15 weeks and 3 days

Justin and I rushed to the doctor's office this morning becuase I was experiencing severe kidney pain and was freaked out! Of course, all the million baby resources I read all state "Go to the doctor!" if anything unusual happens so we were off! They were not sure what was going on, either nothing or kidney stones. I'm feeling a little better now but am still very sore in that area.

The best part though, was that we got to hear the heartbeat! Yeah!! That's so fun! We have our 16 week appointment on Friday and were going to hear it then, but it is so comforting and so exciting to hear it now. I am now in the stage where I'm not sick anymore, don't feel pregnant quite yet, but just feel like I ate too many cheesburgers and am fat. Hearing the heartbeat really let me connect back to the pregnancy.....and boy was it strong!

The first time we heard it, it took the midwife about 2 minutes to find it and it was very soft. This morning, as soon as the doctor put the doplar on my stomach BAM!!!!! Or should we say BAM BAM BAM BAM! We joked the kid was all upset from all the excitement-it was so loud and strong! It just shows how much he/she has grown in 4 weeks! I look forward to the day when I can start feeling all this "quickening" they talk about. I think then, this pregnancy will feel more real to me than just a dream of a woman who can't fit into her jeans anymore!

Tips for the Georgia Aquarium

Justin and I received an annual pass to the Georgia Aquarium from my parents for Christmas. We have already been once and it is worth the trip! The whale sharks are larger than any picture in a magazine can show you! My favorites were the buluga whales-they seem to want to entertain their audience and have a smile on their faces!

But for those of you who want to visit but haven't been yet-here are some tips for your visit:

Make a reservation or go either when they first open, or the last 2 hours slot before they close. Even during the weekdays it starts getting packed after 10:00. We went at 11:00 and it was too crowded.

Check the weather. You will be outside in uncovered lines (long ones) to get in. You don't want to be stuck in the rain!

No lighters, matches, etc. They do go thru your purse and pockets and scan you-it's like the Atlanta airport. So, don't lose your special hunting knife or the zippo with your name engraved!

If you plan to eat there, eat early or eat late. They have pizza, chicken fingers, hamburgers etc. But the line at 11:30 and 12:00 was huge and there are not enough places to sit. A good number of folks were eating their lunches while sitting on the floor-not a good memory from your trip.

Be prepared to spend 2 hours there. Some spend more if you see the halls more than once, eat, have kids who will play in the kids section etc. We also sped thru some of the halls because they were too crowded and knowing that we have a pass, we did not feel the need to wait in a line of 10 people to look at a seahorse!

Beware of the strollers. I think there might have been more strollers than fish. These new moms and their Hummer size strollers will run you over, and they are a big factor in the aquarium being too crowded. One stroller = 3-4 people in line, so you can see why it's hard to get up to the small window displays.

Think about a tour. We have not done one yet-as soon as we do we will post our reviews. They have tours you can purchase that take you behind the scenes. It was obvious during our trip that what the vistors can see is only a small fraction of what they have. For example, the whale sharks would swim in close view and would then swim off-returning about 5 minutes later-where did they go? From the aquarium map, you can see that there is a lot more to this aquarium than meets the eye. It might be fun to see what it all entails.

And finally-have fun! Fish are fun and exciting and a lot of work has been put into the Georgia Aquarium. Know ahead of time what to expect, relax, and you will enjoy your trip!

Week 14

Tomorrow marks baby week 14, but I'll be early in posting!

So, I take it back that I am over morning/afternoon/evening sickness. I have felt pretty crappy the last few days. I also feel the need to drink water constantly, but then have a horrible night getting up to use the bathroom 5 times. Yes, that many times-I'm not exagerating it's true.

Everyone also asks if I get cravings-the ice cream and pickle theory is popular. No, I have food adversions-nothing is tempting to me. I wish someone could just hook an iv up to me now so I don' t have to eat anymore-everything is yucky. Except for grilled cheese sandwiches. I had one the other day as was quite happy. I've also gotten into Hi-C instead of soda at the fountains. I don't eat enough fruit and Hi-C has 100% of your viatmin C. Does that mean it's a fruit? V-8 is also my friend. So, in conclusion I hate food but anything I can drink that has a number or alphabet letter in it's name is all good!

I also can't fit into any pants anymore. I've gained 6 pounds so far-that's a pant size for sure! Looks like I will have to either start buying new clothes or washing a lot of the 2 pairs of maternity pants I have gotten so far. I hate laundry!

David Copperfield-Making my $ Disappear!

Justin and I went to the David Copperfield show last Saturday for Justin's 30th birthday (Happy Birthday Justin!). We saw him about 4-5 years ago for Valentine's Day. I have to say, the only impressive feit was David making $100 disappear from my bank account!

Now, don't get me wrong-he is a great magic man. BUT it was the SAME SHOW as 4 years ago. It was even the same kid who he made vanish to some island to meet his long lost father-same dad! Same skit with a duck in a box, same vanishing act of the audience. So, while the folks next to me were astonished and amazed, we were bored and unimpressed.

David-at $50 a head, with sold out shows all over the country and the world, can't you come up with a new act? He was so out of new material that he even played 2 videos about himself and how great he is!!!

My next trick will be never to go to a David Copperfield show unless he promises to make all the money I've spent on him reappear!

Holy Baby Batman!

We are pregnant! No need to buy the newest copy of "People" or "Us", the story is right here! Justin and I are 12 weeks pregnant! Now that we are in the second trimester we are spreading the happy news. And how I love this trimester-I feel much better now! I can actually keep my eyes open most of the day and I've stopped eating saltines all day long for my stomach!

Every doctor's appointment has gone very well-we heard our first heartbeat last week...steady she goes! We don't find out if it's a girl/boy until March so your guess is as good as mine! The midwife is awesome, she is able to come up with some great get-backs at Justin and his teasing. Our due date is July 21st.

We are very excited to start our 'lil family. We had no idea how quick it would be for us, since we are both procrastinators this is a big change! We will keep our blog updated with any new and unusual news!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year everyone! I have taken some time off from work and from the computer to enjoy the holidays-sorry for not blogging! Justin and I had a wonderful Christmas break together. Christmas was spent at both of our parent's homes ending up with crab legs at the Miller's. Justin gave me a gorgeous Bulova watch but our favorite gifts were the annual passes to the new Georgia Aquarium from my parents! We are going next Friday! They are so crowded that even annual pass holders have to make a reservation and Friday the 13th is the first available spot-ooohhh spooky fish!

We went to a really nice New Year's party in Buckhead at Richard and Bonnie Hare's. And we were at home in bed by 1:00-you can't beat that! Overall, we slept in until noon and made Blockbuster a small profit from our week off together. We hope everyone else enjoyed themselves and I will update this blog soon!

We also have gotten back some of our wedding photos and Justin SHOULD be putting them on the website soon-stay tuned! The one here is of me and my bridesmaids Kim, Karen, and Silka.