Is that a plum or a baby?

With 1 week of our pregnancy being out in the open, things have gone pretty well. I have noticed people have started looking at my belly before they look at my boobs (oh wait! I mean eyes--yea before they were looking at my eyes) ...so that is a plus-I guess ;-)

I had my 3rd appointment today. Week 13! Whoo Hoo! Elaine and Al were visiting Chattanooga this week and on their last day before heading back to IL, I had my doc appointment. I asked Elaine if she would like to hear the baby's heart beat and she said yes. So that was the first thing we did at the doc's office today. It was just as cool as hearing it the first time. Baby Sweet's heart beat is sitting at a solid 148. It was reassuring to hear it again. The days leading up to my appointment I have been feeling really good. I have not had any gassiness or bloating and have been able to work out; so I was beginning to think something might be wrong. I mentioned this to doc and she reassured me that is a normal tendency and in a short period of time I will be able to feel the little one moving around. Whew. Good to be normally OCD ;-)

I have gained a couple pounds, so my cute jeans and shirts are no longer comfortable. I can get into them but after about 30 seconds, I want to rip them off and walk around in my sleeping pants and a race t-shirt. Hmmm sleeping pants and t-shirts at work. Could happen, but not in this lifetime. So I got the best present EVER!!!! Cara sent down ALL of her maternity clothes and I think I am going to be set. She has such great taste and all the stuff I pulled out was super cute. I will admit, I had a little trouble seeing myself getting to the point where I would be able to fill some of it out. I think that sentence will be really funny when I go back and read that in 6 months. Maternity clothes are all sized to your pre-pregnancy size. So since Cara and I are small--all of our preggers stuff is small too. I think the only stuff I might need are some bras and skirts. Other than that, I have a whole new wardrobe. =) I am looking forward to adding to our preggers collection. It will be exciting to pass the big girl clothes back to Cara when she needs it again.

I was reading another pregnant woman's blog the other day, and I was shocked when I read some of the questions people asked her...until I was asked a few. So to help y'all out and not slap you in the face (which I totally will--I have the patience of a 2 year old right now haha). Here is a list of things you might want to steer clear of when talking to a pregnant woman...

1. Rub or feel her belly. Would you go up to a perfect stranger who wasn't pregnant and touch their belly? No, you wouldn't. So why do people feel like a pregnant woman's belly is public property? As far as I was concerned the only person that had right to touch my belly without my permission was my husband.

2. "Wow, you're getting big." You think? I didn't notice I couldn't see my feet anymore. Thanks for pointing that out to me. How about saying something nice like, "Wow, you look great!"

3. "You look ready to pop, I can't believe you still have (insert time frame here) to go." Thank you. So what you're saying is I'm fatter then what I should be? You're probably doing nothing but making her feel even more insecure then she already is, especially if she still has a few months to go.

4. "You haven't had that baby yet?" Nothing makes a pregnant woman want to strangle you more then this if she's already overdue. And if she isn't near her due date, once again you're just telling her she's fat.

5. "Are you sure you're not having twins?" Of course I'm sure! How would I not know if I was having twins?

6. Telling labor horror stories. The last thing a pregnant woman wants to hear is how you struggled for countless hours to have your last baby. She already has a lot going on in her mind and she doesn't need you exasperating the situation.

7. "Should you really be eating/drinking that?" What are you, the public nutrition police? What she eats and drinks is her business, not yours.

8. "Was it planned?" Talk about invading someone's personal life. Sheesh.

9. "Are you going to have any more babies?" Another no no. She's currently expecting one baby and you think she's thinking about her next one? She's probably suffering from back pain, swollen ankles, sleepless nights, and has a baby constantly wedging a foot between her ribs. Having another baby is probably the last thing in the world she's even considered right now.

10. "Are you going to breastfeed?" Yikes, where is the awkward police? Like most of these on the list, if she brings it up-ok, that is different.

11. "Did you take fertility drugs?" Really none of your business...unless you are taking fertility drugs.

12. "How much weight have you gained?" This one is personally my favorite. You wouldn't ask her this if she wasn't pregnant, so don't ask her because she is. That information is between her and her doctor.

I thought this list was funny and truthful at the same time. Just watching out for my readers...don't want any of you getting shut down or embarrassed. =) Much love and hugs all around. Off to do some yoga and make dinner.

TTFN,
Heather

News from the Sweets!

We have some really great news to share with everyone; and we have finally reached the point where it is "safe" to tell all...we are having a baby! Yeah!!!!

The proof is in the pee stick (it really does say "pregnant")

Andy and I have always known we wanted to be parents. We've talked and planned and talked and planned and the beginning of the most exciting ride is finally here. I took a home pregnancy test at the beginning of May, went to the doc to confirm the following Monday, and had our first sonogram on June 2nd. At this point I am 12 weeks along. The due date for baby Sweet is January 7, 2011. We are planning on finding out if we are having a boy/girl in August.

@ 6 weeks...I guess being pregnant makes your ass look flat ;-)

@ 12 weeks...guess getting more pregnant makes you look like a drown rat ;-)

Some interesting things we have discovered in early pregnancy:

• Almost immediately my blood veins, arteries, and heart increased in size, but my blood volume has not caught up yet. Consequently, the first month of knowing I was pregnant was a dizzying experience. Typical increase will be 45-50% -- whoa that is a lot of blood
  
• Not all women experience morning sickness...some women experience extreme bloating, belching, and farting. Ahhhh motherhood ;-)
• Starting at about week 9 I have to pee ALL THE TIME, it is mostly hormonal at this time. The baby is too small to be putting THAT much pressure on my bladder...but then again the bladder is the most ignorant organ in the body. Really it is.
  
• Exercising is good for the baby. More oxygen and increased blood flow for me = more oxygen and blood flow to the placenta. Out--are the theories of keeping your heart rate below 150 and limiting ALL activity. In--is the practice of "knowing your body and knowing your limitations." I am going to continue working out the way I have always done. No more TT's or track workouts, but working out 5 days a week with yoga, swimming, running, biking, hiking, and walking is just what the doctor ordered...seriously it is. I am reading "Exercising Through Your Pregnancy" by James F. Clapp III Good read, a little technical and scientific, but VERY informative
  
• My boobs are GINORMOUS! 'nough said.
• Sonograms and an ultrasounds are the same thing. A sonogram uses ultrasound technology to render an image
• The coolest thing in the world to hear is your baby's heart beating for the first time ----------> tears
  
• Telling people how big the baby is compared to an olive (week 9) is mildly entertaining
  
• I have gained 1.5 lbs. in 12 weeks but it looks and feels much different
• After delivery of baby Sweet, my VO2Max will increase 5-10% for up to a year!!!!!! At least that is what "Exercising Through Your Pregnancy" estimates
• You can get your hair highlighted in the first trimester
• The main reason "they" recommend for you not to eat deli meat or rare, medium rare, or medium meat is the fear of food poisoning. If I were to get sick, the dehydration and the convulsing of throwing up so violently could be very dangerous
  
• The only other food restrictions I have are: I can't eat unpasteurized cheeses (brie, camembert, feta, or blue veined--seriously BOO!) or fish that contain mercury (tuna, shark, swordfish, farmed/fresh/canned salmon, shrimp, or tile fish) and of course no alcohol or caffeine :)
  

I will leave you with a picture of baby Sweet 9 weeks and 1 day in utero...
Head is to our right

TTFN,
lil' momma (nickname from Andy)

Wet Hot American Summer

Summer has finally arrived. Here in the dirty South, things have been "summer like" for a while now, but with the arrival of June and the passing of Memorial Day...it's official.

We had a really great Memorial Day. Our neighbor's youngest daughter graduated from UTC and they wanted to throw a graduation/Memorial Day party. It really was an excuse to a) create a smoker b) smoke over 60 lbs of meat c) drink a lot of beer. Our friend Wes Young, chef extraordinaire, was the man of the hour. He came out to our place after work on Friday night to do a "test run." I went to bed at midnight...they were all still up "testing." Smoking meat is HARD work ;-) Wes worked downtown in the morning on Saturday and after work he came out again for the big show. I think they started smoking the pork shoulders, pork loin, turkey, and ham at about 7 pm. Andy said they went to bed at 5 am. After a couple hours sleep Andy got up and tended to the smoker until about 2 pm on Sunday.

We took a break from smoking meat to head down to Possum Creek and go swimming. The hike to the creek off our back deck is about 25 minutes...warning: Crocs are NOT good hiking shoes ;-) Our friend Steve took a beautiful tumble exclaiming, "God Bless 'Merica!!!" Classic.

Suggestion: when you come out to our house bring a pair of lace up shoes, an extra change of clothes, and know your cell phone reception will be crappy.

All in all, it was an awesome holiday. Great friends, good food, and beautiful weather (minus the rain at the end of Sunday). Not that the movie "Wet Hot American Summer" has really anything to do with how our summer down here in TN will play out, I just LOVE that movie. HERE is a clip...enjoy.

Catching up with Friends

It has been over a month since my last post... GASP! I know, I know. I am such a bad blogger. I won't bore you with the laundry list of excuses. I will say we have been very busy and not busy at the same time. I am sure you all have experienced that as well.

Our friend Courtney, from Boulder Colorado, (originally from IL) came for a 2 week visit at the end of April. It was so good seeing her and visiting. I will admit, at first I was a little worried about having a house guest for 2 weeks, even if it is one of our best friends. But I was very happy to put my worries to rest very early on. We were able to hang out and do a bunch of stuff together; and when she needed her down time we needed ours as well. Courtney and I went on an 11 mile hike on the Cumberland Trail. Our destination was Imodium Falls. Not quite sure why they call it Imodium, but I am gonna guess it has something to do with Native American stuff and NOT diarrhea and the symptoms of gas...at least that is the hope ;-)

Above: thank goodness for long arms...C's not mine ;-) duh.

Above: The falls -- Cool swimming hole, right?

Above: Flower we saw on our hike, I think it is Jack in the Pulpit?

We also went to a pancake breakfast for 3 Chattanooga Firemen and their families. They were raising money to off-set the costs of some catastrophic illnesses they had been dealing with. Courtney got hit on 2x by some sexy firemen while trying to get some more of their yummy pancakes ;-)

Above: our first serving of pancakes...

We also went to the Hunter Art Museum, rode our bikes around the reservoir on Raccoon Mountain, went shopping, and partied it up with Carrie, Wes, Laura, and Mary Alice at Food Works. That was a day and half ;-) We started at Food Works for $1 mimosas and brunch. I had my first experience with chicken and waffles. OMG! I think that is the breakfast of champions. After we exhausted Food Works of their OJ and Champagne, we made our way to the Chattanooga Market. The Market is an outdoor festival held every Sunday at the Tennessee pavilion. It started April 25th (the day we went) and goes until September 30th. They have crafts, fresh produce, live music, and "refreshments." We of course partook in the refreshments component. Yeah, good times. Then we meandered back to Carrie and Laura's apartment and proceeded to eat, drink, and play Apples to Apples. BTW, Apples to Apples is the best game ever! I love hanging out with good friends and having a good time. But then again...who doesn't, right? ;-) All in all, I really loved having Courtney stay with us. We have always been close, but her visit in April really gave us an opportunity to "hang" with each other. I miss her already.

Above: Cool mirror piece @ museum

Above: one of my favorite paintings (I have no clue who the artist is...I think local Chattanoogaian)

Above: first round of mimosas @ Food Works!

Above: Wes and his new "tool" (left hand)

After Courtney left, it was back to business as usual. Work has been ok for me. GAIA Fitness is really starting to resemble a true company rather than merely a hobby. We have a decent number of clients and have been able to make some really good connections. We have business licenses, state/county/federal permits, tax IDs, resale IDs, bank accounts, etc. Andy has been hard at work trying to get all "bonafide." I am going to take some time this weekend and work my organizational magic and create spreadsheets, calendars, and update email accounts. Once we get all that stuff organized and ready, then we can concentrate on the most important component of our business...getting people healthy! Speaking of which, I am so excited to be working with the group we have so far. I am even more excited to see their happiness with their achievements and goals. I think it is really much more satisfying to see others reach their goals.

Well, ta ta for now. Not so much on the "writing with a purpose" front, but with over a month since my last post I thought a recap was in order.

Heather

New blogs I follow...

Hi y'all,

There are a couple new blogs I follow. Thought you might want to add to your summer reading list ;-) They are all in the side bar, but here are some explanations of the titles:

GAIA Fitness-duh...Andy and my coaching company ;-) hehe
Annie's Eats-awesome recipe blog, great pictures and super yummy food
Case Racing & News- Melisa & Ryan Case's personal blog (friends from Normal, IL)
Kym Faszweski-female pro cyclist here in Chattanooga. She rides for Vantaggio Racing (her husband and her's cycling coaching company)

Take care and enjoy social networking!

Growlers, Woodpeckers, and Debit Cards...Oh my!

I left TN early Saturday morning on the 27th of March. I packed the car the night before, so I would be sure to leave early and not forget anything. There I was, traveling along enjoying the Tennessee landscape. I figured I would pull off with a half tank of gas to fill up; and I would make it through Nashville with out a problem. Then WHAMO! I opened my billfold and realized my debit/ATM card was missing. Dang. I must have left it back at home. CRAP. I racked my brain to try and figure out how to get money and keep heading North. That was a no go. I HAD to turn around and head home to get my card. Double crap. After I finished cussing and throwing a temper tantrum I calmed down and tried to remember where in the "H" I had left it...AHHHH HAAAAAA!!! My favorite pair of jeans, that I packed in my suitcase!!!!! So very very excited. I pulled off the interstate ripped open my suitcase and snatched up my card. Thank goodness. The entire fiasco only derailed me by 1.5 hours, but I was 10 times more exhausted than I was when I started.

On the road again. I had 4 growlers of TN/GA beer (for Mick and Geno), 1 frozen pilated woodpecker (for ISU's collection), and the punisher (for my epic ride in Blonormal). I was set.

The rest of the road trip was pretty uneventful. I even took a different route (on Dad's suggestion). Typically, I get lost trying to find my way out of a paper bag, so the fact I was successful in taking a different route than planned, was monumental -- to say the least. I owe it all to my new phone, the Droid Eris. Google Maps is a standard application. I think it is my favorite function on my phone.

For the first part of my trip, I was at my parent's house in Aurora. My family threw a birthday party for all who were celebrating a birthday in March/April (me, my mom, Amanda, and her boyfriend Josh). I baked an apple pie and made black eyed peas. The pie was a hit...the peas not so much. I liked them, but I think the 'northern' taste buds are not ready for black eyed peas just yet. Later that night we played Rock Band. Similar to Guitar Hero. Josh had the whole set up. 2 guitars, microphone, and drums. I am going to try to upload a video soon...totally hilarious.

The rest of the visit was pretty casual. Dad and I went on a 10 mile bike ride on the bike trail. (my first in over 5 months ;-) Amanda and I made a German chocolate cake for my mom's birthday on the 30th. Then the morning of the 31st, I headed off to Peoria, IL to see Elaine and Al.

I was able to see Nate (Andy's cousin) perform at his last talent show at St. Mary's grade school. Nate is graduating this year and will be the last of the Schaidle clan to go to St. Mary's (this was Chris and Andy's grade school). It was so neat to see where Elaine taught and where the boys went to school. After getting settled in at the house, Elaine and I went on a 5 mile hike. It was strange to hike someplace so flat. It was still a little challenging, since I have not done much except yoga for the past 2 months. For dinner that night, we went to Jim's Steakhouse in Peoria. Very fancy. I had a filet mignon ala oscar style (bearnaise sauce on the side ;-))

The next day I headed to Bloomington/Normal. I was able to stay with Mick and Nancy Hannah. Such nice people to let such a vagabond crash in their spare bedroom. We all headed to Lucca Pizza and Pasta for some pie. My favorite is the Ala Baldini. Yum. There were a bunch of peeps that were able to make it (Mike, Nancy, Geno, Becky, Shawn, Tamara, and Jessica). We planned to ride the next day at 2 pm. UGH. What a ride. 30 mph head winds out of the South is not my idea of a fun ride. On the way out to Lake Bloomington it was stellar~30 mph tail wind rocks. On the way back, I was wishing I was climbing the back side of Raccoon Mtn. (the hardest climb I have ever done) The way I see it, I can improve on a mountain climb. I don't think I will ever FEEL like I have improved in 30 mph winds. Central IL--you can have your wind. I will take my mountains any day. :)

That night I was able to meet up with Chris, Cara, Jonah, and Larry. I was able to see Chris and Cara's new house in Lexington. It is a beautiful old home that has a ton of potential. They have already done some really great things that I am super impressed with. (Nice job guys). It was great to see Larry and catch up with everything going on with the Sweet side of the family. Cara and Jonah had just gotten in from a week in Las Vegas visiting Frank and Sue; and Chris had also just gotten home from a 2 day conference in St. Louis. As I was running out of steam as well, we visited for a couple of hours and then I was back on the road to Peoria.

Saturday was my birthday. I woke up to some beautiful Easter lilies, chocolates, and a card from Andy. Big smiles. It made my birthday (that I was NOT looking forward to) so much better. We headed to Princeville, IL for a 5k. Since I have not ran since January, it was a hard race to start. It was down pouring and I was debating on bailing. But then, a birthday miracle happened. The weather cleared up 5 minutes before the race and I finished in a decent time. For not running too much I am happy. (26:34) After the race we went back to Elaine's and she and I made Grandma Schaidle's cinnamon rolls. I have had the recipe for 3 years, but have been too intimidated to try it on my own. Elaine showed me all the 'tricks' and 'tips.' Hopefully, I can do these on my own for Andy next time.

Saturday night we had a game night. We played Catch Phrase and Quelf. I have played Catch Phrase before, very fun game. Now Quelf on the other hand...I think the person(s) who created this game were high. Seriously. I think they were smoking some serious hydroponics when they thought this one up. I can't explain it. You gotta try it for sure. It is fun, but really "out there."Easter was awesome. My dress turned out great (thanks Amanda). I wished Andy could have been up. I got to see almost all of his family on the Schaidle side. They seemed to enjoy the cinnamon rolls I made. Either they enjoyed them or they are really good liars. Not sure ;-) After everyone left, I was exhausted. I tried to relax, but 10 days away from our home/Andy/dogs. I was UBER homesick. Elaine and I packed up the car (with the addition of Andy's childhood crap, I needed the help--haha) and went to bed.

I woke up early again to get on the road before the morning rush hour traffic. The drive home was so different from what it was a little over 1 year ago. Last year, I was excited to start a new chapter of my life. I realized on this 10.5 hour drive (1 hour of traffic outside of Nashville...grrrr) that Tennessee is my home. I don't want to live anywhere else. The weather is mild and beautiful. The mountains are amazing. The rivers/creeks are breathtaking. My life is in Tennessee. I will always love going back to IL to see friends and family, but that chapter of my life is closed now and I am so looking forward to our adventures here in the Southeast.

Also, I have been inspired to get my lazy a$% off the couch and start running, biking, and swimming again. It is way too hard to try and do all the stuff I love without being in good shape ;-) To all my TN friends...let's go play!

BTW-- I will say, the ONLY thing that totally bites about Tennessee are the drivers. Seriously, I think they get their driver's licenses from Cracker Jack boxes. Absolutely no concept of turn signals, cruise control, or left lane/right lane etiquette.

Blarg!

So many things to talk about, but are they "blog worthy?" Every time I sit down to write I think about the first blog of this year and how I promised myself to write with a purpose. Writing with a purpose can be very subjective. Do I write for myself or do I write for you? The reader's idea of purposeful prose can be very different from mine. How do I accomplish poignant writing AND satisfied readers? Not that I am a "writer" by any means...but I wonder how one does become one?
Maybe it is pure selfishness. I write for me and me alone. If you don't like it -- don't read it. Maybe it is at the other end of the spectrum. I write for an audience and put my own thoughts/feelings on the back burner. Hmmm.
Well, that was entirely too much thinking for a Monday night. Onto the task at hand. I have decided today's blog is about complete and utter randomness.

It has been over 1 year since I moved to Tennessee (1 year 3 weeks and 4 days). I said when I left IL, I would come up and visit all the time. After all it is only a 9 hour dive. Well, life and time have gotten the best of me. I have not been back since I moved. Sometimes it feels like yesterday we were at Lucca Grill drinking a Schlafly.

Then other times it feels like I have lived in Tennessee for ever. I am really excited to see family and friends. Not too excited about the late March early April weather I will be experiencing. ;-) It is really nice down here. Some days are more rainy than I would like, but very nice nonetheless. I am going to be able to see my parents and sisters in Aurora and then onto Peoria and Bloomington.

Andy and I got new cell phones this weekend. We actually suffered through the 2 year indentured servant contract with Verizon and were able to upgrade both of our phones to the new Droid ERIS..for free! So cool! While we were activating our phones on-line, I had an epiphany of sorts. I wonder if my grandparents would believe we were using small pieces of plastic and metal that are the size of a thick credit card to call people, surf the world wide web, take pictures, & update social media (first, we would probably need to explain what social media and the world wide web were). I know for a fact my grandparents used a phone similar to this...
How strange to think at one time we had to get on the phone and ask someone on the other end to connect us with the person we were trying to call. Stranger to think if someone was already calling another person on that phone line, you had to hang up and try back another time. Sheesh call waiting and shared lines for goodness sake! How archaic. Now a days, we can't imagine a call actually going to voice mail, let alone sharing an actual telephone line (not a tower/satellite connection) with another person. I do have to say, I didn't think I would get the hang of the "smart phone" or even use all the features...boy was I wrong! It seriously is the coolest piece of technology I have ever had. So glad I live in the 21st century.

Yoga is awesome! Andy and I have been doing yoga at North Shore Yoga for the past 2 months. I have felt amazing. Strong, flexible, and A LOT less clumsy. I know, hard to believe, right? The room is heated to at least 85* While practicing, you get so hot and sweaty, the sweat is actually dripping off you. For a workout junkie like myself, this is such a nice treat in the cold months. It is so hard to work up a sweat and feel like you actually "worked out." The other day, I thought I would do yoga at home. So I popped in my trusty DVD and started up the session. For the most part, it was fine. I did feel like it was taking a lot longer than usual to get "into the groove" of things. I realized the next day, where the problem lied. I was UBER sore! I know after doing 2 months of yoga in a studio, there was no way the DVD I did was harder than yoga at North Shore. It was the lack of warm surroundings that made me so sore. It will take a lot of convincing to get me to do yoga outside of a warm studio again. I could see having a yoga session in the middle of the summer outside being really awesome.

Ok, I think my complete and utter abandonment of anything resembling a coherent thought has been completely illustrated here. I guess some randomness never hurt anything...or did it?

See y'all on the flip side and take care.