Monday, March 8, 2010

The Belly Pop, Telling our Parents, and other such Milestones.

Weeks 11 to 14.

Around the tenth or eleventh week of pregnancy, I started to notice the tiniest of bulges when I tightened my abs. Now, I've never been Jillian Michaels or anything, but when I tightened my abs - my stomach was always flat. It was sort of exciting - finally! Proof for all the nausea and ickiness and awesomely huge appetite. It wasn't just in my head! (I have this weird fear that I've completely invented this pregnancy. At our first appointment, I was ridiculously nervous because I was certain the midwife was going to say, "Yeah, um, you're definitely not pregnant, crazy face." I blame Glee.)


This week, I started to notice that my pants suddenly stopped buttoning again. In the first two months, the baby was down in my pelvis near where my pants buttoned - so it bulged a bit down there and I couldn't quite button my pants. Yes, I felt quite attractive with my bloated pelvis. Then the baby (and my uterus - is it gross to say the word uterus? I don't know. Maybe that's weird to talk about.) moved up to near my belly button, so I could button again. Yesss.

Not any more, sister. My belly is growing and it's taking over...
14.5 weeks.
 (Okay, it's only going to take over a very, very small space. But still.)
14.5 weeks.

(Why, yes, I did have a little photo shoot with myself. Thank you for asking.)

Lots of you asked how we shared the news with our parents. (This will be the first grandchild for my parents and the sixth for my in-laws.) I wasn't doing so well with the saying the words "I am pregnant" - I cried the first two times I told people - so I decided to give them something that would speak for me. I waited until I was about 10 weeks along, just to be safe.

I ventured into the baby section of Target and squealed in my head at all the adorable. I found this pair of booties:

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(Photo not by me - I unfortunately deleted the photos off my camera because I like to ruin pretty pictures and find ugly ones on the internet, apparently.)

I wrapped them up, along with a "I Love Grandma" bib and gave them to my parents when we arrived for the weekend with an oh-so-casual "Oh, I forgot to give this to you guys at Christmas."

My mom was grinning this HUGE smile like she knew what was going on. She prodded my dad to open the gift and he just stared at it.

"Do you know what this means??" my mom asked my dad, giddy as a little girl with a secret.

My dad looked at me, "So, is this true?"

I nodded, my eyes filled with tears.

He was delighted. My dad isn't what you'd call a very loud, enthusiastic guy - so when he said quietly, "I'm really excited about this," it was as if he was jumping up and down.

My little sister was turned away from us; I tapped on her shoulder and she slowly turned around, tears streaming down her face. "I just can't believe it. I mean, it's real." (Emmie has been begging me for years to make her an aunt.)

My little brother was standing in the kitchen with us, but completely expressionless. Mike asked him if he understood what was going on, and he just nodded slowly.

My mom, apparently, has a sixth sense. And has decided that our baby will call her "Nana." My mom becoming a grandma makes me feel older than myself having a child. Is that odd?

38 comments:

  1. awwwwww that's so sweet :) Especially about your sister - i can not WAIT to be an aunt when my big sister has kids and similarly I can't wait to have kids so my siblings (and siblings in law) can spoil my kids :)

    So so excited for you two still, you my friend, are glowing in those pictures :)

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  2. This is the sweetest thing ever. Emmie is ridiculously cute, and I am so, so happy for you and Mike. I loooove the booties.

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  3. I love the way your family reacted.

    & I love your baby-bump, but you already knew that. :]

    Pregnancy looks great on you, Ashley.

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  4. Okay, I know that at this point you might be tiring of hearing that you're adorable- but, come on, you know I can't resist saying it.
    :)

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  5. Yay! How cute. Babies are still a few years off for me, but for many years I've day-dreamed about the fun ways I'll tell people. I love the bib idea, it's a good one. And your mom sounds adorable.

    Your sister too. And I can completely understand where she's coming from. I adore my nieces and nephews like nobody's business.

    And, I still REALLY like that picture of you...same one I commented on flickr. It is DEFINITELY one that should go in the baby book. I just know that someday your baby will not longer be a baby and will look back and that picture and smile about how pretty of a mom they have. :-)

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  6. ohhhhhhhh, you look SO amazing and perfect and wonderful and gorgeous!! I just LOVE pictures of beautiful glowing pregnant women (which you most certainly are). That belly bump of yours is ADORABLE (i've been dying to see it. hehe). HI, BABY!!!

    I know I'm a horrible commenter for the most part, but I am SO enjoying reading about your pregnancy journey so far. It's all so exciting, I want to squeal again!! :)

    I love the way you told your parents. So fun.

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  7. Oh what a sweet reaction, I love how you told them and just everything about this sweet time for you guys. AH! I can't wait to meet your baby. It's silly.

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  8. I think certain moms DO have a sixth sense. I KNOW my mom will know when I'm pregnant before I tell her. Same way she knew I lost my virginity... HA! (But seriously.)

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  9. THAT'S SO CUTE!

    I'm not pregnant, nowhere NEAR pregnant, but I've already planned how I want to tell our families. And it's VERY similar to this - and I have a feeling my mom will react in the exact same way. Whether I tell her or not, she'll know.

    You're an adorable pregnant woman, and I love reading about your experience. Especially when the posts contain the word "uterus"

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  10. very cute :)

    and my mom goes by nana as well - maybe its a generational thing?

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  11. omg, i just got so emo wrapped up in this post. i love happy stuff. :) you look beautiful and your dad's response sounds very similar to how my Dad is.

    i'm so happy for you! :D

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  12. Ahhhhhh!!!! So exciting!!! You are so cute preggers, and definitely glowing! :)

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  13. Yay for little a little baby and a little baby bump! Love the pictures, I've been dying to see what little ashley veggie looks like pregnant! And you don't disappoint. :)

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  14. Oh! I love your baby bump. You are going to have such a cute belly!

    I totally cried telling my parents....and again reading about you telling yours.

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  15. you are so cute pregnant!!! and those shoes are so flipping adorable!

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  16. My mom wants to be Nana, too. My dad tries to get her to not be called it, though! There is this book called Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs, and I think that is why my mom likes to be called Nana!

    Hurray again for you and your husband!

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  17. congrats! you are adorable with your baby bump! =)

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  18. So cute! I love belly pictures! Those little shoes are so cute! I am addicted to browsing Etsy for baby stuff, I came across the cutest crochet booties that I want to get (even though I'm not, nor am I planning on getting pregnant)

    xoxo

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  19. I cried reading this post. Good thing I'm not the pregnant one trying to tell family and friends. You're baby bump is so freakin' cute. You are going to be one of the cutest pregnant girls I know!

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  20. A part of me hates that I only get to know this stuff from your blog. The other part of me is so happy that I get to follow your thoughts and pictures.

    You look so beautiful. I cried looking at this. Love you. CALL ME! :)

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  21. I just showed Sam how cute you are and then I realized you spelled "twelve" wrong on the photo box. Don't let future baby see that. You know you're going to have an editor kind of kid! Mwahaha.

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  22. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaay for baby updates!!! Can you tell I am really, really excited? I am glad your family is so so happy for you :)

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  23. look at you lil mamma!!

    this is so exciting :)

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  24. Aw wow that's such a cute way to tell them! Wow. I love that.

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  25. What a great way to tell them! And you look beautiful!

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  26. Oh wow, that's such a sweet way to tell them :) And I love that pic of you with the camera!

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  27. *sniff* There is just something about daddies and babies that tugs at my heart strings. But daddies and babies together in the same story gets my tear factory going!

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  28. this was all so adorable! :) I just had a talk with my parents last night about what they want to be called and i'm not even close to being pregnant yet. (and this post totally gives me baby fever like whoa)

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  29. *I* teared up when I read this. So cute! I love that you are pregnant. It makes me so, so happy.

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  30. you are simply beautiful in that black & white picture.

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  31. aw this story just got me all teary, i love how excited and happy your family is for you and oh man those booties are adorable, seriously baby clothes are so freaking cute!

    and love the photo shoot pics, so exciting!

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  32. Aww... adorable belly, adorable story!!! :o) Thanks for sharing with us!

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  33. That is just about the sweetest story. :)

    I love your pictures!

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  34. Congratulations! That's sooo awesome! I love the photo show that you have. Very nice!

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  35. Squee! Ashley, you are just the cutest! xx

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  36. Hahahaha, great Glee reference! Congratulations :)

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