Baby Shower!

I had my baby shower today. It was so nice to see and visit with a few friends. I am so thankful! I could post a ton of pictures, but here are some highlights:

The adorable table of snacks:

The AMAZING Diaper Cake my mother-in-law (Ileta) and sister-in-law (Alana) made:

One of the many amazing gifts- Cupcake Onesies:

Opening Presents- The tub next to me was FILLED with stuff from my sister!:

A gorgeous dress from my sister-in-law, Stormy:

Third Trimester Update...

It has been awhile since I posted. Way too long. Life got ahead of me, and I have had a lot on my plate!

So since I last posted- I am now 5 1/2 weeks from my due date, and my baby shower is next Saturday (11/10)!! My sister, sister-in-law, and mother-in-law are throwing the shower for me at my house, and I couldn’t be more excited about the hot chocolate bar! I really hope everyone can come. I have been sooo busy with my job that I have not been able to catch up and stay in touch with so many of my friends! It will be so nice to see everyone!

Zoe is getting bigger- somewhere around the size of a large cantaloupe…. and my stomach is looking like a watermelon! I am quickly running out of room, and as such, I can feel the tiniest of her movements. It is so weird to see my stomach shake and move. She is really more of a ballerina than a soccer player…she doesn’t kick as much as she rolls and twirls. I really love feeling her move all the time…even IF it keeps me up at night!

With the third trimester has come typical aches and pains of late pregnancy. I am super tired, and could probably spend 12 hours a day sleeping if I had time! I have managed to ward off swelling (so far), but have had some issues with blood flow in my legs- causing the need for prescription compression hose (sexy!).

I recently changed physicians/hospital, which is a scary thing to do this late in pregnancy. OU was not what I thought it would be, and I felt like I was a number, not a name. I have a lot of friends and family that use OU (my sister included), that have had a wonderful experience, but something just did not feel right for me about delivering there. I feel like I made the right decision, and am so happy with our new doctor at St. Anthony.

I have my bag pretty much packed for the hospital, but I am worried that I have forgot something (someone, help!) I also have picked out Zoe’s “going home” outfit, which includes an heirloom-christening gown from Andrew’s recently deceased grandmother. I can’t wait to see her in it!

Overall, I feel ready for Zoe to come. Her nursery is done (pictures on The Duffle Baby Nursery page), her car seat installed, and her clothes washed and put away.  I also took maternity pictures this last weekend (see highlights below). Now if she will just decide to come!

An Update...

It has been a while since I have posted. In the midst of preparing for our Duffle baby, we just took a trip to Europe, and I start a new job next week…eeeek!

I am no longer prone to morning sickness (thank goodness!), as I am now well into my 2^nd trimester (week 20). I have another ultrasound appointment on Friday, and I am completely freaked out that I will go in and they will tell me it’s now a boy. Not because I want a girl that bad, but because we have purchased a TON of girl stuff and I DO NOT want to have to return it all!

On another note, last week we took a trip to Europe. We had a fantastic time, but the best part was that I felt Zoe kick for the first time! I have felt her several times since then… it’s very odd, but wonderful feeling. I can’t wait until she is doing it all the time! We took lots of pictures to show Zoe where she has been, since she won’t remember. I am finally getting something close to a baby bump…that actually looks more like I had a few too many beers than anything else. Oh, well. Hopefully I will start actually “looking” pregnant soon!

Me and Zoe at London Bridge!

Me and Zoe at Notre Dame. I am holding the book "Hunchback of Notre Dame" that we bought for her there!

At Sacre Coeur in France

At the Louvre

At the base of the Eiffel Tower

At Trevi Fountain in Rome

At the Ruins next to the Colosseum in Rome

It’s A…

GIRL!!

(what I was secretly hoping for) J

We cannot wait for Zoe Christine Duffle to get here!
*This is where I write the disclaimer that this is with only 85% certainty...it COULD change...

Boy or Girl??

We had our second appointment at the baby doctor yesterday. I am officially 12 weeks along, now (the baby is the size of a large plum!!). After waiting for 30 minutes in the waiting room, and another 15 in the exam room (don't you just hate that doctor's offices are NEVER on time?), we finally saw our doctor. After some questions, he performed a Doppler exam to hear our baby's heart beat for the first time. So fun!


The baby's heart rate came in at a whopping 160 beats per minute, which brings me to my next point...boy or girl? There are several old wives' tales out there for determining baby gender. I have listed them, with my results, below:


Heart Rate: (over 140=girl, under 140=boy).......................................................................................Girl
High or low: (high=girl, low=boy)...Hard to say since I am not really showing, but mostly low......Boy
Sweet V. Sour: (Ice cream for girls, pickles for boys)... (I can't get enough ice cream!!)..................Girl
Chinese Birth Chart: (Uses age and month of conception).................................................................Girl
Mayan Predictor (because they are so great at predicting stuff): (uses age and year of conception).Girl
The Key Test: (determined by how a friend picks up a key)..............................................................Boy
The Zit Test: (breakouts=girl).............................................................................................................Boy
The Ring Swing: (your ring on a sting swings back and forth v. in a circle)......................................Girl
Morning Sickness: (sick=girl, hardly sick at all=boy)...Hard to say since this is my first.................Girl
Hair: (thin and dull=girl, thick=boy)..................................................................................................Boy
Weight Distribution: (in front=boy, in hips/bum=girl).......................................................................Boy
Cold Feet: (colder feet=boy, no change=girl).....................................................................................Girl

Final Score: Girl
I find out gender July 20th! YAY!

Baby PHAT

For those of you that don't know, I recently dropped around 27 pounds on Weight Watchers. While it was the easiest diet I have ever been on, it was no easy task. I finally got down to a weight I was comfortable with, and was finally able to fit those skinny jeans that had been in the back of my closet for several years.

Ever since I became pregnant, I have had an insatiable appetite. It seems like I am always hungry. Along with that has come some big time cravings for full-flavor ice cream, which I did not think would be a big deal since I have always heard that if your pregnant, you are "eating for two." It's a free license to eat whatever you want, right?? Wrong. My doctor, along with his staff and the pregnancy books I am reading, have all been sure to inform me that I must continue to carefully consider every morsel that goes into my mouth. Bummer.

At their suggestions, I have been carefully tracking my weight to ensure that my weight gain stays under control, and within the "healthy" guidelines. I was feeling like I have gained about 20 lbs back, but was always surprised to step on the scale to find that I had not moved an ounce....that is, until this week. That's right...the first pound has found its way to my midsection (I, of course, look more like 10-15 pounds have settled there). Of course, the problem with being around 10 weeks is that you don't necessarly "look" pregnant....just chubby. Luckly I bought clothes as I lost weight, so I still have a good amount of items that still fit (those skinny jeans have found there way back into the back of the closet).

I don't really mind that much, because I know this extra weight is going to a good cause- the nurishment of that little one. I am just ready to actually "look" pregnant... :))

Baby Names

Often considered to be one of the most important steps in preparing for a new child, child naming can be a difficult task.

My husband and I began discussing baby names long ago. If your like me, you have theoretically thought of the name of that "someday" baby for a long time. A friend recently reminded me that, back in high school, I had the name Aphrodite all picked out for that little girl I was sure I would have one day (I was really into Greek mythology). Someone along the way did the inevitable- listed all the ways the name could be made fun of. I realized that complex and unique may not be the way to go. While you want something memorable for your child, you don't want to give them that crazy name that will get them pushed down on the playground (not to offend anyone with the name Aphrodite- I like that name, but I think you'll agree it's a risky move).

The other issue with baby naming is that name suggestions often remind us of someone we once knew with the same name. For example, after teaching kindergarten, there are a few little boy names that are just plain off-limits. My husband is particularly difficult to work with in this area. We really struggled to find one that didn't conjure negative images for him. Some were just downright ridiculous, others I could somewhat understand.  After much discussion, including the suggestion (by my husband, of course) of, First name: Chuck, Middle name: Norris, we finally have two names chosen. While these names may conjure a playground bully from your past, that promiscuous cheerleader you just couldn't stand from your high school days, or a dorky scientist kid on a popular animated TV show... for us, they are just right.

And what are these perfect-for-us names? If it is a boy, his name will be Dexter (Dex will be his nickname). If it's a girl, her name will be Zoey (Zoe for short). Now we just have to wait until late July to find out which name we get to use!