Mother of the Year!

I receieved this from my friend Lanaux. She is always passing on amazing animal pictures. I felt that this posting, being a baby blog and all, was most appropriate. It warms the heart!

"In a zoo in California , a mother tiger gave birth to a rare set of triplet tiger cubs. Unfortunately,
due to complications in the pregnancy, the cubs were born prematurely and due to their tiny
size, they died shortly after birth.

The mother tiger after recovering from the delivery, suddenly started to decline in health,
although physically she was fine. The veterinarians felt that the loss of her litter had caused
the tigress to fall into a depression. The doctors decided that if the tigress could surrogate
another mother's cubs, perhaps she would improve.

After checking with many other zoos across the country, the depressing news was that there
were no tiger cubs of the right age to introduce to the mourning mother. The veterinarians
decided to try something that had never been tried in a zoo environment. Sometimes a mother
of one species will take on the care of a different species. The only "orphans" that could be
found quickly, were a litter of weanling pigs. The zoo keepers and vets wrapped the pigle ts in
tiger skin and placed the babies around the mother tiger. Would they become cubs or pork chops?
Take a look...you won't believe your eyes."

more hives than a honeybee

My skin's sensitivity has gone of the charts. Thanks to an influx of zany skin-altering hormones, my skin says "no way Jose" to just about any product. Today, my face broke out in welts- welts red and raised enough to prompt my students in asking me if I was getting beaten at home. Hello? Time to seek the help of Benadryl. I called my OB doctor's office from work and got the approval to take Benadryl in pill form. I have been using the clear lotion format but to no avail. In fact, all of my skin felt itchy and hot. I was squirming around and scratching like a bear rubbing up against a big tree. In fact, just typing this post is making me feel tingling. I think even the Clinique products I have been using will have to be shelved for a few months. Looks like it's warm water from here on out.

Excellent Check-Up

We saw Dr. Keller today, all three of us. Everything is going swimmingly. She said my fatigue is normal and should clear up in a few weeks. The quad screen results were fine. We also got to hear the heart beat again. This time it only took a few seconds to find. So loud and clear! Oh, I forgot to mention this earlier, but this baby is really moving! I feel the twist, the mashed potato, and the Tennessee waltz! We have a few more weeks to go before movements can be felt from the outside.

Gross Bites!

Growing up in my house, a "gross bite" was a bite that was way too big for your mouth. Jesse and I have even picked up this vernacular tradition. However, thanks to pregnancy cravings, gross bites are now the nasty food combinations I daydream about. The cravings have arrived, and they are funky. For example, two nights ago I made, ate, and enjoyed a plate of fettuccine Alfredo and vegetarian chili. Honest. I have been craving a Stromboli filled with baked beans. I even fancied a piece of steak-flavored bubble gum. That even grosses me out. To quote the new Thomas' celebrity God parent, Hunter S. Thompson, "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro." And remember, I was the kid that loved PB and bacon bit sandwiches.

Seventeen Weeks down!

We actually don't go for our ultra-sound for another 3 weeks. However, we have an OB appointment this Thursday. We really want to hear the heartbeat again. It's an amazing experience.

more pictures from this past weekend

Pictures one, two, and three were taken on Lookout Mountain. It felt 10 degrees cooler the shade- which we needed because of this zany Red October heat wave. The last picture is from that night. Clark, in his close-up, is playing with a deadly caterpillar. It looked more like the friendly worm character from David Bowie's' "The Labyrinth." I included it because 90% of time my father is photographed, his eyes are shut. I am awarding prizes to the best submission in "Give John Sight" Photo Shop contest. Just kidding, Dad!

Weekend Get-A-Way Results

I am posting some pictures from my cousin Ashlee's 40th Birthday Bash. I think the new Thomas had a good time, as did the previous Thomases. Our flights were smooth; the morning sickness only showed up once. We had an excellent time with our extended and immediate family. Gotta love those Weigels!
Sorry for the photo orientation. Just turn your body for optimal viewing. The new Thomas is well masked behind my big red wrap. I promise, when the baby bump looks like a baby bump and not a fat belly, I will post clothed tummy pictures. But for now, you have to wait. In the above pictures are the following folks: Mom (Kit) and Dad (John), Jeese and me, and Clark (my brother) and his girlfriend Katie. My favorite photo is of Jesse lending a hand to clean up a broken glass before the party started. He is quite proud of his fancy footwork.

The votes are in!

Drum roll please. . .it looks like we are having a Star Wars fan! That poor child never stood a chance- geek runs in our genes. The doctor should be able to confirm this prediction in about two weeks.

Steppin' Out With My Baby!

The above picture I have added as an illustration of the difficulty I have had finding a formal dress for next weekend. We are going to a black-tie party, and finding the black tie was the easy part. Jesse quickly snagged a handsome tuxedo. I, however, in a quest for rapid westward expansion, spill out of all my formal dresses. I already have a closet full of evening dresses- thanks Chi Omega! And most of these dresses a tiny, black, and inappropriate for a pregnant lady to wear. I thought the Internet would be my best option. Sadly, ever thing either cost an arm and a uterus, or the dresses where as whack as the above sample.
I felt like Casey, ready to strike out, ready to pack my sweat suit and flip flops for the big party. I felt this way until I went shopping with my good luck charm and best friend, MK. We found an amazing black dress for $25. Thank goodness my feet aren't knocked up, too, because I still have 100 pairs of snazzy heels. Mystery solved. Case closed. I will post pictures from our trip when we return. Jesse and I clean up pretty well. I am excited to show my black-tie baby bump!

Treats for Two

My wonderful neighbor Joan gave us two delicious pastries from France yesterday. Joan is an international flight attendant. She visits amazing places for weeks at a time. Very glamorous. Joan is also the nicest neighbor anyone could hope for! She flagged me down yesterday to give me the treats. Since there were two treats, I assumed one was for me and one was for Jesse. My plans changed after I ate the first pastry. Its surprising chocolate insides told me that the second treat was actually for the baby. Furthermore, the baby wanted its treat immediately following the consumption of my treat. I have my marching orders.