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

Welcome to the world Charlie!!!

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

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???

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!!!!

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...

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

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

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

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

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

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.