We are fortunate to have supportive friends and family who have provided us with advice and items to get us started (one of the benefits to having a sister  and brother and cousins and friends who have gone through all of this before!) and their love and support makes this journey enjoyable. I spend many moments a day reflecting on how lucky I am to be able to have this opportunity, and am grateful for everything. I mean, yeah, the thought of  spending time in a hospital gives me the heebie-jeebies, but at least I can go to a hospital (and at least it will be for a happy reason).

While the magnitude of it all can be overwhelming, I take comfort in the fact that people have been birthing and raising kids since the dawn of mankind, and even though the newspaper headlines may lead one to believe otherwise, the world is still a pretty cool place, full of goodness and possibility. Being able to contribute to that cycle of life is awesome, in the purest sense of the word.

Honestly, it tasted like flat Orange Crush. Or like the orange-flavored sugary drink we used to drink at church functions. It wasn’t the best thing I’ve ever tasted, but it was by no means the worst (some of the drinks I drank in college take that award!). I am happy to report that I did not test positive for gestational diabetes, so that is one less thing to worry about. The baby is doing well, and measuring right where she should be. Her heart beat is great and I can feel her move all the time! When she’s really active, you can feel her move from the outside, and sometimes I can see my stomach move around. If I didn’t feel so connected to her, I’d probably freak myself about by replaying scenes from the movie “Alien” in my head, with myself as Sigourney Weaver’s character.

One of the highlights of my summer (aside from the pregnancy) was the honor of standing up in my sister Maggie’s wedding in our hometown. I stayed in Chicago for two weeks, and on the first weekend went to my ten-year college reunion in South Bend. It was great to catch up with my friends and talk about our lives. It didn’t seem like any time had passed, and even though the weather didn’t cooperate (does it ever in Indiana?) we had a blast. I was exhausted by the end of the weekend, and spent the next two weeks hanging out with my sister Katie and my adorable nieces, Lucy and Amelia, my parents, and visiting with old friends.

The week of Maggie’s wedding was a blast, and the ceremony and reception itself had me putting on my dancing shoes (as much as a 6-month pregnant lady can dance) and visiting with more family and friends. It was a great “final trip” before the baby arrives (Nick and I remarked on how this would be our last flight before having a little sidekick, and patiently tried not to get irritated with crying babies and parents hauling giant car seats and strollers slowly throughout the airport–karma is a bitch, after all).

The weather in the Bay Area has been gorgeous, and we are in the process of transforming our tiny little living space into a family “home.” Let’s just say, after years of moving, I thought I had gotten rid of all of the “junk” I didn’t need. I was wrong. I don’t know where all this crap comes from, but every time I set out to clean something, it seems like a pile of junk just spontaneously grows out of another pile. The plus side to having limited space, especially with a child on the way, is that we don’t have room for excess. Every inch of space must be utilized in a functional way.

On my recent trip to Babies ‘R Us (a place that I hope to never have to go to on a crowded day…that store is nauseating!) I realized how much stuff a person doesn’t need when having a baby. Not to mention how absurdly consumeristic Americans’ shopping habits are (I’ll save that for a different post).

I hope to update this blog more in the coming months, now that my second-trimester energy “burst” is winding down and I am adjusting to the fact that I can no longer see my feet. Cheers!

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!

I must admit that I was a little nervous about attending a concert as a pregnant lady (face it: no one wants to be “that guy”) and spent some time Googling things like “is it ok for pregnant women to go to concerts?” Most websites said it was fine, as long as you avoided inhaling smoke and drinking, and didn’t stand in front of a speaker. Since it’s illegal in California to smoke indoors, I didn’t have to worry about that, and while we found a spot close to the stage, I was able to lean against a wall toward the side, where the vibrations from the bass were less intense. One rule I’ve adopted when browsing pregnancy websites is to avoid listening to advice from people who misspell at least three words, or who do not know how to properly complete a sentence. This weeds out a lot, surprisingly (or perhaps not-so-surprisingly).

I love Radiohead so I figured I would enjoy Thom Yorke’s new band, which I did. I was particularly impressed with his energy, as well as the energy of Flea (of Red Hot Chili Pepper fame). My own energy started to dwindle toward the end of the show, and I found a chair and sat next to all of the people I usually made fun of at concerts (who sits down at a concert? Lame.) As I was sitting there, Nick nudged me and pointed out a woman who looked as though she was ready to give birth, jumping up and down and dancing like a fool. This made me feel less guilty about dragging my unborn baby to a rock show. I figure that, twenty years from now, baby will appreciate our good musical taste anyway, the same way I appreciated discovering my dad had a “Queen” record which had “Bohemian Rhapsody” on it, so I didn’t have to worry about buying the “Wayne’s World” soundtrack. Party on.

Of course, I was exhausted the next day and spent my Friday night sleeping. I have to admit, though, after months of staying in and going to bed early, it felt good to get out and mingle among complete strangers, all gathered for a common purpose: to rock!

I’m always surprised at how many people want to touch a woman’s stomach when she is pregnant. How perfect strangers seem to think it’s ok to place their hand on your belly. Um, no, that’s not cool! I can understand a person’s curiosity at wanting to see how you look pregnant, especially if they are family members or friends who live far away. I have no problem showing them pictures of myself…fully clothed. I totally support women who want to “bare it all” during pregnancy, but I can say with authority that I am not one of those persons. So you will never see bare “belly shots” on my blog, on my Facebook page, or anywhere else on the Internets, or in real life.

Call me modest, but I’ve never been one to seek out additional attention, and in a time in my life when it’s hard to avoid attention, I prefer to have it drawn to me under my terms.

I’ve also noticed that my priorities are shifting. I don’t care as much what my outfits look like, as long as they are comfortable. Who needs designer clothes when your waistline is expanding weekly? Granted, it’s still important to look nice, but there’s something to be said about practicality. Another obvious change is to my eating habits. Prior to pregnancy, I would sometimes “forget” to eat, if I was engrossed in a project at work, or had some errands to run. And even when I did eat, it wasn’t always balanced.

Now, however, I am fully aware of everything that I put into my body. The whole “eat for two” does hold true, to an extent. All a pregnant woman needs is 350 extra calories a day, which is roughly the size of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Several people have commented how “lucky” I am that I can eat whatever I want, since I am “eating for two.” Perhaps now, more than ever, it is crucial for me to adhere to the food pyramid. I avoid high fructose corn syrup like the plague that it is, and surprisingly don’t have much of a taste for sugary foods. Of course, ice cream contains calcium, an integral component to a pregnant woman’s diet. But it also contains fat of the less desireable kind, ringing true the saying, “all in moderation.”

On occaison I feel as though I have felt the first “flutters,” or “quickening” of the baby, though it is hard to distinguish that between regular stomach rumblings. In a few weeks Nick and I will be able to see the baby in motion and learn whether we will be having a son or daughter. Exciting times, indeed.

This spring is of particular significance, in that it coincides nicely with a transition of my own. As we walked around the lake, observing the new life around us, my husband and I were keenly aware of the ways our lives were beginning to change. The first day of spring coincides with our transition from the first to the second trimester. A month before we sat together in the sterile doctor’s office, witnessing our child’s heartbeat for the first time. The wonder and amazement we felt, on top of the reassurance that life was actually happening, is comparable to the wonder one experiences when spotting the first crocus emerging from its slumber. This is real. This is beautiful. This is life.

The advertising industry tends to frame the holidays in a way where indulgence is acceptable from Thanksgiving (the epitome of gluttony) to Christmas (cookies and egg nog, anyone?), and January is the time to right all of the wrongs you’ve been happily committing. The push to “start anew!” and “cleanse!” and “be a new you!” is overwhelming at best, not to mention quite unrealistic. Maybe you do hate yourself and want to become a “better person,” but most people, I think, are happy with themselves, and can recognize their “weaknesses” and know what it takes to strengthen themselves.

Personally, I know I always feel better when I exercise. I prefer walking or running outdoors, where I can marvel at the beautiful landscape that surrounds me, a landscape oft-forgotten amongst the hustle and bustle of the work-week. Being able to enjoy the outdoors not only makes me feel good, physically, but it also helps to mentally put things in perspective. The standard worries: money, deadlines, natural disasters, imagined health issues, fade into the sunset, whose colors make me realize that most of what is important in life is free, and fleeting. If I don’t make a priority to enjoy all that is right in my tiny little world, I am not truly enjoying life.

With that said, my resolution for 2010 and beyond is to focus on the positive, and when the negative thoughts and fears creep into my conscious (and they will), try my best to recognize that I am in control of my mind, and the limits exist only because I set them.