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Ouch Charlie, that really hurt!

The great name debate continues on. It is funny and alarming that out of thousands of names, Steve and I are struggling to find a single boy's name that we really love. I think the problem lies in the fact that I like semi-traditional boys name and well, Steve does not.

Exhibit A: The name Charles. I think it is sophisticated and quite adorable when you adopt the nickname Charlie. Additionally, it is the name of my late Grandpa, who I never got the chance to meet. I am also in love with this name because of the YouTube video, "Charlie bit my finger." It just puts a cute twist on the name. However, Steve does NOT like it at all.

So today I sent him a list of the most hated names in America, which included a list of boys and girls names and reasoning for the hatred.

In return, I got the following email:

"They forgot one: Charlie- The name is too old fashion and reminds us of the wimp 'Charlie in the Chocolate Factory.' Also, the You Tube sensation makes us all think Charlie is a 'cannibal' who likes to eat human flesh. "Charlie, you bit my finger.. ouch Charlie!"

So I guess Goose's name is not going to be Charlie. So the great boy name debate rages on.

But to make you smile, here is YouTube sensation:

Nesting and nursery brain

I believe I have the beginning symptoms of the nesting stage. Nesting, as defined online, is the distinctive urge to clean, tidy and organize during pregnancy. Instead of a crazy Friday night outing, Steve and I opted to stay in and clean out our bedroom closet. And the result was three HUGE bags of clothes for Goodwill. Additionally, we went through our hall closets and started on the soon-to-be baby's room. I am now starting to feel better about the preparation and getting excited for nursery decorating.

The nursery has actually taken over my brain and I am obsessively looking online for ideas. I want the nursery to be colorful and fun, but not too ultra baby. In an earlier post I shared our bedding choice, Dr. Seuss! I ordered the bedding last week, now it is time to focus on the rest. I have asked my mom to make the mobile in the picture. I am super excited about this piece for the nursery, not only because it is so stinking cute, but because it will be made by the loving hands of my momma. Also, I think it matches the bedding perfectly and who can resit the catchy counting sheep theme.

So, we have the bedding and a mobile. We also have a crib, thanks to Chris and Amanda! So now we need a changing table/ dresser. Also, the most important thing in my eyes is a nice, big, comfy chair! I have looked at many and I think we have narrowed it down. So stay turned for an exciting post about my most amazing chair when we order it!

Cloth Diapering- No We Aren't Hippies!

Steve and I have decided to go the route of cloth diapers when Baby Goose arrives in September. I have done some moderate research about the pros and cons about both cloth and disposable diapers. And although we are not huge enviros and there are certainly competing claims about the environmental effects of both options, we feel as though this will be a good choice for our family. The cost differential is about a draw when comparing a diaper service, which we will be using, and purchasing disposables. If you Lauder the cloth diapers yourself, there is some savings, however both Steve and I are not huge laundry fans, as anyone that would look in our bedroom would know!

One of the biggest benefits of cloth diapering is the impact on little baby's skin. Because of the toxins in disposables, babies are more prone to horrific and painful diaper rash. Both Steve and I have extremely sensitive skin, therefore we thought it would be best to take as many precautions as we can to protect Baby Goose's little behind!

Cloth diapering is not what it used to be. No soaking poopy diapers, pricking yourself with pesky pins or unsightly rubber pants. Cloth diapers can be quite convient, think about it... the service will come right to my house, no 1am diaper runs. Also, the covers they make for cloth diapers are super cute these days, as you can see from the picture to the left!


I still have research left to do, but I am pretty excited to learn more. I found this cute series online, so feel free to check it out if you want to learn more!

What's in a name?

Since we are about half way through this pregnancy, Steve and I thought it was important to start thinking about names. We are 95% set on a girls name, however a boys name is quite a different story. So we are asking for a bit a of feedback!

We setup a Name List online. Please take a look and give us your thoughts! It is anonymous. which is good!


Thanks in advance for your help! Have fun: http://www.babynames.com/namelist/9787367

Photogenic Goose!

Yesterday I had an appointment scheduled to get genetic testing done for the baby. The genetic testing will determine the statistical chance of me having a baby with severe disabilities, such as mental retardation or Down's Syndrome. We had our OBGYN schedule the appointment, however after some thought I decided I wasn't going to go through with the testing. We know that we would never terminate the pregnancy and I didn't want to deal with a statistically high result. However, in true Leah fashion, I forgot to cancel the appointment. And then Monday night I took a spill down the stairs. Nothing too major, but I thought that an appointment wouldn't hurt, that way I could verify that everything was OK.

So I headed to the doctor's yesterday afternoon, sans Steve, without a clear idea of what the testing involved. For some reason I wasn't really thinking about it much and had assumed that I would get an internal or some blood taken. Much to my surprise they took me to get an ultra sound... my first ultra sound... and it was without Steve! They calmed some of my emotion by informing me that they would send me home with a DVD of the ultra sound so that Steve could also see Goose for the first time.

If I was in denial about this pregnancy before, that has diminished after seeing my little Goose moving around in my belly. I do indeed wish Steve could have experienced that awesome sight with me, however it was nice to be able to have some time to myself to let it all really sink in. Goose was spinning, turning and what I could only assume was Jersey Shore fist pumping.

The other pleasant surprise I got at the appointment was the news that Goose was measuring at 14 weeks, not the 13 weeks I thought I was at. This means that my due date will move to earlier September, probably September 13th. I will get an official date at my next OBGYN appointment, which is next Thursday. So I get to meet Goose a week earlier that expected!

Without further ado, please meet Baby 'Goose' Wright, who is quite adorable if I do say so myself!!!!

One Fish, Two Fish, New Fish

When we let people know that we are not finding out the sex of the baby, people are either very supportive or in shock. I suppose the latter group of people feel that it is too hard to plan for a baby without knowing the sex. I might agree with this statement if I had trouble picking a nursery theme, but that was not the case.

While I was helping my girlfriend, Jess, look for nursery themes for her babe I came across this too adorable for words nursery set! I have always been in love with the King of children's literature, Dr. Suess! It may be his colorful personality or quirky story telling prose, but since I was a wee little one I LOVED Dr. Suess (and Shel Silversteen!). I believe I fell deeper in love with the Suess stories when Steve and I visited Universal Studios on our Honeymoon. Universal's kids section is entirely Suess themed. Seeing some of these characters larger than life made it that much more fun! So I am selfishly hoping by theming Goose's room in Dr. Suess, that Goose too becomes enchanted with these timeless stories.

Twelve Weeks and Counting

Today I enter the 12th week of the pregnancy and I am hoping that my body now knows I am in the 2nd trimester and turns off the nausea. Yesterday I was on a work phone call and a sudden bout of nausea over took me and I had to excuse myself. The day before I almost threw up all over myself while driving on the highway. I suppose the lesson I have learned is to travel with plastic bags. Although the nausea is continuous, my appetite has improved slightly. After a small scolding from my OBGYN I have removed myself from my all bagel diet. I am now eating more fruit and yogurt, which is certainly good for me and Goose.

Another milestone I hit... maternity clothes. I was trying to avoid buying maternity clothes for as long as possible and I certainly don't absolutely need them yet, but I want some reassurance that I had clothes to wear if need them. I went into Motherhood Maternity this past weekend and became instantly overwhelmed. Looking at all the belly clothes and the fake belly hanging in the dressing room, it all became fairly real. As I was checking out, just 2 pairs of pants in hand, the cashier was trying to encourage me to buy shirts. I promptly said, "I am very overwhelmed and I can only get myself to buy these two items at this time." So I guess I am going to have to make weekly trips to the store to buy more clothes as the size of my belly increases.

Start Spreading the News

On Friday we got the news that we were holding our breath for.... the baby is certainly growing and has a healthy, yet fast, heartbeat. I never anticipated that such a rapid little noise would have such a great impact on our lives. As soon as we heard that sweet sound we knew that we could start spreading the good news far and wide!

Yesterday, I called my family members, only to find out that my very enthusiastic Grandmother already began the game of Telephone! At least I was able to share our exciting news with our close friends and families.

The excitement that we have been receiving is certainly reassuring. It is nice to hear others give us a cheer of approval. Additionally, it is even more lovely to know that "Goose" is going to be surrounded by so many people that will love and care for "it."

Now that we are sharing the news, and soon the link to this blog, I better get the blogging fever so that I can keep everyone updated to the adventures that lie ahead!

It's True!

After leaving the doctor's office yesterday I was feeling a bit uneasy about everything. The doctor unintentionally scared me with information about all the things that could go wrong. Knowing that we weren't going to get the blood results last night, coupled with the nerve wracking doctor's visit, we decided to wait to tell our parents the news.

I called the doctor this afternoon to find out that three pregnancy tests (I took another one yesterday to calm some of my fears) were indeed accurate, we are pregnant!

With that I quickly called an OBGYN. They asked me to come in for a pre-appointment interview next week. Other OBGYN's won't even talk to most pregnancy patients until 10 weeks. So I was pleasantly surprised that I get to see the doctor so quickly.

Until then we need to figure out when we are comfortable telling out parents and how we are going to do it.

Letting It All Sink In

When I first met Steve, I asked him what his dream in life was. His response was to coach his kid's sports team. I knew then that a happy family was in our future.

Both Steve and I have been extremely blessed over the past several years; we bought a house, got engaged, got married, we both have secure jobs and we have the most wonderful and cutest doggie (our first baby!). So several months ago we made the decision to "not not try," i.e. forgo formal birth control and let nature take its course. With all the stories you hear about couples having trouble conceiving, we both thought that we didn't want the added pressure when we determined it to be the perfect timing. When is the perfect timing anyways? We couldn't answer that question, hence our decision to let the fate of our growing family rest in God's hands.

So, last week I started to feel discomfort in my abdomen, which was accompanied by some other common pregnancy symptoms. I started to think, "OMG, is this really it? Did it really happen?" I was in a bit shock and denial, that is until the symptoms continued and the nausea started.

Friday, January 14th we had plans to go out to dinner with my BFF Lindsey. With concerns that I might be pregnant and not wanting to risk anything by drinking when we went out, Steve convinced me to Pee on a Stick!

Standing in the bathroom, staring at the stick, the first blue line came immediately... my heart sank, I knew what it meant. Cute Steve said, "Well I guess your not pregnant, it only has one line." But wait.... "Is that a second line forming?," I exclaimed. Then we both said nothing. We both stared at each other knowing that all my symptoms were accurate, I was indeed pregnant! We did take one more test the next day, just to be sure!

Steve and I are thrilled to grow our family, although it happened a little earlier than anticipated. Someone upstairs must think we are ready, so therefore we are ready to take on the challenge!

The first big decision now is to find a doctor we can trust. The most important thing to me is that I find someone that I am comfortable with. I am headed to my family physician this afternoon to confirm the pregnancy and have a consultation about choosing an OBGYN.

I am slightly overwhelmed by all the competing information I am finding online about doctors and hospitals. Therefore I know one thing for sure, I need to tell my mom ASAP! Since I won't have my blood results until tomorrow and we want to tell our parents this evening, while my dad is still home, I will be taking one more home pregnancy test just to make certain. We are still unsure how we are going to surprise them with this exciting news, but I am sure something will come to us last minute!