The Third Trimester

Baby Girl Bell rolled into the third trimester without any difficulties. She seemed to be as active as ever. I wondered if she ever slept and thought that maybe she would trump the rest of the family and be one who can be energetic with very little sleep. I, on the other hand, was not getting enough rest. Late nights and 3 am potty calls had me pretty groggy and slow moving when the morning arrived. And for some reason afternoon naps still seemed to evade me. Some of the typical ailments associated with later pregnancy started to make their appearance. I had increasing cases of reflux, though thankfully heartburn was only an occasional visitor. I was getting mild headaches that lasted through the day and even woke me up at night. One of the worst factors was trying to sleep at night when I had restless leg symptoms. That's enough to drive anyone batty.

Baby Girl Bell's movements became more slow and purposeful and less like an all-out attack on a punching bag - though that still happened on occasion. Chris was able to get some great daddy-daughter time as he felt the smooth movements of feet and arms slide across my belly. We weren't very good at discerning what body parts they really were, but we would make our best guess as to whether the hard round bump was the rear or the front end.

With Baby Girl Bell getting bigger sitting became more difficult. She would get nestled up in my ribs and after sitting for a while those ribs would start to ache. If I was sitting for any long period of time I would do my best to find a reclining position so Baby Girl Bell could have some more room. On Sundays, by the end of sacrament meeting I was eager to get up and elongate the torso. In our ward it seemed like half of the women had just had babies or were about to. When I looked around at some of my sisters-in-gestation I would realize that this discomfort was only going to get worse. Strangely enough, I was more than happy to have such ailments if it meant that my baby was growing healthy and strong.

I was surprised that those intense food craving everyone talks about were pretty few and far between. Occasionally I would have a late night urge for a McDonald's cheeseburger and fries. Not anything fancy, just the simple cheap-o cheeseburger would hit the spot. Even with Chris' disgust for such restaurants he was very supportive and would drive me to get my food. I didn't want to be unhealthy and got frustrated at the need to eat at unusual times, so eating bad food and eating late at night would trigger my pregnancy emotions. I would get a little weepy as we went through the drive-thru, or if I had to eat something from the fridge at 11pm just before going to bed.

My next doctors appointment was right on the 29 week mark. With Chris working downstairs he was able to find a space in his schedule to come and join me for the visit. I was again meeting with Doctor Jocson since my original physician was not in at this time, though I couldn't tell the difference between the two since they were both tiny and asian. I was asked the usual questions about alcohol and smoking use, exercise habits, and any concerns. The only thing I was really worried about is the 5 to 6 hours of sleep I was getting at night instead of the 8 to 9 I felt like I needed. I was told not to worry and given a few suggestions, but that if it became a real problem to where I was a complete insomniac I should let her know. My weight was 158 lbs and my fundal height measured right on at 29cm. We dopplered the babies heart and found a rate of 145 beats per minute. Right in the middle of the desired range. Chris was proud to tell me I was the most benign pregnant woman with all the numbers being right where they should be. I was a textbook pregnant lady. I told him that it kind of felt like getting an A on a test when I measured where expected. A week before my appointment I had taken the required glucose tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes. I had to drink a liquid that looked and tasted like orange tic-tacs in a lightly carbonated beverage form. I had to drink 100 ounces in 5 minutes while someone watched. The drink itself wasn't as bad as others had made it out to be. The only struggle is that I was getting brain freeze because the juice was so cold and was worried about the 5 minute limit. I was able to guzzle the beverage and then went and hung out with Chris and the other fellows in their clinic while I waited out the hour before going back to get my blood tested. Knowing my history with low blood sugar I wasn't surprised when my serum glucose level was well below the desired level (79mg/dl).

One of the side effects of pregnancy is to have vivid and strange dreams. I had always been one to remember my dreams and they pretty much always seemed a little crazy to me. I did have one dream, though, that made me wake up with an increased heart rate which I think was brought on by Baby Girl Bell's constant activity. I dreamt that I could see Baby Girl Bell pushing and rolling around my abdomen and it was causing blood vessels to stick out with a lot of bruising. While studying my discolored tummy Baby Girl Bell decided to be 'born' by coming out the right side of my abdomen and into my arms. She had produced an open wound that kept me from breast feeding on the right side and I was wandering around a hospital trying to find a way get my right side fixed. In various instances my family was around but were busy doing different things and couldn't help. Amidst all this weirdness I remember looking at Baby Girl Bell in my arms and loving her so much despite the strange circumstances. When I woke up I felt a little distressed as it was one of those dreams that felt a little too real. After talking to a friend she told me that she had a lot of dreams about her babies trying to 'escape' and her trying to keep them in a little longer because they weren't ready to come out. It was good to know I wasn't the only one.

A few weeks after the start of the third trimester we were headed to Utah to celebrate Christmas.We were looking forward to the change of scenery and spending time with family. The past month had been brutal as far as sleep was concerned. I would wake up for a 3:30 potty break and not be able to go back to sleep - at all. I was hoping that different surroundings would mix things up a bit and reset the sleep mode settings in my body to get me a full nights rest. However, after having a great sleep the night before we were leaving for Utah and then sleeping well again after being in Utah I realized my midnight wakings had very little to do with pregnancy and a lot to do with the stress of Christmas demands and an overactive brain.

The flight to Utah is short, but quickly got uncomfortable. Prior to our travel day I could tell that Baby Girl Bell was lying horizontal. Most movements were felt on the right or the left side of the abdomen. On the day we were flying out she decided to turn to a vertical position which makes sitting for a long period unusually difficult. Our seats on the plane where at the very back, which meant our seats didn't recline and we were forced to sit upright. I was able to get up and walk for a bit in the middle of the flight to stretch out the stomach and give my back a rest, but the extra 35 minutes on the tarmac once we arrived made my body ache. We had a lot more sitting to do that evening with car rides to and from my parents house, dinner at a restaurant, and a play my mom had bought tickets for. During the first half of the production I could swear Baby Girl Bell was tap dancing on my ribs. Intermission couldn't have come fast enough. After that she seemed to find that she was a little cramped and changed position enough to make sitting more easy on my body.

We were in Utah for 10 days and really enjoyed the time there. Christmas as wonderful. I had told my mom all I wanted for Christmas was baby stuff since everything seemed to be pretty expensive, but she knew we would be getting plenty of supplies with the upcoming showers she was throwing. I felt bad that neither Chris nor I had bought anything specific for our Baby Girl Bell so I made a fabric flower headband to give as her Christmas gift. On Christmas day at the Sonntag party it was announced that Jessica and Ezra were also expecting a baby to be due in August. It was definitely baby season for the Sonntag clan.

My mother was so wonderful and threw me an open house baby shower held at her house. She invited a bunch of people from her neighborhood, some friends of mine from Mountain Green, my highschool girlfriends, and a couple other random people who are close to me. We had yummy fruit and some delicious cinnamon rolls for treats. I had fun chatting with those that came and was very excited about all of the baby paraphernalia we got. Chris and I still hadn't bought any of the basics as we wanted to wait and see what other people gave us. Also, we figured that some people would know what we needed more than we did.

Chris was able to take advantage of some fresh snow and go skiing up at Snowbasin. I took the pregnant lady route and stayed at home, visited with friends, or went snowshoeing. It was tough not being able to ski, but not that difficult considering that what was to come was worth more than any day on a ski hill.

On New Years Day my mom and Jan had organized another baby shower, this time with all the girls in the family. All of the girls on Chris' side were invited as well, but we knew that no one would be able to make it to Utah for the shower. Chris' mom had intentions on flying in for the party, but due to circumstances was unable to make the trip. The whole Bell clan pitched in and got us a gift card that would cover the cost of the glider/rocker we were planning to purchase (an item all mothers seemed to note as a necessity). The shower was held at the horse property since everyone was already coming up for the traditional four-wheeling and sledding day. It was great having everyone together and there were some fun games played. One game was a memory-type challenge. A tray full of baby paraphernalia was passed around and then taken out of the room. Then, everyone had to try and remember everything that was on the tray. I wasn't even close to getting them right. Aunt Susan prepared another game that was pretty hilarious. She melted different candy bars in the bottoms of diapers and then mashed them up so it looked like poop. Using feel, smell, touch and taste (if you dared) everyone had to guess which candy bar was in which diaper. The candy bar poop looked grossly realistic and it was funny to see people with their noses in the diapers examining so closely. Believe it or not I got most of them right. I think it is due to my currently incredible sense of smell. Another activity that Susan pioneered was a trivia game about kids and pregnancies within our own family. She ask a question and we would all talk about the answer until the person that fit that question the best was apparent. That person won the prize. It was interesting to see how the had gone on within my own family. We were given lots of presents with even more necessary baby gear. One of my favorite gifts was a sweater Susan gave me. It was one I had when I was younger and my mom had given to Heidi as a hand-me-down, and now Susan was giving it back. It was still in great condition and is a one of a kind item. Grandma Sonntag had crocheted a cute sweater and made a blanket and burp cloths. My mom knew I had a thing for pink elephants since my favorite blanket growing up had a pink elephant on it, and she had made a blanket with adorable fabric and lots of little pink elephants. Chris and I were beginning to feel a little more prepared for the coming of Baby Girl Bell thanks to family and friends.

Though Utah was fabulous and we love seeing family and friends, and appreciated the snow for Christmastime, we were glad to get back into a routine once returning to California. Thankfully I was sleeping much better with only the occasional insomnia. The restless legs started becoming a regular sensation each night. Chris was the best husband in the world and would massage and squeeze my legs any time I asked. It made falling asleep so much easier when I wasn't fighting my own legs. I felt like Baby Girl Bell was growing exponentially and that each week my stomach was noticeably larger. She was still a very active girl, which I enjoyed and was glad for the reassurance. Around week 31 I noticed a thin line, slightly darker than my skin originating at my protruding belly button and running directly up and down. I thought that I had missed out on the Linea Nigra, also typical of pregnant women, but more so in darker skinned people. Though only slightly noticeable in appearance I was sure that it was to become larger and more prominent - not that it made any difference to me. It was just another part of the whole process.

As is typical with the third trimester I had increasing Braxton Hicks contractions. However, around week 32 those contractions became more of a regular happening than an occasional occurrence. Especially when exercising and being more active the uterus would tighten up into a ball. Sometimes the contractions would last for minutes and I would have to sit completely still before my uterus would relax. Simple movements such as sitting, standing or bending over would trigger contractions. I wasn't too worried about preterm labor since the contractions didn't hurt and weren't regular. However, they did seem to be coming on more than what I had heard was typical. I wrote my doctor and email trying as best as possible to describe my concerns in 1000 words or less.

Dr. Wang,I know that Braxton Hicks contractions will be increasing at this time. I have some concerns about how frequently and long mine are happening. In doing things that require active movement, my uterus will tighten up into a ball and will stay that way for up to 2 min or so and then will continue to contract intermittently until I sit completely still. I have been exercising regularly and have previously had occasional contractions, some short and some longer, lasting minutes, while exercising. However, the contractions may have occurred sporadically during exercise and then ceased once exercise was done, but now it seems my uterus is hypersensitive and once it's had a contraction it will easily contract again, sometimes just walking will trigger it. They aren't painful, regular, or increasing. I'm not concerned about preterm labor, I want to know if such contractions are detrimental to the fetus, and if I can continue to be active or if I should stop when contractions start. Thx

The response I received was minimal and was told I should go to Labor and Delivery if I was concerned. I sort of figured that would be my answer for anything concerning lots of contractions.

For Paige Austin Bell, I have a message from Dr. Wang And her exact words are. Message Yes, Pt to come to triage labor and delivery for evaluation Have monitors for baby and to check contractions and can see if dilated Office not able to monitor baby nor contractions Please have her come to labor and delivery if she continues to have pain that comes and goes

Labor and delivery is kind of like the emergency room for pregnant women and wasn't too sure that going there was necessary. I still had two weeks until my next appointment so I thought I would wait and talk to my doctor then. Two weeks did seem like a long time to wait, though. I tried to minimize the Braxton Hick's as much as possible. I cut out the elliptical, which I had grown fond of, but was still able to ride my bike on the trainer and swim as long as I didn't go to hard. I knew that with Baby Girl Bell growing so much in the last few months the potential to gain a lot of weight was there. I wanted to try and be as active as possible to minimize the potential for the exponential pound packing typical of the last few months.

I was glad that I wasn't as unfortunate as some women and wasn't experiencing varicose veins, huge amounts of water retention, and lots of reflux and heartburn. Up to this point I had been able to avoid any stretch marks. Though the effectiveness of coconut butter is debatable, I was diligent in applying some cream to my belly daily figuring even if it didn't help it wouldn't hurt. Unfortunately I had heard that most women got their pregnancy battle scars in the last few weeks so I still had some time to go before I could consider myself safe.

With the holidays being well over and only a couple of months left I started devoting more of my time to getting things ready for Baby Girl Bell. I struggled feeling like I hadn't been a thoughtful mother-to-be by not putting much effort into preparing anything for our little girl's arrival. Even though a nursery wasn't in the picture I wanted to ready a few things that made me feel like I had fulfilled my nesting urge. As always, Chris was more than supportive as I came up with different projects. Even though he didn't understand why I wanted to paint the changing table black or move the furniture he was supportive and told me things looked great. Having a lot of spare time during the day I had been doing my best to keep busy and make the best use of my minutes. Early on I had spent a lot of time drawing and working on some small art projects with intentions for bigger things. As the holidays neared my focus had shifted at one point to making beaded necklaces and jewelry to give as gifts. A few other interests had crept in and out over the past few months as well. With Baby Girl Bell coming sooner rather than later I felt that whatever interests I took on should be in preparations for our little girl. It took a few tries, but was excited when I was able to pick up on crocheting. My first successful project was a little beanie that Baby Girl Bell would be able to wear when she was a few months old (depending on if she got Chris' head or my head).

Along with feeling the need to get things ready in time for Baby Girl Bell's arrival we figured we should start thinking a little more about what her name would be. I felt like it was such a huge responsibility. Chris and I had talked about it quite a bit when we were first pregnant, but not feeling like anything was clicking we put it at the back of our minds. We weren't too keen on any family names and Paige Jr was definitely out of the question. Family members had a few suggestions or would come up with ideas, but even less of those sounded like good ones to us. We had a small and very unsure list of names that we kept on the docket, but decided we needed to explore the name idea a little more. Each night Chris and I would look at babynames.com and cover one or two letters of the alphabet and write down any names that stuck out to either one of us. This way our list started to grow. We both figured it would be a decision made once Baby Girl Bell was born and we could actually see what she looked like.

Knowing that our lives were about to change drastically once Baby Girl Bell arrived, Chris and I planned a weekend getaway to celebrate our 'singleness' and the upcoming arrival of our new addition. With Chris' schedule still requiring a lot of his time, especially on weekends, we found the ideal opportunity to steal away to San Diego. I wanted to go to the temple since I knew it was going to be more difficult once we had to start finding babysitters. The San Diego temple was incredible. Baby Girl Bell must have enjoyed the session because she was moving the whole time. I was awed by the beauty of the building on the interior and exterior.

In the afternoon we went to Torrey Pines State Park. Paralleling the beach is a strip of protected wilderness that has a bunch of hiking and walking trails. Due to my cramping uterus I wasn't to keen on taking any hikes so we checked out some of the scenery and then relaxed on the beach. Just before the sun went down we headed to our hotel to check in and relax for a little bit. Being close to historic Old Town made it easy to grab some dinner and walk around the streets and check out some of the original and restored buildings. After our fun day I was more than pleased to get back to our room and take a load off. With all the cramping I felt like I had been doing sit ups all day and my body was sore. We did some online research to see what sort of guidelines there are for an overactive uterus. We did find a website for women with an Irritable Uterus. The information we found described an irritable uterus as "an uterus that contracts without causing any changes in cervix or labor" or "the phenomenon that prior to the onset of labor, the uterus can contract in a disorganized fashion". Some of the stories and other described symptoms seemed to fit my situation. Unfortunately there were no real instructions or definitive information telling me how to get the contractions to calm down.

The next day Chris and I had a lazy morning. We planned on going to the San Diego Zoo but were a little concerned about my contractions since walking seemed to make them happen more frequently. We decided to go to the zoo and just see how things went. Chris and I had a wonderful time seeing all of the animals and trying to get good pictures of the 'wildlife'. It made me think of how much fun it would be in the future to take Baby Girl Bell and how excited she would be.

Walking around the zoo wasn't as difficult as I expected. I rested when I could and walked slowly. We had water and treats close at hand. By the time we started our drive back to our apartment I was exhausted and could barely keep my eyes open. We were glad to have a chance to get away as a 'single' couple one last time.

Over the next week it seemed that my contractions were becoming more frequent and stronger at times, occasionally accompanied with some pain. Baby Girl Bell's constant movements reassured me that she was doing well, but I wasn't sure what all the contractions meant. Not wanting to become a total sludge I continued to be active, but taking more frequents rests to give the uterus a chance to settle. As I continued to convey to Chris how often and strong my contractions were he began to think that maybe something more was going on. Knowing that dehydration can cause contractions I had been hard on the fluids the past week without any changes. The next thought was the possibility of an unsymptomatic urinary tract infection, which has also been linked with premature labor. With my next doctors appointment being still a week away and Chris starting become concerned as well, at 33 1/2 weeks we took the plunge and spent part of our Saturday in Labor and Delivery. The only instances when I had been in the hospital were when I was working, visiting someone, or for my OB visits. Actually having them put a wrist band on me was a little strange. Chris and I knew that we were probably just paranoid first time parents-t0-be, but peace of mind was worth it.

I stripped down and got into a ratty old hospital gown missing one of the ties with a big hole in the side. The nurse strapped some monitors around my belly - one to measure contractions and another to measure Baby Girl Bell's heart rate. I was asked a bunch of questions so the doctor could gage exactly what my concerns were. I provided a urine sample that the nurse deliberated on sending for testing, but due to Chris' insistence was sent to the lab. The doctor did a test for fetal fibronectin (FFN) and checked my cervix. I was glad to know that there hadn't been any change in my cervix, meaning that Baby Girl Bell was happy to stay in the uterus for a while longer. The FFN would take an hour to be read so Chris and I cozied up for a short stay until the results came back. We pretty much just sat and stared at the monitoring strip as it came out. Chris was so proud of his baby girl when he saw the perfect strip readings come out. He said it was exactly what you would want to see when you are monitoring a baby. The most interesting part for me was seeing how often and how strong my contractions were. About every six to ten minutes I would get a contraction. Previously I had thought that being active and moving around is what would trigger the contractions, but after laying in the hospital for an hour not doing anything and seeing the regularity and frequency in which they occurred I was surprised to realize that although being active may have increased the frequency and intensity, the contractions were coming on their own. The strip also showed quite a bit of irritability (thus the irritable uterus) between contractions. Similar to atrial fibrillation where the right atrium of the heart is constantly quivering and then at times fires and produces a beat I thought of my uterus as having uterine fibrillation. To calm everything down the doctor wanted to give me a one time shot of terbutaline. Being unfamiliar with the drug and not wanting to take anything unnecessary I looked to Chris for his suggestion. Terbutaline is a drug that would relax the uterus, but only temporarily, and has the common side effect of making the heart race. I decided to go without the medication. The doctor said it was okay and was mostly for my own comfort anyway. I figured as long as I knew Baby Girl Bell was doing well then I could handle the contractions. With the FFN being negative Chris and I were immensely reassured. We considered our visit to L&D a trial run for the real event and took a moment to glance around at the delivery and postpartum rooms before leaving.

Finishing the 2nd Trimester

I loved that we could more easily feel Baby Girl Bell from the outside. I would get my book and lay on the bed reading with my hand on my belly waiting to feel some movement. This was my way of 'hanging out' with my daughter and I loved being able to have that interaction. Chris got in on some quality baby time as well, when Baby Girl Bell cooperated. It seemed that more often than not I would feel Baby Girl Bell moving quite a bit, but by the time Chris could get his hand on my tummy she had found a comfortable spot and was settled down. Plus, I had a pulse that bounded down my stomach which made it more difficult to tell if it was the baby moving or just my heart beat. One afternoon when Chris and I were relaxing by the pool Baby Girl Bell was quite awake and kicking. Sitting on the long lounge chairs I was at a perfect angle to see my stomach jumping with the strong baby punches. It was like a scene out of an science fiction movie where there is an alien living inside you trying to get out. I guess Baby Girl Bell is living inside me, but not in the sci-fi sense. I thought it was amazing to experience Baby Girl Bell in yet another way.

Chris and I had a couple of rough weeks with sicknesses. I guess pregnant women are extra susceptible to illness during pregnancy because they body weakens it's immune defenses so that the baby isn't rejected (in a round about way of putting it). So (blaming my ailments on Chris) when Chris did a triathlon that called for a very early morning and had us both out in the rain for the morning and then we were gone all day and got home very late at night, it was no surprise that Chris and I came down with something. Actually, I started out with fatigue and body aches as a result of our long and active day. Pains which lasted just long enough to transition into a full on cold that was passed on from the one Chris had developed. For a day I thought maybe I had strep throat again and was upset because didn't want to have to take antibiotics, so I was actually relieved when I only had to suffer through a typical cold.

Once November hit things started to get busy. Chris and I celebrated our third wedding anniversary. Our gift to each other was all of the clothes and accessories we would need to go to the temple. We had plans to use all of it and go that night, but Chris' pants didn't fit and the shoes I had weren't really as white as I remembered. Plus, it was already late night so we spent the evening at a nice restaurant for dinner and enjoyed some quality time just being together. In talking about things we had done and where we were in life - expecting our first child - we felt good about what we had done and where we were headed. I always try to find something to look forward to and so bought some tickets to the showing of a ski movie. One I knew Chris would enjoy. Chris, being so thoughtful, got me a gift certificate for a pregnancy massage. That guy sure knows how to please. My favorite part of the whole evening was that Chris had bought a present for me, well for the baby. It was the cutest, coziest, most adorable baby outfit I have ever seen. Of course it was from REI, Chris' favorite store. I thought it was so precious that he picked it out and was so excited about it himself.

For a short time we were privileged to have some visitors - Richard, Heather, Tyler and Ainsley made the trip from Utah to spend a few days in warmer weather. I had been missing family so much I was so excited to be able to have some time with them. We took one day and went to Disneyland. Being pregnant I couldn't go on any of the big, fast rides so I didn't mind that we spent most of our time on rides like Winnie the Pooh and Peter Pan. Baby Girl Bell may not know that she already had her first trip to Disneyland, but we decided it would be a while before we actually ever took our kids. I wished that Rich and Heather could have stayed longer and we could have had more time together, but it was okay because a couple of days after they went back to Utah I followed them home.

My mom bought me a plane ticket to bring me home for the weekend of Oma's 80th birthday party. I was really excited to see family, but apprehensive at the same time. It seemed that all those crazy emotions everyone talks about pregnant women having had been converging on me for some time. I was more emotional than I had been in a while and the stresses associated with visiting family seemed to exacerbate some of my feelings. Also, I had never been nervous about flying on a place until this flight. I was strangely, and ridiculously afraid that something bad was going to happen. I had thoughts that the plane was going to go down, or the landing gear might not work, or that I would go into labor while in the air. All possible, but extremely rare. I began to understand how new moms, and new parents in general, start to get unrealistic worries about things that are out of your control. It made me think of my friend Stacey that obsessed about the possibility of her daughter getting a peanut allergy. She was pretty much sick and consumed with worry. At the time I thought it comical how intensely she stewed about it. I understand her now. It is amazing how protective I felt. I just hoped I could keep to the rational side of things.

My trip home was good. The first day was a little rough due to my stressing over the plane flight. I had gone on a run-walk, a wog Chris calls it (walk and jog combined), and had some pretty strong round ligament pain that was causing me concern. This furthered my anxieties and I was sure something was going to go wrong. Thanks to a husband that is calm and rational I got on the plane and arrived safely in Utah. My round ligament pain lasted through the day making the first part of my trip a little mellow and me slightly moody. I was able to go with my mom to have Thanksgiving dinner with Grandma Austin at the care facility she lives in. Grandma Austin had been crocheting away and made Baby Girl Bell a beautiful baby quilt. I loved the homemade aspect of the gift and am very excited for Baby Girl Bell to have something Grandma Austin had done herself. The next day I visited some friends, got my hair done, and spent some time with Jan. We went to the surprise party for Oma that night. I loved seeing all of the extended family together for such a fun celebration. We had every pregnant cousin there and I suggested we have a belly parade so everyone could show off their pregnant tummies. Poor grandma had her work cut out for her with six great grandchildren showing up within the next six months or so. Marty seemed to be feeling better and was embracing the pregnant way of life much more than I ever did. I wanted to look non-pregnant for as long as possible, but Marty decided to flaunt it early and liked the responses she got. At this point there was no hiding it, and I was proud to show off that I had a beautiful baby growing inside.

The next day, and my last day in Utah was an emotional one. Feelings being exacerbated by pregnancy and fatigue I was upset when my mom was hurt thinking that some things she did made Chris and I not want to bring our family back to Utah when the fellowship was over. I worked to explain that there is no other place we would want to be and we hope to be around family so that they can learn from their grandparents. I keep telling my dad that we need to be close to the property so I can send the kids over to learn how to work hard on the farm with their grandpa. My mom, always so generous, took me shopping for a baby stroller. That was her main gift to us. Although, she spent a bunch on baby clothes and a few toys as well. I think Baby Girl Bell is going to be one of the best looking girls out there thanks to Grandma D. Mom also took me maternity clothes shopping. I think I tried on everything in the store before I found something that looked good. I have never wanted to be an unfortunate and uncomfortable looking pregnant lady so I was appreciative of the extra outfits. I had been spending a lot of money on clothes already trying to make sure I looked somewhat stylish. I think that having my body change so much, though for the best reason, was pretty tough on the psyche and to make myself feel a little bit attractive I made sure I had some good clothes that fit well. Before I had left for Utah I was trying on all of my clothes to make sure I had outfits to keep me warm. Chris was very thoughtful and had bought me a new fleece jacket to fit over my pregnant belly. I was glad he had because it was much colder in Utah than California. For the last night before I left we ordered pizza and played games. Just hanging out at my parents house one of my favorite things to do and was glad to have some down time to chat and enjoy the company of my family. I thought about how nice it would be to bring Baby Girl Bell over to Grandma D and Papa's house to play with the cousins.

The morning of the flight home I woke up to a blizzard hitting Utah. This added to my stress associated with flying, though I wasn't worrying as much as I had on the flight out. My flight was delayed, but landed safely at the Ontario airport. I was so glad to be home again with Chris. I know that Chris had missed me and missed his tummy kicks with Baby Girl Bell. The recovery from this flight was much easier and I was up and going the next day, and not down and painful like I had been in the past. I only had a couple of days to get ready for our next adventure so I had to make the most of that time.

I had my next doctors visit right after I got back from Utah. Like most of my previous appointments this visit was pretty low-key. My blood pressure, heart rate and weight were measured and all of the regular questions were reviewed. I was surprised because my heart rate was up to 70 beats per minute instead of the usual 50 bpm. Which, 70 is normal for most non-pregnant people and 50 would be considered low. I wasn't worried because heart rates are expected to increase as the pregnancy progresses. My blood pressure was great and my weight gain was right on target. My fundal height measured 24cm - just where it should have been. Chris would tell me I was the ideal patient because everything measures just as expected and I was low-risk with no complications (to date). When trying to listen to Baby Girl Bell's heartbeat on the doppler she decided to be very active and kept kicking back. A couple of times she thumped hard enough that it made the doppler machine turn off. I think it gave the doctor an idea of just how active she could be. Chris was working in the sports medicine clinic on the next floor down and didn't make it up in time to hear Baby Girl Bell's heartbeat on the doppler. He stuck around while I got my flu shot but was disappointed at missing his opportunity to hear the heart. Things were slow in Chris' clinic so we decided to go and do our own ultrasound and get another look at our little, but now much bigger, baby girl. We loved seeing the details of her hands and feet. She had found a comfortable spot and wasn't moving much by this time. Her head was resting low in the pelvis with her feet up toward my belly. She had grown so much that we couldn't get her whole body in one view on the ultrasound and her bones were becoming more solid which made more shadows. Chris did a triple check to reconfirm the girliness of our baby. Once again, I think I could have stayed and looked at her most of the day.

For Thanksgiving Chris and I drove to Tucson, Arizona where Chris' parents had recently moved. We wanted to spend time with his family and check out the new house. Joe, Andrea and Stoddard were planning on being there so that would make even more of a holiday celebration. We broke up the drive to Tucson by staying overnight at the halfway point and finishing the rest the next day. Chris did all of the driving so I just leaned my chair back to make room for the belly and enjoyed the ride. We only had a few days time with the Bell family so we did a lot of hanging out and chatting. I think there was some sort of sports game, football or basketball, on nonstop. Interrupted only occasionally by Stoddard's Baby Genius movies, which Joe calls baby-crack because of it's ability to mesmerize little kids. I made sure to take note of that and decided I will have to pick up some of those for Baby Girl Bell. Chris' uncle Jim, Holly's brother, also lives in Arizona so we spent a couple of evenings with him and his family. We had a great Thanksgiving dinner at the local Golf Club - I actually indulged in some ribs, which I had found I was more drawn to during pregnancy. Andrea made sure to bring her camera and took some pictures of the family members. Chris and I compared bellies, and I think it was a pretty close call.

Week 20 - Half way there!

Over the next couple of weeks I could feel Baby Girl Bell kicking more and more. At times I still wasn't sure if it was just gas bubbles or if it was actually little arms and legs giving me a punch. I soon became pretty adept at telling the two apart. I could really feel Baby Girl Bell moving when we were in the car and the seatbelt was across my abdomen, or if I had pants on with a tighter waist (which was soon becoming most of my pants). I liked feeling her move, knowing she was there and doing her baby thing. Chris and I were talking while driving home from dinner one night and during our conversation I kept feeling a consistent nudge in my belly. It was a bit distracting. Chris said it's just like kids who are trying to get their parents attention and they keep saying 'Mom...mom...mom...mom...mom...' until someone finally answers them. I really wanted the time to come when Chris could feel Baby Girl Bell move. I thought it might make the whole pregnancy seem a little more concrete and real, instead of experiencing it all through me.

Unfortunately, and yet fortunately, my sweet tooth returned. I eased my way back into the land of ice cream (though still only on occasion and with no real cravings), chocolate, and cookies. The unfortunate part of this being that I would have loved the sugar aversion to continue to the end of the pregnancy so I could decrease my risk of extreme weight gain. The upside at the timing is that I could enjoy my favorite Halloween treat, Halloween Oreos. Yum.

I had gone through a stretch of not sleeping very well. I would get up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and then not be able to fall asleep again for a couple of hours, if at all. I was getting headaches that kept me up. And, unfortunately I had such a headache on the day of Chris' 38th birthday. His celebration consisted of cupcakes that I took to work and dinner at Joe's Crab Shack. I was feeling extremely fatigued, but unable to actually hit the REM cycle when trying to take naps during the day. I realized that if we went to bed just a little bit later and the last thing I did before closing my eyes was to go to the bathroom I could make it to the morning. Having figured that out I was sleeping much better by the time the 20 week mark rolled around.

I was looking forward to the half way point knowing that the countdown could really start. I celebrated my 20 weeks by going shopping at Destination Maternity, a large store directed solely toward expecting mothers. I felt a little self conscious when I walked in and wished my mom or sisters were there to share the experience with me, and deflect some of the over-attention from the staff. I shopped around and found some tops that I could grow into and purchased my first pair of maternity jeans. I could still fit into some of the low-rise pants that were once too big, but those maternity pants felt so soft and snug over my belly. It was like putting a pillow in a pillowcase. My favorite part about the maternity store was the belly attachments that were an estimation of how large the abdomen would be for someone at 7 or 9 months. I tried the 7 month one on with a couple of shirts just so I could get an idea of how they would fit later on. I couldn't bring myself to put on the 9 month belly, hoping that because of my height I might only make it to the 7 month look.

I wanted to get Chris something to honor 'Hump Day', which is what Chris called it because the actual 20 week mark also fell on a Wednesday. I think he needed to feel the 'Daddy' vibe so I bought an outfit for Baby Girl Bell that said 'Daddy's Girl' on the front.

Chris surprised me with a beautiful bouquet of flowers which helped me to know that we were celebrating together. His genuine thoughtfulness was so surprising and appreciated.

I had a doctors appointment the next day and was slightly nervous at getting the ultrasound report. This is the time when I would be told if there was anything out of the ordinary. I was relieved when Dr. Wang told me that the ultrasound looked perfectly normal. She measured my abdomen and it was 20.5 cm, which was right on track. She asked if I could feel any kicking yet. Oh, yes. She's a mover. I told her that I could especially feel her when I was in the car with the seatbelt or when wearing tight jeans. She said that Baby Girl Bell must not like it and she wants her space. When using the doppler to hear Baby Girl Bell's heart tones Dr. Wang put a little pressure on my belly with the probe and exclaimed that she felt her kick back, even with that little amount of pressure. She said that Baby Girl Bell already has a bit of a personality. I just laughed to myself knowing that this little girl is going to give me a run for my money the same way I did to my mom.

I had already started the motherly habit of resting my hand on my tummy when laying or sitting and relaxing. I had never felt Baby Girl Bell move from the outside, only from the inside. I wondered that if Dr. Wang could feel her move then I should be able to feel her, too. Two days later on a lazy morning when Chris didn't have to go to work until later, I was half asleep with my hand lightly on my belly when I felt a slight kick in the palm of my hand. I could feel Baby Girl Bell moving on the inside and realized that I was now feeling her from the outside. I laid there with my hand on my tummy and felt a whirl of movement for the next couple of minutes. I was so excited I wanted to wake Chris up and tell him, but I let him be. Once he started to stir enough that I could tell he was a little bit awake I told him I could feel the baby. He rested his hand on my belly and after a few moments he felt some movement. He wasn't quite sure what he was feeling, but once Baby Girl Bell gave a couple of strong punches, ones that I could feel inside and he could feel outside he realized he had just received his first baby high-five.

Although not much time had passed since the last belly bump picture it seemed that my 'Buddha Belly', as Chris termed it once, had really started to become visible. I had become more accepting of my changing body and didn't feel like I needed to camouflage it anymore. I really began to embrace my pregnancy instead of working so hard to prevent what inevitably comes with the diagnosis. Though I was still not lovingly wrapping my arms around the continued tiredness and various aches and pains. Running was becoming more and more difficult as pains and cramping seemed to become more and more prevalent and increasingly painful. I resigned myself to the bike trainer and enjoyed swimming when the water at our apartment wasn't too cold. As far as weight gain went I was adding the L-Bs as expected and was just glad to not be an over-achiever in this area.

And it's a ...

I was super excited to get the 'official' ultrasound scheduled at 18 weeks. Chris wanted to do a preliminary sonogram on his own to see if he could guess correctly if it was a boy or a girl. We decided to just wait and see what the ultrasound tech would come up with. I had been exuding 'girl' vibes since Chris had done the 12 1/2 week ultrasound so I felt that I would be shocked and have to adjust my mind frame quite a bit if it was a boy. I'd have to start thinking blue instead of pink.

The day of the ultrasound we had an early appointment so Chris could get to work once we were done. I was told to have a full bladder so I was guzzling water bottles on my way to the hospital. With the ever-present need to go to the bathroom I probably could have gone without an extra ounce and been okay. Not knowing how it worked, Chris showed up with me on time, but then was told he had to wait in the waiting room until the sonographer was done with the first part of the ultrasound. I felt bad for Chris sitting out there just waiting. However, I wasn't able to see the baby for the first part either. About an hour later, the ultrasound tech was done taking the necessary photos to send to radiology and Chris was able to come in. The tech gave us a baby tour and walked us through the body parts of Baby Bell. I was so excited to see the little hands and feet with fingers and toes. Even though Baby Bell seemed to be pretty calm and content to stay in one position we were able to see the mouth move. We heard the heart beat for the first time - ticking away at 136 beats a minute. The umbilical cord was between the legs making determining the sex a little more tricky. However, the tech was able to get a clear shot and gave us a pretty certain guess that Baby Bell is indeed Baby Girl Bell.

It was interesting looking at the current shape of Baby Girl Bell in contrast to the 12 1/2 week ultrasound. The head was more shapely and about a third of the body size instead of the same size as the body. We had a great view of the heart beating, and we could see the brain and bone structure more definitely. They were only ultrasound pictures, but Baby Girl Bell looked beautiful to me.

The ultrasound tech asked me during the first part of the sonogram if I had any idea what the gender would be or if I had had a 'dream telling me what the sex of the baby was'. I never did, but deep down I felt that we were having a girl. A few months after Chris and I had decided we wanted to start our family and having had no success, and because it was our first time trying to get pregnant and it wasn't happening right away, I worried that maybe there could be something wrong to prevent us from having children. On a day of discouragement I prayed to Heavenly Father telling him that I knew there was a little girl waiting to come to our family and that we were ready. About three months later were blessed with our pregnancy. I had always had an inkling that it was most likely a girl, but also knew that God works in his own way and that anything could happen. My mom and sister Jan also always supposed Baby Bell to be a girl. Although Chris attributes that to the tendency for girls to think it's a girl and boys to think it's a boy.

Since I had started cultivating a real belly bump I wanted Baby Girl Bell to know what she looked like from the outside the day we found out for sure that a girl was on the way. It mostly looks like I'm bloated or I had a big breakfast. Depending on what I was wearing I could easily hide my 'pooch', as my mom calls (my least favorite term for a pregnant belly).

We made sure to let the family and friends know so they could start thinking pink as well. They had some fun responses.

From Molly:

Yay! Girls are the best! (no offense boys). So happy for you both. Yet
another excuse to go shopping:)

From Lucy:

Yeehaw!  Now I can move forward with the baby gift! :)  What colors are you using in the baby's room?  Paige - I think you should field this one..... :)  Congratulations!

From Jim:

Congrats Chris and Paige! You guys must be very excited! Can't wait to
meet her next summer!

From Joe:

Congratulations you two - we're very excited for you!
....got a name yet?
Kidding

From Tracey:

That is awesome news!! She is going to be a cutie!!

On the Austin side I sent out a text with the most recent ultrasound picture.

Jan wrote:

Yay!!! Baby Jan!

From Heather:

Wow, What a great photo. You will have so much fun with a baby girl. We are so dang happy for you. Love you!

From Rich:

Ooh that is a good one! She looks cute already. Congratulations Sis!

From Mom:

She is beautiful

From Dad:

Looks just like here mom!! Love Dad

Some friends sent us replies as well.

From Laura Horne:

Yay! She is going to be gorgeous, so smart, a super athlete, and pretty much better than the rest of us in every way =)

From Kimberly Washburn:

Oh- I' so excited for you!!!!! She will be beautiful! I really do think we have the same life- maybe we were supposed to be twins :) Love ya!

I was glad to have a solid decision as to the sex so I could start doing the things all future mothers do - plan the nursery and buy cute girl clothes and accesories. Even though we weren't going to have a nursery due to living in our apartment and moving a few months after Baby Girl Bell was born, I could still think about it. I celebrated my new surety by buying my first little girl outfit. And that is just what it was, a little girl outfit - eighteen months. I was so excited to find such cute clothes for a girl that I didn't think about how long it would actually be until Baby Girl Bell would be able to wear it. Chris warned me not to go too nuts.  Okay, I guess...

I had heard that about this time is when I would start to be able to feel the baby move. Because the little arms and legs are so small and the baby isn't very strong, discerning between baby movement and intestinal movement was tricky. However, at times I would feel a little bump in the belly and it was different than anything else I had felt before. It would only happen on occasion, but I knew for sure I was feeling the little life inside me.

Weeks 14 to 17

The next weeks brought on some major improvements. I was having more energy with less nausea, and was able to wean myself off of Zofran. Which, for being such a wonder drug also had its drawbacks - headaches and constipation, which I found were more common in others than I had thought. My sister in law, Heather, was actually the one who told me she got major headaches with Zofran and so was only able to take a half at a time. Not knowing the association earlier, I was more than happy to trade a pounding headache for a little more nausea. Also, with the stomach calming down I was able to get back into swimming in the apartment community pool. However paradoxical it may sound, I had more energy but felt more tired at the same time. Maybe the same amount of tiredness just not compounded by the nausea.

On the first of September my mom called and told me that Grandpa Sonntag had suffered a stroke. It was a massive injury and it was unclear if he was going to make it through the next few days. He was in the ICU, paralyzed on his left side, in A-fib, and occasionally responsive. After a couple of days of continued ups and downs Chris and I decided to take an impromptu trip to Utah to see the family over Labor Day weekend. Being away from the family is tough when you are missing the fun memories, but even more difficult when you can't be there to help through the hard times. Jan picked us up from the airport after an early morning flight and took us straight to the hospital. A few aunts and uncles were there, but from what I had heard there had pretty much been a continuous flow of visitors. Only allowing 3 people in the ICU at a time we had a couple of good moments with Opa. He had enough energy and was aware enough that he could respond to us being there. We told him we had just arrived in Utah and came to see him. Opa said to me that I had 'married a good man'. At another time during one of our visits we told Opa hello and that it was Paige and Chris visiting. He said 'I love Chris'. It was touching to me to see how much Grandpa cared for my husband. Chris said it was only because he gave Opa Ativan. We showed Grandpa the ultrasound pictures of Baby Bell. He said the baby was 'beautiful, just like it's mother'. We asked him what we should name it and he said 'Donald'. We got a good laugh out of that. And when asked if that should be the name even if it's a girl he said 'Dawn'. He also told my cousin Jacob and his wife Ashley that their baby, due in December, should be named 'Donny'.


While in Utah over the Labor Day holiday we were able to get Baby Bell in on my favorite hobby - triathlon. I had been aching to do a triathlon before I got too pregnant to participate so the South Davis Labor Day Triathlon was a perfect opportunity. Jan even got in on the fun. Chris and I scrounged up some gear the night before, thanks to my dad, brother, and mom. We didn't have any high expectations considering we were on borrowed equipment and I was pregnant. I tried not to push anything too hard to keep from getting my heart rate too high and overdoing it. Even with my moderation I happened to pull out a 2nd place finish in my category and 6th female overall. I guess that tells you what the competition was like since a pregnant girl could come out okay. Chris came in 3rd in his age group. Our trophies were hammers with our categories and places etched in the side. We came back from Utah feeling like champions. However, traveling seemed to take it's toll once again and I was laid up for a couple of days recuperating from my exertions.


While I had been busy being pregnant every day Chris was absorbed with the sports medicine fellowship. The busiest part taking place in the fall with lots of football games which pretty much last until the end of the year, and then rolls on over to basketball season. Once the spring hits things with the fellowship are supposed to slow down. Chris kept making big plans and goals for the spring as far as trips we should take, bike rides and events to participate in, and things that we would like to do in the fall but due to the football schedule would have to wait. I would just laugh and say 'In the spring my goal is to have a baby'. He would then remember that our life would be changing drastically. Chris did mention that going to Utah and getting away from the fellowship for a weekend he realized how focused he had been during the first part of his training, which of course is not bad thing, but I think he started remembering that I am pregnant and would be having our own spring chicky to mix things up.


We had our first meeting with my obstetrician on the first day of week 15. With the Kaiser Permanente system being the way it is I thought it strange that my first exam and appointment was so far into my pregnancy. With the access to healthcare I had through Chris I wasn't concerned, but I would worry about anyone else who didn't have any knowledge about pregnancy, prenatal care, what to eat and not to eat, what medicines to avoid, etc. Chris joined me for the appointment so he could meet Dr. Wang as well. It was a rather uneventful meeting with the usual ob/gyn exam and review of health history. Dr. Wang said she would be doing a vaginal ultrasound. AAAAH! That didn't sound pleasant. I asked if she could try an abdominal since Chris had already done one - two actually - and found the baby without a problem. Thankfully she agreed. It was fun seeing Baby Bell again, even if it was on a poor ultrasound machine with a screen the size of a portable DVD player. Again, we didn't get a good enough look to see the sex for certain, but we were still leaning toward a girl.





Some fun and rather unexpected news that was revealed was that my brother Alex and his wife Marty were also pregnant. Not sure if either of them were very interested in having children the information was surprising and great. Marty was 8 weeks along and would be 7 - 8 weeks behind myself, meaning that our little ones would be playmates. They can 'throw sand at each other in the sandbox' as Alex put it. I instantly felt for Marty and how she must have been feeling. Ugh. That first part of being pregnant is pretty heinous.


As the weeks continued it brought with it an increased appetite and some of those 'cravings' you hear about pregnant women getting. While driving on our way to go mountain biking one morning I had an intense necessity for a sausage, egg, and cheese Mcmuffin. We had to take a detour through a nearby McDonald's in order to satisfy the craving. On another day we were at the Rose Bowl watching a UCLA football game and at the half I had to have a stadium hot dog. The food, though it always seems to be something unhealthy, tastes ten times better, and 'hits the spot' when that craving is being indulged.

When the skirt I had chosen to wear to church was just a little too tight and I could no longer suck in the little bulge on my stomach I started to feel the 'I'm fat as a horse' vibe. I could have sworn Baby Bell must have doubled (or tripled) in size the last few weeks. Or maybe it was just that I was getting my appetite back. I had some days of feeling sorry for myself. I was not feeling attractive, Chris was super busy with the fellowship, my family back home was absorbed with everything going on in their lives (legitimately so as Opa was still recovering, Jan and Alex were in school, Rich started a new job, and Heather's dad was not doing well). To make myself feel better I went on a small shopping spree. I bought some things that work well now, but also allowed room for the belly-to-be. I hadn't been on a spree in a while and felt guilty spending money on myself like that when we were on tight money terms. Chris, in his ever-supportive way told me it was good and that I probably needed everything I bought. What a winner of a husband.

Not wanting to risk another bike accident on the road Chris and I kept to the mountain bikes - in a pregnant-lady-safe kind of way. I would laugh because Chris would race up the hills in order to feel like he was getting a better workout, and I would put the bike in my lowest gear and work my way up, not wanting to get too hot or my heart rate too high. When I realized that even on the flats I was panting like a dog on a hot summer day Chris told me that it's like I'm 'riding a tandem but I'm doing all the pedaling'. At another time he reminded me that just like eating for two, I'm 'pedaling for two' as well. Even running began to change. I could feel my posture altering just a little bit and I felt like I needed to have someone realign my pelvis so I could get my stride back. And worse, with Baby Bell getting bigger and bouncing on the bladder, after 5 minutes of running I was keeping an eye out for the nearest bathroom.

Finishing out the First Trimester

My trip to visit family in Utah was great. Not feeling well had made me miss family that much more. Unfortunately, I was unable to do a lot of the things I wanted to do. The tiredness seemed to take precedence and there was plenty going on to keep me pooped. I broke the news to my friends about the pregnancy while we were talking at the high school reunion. I found out my close friend, Courtney Winegar was also pregnant and two weeks behind myself. Chelsey told me she couldn't wait to see me 'get fat'. Kim was excited for me to be pregnant so I could know what it is like since our lives have been very much the same for so many years and she has already gone through the whole pregnancy gig twice.

We received some of our first baby gifts while I was in Utah. My Aunt Jenny gave us a collection of books that her son James absolutely loves and has memorized. Marty and Alex thought of us while they were vacationing in New York and bought Baby Bell a 'I heart NY' onesie. Chris said at least it wasn't a Yankees onesie (He's a big Red Sox fan).

The plane ride to and from Utah was a little uncomfortable due to my unusually keen sense of smell, which Chris calls my 'Spidey Sense'. On the way out I sat next to an older lady who smelled to me very strongly of a nursing home. The return flight put me next to a rather odiferous man who smelled like the armpit of an egyptian.

I was extremely glad to come home and see Chris after having been gone a week. That was the longest we had been apart from each other and I knew he missed me when there was a beautiful bouquet of flowers waiting for me at our apartment. I know Baby Bell was missing Dad as well.

After learning that the obstetricians in the Kaiser hospital don't do a lot of ultrasounds and our next appointment not being for a few more weeks Chris and I decided it would be fun to take advantage of Chris' position as a doctor and do an ultrasound ourselves. I met Chris in his clinic at the end of a work day so he could do the sonogram himself. It was so amazing for me to see cute little Baby Bell actually looking like a person. The last ultrasound didn't show much so I was surprised when I saw an easily visible head and body with the arms and legs. I became a little emotional when I realized that there was actually a living being growing and thriving. We were able to take our time watching the baby move and turn. Chris used his long dormant OB skills to try and determine the sex of Baby Bell. His best guess was a girl due to the potential presence of the 'Hamburger Sign'. I realized then why parents don't want to leave their children. I felt like I could have sat there and watched Baby Bell all day.

The next couple of weeks were fairly uneventful as the first trimester came to a close. The nausea and fatigue started getting better. I found myself getting more done throughout the day. With my love of organization returning I started making sense of the apartment so it could better suit our use. I also began to be unable to tolerate heat and I felt like I was having mini hot flashes. I thought that maybe Baby Bell was a girl because the ovaries would be forming about now and that would explain the heat associated with hormone surges. Or, Baby Bell could be a boy that is a little furnace the same way Chris is always emanating heat. Either way I had a tough time holding Chris' hand or being close to him because his body heat would trigger my own body to heat up, which in turn would make me nauseas. And with the temperatures still hitting 100 degrees I would be looking forward to some cooler days.

Telling the Family

Having not enjoyed my first few weeks of life in sunny California I was looking forward to plans to head home to Utah for a week with intentions to attend my 10 year high school reunion. The reunion being more of an excuse to visit home than anything else. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to hide the pregnancy from my parents once I was with them we decided to break the big news. Parents first, of course. While in Oceanside we had a t-shirt screen printed with the words "I knocked up your daughter". On a Sunday evening we skyped my parents while Chris was wearing the shirt, though at the beginning keeping it hidden with crossed arms. My dad doesn't usually get into the skyping as much so it was perfect that both he and my mom were there. After a while of chit chatting Chris uncrossed his arms. As my mom was chattering about something, my dad took about 2 seconds to read the shirt and asked if 'this was a pronouncement or something?' My parents were thrilled and we gave them the rundown of the past weeks since we had found out ourselves. More than anything I was glad to not have to pretend to my family any more.

Chris, in his usual nonchalant manner spread the news to his family in a reply to an email about when would be a good time to go to Cape Cod next summer.

Late July to early August would probably be best for us. the official end date here will be July 8th I believe. Also, another piece of this puzzle is that Paige is pregnant, about 10 weeks along now and due in early March. So we'll be toting around a 4-5 month-old. Not sure how that will work, and if you guys will even want a kid that age around, but if everyone else is there then we sure want to be as well. Plus, I still don't know what my work situation will be at that time but if we make plans now I can account for that when I set things up this winter. But we at least would like to have some time for the move and such, so again late July to early August would be ideal. Hope this doesn't complicate things too much....

C & P

It was funny to see the responses from his family as they read the email in turn.

From Joe:

….HELLOOOOO Chris! What a way to announce it…I mean c’mon, man! Get a little pumped! I mean I know you’re a fairly laid-back, unexcitable dude but holy cow!

Um, CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!

Btw….see what you can do about a March 19th EDD….

From Molly:

Yay Paige and Chris! Woot woot! (picture me fist pumping…..or better yet, raising the roof). So excited for you guys! What’s the actual due date?

From Jim:

Congrats Chris!! I’ll be a little selfish and suggest that you absolutely need to bring the little one with you net summer to the cape in order to meet aunts, uncles, cousins, etc…!!!

Jim

From Lucy:

OMG! Congratulations! How's Mommy feeling? Hopefully not too crappy. Are you so excited?! Are you going to find out what you're having? Can I ask any more questions????? You're going to have to take pics to document the pregnancy as you go along. I want to see the ones right before she's due! :)
So, to answer your question, no, that does not complicate things. Late July, early August is fine. I'm going to plug for early August myself. Water's warmer then! Very important!

From Barbie:

Congratulations Paige and Chris! That is BIG news!!!! We are so excited for you guys! What fun that will be to have a baby on the Cape - all will be fighting over him or her! We will be sure to keep Paige and the babe in our prayers!

Love,

Barby

Chris called his parents the same day to tell them the good news. They were very excited to have another little one to join the family.

On our family website we got a lot of encouraging responses from friends and family.

From Laura Horne:

This is the best news EVER!!!!! I am so excited for you guys. Of course, I am sorry about the sickness and all that, but you are going to be the best parents. I am not sure the world will know what to do with a baby that beautiful though.

Congratulations guys!

From Curtis and Kristen Black:

YEAH! Congratulations! We are so excited for you guys and know that that baby will be blessed with an excellent family!

From Megan and Ben Wallace:

Yah! The news I've been waiting to hear over your blog. I am so happy for you and glad that I still have good prego radar! Haha!

From Nicole McConkie:

Oh, Ah... That is just such a cute photo. I am happy you posted it. Glad to hear you are feeling a bit better!

From West and Jami:

Congrats Guys! west, Jami and the girls

From Jason and Tricia Leak:

PAIGE! That is soooo exciting! Congratulations to you both! I can't wait to hear if it's a boy or girl! :D

From Ky and Spencer Stucki:

YEA!!! Congratulations you two! That is such exciting news. Whatever the gender, it is going to be one beautiful baby! Glad to hear your feeling a little better Paige. I hope you've been enjoying California-