Life with the Fraziers

Hi everyone!  Sorry I have been so bad about posting.  It seems like that past month has been so busy for us and on top of that I got pretty sick with a bad cold that kept me in bed for a few days!  During the past month we took a motor home trip to Corning, NY with Matt’s dad, Margaret, and their dogs.  Matt ran the Wine Glass Marathon and he QUALIFIED FOR BOSTON!!!!!!  It was an amazing experience.  I was so happy to be there to witness it, what a powerful moment.  As for actually running the Boston Marathon….it seems as though it may be run in 2011 for Baby Fraz’s first birthday (our due date is the day of the marathon in 2010).

We also went to Pensacola, FL where we spent the weekend celebrating my cousin Michael and his beautiful bride Karyn’s wedding.  The weather was beautiful and it was so nice to be able to spend so much time with everyone.  Relaxing by the pool was pretty tough but someone had to do it!

Then we had a great visit from my Uncle Matt and Aunt Gerri here in Baltimore.  They came down and we spent the weekend eating around the Fells Point area!  It was so nice to spend time with them.  We did a lot of walking, got to show them around the area and just spent some great time catching up together.  We can’t wait to do it again soon!

As for the basement renovations…We have plumbing and electric!  Ryan completed the plumbing for the bathroom and has started some electric work already. We even have lights on switches down there already!  It’s really coming along.  The plan it to bring the drywall in next week to start that!

Then for Halloween we got invited to a party at a friend’s house somewhat last minute and had to come up with a costume idea fast!  Matt came up with the great last minute idea to dress up as Paulie Bleeker and Juno from the movie.  We even won the first place prize….a Snuggie:)  This was a dream come true for Matt!  We always debate about the furnace temperature because he is always too cold.  Now when he is cold he can pull out his Snuggie:) 

On the baby front….no, we are not having an avocado but the length of the baby from rump to head is about the length of an avocado already!  It will even weigh a couple of ounces this week!  Plus the best part of everything is that we got to hear the heart beat for the first time!  It’s no longer just a flicker of light on the screen!   The whole process happened so fast.  The doctor started out by saying to be patient because sometimes it takes a while to hear it.  Then a second later she found it and then the appointment was over!  I wish she could have left it on for a few minutes:)  I think that my new plan is to try to bring a recorder in next time so that I can share it with everyone and listen to it as long as I want.  Last but not least, a bump is slowly forming.  When I eat it definitely makes its presence known.  Still wearing regular clothes but have started to think that maternity clothes are coming sometime in the next month or so!  I promise to keep you more updated.  We have a lot to look forward to in November.  We have a 16 and 20 week appointment as well as our 18 week sonogram.  For those of you anxiously waiting, we don’t plan on finding out the sex of the baby but can’t wait to see Baby Fraz on the screen!

Until next time….

Erin 🙂

Well this week I hit the double digit mark!  10 weeks!!!!  Each week seems to be flying by!  I don’t go back to the OB until 12 1/2 weeks and so now I am in this limbo where every once in a while I get this scare that something may have happened to the baby.  Physically I am not showing many changes and some of the earlier symptoms that I had are diminished.  I am still very tired and that seems to be my only constant “symptom” at this time.  So eventhough I know that everything is ok right now there is still the occassional concern that I just try to block out of my mind.  I assume that once the baby starts moving and I get bigger it will be easier to know that things are ok.  Chalk it up to first pregnancy jitters I guess!

Since the last time that I wrote we have decided to make some big home improvements to make room for the baby!  With the help, guidance, and labor of our friend Ryan we are going to finish the basement to allow for a family room/guest room and another full sized bathroom.  Baby Fraz plans on taking over the current guest room that we have.  So last weekend the project got underway.  My sister came up and helped Matt and I lug everything that we had in the basement up to the second floor guest room for storage.  What a task that was!  I have been feeling short of breath when I go up flights of stairs, hills, and exercise at times so that made this task really rough.  I always thought that pregnant women were short of breath because the baby was pressing on everything but according to my doctor it can happen this early on because of the changes in hormones.  Strange huh?  I thought something was wrong with me because I had thought I went into this pregnancy in great shape.  So what does this tidbit of information leave me with?  Frustration!!!!  It’s hard when I physically feel the same but now feel that the big activities that I previously tackled without difficulty are a little bit harder.  So I had to take more breaks and slow down a little.  It’s a funny concept…..me slowing down when I have a project/goal in mind.  But life has changed and now I have a little fetus to be concerned about!  So now I make a mental note….slow down.  We will see how that goes today when we have to unload 220 2×4’s to our basement!  Wish me luck!

Here are some before pictures of the basement:

Well the pregnancy update this week is that things are starting to shift/change!  I am not gaining weight but my waist line has thickened a bit and my lower abdomen is protruding slightly!  Basically to me I am just looking a little larger.  I don’t think it is noticible to the general public, but I can tell.  The baby is the size of a kumquat this week and is approaching the size of a fig by next week.  Baby Fraz now has limbs that can bend and he/she is kicking up a storm according to the literature.  Also Baby Fraz is already able to swallow!  Crazy right?  All in all other than fatigue I feel great!  I am looking forward to a slight burst in energy in the 2nd trimester!

Until next time…

Erin:)

Hi everyone!  Sorry for the delay in posting but I have been ridiculously tired every night and find myself—well actually Matt finds me—falling asleep at 7:30 on the couch!  I find that on work days especially, when naps aren’t an option, I am so tired that I just fall asleep immediately after we eat dinner.  I barely remember my head hitting the pillow.  I hope that in a few weeks, when I get into the second trimester, I will have some renewed energy!  Despite the sleepiness I am still getting some good runs in.  Last weekend I ran 6 miles at the NCR trail and felt great.  Baby Fraz is already training to be a runner and doesn’t even know it yet!  Ha ha! 

 Speaking of other things that Baby Fraz is up to…my horn on my car stopped working so I immediately called my father-in-law.  He gave me a few options to look into and so Baby Fraz and I got to work and checked out the old owner’s manual for my Honda.  In it we were able to find where the fuse for the horn is located.  We pulled it out, evaluated it, found that it was busted, then went to Pep Boys and bought a new one.  As soon as we put it in, we tried the horn and voila!  It worked!  So at only 8 weeks little baby Fraz has learned how to change a fuse!  What a smart little bugger he/she will be! 

As for the pregnancy update, Baby Fraz is the size of a kidney bean this week!  So much is changing in there so fast.  There are already arms and legs that move, eyelids,  and the beginnings of fingers and toes!  I went to meet my OB yesterday and was able to ask a thousand questions.  She was really great about it and did an exam to confirm that everything looks great!  Still no morning sickness—thankfully!  In about another month we will have another sonogram to show you and at that time it will look like much more than a little spec! 

 Before I forget…for those of you who frequent the blog.  There is a new link on the right to click so that you can subscribe to the blog and get updates in your email.  That way you don’t find yourself stalking the page for updates:) 

Until next time…

Erin

Hi everyone!  This has been a busy week for us!  It started out with a wonderful visit from my cousins who live in Michigan!  They did a ton of site seeing in Baltimore and DC, and I was able to join them for a  little bit when I wasn’t working.  My favorite site that we saw was Broom’s Bloom Farm.  They have the BEST homemade ice cream around!  We rushed one night to get there before they closed and as we were standing in line the realization came to me that this icecream may have raw eggs and may not be pasteurized!!  Having never been pregnant before, I’ve been reading up on the basics, and those things are on the list of things that I read not to eat.  So being the rule follower that I am, I got a little sad and thoughts of no Broom’s Bloom for my entire pregnancy began flooding my brain.  By the time we got to the counter I was preparing myself for the worst.  But then as luck would have it the icecream DOES NOT have raw eggs and it IS pasteurized!!!!  Hallelujah!!!!  This was perhaps the best news of the week…or was it?

No I must say that the best news I have had this week would be that our baby is healthy and we SAW THE HEARTBEAT!!!!  Yay!  We were so excited.  Matt and I went for an early sonogram on Monday to make sure that my blood levels were ok and to check to see if the baby was doing alright.  What an amazing experience!  Here is how it went:

Nurse: Ok so you can undress from the waist down and the doctor will be right in. (Leaves.)

Matt: Waist down?  Am I supposed to leave?

Erin: No!  It’s for the sonogram.

Matt: Is that what that thing is for? (pointing to the “sonogram stick”  for lack of a better word)

Erin: I think so.

Matt: So they are going to stick that thing in you?

Erin: I think so, just to be safe stay in your chair.

Matt: No kidding, I’m not going down there!

Then came the miraculous moment of seeing Baby Fraz for the first time.  The doctor immediately turned the screen so that Matt could see, described where the baby was and that the flicker that was on the screen was its little heart beat.  The look on Matt’s face was one that I will never forget, he was amazed and immediately fell in love with our baby.  We did get to take a picture of Baby Fraz home with us.  The x’s that measure the baby’s length pretty much cover the baby because it is only the size of a lentil bean right now.  Big or little, we are just so happy that everything looks good so far.  Based on the measurements they say the due date may be around April 21st now, give or take a few days!!!! So without further ado, we are pleased for you all to meet Baby Fraz!

Until next time…

Erin

Well, tomorrow I will have been pregnant for (officially) five weeks! Here is the first picture that we took. Don’t be fooled by the photo, folks—if you see a bump it is NOT Baby Fraz. 🙂 I think it will take a while before Baby Fraz starts to create a significant enough bump to be visible. I am pretty sure I still need to make it through the “feeling fat” phase first!

We have told more family about Baby Fraz but have been questioning when is a good time to spread to the word to everyone. I know that they say it is better to wait until you are at least 8-12 weeks pregnant but I don’t know how people can actually do that. Baby Fraz’s grandparents are busting at the seams to tell people still and I can’t imagine that letting up as we get further along, so we gave the green light for them to tell family last night. It just seems counterintuitive to be feeling so happy about this miracle and then to not be sharing it with people. If something were to happen, God forbid, I feel like it would almost be better for friends and family to know than it would to have to hide it all. I guess it just comes down to what feels right to us. I have to say it has been a super stressful month and if Baby Fraz can make it through tough times like that, then he/she must be pretty tough!

So here’s the update: I started getting blood draws yesterday to monitor things and to make sure that everything is going well. I had my first official mood swing yesterday, where I cried much more than necessary about something and took extended time to recover from it! The “sauna” temperature must have been turned down in our bedroom, because I am no longer waking up during the night sweating—YAY! Also I have LOST 3 pounds already! Baby Fraz must be doing a lot of work in there because I haven’t changed what I normally do, except that I cut out my long runs.  And I am eating the same. So if anything, I should have gained some weight from cutting back on the running! Rest assured, they say weight loss is totally normal, so I will embrace it.  And I’ll have less to lose once the baby comes out!

Also, I have stopped in 2 baby stores and wandered around, not knowing what exactly I am looking for, feeling completely overwhelmed (typical of me and shopping), then leaving .

Ok, this is it for the updates! I’ll continue to keep you posted on any news. 🙂

Until next time…
Erin:)

At this time, I suppose that I am writing a somewhat “secret” blog. We just found out that we were having a baby on Wednesday night (two days ago) and because it is so early on, I can’t tell most people! I guess by writing this blog though, I am getting the “urge to tell the world” out of my system a little. Plus, when you do discover the blog, you will be able to scroll back and relive these early days of the pregnancy with me. Thereby technically not missing out on anything!

Finding out that I was pregnant was an amazing moment. For a few days I had been debating whether or not I should purchase a home pregnancy test. I was feeling a little bit different, but I also thought that I could be imagining what I was feeling—I will spare you the details. After all, I had no idea at the time what being pregnant would feel like. Matt convinced me that it was too early and that if the test came back negative, we would be disappointed. Then, after a few days of waking up feeling like I was sleeping in a sauna, Matt got the bug to look up “pregnancy symptoms” online. When he told me that he did this, I asked again if he thought that I should purchase a test—take note that this isn’t a huge time period that was elapsing but it seemed like an eternity. It was more like 3-4 days or so.

As soon as Matt said yes, I drove to the store to get a test! I was excited to find out, but I was really thinking in the back of my mind that I wasn’t pregnant. Matt, on the other hand, was almost sure that I was. So I got the test, came home, immediately peed on the stick, and covered it with a paper towel so that I couldn’t sneak a peak before Matt got upstairs. When we unveiled the stick, we saw two markers: one that showed that the test worked—check—then one that showed a plus or a minus—plus!!!! Holy cow, what a shock!!! We were actually having a baby!  Matt, being the mathematician that he is, immediately began to calculate the odds of a false positive. There was information on the box about false negatives but nothing about false positives. Over the next two days we took two more tests and all showed a big plus! Definitely pregnant with Baby Fraz!

We have told our parents and siblings only at this point because it is just so early on, but we can’t wait to tell everyone! My father-in-law is so excited that he is telling any stranger that he sees—I guess that he doesn’t have a blog to “secretly” share the news on. 🙂 It reminds me of when my husband asked my mother for her blessing when he wanted to propose to me. She told everyone in the small town that I grew up in that I was going to get engaged, hoping that the news would not get to me before the proposal did. Luckily it didn’t!

Now I sit and wait for some blood draws and my first doctor’s visit. Matt’s mom purchased some great reading materials to help us know what’s in store of us! I look forward to diving into those and planning many knitting projects for little Baby Fraz. We are thinking right now that we want to wait for the birth before we discover if Baby Fraz is a he or a she, so I will have to double-time it with my knitting so that I have both boy and girl options!

Until next time…
Erin 🙂