Nesters.

With a short 26 weeks to go, Steve and I have begun preparations for Baby Rowland's arrival. First, in cleaning and organizing the various parts of the house. We bagged most of our clothing and sent it to Goodwill, which left us with half a closet that was cleaner, roomier and smarter. So, not only has Baby Rowland prompted us to create cleaner spaces, he or she has also brought out the humanitarian in us. We also cleaned out all our clothes drawers, and I convinced Steve that all t-shirts he can't let go of but also doesn't wear or even look at should have a special place designated for them: the t-shirt box, now stored in a guest room closet. We also cleaned baby's room, including emptying the varied and miscellaneous goods in his or her closet, caulking the walls, and priming it for some bright nursery shade that we will mull over once we learn the sex of the baby. For giggles, I cleaned the basement, meticulously vacuuming each couch cushion before spraying it with lysol, dusting all book shelves and pictures, and mopping pinesol onto every floorboard, baseboard and stair step.

I did mention there was a first, which means there's a second. Our preparation of the nest for baby's arrival also means we have begun to think about our finances. We mapped out our savings and investments, created living wills, and have taken out life insurance policies. For the first time in my life, I feel financially sound. This is part in par due to Steve, who was financially sound to begin with, but also and especially thanks to Baby Rowland, whom we have now mapped a plan for in regards to college, childcare and, well, life.

I think it's true what they say about nesting - it is an innate yearning to want to prepare for baby's arrival. This process reminds me of little birds carefully building nests in tall trees for their delicate eggs to incubate, or turtles who come off the shore to dig holes in the sand, or, the famed march of the penguins. It's a process that all parents go through to welcome a little one to the earth, to make sure it is comfortable, warm, safe, fed and happy.

A little showy.

I've always been a little soft around the edges. Particularly in my belly, which I've referred to as having a "layer of warmth" for years. Now with Baby Rowland being housed in there, I feel good about my belly's genetic makeup. Even better, at a little over three months, the pooch is starting to show and the bottom of my belly is starting to harden.

Steve looked at me the other day and said, "babylove, you're starting to look a little pregnant." Yikes! I said, "what do you mean? Do I look fat?" To which he replied, "no, your belly is starting to stick out. It's cute."

I like to think Baby Rowland is cuter.

**Picture here is showy at four months.

LIfe's an itch.

I had a case of hives once in my late 20s. They were medically deemed as "urticaria." What I am feeling now, with baby in tow, is not the same thing at all. It is similar in that it is a deep, maddening itch from within, but there is no visible rash. It comes and goes. It is localized. It is hell on earth. Currently, it lies in wait behind my knees, like a spider. If it's anything like urticaria, it will move to various parts of my body, and always mirror said parts on both sides.

Steve, doting and caring, rubs lotion on me and tries to help. But because it's not a skin condition, nothing helps. I'm sure my incessant scratching wakes him and if it doesn't now, it surely will the more pregnant I become.

I've read that generalized itching of this nature (meaning all over your body), with or without a rash, and late in pregnancy is a sign of a very serious condition and could cause problems. I've also read that the itching in pregnancy could be caused from hormones, or from the liver's production of bile salts which seep into the blood and hang out in the lymph nodes. Neither sound pleasant. The phrase "bile salts" sounds like something that seeps from the mouth of a monster in a horror film.

But, don't worry (Helen!), I've also read itching is quite common during pregnancy, and rare (1%) that something could be wrong or risky. Plus, this is the nature of my skin - it itches. It's known to have hives. Pregnancy or not.

So, then, a few things will ease this itch and my mind:
1. Suck it up and try to ignore it
2. Slather on calamine lotion which has been stored in the fridge to keep it cold
3. Ditch the hot baths I love so much and trade them in for warm ones with oatmeal
4. Moisturize my skin in an obsessive fashion
5. Get blood tests to determine that my liver isn't in danger due to being pregnant (Lordy knows I've done enough to it since I've been old enough to drink).
and, importantly,
6. Have Baby Rowland. The itch will apparently go away upon his/her arrival.

So, come on, Baby Rowland! We have just one more reason out of millions that we can't wait for you to get here, and I have no doubt an itch will be well worth seeing your sweet face.

Eatin' like a horse.

I promise I'm not one of those people who will use pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever I want, which might include 2-3 hot and now Krispy Kreme donuts in one sitting, or a gallon of ice cream, or an entire bag of tortilla chips with the entire 8 oz. tub of sour cream and a bowl of 2-avocado guacamole. I promise, that ain't me. I am trying my hardest to stick to my regular eating routine - 4-5 small meals a day. Breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, snack. Fine.

It's the small part that's giving me the most trouble.

I get so hungry between breakfast and lunch that I feel like I could eat my own arm off. That my stomach is literally turning inside of itself. It's a dulling pain. Then, I remember to think of Baby Rowland. He or she must be starving in there, if I'm feeling so starved. So I feel okay when I come home for lunch and proceed to consume chips and salsa while my microwave meal is heating up because it's too difficult to wait an entire three minutes, and then after that, proceed to eat a small bowl of last night's leftovers. Then a cashew nut cluster. Finally, my appetite is satiated. And so is baby's, it seems. Where I used to eat a healthy microwave meal or a sandwich, I now eat three meals at lunchtime.

I have the best intentions, I swear. So when I bring an apple and a pear to work to eat as a midday snack, I think I'm doing fine until I get home again thirty minutes later. There's that "eat my own arm off" feeling again. Jalapeno pimento cheese sandwich kicker, anyone?

The bad part, for those of you who know me too well? I don't like candy corns anymore. The mere thought of them makes me sick. Tell me that's not weird. I made my poor husband go to two different grocery stores to find Bleinheim's hot ginger ale. As if that wasn't bad enough, after we bought it with some pie, I made him stand in line again because I saw some ginger salad dressing on our way out that I just had to have.

I think it's safe to say that Baby Rowland likes ginger. I think it's also safe to say that if I continue to eat like a horse, I will grow to look like the side of a barn.

First Trimester Terror.

Not terror, really. But folks have been asking me how I feel, and here's the run-down from most annoying to least:

- I am itchy and my skin is dry, all over.
- I have extremely strange dreams.
- I am verging emotional melt-down at the silliest stuff.
- I feel extremely nauseous, but don't throw up.
- I am dead dog tired.

Why I save the dead dog tired bit for last is because I don't believe I've ever had so much sleep in my life! I like it. It feels nice to sleep 10-12 hours each night and on the weekends. I don't mind, really. I'm told that my energy levels will pick up, and my nausea will subside in the second trimester, which is just around the corner!

Today's doctor visit: meet Baby Rowland!

Today's visit was amazing! I met Steve at the doctor's office and as we were in the waiting room, "Eye of the Tiger" was on the radio. We anticipated hearing the baby's heartbeat on a sonar device, and we joked that the baby's heartbeat would mimic the beat of Steve's favorite Clemson game day song. But, we didn't get to see the sonar device - we got to see an ultrasound!

The lady gelled up my belly and as soon as she put the device on it - there was our sweet Baby Rowland! How surprised were we?! Shortly after, we could hear the rythmic beating of the heart. He or she has a strong heartbeat, according to the ultrasound technician - around 165 beats per minute. He or she also has little limbs and eye buds, arms, hands, legs and feet. I kept pulling up to look at Steve, who was mesmerized. I giggled. He said "wow, now we know there's a little person in there!" Then he asked if we could take pictures home with us and proceeded to steal them from me to show his work clients. After we were done with what must be one of the most monumental events of soon-to-be parents, we walked out of the ultrasound room one giggly mama and one puffy-chested papa. I went through the usual. Put up my pee sample, had my blood pressure taken. All is well there - no fear of odd blood-bourne diseases this go round. We got the chance to talk to the doctor, who told us that we are 11 weeks and 4 days pregnant, and our little sugar plum is about 4 cm. in length. Next visit is Monday, March 29. I will hear baby's heartbeat again, and have blood work done to determine that Baby Rowland is healthy and risk-free. That said, let's hope my blood pressure stays calm. :)

God love girlfriends.

I love my girlfriends. I really do. Thoughtful, caring and experienced - I don't know what I will do without them in the upcoming months.

Shannon sent out a card a couple of days after she found out. Laurie sent me an awesome (really funny) book, "The Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy." It addresses everything from constipation to fashion to nipples. I love it! Kendale sent me a prenatal yoga DVD. I think she was scared that I was losing it based on my email rants to her. She has no idea that she's part of my stress relief. Robin just sent me the sweetest little sheep snuggly blanket for our newborn, and two books. Because she's always thinking ahead, from what I can tell, these books discuss what happens after you have the baby. Specifically, they address sleeping habits and consistency so that baby is happy (and mommy and daddy, too). I can't wait to dig into them! Candice has also promised me her pregnancy wardrobe, which I plan to pick up promptly since my clothes are getting tight.

Now, more than ever, I appreciate the girls in my life.