Pregnancy Paranoia

I have often been accused of being over-analytical, researching too much, and trying to hard to understand EVERYTHING in detail. These things are very true about me. I really like to know what's going on in any situation and this has been especially true during my pregnancy. Sometimes I read to the point where I get upset. Example:

I frequent some community forums on the website TheBump.com. I like to read what other mothers who are due in June are experiencing. Lately--aside from everyone BUT ME finding out the gender of their baby--all of these women are talking about how often they feel their baby and how even their husbands are feeling the kicking and punching movements. Remember, these women are all on similar timing as me. I have yet to feel anything. UGH! I've felt the baby sloshing around in their sometimes, mostly when I'm exercising, but every night in bed I sit really still hoping to feel my little baby kick me in the gut. I know the baby is healthy, I just had an appointment this week and the heartbeat was strong and the little bugger even punched the doppler! I'm just getting a little sad that I can't feel it move in there. I know later on I'll wish I couldn't feel it sometimes, but right now I would give anything to feel it!

Part of the problem is that I have no idea what it feels like. I'm sure that I've felt the baby tons of times but I don't know how to recognize it. Tony tries to feel it move, too. It seems like every night we spend at least 30 minutes with his hand pressing on my belly to try to feel ANYTHING from this kid. Tony, learning that baby can now hear us, even tried singing songs to it last night to encourage it to move around. Nothing happens. It's kind of frustrating to know that all of these people are feeling their babies on a daily basis and some of them are not as far along as me.

I know this is totally normal, but I just needed a place to vent (whine). Thanks for listening :) I'll let you all know when I feel this kid moving around!

Baby on the Brain

I've been pretty crummy at updating this blog during my pregnancy, (let's face it, I've been slacking for a while now) and I know some of you might be interested in how things are going so I'll give you a few of the latest newsworthy happenings.

• I've had three doctor's appointments so far. At each of them the baby has done something funny to entertain everyone involved. At one, the baby moved around so much they couldn't get a heart rate reading for a while. At the one today, it totally punched the doppler. As active as this kid is this early on, I am confident it gets its energy levels from Tony. It's been perfectly healthy each time, and we're really grateful for that.
  
• Even though we have an active little fetus I haven't felt much of anything from him/her. A couple times I've felt what I thought was the baby, but since this is my first I have no idea what to expect in this department. Everyone talks about "flutters" but I don't know what that means! I can definitely tell there's a baby in there, but it's not quite beating me up yet.
  
• Yes, fetus is still an "it." Until two weeks from Friday! We are going in on January 28th for the full anatomy scan and we'll find out what we're having. We have our feelings as to what it is, but we're trying not to dwell on them because we don't want to think we're having one thing and then have to "get used" to the idea of the other. :) We will be taking wagers and guesses. Winners get...bragging rights.
• I have been taking belly shots, but I can't find my camera right now to upload them. I will post some pictures of my ever-growing gut when I can locate my camera.
• I haven't really craved anything strange, but I have been eating like a teenage boy. No amount of food can satisfy me. What's great about it is that I'm not gaining excessive weight! I wish it could always be like this...
• I've been exercising more, and it feels amazing. I am still a little lazier than I'd like to be. I only do a solid workout once or twice a week, but I walk a lot for my job and I typically count that. I also count trips to the grocery store. That's hard work as a pregnant lady!
  
• Tony just informed me that he has found the basketball hoop he wants to get our infant child. This is a very important purchase for him (I think mostly because he'll play on it just as much as our kid) and I'm glad that he's found "the one." I think it's super cute that he gets excited for buying the baby things, even if its sports equipment. Here's the winner:

It's a Huffy One on One, and it's really similar in height to the fisher price hoops but it's obviously much cooler. Only the best for our baby! I'm sure I will get to experience a lot of games on this hoop, haha!

There hasn't been much going on in our lives besides working and me being pregnant. It's been so fun looking at baby things at the stores. Even the bottles are so fun to look at! While I can't wait to hold and show off my cute little baby, I'm trying to enjoy being pregnant--especially how portable the baby is! It's really fun, even if I am getting fatter :)

The Tony Awards

I just have to say that Tony has been stellar during my pregnancy! He helped me through some morning sickness, checks on me frequently throughout the day, and tries his best to make the food that sounds good to me. I've told him not to give me EVERYTHING I'm craving, because I'll surely get fat if he does that. He's just been really supportive and interested in the pregnancy. He could probably tell you more about what goes on inside me than I could!

Here's the kicker for me:

I have been wanting a piece of pie tonight, and he just told me he is willing to take me to Village Inn at 11pm to get me a slice of pie. What a man!

It's not just about food, though, Tony is an all around supportive, loving, and caring husband when it comes to my comfort and health during the pregnancy. He even let me cry it out when I freaked out about my pants not fitting anymore. As irrational as I was being, he hugged me and told me it was okay and that I was still beautiful. What patience!

I just needed to brag about Tony because he's been more than I could have asked for during my pregnancy. Plus, I'm really excited that we're going to get pie!

Thanksgiving Trip

I am currently blogging while flying back home from Indiana! During the "holidays" Delta is offering free on-board WiFi, and it's making this 3 hour flight (which we were just informed is delayed coming into SLC) much more tolerable.

Tony and I decided to visit my family for Thanksgiving this year, since it's the Andersons' turn for Christmas anyway. Tony had never experienced a Grandma Grey Thanksgiving, and I really believe everyone needs to have one of those. :) Thanksgiving day was really fun. I was really happy to see all of my family. There was the traditional Bingo game at my grandma grey's (which lost Tony and I five bucks!) and everything seemed to be just how it was when I left it. It was really nice, and the food was spectacular on all accounts.

Friday morning after Thanksgiving is traditionally Black Friday shopping for all of the girls on my mom's side of the family. This includes everyone from Grandma to Aunts and cousins. This year, however, my grandma couldn't make Black Friday because she was visiting my uncle who was just diagnosed with stomach cancer. My family had our own little Black Friday adventure--Tony's first one!--and it was really fun. I was so tired afterward, but it was worth it! We didn't buy a ton of stuff or get up at 2am for any "steals", we just like the tradition of going and being together as a family. Later that day, we all took a nap then headed downtown to see the Circle Tree lighting and a really good Pacers game!

At the lighting ceremony--it was COLD!

Saturday was just a day to relax. I was starting to feel sick and I think everyone was a bit tuckered out from all of the exciting days we were having. It was nice to lounge around, watch the BYU v. U game, and go to my favorite pizza place, Chicagos!

It seemed like the weekend FLEW by, but I'm glad we spent Thanksgiving with my family. They're pretty cool cats.







Oh! P.S. While I was there, I was able to announce to my family some really wonderful news!

There's a baby on it's way! I'm due June 16th, and we couldn't be more excited!

Counting Many Blessings on My Day Off

I am feeling really lucky today.  I'm so proud of my accomplishments, and Tony's accomplishments as well. 

First off, I'm lucky to not have to work Mondays!  I have been feeling under-the-weather lately and it was so nice to be able to sleep in and just relax today.

I got to relax in my house, which I'm so grateful to have. With hard work and help from our amazing agent, we found a wonderful little house that's all ours!  If you're looking to buy in Utah, you need to use our agent.  She is so wonderful, very honest, and would do anything to help her clients!

Tony got a new job last week.  It's for an internet marketing company for more pay, and they pay 100% of our insurance.  It will be a wonderful, new environment for him to be a part of and there is a lot of room for potential growth.  (And I also heard they throw some pretty killer Christmas parties.)  I'm so grateful for Tony!!  He's such a hard worker, and the smartest guy I know.  He is ambitious, which is why he got this new job.  He wants to learn from his job, not just rake in the money for minimal work.

I'm grateful I'm healthy.  I know I said I've been feeling a little sick, but I am still healthy.  I recently had some blood work done at a checkup, and I just got a call from the doctor today delivering some good news and positive results about my lab tests.

I'm not sure what sparked this grateful attitude in me today, but I really enjoy it.  It's sometimes hard to see all the things you are lucky to have.  I'm going to try to blog more.  It's been hard when I feel so tired from feeling gross.  I have a feeling I will have a lot to blog about soon, as we enter a new phase of life.

New Programs to Help the Orphans

As most of you already know, I currently work for an organization that is near and dear to my heart called One Heart Bulgaria.  This organization works to help orphans in Bulgaria have a better life by sending over needed supplies and sending over interns to help these little children feel loved.  I work as the internship director.  I help volunteers make necessary arrangements to travel and work in Bulgarian orphanages, as I did 2 years ago.  You can read my blog posts from my wonderful experience here, here, here, and here

I am excited to announce that we are starting a new program within the internship program that makes it easier to volunteer in Bulgaria if you don't know the language. We are going to have "sessions" so that a group will all go over together (safety in numbers!), and you are guaranteed to have an interpreter come with you. Interested? Yes you are. Know someone who is interested? Sure you do! Email me or comment for more details!

We are currently accepting interns for the summer 2011 session.  Applying now gives you PLENTY of time to acquire the funds needed for travel, and if you speak the language, possible scholarship opportunities are available to help lessen the cost.  As the internship director, I will also provide ideas on how to raise money for your internship and for the children you'll be working with.  Please don't hesitate to contact me!

hollie dot anderson at oneheart-bg dot org

Girls Night

Since moving to Utah, I've struggled to find super close friends.  I've had some off and on, but as time goes by they move away.  Understandable, as they have their own lives and families.  I still keep in touch with them through facebook and other means, but as you probably know, it's not like having friends here.

Last night I went out with a group of girls and it was a BLAST.  I've never had so much fun!  We took a trip down to SLC for some good times and some good pizza!  One if them is the wife of one of Tony's mission acquaintances that we just randomly ran into through common interest.  I'm so glad I finally found some girlfriends to hang out with in Utah.  I love Tony, and he is of course my best friend, but every girl needs some straight up girl time now and then.  It's been a terrific weekend!