Week 27

So, last week was my final week of work.

JJJAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIII HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

(Insert a very pregnant Sarah doing her own celebratory version of the dance in Slumdog Millionaire)

It was a little bittersweet to say goodbye to all my coworkers but I'm so looking forward to this next stage of our life...and you know lots of naps. ;)

Two Downs:
1. I've been having a lot of rib pain. One morning I woke up and swore the baby used my left rib as a pillow all night long.
2. As we're packing and getting organized, I get frustrated with how limited I am. Not that I'm looking to haul stuff up and down the stairs but still.

Two Ups:
1. Several of our friends have sent us children's books off our Amazon Registry and Nicholas has been reading to baby every night. All the books are so sweet and it's so awesome to think about reading to her once she's actually here.
2. I am still feeling really good and am hoping I can stave off the uncomfortable stage for a few more weeks.

The Oscars

Our good friends Alice and Chris came over last night for the Oscars. We had a great time watching the ceremony, although all of us were getting way tired by the end. Overall, I thought the show was fine - not too many surprises, but I really enjoyed some of the changes like all the former winners talking to each nominees.

But now to the fun part!

My best dressed was Anne Hathaway. I just thought she looked pitch perfect from the gorgeous sparkle of the gown to the understated earrings. I just loved it.


















My worst dressed was Jessica Biel. Her hair looked sloppy and the dress was a disaster.

Top 10 Top 10 Lists Everyone Should Make: 6-10

So found this in my work files as I was wrapping up and decided I'd finish them up all at once. :)

Top 10 Presidents
1. Abraham Lincoln – no contest!
2. FDR
3. George Washington
4. Thomas Jefferson
5. Teddy Roosevelt
6. Harry Truman
7. John Kennedy
8. Andrew Jackson (on entertainment factor alone)
9. Bill Clinton
10. Barack Obama (I’m feeling optimistic)


Top 10 Songs That Address The Topic of Love – This was definitely the hardest to make.

1. First Day of My Life – Bright Eyes

This is also the sweetest video EVER. If you watch only one of the ones I've posted, watch this one.



2. The Luckiest – Ben Folds



3. In Your Eyes – Peter Gabriel



4. God Only Knows – The Beach Boys



5. Ring of Fire – Johnny Cash



6. Let’s Stay Together – Al Green



7. Dimming of the Day – Bonnie Raitt



8. Ordinary People – John Legend

Ordinary People ~ John Legend
by Cehcw

9. Open Window (The Wedding Song) – Sarah Harmer



10. Shania Twain – Still the One



Top 10 People You'd Most Want to Meet (no, not him. living people.)
1. The Dixie Chicks
2. Gayle King (I’ve already met Oprah) ;)
3. Tina Fey
4. Julia Roberts
5. Justin Timberlake
6. Kate Gossling
7. Sarah Jessica Parker
8. Barbara Kingsolver
9. Michael Pollan
10. Dolly Parton

Top 10 Band Names
This is impossible because I honestly do not even think about a band’s name. I don’t think I’ve ever said, “I love the band name!” So I’ve decided I’m going to let my friend Leslie, queen of obscure bands, fill this one in in the comment section.

Top 10 Moments of Joy To Experience Before You Die

1. I think I’ve got a major one coming up around May 18 ;)
2. And related to that – first words, first laugh, first steps.
3. A winning election night
4. My 50th Wedding Anniversary
5. Skydiving
6. Standing at the top of Angel Falls
7. Watching my children graduate/get married/ have kids of their own
8. Publishing a book.
9. Speaking in front of a crowd of thousands
10. Being a guest on the Oprah Show.

Week 26

We had a really great week. The highlight of my week was the Lincoln ceremony (see below) but overall we've just been getting ready to go. We started packing this weekend and put a real dent in it I think. We also continued the Lincoln theme and went to see the "With Malice Towards None" exhibit at the Library of Congress, which was fantastic.

We had a lovely Valentine's Day - although I have to say for any of you doubting how seriously takes spending money, I think you'll understand after this story. We had had reservations at the French restaurant up the street from our house for a week or two. Nicholas had scoped out the menu and we were both really looking forward to it. However, when we showed up, we realized there was only a limited Valentine's Day three course menu available for $65. Well, let me tell you, Nicholas balked. He doesn't like feeling like he's being taken advantage of at the best restaurants but this place is French bistro - nothing spectacular. So, we turned our happy butts around and went and had sushi instead! It was a little disappointing at first but I think we did the smart thing in the end. Plus, we still had a really lovely Valentine's night out.

Two Downs:
1. I had a midwife appointment this week and they totally freaked me out because she measured me about 3 weeks ahead according to my fundal height. I made a huge mistake of googling what this could mean before consulting my fellow preggers and freaked myself out even further. Apparently, this is pretty common but I'm going back in two weeks just to see if there has been any change. Also, I have low iron and have to start taking iron pills. Boooo!
2. I've started having Braxton Hicks contractions. While they don't hurt, they are uncomfortable and can make breathing difficult depending on my position.

Two Ups:
1. I passed my glucose screen! Take that gestational diabetes!
2. I still haven't gained too much weight and it's all in my belly. No fat face here!

The 200th Birthday of our Greatest President

Today was the Congressional Ceremony honoring the Lincoln Bicentennial. As a self-professed "Lincolnite," I was honored to attend the ceremony and was particularly excited when I found out our current President would be speaking.

It was a pretty profound experience to be sitting in the Capitol Rotunda with the President of the United States listening to the National Anthem. Not surprisingly, in his remarks, President Obama touched on Lincoln's gift for empathy and desire for reconciliation after the Civil War and the lessons we can take away from that today. I was particularly touched by his remarks because it is not only my favorite aspect of Lincoln's character but also what I find most appealing about our current President - that drive to unite us under a common goal and point us towards our better instincts as a people.

There was a long list of other speakers on the program, but I have to say I was most excited about Doris Kearns Goodwin, the Pulitizer Prize winning author of the famous Lincoln biography Team of Rivals. She only spoke a short time but I was able to introduce myself afterwards and tell her how much I loved her book and how it really sparked a deep affection and curiosity for old Abe. The funniest part was I was clearly not the only fan because a group of 6 or 7 Senators gathered around her aftewards like a bunch of groupies.

All in all, it was a pretty fantastic experience and it made me realize how much I'm going to miss the opportunities D.C. affords me.

Metro Angel

I do believe the pregnancy gods heard my plea about Metro seat rudeness.

This morning Nicholas and I stepped onto a semi-crowded train. I was looking around for a seat and telling Nicholas that I wanted to sit down. I thought one guy saw me but I don't think it registered. Then all of a sudden this older woman is snapping her fingers in his face, "Dude! Get up and let this lady sit down!"

It was amazing. I think the guy was still about half asleep, but he hopped up and offered me his seat. I thanked the woman profusely. Not only had she gotten me a seat, she had made my entire morning.

Week 25

So, remember how over the past couple of weeks I kept reporting that we didn't have too much going on?

Internet, I might have been telling the tiniest of fibs.

Turns out we do have a little bit to report. Mainly that both Nicholas and I have quit our jobs, we sold our condo, and we're moving back to Kentucky! And y'all thought getting pregnant was our big news! ;)

Actually, getting pregnant was really where all this started because Nicholas and I never really had aspirations to raise our children in D.C. If being pregnant is this hard, I can't imagine how hard actually taking care of this little being will be and I have absolutely no desire to do it while working at a demanding job with no support system in place.

So, after much discussion and maybe a little bit of convincing Nicholas (who is notoriously risk adverse), we decided that Nicholas would start looking for a job and we would see how things went. Well, the universe definitely agreed with us that we belonged back home in Kentucky because this fabulous job basically fell in Nicholas's lap. Still we had the major hurdle of selling our condo in a less than great economy. Apparently, we wasted a fair amount of mental energy worrying about that too because we got an offer after about 10 days.

We close on March 5th and then we're loading up the Uhaul and headin' to Kentucky!

Two Downs:
1. I'm starting to really resent people on the Metro who look straight at me and don't offer up their seat. Even if I don't actually need to sit down, it really pisses me off.
2. I am so over my winter maternity clothes. I'm tired of wearing black.

Two Ups:
1. Eight more days of work! Wooty woo!
2. I ordered a bunch of spring maternity clothes off Old Navy that I'm totally pumped about. :)

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

So, it was only a matter of time before the cameras started rolling. Nadya Suleman, the now infamous mother of brand new octuplets, did her first television interview with Ann Curry after being released from the hospital.

It has taken me several days to be able to discuss this woman and her current situation rationally. To be honest, I have a pretty visceral reaction to huge families no matter how the children are conceived. I truly feel that at a certain point (let's say double digits) there are more children than there is time in the day to meet their emotional needs. Childhood is precious and finite. As an only child, I grew up having a large community of adults loving me unconditionally and meeting whatever needs (not wants) I had in pretty short-order. As I quickly approach motherhood myself, I cannot express in words what a blessing it is to feel completely and totally validated as a child. I was never told to take a backseat and I never felt ignored, even for a moment.

Did I feel misunderstood at times? Of course. Did I get everything I ever asked for? No. However, even if I felt like my parents and I were on different planets, I always knew that in that moment they were willing to drop everything and at least listen to me. In a family of 10 - 12 - or God save us - 14, that is simply not a reality. The logistical reality is that raising that many children takes up almost more hours than there are in a day.

Now, most of you know that I am a huge fan of Jon and Kate + 8, which might seem a bit hypocritical. However, the crucial difference to me is that Jon and Kate did not choose their current situation. They had twins and decided to try one more time. Now, they knew that there was a small chance of multiples and they accepted that risk. What I appreciate the most about them is when they got struck by lightning and fell in that tiny percentile, they were VERY honest about how devastating it was. They accept that in some ways their children, particularly the twins, will suffer as a result and they face it honestly. Most importantly, they STOPPED. They don't act like more kids is always better and they realize their own limitations.
Which leads us back to Ms. Suleman. This was her SEVENTH fertility treatment. The fact that she already had six children and decided to take that risk and put all of their fates in the balance seems completely irresponsible to me. In the best of circumstances, one has to know that each treatment increases the chances that this time you will get struck by lightning.

Of course, her specific circumstances are what make Ms. Suleman infamous as opposed to in pre-production for her own TLC show. She claims in the interview that people are reacting so strongly because of discrimination against single mothers. First, I am not completely convinced that the public's reaction wouldn't be just as strong against a couple who had six children and continued to get infertility treatment, because I know mine would be. But the fact that this woman is single, unemployed, and living with her parents and chose to have another round of treatment is the height of irresponsibility. I think a single mother of one child would tell you those circumstances make raising a child incredibly difficult, much less raising fourteen. She also claims in the interview that after she finishes her degree (which I'm not sure she'll have time to do with fourteen kids) she'll be able to provide for them all. But again, she seems to have a warped since of reality. She is pursuing a masters in psychotherapy. In order to become a psychotherapist, who do make good money, she'll need to get her PhD and then take a LOT of clients in order to provide financially for fourteen kids on her own. Not to mention, making enough money to be the sole provider for fourteen kids will leave almost no time to be their primary caregiver.

However, while I feel like a lot of the public outrage is on her lack of resources, I personally would be just as outraged if she was married to Bill Gates. If you want to see how consistent I am, I suggest being in a room with me when a commercial for 17 Kids and Counting comes on. I honestly don't care if you can perfectly provide for all their physical needs. The truth is if you really loved children that much, you would improve the lives of the ones you already have. I think the reason I have such a passionate reaction to Ms. Suleman and others like her who claim that their desire for large families is based on a love of children or some sort of selfless instinct is because I don't believe them. I think the real truth is that they are making these decisions for incredibly selfish reasons and to meet their own personal emotional needs. Unfortunately, long after we've forgotten about Ms. Suleman and the cameras have stopped rolling on others like her, the children are left living with the repercussions of those decisions.

Update: It just keeps getting worse.

Week 24

We had a pretty uneventful week. The baby is cooking away. We took this weekend to go to the Museum of American History to see the new First Ladies exhibit and the temporary Abraham Lincoln exhibition. We also got to see the Star Spangled Banner. The line was crazy long when we went to the unveiling a couple of months ago. However, this time we got through and I have to say they've done a fantastic job. I rounded to corner to see it and burst into tears. I didn't expect it to be that powerful but it truly was. Unfortunately, Nicholas had to skip out to go to work after the First Ladies but I enjoyed Abraham Lincoln immensely. I also got to go to The Butterfly Conservatory, which was overwhelming and gorgeous. The butterflies were everywhere. They even have to check you before you leave for "hitchhikers."

Two Downs:
1. I think my pregnancy heater kicked on.
2. Getting up is getting difficult.

Two Ups:
1. The baby is moving so much. She seems particularly active for Nicholas...already a Daddy's girl I suppose.
2. Got more awesome stuff off craigslist for the cheap! A My Brest Friend for $15 and a Snugglenest for $30. ALSO, somebody (whoever you are - thanks!) bought the first thing off our registry. It TOTALLY made my week. An unfortunate side effect is now I check it obsessively to see if anyone else has bought anything. :)

Week 23

Not too much going on this week.

Two Downs:
1. Big. Stretchy. Belly.
2. I've had low energy lately, not too bad but enough to affect me.

Two Ups:
1. I love feeling her move and I usually get at least two or three pretty solid kick a day. Nicholas also feels her move almost every day.
2. I'm right on track for weight gain and haven't gain much more than I wanted to.

Inauguration

As you could probably tell from my preview, our Inaugural experience was less than expected to say the very least. We had decided to stay with my generous friend Amy Hille who only lives several blocks from the Capitol so that we could wake up early and get a good place in line. I received two now infamous purple tickets from my office and we had discussed the day before how thankful we were that we wouldn't have to deal with the masses on the Mall...oh how wrong we were.

We both woke up at 6am and Nicholas set out to scope out the situation and get a spot in line. When he arrived, the line was orderly and he was directed to the end of the line which reached down into an underground tunnel near the Capitol. He told me to wait until 8 or 8:30 to join him. When I started walking over there around that time, I thought I would start at the gate and then follow the line back to Nicholas. However, when I arrived at the gate there was no more line to be found and the entire block was filled with people with no movement. The gate should have been open for an hour at this point.

I waited for about 30 minutes to see if anything would happen. During this time, a woman fainted near me and they had to call a doctor from the crowd because there were no police or volunteers or emergency workers to be found. Finally, I decided that I just wanted to find Nicholas and leave and attempted to find the entrance to the tunnel where he was still trapped. When I attempted to walk that way, the street was completely block and people told me no one was getting through. I then turned around and called Nicholas. We decided to meet back at Amy's apartment.

However, when I went back down C St., they had opened a gate and begun to let a very small amount of people through an opening the size of two door ways. Since there was a crowd of literally thousands trying to squeeze through this entry, the crowd would surge everytime someone would get through, packing us all in tighter and tighter. At this point, I had no choice but to stay with the crowd. I could not move my arms much less turn around.

Far from being happy that I was getting closer and closer to an entrance, I started to panic as the pressure from all sides increased. Luckily, the people around me were calm and patient and tried to talk to me and keep me calm. It was just so terrifying to feel the pressure increasing, especially around my stomach, and I couldn't help but feel like I had put myself and my baby in a really risky situation.

I finally got through the gate to a near empy security screening area. I called Nicholas, who had gotten back to Amy's, and basically burst into tears. I didn't want to be there - not by myself - and I hated so much that Nicholas was missing it. I tried really hard to be positive and think that I could tell my daughter she was there. As the ceremony started, I just tried to focus on the moment. I was close enough I could actually see Obama on the podium, which was pretty amazing, and I did enjoy witnessing the event and hearing his speech.

Looking back, I realize now that compared to some other ticketholders Nicholas and I were pretty lucky. We hadn't spent our hard earned money traveling from far away. Plus, we both actually got to hear the speech live unlike so many others who got trapped outside the entry or in the tunnel. Nicholas says that at the end of the day we both saw the ceremony the way we wanted. I wanted to be there and he wanted to be on the couch.

A preview of my Inauguration post

I sent this to the Post:
4:46 p.m.: I had tickets to the purple North Standing section. My husband got in line at 6:30 and shuffled far back into the D street tunnel. I tried to join him at 8:30 a.m. and became stuck in the 1st St./C St./Louisiana corridor by Jones Day. When they opened the gates, I got stuck in the crush of people which got tighter and tighter as the crowd pushed their way towards the entrance. I am five months pregnant and the experience was completely terrifying…

Which is posted on their website here.

Week 22

So, this week we went back for our follow-up sonogram. As I posted before, they got the pictures of the heart they wanted no problem this time, which was very reassuring. The technician was about to wrap and leave the room when I requested one more gender confirmation. I had been paranoid since last week that they would tell me it was a boy. However, she found the gender and proclaimed it a girl with no hesitation. So, let the pink purchasing begin in earnest!

I also had my monthly appointment with my midwife this week. Everything seems right on track. She listened to the babies heart rate and measured my fundal height for the first time. She also took some blood to test my thyroid because I've had a pretty high resting heart rate lately. I'm pretty sure that's because (as I've been insisting to Nicholas daily) being pregnant is hard work!!!

We had a very fun date night Saturday night. We went out to see Adele at the 9:30 club, which was really great. We sat next to a lovely couple at dinner who have two daughters. They seemed a little traumatized by their teenage daughter's journey through adolescence, but they did offer some great advice. The best part was their youngest daughter's name is Sylvia, which we really like and immediately got added to the list.

As far as the concert, I'm a big fan of Adele and she was just as amazing in person as I had hoped. Although it was the first time I felt really old at a concert, which was kind of a bummer. She's only 20 and it really came through at times when she was chatting with the crowd. The funniest thing was at one point she's discussing her appearance on Saturday Night Live and how she got to meet Tina Fey. She described her as a "real nutter" and you could feel the confusion spreading through the crowd. Adele goes on to describe how she tried to avoid her but couldn't and how she was so glad we didn't "let her in." At this point, we all realize she's talking about Sarah Palin NOT Tiny Fey. I tell you it was a real relief for the hipster crowd who worships the crown Ms. Fey walks on. ;)

On Sunday, we had our lovely neighbors Laura and Danny over for pancakes. Afterwards, we all headed out to the big Inaugural concert together. We clearly waited way too long to get there and they shut down the entrances not soon after we got there. We ended up on the hill by the Washington Monument watching about half the concert on the JumboTrons, until we gave up and came home to watch from the comfort of our sofa!

Two Downs:
1. My congestion is getting really bad and with the dryness my nasal passages are pretty pitiful.
2. I'm exhausted with staying hydrated and maintaining good nutrition. There is so much pressure and guilt.

Two Ups:
1. I loved seeing my baby girl up on that screen again.
2. We got another great find on Craigslist - this time new in box!

Sweetest baby ever

Baby Girl Holland
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas

We had our follow up sonogram today. They go the pictures of the heart they wanted and assured us that everything is 100% perfect.

Also, for anyone secretly hoping the universe would throw me a curve ball, I got one more confirmation that it is in fact a girl. :)

Week 21

So, this was a big week. We found out that our precious baby is a baby girl! I immediately bought the most darling little dress but have pretty much resisted baby girl clothes otherwise. We also purchased a Graco Playard off Craigslist for a very reasonable price.

We went away for a mini-babymoon over the weekend because we had our kitchen floor painted and I had to escape the fumes. We went out to a hotel in Tysons Corner, Virginia. Our room had a big bathtub for two, which was fantastic. We just spent the weekend relaxing - going to dinner, talking about the baby and baby names, and just generally enjoying each other's company. It was really wonderful.

Two Downs:
1. My stomach feels super-tight and crowded. I know this will only get worse and I'm trying not to think about it too much.
2. I started getting a sore throat on Saturday that has yet to go away.

Two Ups:
1. Nicholas felt the baby move for the very first time! It was so exciting and his smile was priceless.
2. Did I mention we're having a girl? ;)

Celebrating

Celebrating Baby Girl Holland
Originally uploaded by SarahorNicholas

Me: So, are you worried about being outnumbered?
Nicholas: I'm already outnumbered. One to one is outnumbered with you Sarah.

Was there ever any doubt?

Today was the big day! We had our first sonogram, where they look at all major organs and make sure everything is normal. We also found out the sex of the baby, but I know you all want a full narrative before the big reveal!

We had a student do the majority of the screen. She showed us the legs, toes, arms, and hands. Then she found the kidneys and stomach. She had a lot of trouble getting a perfect picture of the heart because Baby wasn't being cooperative AT ALL. She said she had an idea of the gender but the cord was between the legs so she was going to call in the main technician.

The main tech came in and was much more comfortable and seemed to get everything she was looking for. Towards the end, she says, "You don't want to know the sex?" and I reply loudly, "Ummmm...NO!" So she stars looking and she says the baby is not in the best position. I start getting nervous. Then, "It's a girl!"

Me: "Yeah!"

So I was super-excited when the doctor finally came in. She piddled around for a minute and said she also wasn't perfectly happy with the picture of all four chambers of the heart. She said she couldn't say 100% that everything was normal so she wanted us to come in next week. It was a little bit of a bummer but I had already figured they'd make us come back for something and Nicholas looked it up online and it seems pretty normal.

So, yeah!!!! Who's excited about a baby girl?!?! Nicholas and I are having pink cupcakes tonight in celebration. :)

Week 20

Nicholas and I both had a great week back home in Kentucky. We spent the weekend at the Lake celebrating the holidays with the Allen and Skidmore families. We had such a blast eating my grandmother's specialties of lasagna and cinnamon rolls. (My cousin suggested she open a restaurant serving only these two items.) We played rousing games of Monopoly and Dirty Santa. We basically just enjoyed each other's company.

I basically spent the rest of our time in Paducah trying to pull my mother and husband away from the Wii. On New Year's Eve, we drove to Louisville to celebrate with several of our college friends. First, we had dinner with Annie and Kyle, which was wonderful as usual. Then, we went to Tim and Emily's for a great party packed with familiar faces from our time at Transylvania.

We drove home on New Year's Day and I have to say Nicholas's suggestion that we have the last couple days home to settle before returning to work was an excellent one. We've just been working around the house and going to movies and it's been fantastic. We saw The Wrestler Friday night and Frost/Nixon last night. Both were excellent and I'd recommend either.

Of course, tomorrow is the real big day because we go to our first ultrasound and will hopefully post the happy news that our baby is healthy. I'll also tell you the sex if you're really, really lucky. ;)

Two Downs:
1. I can't take any more gender speculation. I'm at the end of my rope with people taunting me that it will be boy or with one person saying the way I'm carrying means it's a girl and another saying it's definitely a boy. I'm just over the whole thing.
2. The sleepy rib continues and it's driving me crazy.

Two Ups:
1. My mom and grandmother both had me near tears with gifts for the baby. My grandmother found a little stuffed duck that looks just like the "Gaga" I carried around as a baby. If that wasn't enough, my mother found an exact replica of my childhood baby doll Baby Beth on ebay. I really was touched that they went out of their way to find such sentimental gifts.
2. Did I mention that we find out the sex tomorrow!?!?!?!?

As requested

Fireman Stephen
























Fireman William

Week 19

Christmas week was a whirlwind. We left Saturday morning early and drove all the way to Atlanta. We got to spend a couple of days with Nicholas's brother Geoffrey and his family before they had to return to Florida. It was a little sad having Christmas without them but we were happy to be able to visit at all.

The most interesting part of them leaving was we got to see our nephews separate from our little niece Elizabeth. It was hilarious to see how different the little boys played from the little girl. Stephen and William would come in and dump the entire bucket of legos on the floor and go straight for the bulldozers and "scoop-a-truck." Elizabeth took one lego out at a time and played with the dinosaur and "flowers" aka the palm trees.  However, no matter how differently they played, they were all completely adorable and really into giving hugs and kisses. I'm also proud to report that our Christmas gifts were a big hit, particularly the fireman costume I bought for Steven under the excellent advice of my friend Laura. 

Two downs:

1. My skin: Not. Getting. Better.

2. The rib thing is driving me freaking crazy. 

Two ups:

1. My new little silver bell Pamela gave me for Christmas. It should come in real handy as I get bigger and bigger. Nicholas is not a fan. ;)

2. All the fabulous baby gifts Nicholas's family gave us. They were all so adorable but Pamela wins the award for purchasing us the first baby gift actually on our registry. We are now the proud owner of our first big ole tube of Boudreaux's Butt Paste.