alignment or something. It's working okay, but it's literally like having another body in the bed. Pregnant people need King-sized beds for all the pregnancy junk.

Oh, and Jon and I officially made the switch so I'd be on the side of the bed that's closer to the bathroom! So far, I only wake up once in the night, and even then not every night, but I hear it only gets worse, so we might as well get used to it.

Newbie's about 3 1/2 inches long, and his big accomplishment this week is that he's starting to pee--a feat I'm sure we'll witness often in his future. Maybe there's a proportional connection to the baby's peeing and mom's need to pee. Hm...interesting.

Well, that's the update! Until next time!

Telling Work

On Wednesday, I got to tell everyone at work. Monday's sonogram had confirmed that we'd made it through the first trimester, and it was time to share the news! I wanted to tell my boss first, because it's only right. He was in a meeting, and I haunted his door until he made it back. He'd barely sat down when I popped in and closed the door. I handed him an envelope with the sonogram pics in it. He pulled them out then looked at me. "You?" he asked. "Yep!"

He was almost giddy. He reached across the desk and shook my hand. (There's a misconception around work that I'm not a hugger, but that's another story.) He said he felt like he was getting another grandchild, he was so proud. Later he wrote me a nice e-mail saying what a great mother I would be.

After that, my next stop was Jan, who has been my "work mom" since I got to Texas Life. I showed off my locket Jon had given me. I'd put a sonogram picture in it (I know, no one knows what it is except me, and that's okay), and I said, "Well, here's the real picture so you can see it better" and hander her the sonogram. She was so excited. She said, "I thought this morning, 'Lydia looks pregnant!' "

Well, we work in cubicles, so announcing to Jan meant that two other women knew in about 23 seconds. And that was how it started. After that, it wasn't long before most everyone knew. We're a company of about 120 people--30 who know me--and the Marketing Dept is good at spreading news, what can I say? Pretty soon people started showing up, saying, "I was told to come see you." I even got an e-mail from a girl who doesn't even work there anymore! It was so great.

I'm the youngest in my department, so most everyone I told already has children, and it felt like they were welcoming me to their club. Like I'd entered a new stage, and they were all happy for me to be there with them. I guess the newlywed stage is so much shorter than the children stage; it must be harder to relate to.

And that was that! I think that's all the announcing I'll be doing. It's been so much fun to spread good news. We're so blessed to have family and friends to rejoice with us!

Welcome Public World!

Hey! If you're just getting to the blog for the first time, welcome! Be sure and read and comment!

If you're wondering why I waited so long to make it public, I had some people at work who read my lmnovations blog, so I didn't want them to find out and pass the news on to my boss before I told him myself.

More later about announcing to work!

A great trip to the Doctor

Today's appointment was great! It started out with a two-hour wait...it seems that waiting comes with the territory--both with this doctor and with choosing the last appointment of the day. We were the last people in the waiting room, and by the time we made it to the back, I was extremely tired.

According to their scale, I've actually lost weight--one pound. The doctor said that was perfectly fine. My blood pressure was fine, as was my urine sample (put that in there for Margie). My bloodwork from last month was fine as well.

After that, we waited again. I asked the nurse what we were doing today, and she said just listening to the heartbeat. Woohoo! Finally, the Dr. came in and pulled out the Dopplar. She warned us that we might not find the heartbeat, and if we didn't, we'd check things out on sonogram. Okay by us. Well, she found it! A nice whooshy heartbeat! Dr. K said the heart rate was 168, which means people would tell me it's a girl.

Then, she said, "Eh, y'all have been so patient; let's do the sonogram anyway."

Hooray!! Already elated by hearing the hearbeat, we skipped over to the sonogram room. The last sonogram, the tech just took the shots she needed and that was pretty much it. But, we were the last people in the office and Dr. K was in no hurry. She gave us a good long look at our little Newbie, and took lots of pictures for us. We got to keep them all! The cool thing was how active Newbie was! He was wiggling and kicking and waving his arms...it was so fun! Dr. K said an active baby meant that people would tell us we're having a boy.

We saw arms and legs, tiny toes, eyes and mouth....

The smudge at the top is a hand, with his arm extending to the right (you can see the radius and ulna already formed).

This is a shot of his back, looking a little like a turtle.

And this is my favorite of the 2D shots. His little bum is pointed straight up, his knees are tucked out of site, and at the top are his tiny toes!

Then, Dr. K switched the sonogram over to 3D, which was awesome (and normally something you have to pay extra for). Newbie was so active, that we didn't get very many good looks from it, but she did catch one good shot of his face with his arm covering it. Jon and I decided that Newbie is pretty darn cute, so tiny and all.

Can you see his little face?? How cool is that?!

By 6:30, we left the office, far later than we'd expected, but with far more, as well. Again, I am overwhelmingly awed by a God who would bless us with a baby, and who would take care of the little things like finding the perfect doctor, and calming our fears with an unexpected sonogram.

Last Night's Dream

Last night I dreamed that the dr. found from testing that the baby I was carrying was "humanoid," which in my dream meant half human and half something else. The doctor recommended I come back in a month to terminate the pregnancy. I refused, and even followed the dr. out of the office and explained to her why. I told her how disappointed I was because I had chosen her because she was a Christian, and I expected her to practice according to her beliefs.

It was a disturbing dream, and touched on my fears about the testing. I have no doubt that we would keep the baby, but I guess I worry about the results in general, and then the response of the doctor.

I don't even know if/when we will get the tests done, but I do know that God is in control, and He is knitting our little baby together right now.

Off to the dr. in a few hours! I'll give a report after that.

And we're at the Twelve-Week mark!

My What to Expect book doesn't say "Congrats, you've made it through the first trimester!" until week 14. Not sure I understand that. I think I've made it, and that's all that counts, right? (I love this postmodern world....) (Okay, I really don't. I'm completely making fun.)

So, in the last week...I gained half a pound! Woohoo! And by that, I mean a half pound this whole trimester. We'll see if the doctor's okay with that when I go in on Monday. The nurse will be. She seemed to think that that office churned out some fat babies, which, in her opinion, leads to uterus and bladder problems in the mother. The less you gain, the better. I'm pretty sure that's her own opinion, not supported by the office.

I've added a new feature in the sidebar: when my next appointment is and what we'll be doing at that appointment. I've got bloodwork on there because I think that's what she said. If we want testing for chromosomal issues or other potential problems, it will happen in the next few appointments. So if there's anything in our family history that I need to check for, let me know! I think the options for testing are: Down Syndrome, cystic fibrosis, spina bifida, and that's all I can remember.

Right now I'm fighting a cold--nothing big, just annoying. The doctor's office said it's nothing to worry about, just take Tylenol and drink fluids. So that's what I'm doing!

My stomach has gotten decidedly firmer, though it hasn't really grown much lately. And Newbie is developing reflexes this week! "Reflexes" makes me think of a ninja for some reason, but in this context they just mean opening and closing fists. Oh well. I'm sure I'll feel the ninja part later, when I will be able to see Newbie's feet and elbows kicking me from the inside.

Eleven weeks already!

This week has flown by (as evidenced by my lack of posting). It's been busy at work, busy at home trying to get a photography business up and running, and I've been exhausted.

I haven't noticed much change in myself this week, though Newbie has grown another quarter inch. I'd given up Pilates to pursue extra sleep this past week, but today I started back to Pilates. I'm hoping it will help give me energy.

I haven't had any cravings--of course, I've always been easily influenced by suggestion, so maybe I'm just used to ignoring the random things that come into my mind. For example, this morning I had the front door open, and I could swear I smelled Ramen noodles. For a brief moment, I considered having Ramen for breakfast, but like I said, that is completely normal in my life, and easily ignored. I had cereal.

I've been trying to eat well, getting milk and orange juice and trying to have vegetables and fiber every day. There are definitely times when I don't eat well, but I think I'm eating healthier than before we got pregnant. I've always preferred salty over sweet, and I'm still eating salty foods...I figure at some point I should cut them out, but pickles and pretzels and salsa....those are hard to give up!

So that's this week's update. Next week we'll have made it to the end of the first trimester! And then (drum roll please....) I tell work! And that, my friends, will be your ticket to tell the world, blast it out on your blogs, and generally make a public fuss about the fact that you are soon to be an aunt (yeah, I know who's waiting on the edge of the keyboard!).

10 Weeks

I can't believe it's already been 10 weeks! Time is flying!

Not much happened in the last week. I'm very tired, and that's exacerbated by the lack of air conditioning at our house. Neither Jon nor I are sleeping very well, but the broken AC part is on order, so I'm praying it comes soon! I'm just glad the AC isn't broken at my 9th month!

I seem to have missed the worst of the first trimester signs, for which I am extremely grateful! The worst thing I'm dealing with is the need for fiber...I'll let you figure out why. I've added Benefiber to my diet, and I hope that helps. But even that is a small complaint, and I'm crossing my fingers that the rest of my pregnancy goes as well as it has started!

My uterus started out the size of a small pear and has now grown to grapefruite-size. Isn't that crazy! And even crazier is that there's a human being in there! Newbie is about 1 1/4 inches long now, and his development is all about the details: hair, toenails, joints, and his tiny organs are even starting to function on their own. As I'm reminded through every step of pregnancy, God is amazing!

Irony

Today, someone at work said I looked like I was getting smaller. You know, sometimes that happens, and I just politely laugh it off or say something like, "Well, I'm trying...." This time, I couldn't do anything but laugh, and I mean a real, genuine, cracking up laugh. It was just too funny to me, as I've seen my stomach become less and less flattering, and I worked so hard trying to find the perfect outfit to disguise my pregnancy at work.

I know that pregnant people are cute, and I don't think I'll ever worry about the weight I'm gaining, or the loss of my waistline. I mean, I'm pregnant. But what I didn't expect was the "in between" stage where it doesn't look like I'm pregnant. It looks like I hit the Krispy Kremes too hard. I mean, I'm still okay with it, and I'm even okay showing it--around people who know I'm pregnant. But at work...they don't know, and Krispy Kremes might be the only logical conclusion for them.

Until they do know, I think I'll keep wearing this outfit every week. :)

Public...sort of

The blog is public! At least, you don't have to sign in any more. It doesn't show up on my Blogger profile, and it's not linked anywhere on my other blog. The reason is that I have not told work, yet, and there is someone at work who reads my other blog. I plan on telling work at the end of the first trimester (3 more weeks), so please, until then, don't mention my being pregnant on your blogs...or anywhere in Waco, in case you're there. :)

So, making this blog "public" doesn't mean the news is public; it just means you don't have to sign in any more. :)