A Pain in the Neck

I woke up Sunday morning with a very stiff neck. I figured I had probably slept funny so I tried to take it easy. Monday morning I was still in a lot of pain and by the time I got to work was sweating and nauseous. I put in a call to the OB and took a sick day. I asked if I could get a prescription for tylenol with codeine or if I should try a chiropractor first and the on call doctor told me to try the chiropractor first (Monique, I was desperate!).

I went to the chiropractor on Monday morning and then went home to rest. On Tuesday I felt stiff but pretty good. The chiropractor had me change to a new pillow Tuesday night. By Thursday morning I was in A LOT OF PAIN. I worked about half the day and then went home (that's the drama free version...in the real version there was a lot of crying). I got a prescription for Tylenol with codeine and it didn't really help. I used a regular pillow Thursday night and that DID help a bit.

Today is Friday and I have a sub. I am hoping that resting over the weekend and some prescription muscle relaxers will get me to a point where I can face next week. My regular doc (not the one who told me to go ahead and try a chiropractor...that was an on call doc) is going to refer me for physical therapy so that I can work on preventing this in the future.

Closet Update 1

Installing the closet kit was more frustrating than we expected. Several drywall anchors just would not go in properly forcing us to resort to desperate measures. Adam prevailed though and now the closet hardware is installed. We need to pick up a few more shelves to really make it work but you'll get the idea.

My big contribution was driving to Target and buying itty bitty hangers. I used those hangers to put away all the baby clothes we've got so far.

Hi Ho Hi Ho

It's off to work we go. After a break of several weeks from home improvement projects, Adam and I are installing the new closet system in the baby's room today. We are also going to remove the closet doors in our bedroom and start prepping that room for the moulding makeover.

Another Darling Gift

Sue Ross (Adam's grandmother) just sent us a really cute little shirt. Liz (Adam's aunt and a fellow teacher) helped her choose it.

Decisions

I think we all know the biggest decision Adam and I will need to make in the next few months...what to bring the baby home in. My mom just bought us a Hanna Andersson outfit that is at the top of the short list.

Names from the Cutting Room Floor

I was chatting today with a friend about the huge task of selecting a name for your baby. I never realized how intense the negotiations would be after all, it's not that hard to think of names YOU like. You have to be a mind reader though to know which ones will be vetoed by your spouse. That being said, I thought people would enjoy learning about the OTHER names we campaigned for.

Adam liked...

• Isaac
• Wesley
• Ethan

Marianna liked...

• Suzanne
• Hope
• Matilda
• Annie
  
• Virginia (Ginny)
• Georgia
  
• Mitchell (Mitch)
  
• Howard (Howie)

We both liked...

• Dora (Dottie, Dot)
• Jane
• Elise
  

The Early Bird

I've taken to working out (nearly) every morning. I had gotten lazy about this before being pregnant. Something about the combination of working full time and going to school made it nearly impossible for me to commit to fitness. Now I'm going to the gym every morning around 5:30 because I am trying to maintain a manageable weight gain. There are only a handful of people (Adam, my parents, my sisters and Robin...yep that covers it) who know how GRUMPY I am in the morning and how difficult it really is for me to get going. The funny thing is, once I actually get to the gym I am so glad to be there. I think I'm becoming one of THOSE people.

A Refresher Course

For those we haven't talked to in a while here are some quick updates...

Morning Sickness
I was lucky to avoid this pregnancy symptom almost completely!

Gender
We decided at the beginning of this adventure to not find out the gender of our baby until the big day. We just had our 20 week ultrasound so we probably won't even have another opportunity to find out.

Names
After exhaustive (and often exhausting) negotiations, we decided on names. If we have a boy he will be named Henry (Hank?). If we have a girl she will be named Portia. We also considered Dora for a girl but just couldn't live with the popularity of Dora the Explorer.

Preparations
Julie (Adam's mom) came out for a weekend and helped us install new baseboards in the baby's room. We are slowly replacing all the baseboards and interior doors in our condo. We still have a lot of work to do!

Movement
Marianna has felt the baby squirming around for several weeks now. So far s/he hasn't demonstrated any kickboxing ability though.

Looks
This baby is cursed with two parents that have VERY thick hair and lucky that we both also have pretty good teeth. Marianna has green eyes. Adam has brown eyes. Our scientist friends could probably use a Punnet square to predict the baby's eye color but we will just have to wait and see.