23 THINGS I DID, CAN DO AND DON’T WANT TO DO: A RESPONSE

So there’s a blog post circulating “The Facebook” and it has me a bit irritated. It’s all about 23 things to do instead of getting engaged before 23. I agree 100% that many people should not be married at a young age and they should absolutely find themselves first, but what bothers me about this is it’s generalization. Not every young person gets married because “it’s a safety blanket.” And I absolutely agree that the author is not ready to be married, because if she truly believes that only single people can be responsible for their own happiness then she’s too naive to understand a strong marriage…even between twenty-somethings.

She points out that at the age of 22 she’s got no idea what her future will look like. I understand that’s the norm for most (but NOT ALL) 22-year-olds. But that wasn’t me. I don’t want to feel guilty for having my life pretty much figured out at 22. I had graduated from college, lived abroad, travelled through Europe and across the United States, dated my future husband for three years, decided on my own not to finish grad school and secured a full-time, union job with benefits in my chosen field of broadcasting, as well as established myself as a freelancer in the industry. 

There’s certainly still things I’d like to accomplish, but I can do all of them while married. I really can. And you know why…because I’m fucking awesome. Just as the author claims to be. She doesn’t know my relationship or inside the relationships she sees on facebook.

Everyone is different and I would think that in this age the Millennials should be allowed to choose their future…whatever future they want. Millennials are judged enough by the baby boomers and basically every media outlet with dozens of stories about our dependence on our parents, our narcissism, our depression. With all this judgement from everyone else, can’t we just accept that we all deserve the right to choose for ourselves what we want out of life and when we want it??? 

So let’s see how many on this list I did before 23 while engaged. 

1. Get a passport. DONE, done at 19-years-old.

2. Find your “thing.” DONE, TV–it’s been my thing since I was 5 making movies on my dad’s camcorder.

3. Make out with a stranger. DONE, at a bar during a girls night out (and truly that’s so unlike me it’s ridiculous. I don’t choose to do it again, married or not.)

4. Adopt a pet. DONE, dog and cat (what does it matter that it was done with my husband…I still take care of them)

5. Start a band. WOULD NEVER DO, married or not.

6. Make a cake. Make a second cake. Have your cake and eat it too. I’m gonna say DONE…I’ve made cakes…I’ve eaten those cakes, and I’m still happy to be married. 

7. Get a tattoo. It’s more permanent than a marriage. DONE.

8. Explore a new religion. DONE, while in London. Doesn’t mean I ever believed I would become a Buddhist or Muslim. And even if I changed my mind, I could do that while married. 

9. Start a small business. DONE, on my own, while engaged.

10.Cut your hair. DONE, cut my hair short plenty of times. Will do it again, more drastically, even married. 

11. Date two people at once and see how long it takes to blow up in your face. WOULD NEVER DO THIS, even single, it’s not me. 

12. Build something with your hands. DONE, without my husband. 

13. Accomplish a Pinterest project. DONE, I fucking accomplish things. I’ve probably accomplished more pinterest projects than this girl has pinned. 

14. Join the Peace Corps. I looked into this in college and loans are what held me back, not my husband. In fact, we plan to do this together when we retire. 

15. Disappoint your parents. Again, what? Why would I want to do this. It’s not me. Glad she can accomplish this goal though. 

16. Watch GIRLS, over and over again. DONE, just because I like Girls, doesn’t mean I don’t also hate the perpetuation of the laziness of millennials. 

17. Eat a jar of Nutella in one sitting. DONE, oh yes, done.

18. Make strangers feel uncomfortable in public places. DONE, I’ll say this has been done with friends, husband, family, whatever. 

19. Sign up for CrossFit. WILL THE GYM COUNT? Spinning through college. I’m saying DONE. And you know what, i can and will workout with a husband. 

20. Hangout naked in front of a window. DONE, in college and out. Pretty much do this every time I breastfeed. And it feels great, even if it’s because I’m a twenty-something with a baby.  

21. Write your feelings down in a blog. DOING IT. 

22. Be selfish. ALL THE TIME. And then I think of others, just as I would if I wasn’t married. 

23. Come with me to the Philippines for Chinese New Year. I’ve celebrated Chinese New Year in London in Chinatown and at a Buddhist temple with ashes on my forehead from the Anglican Ash Wednesday service I went to before that. I’m saying this is a pretty awesome Chinese New Year story and I’m done. 

So, yea, I can choose to be happy, prove my independence, be a strong person and continue to discover who I am while married. Maybe not everyone can. Divorce statistics are not made up, but I’m not a statistic. I can be a millennial with goals, accomplishments and a marriage. 

An Extra 42 Days

I didn’t expect to meet this guy until today! I’m so happy that I got an extra 42 days with him! #duedate #premie #babycolepgh

HIGH FIVE FOR FRIDAY

For my holiday High Five for Friday I tried really hard to not make all five of these about Jack. I did my best, but didn’t really succeed…at least it’s not five headshots of him.

1. Ok, one headshot. But seriously, how cute is my boy in this outfit! You can’t go wrong with a baby in a sweater vest! 

2. Each year on Christmas Eve we get a photo with my cousins. It’s so cool that Jack is now included in this photograph! I just can’t believe that my cousin Liam started as a baby in these photos and now look at him (peace signs)! One day Jack will be his size and Liam might have a baby of his own! 

3. We started a new tradition this year of having all the grandparents and aunts come to our house for Christmas morning. It is so special that we all spent it together. I can’t wait until Jack eagerly awaits for everyone’s arrival so that he can open presents!

4. I was thrilled to watch my sister open our gift to her this year.  The Ginger gave her a Doctor Who necklace and River Song’s journal and together we bought her tickets to see David Tennant (her favorite Doctor Who) in a play while she’s in London. She was so surprised and excited. I just wish I could be with her to see the play! 

5. It’s such a joy to see my grandparents with Jack. I’m so glad that they will get to know him. I just wish my Pap-pap Joe was still alive to see Jack.

The Mask You Live In

As a new mom it is very important to me to raise my son to be a fair and loving person. I don’t want to box him into a little category of what a man is supposed to be. I want him to understand his emotions and be open to feel. I want him to treat all people with respect and understanding. I hope that he will call himself a feminist. 

I am very eager to see this documentary. The Miss Representation documentary, by the same creators, really moved me. I hope that by just raising my son, I can make a small difference in the way men and women are treated in the world. 

Happy Christmas from the Cole Family! 

I really love our Christmas card/Birth Announcements from Tiny Prints! 

Co-Ed Baby Shower

Just days before Jack was born, my mother-in-law hosted a second baby shower for me and the Ginger. The soccer theme was adorable with such a cute cupcake “cake” (from Giant Eagle!). I guess I’d better prepare to be a soccer mom, because that is certainly the Ginger’s plan! Jack is going to be all set in his first Riverhounds onesie, little trainers and already too many jerseys to count! 

Last Bump Photo

These are the last pictures of me before I gave birth to Jack! My sister and I were randomly out in South Side and decided to do a little photo shoot. Boy am I glad we did. I love these photos and I’m so glad to have some nice shots of me this big! I didn’t really document my belly enough during this pregnancy so I’m thrilled to have these at least. Next pregnancy I’d like to do a weekly photo to see the changes. Wow, did I say next pregnancy…that won’t be happening anytime soon. I want to enjoy just Jack for a while. But one day…

Our family of three

Our first family photoshoot! Our talented friend Heather Kresge took these photos during Jack’s first week home. I’m so excited to have photos from this special time. 

Birth Announcement

Introducing John “Jack” David Cole. 

I love that my last post was about preparing for the next few weeks, because little did I know I didn’t have them. I gave birth at 34 weeks to a beautiful baby boy. 

Jack’s birth story isn’t totally full of crazy complications, but we did have some ups and downs. I was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia the day before he was born. My midwives passed me off to the high risk doctors who chose to induce. Over 24 hours and 40 minutes later, Jack was born. Unfortunately his lungs were not totally ready and he had to be cared for in the NICU. After a dose of surfactant to coat his lungs, he started breathing properly and was on the road to recovery. He only had to be intubated for four hours. After a couple days on a feeding tube, we started feeding him breastmilk by bottle, and then 12 days later we brought our baby boy home. 

My emotions have been all over the place. I’m now totally full of joy and love each day more and more. However, those first few days…weeks really…were rough. I was so upset I couldn’t carry Jack to term. I felt like it was my fault he was in the NICU because I developed preeclampsia. When I was finally released from the hospital I felt so alone because Jack was still in the NICU. (The Ginger was amazing this whole time, but I still felt lonely without Jack) I missed him in my belly and I missed seeing him in the NICU. I really felt lost not being pregnant anymore. Despite some nausea and the high blood pressure, I loved being pregnant. I loved my figure, I loved my clothes, but obviously, most of all, I loved being so close to my baby.

Now that Jack is home, it’s almost been a month, I feel so much better.  We are learning how to do this parenting thing and I gain more confidence each day. Jack is developing so well! He weighs a whopping 7 pounds 4 ounces now, compare that to five weeks ago his birth weight of 4 pounds 13 ounces! Our boy loves to eat! And best of all his lungs are great. He is developing just as he should be! Our next goal, according to the pediatrician (other than keep gaining weight), is to get an intentional smile! I can’t wait for it! 

HIGH FIVE FOR FRIDAY

This is week 33 of my pregnancy. It’s getting a bit harder as the weeks go by, but I know that in just a few more it will be worth it because I’ll have my little boy! My goals for these weeks are to take care of myself, relax, and enjoy the people in my life! 

1. The Ginger and I have only one more birth class left! I really enjoyed the classes because we did learn a lot of techniques to use. My goal is to give birth naturally…or as naturally as possible. I will be induced because of some high blood pressure that I’ve been having with the pregnancy. But I really hope to use the techniques to get through the birth without an epidural or other drugs. 

2. I had a really trying day at the hospital this week because of the blood pressure, but then I spent the rest of afternoon with my sister. We had such a fun time, eating, talking and taking pictures. It totally changed my mood for the day and I’m so thankful! 

3. As difficult as it is to have complications with my pregnancy, twice a week I get to hear my baby’s heart beat for about 20 minutes and it’s wonderful! It’s a necessary test to be sure everything is going as it’s supposed to and it really makes me feel better to know that he is doing well! 

4. The Carnegie museums were free on Thursday! The Ginger, Hope and I wandered through it for a bit, mostly talking. We’re not great at museums…we get bored…but we had fun none-the-less!

5. Those feet! I can’t get enough of this pup! She’s just too cute! 

30 BEFORE 30

To make the most of my twenties I decided to start a list of things I’d like to accomplish before it’s over and I become a thirty-something. I tried to be realistic, but know that I have to work hard for many of these goals. Now let’s see what I can get done in the next four years!

30 before 30

1. Kiss my baby boy
2. Have a drink with my 21-year old sister
3. See a Liverpool game at Anfield with the Ginger
4. Be able to have a full conversation in Italian with my relatives
5. Run a marathon
6. Open an Etsy store with my mom
7. Buy a canoe or kayak
8. Complete a juice cleanse
9. Plant a vegetable garden
10. Spend Christmas in Willamsburg, VA
11. Hit the 5-year mark of full time at KDKA
12. Read Daniel Striped Tiger to my baby
13. Take a full family portrait
14. Feel confident as a TD
15. Learn to properly use my DSLR
16. Put my feet in the ocean with my baby
17. Be totally debt-free
18. Scrapbook my childhood photos
19. Have a weekly date night with the Ginger
20. Learn to play tennis
21. Explore a new city
22. Spend a whole week without social media and TV
23. Fill an entire journal
24. Make all the recipes in my Betty Crocker cookbook
25. Become pregnant with my second baby
26. Get a pixie haircut
27. Crochet a blanket for dad
28. Join a bowling league
29. Stay at the Priory for my fifth wedding anniversary
30. Go to the Harry Potter Park in Florida

High Five for Friday

So this is my first High Five for Friday post in a while! I think it’s the perfect way to appreciate some of the little things that happened during my week. Oftentimes, I blow past good moments and dwell on the negative. I hope to use this fun link up to give me better perspective.

1. I had a really rough time last Friday at a freelance job. It was my first show on a new switcher and it was not pretty, to say the least. I was back on my normal switcher this week for a different show and it was SO much better! It kind of brought back my confidence!

2. The Ginger got a new job a few weeks ago and it was about time I stopped by to check out his new office. And of course I had to take a cheesy proud wife photo!

3. My mom is THE best, hands down. She made curtains for the nursery from fabric I designed and had printed! She was so nervous that she would mess up, but they turned out perfect! They bring so much color to the room. I can’t thank her enough!

4. After many years of waiting, our favorite pub opened up a small take awayshop for fish and chips! The Ginger and I grabbed a quick bite before our birthing class. SOOO good!

5. My week wrapped up with another freelance job. It was a big show as it was the start of basketball season in a new conference, and it went really well. Plus, I worked with some of my favorite people!

30 Is Not The New 20

TED Talks are one of my favorite things about the internet age. I don’t think I’ve watched one yet that didn’t affect me in some way. It almost makes the mindless Facebook checking worth it when you click on a Friend’s link that leads to a talk like this. 

“Thirty is not the new twenty, so claim your adulthood, get some identity capital, use your weak ties and pick your family. Don’t be defined by what you didn’t know or didn’t do - you’re deciding your life right now.” -Meg Jay

I really believe this statement. I know I’m not the normal twenty-something…I decided what I wanted to do and had a job in my chosen field at 20, married at 23 and now a baby on the way at 26. But even if all of these things are not accomplished so early, I believe there still needs to be a plan in place. And not just a plan for family and career, but for developing into the person you want to be. For me it has been so important to travel, attend cultural events, watch or read something that changes my mind on a topic. Jay points out that in your twenties you can make real changes in who you are and I hope that the lessons and experiences I gained from those things important to me will impact who I am for the rest of my life. 

Library Baby Shower

During this time while pregnant, I’ve realized just how many people really, truly love me! I was given the most amazing shower by my mom, sister, and cousins. They put so much time, energy and love into it and I can’t thank them enough. For about a month we crafted every Monday night to prepare! Those nights were just as much fun as the shower, spent laughing and laughing! 

The theme for the shower was Build-a-Library. We asked everyone to bring a book instead of a card and baby Jack is so set to be an avid reader! With the book theme in place, we decided to use Little Golden Books as inspiration for the decorations. Like with the Gender Reveal Party, Pinterest was an amazing source of inspiration. The color scheme was green and yellow to match the nursery. Everything came together so beautifully! Probably my favorite part of the decorations were the reading quotes on brown kraft paper. It was so simple, but really beautiful paired with the pennant banners made from old Golden Books.

 

Most importantly, I loved spending time with so many lovely women who attended my shower. I really have some of the best friends and family! We played shower games (because I LOVE them), ate delicious homemade food, and got to look at all the presents that guests so generously gave to make Baby Jack’s entrance into this world easier! 

Well the spend freeze is not a total success. Nor is it a total failure. We’re sort of right in the middle.

Certainly have stopped spending like wild. I feel like I’ve really made an effort to eat out less, go to less concerts/events, and have completely cut out shopping at the Loft. We’ve made due having just basic cable with Netflix. Grocery shopping has been much more condensed and sensible. There are less frivolous purchases, though not a total success there. 

The areas I have a bit of trouble are Target shopping. And beauty products. I want organic shampoo and conditioner. I want non-bleached, environmentally friendly toilet paper. I want that paraben free press powder and blush from that really awesome make-up boutique that supplies the make-up for Homeland, meaning I wear the same make-up as Claire Danes, which means we should be best friends, and she should let me hook up with her husband at some point. Too far? You know what I mean. These wants weigh me down and I don’t know how to stop having the urge and I don’t know how to put down the debit or credit card and step away from Amazon, or drive past Target when I see it. More to work on, I guess.

At this point, we’re still down two credit cards. Four more to pay off, but the balance is consistently going down. I’m trying to pay at least $100 every month to each of them, but it’s usually more :) Our one car should be paid off by the middle of November, and then we will start saving for a down payment for a second car. We plan to purchase a second car in March before I go back to work after maternity leave. 

Some progress is better than no progress though. And I know that as long as I keep making the effort then we’ll be better off. I just need to remember that this debt free lifestyle will be a better environment for our little baby and future family. 

Maternity Session

Back in May, the Ginger and I won a raffle basket that included a free portrait session with a local photographer! We decided to use them for our Maternity shoot! We had a blast at our shoot in Dormont Park with Melissa Distel. She was so generous to included a $75 portrait session, along with $75 worth of products. Since we were so quick and easy with the shoot, she said we could use the rest of our package for a newborn shoot with Baby Jack! I can’t believe we have that all set! Newborn photos…it’s unreal! I love free, or mostly free stuff (the raffle ticket was cheap compared to what we won)! And I’m in love with the photos. I know we will cherish these and will be so happy to look back at these in twenty years! 

Buctober

With the spend freeze in full effect, the Ginger and I have only attended a couple Pirate games this season. The two we went to during the regular season were with free tickets, once for a work event and once with friends! How lucky is that?

But our luck continued and we scored amazing seats during the post season (seriously Pirates in the post season!) from our friend who works for the team. I really wanted to get the Ginger tickets and was so thrilled to get them for a really reasonable price, especially when they were hard to come by! We had so much fun and saw a winning game! Being in PNC Park for a play-off game is something I never thought I would experience. It was unlike any other game I’ve ever been to. I can’t wait to for more from the Pirates next year! Let’s Go Bucs! 

Apple Picking

This weekend to get in the Autumn mood, went apple picking with my good friend Steph! It was a real thrill picking our own fruit, straight from the source! I hope this becomes a yearly tradition! 

Asheville Trip

My friend Ashley and I recently visited our favorite college professor in Asheville, North Carolina. Jan Getz, is an amazing woman with an equally amazing background in television production. She’s a true inspiration, not only in her professional life but in real life too! She’s traveled the world with her husband, who she met and married right out of college (just like me and the Ginger). She lives to help people, whether it be her students, friends or through the non-profits she’s involved with. I aspire to be more like her every day! 

It was such a cool experience to see a glimpse of her life outside of Pittsburgh and Point Park. Asheville is an incredible city set among the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s residents are a mix of hippies, hipsters, mountain people and retirees. There are over 250 locally owned businesses (I only saw one or two chain retail stores or restaurants while there)! There was so much local culture, local food and pride for both. I can’t wait to take the Ginger and baby there on vacation in the future! 

It's a Boy!

And we cut the cake to find blue icing!! 

We had our ultrasound painstakingly early in the morning…8am. I say it was painful because our party wasn’t until 7pm that night! We had to wait all day to find out…I don’t know how anyone could wait the entire nine months.

The ultrasound tech wrote down the gender in a card and I brought it to the bakery. I was a bit nervous leaving that envelope. Especially because I used some stationary I had laying around, and it had a pink envelope (no expectations, just what I had already). The guy at the counter was like, “Oh we’re making a cake with pink icing, right?” I sort of freaked out and shouted, “NO! Look inside the envelope!” I was a bit on edge, I guess because he just started laughing at me!  

But the bakery did a fabulous job and it matched the card…which I asked to have back just in case! Ha! So paranoid. 

It was the most amazing feeling cutting into that cake with the Ginger. I had guessed boy beforehand but I really wasn’t sure. I always imagined having a girl, but I could not be more thrilled to raise a little boy. Everything will be so new and exciting with a boy. I have nothing to compare it to, like I would with a girl! I know the Ginger is going to be an amazing father and it’s going to be a blast being a parent with him! 

And now we can start shopping! Oh wait. I’m on a spend freeze. Well, we’ll see how that goes. I guess moderation is key, because I know I can’t hold off on buying baby clothes for too long! 

Gender Reveal Party Part 1

The Ginger and I decided we would have the most fun finding out the gender of our baby while surrounded by friends and family! As true products of our age we hosted a Gender Reveal Party! Pinterest was my great friend during the planning process!  You can check out my inspiration board! 

It was a very light, fun party so we decided to have just a dessert bar! But of course we went all out! We had French macarons, chocolate covered pretzels, my Mom’s famous chocolate chip cookies and Hope’s oatmeal peanut butter cookies (my favorite kind), brownie bites, M&M’s…and then the cake! More on the cake in a later post!

No party in 2013 is complete without a photo booth, so we had two options for our guests. Everyone who thought it was a boy got a mustache, while those guessing girl got lips. It’s great to have a log of who guessed correctly before we cut the cake…and I love photo booths because you are sure to get at least one photo of everyone at the party! Stay tuned for the gender reveal! 

I love this feeling!

I just paid off another credit card! I feel so relieved. This spend freeze is so totally worth it! Looks like I won’t be going to the Loft for quite a while, but I’m actually very OK with that!

Credit card count in May = 6, mostly maxed out cards between me and the Ginger

Credit card count in June = 4, consistently being lowered each week

My next goal is to have one more card paid off by the end of August! At this rate I’m very confident I can achieve that!!

Home Spa Day

So I’ve been thinking, what can I do to embarrass myself even more…I’ve already shared my issue with debt to the internet world, how about I add a terrible photo. Well here it is. But as awful as I may look, I feel great now!

Pregnancy acne is a very real thing, I’ve come to realize. It’s no fun. My normal go-to option for a bad breakout is to buy those facial scrubs in the grocery store that make my face burn. But they all have salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide in them and, it’s recommended to avoid those while pregnant. My other option is to get a facial at a spa…which I did last month and shelled out $85+ tip. Not my best move while on a spend freeze, but I was feeling pretty gross considering that I still didn’t look pregnant, just fat, and my face looked like a 13-year-old.

With this latest breakout I decided to look at some other options. My diet is mostly consisting of organic produce and lean meats, with an occasional ice cream thrown in. Plus, I’ve been drinking so much water lately it’s ridiculous. So I don’t think my diet is the cause of the breakout…just the normal pregnancy hormones. With the help of my mom, we put together a little home spa day to see if that helped. If not, at least it would be relaxing. We tried two recipes for homemade facial scrubs that worked together, creating the Fire & Ice Facial. It felt amazing, and it was all made from items at home so I didn’t have to worry about harmful chemicals entering my body. Still waiting to see how well my acne clears up, but all in all it was a very relaxing time. My sister even painted my nails so I got a true spa day.

Home Spa Day: Start with a make-up free face, then use the Spiced Sugar Scrub, followed by the Cooling Cucumber Mask (modified slightly from a recipe in Woman’s World)

Spiced Sugar Scrub Recipe:

    -2 Tablespoons brown sugar

    -1 Tablespoon honey

    -1 Tablespoon lime juice

    -½ teaspoon cinnamon

    -½ teaspoon paprika

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Microwave the mixture for 10 seconds. Apply the scrub over the entire face (watch the eye area because that paprika won’t feel great in there). Massage with fingertips using a small circular motion. Finish by rinsing face with warm water and pat dry. Move onto the Cooling Cucumber Mask next.

Cooling Cucumber Mask Recipe:

    -½ cup cucumber, chopped

    -¼ cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)

    -1 teaspoon powdered milk

    -2 teaspoons aloe vera (I used this from a plant, rather than buying the processed gel)

Combine all ingredients in a blender until a smooth paste has formed. Place mask in the refrigerator or freezer until comfortably chilled. Gently smooth the mask over your face using your fingertips. Allow to soothe your skin for 20 minutes, then rinse with cool water and pat dry. (During the 20 minutes, I put cucumbers on my eyes to relax even more!)

Budget Decorating

I suppose I’m in nesting mode, because I want to do nothing other than clean and decorate! I’m so excited that the Ginger and I have started the rearranging process. We have the new office finished (mostly) and that means the next project is the nursery! 

We rent a three bedroom house and have decided to switch up the rooms. Our former office will become the nursery and the guest room is now the office. We added a futon that I bought used at a yard sale. It’s in great condition and can double as a bed for our out-of-town guests. Other than the futon, we only spent money on paint. We chose grey for the walls and bright white for the trim. The Ginger’s growing scarf collection is our feature wall, making this his sort of “man cave” since he doesn’t actually have one right now. It’s not how I would normally choose to decorate but it makes him happy and does add a lot of color to the room, plus it saves money on artwork! In time I’ll add a few things that I have to buy… a new rug, floating shelves for above the desk, and curtains. I still have a few projects to finish in there as well, including hanging our diplomas and possibly painting the ugly file cabinet. For right now I’m so pleased with the room. It’s very useful and it displays a lot of the Ginger’s sport memorabilia (it’s not going to waste sitting in the basement).  

Cost for this room (white paint will also be used for all the trim and doors in the house): 

Futon $30, Paint (Valspar Paint and Primer in One 1 gallon white and 1 quart grey) $40

My First Bump Shot

Alright, so there’s not really a baby bump yet…just my gut…but I need a before pic and this is it! I am so looking forward to actually looking pregnant. I can’t believe that in a few short weeks I’ll be able to feel the baby! Seeing the ultrasound and then hearing the heartbeat made this all feel so much more real, but that bump will really mean I’m pregnant. That might sound a bit dumb, but I guess seeing is believing? 

Now let’s hope my attempt a being trendy with oversized shirts pays off. I’m hoping to not have to buy too many maternity clothes. We’ll see how that works out!