My mom's big joke is that when she was pregnant with me I never kicked. She wanted to see the doctor because she was so nervous that I didn't have legs at all. Then after I was born, everyone liked to say that with my little legs, she wasn't too far off with her prediction.
If this theory holds true, I am pretty sure I'm going to have a tall child. With the kicks I am getting, I am guessing that her legs are long like her Aunt Molly (Dave's sister). Have you ever seen Molly's femurs? Her femurs alone are the length of most people's entire legs. With the range and strength of the kicks inside of me, I think the femurs are to blame.
Samantha Lee - What's in a Name?
Remember, Dave was under the false assumption that we would have a son. Dave's original name idea for a son was "Sickie Sickie Pow Pow". This would ensure our son would be a pro snowboarder obsessed with how much snow was in the mountains. I was pushing for something more practical like "John Elway Brantz". Finally, we found something we could agree on and when we talked about our imaginary child that we would have someday, we decided a few years back that "his" name would be Sam. My great grandpa was Sam and although I only met him once when I was a baby, I was very close to my great grandma (GG) and I knew she would appreciate it.
When I was a kid I wished so badly that my name was Samantha. I'll admit that this was primarily because I loved the show Who's the Boss and thought that Alyssa Milano, who played Sam on the show, was fabulous. But, my favorite baby doll was named Samantha and I can remember wanting to change my name.
I was worried the name Samantha was too popular but the more we thought about it, Sam just seemed right no matter if it was a boy or a girl. We also wanted to pay proper respect to Dave's side of the family and Lee is Dave's mother's maiden name. I have heard such wonderful and fun stories about Dave's grandpa Si Lee, I thought this would be a great way to carry on his name in Samantha's middle name.
Lee just happens to be the middle name of my favorite Aunt Gina too. Aunt Gina was 15 when I was born and in my mind, has always been at the forefront of all things hip and cool. Because of Aunt Gina, I love old Alfred Hitchcock movies, Patsy Cline, the Beatles and complicated novels. I will also always think Jon Bon Jovi is sexy. I plan to teach Sammy these very important lessons.
When I was a kid I wished so badly that my name was Samantha. I'll admit that this was primarily because I loved the show Who's the Boss and thought that Alyssa Milano, who played Sam on the show, was fabulous. But, my favorite baby doll was named Samantha and I can remember wanting to change my name.
I was worried the name Samantha was too popular but the more we thought about it, Sam just seemed right no matter if it was a boy or a girl. We also wanted to pay proper respect to Dave's side of the family and Lee is Dave's mother's maiden name. I have heard such wonderful and fun stories about Dave's grandpa Si Lee, I thought this would be a great way to carry on his name in Samantha's middle name.
Lee just happens to be the middle name of my favorite Aunt Gina too. Aunt Gina was 15 when I was born and in my mind, has always been at the forefront of all things hip and cool. Because of Aunt Gina, I love old Alfred Hitchcock movies, Patsy Cline, the Beatles and complicated novels. I will also always think Jon Bon Jovi is sexy. I plan to teach Sammy these very important lessons.
Girl #19
I tried to warn Dave but he didn't believe me. In my family, we don't have boys. In fact, on my mom's side of the family, we have not had a male born since my Papa who turned 72 in January. I know, I know, it is the male that determines the sex of the baby. My Papa says he has a bunch of girls in his family that pick guys that can't create boys.
Samantha will be the 19th consecutive girl. That's right, my Papa had an older brother and each of them only had girls. So, my mom has two sisters, who have had daughters and those daughters (my cousins) have continued having girl only families. My cousin Jeanine is due about two weeks before me and she found out at her ultrasound that she will be having another girl as well.
I used to tease my cousins growing up and tell them that I was going to be the only one to have a boy. Actually, I think I had the whole family convinced. But, by the time I did get pregnant I really only wanted a girl. I mean, after that many girls, who even knows what to do with a boy? And who wants to be the one to mess up the girls streak for the family?
I am so excited for #19. And, I'm taking bets for how long our family can keep this going.
Samantha will be the 19th consecutive girl. That's right, my Papa had an older brother and each of them only had girls. So, my mom has two sisters, who have had daughters and those daughters (my cousins) have continued having girl only families. My cousin Jeanine is due about two weeks before me and she found out at her ultrasound that she will be having another girl as well.
I used to tease my cousins growing up and tell them that I was going to be the only one to have a boy. Actually, I think I had the whole family convinced. But, by the time I did get pregnant I really only wanted a girl. I mean, after that many girls, who even knows what to do with a boy? And who wants to be the one to mess up the girls streak for the family?
I am so excited for #19. And, I'm taking bets for how long our family can keep this going.
WOW - You Are Huge!
Have you ever heard that if you want something badly enough you will eventually get it? I'm starting to believe it. At the beginning of my pregnancy I really, really wanted to show. At about 8 weeks I had Dave convinced that my stomach was really expanding and everyone could probably tell I was pregnant. Looking back on those pictures is pretty funny now.
Somewhere between 18 and 20 weeks something crazy happened and my belly got big. Strangers started stopping me to ask when I was due, people started grabbing for my belly and I even had someone in the store tell me that I should get ready to have one big baby! He also shared that if I wasn't due until July, I must be having a huge baby boy! Let's face it, I'm a little person. There isn't much room for this baby to go. I think that is why she has miraculously started to expand through my thighs, arms, my backside and even in my face. She is very crafty.
As a woman, you never want to gain weight. It is taking some getting used to people commenting on how large I am. As Mike Hay told me, I am looking big and fat now. When I run into people the first thing they say is "You are SO big!" and my mom tells me that pretty soon I will randomly start toppling over.
My doctor says I'm totally fine, I'm still working out and I haven't gained an excessive amount of weight so I am trying to go with the flow. But, I'll admit I'm just as curious as the next guy about how....or where the next four months are going to go!
The Songs We Sing
Shortly after I got pregnant I found myself downloading some country songs onto my iPod. All of my childhood favorites that my parents would listen to like George Strait, Randy Travis and Patsy Cline. Then, I was downloading the Carpenters and singing "Top of the World" to the baby every day on my way to work.
Now, I didn't think much of it until one Saturday morning I found Dave brushing up on his "Stewball was a Racehorse" lyrics and singing Peter, Paul and Mary songs around the house all day. When Dave and Molly were little, their dad had a special song for each of them. Stewball was what Jim would sing to Dave.
I guess that in preparing for parenthood we are doing what our parents did for us. I have also realized that with the Carpenters and Peter, Paul and Mary we are definitely children from the 70's. Don't worry, I also sing Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Usher and Madonna to the baby so she will have well rounded musical taste.
Now, I didn't think much of it until one Saturday morning I found Dave brushing up on his "Stewball was a Racehorse" lyrics and singing Peter, Paul and Mary songs around the house all day. When Dave and Molly were little, their dad had a special song for each of them. Stewball was what Jim would sing to Dave.
I guess that in preparing for parenthood we are doing what our parents did for us. I have also realized that with the Carpenters and Peter, Paul and Mary we are definitely children from the 70's. Don't worry, I also sing Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Shakira, Usher and Madonna to the baby so she will have well rounded musical taste.
Proceed with Caution
If I had to sum up my pregnancy thus far in one word it would most definitely be moody.
The first few months I cried a lot. I have always hated crying and I could not understand why I was crying all the time when I genuinely was excited to be pregnant. I was so happy to have a baby and yet the tears kept flowing. Then came the grouchy phase. One minute I would be happy and going about my day and the next minute I would be more angry than ever about something very random. Sometimes I would know as it was happening that it was crazy but other times it seemed completely justified to be screaming at people.
I talk with my friend Audrey at the gym, who is also pregnant, about the mood swings (thank goodness I'm not alone) and we say how sorry we feel for our husbands. They never know who are they are going to get when they see us next. But the truth of the matter is that although Dave has had to deal with the brunt of my irrational behavior, he isn't the only one. Others that I love who have had to deal with my grouchiness include: my grandma (who is mean to their poor grandma?), my mother in law, Josh, my coworkers, Sara, my parents, the list goes on and on.
For a few weeks there I wanted to include some sort of disclaimer in my emails that said: Warning - I am pregnant, grouchy and irrational, if this email has upset you I apologize. One day when I was actually feeling pretty good, I got flipped off by three people on the way to the mall. I guess that even my driving is angry and upsetting other people.
As I said in another post, I have been feeling very stable, happy and calm for about the past three weeks, we will see if it lasts. That being said, according to my mother, the post about not caring what anyone thinks was really rude and mean. I didn't mean for it to be! So please proceed with caution and try not to take my mood swings too seriously. I truly am sorry if I upset you. Let's all hope that the brighter days are here to stay.
The first few months I cried a lot. I have always hated crying and I could not understand why I was crying all the time when I genuinely was excited to be pregnant. I was so happy to have a baby and yet the tears kept flowing. Then came the grouchy phase. One minute I would be happy and going about my day and the next minute I would be more angry than ever about something very random. Sometimes I would know as it was happening that it was crazy but other times it seemed completely justified to be screaming at people.
I talk with my friend Audrey at the gym, who is also pregnant, about the mood swings (thank goodness I'm not alone) and we say how sorry we feel for our husbands. They never know who are they are going to get when they see us next. But the truth of the matter is that although Dave has had to deal with the brunt of my irrational behavior, he isn't the only one. Others that I love who have had to deal with my grouchiness include: my grandma (who is mean to their poor grandma?), my mother in law, Josh, my coworkers, Sara, my parents, the list goes on and on.
For a few weeks there I wanted to include some sort of disclaimer in my emails that said: Warning - I am pregnant, grouchy and irrational, if this email has upset you I apologize. One day when I was actually feeling pretty good, I got flipped off by three people on the way to the mall. I guess that even my driving is angry and upsetting other people.
As I said in another post, I have been feeling very stable, happy and calm for about the past three weeks, we will see if it lasts. That being said, according to my mother, the post about not caring what anyone thinks was really rude and mean. I didn't mean for it to be! So please proceed with caution and try not to take my mood swings too seriously. I truly am sorry if I upset you. Let's all hope that the brighter days are here to stay.
Rolling with the Punches
Well, I have had a few months now to adjust and I am starting to embrace the whole pregnancy thing. Not to say that every day doesn't present new experiences, questions, concerns or mood swings but I am feeling pretty darn good these days. In the past few weeks I have started feeling the baby move which I absolutely love and Dave felt his first kicks this week while we were on vacation in the Bahamas.
During my 12 week ultrasound I saw the baby flipping and moving around on the screen and thought it was the most bizarre thing ever. I kept thinking that someone should have told me how weird it is to be pregnant. It is hard to comprehend that something is growing and moving inside you when you can't feel a thing. Now that I can feel her, the whole experience is easier for me to make sense of and it is amazing that she is always with me.
And yes, I am one of those pregnant people who talks to the baby, rubs the belly and sings to the baby on my way to work. The baby has already been to a bachelorette party, two weddings, a few bars, a serious dance club, a casino and for some swims in the ocean. I figure it's never too early to start teaching her how to have fun.
During my 12 week ultrasound I saw the baby flipping and moving around on the screen and thought it was the most bizarre thing ever. I kept thinking that someone should have told me how weird it is to be pregnant. It is hard to comprehend that something is growing and moving inside you when you can't feel a thing. Now that I can feel her, the whole experience is easier for me to make sense of and it is amazing that she is always with me.
And yes, I am one of those pregnant people who talks to the baby, rubs the belly and sings to the baby on my way to work. The baby has already been to a bachelorette party, two weddings, a few bars, a serious dance club, a casino and for some swims in the ocean. I figure it's never too early to start teaching her how to have fun.
I Don't Care What You Would Do
I've never liked surprises. When I was a kid I used to unwrap my presents under the Christmas tree when my parents were gone, check out what I was getting and wrap them back up. And no, I wasn't disappointed on Christmas when I already knew what I was getting. I don't like to be shocked. I don't like surprise parties. I like to know what is going on and what will happen. So I always knew that I would find out if we were expecting a boy or a girl.
What I have realized while being pregnant is that everyone has an opinion about everything. Not only that, but they feel very free to share those opinions with you. I hear the advice gets worse once you have a baby! The "finding out the sex" is the number one topic I get comments about lately and everyone wants to tell you what they personally would do if they had the choice to find out.
I'm not placing blame because I too was one of those people. My poor coworkers Jennifer and Tami did not choose to find out the sex of their babies and believe me, I told them how frustrated I was and how they did not make the right decision. What I realize now is that expectant parents will ask if they want your advice. If you feel strongly, then have your own baby and decide for yourself - otherwise, it doesn't really matter what you would do.
Oh and one more thing...we have decided on a name and we tell people that too! We are planning to name our little girl Samantha Lee. Shocking I know! I bet you wouldn't tell people if you were going to have a baby!
What I have realized while being pregnant is that everyone has an opinion about everything. Not only that, but they feel very free to share those opinions with you. I hear the advice gets worse once you have a baby! The "finding out the sex" is the number one topic I get comments about lately and everyone wants to tell you what they personally would do if they had the choice to find out.
I'm not placing blame because I too was one of those people. My poor coworkers Jennifer and Tami did not choose to find out the sex of their babies and believe me, I told them how frustrated I was and how they did not make the right decision. What I realize now is that expectant parents will ask if they want your advice. If you feel strongly, then have your own baby and decide for yourself - otherwise, it doesn't really matter what you would do.
Oh and one more thing...we have decided on a name and we tell people that too! We are planning to name our little girl Samantha Lee. Shocking I know! I bet you wouldn't tell people if you were going to have a baby!
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