The Schindlers come to visit

Adam and I (and the 'nut) had a good time with the Schindlers (and Paul!) on Saturday night. It was tempting not to kidnap Nikki's daughter Kaitlyn (who is 6 and not in the picture because she was already in bed) and ship Peanut to Nikki when he is born since she obviously knows how to raise a well-reared child! I'm not saying this would have to be permanent....we could swap back in 6 years.

Happy Birthday, Nicole! Love, Gestational Diabetes

It's official - I have gestational diabetes. Boo! I failed my second glucose screen and the doctor was gracious enough to call me yesterday and tell me. I wish she would have looked at my chart and said "You know what? I think I'll let her turn 30, eat some cake, and then break the news to her."

I now need to go to the Diabetes Center (not sure exactly what happens here, but I presume I will meet with a nutritionist) and have regular ultrasounds to make sure Peanut is doing ok and not gaining too much weight. Apparently baby weight gain is one of the biggest concerns of gestational diabetes and therefore may result in a c-section. I've found the best information here. I'll know and post more once I've actually learned more!

Now, off to have a high protein lunch with Adam!

Merry Christmas from Delaware!

Today is the first time ever that I did not spend Christmas in WI. By the sounds of the weather forecast, it was probably a good thing we didn't try to make our way back. Here are just a couple of pictures from Adam and my first (and probably only) Chrismas alone. We opened some presents and then went up near Trenton, NJ to see the re-enactment of Washington crossing the Delaware 233 years later.

Peanut's present to daddy - a onesie that says "my dad made my mom a mixtape and all they got was me" For those of you who know how much Adam loves his mixtapes, you can appreciate how fitting this onsie is.

"Wisconsin on a stick" was a little slice of home and Adam's present from Andra.

Wii Fit to help take the Peanut Poundage off!

Merry Christmas from George W. He's about to forge the Delaware!

Crossing the Delaware!

The Roddler

A friend sent us a link to this stroller today saying he could see Adam and I "rocking" it. Little did he know that Peanut has a grandfather that loves to rebuild hot rods and would be all too pleased to see his first grandchild in such a "ride." Too bad the price point is a LOT out of our budget ($2,000). Only in LA, I think......

Baby boom

Just found out that another good friend is pregnant! That brings the total to 7 and we're nice and evenly spaced out:

Feb 14 (Peanut)
March 1 (baby girl)
March 22 (baby girl)
April 1 (baby girl)
April 20 (twins - boy and girl)
May 15 (baby boy)
July 10 (too early to tell)

Anyone want to take the June slot?

Peanut has a Pediatrician

One of the things that all the books recommend you do before giving birth is find a pediatrician. I probably never would have thought to find one before he was born, instead waiting for the first sign of sickness. I went to an orientation last week at the pediatrician's office and sounds like Peanut will be seeing a lot of that office in the first year, just for normal check-ups. There are two female pediatricians in this practice and both seem very nice and flexible!

Many thanks to my colleague who also lives in Wilmington who has recommended a cleaning lady, a dentist, a doctor and now a pediatrician to us! Word of mouth truly is the best form of marketing.

Peanut the Volunteer

We're getting Peanut started early with his volunteerism by donating his cord blood which is chalk full of stem cells to the Delaware based Brady Kohn Foundation. Jamie Thomson (the UW researcher who discovered stem cells) would be so proud!

Snowed In

Earlier in the day - notice the lantern

Last night - no more lantern!

Yesterday we got lots of snow (12-15 inches) so Adam, me and Peanut stayed hunkered down at home. I did a little bit of "nesting" by taking tags off of clothes and blankets we've received so we can wash them.

Ugly Holiday Sweater Party

On Friday night Adam and I went to an Ugly Holiday Sweater party. Adam's "outfit" is a holdover from when we went to a similar party in Chicago but I had to go out and find myself some new gear. JCPenny didn't have much to offer, but I figured an ugly holiday sweatshirt would be close enough!

Needless to say there was a lot of food there and this was the night I learned my lesson from eating 1) too much and 2) too close to bedtime. I ended up sleeping in the living room chair because I had such terrible indigestion! No more food after 8 pm for me......

Failed

I don't think I've ever failed a test, but they say there is a first for everything. Yesterday at my monthly doctor's appointment I learned that I failed my first glucose screen for gestational diabetes. Instead of just getting a nice fat F and going on my merry way, I now have to go back on Monday morning after 12 hours of fasting and do the following:

-Have my blood taken
-Drink sugary drink
-Have blood taken after 1 hour
-Have blood taken after 1 hour again
-Have blood taken after 1 hour again

Ok, so I'm probably making it sound worse than it is. I am a total baby when it comes to needles, but I do know how lucky I've been with having such a smooth pregnancy thus far so I'll stop here. And I think the odds are on my side - only 15% of women who have the second screen done actually have gestational diabetes.

Go to sleep

Dear 'nutter butter-

I don't know if it was you or your daddy that woke me up at 4 am this morning, but the kicking and punching certainly didn't help. I know you are just preparing me for things to come, but can you save it for January?

Love,
Your (going to be sleepy in 4 hours) mommy

Buttons & Bows

Tonight we went to our first baby class called "Buttons and Bows." We talked about neither, but we did learn how to bath, diaper and swaddle an inanimate object. Adam was so overwhelmed that he came home, put on Monday Night football and cracked a beer. Just kidding....he was a pro! The actual childbirth classes start are in January. Next up? "Interviewing" the pediatrician on Wednesday.

31 Week Update

How far along? 31 weeks

Total weight gain? 24.8 lbs

Maternity clothes? Are starting to feel a little snug. :-(

Sleep? Actually sleeping a bit better on most nights, although acid reflux is now a part of my vocabulary.

Best moment this week? Getting to see my twin 8 year old nieces and their 2 year old sister. Nothing like a little view into what our life will be like!

Movement? There have been a couple jabs that have taken my breath away.

Gender? Still thinking it's a boy. Speaking of which, I think we've changed our minds on what we want Peanut's name to be if he's a boy.

Labor signs? Nope, not even a Braxton Hicks contraction (that I know of) yet.

What I miss? Feeling like I had plenty of time before this babe arrives.

What I am looking forward to? Christmas at home, for the first time ever! Although I will miss all of our family, I think the overnight travel is officially over. My next hotel bill will be from the hospital. I wonder if they take Starwood points?

Weekly Wisdom? Don't eat peanut butter. It feels like it just sticks to the inside of your chest.

Milestones? Not killing Adam when he wondered what I was going to do with all my time off for maternity leave.

Our last weekend trip for awhile

Adam and I spent the weekend down "south" - one night in Alexandria, VA and one night at Gaylord National Resort across the Potomac in Maryland. This was our last little getaway before Peanut arrives and we had a great time. We went to see Mount Vernon on Friday night, went shopping in Old Town Alexandria on Saturday, went to see the ICE display at Gaylord National, and then today went to see my brother Jason, his wife Milly, and their 3 girls for an early Christmas. More pictures of our weekend here and here.

If you can't beat 'em, join 'em!

Check out my t-shirt collection

This is a t-shirt (e.g., onesie) collection to make Grandpa Bob proud! Grandpa "Pop" I'm sure appreciates the "patent pending" t-shirt we couldn't resist when we were at the US Patent and Trademark Museum in Alexandria, VA this weekend.

Peanut's First Christmas Ornament

It's a yearly Christmas tradition (borrowed from my parents) for Adam and I to buy a Christmas ornament that represents something that occurred that year.......and we know that Peanut "occurred" in 2009.

Hoochies Weekend

The first weekend in December was an annual girls' weekend in Chicago dubbed "Hoochies." Nothing was going to stop me from a weekend that we have been doing since 2001. This was also the first year in many that we have the "original" Hoochies back in action (all in very different places in their life)!

Just plain crazy

When people ask me what my "birth plan" is, I simply say "lots of drugs." Although I have both a doctor and a midwife, either one (or neither of them) could be the one to deliver Peanut, so I quickly realized that even the best laid plans are bound to be disrupted. This article caught my attention and although I'm all about personal preference, delivering a baby on your own is just plain crazy!

Peanut is going to be a Badger

When I was at Adam's parent's house a few weekends ago, Aune and I had some fun with the camera.

29 in my 29th week

For my "golden week" of pregnancy I was treated to one final ultrasound and the requisite glucose screen. Peanut was not in any mood to be photographed today, which I blamed on the glucose drink solution which probably put him in a sugar induced coma.

He refused to turn his head for a picture even after some prodding by the technician. I was able to see some hair on the back of his head and the technician seemed to think that in 10 more weeks Peanut was going to come out with a mop of hair.

She also confirmed that he's laying across my body, with his head on the left side of my belly and his rumpus on the right side. Turn baby, turn!

The technician also confirmed that my cervix looks good so no need for me to continue to have it measured.

Good idea

Although I won't be hiring one myself, I can see how future parents would be willing to hire a Baby Planner to help them get prepared for their baby's arrival. I have been procrastinating choosing a stroller simply because the choices are overwhelming! Read the article.

Baby brain

If the scientific community needs proof that "baby brain" is a true occurrence, they should read on......

I had a volunteer meeting tonight in Elkton, MD that I needed to go to after work. I got off the train, walked to my car, found the car next to me parked SO close to me that I had to get in from the passenger side with other commuters watching. For the record, I don't think I would have been able to get in pre-Peanut either. This should have been my sign......

I then proceeded to drive 25 miles into the middle of nowhere in MD to this woman's house. I pulled up, saw no other cars parked there (there were suppose to be about 25 of us), and the house dark. At this point, I look at the email again to realize that the meeting is on Friday and NOT Tuesday. I don't think I've ever done something like this before. $6 in tolls and an hour later I was at home eating Adam's canned ravioli and a piece of lefse. Peanut brains, I tell you.....

Maya Telisak

On Sunday we had brunch with my friend from high school, Greg, and his wife Alissa that is due two weeks after me on March 1. They are having a little girl - Maya Michelle Telisak. If Peanut is indeed a boy, I'm all for arranged marriages.

MTV cradles - baby edition

Although not full of amniotic fluid, darkness and Oreo cookies, we think that Peanut will enjoy the beautiful new cradle that my cousin Eric made for him. Now, we just need to get it from WI to DE!

28 week update

How far along? 28 weeks

Total weight gain? 20.8 lbs

Maternity clothes? I officially own 1 maternity dress, which also required purchase of maternity tights and some new riding boots, which are probably the only thing I'll be wearing that are non-maternity.

Sleep? Sleep now includes drooling . I would love to hear the medical reason for this. Simple preparation for what I will soon encounter?

Best moment this week? Completing my last business trip. No more travel for me and the nutter butter!

Movement? Woke up at 5:30 am to Peanut kicking and punching me at the same time. This was new - usually it's one or the other.

Gender? According to the room service woman, who I believe is highly qualified in predicting gender, it's a boy.

Labor signs? Nada - I have a feeling this baby isn't going to want to go anywhere. Especially if I keep feeding him holiday Oreos.

Belly Button in or out? Out. I need to find a piece of duct tape so it doesn't poke anyone's eye out.

What I miss? Being able to bend over and tie my shoes without getting winded.

What I am looking forward to? My last pre-mommy Hoochies weekend in Chicago the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Weekly Wisdom? The Korean woman who owns the dry cleaner in my office building told me that I just need to think about what I want my baby to be when he grows up and it will happen. She wanted "a very smart child who wore thick glasses and now she's a lawyer!" I said I would cast my thoughts on having a professional baseball player who can take care of me in retirement.

Milestones? In my third trimester, have my glucose screen this week to check for gestational diabetes, still can't find the H1N1 shot, having a husband who is wondering how in the world I can get any bigger and finally "leaking" (I shall say no more on this topic).

I'm convinced

I ordered $43 worth of room service last night to celebrate that it was going to be my LAST night in a hotel for business purposes for quite some time. A woman brought my food to my room, set it down on the desk, looked at me and said "Oh, you're having a boy!" She said it with such conviction that I almost ordered a ultrasound that moment to see if she was right.

Peanut - if you in fact are a girl, please know that you have pulled the wool over (almost) all of our eyes. I'm already having daddy look into a tracking system for your car when you turn 16 because I know what's in store for us.

Childbirth classes

We're locked into our childbirth classes which are coming up in December and January. First up is Buttons and Bows! Adam lucked out when they moved the classes to Thursday night so he didn't have to miss Monday night football.

Fun with names

Thanks to Jamie and Aune for reminding me about how careful we need to be when naming Peanut. A couple worth noting:

Arthur Barthalamule Hardt = Art Bart Hardt in a pinch

Banff Hardt (say it quickly)

Hello 3rd Trimester!

I am officially in my third trimester and am feeling the glory days of my second trimester slip away quickly.

My food no longer has anywhere to go.....

A good nights sleep is a long distant memory....

I'm outgrowing the newer, bigger bra I bought two short months ago...

The sciatic nerve in my right leg makes it difficult to sit in a confined space for more than thirty minutes....

I'm gaining weight - quickly......

But, my complaining stops there because........

I'm in the home stretch - WOO HOO!

25 Week Update

How far along? 25 weeks

Total weight gain? 17.8 lbs

Maternity clothes? Just bought myself that much needed winter coat. Thank goodness for Old Navy maternity

Sleep? I think I'm past the stage of getting a full nights rest at this point

Best moment this week? Discussing baby names

Movement? Yes, and I'm able to see my belly move on some of the stronger kicks/punches

Gender? Still haven't changed our mind about finding out!

Food cravings? No pickles and ice cream for me

Labor signs? Holding strong

Belly Button in or out? She's about to blow

What I miss? Sleeping through the entire night on my back

What I am looking forward to? Thanksgiving

Weekly Wisdom? When someone asks if it's ok to eat vodka sauce on your pasta (while you are eating it) exclaim "Yes, it's the only way I get any alcohol these days!"

Milestones? Had my 6 month check up last week and everything is looking good. Placenta has moved out of the way, so no need for c-section at this point.

The "linea nigra" running above and below my ready-to-pop belly button. Apparently this line does go away after birth.

And Peanut's name will be......

......kept a secret until "he" is born! Adam and I discussed names today for the first time. We both came up with our own lists for boy's and girl's names and then talked them through. Although we didn't love each of the names that the other one came up with, it wasn't hard for us to nail down a couple of options for each gender that we both really like. Looking forward to meeting First Name Middle Name Hardt, aren't you?

PS - Adam just announced that "he is ready to have the baby now" that he has finished reading the 30 page, large-font book I bought him called "My Boys Can Swim."

Baby books we're reading

There are TONS of baby books out there these days. Here are the ones we are referencing/reading!

Nicole's Bookshelf

Adam's Bookshelf

My naming rights have been revoked

Here is how far we've gotten in the "Naming Peanut Something Other than Peanut" contest:

Nicole: "I'm reading this book where the cat's name is Muffin!"

Adam: (barely shows any signs of hearing my comment)

Nicole: "I don't know if I've ever told you this, but the cat I had growing up was named Muffin. He was a boy though! Can you believe I named my male cat Muffin?"

Adam: "That just confirms that you have no naming rights to our child."

24 week fall walk

Today we took a little walk through the park and snapped a couple of photos. Still trying to learn the new camera so only have one decent one to share. More photos from our walk can be seen here.

Will Peanut be a rebel?

For those of you who believe in hocus-pocus-scientology-I'm a goat not a ram-mumbo jumbo, there is a good chance that Peanut is going to be an Aquarius. How does this bode for his demeanor? How does it compare to Adam and my sign? Read on....

Peanut:
Aquarius Strength Keywords:
- Witty
- Clever
- Humanitarian
- Inventive
- Original

Aquarius Weakness Keywords:
- Stubborn
- Unemotional
- Sarcastic
- Rebellious
- Aloof

Adam:
Cancer Strength Keywords:
- Loyalty
- Dependable
- Caring
- Adaptable
- Responsive

Cancer Weakness Keywords:
- Moody
- Clingy
- Self-pitying
- Oversensitive
- Self-absorbed

Nicole:
Capricorn Strength Keywords:
- Responsible
- Patient
- Ambitious
- Resourceful
- Loyal

Capricorn Weakness Keywords:
- Dictatorial
- Inhibited
- Conceited
- Distrusting
- Unimaginative

Phil made me promise that if I have 2 in there I have to give him 1

Phil and me in front of the bean in Chicago last weekend

She said what?

I was in hot, hot Houston this week for work and was sitting in my first meeting after having not been down there for almost 2 months. There were about 25 people in the room and we all had to introduce ourselves, telling our role on the project, our favorite sports team, and what we like to do in our spare time. This is how this little story played out:

Me: "Hi, I'm Nicole Hardt with Towers Perrin. I'm working on the service delivery workstream and my favorite sports team is the Badgers and the Packers, minus Favre. In my spare time I like to travel." The part about the Packers isn't really true, but had to throw that in for a little laugh.

Client: "And Nicole is going to have a new role in February."

Me: slightly embarrassed, but not sure why.... "Yes, I'm going to be a mom!" Round of applause ensues.

Random other client that I don't know: "Well we know what you like to do in your spare time!"

I'm pretty sure I turned Badger red.......

Trying to send us a message?

Peanut received these in the mail today from Aunt Jamie. My question is, are you trying to send us subliminal messages that we should move back to WI? A onesie with a cow on it and the other one saying "Grandma loves me"???? My bags are packed.....now I just need to get Adam on board.

23 Week Update

Have been really busy at work, and along with some weekend travel, haven't posted in a bit. So, here is a quick update:

How far along? 23 weeks

Total weight gain? An even 15 lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes, and need to buy a new winter coat now too

Sleep? Definitely sleeping on my sides more now

Best moment this week? Having friends feel Peanut kick and punch his way around my uterus

Movement? Yes, frequently now. Makes me laugh every time

Gender? Not going to find out

Food cravings? Nothing unusual, but do I sure love me a slice of pizza

Labor signs? none

Belly Button in or out? Still in, but definitely ready to turn itself inside out.

What I miss? I'd be lying if I didn't say a WOODCHUCK (or 6)

What I am looking forward to? Now that fall is here, hunkering down and doing some serious planning

Weekly Wisdom? People, especially those in older generations, love that we're not finding out the gender. Given that they couldn't do such things in their times, it must feel a little sci-fi for them to think about being able to name a baby before it's even born.

Milestones? Peanut is developing nipples this week. Haha

Half way through this marathon

I'm officially at 20 weeks today, the half-way point! I wish the second half could be as easy as the first, but I doubt that will be the case. I am celebrating by posting a picture of my lovely hubby trying to figure out what it is like be to pregnant.

Adam giving my bellaband a shot.

First movement

Peanut's going to be a bowler!

On Friday night I felt Peanut move for the first time. It's normal to feel the first movement anytime between weeks 16-20, and it's typically later for women who are having their first baby. I was laying in bed and felt what can only be described as bubbles in my belly. I put my hand on it, and then I think Peanut wound up to throw that bowling ball because I almost jumped out of my skin. Cool, but a little creepy. Over the past couple of days I have felt the frequency of the movement pick up a bit, but Adam has yet to be in the right place at the right time.

Peanut's playlist

Now that Peanut can hear, I decided to put together a lullaby playlist for him. I put it on my iPhone and then put the headphones on my belly. Thanks to my rocker sister-in-law's suggestion of using Rockabye Baby songs, there is no "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" to be found. Peanut is bound to be a rocker and has been to 3 concerts already (Lollapalooza, Jackson Browne and Snow Patrol). Here is his lullaby list (all songs are rendetions of the original song). Click here to listen to an example: Rockabye Baby - The Beatles

1. Clocks by Coldplay

2. All Apologies by Nirvana

3. Don't Speak by No Doubt

4. Karma Police by Radiohead

5. Yesterday by the Beatles

6. Ruby Tuesday by the Rolling Stones

7. Tonight, Tonight by the Smashing Pumpkins

8. With or Without You by U2

9. Hey Jude by the Beatles

10. Parabola by Tool (per Adam's suggestion)

Second photo shoot

I had a follow-up ultrasound today to take a look at where my placenta is sitting. I think it's still a little low, but I'll be going back in every other week for the next couple months so they can keep tabs on it.

The more interesting news is that although I have not felt Peanut kick or punch yet, he had his fingers balled up like that's exactly what he was doing. The ultrasound tech was trying to get him to flip over by pushing on my belly, but he wasn't having any of it. That's my Peanut - stubborn just like me. He's also up to 12 oz, which according to my fruit chart, is a bit heavier than a mango. She did take some more pics, but they're not nearly as clear as the last ones. I also got to see both hemisphere's of his brain which was a bit weird to see.

It must be in the water

Out of about 100 people that sit on my my floor in the office, there are 5 of us that are pregnant. Two (breaking news: now three!) of the women I worked with in the Chicago office are also pregnant (one with twins!). And if that's not enough, I have two close friends that are pregnant (one that found out the day I was with her). Babies R Us, here we come!

The two pregnancy tests that confirmed Peanut was a peanut.

Stranger danger

I had my first experience with a "stranger" acknowledging Peanut, without any knowledge that Peanut actually exists. For all he knew, I could have just gotten back from a WI weekend full of cheese curds. All women know that the rule of thumb is - If you don't have 100% knowledge that a woman is pregnant, don't ask/tell. In this case, it was my photography instructor who looks to be about 25 and his comment was "It looks like you're going to be having a baby......" Not even in question format! Clearly, the youngster hasn't had the unfortunate experience of saying this to someone who's not pregnant!

Dr Appt #4

Today I went in for my monthly exam. Same drill - pee in a cup, get weighed, hear the baby's heart beat (apparently he was awake because it was between 160-170) and ask the dr. a few questions. I've gained a total of 5 pounds (according to my records it's more like 8). She also said that my due date is still Feb. 14, 2010, as the initial date is more accurate than the ultrasound date.

Of course I asked about getting the H1N1 flu shot, but the midwife seemed very hesitant about promoting it. She basically told me to take a "wait and see" approach. If there are high rates in the area, I should consider getting it. Being one that NEVER gets a flu shot, I'm with her on avoiding putting anything in my body that I don't need to and focusing on keeping my immune system healthy. We also talked about how my placenta is currently riding low, and that if it doesn't move (which they normally do by the 3rd trimester) I may have to have a c-section. I'll have another ultrasound done soon just to take another look at the placement.

Picture taken on 9.14.09 when multiple people at work commented for the first time on my "bump"

I carried a watermelon?

This picture/magnet combo is in loving memory of Patrick Swayze, star of my favorite movie ever. Right now, I'm just carrying a sweet potato.

Peanut's first presents

In the past few weeks Adam and I have bought Peanut his first things. Can you tell who is going to be the "fun" parent?

The onesie I bought Peanut that says "respect your mother" (earth)

Adam imitating the "ugly" doll he bought Peanut in Georgetown

17 week belly shots

Side view of da belly

Close up of Peanut next to his sign in the Botanical Gardens

My "Demi Moore" shot with my clothes on. Notice the man in the poster.