Oh yeah.

The ultrasound went super well yesterday.

Everything looks great and things are measuring right on track, though Baby's head is measuring an estimated due date of February 5. HILARIOUS.

The baby was a bit difficult when it came to some of the necessary measurements though, much like their older sister, so we need to go back in (darn) for another look in four weeks so baby's little heart chambers can get measured.

We got a DVD of the ultrasound, which we will not be watching, mainly because we did in fact have the ultrasound tech take a peek at the Baby's "Junk" <-- husband="husband" mine.="mine." not="not" p="p" s="s" term="term">
We chatted on the way to the appointment and decided that ultimately we were still unsure what we wanted to do - so we had our lovely tech write down the secret in this card.

Being the amazing practitioner that she is, she also included the prints of "junk shots". Ugh. HUSBAND.

We aren't sure what, if anything, we will do with the card just yet. But, I will keep y'all in the loop

Oh, I guess one other person, other than the ultrasound tech, knows.

Evelyn.

She looked right at the screen while the tech was pointing the good stuff out.

But, I don't think she's telling anyone ;)



Evelyn Rae is 14 months old, I am 20 weeks along with Baby Ferris

...and I can now officially see my belly move! Whaaaaaa. HAPPY FRIDAY!

Hazing is for Losers.

I have mentioned it in passing on this here blog before, but I am mentioning it clearly and loudly now - I am a proud sorority woman.

Our international organization is actually a fraternity, rather than a sorority, but I assure you it is a women's organization. But I won't get too technical on ya.

Beyond having been a collegiate member, active alumna, and volunteer - I was also a paid member of staff for a year after I graduated with my undergraduate degree. I had the amazing opportunity to travel the country, meeting so many of my sisters from different institutions and hear all about their varied experiences in the same organization that we all held dear. Some of the women I visited even turned around and became consultants themselves, which was about enough to make my heart burst with pride at the time.

After that experience, I headed to graduate school where I trained and learned how to be a student affairs professional, and worked in the Greek Life Office educating in various capacities with the entire fraternity and sorority community.

I have dedicated so much of my time, energy and emotion to "Greek Life", not just because I had a great time partying in college (it's true, we like to have fun together - like many college students who don't belong to any organizations), but because I truly believe in the changing and improving power of a positive fraternal experience.

Fraternity and Sorority, when done correctly, is truly an empowering force in a young person's life. The community gets a bad wrap sometimes from those who don't know much about it, and sometimes from those who do. Truthfully, a lot of members have made very real mistakes and poor choices that have resulted in that reputation. That being said, those examples are not what the vast majority of us experience or believe in.

We were founded as, and continue to be, organizations that believe in lofty ideals, meaningful values, and a consistent desire to strive for achieving those ideals and values.

I am committed to dedicating my time, talents, and any help that I can, really, to my organization continually staving for better things - even more so since now I have a little legacy.

Legacy = a direct relative of a member of a certain organization, i.e. a daughter. And look at that happy little legacy down there. Love her.

I so desperately want Evelyn to have the opportunity to belong to an organization that teaches her to be a better woman, and strengthens and challenges her in ways that other groups who may not have the history and tradition behind them can.  I had no idea just how important it was to me that this opportunity continue, until I thought about she and I being able to share this experience someday down the road.

...You know, if she wants to - granted I am taking every available opportunity to get her excited about it. She has been around for two recruitment seasons and has been to two formal recruitments and bid days, not to mention a few other events - hedging my bets. Wink...

One of the biggest threats to that experience being available to my daughter and thousands of other young people is hazing. Did you know that this week is National Hazing Prevention Week?

I have seen some gems this week regarding this event:

While hazing is certainly not limited to Greek organizations, it has long been a train of thought within fraternal circles that new members need to "earn" their way into a full membership.

In my view, once we give an offer of membership to someone that we deem suitable, the best way for them to "earn" the right to the full rights and privileges of membership is through education, rather than completing menial tasks for members or any other horror stories that you may have heard about.

Don't we earn all the rights and privileges of a degree through education? Why should our membership certificates be all that different? True, we ask for a lot more from our members in a holistic sense than a university might, but that is the point. Continuing to strive for excellence in all aspects of our lives.

In any case, I assure you that hazing does not align with the oaths that we take or the values that we espouse as fraternal organizations. So, if for no other reason, shouldn't we not haze because it is in direct violation of everything that we pledge to hold dear? (Yes, rituals of organizations are secret, but we have some open mottos and sayings that are pretty obviously not in line with making someone find their way back to campus in the dark of night. For example.)

Those of you who read this may or may not have had a Greek experience in college or afterward, but I think that it is important for everyone to recognize the opportunity that lies in membership in such an organization and that there are tons of us, both collegiate and alumni, who believe in and fight for true fraternal values every day.

What we promise to do and what we actually do should align. It's as simple as that.


Evelyn Rae is 14 months old, I am 20 weeks along with Baby Ferris

...and if she looks this cute in sorority swag now...

...just imagine how adorable she could be in it in the future. Help us ensure that future is available. Kthanks.

Team Green?

When we were pregnant with Evelyn we were unabashedly Team Green. We didn't know if the baby growing all up inside of me was going to reveal itself as a boy or girl until she (excite!) was delivered.

We had talked about not finding out for so long that it was barely even a struggle for us. Plus it was mostly fun (with a dash of annoying) when strangers would try to guess what we were having based on all the old wives tales, etc.

We barely ever questioned the decision, even when friends were all disappointed about the monogramming situation. NO MONOGRAMS UNTIL BABY GETS HERE?! WHAT A DEPRIVED CHILD! (I sort of agreed on that one, as I LOVE a monogram.)

Sidenote: It is really funny to me that so many people I know are NOT finding out now. TRENDSETTERS!

But, we prevailed and waited. And then she was here.

That was such an amazing moment. Also, I just love this picture because A looks so relieved and shell shocked all at the same time. Love him.

When we got knocked up this time around, I admittedly freaked out for a little while about how close together these kids would be (read: the entire first trimester, thanks hormones!).

Part of that freaking out was me declaring to my husband, "WE HAVE TO FIND OUT THIS TIME!!!" And he agreed, whole heartedly.

I was all, "I HAVE TO PLAN!" and he was all, "Yeah. This is cray. Plus, it will be exciting and different."

But then, then the blissful second trimester rolled around and my mind started to calm down. And I started to wonder, do we really want to find out? What are we going to do for the (hypothetical) rest of our kids? Are we going to lose that moment of bliss and excitement? Or will it just be at a different time and the happiness will be more spread out?

Hmm.

We do have a lot to discuss either way, issues like names and circumcision and all of that. Surprise, surprise, husband does not feel it is necessary to really buckle down and have those conversations unless it is necessary, so finding out the sex in advance would be helpful there.

We still haven't made the choice.

And our "big" ultrasound is TODAY.

Today folks. TODAY.

So here's the plan.

We are going to not look. And have the ultrasound tech write it down in an envelope.

And then, then we will see.

Maybe we will find out tonight. Maybe we will open the envelope and keep it a secret from everyone else for a while. Or maybe, maybe we will put the envelope away and just wait it on out.




Evelyn Rae is fourteen months old, I am 20 weeks along with Baby Ferris


...and Hubs is still all about finding out, and I am still torn. Ideally, I would really like to go out to a nice quiet dinner and be all romantically just the two of us and open the envelope...but we neglected to secure a sitter for the occasion.

So, we shall see.

Phase One.

There are so v. v. many Blogapalooza updates (I AM SO BEHIND!) that I have decided to break them into sub categories. So far, Bumpdates are up. You can find them over there -->

I will add more as I do them, and in the mean time, the BUMP WATCH page has been updated, too.

Whew, thank goodness for long naps today! More soon.

Love, Court

20 weeks

Nausea
None! Huzzah!

Skin
Ok, I got hella sunburned this weekend at a football game. Bad news bears. Mostly on me, since I have been a pale kid all my life, etc. etc.

Weight/Clothes
Feeling preeeeety big actually. Like, I don't feel it, but then I look at pictures and go WOW that girl is KNOCKED UP. Holy crap y'all.

Als, people have officially started asking if I am pregnant, when I am due, etc. Strangers, I mean. So, I guess it is officially obvious.

Cravings/Aversions
Meh. Food. It's good and stuff.

Cramps/Pain

Not so much streching pain this week, so that's cool. 

Sleeping
Ugh, here it comes. The bad news bears time of sleeping. I woke up no less than 40 times last night. (I may be exaggerating) Seriously though, I woke up a lot. So, that's fun.

Heartburn
Oh Tums, we are friends. BUT, in other breaking news, I found some Zantac that is still good left over from last pregnancy! Hurray! Also, I can officially only sleep on my left side to keep the acid from creeping up. WHY DOES THAT WORK. 

Aside: I hate sleeping on my left side. Boo.

The Girls
::whisper:: I haven't nursed Ev in two days. My boobs look bigger and stuff. We don't know if this will take/keep. I am sort of torn about it and trying to cuddle my girl tons so she knows I am still here and love her and stuff. Ack! Mommy guilt.

New this time around
Um, workin on my fitness. Seriously have been so much more active this pregnancy. I mapped our morning walk and we walk about two miles almost every morning. WHO KNEW?! It makes my hips hurt a bit, but I am feeling good.

Oh yeah, this again.
Um, I totally forgot about the zipper lock trick. You know, how you can pull a zipper up half way and then put the little pulley part down and the zipper stays locked? Yuppers, totally forgot about how useful that is during pregnancy. 

Mental State
Made a HUGE to-do list room by room in our house. Husband rolled his eyes. THANKS FOR THE SUPPORT HUSBAND.

Don't worry, it's on my iPad so it's all portable and stuff, complete with little electronic boxes to check as things get completed. YAY TECHNOLOGY.

20 weeks, last go round

Is it my turn yet MOM?! 

Evelyn Rae is 14 months old, I'm 20 weeks along with Baby Ferris

...and this is what my life looks like these days!

24.

In the last 24 hours alone my daughter has managed to do some serious damage in the split second that someone did not have both eyes focused directly on her.

We are talking:

• Throwing a can of soda onto the floor, which then EXPLODED all the way up to the ceilings in our kitchen, all over everything, including me, her, her Dad and the seconds away from being finished dinner I was preparing. Yum, Coke flavored Chicken Tacos anyone?
• Attempting to eat a dishwasher soap tablet, and managing to get a tiny corner punctured and a tiny droplet of soap in her mouth that made her immediately throw up two times. On me. (She is fine, I promise)
• Dropping my compact of blush onto the ground so that it shattered into a bajillion pieces, grabbing some and putting that in her mouth, gagging on that and then we had pink spit up (ick, ick, ick)
• Getting both legs stuck through the slats of the new gate at the top of the stairs, where she then whimpered pitifully until we could get her out of there
• Turning over the dogs water bowl, its one of those things with a GALLON of water that sits on the top of it to slowly release, I mean come ON. I can barely lift it, how can she?!
• Breaking the top off of the Tums on my bedside table and shaking them out all over my room, some of them rolling to the depths of under the bed-ness from whence they will never be seen again.

I blame it on her new tooth. Please God just let it be this new tooth.

BTW, here's her latest photo...

Evelyn Rae is 14 months old, I am 20 weeks along with Baby Ferris (ack!)

...and Blogapalooza is still coming, pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, etc.

Blogapalooza

That's right folks, I am back. Sort of.

This isn't a real post, which is sort of lame. BUT, we have internet back at the house and so I can finally start uploading the pictures to go with all my updates that I have been saving in drafts for a while. Thank goodness.

We have had a crazy week or all of this would have happened yesterday.

Walking babies. Y'all. This shizz is serious.

She is not just walking, she is crawling and climbing and scrambling up and down every possible surface. Put a gate up? Girl wants to scale it. Stairs are like her bff and now that we have separated her from her bff, she is no a happy camper. The ottoman no longer contains her in a small portion of the living room because she has this new move where she wedges between the ottoman and couch and scales them to climb over.

Ingenious? Yes. Disastrous for Momma? Uh huh.

So, I have tons of posting, and I am going to be putting them where they actually belong in this here timeline, so I will also tag them with a "Blogapalooza" label and change that handy button over there ->  to say that instead of "Secret Posts"...that way you can pull the new stuff out.

Sound like a plan? Keep an eye out over the next few days! <3 p="p">


Evelyn Rae is fourteen months old, I am 19 weeks and some change along with Baby Ferris

...and holy crap y'all. We are almost halfway. SOMUCHTODO.

19 weeks

Nausea

None, Hurray!

Skin

Pale, but clear! Yay!

Weight/Clothes

Got my maternity clothes back from my dear friend Whitney, but I really haven't been rocking them too much. I am feeling pretty good on the weight gain front actually. KNOCK ON WOOD.

Cravings/Aversions
Um, cravings. This is new. Pickles. (How typical, right?) Cheese and crackers. Really anything with Sharp, sharp, extra sharp cheddar. YUM. And seriously? The other day I wasn't even hungry, we were driving home for lunch, and all I could THINK about was fried chicken. Like to the point where I was salivating. I could not stop thinking about it! SO.WEIRD. Did I end up getting that chicken? Nope. And it still makes me kind of sad. Whomps.

Cramps/Pain

Still in pain. Uterus growing and stretching, ETC. ETC. Painful. Twinges and such. Meh.

Sleeping
Much better, but MAN do I need a Snoogle. Heading to buy one this weekend.

Heartburn

Serious. Business. Argh. Really just when I lay down, so again, more acid reflux. Just like last time. Lameo.

The Girls
Feeling alright, still sensitive, trying to wean baby girl (big post about this coming soon), etc. Oh Boobies. Wearing sports bras, etc at night to help support everything.

Fetal Movement
Feeling baby kick almost every evening now. LOVE IT.

New this time around
Cravings! See above.

Oh yeah, this again.
Acid Reflux. WHOMPS. P.S. Apparently this can happen later thanks to all this reflux. LAME.

Mental State
Feeling, whelp, great actually. We have had an awesome week, minus the internet situation, but then again maybe this has helped spurn our awesome week, Morning walks every morning, playground every day - girl loves some swings - and evening walks with Daddy. Plus, activities! Getting out, enjoying the weather, taking walks up and down the block holding a little girl's hand. Life is good.

19 weeks, last go round

Evelyn Rae is fourteen months old, I'm 19 weeks along with Baby Ferris

...and why don't more maternity dresses have box pleats?! This isn't maternity (Thanks again Francesca's!!), but still...the pleats? I love.

Thoughts.

Brought to you by my lack of internet and ability to type short bullets on my tiny phone screen.

> Sometimes, mostly thanks to all the Baby Story watching I am doing (it coincides with our new one nap a day schedule so tends to be on in the background) I wonder what labor is really like with an epidural.

> Not that I am planning on getting one. But I just wonder, ya know?

> On the way hone from the park the other day, Nana was with us and carrying Ev who didn't want to be in the stroller. Then they fell. Clearly, she is fine, but in the moment I didn't freak out. Pretty proud that I have retained my cool head even when it involves my kiddos.

> Now, when I *imagine* things happening to my kiddos...that's a different story. Thanks pregnancy hormones for all these nutso dreams.

> I am sort of blogging right now to avoid doing laundry. Meh.

> Ev slept until 7 am today. Please let this trend continue. Amen.

> Sometimes I dream about labor. Preparing for labor and delivery is so much different now that I have been through it. Sweet naivete, how I miss thee. I alternate between "I can't believe I am going to do that again" and "Eh, NBD. I've rocked this before."

> We reserved a spot for New Baby's feet on the wall at the Midwifery at my last appointment. Right near Ev's. Squee!

> Now there is a new episode of Baby Story on. She just did it naturally with nary a sound. Don't think I'll ever manage that feat. Ha. ;)

Baby's up. Gotta run.

Evelyn Rae is fourteen months old, I am eighteen weeks along with Baby Ferris

...and I have been craving pickles. How freaking stereotypical is that?

The Dark Ages

Friends. There is currently an Internet crisis going on in my home.

I am trying to keep calm and carry on.

(you know what would have been really cute there? An actual graphic. But guess what I can't do well on my phone? Yup. Photos.)

In any case, any posts with photos will have to wait until the crisis is over. We have been contemplating changing our Internet provider anyway, as we have Verizon DSL right now. Why? DSL? I don't think we can be friends anymore.

I know, I know. But, Fios isn't available here. Lame. Verizon bundles with our DirecTV. So, we opted for it since at the time, both of us were working and had access to ultra high speed Internet on both of our office computers, etc.

But now. Now it is my only Internet...minus my phone. Right. And when we had some problems with it last month we called, only to find out that we are at "the end of the line" of people using DSL. Which means at peak times, apparently, though we pay the same as all those other folks...they get first dibs on Internet speeds. Cool.

Argh. Thankfully Ev has been taking a good long nap, because typing this on my phone is lameo.

Until further notice, posts will be those with no photos, and probably short things I can do on my phone.

Argh, argh, argh.


Evelyn Rae is fourteen months old, I am eighteen weeks along with my baby who is the size of a baked potato or something this week (!)

...and you can always follow me on Instagram if you are wondering what we're up to! MissCourtneyRae

Today

Today I will forgo the continuing saga of our ill-fated road trip, because, well, even humorous and dramatic complaining about such relatively small things seem down right ridiculous today.

This morning as I flipped on the TV, hoping to catch the last remaining moments of Morning Joe on MSNBC (my most favorite and only watched news program), I instead saw a re-airing of the actual Today Show footage from September 11, 2001.

It was a shock to my system, and I found myself standing still in a moment of time travel.  I turned the broadcast on at exactly the same time that we had turned it on in my French 5 class the morning that it was actually airing live - seconds before the second plane hit.

It was Senior year, and I had just been released from AP Biology. I hit my locker up on the way to French class, as I did every morning, and my friend Justin came running up to me. 

"Have you heard?! Someone bombed the World Trade Center!"

"What? Again?" (I remembered when the bomb in the early 90s had gone off as well)

"Yeah! Let's go see if Madame Dimmick will let us turn on the TV!"

We ran around the corner to class and shouted to our teacher as we reached for the power button. And there it was, for all to see. We watched the second plane flying toward the tower and felt that we must be watching a movie. Surely, surely this wasn't actually happening.

And then, flash, I was back to the present with a toddler behind me demanding more eggs. Oh right, breakfast.

I know that I am not the only one who remembers so vividly where they were that day, and I can hardly believe that the young men and women who can now be deployed to Afghanistan were only six years old when our nation was first attacked. Six.

I looked at my daughter and realized, really realized, that this is one of those events that she will learn about in History class someday.

Mind Boggling.

We went for our morning walk and I reflected on the past 11 years. How much has changed and how much has stayed the same. I am older and have learned so much. I would like to think that my first reaction to a tragedy on the news would be somewhat more thoughtful than, “What? Again?” but it probably wouldn’t be. 

And yet, I still turn to the same set of arms for comfort as I did that day. They are a bit bigger and manlier now than they were at 17, but they hold me just as tightly. I have built a life with that boy, and that alone is such a privilege.

So today, as I pray for the families that I am sure are still continuing their struggle with grief for loved ones lost that day, I find myself humbled and so very thankful for every precious moment that I get to spend on this earth with my own loved ones. Because you just never know.

Evelyn Rae is fourteen months old today, I am 18 weeks along with Baby Ferris

… and ::hugs:: friends.

18 weeks

Nausea
A little touch here and there. I am thinking that this is maybe because of what I was eating, rather than still morning sickness?! Please, God. 

Skin

Pale, but clear!

Weight/Clothes
I had my 16 week appointment this week (yup a little behind since it was actually during my week 17, but we are catching up at the end of the month at the BIG ULTRASOUND appointment). In any case, Nell weighed me and I have only gained 9 pounds so far! WHAAA? 

I feel like I look pretty similar to my photos from last go 'round, but could it be possible that I had only gained 9 pounds at almost halfway through last time? I dunno. Should have kept better records, I guess.

Still not wearing maternity clothes. Thankful I got to rock this Michael Kors dress I picked up before the weather turned too cold. Why not show off that bump, right?

Cravings/Aversions
Squishy stomach. getting full so much faster than normal. All my organs are squished.

Cramps/Pain

Better this week, but still there. Stretching and happening, some pain moving to my hips. Vunderbar. (I have no idea if that is how that is spelled. I took French.)

Sleeping
Getting uncomfortable. Snoogle is becoming more and more necessary. I NEED ONE. Also, Amazon Prime, I MISS YOU.

Heartburn
Oh Tums and Papaya Enzyme. Everything in moderation. They both help, so I go on whichever would taste best in the moment. Blech.

The Girls
Getting a little more sensitive when Ev is nursing in the mornings. That is the only time we are still breastfeeding now, so...yeah. Ouch.

New this time around
The heartburn isn't as bad as last time. Shhhhhhhh. 

Oh yeah, this again.
Shortness of breath. I had forgotten about this. Gasp. I can barely even get through a story with Evelyn at nap time. Sad, sad day.

Fetal Movement
I FELT A BABY MOVE THIS WEEK! YAAAAAY! only a week later than last time! I thought it would due much, much later considering that my placenta is all up in the front this time and stuff. But, the other night I was sitting on the couch, and there it was, definite baby flutters!

Mental State
We are so up in the air about finding out the sex of our baby. Hotly discussed topic in this house. Le sigh.



18 weeks, last go round

Evelyn Rae is 13 months old, I am 18 weeks along with Baby Ferris

...and she LOVES being in these photos every week. Little ham. <3 font="font" nbsp="nbsp">