Babymoon

Things that needed celebrating:

1. Sunday, September 25th: Our 5 1/2 year anniversary together 
2. Monday, September 26th: Our 2 year wedding anniversary 
3. Saturday, October 1st: Our 5 year anniversary of living together

I was so excited I didn't even realize my sister was trying to hand me back my bouquet! Duh

We decided to take this opportunity to go on a Babymoon. I have been feeling so much better and we both used this getaway as an excuse to do something for ourselves before the baby is born. Instead of going away to one place, we decided to take day trips and spread it out over 3 days. It saved us money since we didn't have to stay over anywhere, plus there was a lot we wanted to do.

Babymoon #1: Saturday, September 24th 

We started out with breakfast at a diner. Dan went across the street to the ATM to get cash while I went in to get a table. When Dan came in he said the lady at the front asked if he was looking for his girlfriend. Too funny. We ordered: yummy scrambled eggs, home fries, bacon, and toast for me. Dan got the same except his eggs were over medium, oh, and he got sausage instead of bacon. So, OK, not the "same" thing. I do like my eggs over medium also, because dipping toast in the yolk is yummy, but I can't do that while pregnant. I ate almost the entire plate while Dan had a good amount of home fries left over. I sure can eat! I blame it on Lily making me hungry.

After breakfast we made our way to Massachusetts to see the Norman Rockwell Museum. Norman Rockwell will forever be a reminder of our wedding since he was being exhibited during our reception at the Nassau County Museum of Art. Luckily it did not rain all day, but it was a little muggy which made for lots of flying bugs swarming around our heads.

Norman Rockwell's studio

We first paid for admission then went to the cafe where Dan had an italian sandwich and I had a sandwich with grilled chicken, lettuce, and pesto mayo. The sandwiches were good, but were they worth the $7.50 each? I don't think so. Inside the museum, we saw all of Rockwell's Saturday Evening Post covers and a variety of his paintings. We then made our way to his studio where he worked. Dan said he noticed people looking at my belly - like they never saw a pregnant lady before. I'm glad we went this time of year because the leaves were already changing colors in Massachusetts which made the scenery beautiful.

On the way back home we stopped in at Louis' Lunch in Connecticut for a hamburger. Louis' Lunch was where the hamburger was born back in 1900. It was a lot smaller than we had expected. We got there around 6:30pm and it was packed. Packed being around 15 people. Luckily, while we were waiting to order, seats opened up and I sat down to claim two for Dan and myself.

This was their menu: 

•  A Burger with or without cheese, onions, and tomato, done medium rare unless you say otherwise.
• Chips or potato salad (spelled Salid).
• A drink - variety of bottled sodas and water.
• A variety of pies for dessert.

They think it a crime to add ketchup and/or mustard to any hamburger so they do not offer it. The burgers came on lightly toasted bread instead of a bun. It was a really good burger. We also had a slice of caramel apple pie with whipped cream, which was really yummy as well. All in all it was a good dinner.

On a side note, Louis' Lunch is right around the block from Yale.

Babymoon #2: Sunday, September 25th

Our next trip was to Sagamore Hill in Oyster Bay. It actually turned out to be a pretty nice day even though we thought it might rain. Dan had never been to Sagamore Hill and I think I was there once, maybe in elementary school. When we arrived, we went to the visitors center to buy tickets to do the house tour. For those who may not know, Sagamore Hill is where Teddy Roosevelt lived. His house was beautiful, except for all the taxidermic animals decorating every room. After the tour, we ate lunch at the picnic tables by the visitors center. They don't have a cafe or anything so before we got there, we had stopped at a deli for some food to bring.

Teddy Roosevelt's house

We walked around the grounds for a little bit before driving to the other parking lot where the Teddy Roosevelt museum was. It was interesting learning about his life. The most interesting and heartbreaking, and actually, unbelievable day of his life was in February of 1884. His first wife, Alice, gave birth to their first daughter on February 12th. Two days later, on Valentine's Day, Alice died. Not only did he lose his wife, but a couple of hours earlier on that same day, his mother passed away. Geez! Talk about a black cloud.

After our trip to Sagamore Hill, we made our way home to get ready to go out to dinner. We wanted to try new things on these trips, so we went to a restaurant we both had never been to. Keeping with the Oyster Bay day we had, we made our way back and went to a great little restaurant called Grasso's located in Cold Spring Harbor. They call their food New American, whatever that means. I had Penne Bolognese and Dan had Red Snapper. Both were really good. For dessert we shared Cheesecake and a 3 Layer Chocolate Mousse Cake. Scrumptious!

Babymoon #3: Monday, September 26th

Our last day trip was a ride out east to go apple picking at Seven Ponds Orchard in Watermill. It's the only U-Pick for apples on Long Island. Let me clarify, the only real U-Pick apples with tall apple trees or bushes (whatever they were). It ended up being a really sunny day and very warm. Before we made our way out east, we went to a diner for breakfast. Dan got a belgian waffle with bacon and a side of home fries, I got pancakes with bacon and a side of home fries. I've decided that I make a hell of a lot better pancakes than this diner. We definitely should've shared one side of home fries, there was so much left over.

When we got to the orchard, we started at one end and made our way back picking one apple of each kind. After weighing the bag, we decided to pick one more of each kind of apples. I wanted a lot more, but they only took cash and we had about $27 between us both.

We got two each of:

• Ginger Gold
• Gala
• McIntosh
• Honeycrisp
• Macoun
• Cortland
• Empire

It's fun to pick your own apples right off their branches. I can't wait to bake an apple pie and an apple cake. If we got more apples I was going to attempt to make my own apple sauce. Oh well. There's always next time.

For dinner we decided to stay in and get chinese delivered. All the driving we did for three days definitely put a toll on our bodies. We were so tired. While we ate, we watched our wedding video and reminisced about what a great day that was 2 years ago. I hope I can get back to having that same body after Lily arrives. Hmm…fat chance? Hopefully I'll be able to do it.

Babymoon #4: Tuesday, September 27th

Dan took off both Monday and Tuesday, but because we did so much on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, we decided not to do anything on Tuesday. We just wanted to relax and stay in our pajamas all day. Of course, that's not exactly how it stayed. We did laundry and cleaned the apartment a little. Oh well, at least we didn't go on any long drives.

In the morning right after Dan woke up, I called him over to me and had him place his hand on my belly. He felt Lily kick for the first time. Actually it was the second time, but he thought I just had gas bubbles when he felt it before. This time, there was no mistaking that it was Lily in there kicking away!

A Few Babymoon Pics


The Norman Rockwell Museum

Sagamore Hill

Seven Ponds Orchard

Touring the Hospital

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This past sunday we went on a tour of the Nassau University Medical Center in East Meadow, NY where we will be giving birth to our baby girl. The tour was with our midwife Dale and the other two midwives at Gaia Midwifery.

The tour began with the other six or seven couples in the lobby of the hospital. Then we made our way to the third floor where the maternity ward is. The elevator doors opened and we were greeted with pink walls to indicate we have arrived…sorry boys, no blue for you. The midwives informed us that the hospital is about to revamp the floor. They will be making a wing dedicated to the Gaia Midwifery group. Unfortunately it will not be finished by the time Lily Emma comes along. Oh well!

Here are some things that we learned:

• We will park the car at the Emergency entrance and will be able to leave the car there until Dan gets me settled up on the third floor.
• Once we get to the third floor, I will be put in a room and monitored to make sure my blood pressure is normal, the baby's heart rate is good, and there are no complications.
• Meanwhile, Dan will be filling out paperwork and then will move the car.
• Once Lily Emma and I check out OK, we will go in to the Water Birthing Room where Dan will meet us.

NUMC Water Birthing Room

• We are allowed to have music playing, candles lit, and snacks in the room. All to make me as comfortable as I can be to give birth.
• Once I give birth, the umbilical cord does not have to be cut until it stops pulsing (if that is something we want).
• Lily Emma will remain in my arms to breast feed and to bond for an hour before the nurses take her to the nursery to be measured, weighed, and get that eye ointment put on her, and a vitamin K shot.
• We can opt NOT to have Lily bathed. Choosing that option will result in that white slimy stuff called vernix caseosa from the birth to sink into her skin and moisturize it. This will result in Lily's skin not peeling.
• We can also have the Hep B shot given to her at the hospital if we want it.
• While Lily is in the nursery getting these things done, I will be transfered to my own private room.
• The nurses will bring Lily in to the room when she is done in the nursery.
• Dan will be able to stay in the room all the time. He will not be kicked out after visiting hours.
• Visiting hours are from 12pm till 8pm.
• We are allowed outside food to be brought in.
• If everything is going well, the earliest we will be able to be dismissed from the hospital with Lily would be about 26 hours.

We also learned that I should be drinking juice or something sugary on the way to the hospital. This is to keep Lily up and moving around. 

Just like a wedding, there are a ton of things going on that we never realized until it was our wedding. I guess giving birth is the same. We have to ask our midwife to give a list of things we will need at the hospital in our "labor bag."

As Willy Wonka once said: 

"So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it."

We have less than 4 1/2 months to go. Time is gonna fly by especially because the holidays are coming up. Time to prepare is now!!

It's A…

I am 20 weeks pregnant today! We went for our gender ultrasound on Tuesday at Nassau University Medical Center and our baby looks great. Everything is where it should be, no abnormalities. Dan asked about a 3D ultrasound and the technician said they don't do them until at least 28 weeks because the baby's features are still small at 19 weeks 5 days and they wouldn't really show up to make a good image. Then she changed her mind and gave us our 3D images! Yay! She measured everything, checked to make sure organs were in the right places, blood was moving through the body the way it should be, and checked the baby's gender.

Before I let you all know what the gender is (for those who have not already cheated by going down to the bottom of this post), I want to give you a back story, of sorts. As most of us are all aware, it's the guys who determine the sex of the baby. 50/50 chance of carrying an X chromosome or a Y. Dan's family has produced only one girl: his dad's brother had a girl, Kathleen. Most of you may remember she was our reverend at our wedding. So, Dan's father is one of two boys. Dan is one of two boys. Dan's brother has two boys. See the pattern here?

Because Dan and I went through so much to have a healthy pregnancy, we weren't obsessing too much on the, "I really want a girl" or "I really wish we have a boy." We have discussed this before though. We both would want both a boy and a girl. One of each would be ideal. For this pregnancy, we both were hoping for a girl, but again, with our history, we would be blessed with whatever gender our baby turns out to be. From Dan's family history, a boy would most likely be the outcome - which would be wonderful. Now, at 20 weeks along, we know for sure what the gender is.

Dan and I are overjoyed to announce that our baby

Lily Emma Gorman

will be arriving around February 3, 2012

First grandchild to my parents, Joan & Ken. 

Third grandchild, but first granddaughter, to Dan's parents, Marlyn & Dick. 

We are all ecstatic over the news. The first thing Dan and I did after the ultrasound was head over to Buy Buy Baby and buy a couple of outfits. Girl clothes are so cute! Dan is over the moon about this. He has always wanted a girl from our first conversation about children. He's going to be a great Daddy!

Getting Comfortable

I wonder if our baby is comfortable inside my belly. For the past week or so, I've been feeling movement. No real kicking yet, but I do feel when our baby is rolling and turning. At least once a day I feel it and it amazes me. This rolling makes being pregnant feel more real, like there is actually a baby inside of me.

I have noticed that our baby favors my left side. Whenever I feel the rolling, it's almost always on the left side and that area gets really hard. I'm assuming it's the baby's head or tushy that I'm feeling. I let Dan touch the area and he gets scared that we're pressing too hard and hurting the baby. I have to remind him that there is a sac of amniotic fluid surrounding and protecting the baby and it's not like we're digging into my belly, we're just touching.

Dan and I can't wait to start being able to feel the baby when we touch my belly. Those kicks and punches that I am desperately wanting to feel should be happening any day or week now that I am 19 weeks along. I know I should be careful what I wish for though. I'm going to be up all night because of those kicks and punches and wish I was right back to where I am now, with just the rolling.

It's amazing how fast a baby develops and all the changes a woman's body goes through when pregnant. You can't explain the feeling to someone who has not experienced it. There are no words to really describe what you're going through. It's fun to hear my mom talk about when she was pregnant with the four of us. I'm glad and somewhat honored that I get to be the one to give her and my dad their first grandchild.

Pregnancy Weight = Shopping

As I get farther along in this pregnancy, I realize that I cannot do all the things I used to be able to do. We are all aware of Hurricane Irene touching down on Long Island as a tropical storm this past Sunday? Well, Monday was beautiful! Our power only went out for seconds at a time on Sunday, but Monday, it went out for a couple of hours while they fixed a down tree on some electrical wires by our apartment complex. When the power went out, I decided to sit outside and read. Then, I had an urge to sweep my stoop and walkway, clearing it of all the twigs, branches, and leaves. When I was done, Dan and I went to my parent's house. Sitting in their backyard, I had an urge once more, but this time it was to rake up all the leaves and branches. Big mistake! Within a couple of hours after I was done, I was so sore. I had trouble walking and my back was killing me. I came to the conclusion that I am either really out of shape or I just cannot do certain things while carrying a 9" baby inside of me. Yeah…9" head to toe (approximately). What's going to happen when this baby gets to 10"? 15"? 20"?

18 weeks pregnant

Instead of gaining my normal one pound this past week, I gained two. I know our baby will double in size this month, but I didn't realize I would gain double the weight. Kinda stupid of me, huh? Anyway, the weight can also be the problem for me getting sore after simple things. I'm not used to lugging around this much weight. I've always been thin. Even when I gained a few extra. I luckily distribute extra pounds throughout my body in a way that I don't particularly look like I need to lose weight, so I still look good…at least, I think so. But pregnancy weight is definitely different. All the weight is primarily in front of me, making me stand different, walk different, sit different. It's a lot to get used to.

Because of my pregnancy weight, I just ordered some new maternity clothes last night at Destination Maternity. They are having a sale of 40% off already marked down items. Can't beat that! So I ordered some fall tops and an awesome denim jacket. My denim jacket, which is a staple for me for the cooler months, does not fit anymore now that I gained weight so I am so excited that I found a replacement! Dan and I know the baby stuff we need will cost money, but I've already spent more than $300 on myself. I needed new bras and undies, new jeans, new tops, and my new fantastic denim jacket. I knew I would need pretty much a whole new wardrobe because of the pregnancy weight, but I don't think Dan was aware of what that meant. I already have 2 denim jeans and 1 corduroy pants. Last night I ordered 2 tunics, 2 long sleeve T-shirts, 1 cardigan, and 1 denim jacket. Dan hopes that I will be good with that for a while. I told him probably not since none of my pre-pregnancy clothes fit me and fall and winter are coming.

 

For the winter I will need to get a new coat, but for now, I'm waiting on that. I might not be as cold as I normally am with a huge tummy, so maybe I'll just need a thick sweater. We'll see how the fall goes.

BTW: I LOVE AUTUMN!!! I'm so happy that the weather is changing and it's getting cooler outside. I can't wait for the leaves to change to their burnt hues. I can't wait to smell the crispness of the air and earth. It's the most beautiful out of all the seasons.