Quick Takes for Saturday

Well, I didn't quite get around to posting my Quick Takes on time yesterday, so here I am a day late.

1. We got 8 inches of snow yesterday!  It was our first big snowfall of the season and now it looks like a winter wonderland outside.  I do admit the sights are beautiful, but I'm so scared of slipping and falling on the ice this winter.  I walk up a humungous hill to work (gaining 300+ feet) and it can be absolutely treacherous walking down the stairs or rampway after work.  I did buy these trekker things that slip on the bottom of my shoes, so we will see if they help.

2. I did my first ever Neti-pot a few nights ago. DH swears by this, and I've just always thought it was weird.  But winter germs and pregnancy have given me major nasal congestion, and I'm trying to stay away from OTC meds as much as possible, so I finally relented.  I got my own Netipot and gave it a whirl.  It actually wasn't too bad after I got over the initial weird sensations, and I do think it definitely helped clear me out.  Guess I have a new BFF for this winter!

3. I had another OB appointment yesterday and it was the first time we didn't do an ultrasound, which was sad.  I was hoping to see our little Biscuit since I'm still struggling with not feeling pregnant and not feeling as if the pregnancy is real (weird...I know).  We did hear the heartbeat at 150 bpm, so that was good.  I sure miss my Napro Dr. though and the 45 minutes I get with him.  10 minutes with an OB just doesn't cut it for me.  All she did was check the heartbeat and feel my uterus below my belly-button.  I asked a few questions and then I was done.  No urine sample, no blood work, etc.  It is so strange.  Next appointment in 4 weeks is the big u/s reveal if we decide to find out the sex!

4. We attended a fundraiser dinner and auction for our church last night.  We bid on a few items, but the one I really wanted went for too high a price.  It was a scenic flight for 3 people over our beautiful valley with one of the husbands of a church member as the pilot.  How cool would that be to fly over our beautiful mountains?  I've flown over them before in a commercial flight on my way back from MN, but it's not the same because I was so much higher up.  This flight would be closer to the mountains and would make for some great pictures.  We were outbid by a guy who came over afterwards and asked DH and I if we would like to join him on his flight!!  I was ecstatic.  I couldn't believe it.  We get to go with him for free?!? Hopefully, we will get the chance to join him before the baby comes and while I'm still feeling well.  The bidder wants to go in the spring, so we will see where I am at.  At least DH could go with.

5. My mother is already starting to be a pain.  DH and I knew the next battle we would have to fight with her would be when we got pregnant, but I guess I just wasn't expecting it so soon.  I have had no contact with my mom this whole past month since we sent pregnancy announcement cards home.  Zero, zip, zilch contact.  She recently sent a card to my MIL (DH's mom) saying they needed to coordinate baby gifts for us and my mom was planning on buying x, y, and z for us and she thought MIL should buy a, b, and c.  The nerve, huh?  My MIL doesn't realize how mentally unhealthy my mom is, so she didn't know what to do or say.  Once DH told me this story, I immediately called home to talk with mom.  She wasn't home, of course, but I talked to dad and told him what was going on.  Why does my mother think she needs to be the one to coordinate our gifts?  I told dad that mom needed to coordinate with us- the parents- and perhaps we already had some of the items she was thinking of buying.  This is a control issue for mom as well as a way for her to show-off how much money she makes and how she can afford so much more than others.  (DH's family isn't at the same income-level as my parents.)  She just makes my blood boil- ugh!

6.  I think I am finally ready to start writing in our baby book.  I haven't started because I haven't wanted to experience the pain of let down again.  Now that we are at 15 1/2 weeks, we have successfully made it out of the 1st trimester.  I think I am finally ready to start writing letters and thoughts to our baby in his/her baby book.  I have been keeping a pregnancy journal somewhat during this time with my thoughts and fears and dialogues with God, but I've only written in it about once a week or so.  I think it's time to let my emotions go deeper, but it still scares me.

7. I also think it's time to make the pregnancy announcement on Facebook.  We've told quite a number of people now (close family and friends, church friends, my co-workers, etc.) that some have started writing on our wall about the news.  I've caught all of them quickly and deleted the baby references, but I think we need to make an announcement, so I don't have to worry about checking my wall posts to delete them.  I've been thinking and praying of how to do this.  I still feel the pain when someone makes a pregnancy announcement and want to be sensitive to those waiting.  Most casual FB friends don't know about our IF struggle or previous miscarriages.  I also want to acknowledge God's amazing work in this pregnancy and our lives as well.

I've been thinking of something like, "Thanks be to God that He has finally seen us through the 1st trimester with a pregnancy.  Join us in rejoicing and praying that this is the baby we get to meet early May 2012.  We are trusting in His perfect timing."

What do you think?  Changes I should make?  Things to delete or add?  Too much of a downer with the 2nd sentence?  I'm probably over-analyzing it, but I want those few sentences to encompass so many different emotions and experiences.