And so it begins

If I recall correctly, we informed family in February, after Chinese New Year, I think. We already knew we did not want to know the gender of the baby. We wanted it to be a surprise. We did not get any family members harassing us so that was great.

Hubby and I discussed possible names, and had already picked out some contenders, which we were keeping a secret, though I did tell a few select people whom I knew would not say anything. We also had discussed other major issues, including daycare, discipline, and other areas of concern. We had these discussions even before we were trying to conceive, among others. We've been pretty good with communication in our relationship, which has helped a lot with understanding each other's expectations.

During this time, we both had a lot of fun, and some stressful times. Shopping for baby things was fun (at least for me). The majority of the things we bought were gender neutral (yellows and greens), though I did buy blue items too (cuz I actually think, contrary to popular opinion, that blue is gender neutral). I also had a wonderful vision of what the nursery would look like, as well as what the guest bedroom and basement would look like, as we had a lot of furniture and other things to move around due to space issues.

Hubby was great during this time....working on the house. The basement needed a lot of work, as well as the new nursery upstairs. Also, due to morning sickness (which I would get often in the late afternoon / evening), hubby would also have to take care of dinner, dishes, and make sure I wasn't hanging over the toilet bowl or garbage can. Summer was even worse, with the hot weather and being tired quite a bit after work, and I would lie in the spare bedroom in the basement to stay cool, while hubby, again, cooked dinner for us.

I don't think I have ever adequately thanked him enough for all that he did for us during the pregnancy. I know I was a major pain due to the pregnancy itself, and the hormones. I know I can also be quite stubborn at times, wanting things my way, and he had to put up with that attitude, also.

Overall, the pregnancy was quite normal, with no complications. I did have a severe case of PUPS at the end of the pregnancy though (itchy everywhere). I was also quite HUGE. I only gained about 25 lbs (20-30 lbs is normal weight gain), but it was ALL baby. If anyone saw me from the back, they could not tell that I was pregnant, or that I had gained any weight at all. The profile was another story....I looked like I was wearing a basketball underneath! Yes, it was all baby. My main concern at the end of the pregnancy, is how big she would be and whether I would be able to handle a vaginal birth.....

(To be continued later because Z is now awake from her nap.)