Maternity Clothes and Pumpkins

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

They turned out pretty good, huh? Only problem is that we carved these last weekend, and they are now shriveling up and growing mold. =/

So I had some time to waste last night after work. I didn't want to drive home during commute time since I take the San Mateo Bridge. Ugggg what a mess. So I went shopping! Up until now the only Maternity Clothes I've purchased are a pair of jeans. But my work clothes are definitely getting uncomfortable, so I went to Motherhood Maternity. I tried on a ton of clothes, and ended up with some new work pants, a dress, and a few tops. The thing about maternity clothes is that they make you look pregnant. As in, very pregnant! Something about the way they are cut just suddenly makes me look 6 months pregnant. I don't really mind, because they are quite comfy, but it's going to be weird to start wearing them when people aren't used to seeing me with a huge belly.

Random Topics

1) I made homemade chicken enchiladas and they were delicious! Even Adam commented that they were the best I've ever made. I actually made the enchilada red sauce from scratch, since I didn't have any on hand, and it was really easy! Let me know if you want the recipe.

2) I recently finished this book, and did NOT like it at all. Julie & Julia should have focused more on the actual food and less on Julie's constant whining.

3) I just bought this CD, and absolutely love it! I've been hearing Francesca Battistelli on the radio for a while, so I finally splurged and spent the $10 on her CD. Well worth it! I would compare her singing style to that of Sara Bareilles, only a bit more unique. She's a Christian pop singer with some attitude in her voice.

4) Tonight I am meeting some friends from Team in Training for dinner at Buffalo Bill's. I'm looking forward to hearing their success stories from the half-marathon. Actually, I'm hoping they will all whine and complain about how terribly difficult and stupid it was, and make me feel like the smart one for not running. Just kidding! Kind of.

5) I love being in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy! Except for the trouble sleeping through the night, the teenage acne, and the back-aches. Other than those things, I really am enjoying the 4th month. I absolutely can't wait until I start to feel the baby moving around. I'm sure it will be a little weird, but awesome at the same time.

6) Baby name suggestions are still welcome! Please note that I have strict rules, though. The middle name will definitely be James, so the first name must contain 2 syllables, and cannot start with "N". Got it?


***EDITED TO ADD**

I cursed myself! I wrote that the 2nd trimester is going great, and then WHAM! I get the absolute worst migraine of my life. Imagine hanging over the toilet in the middle of the night, calling the Dr. and begging for something stronger than tylenol. Waaaa

It's a..........

So this afternoon I had my "NT" scan. This is where they use an ultra high-tech ultrasound machine to look at every part of the baby's body. They are checking for signs of Down Syndrome, as well as just making sure all the necessary parts are present and growing. It was sooo much fun! The Dr. was super zoomed in with the ultrasound, so the baby looked huge! (It's only 3 inches)

We saw its little fingers and toes, spine, profile, and the Dr. said everything looks absolutely perfect. He kept saying it had a "very nice face". I assumed this just meant it had two eyes, a nose, and a mouth. Adam thinks it means the baby is really good looking.

At one point the baby reached out its arm and waved at us. So adorable! But almost the entire time, the baby was standing on its head. No matter how much the Dr. poked and jiggled my belly, it wouldn't cooperate. But he was able to get all the necessary measurements and gave us the A-OK.

Towards the end he said "So do you know what you're having?". I'm thinking, how on earth would we know, since I'm only just over 13 weeks. So I said "Why, do you?". He responded "Yup". I said "Oh My Gosh, that means it's a boy". He turns to Adam and says "She's smart!"

It's a BOY!!!

The Dr. is 90% sure, but we're assuming he's right. Once he pointed it out to us, it became pretty obvious that it's a boy. =)

Any name suggestions?? So far Adam hates all my suggestions, but can't come up with any himself. We are open to suggestions!

Bittersweet

Yesterday was the Nike Women's Half-Marathon. The marathon that I was supposed to run. I trained with Team in Training beginning in June, with every intention of running/walking my first half-marathon this month. The training was difficult and very frustrating at times when I couldn't see or feel any progress. I documented my training on this page here: http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/nikesf09/snullmeyer

In mid August, I completed a 7-mile run, not realizing it would be my last for a very long time. When I found out I was pregnant I was really conflicted about my marathon training. I had committed to raising the money and running the race, so I decided to continue the training by walking instead of running.

But God had bigger plans for me! Due to the complications I experienced, it became apparent that I would have to quit my training. I was definitely disappointed, but you know what? I wouldn't give up this pregnancy, complications and everything, just to run a race. So far this pregnancy is one of the most amazing things that has ever happened to me. I'm sure the rush of crossing the finish line would have been pretty incredible. But I know that giving birth to my child next April will be by my biggest accomplishment to date.

So yes, reading and hearing about the half-marathon this weekend was bittersweet for me. I do wish I could have been out there running with my Team in Training friends. But I am completely happy with where I'm at. I'm going to be a MOM!!

Memory Lane

I just discovered that I DO in fact have the cable for my old camera, which means I can download pictures from my old memory card onto our new computer! Here are a few pictures of Adam and I from years back.....awwwww! One of my favorites pics from college. This was right before a Valentine's dinner at Maggiano's at Santana Row.
He was not my husband at the time. I take no responsibility for his actions.

Studly hubby at the beach, trying not to get burned.
Honeymoon in Maui.

Does Your Dog Do This?

160 BPM!!

That's right......we heard the heartbeat! Adam suggested we use our home fetal doppler again to search for the heartbeat. I tried with no success, and then let Adam have a turn. He found it right away! It was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard. Seriously, that sound just made my day. We timed it for 15 seconds, and got 40 beats, which equals 160 BPM. So fast and strong! It was really loud and strong, and then all of a sudden there'd be some fuzzy sounds and then it would be gone. Like maybe the baby was doing little somersaults? How cute! I can't wait to meet this little Nully Baby.

I attended a class today at work where I learned all about maternity leave, FMLA, blah blah blah. It was definitely confusing, but the basic idea is that through my company I can take about 6 months leave. Only half is 100% paid, while the rest is either partial or no pay. Adam and I still have a lot to discuss in terms of our plans after the baby is born. But it feels good to be informed and know what options I have in terms of keeping my job after the baby comes.

Is anyone else loving this big scary storm? I secretly wish it would last all week long. I love the rain! Well, except when I forget my umbrella (like today).

Another Recipe

I love banana bread but I hate nuts. I found this recipe a long time ago in some magazine, and have adapted it slightly. So I will call it my own. =)

I like it for many reasons. Aside from the fact that it's super yummy, it only requires 1 bowl. And no butter defrosting required...just microwave!

Chocolate Chip "Nutless" Banana Bread

3 Overripe Bananas

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking soda

Dash of salt

1 egg

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

1/3 cup chocolate chips

*Heat oven to 325 degrees

Mash bananas, then add flour, sugar, soda, salt & egg.

Melt butter slowly in microwave on low heat. Add to bowl and stir.

Sprinkle in half of the chocolate chips. Pour batter into greased loaf pan.

Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top. Bake for 60-70 minutes.

It will come out golden brown. Let cool and enjoy!

*Please note that this recipe is by no means healthy. Eat at your own risk! Otherwise, you might end up with a 3-months pregnant belly like me!

Pathetic

Yep, I'm pathetic. I'm currently slurping a bowl of chicken noodle soup because I threw up tonight for the 2nd time during my pregnancy. The first was many weeks ago. Now that I'm 12 weeks (11 weeks and 5 days to be exact) aren't those pesky symptoms supposed to be going away, and not just starting?? I was having hot flashes all afternoon at work, and then got dizzy while in Safeway after work. I developed a headache on the way home, and then threw up once I got here. I am now drowning my sorrows in a bowl of Campbell's.

Honestly, I know that I've had it pretty easy with the whole morning sickness thing, so I'm really not complaining. What I would like to complain about is my bathroom floor! I got a good look at it while bending over the toilet, and let's just say it needs a good scrubbing. Hmmm someone should probably clean it tomorrow. Hint. Hint. Husband, are you reading this?

To Vaccinate or Not?

Ok, I need your help. And by "you" I mean the 5 people that now read this blog. hehe
So last night Adam and I went to Kaiser and got our flu shots. My doctor strongly recommended it for me because I'm pregnant. And even though Adam had never had one before, I made him get it this year for my sake. I can't take care of a sick husband in my condition! Anyways, I get the shot every year so it really wasn't a hard decision for me. I figure pregnant women have been getting the flu shot for years, so they are pretty well informed about it.
The H1N1 shot, on the other hand, is stressing me out. Again, my doctor's office highly recommends it. I mean, pregnant women are dying from the swine flu! But for as much good information I hear about the vaccine, I also hear that it is causing miscarriages. I'm so conflicted! I have a couple weeks to decide, because I can get the vaccine during my next Dr. appt on the 22nd. Until then, I need your opinions. Would you get it if you were pregnant, knowing what you know about the vaccine?

On a lighter note, Adam and I celebrated our flu shots with Olive Garden last night. We were both really hungry, so we got the never-ending pasta bowl. We both ate our first bowl and then got the 2nd bowl of pasta to go. Ever since I got pregnant, it's like I can still eat as much, just not all at once. I have to eat smaller meals every couple hours. Otherwise I will get a horrible tummy-ache. =( And believe me, I got one last night! We asked our waiter what was the maximum number of pasta bowls a customer had ever consumed in one sitting. Can you guess what he said? 13!! I was blown away by that. I bet the person cheated.

Sweet Corn and Leek Risotto

Tonight I got the urge to cook. I wasn't necessarily hungry, or craving a specific food, but just really wanted to cook. So I did! I first decided to make some risotto.

I searched the internet for a decent recipe, but ended up just winging it. I knew I wanted to put corn in it, and I had leeks that were on their last leg. The corn inspiration came from my lunch at Chevy's today. You know how they always serve a little blob of sweet cornmeal with your meal? Well I don't really care for it, but Adam loves it. So I thought he might eat risotto if there was sweet corn in it. But then I was afraid it would end up too sweet, so I added in the red chile peppers for a little spice. Here's my made-up recipe along with a few pictures of my creation.

Sweet Corn and Leek Risotto

1 Tbsp Olive Oil or Butter

1 tiny Onion, diced

1 Leek, white portion chopped (discard the green tops)

2 small Red Chile Peppers (each about half the size of a bell pepper)

4 cloves Garlic, diced

5 cups chicken broth

1 cup Arborio Rice (risotto)

1 15 oz can Sweet Corn

Red Pepper Flake

Parmesan Cheese

Heat the olive oil or butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion. Stir for about 2 minutes, then add chile peppers and garlic. Meanwhile, heat the chicken broth in a separate pot on the stove until at a low boil. Once the vegetables soften, stir in the 1 cup of arborio rice. Saute for a few minutes, but don't let the rice burn or stick to the bottom. Add the can of drained corn, and a sprinkle of red pepper flake. Next, add 1 ladle-full of the hot broth, and stir the risotto constantly.

Over the next 25 minutes, you should continue to gradually add the broth and stir. At the end, your risotto will be creamy and thick. Add salt and pepper to taste, and a very generous handful of parmesan.

The risotto wasn't as sweet as I was expecting, but I still really liked it. I would estimate that this serves 4 very hungry people. Risotto is very filling! I served it with salmon fillets. Yum!

Fetal Doppler

So we got our fetal doppler in the mail yesterday! I rented it from here: http://www.babybeat.com/

So, I totally knew this would happen. We couldn't find the heartbeat! I realize that being 10 and half weeks along, it's not easy to hear the heartbeat yet. I did find my own, though! It was a loud woosh woosh sound. There was one second where both Adam and I looked at each other and thought we heard the baby's beat. It sounded like quick hoof beats. But as soon as it was there, it was gone!

I got my box of organic produce delivered today. We get it from these guys: http://www.farmfreshtoyou.com/index.php
Unfortunately, nothing in the box appeals to me. Lettuce? Nope. Pears? Yuck. Broccoli? Ewww. So unlike me!

We have absolutely no plans for the weekend, and I am totally fine with that. Just this week the fatigue seems to have hit me. My other symptom of nausea has gone away, but in its place has come tiredness and daily headaches. Blaaah