Wiegand Writes

It has been a week since I last posted and I don't even know where to begin...SO, here are ten things that are sure to bring you up to date! 1. Meg's round ligament pain disappeared Saturday morning (just as the doctor predicted) The prenatal yoga really seemed to help. We just have to make sure Meg takes it easy and doesn't "overdo" it from here on out. 2. Meg and I had a WONDERFUL holiday! While we were unable to do a few of our annual traditions (shopping and the holiday light show), we enjoyed spending time with both of our families! 3. Avery received Christmas gifts! We've added several blankets, outfits, toys, and books to the nursery! (you should know that these were NOT gifts from us!) Meg and I did, however, use some of our gift cards to purchase clearance dresses...we couldn't resist...my mom will be so happy!!! 4. We took a road trip to Longwood Gardens. What was supposed to be an hour and 10 minute ride turned into almost 2 hours. We ar...

Meg called me late this morning to tell me she was having pain on her lower right side. She told me she called the OB and was waiting for a call back. I tried to reassure her and calm her down, but inside I was a mess. I called my mom as soon as we hung up...I needed reassurance! I then got on the internet and googled pain in the 2nd trimester. Sure enough, I had the diagnosis long before Meg called me back. The OB said it is called round ligament pain. It is perfectly normal and happens because the uterus is stretching. I told Meg to take it easy and that I would check in soon. I text my best friend, Trish (to let her know what was going on). She called me right away and I could barely fight back the tears.  EVERYONE told me that the pain was normal and not to worry, but it was/ and still is absolutely terrifying.  Meg's coworker, Jane, was nice enough to drive Meg to my parents' house (she was at work when all of this started)...Meg threw up on the way ...

You've heard of whale watching, right? Well, I've been on official kick watch for the past few days! That being said, I can happily say I  saw Avery kick tonight! Amazing!

Meg and I (and our friend Amanda) had an impromptu dinner date on Friday night with our friend, (and Avery's Aunt), Trish. We met at Whole Foods. There, Trish bought Avery a Kimochi! Kimochi's are toys to teach feelings. They are so cute, so it's hard to choose just one. We settled on Huggtopus. "Huggtopus is all smiles and hugs. She is very affectionate and strong and sometimes gets carried away by her big friendly personality. Her favorite number is 8. Her favorite color is pink. She has a special fondness for bubblegum and plays the xylophone." On Saturday, Meg's parents came up to install our new stainless steel microwave (our Christmas gift) and to drop off bins of Meg's niece's clothing. Meg's dad was joking around saying that we would never have to buy clothes again (unless we wanted to). After sorting through the bins Saturday night, I think it's safe to say he was right! W...

So, we went for our follow up ultrasound appointment today...to check Avery's spine (she didn't cooperate last time) Sadly, this time wasn't much different. Our appointment was scheduled for 3:30 (the last ultrasound appointment of the day). The ultrasound technician called us back at 3:40. We were out by 3:45. It was a waste of time. She took 1 picture of Avery's neck, pushed so hard on Meg's pelvic bone that she actually hurt her (Meg not Avery) and told us to come back again. As if her impatient demeanor wasn't bad enough, what made it worse was that they didn't have any ultrasound appointments for January 6th (the day of our next regular check up). SO...we had to schedule one for the 10th. Meg's going to call the doctor tomorrow to ask if the ultrasound is really necessary. All of the other tests came back fine. I don't see why we can't just wait until our final ultrasound. I guess time will tell. On a more positive note, Avery look...

Today was our 20 week ultrasound. It felt like we'd been waiting for this day forever! (maybe that's because I hate surprises) We both took off from work so that we could get an early appointment. It worked out well because they took us back into the room about 15 minutes after our scheduled appointment time (not bad considering how long we have had to wait in the past!) Once in the room, the ultrasound tech asked us why we were there. I was confused and a little disheartened by her question...shouldn't they know why we were coming?! THEN she started talking about twins. "Twins!?" we asked. A moment later she smiled and said, "OH!!! Your chart has two female symbols. I assumed it was for twins, but it must represent the two of you!" We all laughed for a moment, but I swear my blood pressure must have shot through the roof! I asked her if she would tell us the gender as soon as she found out or if we would have to wait until the end. She told us...

So, the doctor called on Friday...Meg has strep throat. He put her on amoxicillin. She has to take it 3 times a day for 10 days. We were nervous about how the strep/antibiotic would affect the baby, but the pharmacist AND the doctor assured us that everything would be okay. Meg and I went to Peddler's Village this weekend. We had dinner at Sweet Lorraine's (we were given a $25 restaurant.com gift certificate). It's not organic, but they offer a free range chicken on the menu, so I figured I would be safe eating there. The food was delicious and I didn't have any problems. After dinner we walked around. We weren't able to find a Christmas ornament, but we did buy a few presents. All the stores were lit up. It was so beautiful. We stopped to take some pictures... Meg has been feeling the baby kick for a few weeks now (some days more than others). I haven't been able to feel him yet (yes, we have been using that pronoun...though ...

Ok, so this week is 19 weeks, but I never put up the 18 week photos...I know. I know. I stink at this! BUT, I had a fun idea (you can thank my friend and coworker for planting the idea in my head)...not sure why it took 18 weeks to think of, but here you go... Here is a picture of our little bell pepper!!!

After a wonderful Thanksgiving, Meg and I were anxious to set up for Christmas...We had my dad come over to the house to help bring down the decorations from the attic (I wasn't about to have Meg lifting heavy boxes). I told Dad we were looking for 6 tupperware boxes (Meg told me that number a few days earlier) but she kept on insisting that it was only 5. So, 5 boxes came down. While I battled a head cold, Meg decorated the house. She had a minor freak out moment when she realized an entire box of decorations was missing. I didn't say, "I told you so." (you should be proud!) I didn't even tease her about her pregnancy brain. Instead, I held the attic stairs while she went up to find the missing box. (Don't worry...she passed the items down to me individually) Last night Meg and I went to our local farm to search for the perfect Christmas tree. I'm sure there are cheaper places to buy trees (people tell us every year) but it's our tradition. Usua...

Ok, so I'll be the first one to admit that I have a little bit of my father AND my mother in me. I'd like to say that I get the best of both of them, but I tend to get my obnoxious and nervous behavior from my dad...just wait...you'll see! Mom keeps telling me stories of when the two of them went to lamaze classes and dad bounced tennis balls off of her back. Sounds like something I would do...I'm sure I've told you before that Meg threatens me every time we go to the OB and I start playing with the models! I'm not always bad...Take tonight, for example...in an attempt to be supportive, I encouraged Meg to try out the prenatal yoga dvd I bought her at the beginning of the pregnancy. I should mention that Meg is very familiar with yoga (she used to go/do it frequently at home) I, on the other hand, am not! Every time Meg asked me to go with her or to do it with her, I refused. I don't know if it's the quietness or the breathing or the chanting or j...

As if Meg feeling the baby for the first time wasn't enough to make us smile from ear to ear, we came home to a package from CCB (california cryobank).  They sent us a congratulatory letter and a folder on our donor. Inside, they placed the donor's profile, personal essay, extensive medical background, and childhood photos. I have all of the same information stored on my computer, but holding it in my hands (knowing that one day we will share the information with our child) made this whole process seem real! (up until this point it's been very surreal) In honor of Meg feeling the baby for the first time, I read a book to Meg's tummy. Knowing that it will be the first of many, I decided on  On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman. I bought the book in May as a gift for Meg when we first started the ttc process... It's amazing how far we've come. Our baby will be here before we know it...only 156 days left!

Last night, while showering, Meg paused and said, "Oh." (and grabbed her belly) I asked her what was wrong and she told me that she didn't know. I then freaked out and asked her if she was in pain. Meg replied, "It's not like that." I suggested that maybe she was feeling the baby move for the first time, but neither of us were sure. I mean it's not like there is a specific timeline for these things. Meg called me on her way to work this morning to say she had another weird feeling. This time it was up high (under her rib). I told her that maybe she was just anticipating feeling the baby. I reassured her that she would know when she REALLY felt the baby. I decided to use my prep to share with you the text message I just got from Meg, "Definitely feeling the baby!! I can't wait for you to feel it!" I can't believe it!

Wow, so it's been a while! I often find myself thinking, "I should blog about this," but then life gets in the way and I forget. So, yea, this is my attempt to fill you in on what's been happening... Meg and I went to see Breaking Dawn yesterday with Meg's mom. It was absolutely fantastic! Afterwards, we stopped at Target to pick up a few things. Naturally, Meg wandered into the maternity section and started looking at the winter coats. I asked her if she was going to try one on. Out of nowhere a target team member approached us and said "this is the maternity section." Meg turned around, breathed fire, and said, "I know. I'm pregnant." I couldn't help, but laugh. Clearly the woman was just trying to help. She couldn't see/tell Meg was pregnant (Meg was wearing a black Northface jacket and a scarf and had her back to her) but Meg got so offended. She even started getting all teary eyed in the food section (can you say hormon...

I have a feeling this won't be as exciting for you guys as it was for Meg and I, but I felt like I needed to share... One of our new friends from babycenter messaged me and asked how Meg and I chose our donor. I was messaging her back when all of the sudden it hit me...I hadn't checked our donor's profile in a while.  Sure enough, when I visited the California Cryobank's site, I noticed that they updated his profile...he finally has a reported pregnancy! (They emailed me a survey a few weeks ago asking us why we stopped ordering. I told them it was because Meg was pregnant!) Way to go, Meg!!! Anyhow, Meg and the little avocado are doing well. 4 more weeks until we find out if it's a boy or girl...

Meg and I came to a few realizations today... 1. Gap Maternity has one of the most organized and stylish maternity sections that we have come across thus far. It even had a bathroom!!! With the sale ($40 off every $100 you spend), it was the perfect place to purchase a dress for Meg's cousin's upcoming wedding! 2. The stores A Pea in a Pod, Motherhood Maternity, and Destination Maternity are not one in the same! While they accept the same gift card, $75 to A Pea in a Pod buys virtually nothing! Seriously, the jeans were $119.50!!! For that price, they should automatically dress you! Needless to say, we did NOT buy a pair. Instead, Meg purchased a shirt and a boppy pillow...(which brings me to my next realization) 3. The boppy body pillow is loved by both pregnant women and dogs! (funny how they don't advertise that on the brochure) *WARNING* The pillow may cause your wife to speak in a whiney voice until you correctly position it...take my advice, DO NOT tell her s...

I wanted to leave school a few minutes early today for our 15 week OB appointment, but life had other plans. I called Meg (on my way) to say that I would be a little late and she informed me that the appointment was at the Lawrenceville office not the Yardley office (which tacked on an extra 17 minutes to the 40 minute ride!!!) I started to get nervous that I wouldn't make it to the appointment. I mean, I left school around 3:10 and our appointment was at 3:30, but I weaved in and out of traffic and managed to make it to the office shortly before 4. As I was parking, Natalie Merchant's "These are days" came on. You know my thing with music...naturally, I made a connection! These are days you'll remember Never before and never since, I promise will the whole world be warm as this and as you feel it, you'll know it's true that you are blessed and lucky it's true, that you are touched by something that will grow and bloom in you As I listen...

Tomorrow we head back to the OB to listen to the heartbeat and get some routine blood work done. Meg's nausea is much better and she hasn't really complained about leg pain. She has however, complained about headaches. I tried to look it up on the internet and it talked a lot about the first trimester, but then other sources said 2nd, so I don't know. I think it's just one of those things where if it's really bad you take tylenol. We'll talk to the doc about it tomorrow. I'll post another picture tomorrow...I can't say that her belly looks any bigger, but she's definitely more uncomfortable clothing wise. Her normal clothes are too tight, but maternity clothes are too big. Needless to say, trying on clothes is a nightmare!!!

Flashback to last Wednesday...I drove to school with my hand pressing against my lower right side. (I'd been having pain since Monday, but figured I was just ovulating and needed to suck it up.) By the time I got to school I could barely move without wincing. I sat curled over on the chair as my friend googled ovarian cysts, appendicitis, gall bladders, and pretty much every other ailment we could think of...my colleagues started making bets as to what was wrong with me (in their defense, they insisted that I leave, but I didn't want to) I managed to make it until 10:45 (I spent most of the morning sitting in a chair.) I called Meg and told her the pain had gotten worse and that I was going to go to the ER. She met me at home and we went to the hospital by our house. We waited in the ER for a long time. They scheduled me a CAT scan and an internal ultrasound..ugh! I did the ultrasound like a champ, but had an allergic reaction to the Barium drink and had to take benadryl (b...

Well, after a day of pregnancy hormone hell, I'm happy to report that Meg's hives are completely gone...took long enough, right?? On a different note, it seems as if we're right on target with the common 2nd trimester discomforts. Meg has just recently started complaining of leg pain. I figured it was just because she's not used to standing all day and has now taken over all subjects forcing her to do so (not that she was EVER lazy running around with those three year olds!!!) Anyhow, I did some googling and found that MANY pregnant women start experiencing leg and back pain in the second trimester because the growing uterus puts pressure on the nerve. What's the remedy you ask??? A nightly back rub! Now that I think of it, my sciatic nerve is acting up from changing the litter in the litter box!!! (kidding) Meg said the pain is just annoying...nothing worth taking medicine over...at least not yet. She's going to try some stretches and see if that help...

Our four year anniversary was yesterday, but we decided to celebrate tonight. We bought all of the ingredients and dippers to make fondue at home (my stupid allergies inhibit us from frequenting the Melting Pot) Our "date" started shortly after 4pm. The first course was cheese fondue (with salsa...tasted like queso!). We bought tortilla chips and granny smith apples for dippers, but we only ate the bread. It was SOOO good! When we finished, we cleaned up the dishes and started to prepare the next course. Meg pulled the lobster tail out of the shell, cut her chicken and steak. I poured all of the sauces. Together, we then measured out the ingredients for the court bouillon broth. We set everything aside in the fridge and sat down to relax (and digest) for a while. We caught up on Modern Family. By the time that was over, we were ready to eat again! It was amazing! I had scallops, shrimp, and lobster tail with teriyaki sauce, cocktail sauce, and garlic butter. Meg had c...

I can still remember the day. It was October 13th, 2007. Meg and I were surrounded by our closest friends (many of which had to drive 8+ hours to get to Cape Cod, MA). We ate breakfast together before parting ways. Meg went to get her hair done with the girls and I walked around Provincetown with the guys (and Trish and Tammy) searching for the perfect wedding present... About two hours before the ceremony, the two Matts, Trish and Tammy and I started raking the beach and setting up the aisle of fall leaves. It took a little longer than expected...who knew that sand would be cold and hard in October??? Consequently, we had to rush back to the hotel to get ready. Tammy made some last minute alterations to my tux (apparently I didn't have belt loops...whoops!) and we headed out to pose for pictures in the garden. As I stood barefoot on the beach, I looked back at the boats swaying gently on the bay. It was the perfect day to get married (minus the obnoxiously loud seagul...

Today was our second appointment with our OB. We decided to try out the Lawrenceville office. It was SO much better than last time. It was clean, comfortable, and dare I say, beautiful??  The organization, yea, that was another story. After arriving 20 minutes early for our 3:45 appointment, Meg and I were left perfecting the art of statue making for several hours...we sat and waited and waited and waited. Again, it felt as though everyone who came in after us was called before us. GRR!!! Finally, they called Meg's name. We were taken into a room and asked routine questions (they went over her paperwork) and took her blood pressure. The nurse then escorted us back to the waiting room. I figured it wouldn't be long before we were called back again to see the doctor. Boy was I wrong.  It was after 5 o'clock when we finally went back to the room. We talked with a different nurse. She weighed Meg and then used the doppler to listen to the heartbeat.  Unf...

Meg had a better day today...She had to run and get her seasick bands after eating a tiny piece of pumpkin pie (I guess it was the consistency???) After putting a spiced apple ginger chew in her mouth (she claims they are a gift from God) she managed to calm herself down...whatever works, right?!? She's currently dwelling over who to send private facebook messages to before I announce the pregnancy tomorrow. Lol, gotta love her! I'm just excited to finally spill the beans! I can't believe I lasted 12 weeks! I'm so proud of myself! Tomorrow we head back to the OB to listen to the heartbeat. I'm bringing the flip camera...fingers crossed that I can capture it!

I had planned to celebrate the explorations of Christopher Columbus today whilst dreaming for an extra hour (I had off from school!!). Sadly, the baby had other plans... Meg woke up at her normal time. She apologized for the light. I rolled over and fell back to sleep with the dogs. Shortly after, she said that she was going to be sick and proceeded to run to the bathroom. She ended up throwing up twice. I can't believe it...first Thursday and now this. I know people say that bad morning sickness means the baby is healthy, but I'm waiting for the day that Meg explodes and tells me to stop reminding her while her head is in the toilet. It's going to happen...lol So, anyway...as the day progressed, Meg had her ups and downs. I took her to the grocery store to pick out something to eat. She got really upset because an old man asked her to move. It practically sent her into tears! Allow me to paint you a picture of our ride home...We're talking. Meg's eating a b...

Meg and I started the weekend with a trip to Baby's R Us with my parents. We needed to pick out a shower gift, but really, we were excited to scope the place out.  Dad walked around picking out cute "backpacks" which I later informed him were leashes! He was obsessed with the little girl's outfits and asked Meg if she could push out an 18 month old, so we could buy the really cute clothes. He and I tested out rocking chairs, while Meg and mom searched for onesies and registry gifts. Saturday was spent at our close friend's baby shower. I've come to the conclusion that baby showers are extremely overwhelming! I can't even imagine sitting in front of family and friends and opening an endless sea of presents (perhaps it is because my extended family scarred me as a child...they used to wrap up other people's presents and give them to me and say Santa left the wrong gift!!! LOL, gotta love them!) Anyhow, I hate surprises and told Meg that sh...

I had it all planned...I was going to blog last night about all of the sentimental things that I've been thinking about. (while Meg was at class) I suppose that will have to wait...Yesterday was the hardest day for Meg (so far). She threw up right before she left for work. I felt awful that I couldn't be there with her. Normally, the sound, sight, and smell of throw up sends me running, but "morning" sickness is different. It's a lot of dry heaving, which, to me, seems painful (and quite frankly, worse).  As if that wasn't bad enough, she had to run to the bathroom at school because she was going to have diarrhea (sorry if too much info). Sidenote, she had to wear her seasick bands all day. She also sucked on preggie pops. Nothing seemed to make the nausea go away. Around 8:15 I hear the door open (Meg was finally home from class). I said hello from upstairs and all I heard was, "I think I'm going to be sick." I ran downstairs in tim...

Meg had a dream last night that we found out our baby was a boy. I'm not sure what that means (probably nothing) haha. At this point, I'd be happy either way. I actually found a person who knows two little girls named Avery today.  I think this change of events warrants a retraction of my veto...not to mention, Meg really loves the name! So, I guess you could say that we're one step closer to agreeing on a girl's name! Now that I'm getting the, "I told you so," looks from the wifey...it's pretty much a guarantee that we'll have a boy!

We've been counting down the days for the last two weeks...our first OB appointment was finally here!!! We left the house this morning at 7:30, but before running out the door, I grabbed the camera and the flip video camera...I wasn't going to miss an opportunity to capture our baby's heartbeat again! On the way into the city we talked about all things baby...we were two hours early for my neurologist appointment, so we decided to stop at Starbucks. There, we filled out our new patient paperwork. Did I mention how excited we were??? By the time the appointment was finished, it was almost time for lunch. I'd been telling Meg about White Dog's awesome cheeseburgers for quite some time, so it was only fair that we go there. (I'd be lying if I said this wasn't part of the plan all along!!!) Unfortunately, Meg's stomach started acting up (most likely from the queso from last night's Mexican fiesta!). She was able to enjoy half of the cheese...

I came home to an email from our lawyer saying that she saw our blog...I felt so famous!!!

It's been a while since I last blogged. (I know, I know) I really stink at keeping up with this now that school is back in session. Truth is, there hasn't been much to tell. Meg had another throw up incident. Apparently dairy is not her friend right now. (Gross!) Moving on...her hives have started to clear up ever since she stopped the (gummy) prenatal vitamins. She takes oatmeal baths like it's her job (the hives are still pretty bad in spots). The calamine lotion has been cut back, so I regret to inform you that the pink panther (cue the music) is no longer with us. You have no idea how much I am going to miss that smell! Kidding. A friend asked me today what Meg's "go to" foods have been. It took me a moment to answer...I'm sure the weird cravings are still to come, but her safe foods definitely tend to be cheerios, peanut butter sandwiches, apples, plums, english muffins, and granola bars. She gave up on bananas for a while, but they're now b...

As I get ready to start the last day of what was the longest week ever, I thought I should tell you about last night... Meg didn't get home until 8:20 last night (which is pretty typical for Thursdays). On the phone, she asked me if I could make her a PB & J sandwich because she forgot to take her prenatal and felt hungry. So, here we are, we're standing in the kitchen. She takes a bite of her sandwich; swallows it. She then takes a sip of caffeine free coke (helps her swallow the pills) and downs her first prenatal. She goes to swallow the second and spits up in the sink. I told her to go sit down and eat the rest of her sandwich and relax before trying again. She insisted that she was going to throw up, but I told her to just breathe. She seemed to calm down as we  went upstairs. We were upstairs for less than 3 minutes when all of the sudden she ran to the sink and threw up (GROSS!) What made it worse though, was she started dry heaving. I felt so bad. I went o...

After talking with my mom (she's very wise and frequently self diagnoses using webmd, lol) it dawned on me that Meg switched prenatal vitamins right around the time her hives started. Originally, Meg was taking organic prenatal vitamins from Whole Foods, but when her morning sickness intensified it became too difficult for her to swallow the pills (they are quite large). In lieu of a gag reflex, we switched to chewable (gummy) prenatals from Target. Over the weekend Meg and I went to Whole Foods in search of new vitamins. They don't make chewable prenatals, but they do make petite versions of her original vitamins. The downside is that you have to take three of them (but they're only slightly larger than a tylenol, so it's not that bad). Anyhow, Meg managed to swallow the new pills last night. Afterwards she took an oatmeal bath and then we covered her hives with calamine lotion (she looked like the pink panther!!!). We had to reapply in some areas before bed, b...

I'm sound asleep (practically sitting up in fear of breaking out into another coughing fit), when all of the sudden Meg wakes me up saying she's in pain. I shoot out of bed and say, "I'm on it!" Here I am...It's 1:30am and I'm about to go on my first late night run. I have to admit, I was kind of excited. Meg pleaded with me not to go, but I told her I would be back in 7 minutes. I got her an ice pack and went on my way. Everything was dark. The streetlights were blinking. There were deer everywhere! The strangest part, though, was how many cars were out.  It was by no means trafficky, but I couldn't help, but wonder what the hell they were all doing. I mean the gas stations in our area close at 9 on the weekends!!! Anyhow, I pulled up to 7-11 and asked the clerk if he had any calamine lotion. He told me he just sold his last bottle at 10:30. Just my luck... I asked him if he knew of any other 24 hour places, but he was sending me 20+ minutes a...

Yesterday was the first scary moment of the pregnancy...I was on my way home from work. Meg and I arranged to meet at Pep Boys (she needed an oil change and her tires needed to be checked). I called her on the way and she didn't sound right. I asked her what was wrong and she told me she was having a sharp pain. Immediately I started thinking the worst case scenario, but I was trying to stay calm. I asked her what she had for lunch. When she told me she only ate a bagel, I started thinking that it was the pain that she sometimes gets when she waits too long to eat (amplified by the pregnancy). I told her I had a soft pretzel for her and would see her in a few. Meg ate the pretzel and the pain decreased. We drove to Meg's parents' house to babysit her niece for the night. There, she ate a slice of pizza, some popcorn, and an organic oreo, but the pain was still there. She wasn't herself. She looked exhausted and desperately just wanted to sit down. After we gave ...