Found this on a message board - pretty funny!

Dear Non-Pregnant Person,

I hope you find these guidelines helpful in your interactions with pregnant women as failing to follow them may result in serious physical harm.If you are thinking, surely she doesn't mean me- then you should probably read this twice.

1) The appropriate response to a couple telling you they are having a baby is 'Congratulations!' with enthusiasm. Any other response makes you a jerk.

2) Through the wonders of science, we now know that babies are made ONLY by the mother and father- not grandparents. Unless the baby is in your uterus or you are the man that helped put it there, you may not ever use the phrase 'my baby'.

3) On the same note, unless you made the baby as defined in 2, the pregnancy, birth and raising of the child are not about you. You do not have input. No one wants to hear your opinion unless they ask for it...

4) The body of a pregnant woman should be treated the same as any other body. You would not randomly touch someone's stomach if they were not pregnant, nor would you inquire into the condition of their uterus, cervix or how they plan to use their breasts. Pregnancy does not remove all traces of privacy from a woman.

5) Likewise, no woman wants to hear comments on her weight...ever. A pregnant woman does not find it flattering that you think she is about is pop, must be having twins, looks swollen or has gained weight in her face. Telling her she looks too small only makes her worry that she is somehow starving her baby. Making such comments invite her to critique your physical appearance and you may not act offended. The only acceptable comment on appearance is 'You look fabulous!'.

6) By the time we are 20-30 years old, most of us have picked up on the fact that the summer is hot. We are hot every summer when we are not pregnant. We don't need you to point out that we will be miserably hot before the baby comes. Nor do we need to know how badly you will feel for us because we will be pregnant during the summer and how glad you are that YOU will not be pregnant this coming summer.

7) There is a reason that tickets to Labor & Delivery are not yet sold on Ticketmaster. Childbirth is actually not a public event. It may sound crazy, but some women really do not relish the idea of their mother, MIL or a host of other family members seeing their bare butt and genitals. Also, some people simply feel like the birth of their child is a private and emotional moment to be shared only by the parents. You weren't invited to be there when the baby was created, you probably won't be invited to be there when it comes out either.

8) Like everything else in life, unless you receive an invitation, you are NOT invited. This includes doctor appointments, ultrasounds, labor, delivery, the hospital and the parents' home. You do not decide if you will be there for the birth or if you will move in with the new parents to 'help out'. If your assistance is desired, rest assured that you will be asked for it.

9) If you are asked to help after the birth, this means you should clean up the house, help with cooking meals, and generally stay out of the way. Holding the baby more than the parents, interfering with breastfeeding and sleeping schedules and making a woman who is still leaking fluid from multiple locations lift a finger in housework is not helping.

10) The only people entitled to time with the baby are the parents. Whether they choose to have you at the hospital for the birth or ask for you to wait three weeks to visit, appreciate that you are being given the privilege of seeing their child. Complaining or showing disappointment only encourages the parents to include you less.

Sincerely,

All the Pregnant Women in the World

Announcing....

I downloaded pictures on Jimmy and I and this is what our baby will look like according to VW =)

http://www.vw.com/vwhype/babymaker/en/us/



And here's our little girl...

8 week update and our first appt!

We had our first appt today! Sighhhhhhh! I'm pregnant! I saw the baby and it's little heartbeat with my own eyes! I feel so relieved. Our baby looks perfect and is measuring at 20.5 mm. 2.5 mm longer than Katie's =) Our baby is bigger than yours! But I was a much bigger baby than Katie and I'm much taller than her too. Here is our baby! The head is on the bottom.



We scheduled our next 4 appointments and also our NT scan in 4 weeks. We have to cancel the NT scan though because our insurance doesn't cover it and it is $405! If we pay for it upfront that day, it'd be $265 but that's still too steep for us.

How Big Is Baby?


Your baby is growing like mad, putting on about a millimeter every day and continuing to straighten out in the trunk. Though you can't feel it yet, baby is moving those little arms, legs and (now only slightly) webbed fingers and toes like crazy.


How Big Am I?




I really really like my OB. He is very sweet and attentive. I never once felt rushed or like he thought my questions were stupid. My sister used to work with him so she referred me and I'm very happy about that. He seems to really enjoy his job. I'm thrilled that he didn't mention my weight - I've gained way more than I should in the 1st trimester between eating badly and Jimmy banning me from working out until we saw the doctor (which he cleared me to do anything I was doing pre-pregnancy). So, I am back to the gym tomorrow morning for my beloved classes. And I went grocery shopping today and didn't buy any junk. My goal is to not gain anymore than 25 lbs so I have to get serious and eat healthfully for my baby.

I love you soo much Baby Bean. Mommy and Daddy can't stop smiling and we can't wait to meet you. See you in 32 weeks!

7 Weeks 6 Days and Silly Me Thought I was In The Clear...

Morning sickness reared it's ugly head and I just christened my toilet. I thought I was going to be one of the "lucky ones".

Calm

So weird to say it but that's how I'm feeling. I imagined that I'd be out of my mind crazy at this point. Only 6 days until I see my baby. 6 days until our first appointment. 6 days until I can feel like I'm justified to feel pregnant. 6 days until some kind of confirmation. I don't even dare to talk about the other side. I try my hardest not to think about it. I'm going to embrace being calm. Everyone knows that I'm a researcher, and that I love to read pregnancy blogs and message boards. But I'm skipping right over the bad things. Reading only the positive. I've learned enough about the bad things that can happen. I know so much more now, in the few weeks I've been pregnant, than I care to know. And that's where it stops. I'm done worrying until I have reason to worry. It's not fair to my baby, to me, or to anyone around me (especially to Jimmy - who HATES when I worry or obsess). So, on Monday the 11th, we will get our first glance at our baby. They will do an internal ultrasound and we will be able to see the heartbeat. It's too early to hear it.

Jimmy and I are anxiously awaiting word from his interview he went on Thursday. When he gets the go-ahead (he already has the job, it's just a matter of hearing the official word), he's going to put his 2-weeks in at work. He is NOT looking forward to that. He really enjoys where he works now. He is his own boss and never is given any trouble. He pretty much comes and goes when he wants and the one person that he reports to is super laid back. He's leaving for the new place solely because he will be getting a 4 day work week. We are beyond excited about that. I think that an extra day off during the week will be just what he needs. He'll have more time to himself, or with me or with baby when it's here. There are a few other perks (a little more money, he'll be the assistant chief engineer at a 5 star, brand new hotel *that'll look great on a resume*, and he'll be back working with some old co-workers that he got along with very well *also a plus because while he loved having no boss working with him, it'll be nice to have some human contact at work - he is literally alone all day now*). But as soon as his last 2 weeks are over - he's taking 2 weeks off!!! I'm beyond excited. We've never had that much time off together ever! We're going to take at least a week to go on a baby-moon, maybe to Florida or Myrtle Beach and then relax and unwind at home for the rest of the time. If all goes as planned - we'll be laying in the sand by the end of the month!

That's all for now - I'll update on Friday with my 8 week pic and then on Monday with pictures of our baby!

-Lacy

7 Weeks Down - 33 To Go

How Big Is Baby?




Baby's brain -- both hemispheres! -- is growing fast, generating about 100 new cells every minute. Arms and legs are emerging as joints start to form, and a permanent set of kidneys (baby's third!) is now in place.

How Big Am I?



I've felt pretty great this week. I don't really know if I've had technical morning sickness yet. If I start getting hungry, and I don't eat right away, WATCH OUT! I get crazy and soo nauseous. Jimmy took off of work on Tuesday and we went to Salsa's. I was starved on the way there and feeling really sick. So, I was happy that we were going somewhere that they give you chips right away. Well, they decided that that day, of all days, we wouldn't get our chips until after our meal came. Needless to say, I was dying. Jimmy kept asking if he should go tell them to bring chips right away or get them himself! I didn't want our food tampered with so I waited. I hope this hunger frenzy goes away very soon because it is definitely affecting my weight way too much, way too soon. I really just need to choose healthy options when I'm starved and it wouldn't be so bad. But I'm definitely craving all bad foods.

I've also definitely noticed the fatigue this week. Last Saturday I took 2 naps during the day. Monday I fell asleep at 8 pm. Tuesday, I layed in bed most of the day, then fell asleep early and still slept in Wednesday morning. Growing a baby takes a lot of energy out of you!

Ralphie- thank you soo much for being a great big brother to Katie and I yesterday. We couldn't stop talking about how sweet you were being and we love how involved you are learning about our little blueberries already! I love ya!