It's Official

So, I've officially had a full-blown pregnancy related craving. Full-blown in that there were very specific ingredients required, full-blown in that Ad and I had to take a special trip to the grocery store, and full-blown in that the thought of it makes Ad dry heave.

I HAD to have a bologna sandwich this evening. And it HAD to be made with white bread and miracle whip. (Just like at my babysitter's house over 15 years ago.) I don't think I personally have ever purchased bologna, white bread, or miracle whip. But, I sure did tonight. And I'm enjoying the combination of the three, right now, in between typing this! It's fantastic!

My husband is appalled. But, he did at least go with me to the grocery store. And made fun of me the entire time.

So, I had started to think the pregnancy craving thing was just something people joked about. Not anymore. This is serious. Once I got it in my head that a bologna sandwich sounded good, it's all I could think about. I ate a normal dinner even. But I still could not stop thinking about it. It's weird. I know that some people say the cravings are your body's way of telling you what it's deficient in, but seriously, what could bologna, white bread, and miracle whip possibly have to offer my body? Nitrates and cholesterol? Yuck.

I guess we'll see how long this lasts. Either I'll fill my body with nitrates, or the dogs will have some pretty tasty snacks in the coming days. :D

18 week belly

The belly at 18 weeks

Grandparent names

Since my mom found out she was going to be a grandmother, she's been fretting over what her future grandchild will call her. She's concerned it will be much too confusing to have two Grandma K/Carols. I told her one can be Grandma K and the other Grandma C. Apparently she wasn't satisfied with that because a few weeks into the pregnancy she informed me she'd settled on being called Nana. It's what she called her dad's mom. The trouble is that her Nana became my Nana (great-grandmother) whom I remember as an OLD lady who wore a wig, twiddled her thumbs, and asked people how their bowels were doing. I told her she could not be called Nana.

Several weeks later she had another suggestion, "Oma." It's the German word for grandmother. (My mom's father's family was German.) That sounded like a good choice to me but of course I had to razz her a little.

"Oh, I thought maybe you'd choose Mee-ma, you know, like from the Carrie Underwood song?" (My mom is the BIGGEST Carrie Underwood fan ever.)

"And then Dad can be called Pee-pa!" *giggle, giggle*  

At this point my mom is looking at me in disgust.

"Or better yet, how about Poo-pa? Yeah, that's perfect! Josh and Ryan called him Uncle Poopie, it would just make sense for his Grandpa name to be Poo-pa!" *more giggling*

I don't even remember what her response was to this because I was giggling so hard, but I'm pretty sure she wasn't as amused as I. Needless to say, we haven't yet agreed on a name for my dad, but it sounds like Mom will be Oma. But I think Oma and Poo-pa sound pretty good. :)

Tolman Baby's Oma and Poo-pa

Dr.'s Appointment and cravings

Yesterday we had a regular check-up with the doctor. Again, everything is looking right on track. Weight gain - 3 pounds since the first appointment, blood pressure - still 100/60 mmHg, and we finally had the chance to hear that elusive little heartbeat! It was pretty amazing. I was surprised with how strong and bounding it sounded. It sort of cemented the whole, "I have a human being growing inside of me," thing. It was cool.

So people have asked if I've had any weird cravings yet. I'd say, not really. It's more like if I am reminded of a certain food and it begins to sound good to me, then that's the one thing I want. The first time it happened Adam and I were in Las Vegas and there was an advertisement for brownies on TV. I'm pretty sure I made him walk at least a mile with me to find a brownie. The most recent thing it's been with is corndogs. I know, gross, right? I normally DO NOT like corndogs. But, the other day a patient came in to pick up a prescription eating a corndog. At first I was appalled and disgusted but then I got to thinking, "mmm, a corndog sounds pretty good." I tried to let it go for a few days but I just couldn't get it out of my mind. So, I finally grabbed one at the grocery store deli, hoping it would be terrible and that I'd get the darn things off my mind. But no, goshdarnit, it was great! Now I can't stop thinking about having another one! Ugh! 

16 week belly pic

The belly at 16 weeks

My clever waistband adjustment :D

16 weeks

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop.
- http://www.babycenter.com/6_your-pregnancy-16-weeks_1105.bc

Belly pic coming soon!