I’m at 33 weeks and feeling huge, but I’m pretty proud of the fact that I’m still riding my bike. Maybe not as much as I’d like, my current job situation has limited me to weekend rides; Maybe not as fast as I’d like, I’m a turtle-ish 10 mph compared to my usual 20-25; But the weather has been holding nice and as long as it does, I’m going to get on my bike.

A lot of people have questioned me about this, and fair enough, I mean, I’m doing everything for 2 right now, but it goes to the core of who I am. I am a cyclist, not pro and not amazing, but it’s in my soul and something I can’t live without.

I’ve tried explaining to people in the past part of the reason why I ride – I feel it’s a lazy man’s exercise and I’m lazy! I’d rather sit on my butt and move my legs than walk, and I’d definitely rather do that then sit around waiting on a bus. So I bike. Possibly a little known fact but biking is one of the best exercises out there for you when pregnant. There’s no impact on your joints, the movements are fluid, it’s good exercise with little effort… All the reasons I bike anyway.

Back in September, sometime around 25 weeks I think it was, I rode 30 miles round trip to go to the Harry Potter Exhibit. It was probably too far a ride for me, but Bob909 and my friend Elaine were willing to go along at my pace and we had energy bars and lots of water to keep me going. When I told some people about this little adventure, I got a few tut-tuts, and frankly I don’t see why.

It’s frustrating hearing or reading how a pregonaut shouldn’t do things they used to do by people who aren’t and have not been pregnant. Even with my Halloween costume, some blog posted about it and criticized me for doing CosPlay when pregnant. (The irony being it was a blog geared toward techy girls and it was a Halloween costume… Hello! How does that figure?) The thing is, yes, being pregnant does change what you can do to a degree. You have to be cautious. You have to take it slower than you did. You do have to reduce the amount you do. You have to pay attention to your limits. But you can still do it. (I’ll be the first to admit that Bob909 is essential in helping me realize what those are sometimes.) But if your pregnancy is healthy there is no reason why you can’t continue doing things you did before being pregnant, you just have to adjust how you do it.

I suppose it’s like every part of being pregnant. You have to take anything anyone says to you with a grain of salt. Your pregnancy is yours and you have to do what’s right for you and your baby. Part of that is not losing yourself during this transition period. And I firmly believe that by doing that you’ll have a much happier post-partum. Of course, we’ll find out if I’m right about that in about 7 more weeks. Until then, as long as the weather permits, I’ll be riding.

This week has been a big week in getting things done around the house in preparation for our little bot. In addition to all the wonderful things we received at the baby shower (post on that forthcoming) we received a couple few things this week that we really needed from other friends and such. The baby’s room is coming along nicely and I’ll be able to fully show it off in a couple of weeks, possibly even next weekend depending on how things go.

But I had to post about what I received today from FabricOnDemand.com. See, I originally was going to do a Discworld themed baby room but the reality is, that would be something we think she’d enjoy more when she was a bit older. Instead I decided to go with a ninja kitty theme, since our house is full of kitties (we have three) and our youngest, though not stealthy, tries hard to be and as a result is ridiculously cute. So I designed these cute little ninja kitties and decided to make a set of sheets out of them. I bought a sample print from the company to determine what color blue I really wanted then made my order. It arrived today and can I just say it looks incredible! I also got the blanket you see here. I can’t believe how great they turned out. The sheets are in progress, and I’ll show them as well as the mobile I’m making once I’m finished, but in the meantime, hope this little blanket makes you giggle with the glees. Oh and btw, that’s Gizmo the inspiration for the designs poking his head out from underneath.

Plenty of books and sites out there tell us what will come during this zanny journey into motherhood. Many of them repeat the same things regarding what we’ll feel, our symptoms, how our bodies will change, even what we’ll be thinking — it’s great and reassuring to know that you’re not alone and what you’re feeling/seeing is normal. But I’ve discovered a few things no book nor person told me about and I never expected to come up. Little bits of insight I wish someone would talk about because if I couldn’t laugh at this bizzaro body I get to have for 9 months, I’d go crazy. I thought I’d share some of them with you.

Here are 10 to start with, I’ll let you know if I come up with any more. Do you have any to add?

1. Using handicap spots. I never thought I’d need to use the handicap stall because my belly is so large it can’t clear the door in most restroom’s regular stalls.
2. Take your navel ring out early. You don’t notice the change to your belly button until much later, but that ring will slowly work its way out leaving an ugly scar that likely could not be repierced. Nipple rings too. I can’t tell you for certain what they’ll do, but maybe better safe than sorry till after you’ve finished breast-feeding.
3. Turtle on its back! I never thought I’d know what it’s like to be a turtle. Now I chant that phrase to myself every time I try to get up. When I need help, I yell it out for Bob909 to come rescue me.
4. It is possible to trip when standing still in one place. Thanks to all that relaxin, I, a normally very well balanced individual, have fallen over while doing absolutely nothing. It’s an especially embarrassing thing to do while waiting at a crowded bus stop.
5. I’ll never pee alone again. Since being prego, our 3 cats are particularly fond of cornering me while on the toilet. One sits on the sink, face right in mine. The other two at my feet giving me death stares and meow non-stop. The clumsy one has taken to leaping on the seat right as I stand up. He’s almost fallen in twice. I know that having a girl it won’t be much different. I cornered my mom in the loo all the time to chat. I’m sure it was annoying at times, but those were also some of our closest conversations.
6. My Ta-Ta’s are a little too TA-DA! (picture jazz hands with that statement) I can only guess that the reason most maternity clothes are cut down to the naval is for easy breastfeeding after the baby arrives, but it doesn’t make me feel any better. Just about every maternity shirt I’ve bought (sans the one in the photo above) is cut this way. It’d be nice if they had some snaps or ties or something to keep my top closed. Can you imagine waiting in line to buy something only to look down and see one of your ladies waving hi at the sales person?
7. My body isn’t my own anymore. Along with #6, maybe it’s partly due to #6, I’ve found that I just have to suck up the fact that my butt is big and when combined with wearing jersey knit tops and bottoms this inevitably means some of those clothes will ride up inappropriately and reveal things I never wanted anyone to see.  Add to that my uncontrollable bodily noises and the fact that generally wearing nothing around is better than fussing with clothes altogether I had to stop being so self-concious. I think this must be part of the preparation process for when you’re in a room with who knows how many people and your legs are spread wide for all the world to see.
8. I finally understand what it’s like to be a guy. At least the boob obsession part. Who knew these things were so… intriguing?  Not even in my pubescent body changing stage was I this curious about my body. Now I find myself playing with my boobs way more than I should… then again, a lot of that is just using my hands to hold them up and relieve my back of a little weight. D-ladies, I do not envy you. These things better go back to being merry little C’s.
9. Do not, under any circumstances, pull out your 1990’s Cure T-shirt and wear it. The fashion of the time dictated all clothes be at least 2 sizes too big, so if you were a M you wore an XL. Do NOT put that XL t-shirt on. You will cry when you discover it’s snug. Keep Mr. Smith in the closet until the day you’re no longer pregnant and baggy clothes are in again or make him into a pillow. No good will come of wearing him, even if you are missing your goth days. Especially if you are missing your old goth days.
10. Do I look fat in this? For once, this is not a loaded question, it’s a hope. Job hunting in this economy is hard, but job hunting while pregnant is nigh impossible. The interview is by far the worst part, especially after you’re showing and officially in maternity wear. It’s the only time in your life you’ll hope you look just fat. Trying to dress to look fat is a challenge unlike none you’ll come across at any other stage of your life. Have some cheesecake and try not to stress about it.

I will be the first to tell you that I’m a control freak. I get an idea in my head and go into “DO” mode faster than the Duggar’s mom can change a diaper. Our wedding is a perfect example. Once we decided the date I had the venue, catering, menu, bridesmaid gowns, DJ, stylists, theme and dressmaker booked and sorted by the end of the 3 day weekend.

My husband probably deserves a medal for dealing with me, to be honest. But I suppose this is why we’re a good match for each other. We understand who likes to do what and how to let the other one take control when necessary.

Knowing I’m a control freak, I wanted to take extra steps to try and include Bob909 in the craziness that is being pregnant and planning for a baby. After all, he’s suffering by scooping 3 cats worth of litter every day for me. It’s the least I can do. He makes it easy to include him, too. He’s a guy who really wants to be involved in what is normally considered “girls” stuff. He put together many of the decorations for the venue – everything from assembling them to setting them up the day of the wedding. Here are a few of the things we’ve done to make it more us and less me.

The baby’s room. I’m a design centric person and he’s a professional retoucher with an incredible eye for color. He let me go crazy with ideas then we narrowed them down by talking through them. (I can tell you now the Discworld nursery is being put on hold to be a Discworld little girl’s room for various reasons – watch for a post about “don’t make rash decisions” in the future.) Once we decided on the theme, I picked the color I wanted to paint it. Then I got samples in a few shades I liked and he made the final call.

The baby furniture. I searched out styles of furniture then shared my favorites with him. We never really came to a final decision on aything I found through websites and at BRU, not for not agreeing but because aesthetics and function were very important to me and I couldn’t find anything that fit both sufficiently. One day we went to Ikea for a coffee table and decided to check out their baby furniture. Bob909 pointed out a nice set to me. It was perfect, not the color I originally planned but I could easily picture it in the design we had decided on.

The stroller. I already wrote about choosing our stroller. But Bob909 was heavily involved in that decision. While I did most of the initial foot work; he made the final model and color decisions. I certainly wouldn’t have said “this is the one” if he didn’t agree.

The baby bike transport. I left this completely up to him. It’s right up his alley and lets him enjoy all the techy geekery that he loves so much. Once he found a couple he preferred, we discussed it and made our final choice. It’s not something we’ll buy until after she’s born though, since she can’t ride in it until she can hold her own head up.

So now you’re thinking, great but that’s all material stuff isn’t it? How is that really involving your husband? Here’s where we really let dad-to-be connect with our impending doom… I mean daughter.

The Name. We have picked our daughter’s name. To be revealed later, maybe. Bob909 suggested it and as soon as I heard it, before we even knew what we were having, I heard tinkling bells and saw stars. We created a list after we knew we were having a girl anyway, so we didn’t make any rash hasty decisions, but no other name compared to it and in less than a day she was named.

Belly Rubs. My skin is super dry and all the books tell us moms-to-be that we need to lotion up. Rather than just making it another preggo task, we make it a chance for Bob909 to spend with his daughter. Usually before we go to bed, after I’ve had my bath he rubs the lotion on my belly and he talks to her too, I also tell her that’s her daddy.

Playlists. I let him choose songs and make playlists for her to listen to. I try to tell her when his choices or favorites come on. Somewhat embarrassing when walking around in public, but with my DIY mommy & baby speaker/iPod holder we both get to share the music and learn her dad’s favorite tunes.

Belly Kisses. First thing in the morning, when get home, and before we go to bed I have him kiss my belly and tell her hello. It’s the greatest thing in the world when he kisses me all over and then says her name into my belly. I love hearing him say her name and that translates into good energy that feeds into her so she knows how much she’s loved.

Laughing. Whenever he makes me laugh (and it’s a lot of the time) I’m sure to tell our girl her dad is funny. Laughter is an important part of our relationship, and I hope it will be for our daughter too.

Spooning. Once a day we spoon for a bit. Instead of him spooning behind me, I spoon behind him, putting the belly in between us, touching his back. This way, she gets some extra heat from a side other than me for her to move towards. If she’s being at all active then he can feel her move (sometimes). This is probably my other favorite time of the day. It’s just a nice quiet moment with the three of us that makes us both smile.

And that’s how we try to share being pregnant. I’d love to hear how you do it, maybe we can try your ideas too.

This is the “Who Am I” post. I have to imagine that all women go through this question while carrying around some strange alien inside their body. Over the past 7 months this question has crept up but usually been squelched easily enough. This time it’s not so easy.

I’m what most would consider a strange one: tattooed, pierced, strange hair, clothes, and make-up. But pregnancy (and unemployment) has stripped that out of me. The tattoos and piercings are still there, but the clothes, hair, make-up that used to make me – ME! have all but disappeared. I had to stop bleaching my hair and, in order to not look an absolute disaster, dyed it brown so my roots wouldn’t be so noticeable. I can’t wear any make-up, my attempts to do so resulted in bright red burning skin. My skin is dry, and sensitive and blotchy. Almost every face cleanser and moisturizer I’ve tried has burned too. Can I even begin to describe the pain when I tried to use sunscreen, which us preggos are supposed to use because our skin is extra sensitive? After so many dollars wasted and tearful attempts to get the products off my face I stopped trying anything at all because nothing helps. And then there’s clothing. Being a goth, raver, punky, grrr, stompy mix of a cycling girl makes it pretty hard to find any clothing that really matches my personality. Add to that most clothes just look like a MuuMuu on me or are jersey knit and make my butt look like Texas on an acid trip.

Trying to look like ME! has been an experiment in heartbreak. I haven’t felt like having cute prego photos taken of me every week to show how my bump has grown. I haven’t felt like I’ve got that beautiful pregnancy glow. Every photo I see of me makes me miss the ME! of old more and more. In order to keep myself from getting to upset I packed up all my favorite clothes and sent them to my father’s house for storage during my pregnancy. Seeing them in my closet left me sad and mopey and I would keep trying to try them on in hopes I could wear a Belly Band and make it all work. It never did.

Cycling hasn’t been that kind to me either. I am biking still. I haven’t given that up, but I certainly can’t bike like I used to and that throws me into an even more unhappy state. I like being the girl who takes on Michigan Avenue at 25 mph during rush hour. I like racing through town on my road bike dressed in knee length jeans and crazy patterned socks. I follow the rules of the road and bike safe, I just bike with passion. But being pregnant and on a commuter style bike, I ride about 10 mph now which is just sad. I know that it’s just because I can’t bend over and someone else is taking most of my energy. But I think about after I have the baby and wonder when will I be able to ride like that again?

So I’ve been banished to a life of looking like a mediocre run-of-the-mill average girl with a less than gratifying physical activity level that does nothing but depress me. Everything a pregonaut goes through during this period of life is scary and disturbing enough, but the real fear, for me, is that this change is permanent, because I don’t want it to be. I don’t know who I am right now; like my life has been put into it’s own little limbo womb within the universe just waiting to pop me out sometime in January too. My hope is that my rebirth is one that inspires me to workout even more and get back to the physical place I would have been at quickly; that that new person is healthier than before and other than that, I can go back to enjoying all the things that I loved about ME! Mostly, I hope that by finding myself again and being the ME! I love, I’ll teach my little girl to be proud of who she is and not let the world tell her who she has to be.

I love fall and I think it’s probably part of what makes Halloween my favorite holiday of the year. I love seeing kids in costumes trick-or-treating; houses decorated with spooky lights and other decorations. Trees whose leaves have changed or shed all together. I was lucky to have one of those neighborhoods where all the kids were around the same age and all the families made the holiday spooktacular. I’d get dressed up in one costume and go around the entire subdivision, come home, get another costume on and go out again. When I was young the costumes were store bought, but as I got older and was able to start figuring things out, I started making my own costumes, and it’s been that way ever since. While the actual making time may vary, my planning time is long and well thought out. I usually start thinking about costumes in the summer, I try to find inspiration and by August I know what I’m going to do. I do think every year tends to out do the last. And this years… well, hopefully our daughter appreciates the thought.

I’m not a fan of store bought costumes. I feel like it’s a copout and pretty un-imaginative. I realize that creating an original costume can cost just as much, it’s not the cost, it’s the thought for me. Halloween is the one time of the year where everyone, but especially adults are encouraged to unleash their creativity.

My hope is that we’ll be able to instill such creativity into our daughter. As such, I had to start her off early. I couldn’t do the stereotypical Pregnant Nun or Pumpkin Halloween costume, no, I had to find something really original for our little bot’s first Halloween. And so, I give you… Darth Vader and The Death Star! Yeah, I know, I did buy the Darth Vader mask, but I thought doing that rather than me going in a ninja mask and just having her as the Death Star would be better.

Yesterday was perhaps one of the most exciting days of my pregnancy. Before I explain it, let me tell you a little back info.

I have an Anterior Placenta. This means that the location of the placenta within the uterus is in the front as opposed to the back which is more normal. Basically it goes, my stomach, the uterus wall, the placenta, baby as opposed to my stomach, uterus wall, baby, placenta. There’s nothing to worry about regarding it, it doesn’t cause any problems, it just means that while most women get to really feel or see their baby’s kicks and movements, especially from the outside, I don’t. It also means that I won’t have that Alien Baby gut buster thing happen to me like the average woman does.

The baby is pretty quiet to begin with, but this has made it, on some days, really difficult to feel her moving around. It’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between hiccups and movements for me, at least at this point. Most movements feel more like the flutters you should get at the very beginning of feeling your baby move. I have however, been noticing her move a little bit more as of late. And apparently the placenta can move during your pregnancy and even move to the back.

So yesterday I was sitting in a meeting and out of the blue I felt a very firm very solid pressure against my belly. I was actually startled and wondered what was going on. I put my hand on my belly where the feeling was and could feel a definite resistance. And almost a shape even. I couldn’t tell whether it was an arm or leg or even her head, but I could tell it was her and feel the difference from where she was and wasn’t. Throughout the rest of the day I was able to feel it more and more. So I started playing with her a bit. When she’d put pressure, I’d lightly push and see what she would do.

I think it’s possibly been the most magical moment I’ve had so far. Up until now, even with the ultrasound it’s just been more of a, yeah, I’m preggo feeling. But that interaction started a whole it’s wild thinking there’s an actual human in there. Someone who could, as of now, even survive should the worst of circumstances occur. I mean… it’s real. We’re having a little girl who will be here in less than 3 months. Heck, almost in 2 months.

It’s pretty incredible.

Here is our stroller, getting a cat scan. Hey, we had to test it out and make sure everything was working. Right?

Trying to figure out the best stroller for us, out of the I don’t know how many gazillion there are out there, is hard work! We started looking back in May, schlepped out to a Babies-R-Us in the burbs. The trip was long and overwhelming in many ways but mostly in trying to understand what we actually need versus what the world *says* we need. Babies, like weddings, are big business and much money is to be made from first timer’s with no experience with kids what-so-ever and all their relatives and friends. The reality is, I think most of it is a bunch of crap. There’s a reason why our wedding was offbeat. I expect our pregnancy and parenting will be pretty offbeat too.

So while at BRU (as parenting sites everywhere call it) we dodged dozens of other couples doing the same thing we were. We tested out a few different styles and found that we really liked the jogging stroller for it’s sturdiness and maneuverability. But beyond that… we didn’t know much. One was too big, this other type had a locked front wheel. We thought about weather in Chicago and 12″ of snow and trying to get little tiny wheels through shoddily shoveled sidewalks and street plowed drifts at corners. We knew that plastic wheels wouldn’t hold up, and especially not those tiny little ones that were only like 6″ round. We found one travel system (that’s a stroller and infant seat) that seemed affordable and doable. It didn’t fold easily, but we thought surely that’s just cause it’s a floor model and gets beaten up on a daily basis. So we figured we found what we were going to get, but would keep our eyes open just in case.

Over the next few months we became obsessed with strollers. Eyeing every jogger-style that passed us, noting names and colors and size. Did the parent look like they were struggling? Did they seem to like it. We became more brave asking questions and noting the answers. Then we found someone with the one we were thinking of getting and they told us… Oh NO! They hated it. It had wonky wheels and didn’t collapse well. They were getting rid of it and buying a new one as soon as possible. This actually coincided with a lot of reviews we’d read on it. Suddenly we were back to square one.

Then, one day, I was at a bike shop searching for a specific type of basket for my new bike. I entered this store, found what I wanted and had them put it on. While I was waiting, I decided to check out the strollers they sold. They were called the Bob. It was nice. Its moves were smooth like butter. One hand to spin it ’round. One move to adjust this or that. So simple compared to the one we had thought about. And a sales guy came over to give me more info. He showed me how it collapsed… only two steps! And all the other features. I was in awe and love and then I saw the price. This stroller was twice the cost of that system we had thought about and it didn’t have an infant seat! But the big 16″ wheels made me swoon. Yes, I said swoon over big air-tire wheels.

When I got home, I started researching it. Does this company make other strollers? What colors do they come in? Reviews? I needed more info. I told Bob909 about it. (Amused at the name.) We found that REI sells them, and he is a member so he gets a discount. That just made it a possibility.

Over the next few months I started noticing them everywhere. Everywhere. This along with one other brand were easily the most popular ones around. Was it because I think all the others are crap? Or was it because they’re really that good. So again, I started asking questions. And everyone I asked said the same thing, they swore by them. The best investment they made. They hold up to 70lbs (more than any other stroller I seemed to come across) meaning you can use them up to 4 and 5 years old.

When I stopped to think about it. My road bike was $800 new; I’ve had it for 5 years and I can’t even use it every day. This will be used every day, probably for a good 3-4 years at least. But most importantly, it seems everyone we know discovered the first stroller they bought was crappy or it wore out, or it was outgrown within a year or so. Especially those travel systems. Then they had to buy a new one because what they bought initially didn’t fit their lifestyle. Of the people we talked to with the Bob, many wished they’d bought the Bob to begin with as it would have saved much heartache and frustration.

After much thought and comparison, we decided to get the Bob at REI. We managed to luck out and get an additional little discount on it as well, so that definitely sealed the deal. My dad, who was up for a visit and took us to get it, bought it for us as a baby gift. Incredibly sweet of him and completely unexpected. Also, fortunately, my brother still had his son’s infant seat which he is giving to us so we managed to balance out the price difference pretty reasonably when it comes down to it.

I think this is the problem with BRU and places like it. They have so many options, which is good for ease of shopping, but they don’t have everything. In fact, I’d say the majority of stuff I saw I would consider lower end and not that great a value. When buying things like a stroller and crib and such, you have to think of the investment of it. How long do you want to use it for? If it’s a crib, do you buy a crib then a bed later or a 3, 4, 5 in one? It depends on your situation. Your life and how your baby will fit in there. Shop like you would for a car. You do plenty of research and talk to people about those. You go to different dealers to test drive and look at different models and bargain for the best price. You have to ask important questions such as “Will it hold up? How sturdy is it? and Does it fit *my* needs”. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the price of things and wanting to make quick easy decisions because life won’t be a cake walk much longer. Marketing and business are always making claims you need something, it’s hard to see what is true or not.

So take your time and research. You’ve got 9 months to figure it out!

How do I get from A to Z? It’s a constant question, especially when living in a large metropolitan area with loads of public transit and you don’t own a car. BP, that’s before pregnant, the weather tended to dictate how I got around town. Being a cyclist means having different concerns. Traffic congestion isn’t one of them, I know I’m never going on the highway. It was usually a thought of, do I want to take the lakefront trail or has it filled up with too many pedestrians at this point. I preferred not to ride in rain, but could and would, just altering routes for increased safety. Winter in Chicago always challenged my convictions, but I tried my best to be on my bike if there was no snow and I had clean warm gear; failing that it was public transit all the way.

Being pregnant has affected my lifestyle (and I know having a child will even further) in so many ways, but to start with… I can’t ride my super shiny silver Ghost of a road bike! I’m not afraid to ride it… I just can’t throw my leg over the top tube or bend over like that anymore! I also have this beautiful classic girl’s Schwinn Suburban, I *thought* I’d be able to ride it but unfortunately it’s over the weight limit of what I can carry so I can’t take it in and out of the house.

I needed a new (at least to me) bike solution and fast.

Fortunately, my husband acquired an old mixte-esque frame from a friend ages back. He never got around to doing anything with it but he thought “well, maybe I’ll put it together for my wife.” (I was still able to ride Ghost at this point, barely.) At about the same time, a friend sent me a link to something Bicycling Magazine calls “Biketown”. They pick a few cities every year and, over the summer, give free bikes away to essayists who can show how having a new bike will change and improve their life. Well, heck, how could I not try for that. I write, I bike, my life is changing one way or another – why not make it for the better. A new commuter style bike is exactly what I need in my prego-state; to ride for the remainder of my pregnancy, but also to attach the trailer to once our little Bot is big enough. So I wrote a little essay and forgot about it.

A week later, Bob909 got around to building the bike for me. A pretty good bike for being a total Frankenstein’s creature. I bought a nice sturdy basket for it – the less I have to carry on my back, the better – and I was back on the road riding everywhere and thrilled to be doing it.

Then I had a really bad morning. I found that for the first time in about 4 years, I overdrew my bank account. I was grumpy, stressed and had woke up at a ridiculous hour thanks to baby rumblings in my belly. Just as I was about to say “Forget this back to bed” I got an email telling me I won a bike. Holy cow, was I surprised. (The day miraculously managed to improve further but that’s not relevant here and now.) I showed up at a special little event to pick up my new ride. It’s a smooth riding Jamis Citizen in a light frosty purple. I can’t say enough how much I love Jamis Bikes. What a great company to be doing this for people!

We’re now overloaded with bikes! Between my husband’s two (and he has a third in pieces he hasn’t put back together yet) and now my four, the apartment is getting pretty packed. We’re going to sell the one he built for me, might as well right. but that still leaves us with five bikes between two people (I can’t wait until the little one can ride and we have to add another one). It’s a good thing we’ve got a decent sized basement and a great, understanding landlord.

Yes, I’m a bit behind on this post, but we’re well on our way to having this wee one at this point. Almost a month ago exactly we had our 20 week check up which includes a surprisingly long ultrasound while they examine the little bot to make sure all is well and, if you want to find out, what exactly you’re going to have. Turns out, we’re having a girl and we couldn’t be more excited!

Bob909 is breathing deep sighs of relief believing (erroneously) that a little girl couldn’t possibly get into as much trouble as he did as a child. He’s hoping she takes more after me in that sense. He’s also planning to ground her starting when she’s able to crawl until he dies, or she’s at least turned 35. An arbitrary number but hopefully she’ll be well prepared with future super space technology so she doesn’t have to worry about smarmy boys trying to hit on her.

We have chosen the name, and those close to us know it, but we’ll be holding that information from the internet at large until she makes her debut. I can say, I’m in love with the name and knew it was the one the minute Bob909 suggested it… that was well before we knew what we were having and the only name that ever seemed would be right.

Now, later today, I’m off to my 24 week visit. I think it’s just a short hello while they check the heartbeat and ask if I have any questions which oddly I don’t really have much of, unless they have a magic cure-all for the annoying ache I’ve had in one area of back muscle for the last two weeks. Maybe what I really need is a massage… ahh yes, a massage would be very nice.