Kim

Water, Water Everywhere

So we had our first real experience in home ownership this past week.  Last Tuesday, we had a lot of rain, and on Wednesday, Matt noticed that the "man cave" in our garage, had water coming in.  The wall was wet, and it was leaking onto the floor at a pretty fast pace.  We ripped up the carpet and tore out some of the dry wall and sheet rock and found that there was a lot of water coming in from somewhere.  We just assumed, because of all the rain, we had a leak.  Luckily, it was in our garage, so while it definitely did some damage, it wasn't nearly as bad as it could've been.  Matt rigged up a system to catch the water and drain it out the garage via a garden hose, and truly, that saved us.  Thursday, we called a guy to come out and take a look.  He came out Friday, and as soon as he started digging outside our house, the water increased.  It was pooling up right against our house.  Also, on Thursday, we received a note from our utility company telling us that we must have a leak, because our water meter read was quadruple what it normally is.  Put 2 + 2 together...we have leak in our main waterline to our house.  At least at this point, we knew that it wasn't rain water and that we should shut off the water into our house.  That abated the flood.  However, that also meant that we couldn't flush the toilet, take a shower, etc.  So, with the knowledge that the contractor would be back on Saturday to try and find the leak and repair it, we headed to the in-laws house for the night.  I should've known better, but I really thought they'd fix it Saturday, and we'd be back in our house by Sunday.  Ha.


Exhibit 1: Man Cave
 Saturday came, and they dug and dug, and still couldn't get to the leak.  Apparently, our pipe is very deep in the ground, and the leak could be anywhere between the street and our house.  The repairman lets us know that it is going to be easier for him to just run a new line at this point, rather than continue digging and trying to find the old one.  Great.  So now I'm thinking, he'll do this Monday (today), and we'll be good to go.  Turns out, the utility company has to come mark all the lines in our front yard so they don't hit anything when digging (makes sense, I suppose), and it take them 2-3 days to do this.  Once they've marked the lines, the guys can come back and run the new water line.  So, it will probably be the end of the week.  And that doesn't even count addressing the water damage in the man cave.  But at least if they can get the line fixed, we'll be able to get back in our house.


Exhibit 2: Part of the hole
 outside our house
 I am very thankful that my in-laws live in town and that we can so easily take refuge at their house...but still...I miss our house.  And Fisher doesn't do nearly as well sleeping elsewhere.  She's great at home, but does a whole lot of barking when she's out of her element.  We're heading to my parent's this weekend for the holiday, so I just hope that the water line is fixed by the end of the week so we don't have to worry about that.  And hopefully our homeowners insurance will pay for part of this, so that its not entirely ridiculous.  I know God will provide, and we'll work it out.  I am just praying for a speedy and affordable solution.  I know it could've been a lot worse, and actually, the man cave will likely benefit from a little makeover. I never liked that faux wood paneling anyways.  Just isn't what we wanted to spend our money on at the moment.  C'est la vie, and count your blessings, right?

In other more-important/the-original-point-of-this-whole-blog news,  I am feeling pretty terrible these days.  But I know that is a good thing, right?  The queasiness doesn't really go away anymore.  Even eating only helps a little.  (Which in some ways is good because I don't feel like I'm eating as much as I was there for a while.)  But there is also little relief.  Still no actual throwing up though, which I'll take.  I go back to the doctor in 2.5 weeks.  I am ready for that appointment.  Then we'll know things are really on track, and we'll be able to tell our families, and I am just excited and ready for all of that.  Like I said, I think Matt's family is suspicious.  I think mine has no idea.  Hopefully, they won't get any hints this weekend at the beach.  I should be almost 8 weeks now...finally...a new week!  I feel like we are making some progress.  The secret is starting to feel more normal now though.  I still think it's crazy that I'm pregnant, but I am starting to get used to the idea and I think Matt is too.  Once we can tell the world, I think it'll feel really "real."  It sort of the whole, "if a tree falls in the forest and no one hears it, does it make a sound?" thing..."if I am pregnant, but no one knows...am I really pregnant?"  Of course I am....but it doesn't feel like it yet.  Hurry up July 13!
Kim

Basket Case

So they say that with pregnancy comes crazy hormones.  They certainly weren't kidding.  I have turned into a bit of a basket case.  It is so annoying, but it is like PMS x1,000,000.  This morning I was trying to explain to Matt that I really was ok and nothing in particular was bothering me, but it was a hard case to make considering I couldn't stop crying the whole time.  It doesn't help things that I am pretty much queasy all the time now too. Eating doesn't really help anymore. The good thing is, food doesn't make me nauseous, so I can eat just fine.  I just feel constantly queasy.  I know a few posts back, I begged for this, and I am not complaining.  Plus, I haven't actually thrown up still, so I will take that.  It's just I generally don't feel good.  So it's frustrating.  And I am tired, so I don't feel like doing anything...eating and sleeping and feeling queasy just doesn't make things that fun.  Then you add spontaneous crying and weird moodiness on top of it all and you really have a recipe for a super fun Kim.  But it is all worth it.  I would go through things a million times for our little babe, if I had to.  Doesn't mean I love it, but I do understand the worth and value in it. 

I started this blog because I want to remember every day of this whole experience, including those that are less than fun.  This is the only time in my life that I am going to be pregnant for the first time, and I want to record it all...the good, the bad and the ugly.  Also, writing has always been cathartic for me, so really it is only logical that I write now.  Matt and I have decided (I think), to wait until after our next doctor's appointment (July 13) to tell everyone.  While it would be fun to tell everyone on July 4, I think this is probably a good idea.  We'll get to see the babe again and know that it is growing.  And I'll be 10 weeks at that point.  I feel good about that.  It is hard not being able to tell anyone though.  At one point today, during my hormone-induced crying spell, Matt suggested that I go ahead and call my sister and tell her so that I could talk to someone about it all.  It's a really good suggestion.  And I told him I'd think about it.  But I really do want to hold out and tell everyone at the same time.  I know she'd keep the secret.  But we'll see.  If I get to the point where I really need to, I certainly will.  Matt is wonderful to talk to, but he just can't understand the hormonal side of things...and the constant queasiness.  He tries and is fantastic...doing anything he can to make me feel better.  He just can't understand what it feels like.  I think only another woman who has been through a pregnancy can.  As with so many things in my life, I am learning how so many of my preconceived notions about something are wrong.  I'm so ready for this to be public knowledge, and to have a bump and to really "be pregnant," even though of course, right now I am as pregnant as I am going to be!  I feel a bit like I've been on the 6 week - 7 week treadmill for the past two weeks.  I thought when we went to the doctor last week that I was almost done with my 7th week, and instead found out I was in my 6th.  So I've done the 6th and am now starting the 7th week all over again.  I'll be glad to move on to a new number.  Although 7 has always had a special significance in my life, so I suppose it's only appropriate to get "stuck" around that week. 

Really all that matters through this is that the babe is getting what it needs from me and growing stronger every day.  That is our constant prayer and hope.  Hormones be damned!
Kim

The Big Appointment and a Thought

So yesterday, Wednesday, June 15, 2011 was the big doctor's appointment.  I was so nervous and so ready for this day to come!  I didn't really know what to expect, but I was hoping that we'd at least get to hear the heartbeat and praying that we might even get an ultrasound so we could see the little babe.  Matt came with me...which was an experience for him.  I think he felt a little uncomfortable at first, but was really glad that he came by the end of it all.  I was also hoping that we wouldn't see anyone we know...because how do you explain that?  It'd be one thing if I was by myself...but with Matt there, the reason for our visit would be pretty obvious to most anyone.   Of course, as soon as we walk into the waiting room, there sits a girl who went to high school with Matt.  What are the odds?  It definitely freaked me out a bit.  I was so annoyed - even though, of course, it wasn't her fault she was there!  Matt swore her to secrecy.   I just hope she really understands and does keep a secret.  News can travel fast here, and I do not want the whole town to know before we're ready...and I especially don't want my in-laws to find out from anyone else but us!

Anyways, finally I was called and we went back.  I really like my doctor (although I was told that I'd have to visit all the doctors in the practice over the course of the next 8 months, so here's hoping they're all as great as she is), and she was so sweet and immediately mentioned that she'd do the exam, and then an ultrasound so that we could see everything and measure to make sure we were on track with our due date, etc!  This is what made it so worth it that Matt was there.  To see that little spec and beating heart on that monitor was crazy.  That really made it feel real.  Everything looked great, which is always a relief to hear.  The only slightly disappointing thing was that instead of being 7.5 weeks like I thought, the babe actually measured only about 6 weeks.  Oops...I guess I miscalculated somewhere along the way.  At first I was kind of sad about this, because I really thought we were further along than that, and at this point, a week is a lot.  But really, I am just happy to see a healthy babe with a heartbeat.  I'm an expert in everything all the websites say about 6 weeks at this point, so I guess I'll just continue to revel in that knowledge and try to quit reading ahead so that I don't spoil things.  And our due date is February 7, 2012!  Sounds like a good birthday to me.  February has always been my least favorite month because it is usually so cold and dreary, but this will easily change that! 

Finally, one last thought. I know this long, but yesterday was a big day.  I have been so excited, but also so worried up to this point.  I know how fragile things are right now and everything has felt so "up in the air."  I decided last night, that I was not going to worry about that anymore.  It is all in God's hands, and I am giving it up to Him.  I have no control over it anyways, and I want to stop worrying and just be excited about the whole thing.  We are thinking we are going to tell our families the weekend of July 4.  We probably won't tell anyone else until the end of July, but we'll be with my entire family then, and I'll be about 9.5 weeks. It is getting harder and harder to keep the secret.  I am pretty sure the Richardson's are quite suspicious, but luckily, they haven't asked me outright.  I think my parents are going to be shocked.  I can't wait to see everyone's faces. 

So here we are...6 weeks along, with a little appleseed that has a beating heart.  Last night Matt kept looking at me and going, "bm-bmm-bm-bmm" - making the heartbeat noise.  Pretty crazy.  We love you so much already little appleseed.  I can't wait for February!

And of course...here is our first glimpse.  There really isn't much to see, but it is still amazing to us:

Kim

Queasy Queasy

Well, here we are, about 7.5 weeks in and the queasiness has begun.  Still no actual throwing up (no complaints about that!), but definite queasiness as soon as my stomach gets the slightest bit empty.  I feel like I am eating all day long.  I can't tell if the tiredness is because I'm pregnant or because I am constantly eating something!  I am guessing it is a combination of both.  I am just so ready to go to the doctor Wednesday.  I know this is real, but I will feel so much better after seeing/hearing it from an expert!  Some days this feels really real, and then others I still don't believe it.  We are excited, don't get me wrong...but these first few weeks just feel so "up in the air."  It is hard to explain.  I will be glad to hear a little heartbeat on Wednesday.  In the meantime, I am trying to stay occupied and pass the time by doing things other than eating and feeling queasy. 

I went to my sister's house this weekend to help my mom watch my nieces.  It was so fun and we had such a good time with them.  They keep you going, but they are so cute right now that I just can't get enough.  It made me think about what our life could like in a couple of years.  Crazy!  But pretty amazing.  However, we are praying there is just one babe in there.   Of course, we'd be thrilled if the twin gene showed up, but let's be honest,  one seems a lot less overwhelming than two!  We shall see on Wednesday!  Surely, lightning doesn't strike twice (both Lee sisters), right? 
Kim

So Sleepy

Ok, so I think I am experiencing the exhaustion that comes with all of this for the first time today.  It is only 2:30pm and I seriously feel like I could fall over and go to sleep at any second.  I suppose even though I haven't felt sick, I am feeling quite a few of the other symptoms.  Assuming everything is still developing as it should, this week the tiny pea is actually starting to form eyes, nostrils and ears.  And his arms and legs are in the very beginning stages of development.  Isn't that amazing?  Oh, and there is a beating heart.  (!)  I suppose there really is a whole lot going on in there.  No wonder I feel so dang tired.  I am getting more and more excited and anxious to go to the doctor next week. I think once we hear the heartbeat, it will feel all the more real. 
Kim

Happy Anniversary to Us!

This weekend, to celebrate our 4-year anniversary, Matt and I went to Blowing Rock.  It was an incredible weekend.  The weather could not have been more perfect and we did a lot of hiking and just really enjoyed the beauty that is the mountains at this time of the year.  Also, we stayed in a really awesome house with extraordinary views and lots of luxuries, so we truly were spoiled.  Matt and I both agreed that this was our best anniversary yet! 

We spent Friday at Grandfather Mountain.  The last time I was there, I was about 4 or 5 years old, and the weather was terrible.  We have a picture of me clinging to my dad's neck as we are going across the swinging bridge. I was hoping this would be the Grandfather Mountain redemption trip, some 20-years later...and it certainly was.  

Here we are below the infamous swinging bridge.  I have no idea why we are leaning like that!




We also had a chance to take in the little zoo that is there, which basically consisted of bears and an otter.  We arrived just in time to see them "enrich" the bears, which we thought meant feeding time, but which actually meant giving the bears some strawberry jello to play with.  Didn't seem terribly "enriching" to us.  Anyways, on Saturday, we headed to Moses Cone park, a beautiful national park with miles of hiking trails.  We hiked to the top of Flat Top Mountain, where Mr. Cone had built a tower long ago so that he could have a 360 degree view.  It was a gorgeous hike and although the tower was a bit sketchy, the view was spectacular.


Headed up the mountain.  I was feeling a little Sound of Music-ish at this moment.

The sketchy tower at the top.
Matt was not going to let go of those rails!
Saturday evening we had our official anniversary dinner at this awesome restaurant called Rowlands.  The food was delicious and we left there feeling quite full.  I only wish I could have complimented the food with a glass of wine.  But alas, it is far, far worth it to sacrifice that for this tiny pea that seems to still be growing.

All dressed up for dinner.


My favorite picture from the weekend.
 All-in-all, it was a wonderful and so hard to leave.  I still feel pretty much normal.  I've not had any real nausea and am still find myself questioning whether I really am pregnant.  But I know that those tests generally don't lie.  And I have had a few minor symptoms that indicate that I have not lost my mind.  I am around 6 weeks now.  Everything I've read still says its quite normal not to have morning sickness this early on, but as much as I know I might regret this, I really think I'd feel better if I would just get sick.  I did get the guts up to call the doctor and I have an appointment next Wednesday, the 15th.  I'll be about 7.5 weeks at that point, so hopefully there will be a heartbeat to hear!  I am both excited and scared, but ready to have some affirmation that I'm not crazy.  Tiny little pea, are you in there? 
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