Erin needs...

My friend, Andrea sent me this on facebook. It's actually pretty funny, so I figured I would post it here too! Here goes...

Type your name and the word "needs" ("[Your first name] needs”) INTO YOUR FAVORITE SEARCH ENGINE and see what comes up. list the first 10 (or 20!) items and then tag 10 or more of your friends. and tag me back.

1. Erin needs another miracle.
2. Erin needs to wear shirts. (Hmm...)
3. Erin needs a servant (I like this one!)
4. Erin needs a drink (This one will have to wait about 7 more months!)
5. Erin needs facebook.
6. Erin needs a google good time.
7. Erin needs your prayers.
8. Erin needs new music (This is actually true! I haven't changed the cds out in my car for 6 months)
9. Erin needs a visit to the library soon. (Not true, I have too many books (baby books) to read)
10. Erin needs advice.
11. Erin needs a night off! (Amen!)
12. Erin needs a cooler name. (Good or bad thing? I don't know)
13. Erin needs a life. (Yes, Yes, Yes!)
14. Erin needs our thoughts! (Because she stuck with her own)
15. Erin will need to have the helmet off during transportation. (HAHA)
16. Erin needs a Harley. (No!)
17. Erin needs to remember that in New Zealand the kiwis like their advertising to be politically incorrect. (What?)
18. Erin needs a new nickname. (Any suggestions?)
19. Erin needs a liver transplant. (O...K...)
20. Erin needs to go to bed (Too late for that)

Seeing the bean!!!

Today we finally got a chance to see the bean during our first sonogram. I was a little anxious because other than feeling pregnant symptoms I didn't have any real proof that I was indeed pregnant and that the baby was growing. Ken came with me to the first appointment and we took a video of the sonogram. It's really short and actually there are two really short videos. I'll post the picture they gave us on Thursday once I find somewhere to scan it in.
We couldn't see much on the screen, but what we could see was a strong heartbeat and a blob. I had hoped we'd see him or her moving around, but the sonogram didn't even last more than 2 minutes before it was over. Based on my calculations online and the calculation they make initially at the doctor's office my due date was October 25th. After the sonogram they changed it to November 8th, 2 weeks later. I didn't actually realize that they had changed my due date until an hour after my appointment when the nurse called to move my appointments back by 2 weeks each. I was shocked and a little irritated. I know when I conceived, so I highly doubt my due date is November 8th. But, they base the date off of measurements or averages for size. So, for now I'm just going to have wait and hope that it changes.
It mostly stinks because I don't want to go back 2 weeks. Every week that passes is a big deal and knowing that the baby is growing to the size of a pea, bean, cherry, a quarter and now a small plum really has helped me to not feel like this will take forever. For now, I'm going to pretend my doctor never said anything. It's going to take a couple appointments of the baby measuring 2 weeks late for me to start to believe it. The baby will come whenever he or she is supposed to, so I guess the date is just a goal anyway. I will keep you posted. If you run into me though I'm 9 weeks and 2 days as of today, not 7 weeks and 2 days like the doctor says. I like what Tifani said, "The mommy is always right!"

Ella Turns One!

My niece, Gabriella, turned 1 last week! I can't believe how fast time has past. It seems like I just held her for the first time yesterday. I remember when she was born within minutes feeling like she was mine. I had this instinct automatically that made me want to protect her. Here it's been a year and she has totally changed our family. It's hard to imagine life without baby Ella. It's even more hard to imagine life with two babies in the Schwiesow family by her 2nd birthday. I look forward to seeing Ella, who will be 20 months old when our baby comes, with her new baby cousin. She is so much like my sister. She's a nurturer, independent, stubborn, loving, and she never meets a stranger. She also wants what she wants and she'll make it happen. This is really a Schwiesow attribute :) I've added pictures from her birthday party. She had a ton of fun and even threw up 3 times. I guess all the sugar and excitement got to her.

As far as pregnancy goes, there's nothing much going on. The books and websites say that the baby is going to be the size of a blueberry by the end of the week. The baby's heart is beating. His or her arms and legs are little buds at this point. I'm looking forward to week 9 when the baby stops looking so much like a seahorse and more like an actual human being. In the next few weeks, the baby's facial features are going to be visable and the baby should grow to the size of cherry. We are really moving up...!

I am feeling great! I've had a little bit of lightheadness, but that is mostly when I need to eat. Other than that, I haven't had any morning sickness. I've also been experiencing headaches. Tylenol may work, but I think it'll take more than I'm supposed to take to make it work. For now, I just have to get in bed and collapse to make it go away. I'm mostly just tired, busy peeing every 30 minutes, and really looking forward to hearing the baby's heartbeat in 3 weeks. They said they will take a picture too, so I'll try to find a friend's house to scan in the picture once we have our sonogram.

Enjoying her 1st cake

Ella enjoying her "Five Little Monkeys" book from Ken's parents.

Ella loved the Little People Farm House we got her so much that she pushed it around the house!

Good things come in 3's!

I've always heard that good things come in 3's, but in the last two weeks it has effected me directly. 2 weeks ago tonight, my best friend, Pam Perry told me that she was 13 weeks pregnant. Two days later another really good friend Elizabeth Reinking, told me she had just gotten engaged. At that point, I kept thinking "Good things come in 3's" so what's the 3rd one going to be. Well, a week or so passed and #3 finally came.

I'M PREGNANT!!!! I took a test at Kaiser on Thursday and it came back inconclusive. I was frustrated, especially when my doctor told me that she wanted me to wait until Wednesday to take another one. I figured that I would go in on Monday and not tell Ken I was going earlier. As every day passed, it was driving me nuts not knowing if I was pregnant. I came up to Ken after church on Sunday and told Ken I wanted to go to the store and he said that he was going to surprise me and say we should go to the store. We headed off to Bel-Air to buy the test and since my sister and nieces were at my parents this weekend, I figured we'd head over to my parents house after we took the test. The test turned positive immediately. I didn't even have a chance to finish taking the test. I was in a fog, almost forgetting my jacket in the bathroom. I ran out of the bathroom to Ken who was waiting in the deli and said "We're pregnant!" We were really excited! So, excited that I managed to give myself a paper cut on the E.P.T. box.

By the time we reached my parents 5 minutes later, I decided to bring the stick in with me, which hadn't been the plan originally. I thought I'd want to throw it away. I walked in to my parents house and said, "Uh, I'm pregnant!" Everyone starting screaming and hugging Ken & me.

The baby should be here at the end of October. We're even more excited because Pam is just 10 weeks ahead of us. Unfortunately, Elizabeth's wedding is October 24th in San Diego so I'm going to miss the wedding :( Rachel says that she will hold the phone up so I can hear everything.

Valentine's Day!

Ken & I have never celebrated Valentine's Day on the actual Valentine's Day. It seems like it always falls during the week or I have an opportunity to work that night, so we've always done something the weekend before or after. This year Ken decided he wanted to try a new recipe, pork loin, red potatoes, corn and french bread and because I had to work on Valentine's Day (my choice), we celebrated tonight.
The pork loin turned out pretty good. My only complaint was having to wait until 730PM to eat it. I should have started in on the french bread an hour earlier :) I'm so grateful to have a husband who will make me dinner. He was so cute about the whole thing and wanted to do it himself, even when he accidently used chives instead of thyme. I laughed, he did not. Come on, it was really funny!!!! They both are green. It still tasted good.
During dinner we talked about what we have done for Valentine's Day over the last 4 we've had together. Our first Valentine's Day, Ken was on a business trip to Oklahoma so we went to Monterey for the weekend two weeks later. The next year Ken made us dinner at home along with chocolate covered strawberries. Last year, we went to dinner at The Esquire Grill downtown and to see "The Bucket List" along with a whole theatre of senior adults.
It was really nice to spend the entire afternoon and evening with Ken. We even toasted each other with our IBC Rootbeer's. We really are going to try to go out next Valentine's Day, if we can.

Old Friends

Elizabeth hanging out with Brendan

Rachel, Elizabeth, Me & Brendan the bear

Brendan trying to eat the napkin dispenser.

Last weekend, Ken & I drove down to Riverside, CA to visit Rachel, Scott & Brendan Keys. Rachel and I have been friends since 8th grade. I've been talking about going down to visit her and another old friend, Elizabeth since we left for college almost 8 years ago. We had a great weekend and were really busy! We went to look at model homes on our way home from pancakes and wine tasting with Elizabeth. Unfortunately, the first set of model homes was a 55+ community. Our first clue should have been the sign that said "active adult community". We did a lot of driving, but it was nice to be out.

The wine tasting was fun, even though Ken & I don't drink wine. Elizabeth got a great video on her blog of the wine tasting and breakfast. (http://odd-on-purpose.livejournal.com/).

The only downside of the trip was the drive, but the trip was worth it! It was great to see that even though years pass that some things never change. I can't wait to get down there again to visit them.