Our Last Christmas As Two

Happy Holidays everyone! 

Dan's brother Greg, sister-in-law Bonnie, nephews Greg Jr. and Garrett flew in from California last Friday night. We have not seen them since our wedding, over two years ago, so we  both were very excited to have them here for the holidays. Our Christmas Eve was a full house here in our apartment with not only them, but with Dan's parents, my parents, my brother and his fiance, and my two sisters. I always want something different on Christmas Eve so my mom made lasagna, Dan's mom made salad, and I cooked some garlic bread. It was a good night.

On Christmas, Dan and I went to his parent's house for dinner. Dan received a Honey Baked Ham gift certificate from his job, so that's what we had for dinner. Honey Baked Ham is the best ham out there - soooooo good! We all went to my parent's house later for desert. This is mine and Dan's last Christmas with just the two of us and I think Lily got more gifts than we did. I love that though because any gift we get for her is a gift for us. We are very lucky to have the loving and giving families we have.

This past Tuesday we went to see our midwife, Dale. Everything is still looking really good and Lily is still head down. We now start to see Dale once a week. Ahhhh - Lily's almost here!! As we get closer - only five weeks till Lily's due date - it's seems to be getting harder and harder to do the things I used to be able to do.

• Putting on my socks is a challenge 
• Getting in and out of the car is difficult 
• Not dozing off in the middle of the day is hard
• Taking a shower is tiresome

These are only a few things. As bothersome as some of these things may be, I know it's all for a great cause - the health and well being of Lily. So who cares that I have about forty weeks of uncomfortable moments? At the end I will have a beautiful baby that is a part of me and Dan and that is what makes all of this discomfort worth it.

Yesterday the Gorman clan went into the city to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. The train ride in wasn't so bad but the taxi ride to Radio City was not the best for me and my pregnant belly. During the show I didn't feel that great either. I think it was just the loudness of the show. The Rockettes were awesome and I liked the march of the wooden soldiers act the best. Unfortunately Dan and I didn't hang out in the city after the show because I wasn't feeling too well. We found a cab right away, which was unusual since the city was so packed. We made our way to Penn Station and all the way I wanted to scream. The stop and go and bumps were horrible. At one point I was contemplating getting out of the taxi, but walking would've been worse. We finally got to Penn and luckily the train ride home wasn't too bad. Lily was moving around almost the whole ride.

As I hit the 35 week mark today with this pregnancy, I reminisce about all the trials Dan and I were put through to get to this point. It doesn't seem, and I guess it really isn't, too long ago that we had the two miscarriages then all the fertility treatments. We visited our fertility office today to say hello to all the wonderful ladies who showed us so much warmth and compassion every time we stepped through the doors. Unfortunately Dr. Palter is off this entire week but I did leave photos of all the ultrasounds we have had plus two belly shots of me - one at nine weeks and the other at thirty-three weeks. I also brought them a tray of home-made cookies for the Holidays/New Years. Dan and I are very fortunate to have had the experience we did with our fertility treatments. There are some women I know and have spoken to who went to different fertility offices who were not pleased at the way they were treated. Gold Coast IVF with Dr. Palter is one of the best choices we made. Don't ever settle for second best, especially when it is for something as important and personal as your fertility treatments.

It's Not Just About the Breathing

This past Saturday Dan and I went to our Lamaze class at Nassau University Medical Center. We finally met, face to face, the Lamaze instructor, Vanessa, who was in on the surprise of my baby shower. There were two other couples and a girl who thought she didn't have to bring her husband in the class with us. We were there from 9am to 3:30pm learning all we could about what labor and delivery would possibly be like. I used to think of Lamaze as just breathing, but I was pleasantly surprised by the way Vanessa taught the class.

A few things we learned:

• Different positions to help with pain and move labor along
• Dan learned some massage techniques
• What to expect during the three stages of labor - early, active, and advanced
• What to expect after giving birth

Vanessa was very informative and did a lot of role playing, which made the class even that much more enjoyable.

My belly last weekend at Lamaze

A few differences between me and the other women:

• The three other women were 35, 36, and 37 weeks along where I was 33 weeks
• Even though the other women were farther along in their pregnancies, I had the biggest belly
• We were the only ones with a midwife
• We were the only ones who will be having a water birth
• I was the only one who wants to have a natural birth - no meds - no epidural

It's hard to imagine not being aware that you do have choices when it comes to your birth experience. I don't like being told what to do in a normal situation, so I did my research as to what my options are during pregnancy and labor/delivery. There aren't too many woman that I have come across who know that they have so many options. It frustrates me and makes me sad for them. I knew a lot of what was being taught in the Lamaze class, but the other women seemed surprised by some of the things to expect. It's almost as if they aren't involved in their own pregnancies. The only involvement that they have is the fact that they are carrying their baby and everything else is left up to the doctor. I don't get that. It's like a new job - would you start working and not learn about what you are there to do? Or would you become involved in all aspects of the job so you can excel in your field? I like to know what to expect before I go into any situation. I don't like surprises. Even with my Baby Shower, I felt "off" the rest of the day because I wasn't expecting to have "all eyes on me." I have to prepare myself for things like that and I couldn't. Don't get me wrong though - I loved my Baby Shower. I guess when it comes to pregnancy I would expect that all women would want to learn all they can about what they are going through and the different experiences they can have so they can make an informed decision about how their own pregnancy and labor will go. I guess I'm crazy like that.

Some Randomness This Week

33 weeks. Moving right along and everything still checking out as should be expected. At our Midwife appointment on Tuesday, we heard Lily's heart rate fluctuate from high to low. Dale said that's a good sign because Lily is now noticing her surroundings. I've been feeling Lily move like crazy lately. She's still head down, which is great, and it seems that her back is on my left side and her arms and legs are on my right side. That explains all the movement happening on the right. Lily doesn't just kick anymore, now she presses up and moves a limb across my belly. I can't tell what it is - a foot, hand, elbow, knee - but it's the coolest thing ever! At times, I play with her: she'll move across my belly then I'll move my hand across and she'll do it again. It's exciting to be able to interact with her.

I've gained 33 pounds so far and have seven weeks to go. I really hope not to gain more than nine more pounds. I average about a pound a week now, so as long as I keep that going, I'll be OK. Not that it has anything to do with my health or Lily's health, it's just my own personal goal. I dread reaching a certain amount on the scale. I won't mention what that amount is, but if you're smart you might figure it out.

At my shower I got the Baby Signs program. It seems pretty cool and I can't wait to try it out. I already know how to sign the alphabet and I know a few words, but this will teach me so much more. I hope Lily will catch on, then when she's older, we can sign to each other when we don't want others to know what we're saying. When I unwrapped the box, my sister Krissy thought the lady on the box was Ellen Degeneres.

Dan and I bought our Christmas Tree Saturday and decorated it on Sunday. I found this really cute ornament of a snowman couple who is expecting. I wrote 2011 on the bottom of it and if we happen to be pregnant on another Christmas, I'll write that year on the bottom as well. Next year's ornament will be for Lily - "My First Christmas."

Baby Shower Surprise

So last week I listed that I was starting lamaze this past Sunday, turned out to be not true. Instead of lamaze, I had my Baby Shower.

This Baby Shower was not supposed to be a surprise. The date was set, or so I thought, for January 8th. I even got one of the invitations from my mom. The shower was set up to be at the Tea Pot in Bellmore and my mom and I were meeting my mother-in-law, Marlyn, there Sunday at 12:30 for a tasting to pick out the menu. After the tasting, Dan and I were going to start our first lamaze class at 2pm. Last Friday I even spoke with the lamaze instructor to confirm, only later to discover that she knew about the surprise, thanks to Dan who had to contact her to get the date changed and inform her to not tell me of the change but to confirm the original date. It was a well laid out plan. I didn't expect a thing.

Because we were "going to lamaze" after the "tasting" I needed to wear comfortable clothes. I had purchased a new pair of work out pants and a matching zip-up hoody the night before. Dan suggested I should wear regular clothes for the "tasting" and then change afterward. Not thinking anything of that comment, I decided to just be comfortable all day and wore the work out clothes.

When I walked in the door it took me a few seconds before realizing what was going on. At first I just thought the place was really busy, then I realized I knew everyone. Having a surprise like this definitely makes you emotional. I couldn't stop crying for a good ten minutes (or at least it seemed that long). How did I not know what was going on? I'm normally so good at figuring things out. I was so dumb to the fact that this was my baby shower that I turned to my mom and as I was crying said to her, "But I have lamaze at 2:00." Duh, no you don't!

So, once we got settled in to all different types of tea and yummy sandwiches, scones, and pastries, it was time to play some games. The first one was "Guess Janet's Belly Size" where yarn was passed around and everyone had to cut the length they thought would fit perfectly around my belly. Needless to say, there were a lot of people who thought I was bigger than a house!

Next up was "Finish the Nursery Rhyme" where everyone had to fill in the blank(s). There was some cheating going on with this one - Aunt Diane! lol.

Lily got a lot of great things. Here are a few things she got:

Sneaker socks and her very first pair of Levi's!

Bath Tub and the Diaper Genie II Elite

Bedding Set and the matching Crib Mobile

The Crib with attached Changing Table and a Britax Car Seat

The Snap-N-Go Stroller and the Graco Quattro Tour Stroller with matching Infant Car Seat

Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Renditions (along w/ these I also got Pink Floyd & The Beatles)

Books (just an FYI: The Very Hungry Caterpillar was one of my favorites when I was little)

A beautiful figurine made by Willow Tree

Lily also got not one, but two clothes lines filled with very cute clothes

There is more but I don't have pictures of everything. Sorry.

Why did anyone ever invent the Ribbon and Bow Hat for showers? It is the most ridiculous thing ever. Thanks to my cousin Annie, my Baby Shower was not spared the humiliation. I tried looking up where the tradition of this began and came up with nothing. Some believe it is made for good luck and started in America. Who knows? All I know is that I made my sister Jackie where the Bow Hat at my Bridal Shower, but could not get out of wearing it here.

All in all it was a great day and a wonderful surprise. Thank you Mom and Marlyn for pulling it off without me knowing!

Heading Down

31 weeks today and Lily is now head down. Dan and I really hope she stays in this position. Our midwife, Dale, says she's only had one mother whose baby, at 37 weeks, decided to turn right side up again making it a breech birth. Fingers crossed that's not the case for us.

Since we know Lily's position, we most likely will not get another ultrasound. We wanted to do just one more for a final picture of Lily inside my belly, but as long as we know she is where she is supposed to be, that's good enough for us.  

At our appointment Dale measure my belly at just under 31 weeks. That was on Tuesday, so Lily is exactly the measurement she should be. Good thing too, 'cause if she was bigger, that might mean she would come a bit earlier than expected and we need to get to at least 37 weeks to have the water birth.

We will now see Dale every two weeks for the next three appointments. It is crazy how time is flying by. December is a busy month for us.

• We start Lamaze on Sunday and go for two sessions (12/4 & 12/11)
• Two Appointments with Dale (first one on 12/13 & second one will be the week between Christmas & New Years)
• My 34th Birthday on the 20th
• Dan's brother Greg, Bonnie, and the boys fly in from California just before Christmas
• Christmas Eve dinner at our place
• Christmas dinner at Dan's parent's house then desert at my parent's house
• Going into the city with Dan's family on the 28th to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular
• New Years Eve

Then before we know it, it will be January and I'll have only 34 days to Lily's due date.

What I'm Thankful For

Happy Thanksgiving! 

I am thankful for…

1. …reaching 30 weeks of pregnancy without any major problems.
2. …my very loving and supportive husband. Without him, my life and my heart (and my womb) would be empty. 
3. …realizing how hard it is to know what the right choices are for my family and recognizing the difficulties that my own parents had to face raising four children (and Lily isn't even here yet).
4. …my caring parents who always tried to do right by us even if we thought it was wrong. We never knew what was right and wrong until looking back years later on the situations. I'm glad of all the choices that were made because they have made me into the person I am today.
5. …the happiness Dan and I felt Thanksgiving Day two years ago when we found out we were pregnant for the first time. Even though the happiness only lasted a short time, it brought us closer together.
6. …our second angel baby being able to keep our first company.
7. …both of our angels keeping Lily safe.
8. …my parents still being here for me whenever I need them. I love you both ("love ya").
9. …my brother and two sisters who are not only my siblings, but my friends.
10. …having in-laws that some people only dream about having.
11. …these Braxton Hicks contractions and all the practice I'm getting for labor.
12. …the chair I bought for my shower. Sitting down and letting the warm water run on my back definitely helps when I'm in pain.
13. …the sunburn feel I have on my skin at the top of my belly knowing that it's Lily stretching out my skin.
14. …Lily's exercise routine that involves some type of kick boxing: POW - POWPOWPOW - POW - POWPOW
15. …Lily's awake and sleep cycle. Hopefully it stays this way when she's born 'cause I should get plenty of sleep at night.
16. …the couch cushions and how they seem to know all the right spots to hug my back so I can sleep well at night.
17. …this blog where I can document this pregnancy to one day show Lily how much she is loved.
18. …the knowledge I have, after extensive research, of what giving birth can and should be like.
19. …my baking skills passed down to me from my mom and one day will be passed on to Lily.
20. …everyone who has ever been and who will ever be a part of my life. Good or bad, every person I have met and every choice that I have made, has brought me to this point in my life. The present will determine my future and I will remember that the choices I make will not only affect me, but will affect Dan and Lily.

I am thankful for a lot of other things. This list can go on forever but I won't put you through that.

I can't believe I have reached 30 weeks of pregnancy and only have about ten more weeks to go. Time is flying by. There is so much coming up in the next couple of months that the remaining time I have to be pregnant will go by even faster. Even though being pregnant has brought me anxiety, bad morning sickness in the first trimester, back pain, nose bleeds, round ligament pain, signs of strep throat (twice), abnormally fast growing nails and hair, headaches, hot flashes, weight gain, strange changes to my belly button, forgetfulness (more so than normal), and moodiness to name a few, I LOVE being pregnant. I love feeling Lily move around inside of me. I love when Dan feels her move inside of me. I love the fact that my sister Krissy got grossed out when she saw my belly jump when Lily kicked me. I love knowing that everything that Dan and I have been through to get to this point will be worth it when we get to hold Lily in our arms in just about ten weeks from now.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. I hope that you all have a long list of things to be thankful for as well.

Sleepy Time

I have heard that most pregnant women experience a lot of baby movement at night instead of the day. This is because they are up and about throughout the day and that makes the baby sleep. This is not the case for me. Since I don't work, my movement throughout the day is minimal. Just walking around the apartment minimal. Because I don't move too much, I feel Lily throughout the day, kicking and punching, and at times I think she's trying to escape!

Is this why I don't have trouble sleeping at night like most pregnant women? Sure, I get very uncomfortable as the day and evening wears on. At times, I do have a hard time getting to sleep, but once asleep, I only wake up because of a full bladder - about every 3 hours. Falling back to sleep is never a problem. If I do feel Lily kick at bedtime, it's just before I fall asleep and then again when I wake up in the morning around 8 or 9 am. Two days this week I actually slept until 11 am and I probably could've slept longer if I didn't think I was being too lazy. I figure though, that I should get as much sleep as I want or need now because in about 11 weeks sleep is going to be a hard thing to come by.

I tend to be the opposite with a lot of things and it makes me wonder if my pregnancy sleep pattern is one of them. Here's a few others:

• Red Bull does NOT give me wings. It gives me sleep.
• Nyquil is NOT the "so I can sleep" medicine. It keeps me up and wide-eyed.
• I sweat more when I'm cold than when I'm hot.
• Before I became pregnant, drinking water made me thirsty and my mouth dry. Now anything but water makes me thirsty.
• Even though I'm a righty, I play the guitar as a lefty.
• Taking a nap in the middle of the day makes me more tired than before I took the nap.

There are probably other things that make me "unique" but right now I can't think of any. So I'll leave it at that for this week.

I Love My Midwife

Watch the video below & see what's happening in the next nine weeks.

Braxton Hick's Contractions. Who knew?

At my midwife appointment last Thursday, Dale (my midwife) was feeling to see if Lily was facing head down yet since I had a strange sensation earlier that morning. As she was feeling around, I felt what I always thought to be Lily rolling around. I didn't say anything but then Dale said I was having a small Braxton Hix contraction. I never knew what they were supposed to feel like, having had nothing to base it on. I was surprised that what I thought was Lily was actually those contractions. They don't hurt, just a little uncomfortable. Maybe I'll still keep the mindset that it is Lily rolling so then maybe they won't hurt as much when they get stronger in the coming weeks.

When Dan and I meet with Dale, our appointments are always for a half hour but they never end up being just that. We always spend about an hour with her talking about what's going on with us and the pregnancy and going over any questions we may have. I love that because if I had stayed with the obstetrician, I would not have gotten so much as ten minutes with him. I'm more confident with being pregnant now because I can ask all of my questions and not feel rushed through the appointment. 

While going over when my next appointments would be, I was told that my next appointment would be in three weeks (the 29th of Nov), then every two weeks (until Jan), then once a week until labor. At week 36 Dale will do a home visit. I think that's so cool. I don't know exactly why she goes to the home of the patient, I'll have to ask next time I see her.

I went in for a Glucose Tolerance Test yesterday. Thank God for my midwife Dale, because I didn't have to fast or drink that horrid sugar drink. She said pregnant women should not fast because it's dangerous to do so while pregnant. Good thing because I always need to eat something in the middle of the night. In the morning, around 9am, I had a bowl of cereal. Then at 12:40pm I ate a slice of bread with peanut butter. At 12:45pm I chugged some Welch's grape juice which was in a bottle containing 47g of sugar (you need at least 45-50g of sugar for the test). My appointment for the blood work was at 1:45pm and I just had to make sure they did the test then because the blood needed to be drawn an hour after drinking the juice. Two vials were drawn and the results will be faxed to my midwife. I'll let you know what the results are when I find out. Hopefully I do not have gestational diabetes. That would suck if I do.

I bought and read a book thanks to my cousin (1st removed) Billy. He has a friend whose wife is a midwife in California and she wrote a book called Water Birth: A Midwife's Perspective. This book, even though it was written in 1994, is still prevalent today. It has great information about the benefits of water births and what your options are. If you have even the slightest interest in water births, I highly recommend this book.

Hello Third Trimester

There are many websites out there with different answers to when the third trimester begins. According to a pregnancy calendar I've been using, I start my third trimester now at 27 weeks. Some will say 28 weeks, but I'll stick with my calendar.

Wow how time is flying. It doesn't seem that long ago that Dan and I were in the insemination process. I definitely do not miss all the poking and prodding that goes along with the fertility treatments. I was asked if I was done with being pregnant in response to me saying my back hurt. My answer was no. I'm not done. I love being pregnant. It is the most amazing feeling when Lily kicks, punches, and rolls around inside of me. Yeah my back does hurt, as do my feet and legs, and at times it may seem to be a thing to complain about, but I will never complain about actually being pregnant. It's a miracle that we are having a healthy pregnancy and I have no disillusions about what to expect. My back hurts, my feet hurt, my legs hurt, I sometimes have sleepless nights, I can't get comfortable, my belly button has gone through some weird changes,  I can't do anything without getting out of breath, I have to tinkle every five minutes, AND I LOVE IT! Of course, I'll love it even more when Lily is in my arms, but for now, I'll take what I can get. Only thirteen more weeks!!

Our Halloween party was this past Saturday. Not as good of a turn out as our previous years, but it was still fun to get dressed up and see the friends and family that did come. I needed to find a costume that would accommodate my belly. That's right folks, Raggedy Ann and Andy. The costume was perfectly loose around my belly and comfy. Score!

I wanted to find a mommy necklace for when Lily arrives. Dan is going to buy it for me as a gift of motherhood. I searched and searched for one that is unique and that would be a good fit for me. I wanted to include our two angel babies but couldn't really find anything that would work. Then I found it! A beautiful hand-made pendant and chain that is perfect for all three of our babies - Lily and our two angels. The jewelry designer made this specific design for people who have lost a baby or babies due to miscarriage or still birth. Here's a picture:

Of course, my nest will have only one "egg" for Lily. The chain will have two "eggs" just like this one does for our two angel babies. They are not in our nest but are watching over it. The wing/feather depicts the momma bird (me). I figure I'll do Lily's birthstone color for her egg. If she is born in February it'll be purple for amethyst. If she comes early and is born in January it'll be cranberry for garnet. The two eggs for our angels will be white as shown here. What a beautiful necklace this jewelry designer created for those who have lost a baby. I'm glad I found this, 'cause there really isn't anything else out there that will represent our angel babies and our earthly baby in the same necklace.

Our friend John came home from the hospital Tuesday and we are so happy that he gets to spend time in his own home with his loving and strong wife, Natalie, and their two children, Alex and Christian. Even though John got to go home to his family, he is not out of the woods yet and needs our support.

Please help out if you can

Strangers Who Care

My week started out on Sunday (duh) when I went to get my handicap permit from Dan's car. It was on the passenger side so that's the door I went to. His car was parked on the street so I had to walk on the grass between the sidewalk and the curb. Not a big deal, I do it all the time. I opened the door and got the permit. After closing the door and setting the alarm, I proceeded to step with my right leg and OUCH! My foot sank into a dip in the grass and my ankle twisted. I almost fell. It hurt, my ankle because I twisted it and my belly because I tensed up. I was OK within a few minutes, but it scared me. What if I had fallen? No one was around and I had put my purse in my car along with my cell phone before I went to Dan's car.

Getting it off my mind, I made my way to my parent's house and my Dad took a drive with me to Kohl's. I had a 30% off everything coupon that expires tomorrow (Friday) if I use my Kohl's charge. I can't resist the sale, especially because the 2 long sleeve maternity shirts I have will not be enough to get me through the fall and winter. I bought 2 long sleeve t-shirts, 1 3/4 sleeve shirt (that my Dad picked out), 2 cardigans, and a poncho. I saved $150 and got $20 Kohl's cash. Good shopping trip!

Because I had gotten the $20 Kohl's cash and still had the 30% off coupon, I decided to go back to Kohl's Monday. Before I went, I picked my Dad up and we went over to the VFW to leave a deposit to rent out a room for a welcome to the world party (in lieu of a christening) Dan and I will be throwing Lily in June. Yeah…I like to plan ahead. Anyway, after I dropped my Dad back home and sat outside to talk for a bit, I left to continue my shopping. I got 3 things for the price of just one, saving about $58. Love it! When I got to the line there were 2 people ahead of me. I was getting tired of standing and started to feel hot. One of the two people were called to a register. I moved up in line and an older couple came in line behind me. I continued to feel really uncomfortable and hot. I put my items over the pole they had for the line, took my sweater off, and I bent over resting my hands on my knees. I was not only hot now, but dizzy. I started to black out. As the woman in front of me got called up to a register, the couple behind me noticed there was something wrong. The husband asked if I was OK. I couldn't stand up straight and I just said that I was really hot. The gentleman held onto me saying that I needed to sit down. He noticed a wheelchair by the entrance/exit and told his wife to get it for me. She wheeled it over, took my sweater and purse out of my hands, and they both helped me into the wheelchair.

It was my turn to be rung up. The lady behind the register saw everything that was going on and did nothing. The nice couple got my items and rolled me over to the register saying that they will even roll me out to my car. All I kept saying was "sorry" and "thank you." Sitting down definitely helped. I cooled down a bit and when I got up to sign the credit card pad I knew I would be able to walk out to my car.  The gentleman was hesitant to let me walk out by myself, but I assured him I was OK to do so and I thanked him again for his kindness.

How nice it is to know that there are people out there in this world that will help out a stranger in need. I wish I got their names and address, I would have liked to send them flowers and a thank you note.


So, I tell Dan all this and he's nervous to begin with, always worrying about me. I tend to be clumsy at times. So I vowed never to walk on the grass again during these last three months of pregnancy and to always take off layers of clothing when I'm in a store. I hope these things don't happen again because both times I was alone, except for the kind strangers at Kohl's who came to my rescue, but there won't always be a kind stranger to help. I gotta take better care of myself because I'm sharing my body with Lily and I never want anything bad to ever happen to her.

OK, speaking of the kindness of strangers, I saw this video this morning and it made me cry. Probably the pregnancy hormones, but really… if this doesn't get you going, then there may be something wrong with you.

This video shows us the importance to step in if something just doesn't seem right. Like my kind strangers stepped in when they saw I needed help, let's hope and pray that some kind stranger will help out a child. I was so glad to see the two guys run in to help and the other man in the car that was getting out to help. Our children are so vulnerable and people may have just thought that this little "brat" was saying "you're not my daddy" because he might have been her step father or something. "STRANGER!!!" should also be yelled out. Luckily this was just a news report, but it can and does happen and it's up to the community of strangers to know when to step in. Hey, better safe than sorry, right?

BTW: I am now 26 weeks along and this is my last week of my second trimester!! WOOOHOOO!!!!

Please help our friends John & Natalie!