Our First Doctor's Appointment

At this point it is probably mostly bloat, and whatever I was able to hold down from dinner, but it is our starting point none the less. Meet Baby Patterson. :)

Last Friday we had our very first doctor's appointment. We were thrilled that everything is growing as it should and is just the right size. We learned all of the rules and the drills and our doctor, Dr. Miller, shared in our excitement. It's amazing to me how much love you can have for something that is only the size of a kidney bean. I'll never eat chili the same way again. :)

On Wednesday, July 2nd, we go back to the doctor to hear the heartbeat for the very first time. We can't wait for that milestone!

I'm feeling pretty icky. It's not exactly a pretty journey to this point, but it sure is worth it. The baby must like fruit, because I can't seem to get enough. Green apples especially. Every time I see a green apple I can picture my teeth digging into it and practically taste the juice on my tongue. Mmmmm.

Jason has been so darling by helping out with pretty much everything around the house because I am dog tired and ready for bed WAY early. Because I normally have such a high energy level he jokes with me that now I am "normal". Come on, we all know that I'll never be quite normal. :)

Oyster Crackers are my Friend

Morning sickness is in full swing. Getting up and going to work on the bumpy El seems next to impossible every morning. Not to even mention the smells I encounter on the way. The smell or even thought of eggs makes my stomach clench. Raisin Bran? Forget it. Peanut Butter? Don't even think about it! In fact, it seems completely impossible to eat anything before noon, except water and oyster crackers.

Yes, oyster crackers are my friend. In fact, considering the rate at which I consume them, and the rearranging I plan to do in my pantry to make room for a 9 month supply, perhaps I should buy some stock. I have to be effecting the supply chain somehow. Now if they only made them in whole wheat!

Either way, I have a feeling that after February, I won't even be able to look at those things anymore, because I will have completely depleted my lifetime's allowance of oyster crackers.

In the meantime though... bring them on!

Telling our families....

Far and the away the most exciting thing about the pregnancy so far was telling our families this past weekend, on Father's Day. They were all so surprised and very excited. It was so much fun, and has made Jason and I even more excited now that they know.

On Saturday we traveled to Jason's parent's house. Jason told his parents and Lindsay while we were all relaxing in the shade on the deck. Lindsay had her suspicions, but Bill and Debbie were both shocked! Later that night Derek joined us and we told him, and we called Brandon and Holly the next day. We're excited for Brady to have a cousin! The reactions were so sweet. Bill said that it was the best day of his year so far and that he was just as excited as he was when he found out that his own children were on their way. The proof is in the pictures. I love the looks on their faces right when they found out.

On Sunday we went to my parent's house. After all of the gifts were opened, I handed my dad a card and said, "This is just one last thing from Jason and I." We asked him to read it aloud. He read the front that listed desirable characteristics and when he opened the card he said, "Oh my gosh!" and started to cry. My mom and brother and Katy were all wondering what it could be! Then my dad read the rest of the card aloud. On the inside it said, "It's sure handy having a guy like that as your Grandpa." Then we wrote "Congratulations, you're going to be a Grandpa sometime around February 4th, 2009!" They were all very shocked and very excited. Here are the reaction pictures I love so much.


We feel like our child will be so lucky to be surrounded by so much love and such great Grandparents, Aunties and Uncles. Thanks for being so sweet and excited.

Baby Patterson can't wait to meet you!

Public transportation is not a good place for the onset of nausea

In the past few days I have been feeling the symptoms of pregnancy more and more. I have been completely and totally exhausted. Like I was forced to stay up all night standing on my tippy toes, exhausted. Like I need tools to pry my eyes open, exhausted. Beyond any exhaustion I have ever felt before. You all know how I like to be the very last person to leave a party? I had to leave my brother's birthday party just after midnight! What? Who am I? But it was the very best I could do. My hair is also falling out. Like in hand fulls. What is the deal with that? It also turns out that when you take an already emotional girl, and add the emotions caused by pregnancy hormones, you get a complete mess. Me. And then today, I was reading my book on the El on the way to work, and then... BAM. Nausea. Luckily, after a few deep breaths I was fine.
Still, something tells me this is about to get interesting....

These things I promise you...

My blog promises to you:

1. I promise that it is honestly okay if my mom is the only one who reads (sorry mom, you're stuck).

2. I promise to never use the word "trying" in the context of the pregnancy. That's just wrong.

3. I promise to only write about the things I think you will care about. Well, okay, maybe you don't care about any of it. So how about I promise to try to write about things that some of you might care about. Hmm. I can tell this is going to be hard already.

4. I promise to post pictures and videos.

5. I promise to update often

6. I promise not to act like my child is the cutest and smartest child to ever meet the planet (at least not on purpose).

Clearblue Easy

So it turns out that it doesn't take everyone 6 months to a year.....

While we are thrilled to be expecting, we were a bit shocked that it happened so quickly! When all signs pointed to possibly pregnant, we took a Clearblue Easy home pregnancy test. I think Jason was attracted to the word "blue" in the title ("If the box and the name are "blue" does it guarantee a boy?"), but I was attracted to the "easy".

Easy means that there aren't any lines to match up or pluses and minuses to distinguish between. The test just tells you "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant". Even though all of the signs were there, I was stilled very shocked when "Pregnant" displayed in the window. On two separate tests. On two separate days.

What isn't easy though, is keeping the secret. I want to literally break out to the roof of our building, and shout down Lincoln Avenue for everyone to hear, "I'm pregnant!!" I want to tell the crossing guard at our corner, Abner in our coffee shop (decaf, please!), the person next to me waiting for the train... and definitely our parents and our friends! As I write this, it is still a giant secret. We plan to tell our parents on Father's day, and then the rest of our friends gradually, after our first doctor's appointment on the 20th. I am already having to find crafty ways to avoid situations in which it seems completely obvious that I am pregnant. I have never been one to pass up a glass of wine at dinner with girlfriends.

It also hasn't been easy giving up wine, coffee and blue cheese all at once. Mmmm. Not to mention deli meat, sashimi, and a whole slew of other yummy things. And I'm sure there will be many more obstacles down the road that won't be easy. But, I know that come early February next year, it will all be worth it. It already is.

That's right.... THREE!!!

Despite Jason's freaky talent (??) to stick his stomach out to look like a pregnant man (yikes!), he is not pregnant.

BUT I AM!!!! We are so excited!!!!

In an effort to keep our family and friends updated on all things baby, we have decided to start this blog. Feel free to stop by as little or as much as you'd like. We won't pretend that our lives are so exciting that you want to read every day, but hopefully the pictures will at least be entertaining.

Happy reading as you join us on this adventure!

Jason, Johanna, and baby makes three (Plus our pooch, Norah... we couldn't leave our first "baby" out)