New Blog

Hey everyone! I thought it might be a good idea to set up a blog so Ben, Jessi, Mom and I can keep people up-to-date during the labor and delivery.

birthofabelli(dot)blogspot(dot)com

The hospital where I will deliver has wireless internet in the room, so we'll be able to let everyone know the progress of labor and delivery. Don't worry, I won't include the gross stuff.

More About Me

Got this from Shennie, thought I'd blog it rather than forward it.

(x) Gone on a blind date
(x) Skipped school
(x) Watched someone die
(x) Been to Canada
(X) Been to Mexico
(x) Been to Florida
(x) Been on a plane
(x) Been lost
(x) Been on the opposite side of the country

(x) Gone to Washington , DC
(x) Swam in the ocean
(x) Cried yourself to sleep
() Played cops and robbers
(X) Recently colored with crayons
(x) Sang Karaoke
() Paid for a meal with coins only?
(x) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't?
(x) Made prank phone calls
(x) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(x) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
(x) Danced in the rain
(x) Written a letter to Santa Claus
(X) Been kissed under the mistletoe
() Watched the sunrise with someone you care about
(x) Blown bubbles
(x) Gone ice-skating
(X)Been skinny dipping outdoors
(x) Gone to the movies


1. Any nicknames? Jennie, JJ, HoneyBunchesofOats

2. Mother's name? Susan

3. Favorite drink? champagne punch

4. Any Tattoo's? yes

5. Body piercings? pierced ears

6. How much do you love your job? Love it lots, will miss it
8. Favorite vacation spot? cruise ship

9. Ever been to Africa ? nope

10. Ever eaten cookies for dinner? don't think so, but cereal is a popular non-traditional dinner choice for me

11. Been on TV? yes, I was interviewed by the local news anchor about a shuttle launch

2. Ever steal any traffic sign? no

13. Ever been in a car accident? yes

14. Drive a 2-door or 4-door vehicle? 4 door

15. Favorite salad dressing? depends on my mood

16. Favorite Pie- blueberry with chocolate ice cream

17. Favorite number? 8

18. Favorite movie? Labyrinth

19. Favorite holiday? Christmas

20. Favorite dessert? Chocolate cake with chocolate icing

21. Favorite food? lobster

22. Favorite day of the week? Saturday

23. Favorite brand of body wash? Suave

24. Favorite toothpaste? Colgate Total Paste

25. Favorite smell? my husband (although soon my answer will include my baby)

26. What do you do to relax? Knit

27. How do you see your self in 10 years? Mother of two, happily married to the best husband in the world, working part time

28. How many siblings do you have? 2 sisters, 1 brother

29. Furthest place you will send this message? all over the world!! Hahahaha

30. Who will respond to this the fastest? No idea, since anyone will be able to read it... although, I bet only people I know will read it

Baby Bump Update

This is me 8 days ago at my baby shower (I was 34 1/2 weeks):

And here's me and my cute hubby:

I just realized that Ben and I both are wearing green shirts...we didn't plan it that way, I swear!

Baby Shower

Last Friday night, my sister and mother held a baby shower for me and Ben. It was a big party, with both men and women invited. I'm sure the guys could've cared less to be there during the whole gift opening part (all the ooh'ing and aah'ing over tiny little clothes and Diaper Genies usually isn't a guy thing...), but I know we all had a great time enjoying good food and good company.

My sister also surprised me and my mother with a very special guest... wait for it.... Aunt Sher! Ben got video of me and my mom seeing her, and when he gets it off the memory card and onto a computer, I'll try and post it here. It's hilarious to see my mom's reaction. The only other time I've seen her like that was when I told her I was pregnant!

When we showed my dad the video (he wasn't there when Sher showed up), he asked mom why he never got a welcome home like that... all happy screaming and tears and stuff. It was funny.

My sister also took a ton of pictures with her cool new camera, and maybe she'll be nice and share some good pics with me so I can post them... hint hint.

To those of you who were at this shower, I want to thank you again for being there and for your generosity. Ben and I are so lucky to have such wonderful friends and family who share like you do. I just hope that we are able to return the favor when you need us to. Thanks. (The notes will be mailed out this weekend... hopefully...)

Initial Scattergories

The purpose of this little game is to use your first initial to come up with answers to the following prompts:

1. What is your name: Jennie

2. Four letter word: June

3. Girl's name: Jennifer

4. City: Juno, Alaska

5. Boy's Name: John

6. Beverage: Java

7. Occupation: janitor

8. Something you wear: jewelry

9. Celebrity: Jennifer Aniston

10. Food: Jell-o

11. Something in a bathroom: jacuzzi tub (I don't have oned, but it says "a bathroom")

12. Reason for being late: just couldn't wake up

13. Cartoon Character: Jabberjaw

14. Something you shout: Jesus H. Christ (I don't yell that, but I know others who do)

15. Animal: jellyfish

16. Something you do: jump rope

17. Word to describe you: jolie (French for "pretty") I swear I'm not conceited but I couldn't think of anything else...

Cribs and Hiccups

First of all, it's 7:45 on Monday morning, and the baby has hiccups. It's too cute. I can feel these regular little spasms from her, and I think she's starting to get frustrated (more body movements now). She's been hiccuping for about two minutes. Poor thing.

This weekend, Ben, Jessi, Craig and I worked on the baby nursery. (On Thursday, our friend, Matt, helped us to pick up the crib and changing table and get it home. Thank goodness he helped us because neither piece fit in our car.) Jessi and Craig came over Saturday afternoon and helped us to put up the border. It wasn't as hard as we thought it might be, but the directions to put it up weren't exactly the best. I kind of wish they had included pictures or listed a website with an instructional video... oh well, we got it done and it looks so cute! I'll post pictures later.

Yesterday, Ben and I decided to put together the crib. We figured it might take us 30 to 60 minutes. Well, fifteen minutes into it, we realize one of the pieces is improperly drilled. So I call Babies R Us, and they have to order us the part. They don't have any in stock. Grrr. So now we wait.

Luckily, I have all of next week off, so maybe I'll be able to do more to get the nursery set up during that time.

P.S. The hiccups have stopped. I think she's going back to sleep now. Hee hee.

Gestational Diabetes

On my birthday, I talked with a nurse from my doctor's office, and she told me that I have gestational diabetes. This is a condition in which the mother's body doesn't process glucose (sugars) as well as when she wasn't pregnant. The condition generally disappears after the baby is born, but can mean that the mother is prone to getting diabetes later in life if she's not careful with her diet and exercise.

While diabetes is very serious, as long as gestational diabetes is treated with at least a healthy, restrictive diet, leaving out refined sugars and carbohydrates, the only effect on the pregnancy is a slightly larger baaby. If diabetes is not controlled, the baby can get large enough to warrant a C-section (which I am trying like heck to avoid) or could even kill mom or baby (if she's got a really serious case of it).

So I saw my doctor a few days later (last Thursday), and he tells me that no, I'm not diabetic, but pre-diabetic. He still wants me to eat as though I have diabetes to prevent it from becoming a reality in the next nine weeks or so until the baby is born. So today I have an appointment with a dietician (sp?) to learn how to eat with a pre-diabetic condition.

I find all this mildly amusing since I tend to be closer to hypoglycemic when I'm not pregnant. In other words, if I don't eat regularly, keeping my blood sugar steady, I tend to get dizzy, nauseous, and cranky. Diabetes is completely the opposite, it's hyperglycemic. Ha. How weird the human body can be!

Birthday Stuff

Hello all! Last week was my 31st birthday. Hard to believe that I'm 31, I certainly don't feel that "old." For the most part, I had a great birthday. One of my coworkers made cookies for me and brought in a bouquet of flowers from her flower garden at home. The flowers were pretty (should've taken a pic...sorry). I didn't eat any of the cookies though, because I was told by my doctor's nurse that I had gestational diabetes. FYI, gestational diabetes is just like type II diabetes, but you tend to only have it while pregnant. Rather than take the chance on having a large baby (hello, this kid is already 30% larger than other kiddos her age, I certainly don't want her to be any bigger than that), I am attempting to avoid refined sugars and carbohydrates.



Then, the day after my birthday, another co-worker (unaware of my "diabetic" status), made me an awesome cake. Here it is:

For those of you who are looking at that cake thinking, "what in goodness name is that?" That is a stargate. My husband, friends and most of my family watch a TV show called "Stargate SG-1" and/or it's spin-off "Stargate: Atlantis." In the show, a stargate moves people from world to world using a wormhole through space, no spaceship needed. My co-worker even went online and found pictures of stargates so she could make it as accurately as possible. Not only does it look good, it tasted good, too! I had one small sliver so I wouldn't hurt her feelings, pluse it's much harder for me to turn down cake than cookies.

So, just wanted to share that neat little picture with you all.

Baby Nursery Part One

Well, we finally got off our buttinskis (as my dad would say) and cleared out the baby's room so my sister can paint tomorrow. We actually took the time to do this yesterday. And finally I remembered to take some pictures for you all to see! You should have seen the look on Ben's face when I said I needed to take pictures... he's so used to me not taking pics for the blog that he didn't consider that I would want to take some before and after pics. LOL

Stuff in front of the closet in the nursery (including the purchased paint & border! Yay!)

Stuff in front of the window in the nursery (including more baby booty since June!)

Hmm, who used to rule this room? Could it be our evil, anti-social kitty?

Clean room, clean floor!


Everything out but for the paint and a piece of heirloom furniture

Note the paint color and style currently in the room (see below). As cute as it is, it just won't work for us. First of all, we're having a girl. Not that girls can't like blue or fish-tailed airplanes, but we'd like a room that is a little more gender neutral for when baby number two comes along in a couple of years. So we've gone with a Winnie the Pooh theme for the nursery (Soft & Fuzzy Pooh theme available at Babies R Us).

Stay tuned for the updates on the baby nursery!

Gestational Diabetes

I don't think that I've got it, but my initial screening test last week resulted in being close to the suspicious range. So this morning, I had to do the three hour follow-up test.

Here's how the test goes (sorry to those who are slightly squeamish):
I have to fast (not eat) for 8 to 12 hours before the test
I get to the lab and they draw blood for a baseline blood glucose level
I drink 10 ounces of lemon-lime flavored sugar syrup (it tastes like Sprite or 7-Up with carbonation) within five minutes
For the next three hours, I get my blood drawn every hour on the hour

In the past, I've had issues with having my blood drawn. Not because I'm squeamish and hate having my blood drawn, but I think it's because my body keeps the lowest level of blood necessary to keep me conscious. Any loss of blood, and I'm fading to black. And now, I've got low blood sugar because I've been fasting and they are taking blood like it's going out of style? It's a miracle that I didn't pass out today.

Hopefully, my results from this test will show that I do not have gestational diabetes. I really don't want to have to deal with that. That would bite. To have an uneventful pregnancy up to now and then to get diagnosed with that?

26 weeks

Now I'm actually pushing the 28 week marker, but my sister took a picture of my baby bump at 26 weeks, so here it is:

That's my friend Karl giving Becca the bunny ears.

Since then, I've had to get a maternity support brace for my back because my belly's getting so big. Putting this thing on is like strapping in for a parachute jump!

Ben has been feeling the baby move now for about a week. She kicks and punches and he always seems amazed at how hard she's doing it. I keep telling him, it's always felt like this, there's just less cushion between her and the outside world now!

BTW, I'm experiencing fewer of the contractions lately. Who knows why, but they just seem to happen less. Everything else is going well, though.

44 Things

OK, so I've been e-mail tagged on this one like ten times in the past two weeks.

1. Do you like blue cheese? Yes (but haven't had any since February)

2. Have you ever smoked? Yes, briefly in college I lost my mind and inhaled smoke into my lungs

3. Do you own a gun? Technically, yes, my husband and I own some guns

4. What flavor Kool-Aid was your favorite? cherry

5. Do you get nervous before doctors appointments? Nope

6. What do you think of hot dogs? I don't think of them often... but they generally taste good with Boston Baked Beans

7. What is your favorite Christmas movie? The Grinch Who Stole Christmas (cartoon version)

8. What do you prefer to drink in the morning? non-pregnant - coffee with loads of cream and sugar, pregnant - apple juice washes down the ginormous prenatal vitamin pretty well

9. Can you do push ups? I think I can do one traditional push-up, five "girly" push-ups

10. What's your favorite piece of jewelry? my wedding ring set (hubby did a great job picking it out!)

11. Favorite hobby? reading, singing (they are tied)

12. Do you have A.D.D.? yes, I was diagnosed at 23, medications don't work for me though, what was the question?

13. What's one trait you hate about yourself? I tend to be lazy

14. Middle name? McCarthy

15. Name 3 thoughts at this exact moment? my back hurts, what colors will my sister and I pick out for the baby's room, wonder what the baby will look like?

16. Name 3 drinks you regularly drink? apple juice, water, sprite/7-up

17. Current worry? Am I doing everything I can to make sure this baby will be healthy and happy?

18. Current Hate right now? Hate's a strong word... although I do often say "I hate stupid people!!"

19. Favorite place to be? On a cruise

20. How did you bring in the New Year? with family and friends

21. Where would you like to go? Scotland, Ireland, France

22. Name three people who will complete this? I tag anyone who reads this.

23. Do you own slippers? Yes

24. What color shirt are you wearing right now? White

25. Do you like sleeping on satin sheets? never have

26.. Can you whistle? yup, not very good at it though

27. Favorite color? blue

28. Would you be a pirate? I'd be a space pirate! Arrrr, beam me yur booty!

29. What songs do you sing in the shower? whatever is playing on my mp3 player

30. Favorite girls name? Rebecca

31. Favorite boy's name? William Henry

32. What's in your pocket right now? nothing

33. Last thing that made you laugh? Bobbie, our receptionist

34 Best bed sheets as a child? I had Rainbow Brite sheets

35. Worst injury you've ever had? broken thumb and tooth (from a bus accident as a kid)

36. Do you love where you live? YES

37. How many TV's do you have in your house? 5 (but only three are used on a regular basis)

38. Who is your loudest friend? Karl and Ben are tied (I can always find them at the store, especially if they're talking to one another) :)

39. How many dogs do you have? 0

40. Does someone have a crush on you? Not that I know of

41. What is your favorite book? "Where the Red Fern Grows"

42. What is your favorite candy? Depends on my mood... sometimes I like licorice, sometimes I want chocolate, so I'd say Good-n-Plenty, Snickers, Charleston Chew

43. Favorite Sports Team? St. Louis Rams

44. What song do you want played at your funeral? Amazing Grace- on the bagpipes

No this isn't a baby bump post, but I'll get a pic up soon, I swear!

25th week

I am sorry that it's been so long since I've posted, but life has been insane at work (camp, training on a new mission scenario, training new staff, etc.) so that means I come home at night and basically drop. I still fall asleep after work a couple times a week, but it's not as bad as it was.

No new picture tonight, Ben is out bowling and I'll be asleep by the time he gets home. I will try and post a new pic by the end of the week, though.

I do have a new update on pregnancy stuff, though. I have been experiencing Braxton-Hicks contractions periodically. Braxton-Hicks are contractions that go throughout a woman's pregnancy prepping her muscles for birth. The contractions don't hurt, it just gets kinda tight in my lower abdomen area. I tend to get them when I push myself too hard, so I've been trying to take it easy and that seems to help.

Baby Girl B. is kicking and punching much more regularly now. Anytime I'm seated or laying down for a few minutes or more, she begins her routine. *Punch Mommy here, kick Mommy there, another kick here for good measure...*

It's only going to be a couple more weeks before other people will be able to feel the movements. My doc says it'll happen around 30 weeks, but these kicks and movements are getting strong enough that if I watch my belly for a while, I can see them happening. So, I think Ben will be feeling her move very soon. Most nights, I keep taking his hand and putting it on my belly to see if he feels anything, but he never does. It amazes me cuz it feels like his daughter is just tearing it up in there. Like the ultrasound tech said, she's either going to be a volleyball player (because of her height and constant motion) or a soccer player.

Poor Kitty

Our poor Kitty (Shennie, I know that you don't and won't feel that way, but I do). She's slowly being kicked out of "her" room. When we bought the house, we knew that we'd have to move the cat out of the room we put her stuff in once we had a baby. So now we've begun the process by moving her food dish and water fountain out to the kitchen. She knows where it is, and seems to be adjusting OK, but today when Ben and I got home, we found that Kitty had up-chucked in three separate places; living room, kitchen and in her old room. No hairball, she just outright puked. We think it might be related to the fact that things are changing around here.

Moving on....

Today was the last day for my co-worker, Missy. She was SUCH fun to work with. She has a really funny sense of humor and always found the funniest part of any and all situations. She was a great confidant for me to vent about work related stuff (in other words, my interactions with my boss... which is a whole other blog for somewhere down the road, that's for sure!). Missy will be severely missed by me.

I am happy about the gal who's filling Missy's position, though. She seems like a very sweet, nice, fun gal. We're about the same age, so I'm hoping that we'll have some in common. Although, so far it appears that she as more in common with my boss, which could mean that I might feel slightly alienated, as my boss has a tendency to talk with anyone but me while at work. But I digress... I look forward to getting to know my new co-worker.

Moving on again...

Our basement got water damage AGAIN. The second time in a month or so. Grrr. This time, my brother-in-law came out to install an outlet on the outside of our house so we can get a sump pump installed in our basement window well. We strongly believe that the window well is the source of the leak when it rains heavily. Hopefully, the sump pump will make a difference.

It's a GIRL!!

Or at least so says our ultrasound tech. We had our ultrasound on Monday, and the tech said the baby that I'm carrying is a girl. Yay! I would have happy either way, of course. And the best news from the ultrasound is that she's healthy. All her organs are there and appear to be developing normally. Phew.

Although the tech did give us some interesting news that I wasn't necessarily expecting... we're going to have a very long baby. And she's bigger than other babies at the same stage of development. By about 30%! She didn't give us a length measurement, but did say she's taller than other babies at 20 weeks of development. She did give us a weight estimate, though. She said that the baby is about 12 ounces. Other babies at this same point in development are about 9 ounces.

Now, I should say, I'm not surprised that I'm going to have a big baby. Hello! I'm not small and neither is Ben. I just was surprised that the tech could predict those things this early!

During the actual ultrasound, I got glimpses of what she looks like, and she reminds me of her cousin Madison. I think that she's going to look a lot like Ben's side of the family, which is not bad. His family is good looking! And all of our nieces and nephews are cute, so I'm not at all upset that our baby will be following that trend! I am slightly biased, though.

Komen Race for the Cure 2008

I participated in the Komen St. Louis race for the Cure again this year. But this year, I was walking with a more personal purpose! This January, my friend, Mellisa, was diagnosed with breast cancer. She recently completed her eight rounds of chemo, and she'll begin her radiation therapy any day now. I am so proud of her during this incredibly difficult time. She has maintained a very positive attitude and a good sense of humor throughout the process.

Here are some pictures from this year's "Race." (I didn't run... big surprise right?)

Me, Jill, Jessica (my sister), Lisa, Cynthia, Jenae, Karen, Brock (in a "Save the Ta-ta's"), and Brock's mom (can't remember her name)

Ben and me

The crowd ahead of us

The crowd behind us

My sign for Mellisa! It said "I race in celebration of Mellisa D. Mellisa: 8 rounds Chemo: 0"

You can't see my hat, but it said "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION." I know that Mellisa will appreciate that! ;)

Those of us in the green shirts were promoting vitamin D and the connection with breast cancer and cancers in general. My sister, her hubby and their co-worker Jill all wore signs that gave information about vitamin D. We even had a few women ask us about it! If you're curious about the links between low vitamin D and breast cancer, go see the Vitamin D Council website.

Satan Must Be Cold

NBC Nightly News just did a positive story on Iraq and all the good our soldiers are doing over there. I about crapped my pants.

Of course, though, since I'm trying to find the story to link it on the blog, I can't find it anywhere. What the heck??

The story ran under the line "Local Assist" on tonight's (6-9-2008) NBC Nightly News. If you find it, please let me know.

Cheap Baby Booty

Yesterday morning, my sister, Jessi, and I went garage sale hunting. A girl that works with Jessi and Ben was holding one at her house, and she informed Ben that she had a bunch of baby stuff for sale. So I decided to go check it out. I am SO glad I did! I got a Graco Eddie Bauer baby carrier, stroller and car seat base for $50! That stuff retails for about $200!!! I got a second car seat base for $15 (retail for $40), a Snugli (baby carrier) for $6, a sheepskin for $3, bunch of bottles and various nipple sizes for $7, a car window shade for $.50, baggie of baby spoons and medicine droppers for $2, a baby memory book for $.25, a brand new, totally unopened baby Boppy for $5 (retails for about $35!!), a couple of traveling formula containers for about $2 total, and a baby carrier cover (for winter time) for $1! In all, I saved about $300 and the environment! Yay!

Then we found another garage sale where they were selling a wooden cradle, in perfect condition, for $25. It's so cute! The gal had two little girls that she had helping her with the sale, and they were kind of sad to see it go; they enjoyed letting their dollies "sleep" in it. So I thanked them for letting my baby use it. That made them happy to know that another baby would love this cradle as much as they did.

So anyone interested in saving a little money when starting a family, go garage sale hunting!

Here's some pictures off all my baby booty:

Folded stroller, baby carrier and stacked car seat bases (from left to right)

Baby Boppy, Snugli (green), Sheepskin, car window shade, carrier cover (forest green), pink cereal container, blue formula container, multicolored spoons and medicine droppers, two bags of bottles and one bag of nipples of various sizes

Cradle with booty inside (to keep the cat from jumping in)

Tickled!

I'm tickled because I just finished my very first stamping project that I designed and created all by myself with all my own supplies. Check it out:

Card Front (rub-on flowers colored by ink marker)

Card Insert (Flower rub-on and "Sweet little one" stamp)

Card pieces side by side

Back signed by me!

Dumb Rain

Today there was some serious downpouring here in the St. Louis area. Which has unfortunately led to a leak in our basement. Grrr. So Ben is now downstairs using the ShopVac to suck up as much water as possible. Last he checked, the tank had about two to three inches of water. The diameter of the tank is about 15 inches. I can't believe that there is that much water in the basement.

Crap. And it's supposed to rain more tomorrow. Dumb.