Visits, Visits, and More Visits

Clark finally got to feel Hannah kick the other night.  He was pretty excited about it.  I think it made it a little more real for him.  I can understand that I have a different experience with the pregnancy.  Mine is a daily relationship, whether it be, feeling the kicking, or just bending over and finding out it is harder than it used to be.  His is more of watching my midsection grow and occasionally getting to see a black and white figure moving around on a screen.

My parents came down from Virginia for a visit 2 weekends ago.  That was the first time that they have seen me in person in full blown baby bump.  It must be strange and awesome all at the same time to see the little girl that you carried in your tummy and raised, pregnant with her own little one.  It is hard to imagine now that one day, I will most likely be experiencing the same thing, when our little one starts her own family.

Last weekend we went to Charleston, SC to visit Clark’s sister, Debbie, who is due on September 22.  We had a wonderful visit.  It was my first trip to Charleston and it lived up to everything I have been told.  What a beautiful, romantic city.  We spent a lot of time chatting and catching up and ate some great food.  Debbie looked fantastic and is dealing with the same heat I am in AL, but with an extra bonus of high humidity.  Her husband JF was back in France managing his business there, but we were able to Skype with him and catch up.

The travel stretch of this summer for us has begun, we will be in Plum Branch, SC this weekend at the Byers lake house.  I will be in Atlanta next weekend for the Taylor Swift Concert with my friend Lisa (don’t judge, we understand we may be the oldest there without children, but don’t care.)  The weekend after that we will be up in Northern Virginia for our Baby Shower there.  Needless to say, we’ll be travelled out soon.

Enjoy the picture of Clark and his sister.  I will start posting pictures of myself once I find a way to deflate the size of my face in pictures, say around October.

Hope this finds everyone well.

Hannah must have and iPod and Poison Ivy Face

For the past couple of weeks, I have been waking up every morning with a song in my head.  Normally, these songs would be something I heard the day before, or a jingle from a commercial that gets stuck in your head, but not these.  These songs have been everything from songs from musicals ,Bye Bye Birdie, and Stingiest Man in Town, to Oasis Wonderwall.  There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the songs.  This mornings diddy was a song i don't even know the title to.  I think it is an old Train song, and sadly not even my favorite Train song, Meet Virginia.  I asked Clark what he thought and he said he definitely thinks that Hannah has an iPod in there.  He said you never know with kids these days.  She might even have a laptop.

On to Poison Ivy Face.  Clark and I did a lot of yard work this past weekend.  On Tuesday morning, I woke up with a large patch of poison ivy on the right side of my face.  I can only assume since it isn't on my hands, that it either got on the tshirt I was wearing and when I took it off, spread it to my face.  The alternative is that Nixon got into the poison ivy and then laid on my Snoogle (my pregnancy pillow).  Nixon is a big fan of snoogling, but either is a very good assumption.  On the upside, the poison ivy stops just below my eye, which is a small blessing.  At this mornings doctors appointment, my Doc gave me a Rx for some steroids that are safe for me to take.  So hopefully I will be on the mend as we head into this weekend which is for casted to continue to 90+ temperatures.  I believe we are going on 19 days and counting on days over 90.

While our electirc bill is sky rocketing, my acid reflux has been suppressed which has made a huge difference in my mood, just ask Clark.  Relief, thy name is Prevacid!  Thank you everyone for your emails and comments/suggestions.  Keep them coming.

Ma and Pa Fuller are coming to town this weekend.  I will try to take some pictures to add to the blog for next week.  I am not super excited about taking pictures at this size, but I know I will eventually want to capture some of this time on film.

Hope this finds everyone well!

Pregnant Lady Kryptonite

I believe that I have discovered the perfect formula for Pregnant Lady Kryptonite:  10+ consecutive days of 95+ degrees (with a heat index of over 100), severely bad allergies, constant acid reflux/heartburn.  The deadly combination of the three elements has had me down for the last couple of days.  I plan on asking for a prescription for the acid reflux at my next appointment.  There is currently no end in sight for a reprieve from the temperature.  I am at least hoping for a good rain storm sometime this week to wash some of the pollen away.

Part of me thinks I might be over the hump or at least building up some kind of immunity to this Kryptonite.  But until then, here is the stock tip of the week: buy Tums and Energy Stocks.

To end this on a positive note, my employer graciously provides several different pain killers and other aliment suppressants to keep us working through the day, including Antacids (pictured).  I guess you could consider this "perk", part of my salary, so unlike the continuing education money I am not taking advantage of, I making the most out of the antacids in spades.

Glimpses of Proud Parenthood and Acid Reflux

So I would never think of myself as one of those crazy dog people, but, I had a glimpse of how awesome parenting is going to be this weekend.  We had our friends over for a Memorial Day Cookout over the weekend.  We have been working with Nixon (our 1 1/2 year old Boxer) for a while now to be more relaxed and adaptable when we have company over, especially our friends with children.  So with the help of some pointers from my brother, Cory, who works for the Secret Service and has a Dog as a partner, Spyke, and an obedience collar (yes it is a shock collar, obedience sounds so much better) she has made huge strides in her behavior.  She only jumped up on a guest but one time, and was perfect with the kids.  She did not go up to them, but when they came up to her, she gave gentle licks.  I know this sounds crazy, but to be able to have people come up and notice how much better she is doing and that she is a pleasure to be around makes Clark and I so proud and helps to alleviate some of our anxiety about bringing a little one into the house.  We know she is going to be such a good partner in crime for Hannah.

On an actual pregnancy note, Hannah continues to vie for additional square footage within my tummy by trying to push out my right rib and the acid reflux that has only been occasional up till this point is now an everyday occurrence.  It even comes twice a day.  Here is my question:  Is the Acid Reflux food or beverage induced, or is it something that just comes with the territory.  I have tried to identify what I am eating or drinking before an onset, but it seems to be different every time.

P.S.  Thanks to everyone who have been responding to my questions!  It has been super helpful, informative and great to hear from you all in general.

Hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend and took time to remember those who fought for our freedom.

Cheers

1st Kicks....I think

So Sunday morning I think I felt Hannah Kick/move for the first time.  I have to preface this with I think because, my apologies for being crass but, as any pregnant woman knows, "tummy bubbles" aka gas, is a normal occurrence.  But I am pretty sure that it was movement rather than the less flattering alternative.  All together it was a pretty exciting event.  I am now in my 22nd week and was told that I would start to feel her be-bopping around in there any day now.  I will be very happy to report finally at my next appointment that I have felt her kick, since i have been asked in the last couple of appointments and have felt failure in answering no.

Pregnancy notes:
The evening back pain/stiffness continues.  I had to have a Pain-Off (similar to a Diva-Off, for those Glee lovers) with Clark this weekend.  Last week Clark decided in pure Clark fashion to unload an entire truck of mulch by himself and then go play two games of softball.  He is now feeling the repercussions of being, dare I say, OLD.  This is just how it is now.  Clark insists his back pain must be worse because he said so.  End of pain off.
Another update is the coming to terms with my growing inability to bend over and do things.  This reminder of the belly in front of me is in true Brock/Fuller women fashion, met with stubbornness of this isn't going to stop me and then closed out with the realization that the several un-lady like positions attempted are not worth the end result and I call for help.

World News Update:
No Blog worth it's salt would miss posting something about the failed doomsday prophesy of last weekend.
In lue of an anniversary dinner with my loving Husband, I went and met my good friend Erin Jordan Schwab for dinner is Nashville, which was lovely (Clark and I are going to do dinner together tonight, not to worry).  Erin and I fell back into discussion and conversation like we still lived next to each other in the Sigma Kappa house, which I have always said is a sign of an true friendship.  We came around to discussing the morons who spent their life savings paying for signs warning the rest of the world about the world ending on May 21.  We came to the unanimous decision that if we find out when the world is ending, we aren't spending our money warning anyone.  We're going out in Diamonds.

Hope this finds you all well!

Carrying High?

Since this is my first child and I am just winging it on most everything, I do have a few questions for my friends.  I have been told by a few people that I am "carrying high", meaning my bump is higher on my belly than either what is normal, or what they did, or what they are used to seeing.  Has anyone else experienced this phenomenon?  The only downside I have had for this is needing slightly more material at the top of my maternity jeans (they don't make it all the way over the hump) and the pulling on my stomach muscles below my bump.

The upside is, though I lacked a serious workout regimen before we got Pregnant, I am glad to see that I do in fact still have stomach muscles, we won't insult in shape people and dare call them abs.

I get a lot of "so how are you doing" questions, which I do appreciate, so for those of you who don't get to see me on a regular basis, here are the current pros and cons:

Pros: (I am knocking on wood for all of these small blessings)

• I am still able to wear my rings and have had very little swelling of the hands or feet.  From what I have heard, this is great.
• What small discoloration that has begun to surface on my face (redness) is completely addressable with concealer (thank you Laura Mercier)

Cons: (and these aren't even that bad)

• Getting up for the minimum of three trips to the bathroom a night
• Feeling like an out of shape piece of poop because I easily get out of breath (I do understand that I am sharing my breath with another human being, I'm just sayin)

On the nursery front, we are staring to shop for furniture, haven't decided on a set yet, but are seriously leaning towards the progression beds.  I like the thought of having a furniture set that she can use for a good amount of time.  We also picked out a few paint colors to try out for her room.  Clark had been complaining about too much Pink, so I was looking for paint colors more in the lavender arena, however, the ones he picked were more rose/pinkish if you ask me, but I like all of the selections we made.  We now just have to narrow it down.

We do however have a name for the little one.  Hannah Grace McCarthy.  Hannah isn't a family name, just one we really liked.  It is hebrew in origin and means Favourd by God.  Grace is my best friends name, and wanted to honor her. 

It makes it all a little more real having the name to call it, depending on the timing when it is still just "the baby" or in bad moments of tummy cramping "Clark's Devil Spawn".

Hope this finds you all well!

The Big Trip to London, Ireland and Northern Ireland!

The trip went without a hitch for the most part, other than the dollar dropping again against the English pound and costing us more money in the conversion.  The weather was absolutely fabulous, not a day of rain in the UK or Ireland our entire time there. 

I won’t bore you with the full day by day details, but here are some of the highlights:

·         Seeing the buildup for the royal wedding, and all the news coverage that was on 24/7 for it

·         Great food (especially seafood) we ate from all around London, Ireland and Northern Ireland

·         Walking tour from PHD graduate from Trinity College in Dublin

·         Making friends with Bar Tender at the Stag’s Head in Dublin and being told that the bar is older than our Country

·         Driving on the left side of the road successfully

·         Seeing the Working Jameson Whiskey Distillery in Midleton and watching Clark get his certificate of expert whiskey taster (or something like that)

·         The gorgeous Cliffs of Mohr and the Irish Country side and coast in general

·         The amazing history of Ireland and Northern Ireland that is still in the making

·         Staying at The Europa Hotel in Belfast, the most Bombed Building in Europe (maybe the world)

·         Staying at The Savoy our final night of the trip in London.  It cost an arm and a leg, but well worth it for the luxury and the experience overall.  It felt like a trip back in time where you dressed for tea and drinks.  Very Gatspyesque, but in Britain.

There are many more, but that was the quick and dirty.  Pictures will be coming soon, but if you know me well, you know I am never too quick on the download.  The low point was definitely not getting to partake in the many glasses of Guinness and other beers that Clark thoroughly enjoyed while we were there, but I did get my sips along the way.

We did manage to miss the biggest tornadic event to his our area in a long time.  We came home to a safe home and safe friends.  Our neighbors even emptied out our refrigerator for us.  But we know how lucky we are and our thoughts and prayers will continue to be with those affected.

Baby McCarthy did fine the whole trip.  We did get a few odd looks on the street in London for some reason.  I guess they don’t see as many pregnant women walking about as we do here in Huntsville.  Sometimes I think you can’t swing a dead cat in this town without hitting a breader.  But I digress.  It was a wonderful trip, but glad we are home again safely and getting ready to tackle our next big adventure, preparing for the arrival of the little one.

Cheers!