Time flies!
The saying “time flies when you’re having fun” holds especially true during pregnancy. It’s hard to believe that we’re past the halfway mark, at nearly 23 weeks! Since our last doctor’s appointment, we learned that we will be having a little girl! Nick and I are very excited and I am glad we decided to find out. It was just as much a surprise for us as it would have been on delivery day. I really thought I’d be having a boy (for no reason in particular) and have felt a deeper connection to the baby since finding out the gender. Plus, just about everyone I know has had a girl recently, so I’ve got plenty of access to cute little clothes!
The ultrasound was amazing and probably one of the best experiences of my life. Seeing the little baby move around, watching her fingers move and wave at us was surreal. It was great to see her heart beating away, to see her little feet and legs. I can feel her moving around now, sometimes more than others, and look forward to the day when Nick can feel her poking and prodding about.
People are always asking us now what names we’ve picked out, and while we have chosen one, we probably won’t reveal it to the masses until she is here. Every once in awhile we mention one of the names we like, and someone sort of says, disappointedly, “Oh.” So in order to avoid any “awkward” situations, baby’s name will remain a secret until further notice.
In other news, we spent two weekends in a row in wine country. The first one we went to three wineries in the Russian River valley: Seghesio, Hop Kiln, and Ridge. I can’t vouch for the taste, but I can say that all wines smelled terrific, and I can’t wait to try some of them after the little one arrives. The second weekend we went to the member reception at Benziger, which is probably one of our favorite wineries. In addition to tastings of their most famous wines (including the 2008 Tribute straight from the barrel), they served a variety of Italian foods, which I completely enjoyed. And to top things off, one of the Benzigers saw me in line for the bathroom, and took me to her office restroom, because she understood what it was like to be pregnant and have to wait when nature calls. Awesome!
While I do have more energy, I also have noticed the subtle changes pregnancy has had on my body (aside from the obvious one!). Bending over to buckle my sandals is more of a challenge, and I am grateful for slip-on shoes. In addition, standing up for a long period of time hurts my back. And then there is the indigestion, which is just plain uncomfortable. None of this is anything worth complaining about, just more noticeable because I’m used to being able to do everything myself, and now I have to rely on other people to do normal things that I wouldn’t think twice about, such as replacing the water cooler at the office or scrubbing the bathtub. Nick has been super helpful and continues to cook the best meals ever. Our little girl already has a sophisticated palate!
