35 Weeks- NO WAY!

How Far Along: 35 Weeks (in theory, only 5 to go). I can't believe that in 5 weeks, this baby will be here! As of next week, I start going to the doctor weekly. Amazing how fast this has gone!


Size of Baby: Weighs as much as a honeydew melon, which is around 5.25 pounds. Over 5 pounds- that just amazes me. I feel bad for her- she must be getting pretty crowded in there!

Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants and some maternity shirts, though I still wear as many of my non-maternity things as I can get away with. My wardrobe is so incredibly limited at this point, which isn't really fun, but with only 5 weeks to go, I'm going to make do with what I have!

Movement: She does move a lot, though as she gets bigger, the movement feels different. She definately doesn't have the room to flip all over the place like she did before. But I still get some good jabs from an elbow/knee/some other sharp body part!
Symptoms: I feel pretty good. In the last week, I have been experiencing SUPER swollen feet. Mick says that my feet look like Bilbo Baggins feet (apparently that is some hobbit character from the Lord of the Rings movies). As you can imagine, this comment is less than complimentary and of course, all of my cute shoes and boots are just taunting me to wear them! My hands are a little swollen, so I can't wear my wedding ring anymore. It is definately hard to get up off of the floor/couch. And of course, there is the belly. Seems like everywhere that I go, people make some kind of comment (don't worry, you'll be here soon enough, etc.).
Cravings: Nothing specific. I'm trying to eat healthy and sensibly, though my love of sweets has definately come back after the first trimester.

What I am looking forward to: Finishing the baby's room over Christmas break! Once that is done, I feel like I will feel ready for her to make her appearance. I also look forward to going to the doctor next week and finding out if she is breech still. We found out on Thanksgiving Day (when we made a stop to L and D to make sure that everything was okay) that she was breech. According to the doctor, they will check next week to see if she has remained that way and then we will discuss what the options are as far as trying to get her to turn head down.
Thoughts: I can't believe there is only 5 more weeks. I'm still largely in disbelief. But we are so excited to become a mommy and daddy and to meet our little girl!

30 Weeks- 10 to go!

How Far Along: 30 Weeks (in theory, only 10 to go). I can't believe that in 10 weeks, this baby will be here!
Size of Baby: Weighs as much as the head of a cabbage, which is a little over 3 pounds. Everytime I look at my stomach, it just amazes me that there is a little 3 pound person in there!
Maternity Clothes: All maternity pants and some maternity shirts, though I still wear as many of my non-maternity things as I can get away with.
Movement: She is quite a wiggleworm, but I'm loving it! The feeling of the baby moving around is something that is so cool and so impossible to describe. I'm guessing she is going to be rather stubborn though, because every time I tell Mick to put his hand on my stomach to feel her, she stops moving. I'm thinking that the stubborn comes from my side of the family!
Symptoms: Physically, I feel pretty good, just big compared to what I am used to. I sleep pretty well most of the time. It is a little hard to bend over or carry things around, but no complaints for the most part.
Cravings: Nothing specific. I'm trying to eat healthy and sensibly, though my love of sweets has definately come back after the first trimester.
What I am looking forward to: The start of baby showers- my first one is this weekend from my dear teachers at the Dance Center. Can't wait!
 
Thoughts: Registering was crazy- there are so many choices for moms now, which is good and bad. It is so hard to know which brand to pick, especially since each baby likes different things! Overall, I find Katie's advice to be the best- pick the brand with the happiest baby on the front of the packaging! :-)
 
We are so lucky that we have such great family and friends. This baby is going to be one loved and spoiled little girl!

27 Weeks- Last of 2nd Trimester

How Far Along: 27 Weeks (in theory, only 13 to go, and this is the last week of the 2nd trimester.) So crazy- so far, it has really flown by!

Size of Baby: Weighs as much as the head of a cauliflower? Babycenter really throws out some weird vegetables as the baby gets bigger. Last week, she was the length of a English Hothouse Cucumber!

Maternity Clothes: I finally broke down and bought a few maternity items, but most of my clothes are still from the Peroutka and Branson collections.

Movement: Baby moves around quite a bit- I love that. It is so fun to feel her move!

Symptoms: Physically, I feel really good and I passed my glucose test, which means that I don't have gestational diabetes. What a relief!
Cravings: Nothing specific. I'm feeling pretty good and trying to eat healthy.
What I am looking forward to: Registering and getting the baby's room ready!

25 Weeks- It's a GIRL!

How Far Along: 25 Weeks (in theory, only 15 to go, and 2 till the start of the third trimester!!! How time flies!)

Size of Baby: Rutabaga???

Maternity Clothes: Forget non-maternity dress pants and jeans! Though I can fit into some of them technically, I'm too concerned with being comfortable to try. I can still wear most of my yoga and teaching pants and shorts, though. I basically wear clothes from my favorite two collections: the Peroutka collection and the Branson collection. I am so lucky to have great friends with good taste in maternity clothes!

Movement: She's flipping around like it is her job. She's definitely contemplating becoming a dancer or a gymnast!

Symptoms: Physically, I feel really good. Much less tired than I was during the first trimester and the beginning of the second. I am having more back pain, but being active and stretching does help.

Cravings: I love food. All food. Still not a big fan of grilled chicken or salsa, but I definately got my sweet tooth back!

What I am looking forward to: The end of the Fall Festival madness so I can go register for all things for our baby GIRL!!!!

18 weeks!

Here's how Baby Metzger and I are feeling this week!

How Far Along: 18 Weeks

Size of Baby: Bell Pepper (ironically, also one of my cravings!)

Maternity Clothes: The only way I can wear my old pants are with a genius product called a Belly Band that is basically a circle of elastic that turns my pre-preg pants into maternity pants. Most of my shirts still fit, and some dresses still fit, but other than that it is maternity all the way.

Movement: I'm feeling it! This weekend was the first big movement, and it was really exciting for me! He/she definitely likes to move around!

Symptoms: Sleep seems to be eluding me, but other than that, and feeling less sinus pain and pressure if I sleep upright, I'm feeling pretty good!

Cravings: Still loving pickles, pizza, veggies with dill dip, and fresh fruit. Still not feeling much of a sweet tooth, though I still enjoy the occassional fun-size 3 Musketeers!

What I am looking forward to: Finding out the sex of the baby next week and feeling the baby move around more. I can't wait until Mick can feel the movement from the outside so he can join in the fun!

Sneak preview

This weekend, we were fortunate enough to go visit our dear friends Laura and Kyle Branson. I always feel especially proud of them as a couple because I was the one who introduced the two of them. Little did I know that years later, we would be visiting them to celebrate the birth of their precious baby boy Kellen!

Mick and I really enjoyed getting a preview of what life with a 2 month old is like. I know that both of us have not spent much extended time with babies that little in our adult lives. We definitely learned that it is a lot of work, but so rewarding and Laura and Kyle seem to be getting the hang of it pretty quickly!

So, here is my 16 week post.

How Far Along: 16 Weeks


Size of Baby: Turnip

Maternity Clothes: Sundresses are the only old clothes that I fit into. I got a great stash of maternity clothes from Laura, and was excited to be able to fit into a pair of pants that I didn't have to hold closed with a hair elastic!
Movement: Pretty sure that baby was poking me the other night in bed, but still waiting for that first big kick!
Symptoms: Nausea seems to have let up a bit. I am starting to notice that it is getting a bit harder to breathe if I slump over. Oh well, this will just make me have good posture!
Cravings: Still loving pickles, pizza, veggies with dill dip, and watermelon. The basic 4 food groups!
What I am looking forward to: All of the students coming back to school and me getting to share my news with them (and scoping out potential babysitters). I also go to the doctor next week, so I look forward to being one appointment closer to finding out the sex of the baby!

Big News!

I haven't written in a while, mainly because I was waiting to be able to write this big post!

If you look a few posts earlier, you will see the day of the Jimmy Buffet concert. Well, this was a VERY significant day for Mick and I, because we began to strongly suspect that we might be taking a third person to the concert.

The next day, we got confirmation- we are officially PREGNANT!

That's right, we will be adding a new member to the Metzger family on January 16, 2011. That puts me at 15 weeks right now, so here are a few stats that I hope to update each week.

How Far Along: 15 Weeks

Size of Baby: Apple!

Maternity Clothes: Sundresses are the only old clothes that I fit into. I can wear some of my pants, but only if I hold the snaps together with a rubber band!

Movement: Hard to say. There have been several times where I have felt what I thought might be movement from the baby, but I am really looking forward to a good strong jab in the ribs!

Symptoms: Still having some nausea- I think that I have eaten my weight in Wintergreen Lifesavers! I am also having a harder time sleeping through the entire night. People say that is nature's way of preparing you to get up with the baby, so maybe that is true!

Cravings: Pickles, especially dill pickles. I also crave condiments of any kind, like ranch, mayo, ketchup, etc. Surprisingly, I don't crave sweet things as much as I did pre-pregnancy.

What I am looking forward to: Everyone knowing the great news. Most of our family and friends know, but I look forward to looking really pregnant and not just round around the middle!

Is this accurate- you be the judge...

Check out this article about what the American Girl doll that you had when you were little says about you. Tell me- is it correct or not???

American Girl Dolls

Wasting away again in Margaritaville...

Last night, Mick and I celebrated Valentine's Day!! And yes, if you are thinking, "Isn't Valentine's Day in February?", you would be right. But at the time, I really wanted to get Mick tickets to a concert, because let me tell you, husband loves concerts! However, since February is not a particularly pleasant month for an outdoor concert, I bought him tickets to see Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band in May.

Weeeel, as it turns out, May 2011 isn't a particularly pleasant time for a concert either. But despite the chill in the air (and the frost advisory), we bundled up and headed to Verizon Ampitheater. Good times! Here's a picture of us bundled up, but waiting for Jimmy!

And here's a picture of Jimmy rocking out!

Hats, hats and more hats...

Is it just me, or is the royal wedding looking more like the KY Derby than a wedding? Though I'm sure that is is standard to wear a hat to an occasion such as this, I can't help but be reminded of all of the research that I did before Mick and I went to the Derby last year.

Of course, some of the hats from the wedding are gorgeous, while others...well, in my opinion, they just look like the hat-wearer has some kind of ridiculous growth on their forehead. A few examples of the bad, and the good:

The girl on the right- love her!



 (l) Princesses Eugeine and Beatrice- that one on the left is terrible! (r) Tara Palmer-Tomkinson

Royal Wedding

Unless you live under a rock, or you have been orbiting outer space for the last 6 months, you should be aware that the Royal Wedding between Kate Middleton and Prince William happened today. To celebrate the occasion, and to entertain myself and my co-workers, we decorated the statue that sits inside our office.

So without further ado, I present the NDHS version of Kate Middleton on her wedding day. Obviously, her overall look was much better than ours since she actually had a face and arms that she can move. Our statue, sadly, has her arms glued to her sides, so the variety of attire that she can wear is somewhat limited.

Isn't she lovely??

Easter Weekend

Mick and I had a great Easter weekend! Easter is always a great time to realize how many blessings we have in our lives. Namely our friends, family, dogs, jobs and home.

On Friday, both Mick and I were off of work. Mick played in a golf tournament (shocking, I know!) and I went to get a massage and did some work around the house. Friday night, we went to the Cardinals game with several friends, including a few out of town friends! As most people know, Friday night was also the night of the terrible storm that left devastation in north St. Louis. For those who were affected, you are in our thoughts and prayers.

Mick and Tom- Cape HS buddies reunited!

After a 2 hour delay of game and several tornado warnings, we were able to watch the game.

Here we are waiting out the game in the Cardinals Club- Thanks Tom for the great tickets!

Saturday, Mick and I went to breakfast and spent a lazy Saturday at home. We also celebrated Easter with my family.

Sunday, we were able to go to Perryville to spend Easter with the Hoeckeles (and George and Joann). I believe that Mick's sister Natalie came home with the best part of that day- a baby kitten who we later found out is a little boy. Congrats on the newest member of your family, Nats!

Overall, it was a fabulous Easter. Thanks for the fun, families!

My, how fast the time flies!

As most people know, besides my day job, I also teach dance at the studio that I grew up at. When I moved back to St. Louis, I knew that I wanted to teach there if at all possible since that place, more than anything I did throughout my high school years, shaped who I am as a person today.

The other day, one of the advanced ballet students had a mishap while playing soccer and is unfortunately unable to dance for the rest of this year. Because the class had already learned most of the 20-something minute long recital piece, I volunteered to take her spot so the choreographer wouldn't have to completely re-stage the piece.

Ironically, though, this is the same piece that I performed my senior year of high school. Though I am doing a different part in the piece, the mechanics are very similar.

In some aspects, it seems like the past 10 years since I graduated from high school have been an eternity since my life has changed so much, but when I am in ballet class, all of a sudden, I am transported back to my 18 year old self. Of course, there are several noticeable differences:

1. When I leave the studio, I go home to my own house and my husband, vs. my parents house and my mother. Instead of going home and doing homework, I usually go home and have a glass of wine and do housework. In high school, I would fall asleep on the phone with my high school boyfriend, but now, I fall asleep with a motley crew of Mick, Linus, Garth and Patches in my bed. (And I wonder why there are some nights when I don't sleep very well!)

Regardless of the changes of the past years, I know I am very blessed to be able to perform this piece again, even though the mechanics of my life have changed. Of course, I wouldn't have those mechanics any other way...

Here's a picture of me when I performed this piece 10 years ago. After the recital, I'll take a new pic and compare.

Until then, love,

Mickford and Mereford

Wow, what timing...

So when I looked through my posts just now, I noticed that I set up this blog on April 14, 2010, and then, completely randomly, decided to actually start blogging for real EXACTLY one year later, on April 14, 2011. Weird...

What a nice weekend!

Mick and I had a great weekend!

Friday night, we enjoyed dinner at our friend's Kelsey and Kari's house. We met Kelsey and Kari (or K2, as we call them) at the Chadwick Pool. We were so happy to meet another newlywed couple who lives just one street over from us!

Saturday, Mick played in a golf tourney, while I helped out with the Notre Dame Easter Egg Hunt. We then went to the NDHS Triva Night that night, where for the first time, our team did NOT come in last!

Sunday, we spent the day relaxing and doing yardwork. We are determined to get the yard looking great by July for Mick's backyard 30th birthday party!

Happy Holy Week- can't believe Lent is almost over! There is definately a soda calling my name on Sunday!

Love,

Mickford and Mereford

Soo, I still don't think that we are interesting

But, here we are! This blog is more for myself to document the fun that is the Mickedith lifestyle. A little about us (not that anyone would read this who doesn't know us): Mick and I were married on September 19, 2009 (9/19/09- no, we didn't choose it because of that. We actually chose it because that was the 2 year anniversary of us dating).

We live in Missouri with our menagerie of animals, which include two dogs and two cats. A little about our family members:

Linus was Mick's dog before we met. When I met Mick, Linus was about to be "sent" to a new home. However, with a little intensive dog therapy (which involved me actually buying Mick a dog training book), Linus has turned into a delightful dog with such a sweet personality. - Linus's five favorite things: eating underwear and womens shoes, walks, morning kibble, visits to Grandma and Grandpa's house in Cape Girardeau, and barking at dogs who walk past his house. -

Garth was an impusle purchase at the Notre Dame auction in 2008. Long story short, Mick went to Rolla to pick him up from the breeder and he was ours ever since. He has energy to spare and a piercing yap that makes Mick and I seriously think about muzzling him (jk!) - Garth's five favorite things: morning kibble time, walks, car rides, chewing up sticks in the backyard, and chasing the cats.

Holly was my first pet. She is a gray tabby cat, with an abnormally small head and large belly. She feels as though she has had a hard life because when I got her, she was the queen of the castle, and now she has to share her mom with two dog brothers and one cat sister. - Holly's favorite things: When the dogs go out of town for the weekend, sleeping on the guest bed, eating kibble, putting curses on the dogs, and cozying up to mom when everyone else is out of the room.

Last but not least, Patches. She is a cat-dog, in that she looks like a cat but acts more like a dog! She is a long-haired calico cat with white legs and a sweet disposition. Patches five favorite things: Going outside to kill mice, eating, getting anyone who walks in the house to pet her, sleeping on the wine fridge, and taunting the dog.

So that's a little bit about life in our house. Enjoy! Love, Mickford and Mereford