Lil' Monkey's Big Adventure

Time Flies...

2009-09-08T20:06:00.000-07:00

If there are any consistent blog checkers out there....my sincere apologies. I cannot believe that I've not updated this since May 17th. It's unbelieveable to think about the time that has passed. I am not very good at the blog, but am proud to say that I have kept up with the newsletters! :o) One small victory for Mom!

I decided I need to start taking a bit of time every once in a while to document a few stories here and there. Tonight, we have Hannah's first cold...

It started as a runny nose last night and continued through today. She was in good spirits tonight, despite the faucet attached to her face - formerly known as her nose....

She was pretty patient with the aspirator and only fussed a bit when trying to clear her nose. I feel bad for her though because she of course has no idea how to blow her nose and rid herself of the icky snot. We're doing our best to help her out and hope it passes quickly. There are definitely more fun things to do than develop our aspirating skills!

WOW...time passes so quickly!

2009-05-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

It's been a long while since I've been on the blog...and so much has happened...here's a mini recap...

Hannah got baptized - 3/28/09.

Hannah went for her 4 month doctor's check up - 4/9/09.

Hannah went to Chattanooga for her first trip - 4/25-4/29/09.

Mom turned 29 - 4/25/09

Uncle Douglas graduated from Law School - 5/15/09.

Hannah rolled over - 5/16/09.

Hannah slept in her crib for the first time - 5/16/09.

Whew! Being a baby is hard work! So much going on!

Things in the Westerson house are great. Hannah is such a fun baby. She keeps us on our toes. She's really gotten big, weighing in at 13 pounds, 4 ounces at the doctor's office. She continues to have lots of hair but she is getting a bit of a bald spot from rubbing her head on the bed!

She's a very talkative, wonderful joy. She is learning to say and do new things every day...we are so blessed!

Hannah's TV Debut

2009-04-14T19:37:00.001-07:00

http://www.ksdk.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=171200&catid=12

This is a link to Hannah's very first appearance on TV. Hannah was lucky enough to be selected to be a child model for Chesterfield Mall...hmmm...I wonder how she got that gig!?!?!?

Anyway, taking her to the station for her debut was a bit nerve wracking...and more than once I thought...Is this a good idea? I kept running through the possible scenarios in my mind...will she cry? Will she smile? Will she spit up on the $148 dress that she is wearing?

As our adventure began, she fell asleep in the car and I thought, "This is great! Sleep is good." because she is normally very happy after naps. Then of course, when we got to the station, she woke up...and she was a bit cranky because of how she was woken up...apparently a lot of jostling to get her out of the car and cold wind is not the ideal way to wake a baby. But, I figured it was nothing that a bottle couldn't cure so off we went to feed Miss Hannah. Even after eating she was still a bit fussy...and a bit fussier after pulling the dress over her head. As I put on her satin shoes and adjusted the bow in her hair I held my breath as we entered the live studio for her big debut...

And she did GREAT! Granted, she lost her shoe during the segment and kept pulling at the dress with her little hands (which I thought was very cute...), but she didn't cry, drool or do anything else overly distracting...SHE WAS FABULOUS!

I took a huge, deep breath after it was all done and despite all of the nerves and trepidation thought, "When can we put her on TV again???"

Formula Stinks!

2009-02-22T18:43:00.000-08:00

I am very proud to say that Hannah has been a solely breastfed baby...until recently. Hannah decided to get super hungry in the afternoons and evenings and, I just couldn't keep up. So to keep me sane and her fed, we began to supplement with a small amount of formula in the evening. (This was slightly traumatic for me as I developed some sort of complex that I was failing as a mother because I wasn't producing enough food for my child...I've since recovered and realized I am still doing great things by breastfeeding at all of the other feedings...no need to call a shrink. But I digress.)

Hannah's first formula experience was not pretty. First off, it smells and if it smells to us, it's even more pungent to babies who have noses so good they can tell their mom from other moms! So immediately when Jamie gave her the bottle, her nose wrinkled. Then he put it in her mouth and she tasted it. Apparently it's not as sweet and tasty as the breast milk she was used to...She immediately starting gaging and spitting it out. She refused to drink the formula until she realized that was all she was getting. Begrudgingly, she finally ate it.

That was Hannah's reaction. For us, it was a little easier to swallow (ha ha) However, after eating it, she didn't have sweet Hannah breath, but smelled like nasty formula...and the smell stuck...for what seemed like hours! EWWW!!! And it caused her to spit up...unlike breast milk. Double EWWW!!!

Conclusion: We don't like the smell and Hannah doesn't like the taste...So long story short...formula stinks...

Mommy and Me

2009-02-22T18:32:00.001-08:00

Bonk

2009-02-22T18:21:00.000-08:00

Everyone has nicknames for their precious babies. Hannah is no exception. Obviously she was "Lil Monkey" before she was born. She's been dubbed "Grandma's Little Doll" by my Grandmother (her Great Grandmother). Great Grandpa Guthrie calls her his "Little Punkin" and her daddy calls her "Baby Bear."

Recently though, we've had to dub a new nickname for Hannah - Bonk. She's learning to use her neck muscles and loves to be held upright against your chest. She's pretty good about holding her head up but every once in a while she starts to wobble and then...BONK...her head careens towards you with enough force to bust your lip. (She doesn't cry, but it made me blink back a tear!) Now...keep in mind that we are cautious to watch her neck and work to prevent this from happening but inevitably she'll be rolling along with great skill at holding her head up and then...BONK...Her little head does a dance!

So add it to the list of nicknames that no doubt will grow longer as she grows bigger! Our little Bonk is getting so big...Her next nickname no doubt will memorialize her next milestone!

Hannah's Hair

2009-02-22T18:11:00.000-08:00

Hannah has a lot of hair.

Bald can be beautiful, but Jamie and I have had lots of fun with Hannah's hair...see "Style Watch 2009." Hannah's hair is the first thing that EVERYONE notices about her. Babies are automatically a magnet to every stranger in the world and when people see Hannah, they can't help but say, "Look at all that hair!" or "That baby has a lot of hair!" This question is automatically followed by "How old is she?" When I tell them that she is 11 weeks - they simply cannot believe all the hair she has for being that young.

I bring this up because Hannah's hair seems to be her "defining" feature. I recently took her to visit with my friend Stephanie and her children (my Godchildren). As we were sitting on the couch Rachael, who is 5 years old, says, "Her hair is like wild grass!" Stephanie and I were laughing hysterically and Rachael of course couldn't understand what was so funny...because to her, Hannah's hair being like grass was a statement of fact...no joke!

Wild grass or not, Hannah's hair is certainly a conversation piece one couldn't anticpate but is fun none the less. Let's just hope it doesn't fall out!

Sleepytime Baby

2009-02-08T17:52:00.001-08:00

The latest of Hannah's achievements includes a two night stint of sleeping for longer than two hours. The first night she slept for 4 and a half hours. I woke up at 3:30 am with a start...why hadn't she woken me up? What was wrong? Was she breathing?

Now, I should not have been overly alarmed... She had slept for 4 hours one night before but on that night I woke up every hour to make sure she was still breathing...she was of course, but I was certainly concerned.

So on this night, after 4 and a half hours of sleep, I woke her up...I know what you are thinking...Never wake a sleeping baby...but I got it in my head that she was probably starving considering she's never gone more than 4 hours without eating. She was actually hard to wake up and I should have used that as my cue that she was OK.

The next night she slept for 6 hours. Yes - 6 hours. I could barely believe it...This time I was not going to wake her, but rather wait to see how long she'd sleep. I woke up only twice during this period. The second time was around 3 am. And I couldn't make myself go back to sleep. I laid there waiting for her to wake up...not wanting to miss her cry for food...I waited until 4:30 when she finally stirred! WOW! I paid for it the next day of course, feeling lethargic and tired...oh, well!

For those of you who are wondering if the streak lasted? Alas, it has not. The next night we were back to waking every 2 hours give or take. :o) There is nothing like a baby to make you feel needed! They tell me it's only a matter of time before she starts sleeping through the night and until then, and maybe even after that, I'll continue to wake up every few hours, just to be sure she's OK.

Monkey see...

2009-02-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we took Hannah for her first ever trip to the zoo. She slept...through all of it! It was almost 70 degrees in February so we thought we'd take advantage of the great weather. Unfortunately, all of Saint Louis has the exact same idea! Despite the crowded conditions, the animals were out and she got to see bears, gorillas, orangutangs and hippos.

In addition to it being Hannah's first trip to the zoo, it was also a first trip for Hannah's friends Charlie and David - son's of Sherry & J and Laura & Don respectively. Maddie came along too although it wasn't the first trip for her. We think the kids had a pretty good time although they are at the ages where they smile and coo at just about anything... :o)

The photo is of Jamie and Hannah...note the bear in the background!

I cried...

2009-02-04T13:15:00.000-08:00

Today was Hannah's two month appointment...and I cried. Not because it is the recognition that she's growing super fast...no, I cried because she got shots! 3 to be exact. I think they probably hurt me more than her, but considering her bloodcurdling screams, beet red face and scrunched up face, I am imagining it was not fun for her either.

My most of the time happy go lucky baby bawled for what seemed like forever and while I know that she needs the shots...It was not a pleasant experience. Motherhood hurts!

On the bright side, Hannah weighs 9 pounds and is now 22 inches long! That's up from 6 pounds 12 ounces at her last weight check! She is in the 42nd percentile for length, 38th percentile for head circumference and 13th percentile for weight...This means she's tall for her age, skinny for her height and while I am not sure about the head circumference meaning, it probably means she's on track to be super smart! :o)

Hannah continues to be super fun...she smiles a lot now and responds to Mama and Dada's voices. She is a huge fan of her newest toy...her lullaby Glowworm that Nana and Papa Peterson gave to her. She loves the music it plays.

Smile like you mean it...

2009-01-12T14:54:00.001-08:00

Guess what...the moment I have been waiting for occured today...Hannah gave me her first smile!!! Eyes wide open in response to me saying, "Hi, Hannah!" My heart literally overflowed with joy! (Again!)

Now this is not to say that we haven't had glimpses of what her smile would look like...normally she'd give us a halfhearted sigh of a smile as she was falling asleep...a completely unconcious movement.

This time you could truly tell she was alert, aware and was giving it her all! It was amazing!

Motherhood is a glimpse of what it's like to live with angels.

Hannah's Newsletter Volume 2

2009-01-11T12:17:00.000-08:00

Volume 2 has now hit your inboxes and as promised, here is where you can vote on which hairstyle you like best...simply comment on this post...votes will be tabulated and announced in the next newsletter.

I can also see you can't really read the Volume 1 I tried to attach to the blog...I will find a way to attach the pdfs or somehow make them readable...I will not post volume 2 to the blog when I figure that out.

Answers to the Hunt for Hannah will be posted shortly!

Resolutions

2009-01-11T12:11:00.000-08:00

I am resolving to update the blog more often with all of Hannah's updates...I know have people who check in...only to find I'm not doing my job...so, to all of you, I pledge to be better. :o)

It's a Girl!

2009-01-11T12:05:00.001-08:00

So...I am a little behind on adding this but our little girl was born on December 8th! I will write the story of her arrival a bit later as I want her to have all the details that I might forget as my mind fills with all of the other wonders of motherhood.

I have attached her "Birth Announcement" newsletter too!

Enjoy!

Shower Photos

2008-12-03T18:39:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to some photos from my shower that a friend uploaded - Thanks Mel! I must say my black dress was very slimming to my baby belly! More photos to come...

http://getatderric.zenfolio.com/p404914745

Enjoy!

Countdown to Christmas

2008-11-30T19:08:00.000-08:00

Another post I wrote a while ago...but didn't post...enjoy!

Being that Lil’ Monkey is due Christmas Eve, it’s a fun countdown to the holidays. I think I’ll be mildly disappointed if he/she doesn’t show up on/near/around Christmas Eve or Christmas Day…since we’re counting down to that date!

Most people who have leveraged guesses on due date have it pegged for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and even the day after Christmas…

In preparation, we assembled the Christmas Tree on November 11 – yes…I know…it’s early. I was actually surprised that Jamie indulged to let me put it up that soon, but I didn’t want to take chances that we wouldn’t get it up. Now mind you, it has no ornaments on it yet…that’s a project for this weekend! I tried to convince Jamie he should put up the outside lights…but he flat out refused…You can’t win them all.

We also have a plan to have a small Christmas tree ready at the front door in case I end up in the hospital on Christmas. (It was Jamie’s idea and I think it’s so sweet!)

So, let the countdown to Christmas begin…who cares that Halloween has only been over for 2 weeks or that Thanksgiving hasn’t happened…Bring on the holiday spirit, the music and the decorations. The holidays are a state of mind, a time that gives us warm, fuzzy feelings and a time to be grateful for blessings, family and friends and well, all I can say is…I’m ready!

Getting Close

2008-11-30T19:07:00.001-08:00

Lil’ Monkey is starting to run out of room…I am 6 weeks from my due date and daily I massage my baby’s bottom out of my ribs! Then he/she will STREEEEEETTTCCCHHH and poke the top of my belly and my bladder at the same time…it’s the weirdest sensation ever.

As for preparations for the baby, we are in pretty good shape. The room is pretty much ready…we have a phenomenally frightening number of size one diapers that everyone assures me we will go through much too quickly, the blankets and clothes and sheets have been washed, and so the countdown is on.

I can’t say that I am “done” or “tired of” being pregnant…some have assured me that it will come to that…I am really more or less looking forward to actually meeting my baby…seeing if it’s a he or a she (Yes – that part is KILLING Jamie and I at this point…)… and yes, I’ll admit it…taking 12 weeks off work!

It's almost December...

2008-11-30T18:56:00.000-08:00

And I have not updated or posted since August...wow...I am sort of bad at this...

Actually, keeping up with this and life has been a bit crazier than I anticipated. There are times I think about updating the blog and then I think that sleeping sounds like just a better option overall...and well, as you can tell, sleep wins.

I decided though that I better throw an update out here as we enter into the last month of pregnancy!

Things are getting very exciting to say the least. I see the doctor weekly now. I go back tomorrow...as of the last visit, the most exciting news is that the head was down, causing some interesting sensations to say the least, but there was no dialation...sigh...and so we wait!

Jamie and I are pretty darn excited about the baby's arrival. It's really cool to have the "countdown" to baby be in tandem with the "countdown" to Christmas...I think we'll both be a bit disappointed if Santa doesn't bring us our baby for Christmas...although we know we'll be blessed whenever our miracle arrives...

More updates to come soon...promise! Maybe even tomorrow after my appointment...especially if there is news!

What's a girl gotta do to get McDonald's?

2008-08-01T16:21:00.000-07:00

Recently, we took a family vacation to Colorado to visit Lil' Monkey's Uncle Douglas during his internship with the United States Olympic Committee. I will share with you a story that some day will be a hilarious example of what happens when a pregnant woman is hungry.

So, we'd finished a very scenic ride up Pike's Peak on the cog railroad. It was a gorgeous adventure complete with a 40 degree temperature chance and some of the most amazing scenery in the world. Following this adventure however, I experienced a bit of altitude sickness and wasn't feeling my best by the time we got to the bottom.

The plan for the day was to drive to Denver for lunch with a friend, a tour of the Coors brewery and a Rockies Baseball game. As the 5 adults (Mom, Dad, Me, Jamie and Douglas) piled in the very warm mini van, I told my loving family that I was hungry and needed some food prior to the hour and a half drive to Denver. Mom quickly said, "OK, dear. What do you want?"

"McDonald's." was my definitive answer.

My father at the wheel, we set off to find McDonald's. We entered what you could tell was the "fast food alley" of the town. As we proceed down the road, my father proceeds to ask me, "How about Sonic?"

"No."

"Wendy's?"

"No!"

"Hardee's?"

"NO!"

"Taco Bell?"

At this point during the VERY long drive to find the McDonald's, pushed far beyond the limits of patience any hungry, pregnant woman's should be forced to endure, I shout, "WHAT PART OF MCDONALD'S DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND????"

In hind sight, the inane nature of my reaction is humorous and luckily for me - my father is an understanding man...and lucky for my father, my mom quickly reassured me that we would get McDonald's!

Jamie just reached for my arm as if to withhold me from opening the car door and walking to the nearest McDonald's. He knew that in my state, it was likely that my "rational" thoughts would believe I could get there by foot faster than by car.

Then, in the distance, I saw it...The most beautiful site of the day - The golden arches of McDonald's. I ordered my Happy Meal and took a bite. Pure nirvana. The more I ate, the better I felt. As the sugar returned to my blood, I was able to overtake the psychotic pregnant persona that had possessed me and regain control of myself.

I thanked my family for indulging me and apologized for the strange force that had possessed my mind and body just shortly before hand...Seriously though, the moral of the story? Give the pregnant woman what she wants to eat, or prepare to be eaten!!!

Very Superstitious!!!

2008-08-01T15:54:00.000-07:00

For me, "coincidences" have more meaning than they might to the average person. I relish in the superstitions of old wives tales, thoughts of karma and funny quirks more than the average person. So...what happened as we pulled up to the hospital seems like some SERIOUS foreshadowing!

So in an ode to 'Twas the Night Before Christmas I give you: 'Twas the day of our Ultrasound:

The appointment was made in advance and with care,
our chance to see our baby that soon would be there!

Driving to the ultrasound, our hearts were aflutter,
soon we'd see the baby that made me a mother.

As we approached the office, oh what did appear?
But a jolly old man with a full white beard!

His hair was as white as new fallen snow
and his bright red shirt seemed to give off a glow.

I knew at that moment - It must be St. Nick!
He said not a word, but went straight to his car,
smiling at us from a far.

And then in a twinkling, I knew in my heart,
this Christmas will bring us the best gift of all...Lil' Monkey, our baby and our new start!

Yup...we're going to be parents!

2008-07-13T19:27:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the world Charlie!!!

2008-07-13T18:27:00.001-07:00

Lil' Monkey wants to welcome "Rocco" now aptly named Charles William LeBlanc (Charlie) to the world. He arrived at 5:31 this morning weighing 7 pounds and 10 ounces.

That's 4 babies down and 2 more to go this year!

Welcome Charlie!

The Draino Test

2008-07-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

So, even though we are not finding out if our child is a boy or a girl...we did think it would be interesting to note the results of some of the old wives' tale tests so that when we have the baby we can see if they are off base or right on target.

So, for our first attempt, we went with the Draino test. Now, for those of you not familiar with this test I will explain. You take a teaspoon of Draino and you mix it with the mother's urine...sorry if you were eating and that came as a shock to you. Anyway, the results of the test i.e. boy or girl is determined by what color it turns.

When Jamie and I decided to conduct this science experiment we were both laughing pretty hard at what we were about to do...I mean who comes up with this?!?!?! But we figured it probably had some scientific merit in that a chemical reaction of sorts must be what changes the color. So after carefully conducting the experiment, we both peered into the cup to see what changes awaited...If it turned blue that was supposed to mean boy (Duh!) and if it turned green, that was supposed to mean girl...are you ready for what happened???? It was yellow. For those of you wondering what yellow means (Yes, Douglas I am talking to you.) it means it didn't work. Not at all...

Although we were slightly disappointed to have obtained no new information with this test, there is still the Chinese gender calendar, the one where you swing a ring over the mother's stomach and a myriad of others. Stay tuned!

What is it???

2008-07-05T08:24:00.000-07:00

Is is a boy? Is it a girl? That's the question on everyone's mind...My pre-maternity clothes are just now starting to barely close over my belly and this is the question on everyone's mind...

Well, sorry to possibly disappoint, but you will have to wait with us until December 27, or sometime around that time for Lil' Monkey to make his or her appearance. No, we're not finding out the sex of our baby...To some, this is a stunning, shocking revelation, "You're not finding out? I could never do that...I have to know...I have to prepare!" To others, "That's so great! It's such a good surprise."

Now, I will admit that the arguments for both sides have been compelling. The best on the "finding out" side has been that you will eventually know and what is the difference if you know before it's here or when it gets here and when you do find out that's when you get your "Surprise!!!!" moment. Arguments on the "surprise" side include notions that it's the one time in your life you can truly be surprised and if your parents didn't find out with us...why should we have to know...

Obviously, we've opted for the latter. Just for the record, Jamie wanted to know at first and I convinced him that the surprise would be worth it...and now I think he's even enjoying the idea of the surprise. It's sort of nice to take the road less traveled and delight in the shock of those who can't imagine not knowing if they are having a little boy or a little girl!

So make your predictions now, start the gender baby pools...you've got a 50/50 chance of being right! Heck maybe we'll do some of those old wives' tale tests to fuel the fire...I love all other old wives' tales (Bread and Butter, Salt over your shoulder, etc.) so why not!

Rock on yellow and green and everything gender neutral!

Woosh!!!!

2008-07-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

That’s the best way to describe what the baby’s heartbeat sounds like….woosh, woosh, woosh…really, really fast – last count was about 165 beats per minute! Hearing the heartbeat has got to be one of the coolest, most reassuring things right now. Unfortunately, Jamie hasn’t heard it yet but I know when he does he’s going to be as amazed as I am by the sound of Lil’ Monkey’s heart beating in my tummy. We have our “big” ultrasound in three weeks…so we’ll post those pictures when we have them…

Eat mor chikin...

2008-07-05T08:21:00.002-07:00

Unless you are a vegetarian, chicken is probably a part of your everyday diet. So many chicken choices out there… on sandwiches, quesadillas, nachos, pizza, soups, salads, and on and on…I loved chicken…before I got pregnant. I am not really sure how or when it happened all I know is that about 6 weeks into being pregnant, I ordered my usual chicken dishes at some of my favorite restaurants and when I started to eat…I realized I couldn’t. Literally my mouth would stop chewing and swallowing was just not an option…I thought to myself, “What in the world is going on?” Even Jamie as he sat across from me got the terrified, “Is she going to be sick?” look on his face. So, the choice has been made for me. I cannot eat chicken – like it or not. So, I will wait patiently until once again I can bite into a juicy Chick Fil A sandwich and say…Mmmmm….

Pop Goes the Belly

2008-07-05T08:21:00.001-07:00

So…I had my first true revelation of looking pregnant (to myself…not really anyone else) on Monday, June 16. I had been uncomfortable in my clothes all day at work. So when I got home, I was so happy to put on my elastic shorts and tee shirt. I was in the bathroom and for some reason I caught a glimpse of my self sideways. If you are like most people, you really never look at yourself sideways…I mean why would you? Anyway, I looked in the mirror and had a stomach…no not that I didn’t have one before, but it was protruding out in a round sort of way. I started to cry. Why? I have no idea. Let’s chalk it up to pregnancy emotions. Either way, it was a true moment where I realized…there’s a Lil’ Monkey in me!

Fashionably Stinky

2008-07-05T08:13:00.002-07:00

During pregnancy your sense of smell becomes so keen, that I am surprised police don’t hire pregnant women as drug sniffing dogs. In week 5 of my pregnancy, I assisted with a fashion show in Clayton. I love helping with fashion shows…they really are fun as long as you aren’t doing the crazy leg work…that’s another blog in and of itself…but I digress. My role in the fashion show was to wear the headset (I love that part – it’s so rock star!) and to prepare the models to go on stage. So I review their choreography, check their clothes and make sure they are lined up in time for their scene. One slight problem with this show…my location. I was stationed in the service corridor of the ballroom directly across from the trash can filled with the refuse from the event – coffee grounds, old chicken, salad dressing, etc. with my headset cord giving me a 2 foot window to try to avoid the stench emanating from the can. At this point, no one knows about my pregnancy so I can’t very well ask to trade jobs – when I’ve already expressed how excited I am to be helping and wearing the headset…So, I decide to tough it out. Despite the show being delayed for about 20 minutes due to a video I thought would never end, I made it through the event. It’s a great story now and had a VERY good laugh with my fashion show partners, Sean and Lauren after I told them the story.

The First Craving is the Deepest

2008-07-05T08:13:00.001-07:00

So I am not sure it was so much my first ‘craving’ but considering I was living on a diet of saltines and water with NOTHING outside of these two items being remotely appealing to me, the thought of actually wanting a specific food will qualify itself as a craving in my book. So what was it? A baked potato. Of course, as luck would have it – we had none. Having been to the store earlier in the day and saying, “NO” to every food Jamie offered to put in the cart, Jamie was eager to help me out when I said I wanted food. So, he dutifully put on his shoes and headed to the store. He got not only baked potatoes but also toppings like cheese and sour cream and sweet potatoes…just in case. When he got home, I decided we couldn’t microwave them because they wouldn’t taste as good…so we put them in the oven…for an hour. Hunger is an understatement for both of us and I was getting so excited about my yummy potato. So, I load it up and take a bite. I swallow and Jamie looks at me expectantly…I try to smile as I put down my fork. “What’s wrong?” he asks. “Nothing…” I smile and pick my fork back up. He dives into eating and I look at the potato thinking, “There is NO way….” I feel horrible. I just sent Jamie out on a wild chase for potatoes and now I want nothing to do with it…YIKES!!! When I tell Jamie I can’t eat it, he just sighs and resigns himself to eating not only his potato, but mine too…What a guy! Who knew he’d be eating for two in a totally different way?!?!?!

The Sight and Smell of Morning Sickness

2008-07-05T08:12:00.000-07:00

On the subject of morning sickness…it truly is an all encompassing “sickness” that absorbs all of your senses. Your nose goes on high alert and you can smell things you didn’t even know could be smelled…On top of that, even the mere sight of certain foods would send my stomach in a tailspin of greater proportions than even the best roller coaster! Chili’s commercials with their giant, juicy burgers with visible spices and flame grilled bacon and skewers of chicken and shrimp were enough to send me running for the nearest restroom. When watching TV at night, Jamie would stand prepared to shield my eyes from such commercials…what a guy!

The Biggest Lie

2008-07-05T08:11:00.000-07:00

Morning Sickness. It’s not in the morning – IT’S ALL THE TIME!!!! At least it has been for me. Mine has cycled from interrupting my morning routine, breakfast, lunch, dinner, bedtime. Morning sickness knows NO timeframe. It has no clock that says, “It’s morning…time to be sick.” No, it will strike in the middle of the day. I’ll be walking through the mall and all of the sudden my focus is not on the task at hand, but determining where the closest trashcan or bathroom is located. Brushing my teeth has become not a refreshing morning routine, but an immediate source of dread and fear that I am able to accomplish only once per day for fear of becoming immobilized by my gag reflex that thinks I am shoving a two by four down my throat, when really I have only touched the tip of my tongue with my toothbrush. *sigh* I love you, Lil’ Monkey.

The Beginning

2008-06-19T19:16:00.001-07:00

So, they say this is the best place to start.

To begin, I'll explain the blog's name. First off, you have to know my family and our love of monkeys...ever since I was 10 and my Dad brought me a stuffed monkey, "Charlie," when I was in the hospital...my family became hooked on the things and the love grew from there.

So, when Jamie and I found out we were expecting we wanted to come up with a name to call the baby...For the first bit, we called it "Grape Ape" because it was the size of a grape...which really seemed like the most amazing thing in the world to us...that something the size of a grape could become our newest family member.

As the baby has gotten bigger, we've decided to call it "Lil' Monkey" considering it is "monkeying" around as it grows big and strong...So, this is the story of "Lil' Monkey's Big Adventure."

We hope you enjoy what will be a compilation of stories, revelations and preparations as we embark on our adventure.