Took a Deep Breath...

and switched to maternity pants...  AHHHH!


  Seriously though, I was getting sick of the hair tie around my jeans, worrying they would come unzipped and still wearing something uncomfortable. So now that I have worn these dreaded pants on two occasions I have to say AMAZING! I ended up getting a pair of khakis and two pairs of jeans. The khakis are extremely comfortable so far, but I wore one of the jeans yesterday and they weren't my favorite. I'm hoping, in a crazy way, once my stomach gets more ginormous they will fit better.


  So with out further ado, here is a picture in the pants....drumroll...

  Muah ha ha, YEAH RIGHT! I told Tim yesterday, "I already look like a hippo!". Sorry, but you aren't going to get see this phenomenon unless it is in person! I may eventually breakdown and do the infamous belly shot, but as my husband always says, "It's not yet it's time.".  :)

  Love you Peanut and so glad you are getting big and comfy!

Baby Stockpile

  I have started to buy things and make a registry... We're in trouble now!


  I am not sure what it is, but looking, researching and shopping for baby stuff is FUN! At the same respect it is very confusing and overwhelming. "Will Peanut like this? Will this work best? How many of these do we need?". Plus you have to factor in that babies grow so fast and thinking, "How long will they really use this?". Since we do not know what we are having yet, it makes it even harder for some items. Most things are so gender specific anymore you cannot look at it without thinking it could only be used for a boy or girl. I know guys today do wear pink, but that's just mean to put a baby boy in a pink onesie! Here is what I have so far:

I couldn't pass this up on a recent trip to Once Upon a Child!

I was recommended these "sleep sacks" by a friend and they were on Baby Steals today, so I got two. You will now be known as "baby taco"! :)

  I have also been looking at strollers, carseats, disposable diapers, cloth diapers, organic matresses, etc, etc. Babies required alot of stuff! 

  Then I stumbled upon something the other day talking about chemicals in baby stuff. Tim & I try to eat mostly organic and local along with using natural household products. There are way to many "potentially harmful" chemicals in everything nowadays. It is disgusting what is allowed to be used to grow our countries food along with daily household items. Trying to connect the dots and figure out what is causing so much cancer and illness in our society is difficult, but I do believe it has to do with diet and chemical exposure to an extent. Having thyroid cancer myself and watching others go through cancer really makes it hit home for me. I'm not saying all cancer is caused by chemicals, but the bottom line is that it cannot be good to expose the human body to all these unnatural chemicals. 

  So because of all this, I am going to be slightly paranoid about our little Peanut and chemicals. I know it is not realistic to eliminate everything, but I would like to do the best we can to make it minimal. I guess even if down the road our baby develops some serious illness, I will know I did everything I could to ensure it did not develop from toxins. A baby comes into this world from such a natural environment and to immediately start exposing them to chemicals does not seem right. I hope I will be doing the best thing for our child to try to eliminate contact with many of these unnatural chemicals.

So I'm preparing myself for the, 

"Why don't you just use Pampers, I turned out fine?" Ever heard of chlorine? Yeah, it's in babies diapers along with many other chemicals. I was reading just yesterday how some of those chemicals are thought to cause infertility in males.

"Cloth diapers, that's just gross!" I figure all these years of dealing with dog do do has prepared me for this. Yes, it's not the most appetizing idea, but I know it is better for the environment and saves lots of money. 

"Organic mattresses, really?" Ever hear of BFR flame retardants in mattresses? Studies have shown these chemicals are thought to cause many problems including in the thyroid along with a long list of other issues.

  Now I'm not going to condemn any mother that uses these products because in the end you have to do what works best for you. I hope you do your own research and decide for yourself what is best. I know that this is what I intend to do for the moment and helps me sleep better at night to be educated about all baby products and what goes into them. In the end you likely spend a little more upfront, but if it helps your child to live a longer, healthier and happier life isn't that what we all are aiming for?

Oh baby!

Dear Peanut,


  Oh there is so much I want to say about and to you! I guess I will start in the beginning. :)


  We had been wanting a family for almost a year and were getting to the point of being impatient about it not happening yet. We kept trying to remind ourselves that when it was "ment to be" it would happen. Plus, with my thyroid issues, it made things harder to plan and predict. I remember listening to this song way to many times and feeling that I could relate thinking about you. It also reminded me to how it felt like a thousand years I have been waiting for you, but someday it would happen.

A Thousand Years

  
  Well that day finally arrived on March 9th! I can describe what it is like getting a positive pregnancy test, well 3 to be exact, but until you experience it firsthand it is still hard to understand. It is such a rush of excitement, happiness, disbelief and even a sense of panic! To be honest, the first few days are somewhat overwhelming, but at the same time wonderful. I also felt a sudden change of perspective on my life. It is hard to understand and describe, but suddenly someone, that you do not even know yet matters so much more than anything you have ever cared about. It's easy to get lost in thoughts and daydreaming.


  Telling Tim that day was really wonderful. I had taken the tests in the morning, so by the time he got home I was ready to burst. I had already planned out how I was going to tell him. I had purchased this last summer with the intention of it being a gift to tell him I was pregnant.

  The look on his face was something I will never forget. The smile he had was priceless and complete joy. We also used this hat to tell both of our parents and grandparents. It is one of those moments that will stay with you forever and is indescribably wonderful. We also sent this out to extending family to let them know:

We have a secret
That we want to finally tell!
You better sit down,
Cause you might want to yell.


We have our two dogs
And those crazy fainting goats,
But this is a secret
That deserves a toast.


Coming soon
To join our crew
Will not be an animal
But a little tot too.


We don't know yet
If it is a he or she
But we are
As estatic as can be!


It is 3 months along
And already a little ham
When we saw it today
It was doing a little dance


I think it knows
How excited we will be
When on November 4th
We shall be a family of three!

  We have seen you twice so far and heard your heartbeat. The first time was shocking and hard to believe. I remember leaving the doctor office with a feeling of, "Oh my, it's really in there!". When we saw you again at the three month appointment you had grown so much! It was so amazing and wonderful to see you again. I wish we could go every week to see you!

Love and hugs!