The word is out!

It felt so good to tell my sibs and co-workers about Baby Cute! What a wonderful weekend, although I have to say my hostessing skills have taken a serious nosedive.

Melanie and Rob arrived first, on Friday night. Melanie brought me a few little gifts (scone mix, a travel coffee mug, and tampons (ironically)). That was a perfect segue to give her my "I love my aunt" frame. She looked at it for a solid minute before I had to say, "well, I'm giving this to you because we're having a baby." She was excited and hugged me well.

Nate and LaRissa arrived later that night. Trying to decide where to eat dinner (although I had already eaten...) Rob says "Well, you are eating for two now." Nathan looked at me like, "baroo?" And I said, "Oh yeah, you're going to be an uncle." Nate a.k.a. Hummy, also thrilled. Hooray!

Saturday I dragged Melanie and LaRissa to Dave's cousin Michelle's baby shower in South Haven. It was a fun drive and we had nice chatter. It was VERY hard for my mother-in-law (MIL) Carolyn and I to keep quiet, but we want Michelle and Baby Boy Bachman to have as much attention as they want before we announce Baby Cute's arrival to that side of the family. It was very fun to see all of the wonderful gifts Michelle received, it's amazing how generous people are! Aunt Patty also made Michelle a "ready-to-go" scrapbook. All she has to do is insert pics of the new baby. That's my kind of scrapbook!

Meredith got to Lansing late and enjoyed the Old Town Winter Beer Festival with the boys. Melanie, LaRissa and I got home and I got to give Meredith her own "I love my aunt" frame. She, like my Mom, held it and said "Really? Really?" as if the baby-centric item meant anything but! It was charming, as Meredith is the first person who's really cried when they heard the news. Mer was just calming down when my parents arrived to join us for dinner. Rob shouted "Hey Grandpa and Grandma Ebig!" which just made Meredith dissolve into tears again!

We shared a delicious Dave-cooked meal of pulled pork, floor potatoes (a.k.a. augratins), green beans and delicious bread from our favorite Saginaw bakery. Having my whole family around my kitchen table felt SO GOOD! I looked around and sighed. I just love our house. The way it's set up makes it easy to have visitors and our kitchen is set up perfect for Ebig-family buffet style meals. Wonderful! I wish I would have taken photos!

My siblings were already discussing how they might win the first-ever "coolest aunt" and "coolest uncle" awards and their intentions to corrupt Baby Cute. Luckily, I know my siblings pretty well, and I know their tendencies to terrorize me even better, so I'll relax for now.

So, about my hostess skills, on Sunday we just sort of chilled. We sat on the couch and chatted. The next thing I knew, it was 2 p.m. and Meredith was leaving! Wow. Baby Cute must have been doing some serious growing, because that was a heck of a nap to have in the middle of a conversation! Melanie, Rob, Dave and I eventually ventured out for Olive Garden (Yum!) and settled back in to watch the Oscars. It's sad, but I didn't make it much past Best Supporting Actress!

I met with my boss and supervisor on Friday to go over my annual review. It just seemed like the right time to tell them, so I did. My boss is prime Grandpa material, he is thrilled. He encouraged me to take care of myself and not to worry about flexing my schedule to make pregnancy easier on me. I really appreciate that a lot. My supervisor has a 3-year-old and has been trying for her second for a while now, so she had lots to share about her experience. I could have done without the miscarriage story, but Baby Cute and I agreed that if I don't worry about her/him too much, she/he will keep growing just fine.

Telling the rest of my co-workers has been fun, too. Leslie, our editor and resident craftswoman, asked "How long do I have to weave something?!" That made me laugh a lot. Leslie collects looms and is a master weaver. I'm excited that Baby Cute might have one of her pieces of art already!

It's nice not to feel like I'm hiding how crappy I feel and that there's an explanation why I'm constantly in the kitchen toasting bread or cutting up an apple. My favorite food of late has been peanut butter. I love peanut butter. On toast, on apples, on bananas. My fruit cravings aren't as strong, but my appetite has really taken a dive in general. I feel so shitty. Oh well, like I said, feeling sick makes me feel like Baby Cute is growing and just needs more from me, so I will survive.

Here is my latest BabyCenter update. The most important note to me--Baby Cute is losing her/his tail. Whew!

Your baby is now 5/8 of an inch long, about the size of a kidney bean. She's constantly moving and shifting, although you won't be able to feel these womb wiggles for several weeks yet. Her embryonic tail is disappearing, and her eyelids practically cover her eyes. Still slightly webbed, her fingers and toes are growing longer. Her arms have lengthened, too, and her hands are now flexed at the wrist. Her knee and elbow joints have formed so she can now bend both, and her feet may be long enough to meet in front of her body. With her trunk straightening out, her head is more erect. Breathing tubes extend from her throat to the branches of her developing lungs. The nerve cells in her brain are also branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. Though you may be daydreaming about your baby as one gender or another, the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl.

8 Weeks.

So Thursday is the official day when my "week" changes. It is fun to be 8 weeks pregnant. Two months sounds like a long time. Sort of.

From the intarweb: The embryo is reactive to its environment inside the amniotic sac where it swims and moves. Hands and feet can be seen. At the end of week 8, the embryonic period is over and the fetal stage begins.

Cool. So at the end of this week, Baby Cute will officially be a "fetus." This makes me think of my baby bro Nathan's best friend Bill, who curls up like a fetus when playing the guitar. He was subsequently nicknamed "pheetiz." I personally think my alien baby is cuter.

It turns out I have not escaped the wrath of morning sickness. Yesterday I was sick ALL day at work. I tried to call in to the Baby store, but they needed me, so I whined to David and went to work. Luckily, I was finally able to take care of my craving for a McDonald's double cheeseburger and a regular Coke. Apparently I should have listened to Baby Cute earlier in the day, because I felt fantastic all night. I can't remember the last time I had a regular Coke, and until yesterday the thought of fast food made my stomach turn. Go figure.

It was fun to be at the Baby store. My good friend Nadia was there and my favorite manager Mandy, too. Mandy assured me that I could go down to one day a week if I wanted and that I could take up to 13 weeks off for leave. As much as it makes sense to just quit, I really do enjoy working there. It's recreation AND a little extra cash. Who knows how I will feel in a few weeks or months, but right now I really don't want to give up the Baby store. I was part of the original crew that opened that store and it's just about my only link to "regular" people, i.e. non-academics, regular Joe working-class people that I learn so much from. We'll see.

Today I laid in bed and ate a NutriGrain bar before I got up. I fought nausea for a while, but overall I've been much more functional today. Thank goodness, as there is plenty to keep me busy that's not at all related to Baby Cute. I am editing our new newsletter and we are VERY close to printing. Hooray!

I kind of relish my sore boobs, achy uterus and nausea. It makes me feel "pregnant." Otherwise, I would just be a whiny slacker who eats a crazy amount of fruit and craves cheeseburgers. And I'm a worrier, so feeling "pregnant" makes me worry a little less about how Baby Cute is doing in there. Everyone assures me she/he is fine, but as is aforementioned, I am a worrier.

David is at home recovering our dining room chairs. We did the first one last night and it rocks. I can't wait for things to look "finished" a little more in the house. I'm not holding my breath, but it sure is fun to be homeowners.

My sibs start coming TOMORROW. I also get to see both of my Moms and many other important people to me this weekend. It makes me smile, a lot. The logistics are going to be tough, but I know we will have a great weekend. I know one thing--Monday will come too quickly.

Risk and free stuff.

A few new and exciting updates...

We met with the nurse at the OB's office yesterday. It was a wonderful experience. We got tons and tons of information and free stuff, which is always cool. Thank goodness for great insurance, as it turns out we pay for NOTHING through the birth experience. Wow, right? The company even pays for our childbirth education classes. Our OB practice actually specialized the curriculum and one of the docs from our practice attends each session for Q&A. They also do all of their own lab work and ultrasounds and dopplers. So convenient! This really helped reinforce our decision to go with Alliance OB/GYN. They also have cool new technology and a schmancy new office with a fireplace and lots of bookshelves of cool books.

I am also officially low risk, which makes me really happy. We got back on March 20 to meet with our official OB--Dr. Lakeeya Tucker. She is about 20 weeks pregnant, but will be back in time to deliver Baby Cute. I'll be 11 weeks and 5 days, so we'll be able to hear Baby Scott's heartbeat.

Baby Cute Scott was serenaded by my good friend Mack when she came to visit on Monday. Luckily, we had already come up with our Baby Cute nickname. Otherwise, she/he was to be named Pesco Bandito the Bandit Scott. Whew! We spent a quiet Monday night with Mack, watching Prison Break and Heroes, my favorite shows. I woke up nauseous (shocker), but after a breakfast of french toast at our local greasy spoon I was off and running to work.

Last night we had the pleasure of telling my Grandmas that we are expecting Baby Scott. They were ADORABLE and funny as all get out. We visited Grandma Natali first. She has great-grandbaby #1, Hannah, in Seattle, but I know her days as an OB nurse's aid will come in handy for us. Grandma was surprised to see us, and we finally had to ask "Are you going to ask us why we came all this way to see you tonight?" before it sunk in. She is thrilled and hugged us both for a long, long time.

And oh, Grandma Ebig. We caused quite a ruckus at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Shattuck as we snuck in and sat with Grandma while she played rounds 9-12 of Tuesday night bingo. She just happened to be sitting next to a very cranky woman who did not want Grandma to talk to us. So we crossed our fingers for Grandma to bingo and tried to keep quiet until the intermission. She asked, "So that's all the news I've got. Do you guys have any news?" When I said yes, she said "You're having a baby!" Grandma Ebig, she's sharp. :) We agreed that she shouldn't cry because it was happy news and then she scooted us out of there so she could win the progressive jackpot.

We finished up our evening by having dinner with my parents at Bob Evans. It was delicious. My Mom and Dad are SO excited, which only makes me more happy and excited. My Dad bounced an imaginary chubby grandbaby on his knee and my Mom asked about dietary restrictions and nursery decorations. It will be so fun to watch them become first-time grandparents.

I slept the whole way home and went right to bed when we got to Kensington. I woke up this morning without the seemingly unending nausea, but now I'm ready to toss my cookies again.

Ugh. Good times with bad stomachs. Keep growing Baby Scott, you're worth it all.

Solving the sour stomach mystery.

So as much as I love Baby Cute Scott already, she/he is a parasite. The books aren't kidding about eating smaller meals multiple times a day. The baby is the size of a rasberry, and she/he is already dictating how much I can eat. Baby Cute Scott also loves fruit. I simply can not eat enough fruit. Or drink enough fruit juice. I do not want to touch milk and anything greasy makes my stomach turn. Baby Cute also does not like to be kept waiting. If she/he is hungry, I must eat now or I get nausea like no one's business. My days of "doing what I want when I want it" are apparently ending.

Baby Cute still hasn't forgiven me for finishing up a news release at work before I ate my blueberry muffin. This is the tough part--I'm nauseous and don't want to eat, but if I don't eat I get more nauseous. I haven't yet thrown up, but today feels pretty darn close.

I told my bestest friends about Baby Cute over the weekend. Cat is thrilled of course and hopes we have a girl so she can pass on some of Gracie and Ally's clothes. Mary Frog Toes wants all of the details as she and Eric are hoping to try for Baby Frog Toes Simons sometime this year or early next. I see Mack tonight and can only imagine what she will name Baby Cute. Luckily, "Chewie" has already been taken. Emily hates babies, so she has not responded to my email and I am not surprised.

David has taken to talking to my belly. I find this absolutely adorable. I don't think I've ever touched my stomach this much.

Yesterday at the baby store I worked with my friend Nadia at baby registry. She is having a girl, due by planned C-section on June 25. I am proud to say Baby Girl kicked me--hard. Her husband has only felt her lightly once and I got the full on--"Hey there! I'm in here!" It made me weepy. I blame becoming pregnant on the baby store. It's in the water. There are six of us that are pregnant on our staff of 40 or so. Crazy. I could also blame David, but it's more fun to blame the baby store.

Speaking of the baby store, here is my latest favorite product. It is the Starlight Papasan Cradle Swing.

I think that's all for right now. We are planning to tell my grandmas this week and my siblings this weekend. I am about to bust!

Rasberry Baby and Emotional Mommy.

Well the sore boobs and tiredness continue and my nauseau is more frequent and is more easily triggered now by smells. My David came home after trading cars with my parents smelling like cigarette smoke. I almost barfed on him. I also smelled blue cheese yesterday and almost lost my lunch. My body is so funny.

I called in to the baby store and slept from 5-9:30 p.m. and 11 p.m.-6:30 a.m. I do feel more rested, but I'm still tired. Go figure.

David got to experience my first emotional break yesterday as well. I am worried as all get out about seemingly everything. I was feeling very alone and frustrated about so many things. Thank goodness for my David, he listened and let me cry and then calmed me down and made me feel better.

It's true--Everything will be fine, but the most important thing is that the baby is fine. I can't wait to hear Baby Cute's heartbeat.

I made my first OB appointment for next Tuesday. It was a long, hard decision, but we are going to have Baby Cute Scott at Sparrow Hospital. Ingham has pretty equal facilities, but it's much smaller and they don't have all of the bells and whistles that Sparrow does. I agonized over which OB to choose, mainly because there is only one practice in town that has a nurse midwife, but I ended up choosing the other practice that has been recommended by several people. I feel very good about the choice already based on my phone call this morning. They were soooo nice and sooo helpful. They also have a fantastic Web site. I think I can relax about this now.

Here is my latest update from BabyCenter.

Now almost half an inch long — roughly the size of a raspberry — your baby has elbow joints and distinct, slightly webbed fingers and toes. In his oversized head, both hemispheres of his brain are developing. His teeth and the inside of his mouth are forming, and his ears continue to develop. Eyelid folds partially cover his tiny peepers and the tip of that nose you'll be tweaking someday is emerging. His skin is paper-thin, and his veins are clearly visible. Your little one also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. His liver is busy producing red blood cells, and a loop of your baby's growing intestines is bulging into his umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from his tiny body. Your baby still appears to have a small tail (actually, it's an extension of his tailbone), but it will disappear in the next few weeks.

You can't feel his gyrations yet, but your little jumping bean is moving in fits and starts around his watery home.

My baby the bean.

I am so happy this morning. We saw Dr. Johnson and my favorite nurse Patti and they are thrilled for us, too. I peed in a cup and they confirmed what we already knew. In addition, we are destined to be very smart parents as we had our due date right on--October 4.

It is fun to think about all of the family birthdays that are right around that same time... My sister Meredith, our stepdad Dave, Grandma Scott, my brother Nathan and brother-in-law Rob. I think Baby Cute Scott is going to look adorable in fall colors--ghoul or booo--ey.

It is so odd to think about traveling with Baby Cute Scott for Christmas next year. It seems so far away, but so close too.

My Moms are wonderful and aren't holding back their excitement, which is wonderful and reallllly helps with delaying telling others for a while. I won't be able to hold back much longer, but I am planning on waiting until we hear Baby Scott's heartbeat to make any plans here at work. Only my three favorite people here know.

My sister Meredith called yesterday and we talked for quite a while. I almost busted, but thank goodness I was at work and didn't want to talk about it here. I am so excited for my siblings to be aunts and uncles.

I'm having trouble deciding how to document my pregnancy on paper. The blog is great, but we don't have internet at home, and I want something to tuck all of my cards, notes, invites, etc. from this time into. We went to the bookstore yesterday, but the journal I liked most had TONS of pictures of skinny pregnant girls throughout. Sorry, Charlie, that's the wrong book for me. We bought a plain journal and I think that will do. Now if only I wasn't so tired during the evening I would start to write!

The Baby is about the size of a lentil bean and has little flippers. This is funny to me. Here is my 6-week update from Baby Center:

Is your heart swelling with love for your baby? Well, yours isn't the only heart that's getting bigger. Your baby's heart is growing, too, and dividing into the right and left chambers. But the most exciting part is that her tiny heart is now beating (at a speedy 100 to 130 beats a minute) and pumping blood throughout her body. The cells that will make up all of your baby's body parts and systems are dividing furiously as her body begins to take shape. Right now she's about the size of a small lentil bean (4 to 5 millimeters across).

If you could see through your uterine wall, you'd find an overlarge head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils will be. Shallow pits on the sides of her head mark her developing ears, and her arms and legs appear as protruding buds. Her hands and feet look like paddles, with thick webbing between the developing digits, but her fingers and toes will soon become more distinct. Below the opening that will later be your baby's mouth, there are small folds where her neck and lower jaw will eventually develop. (Inside, her tongue and vocal cords are just beginning to form.) Your baby's intestines are developing, and tiny breathing passages are beginning to appear where her lungs will be. She's also starting to build muscle fibers and, halfway through this week, she'll likely start moving her tiny limbs. Be patient: You'll probably have to wait until you're several weeks into your second trimester before you get to enjoy feeling your baby's calisthenics.

Ready or not, here comes Baby Scott

On Sunday, February 11 at 4:07 a.m. I couldn't sleep. I got up and peed on a stick, knowing I was two weeks late, randomly nauseous and tired to the point of exhaustion.

I tried to convince myself to go back to sleep and just look at the stick in the morning, tried to tell myself that I didn't want to turn on the light. But I did.

Big Fat Plus Sign.

I stared at myself in the mirror. I hugged my cat Runa. I picked up the phone and called my beloved husband David, who was staying at his parents' house 4 hours away.

He thought I had a bad dream, but instead it was the announcement of a good dream we have been patiently waiting and planning for.

We're having a baby.

Our house is apparently a fertile place to live, because Baby Scott is unplanned. We are thrilled and excited and this all feels very surreal. But it's real. I know this because I've taken another two pregnancy tests. We even splurged for the digital model that clearly says--Pregnant.

I see the doctor tomorrow at 9 a.m.

Let the adventure begin!