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Reminder: Geaux Baby Pool Needs Your Vote!

Monday, January 25, 2010

We know that your every waking moment is not consumed with wonder about whether Cheeseburger will be a boy or a girl.

But we'd still love to know your guess!



Come on, it'll make you feel good.

Geaux Baby Cheers for the Saints

Sunday, January 24, 2010

To say that Durel is a Saints fan is an understatement.  To say that I am not a football fan is also something of an understatement.  But hey, I'm learning. 

It's probably a good thing that I'm learning, because if I didn't, I would soon be outnumbered by Saints fans in my household:




Here's hoping that the Saints make it to the SuperBowl for the first time in history.  Though, for the record, no matter what happens today, if Cheeseburger happens to be a boy, he will NOT be named Drew Brees Bernard.

Geaux Baby!
-- Heather

Week 33 Update

Saturday, January 23, 2010



How far along are we? 33 weeks.  We'll hit the magical 34 week mark on Monday!  I am still seeing the doctor every week because of the preterm labor, but things seem to be going well.

How are those maternity clothes? Best invention ever.  And all of the tops that, at 12 weeks, I could not imagine myself ever being big enough to wear?  Now my favorites.

Highlight of the week:  Returning to work for 2 hours a day, 3 days a week, after one month of bedrest (and house arrest).  My average ratio is 2 hours of work; 3 hour nap when I get home to recover.  A month of bedrest takes it out of a girl!

What's Cheeseburger doing these days?  Kicking me in the ribs and growing.  Most importantly, not making his or her debut yet!

Any odd cravings?  J'adore chocolate, still.  And today I rediscovered root beer.  Who knew?

Any feelings about the gender? Not to be glib, but it's either a boy or a girl.

What do you really miss?  Mobility, running, sushi, my toes.

What are you excited about?  My baby showers!; decorating the nursery; hitting the (even more magical) 36 week mark.  A refill on my root beer.

What are you not excited about?  My ankles. 

Have you had any deep thoughts this week?  Making life is magical.  And uncomfortable.  But truly magical.

Hooray goes to:  Durel.  For a million reasons, but the current reason is that he's upstairs assembling the crib right now, and let's just say that putting together furniture is not his favorite pastime.

The Agony and the Ecstasy of HEB

Monday, January 18, 2010

For those of you who are not in Texas, HEB is the grocery store.  It's ubiquitous.  It's easy.  It's great.  We happen to have an HEB very close to our house, which has a treacherous parking lot, but also a fresh sushi bar.


This week, I returned to HEB for the first time in a month.  In the wake of what's happening in Haiti, it is mind-boggling to consider the extravagant amounts of food that we have available to us.  In the wake of bedrest for a month, it is mind-boggling to be in a fully-stocked grocery store.

First, it's huge.  And I got tired.  Granted, my belly is a lot bigger now than it was a month ago.  I also just sort of ran out of steam.  I was incredulous that the frozen food aisle was just the mid-point -- how could dairy still be so far away?  But seriously, these stores are big.

Second, it's full of stuff.  I read recently that the average grocery store has 50,000 products for sale.  I dismissed it when I read it, finding it either unfathomable or irrelevant to me, perhaps both.  Not so, this time.  I saw more of these thousands of items than I had ever seen before.  In fact, I saw them to the exclusion of the things I was looking for, as I rapidly tired in this mega mart of high-fructose corn syrup consumption.  Dazzled, I trudged on.  In fact, I waddled on.  I think I am waddling at this point.




Needless to day, I am talking about a simple trip to the grocery store and I did manage to make it out in one piece.  I also made it out, and to my car, with assistance.  With my new "restricted activity" status, I gratefully accepted the bagger's offer of "help out with that," and found that it is, quite simply, the best thing ever. 

It goes without saying that when I got home, it was naptime.




Hope this finds you well.  Here's to naps and reaching week 33!

-- Heather

A Glimmer of Freedom

Thursday, January 14, 2010

The doctor says that Cheeseburger and I are doing well -- yay for week 32!  In fact, it seems as if CB has settled in for a little while longer, which is just what we want.  Because of this, my doctor has told me that I can start doing a few things!



Today marks the 28th day of bedrest.  From today moving forward, rather than being confined to my trusty recliner for 12 hours a day, I can now run errands, do little things around the house, and gently, ever so gently, ease back into normal life!  Woo hoo!  No lifting, no exercise, nothing crazy, of course, but this is more freedom than I've had since ... December 18th.  Awesome!

Next week, I will road test returning to the office for a couple of hours a day, a couple days a week.  My coworkers have been so supportive, and I will be glad to get back to work, even if it's in bite-sized doses.

Exciting news of the day!  Yay for Cheeseburger, and double yay for a glimmer of freedom!

Funny Because It's True

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Prior to getting pregnant, I almost never ate dessert.  I also almost never ate red meat.  I gleefully ate tofu, veggie burgers, salads, and had coffee "for dessert."

Now, these are the two things that I could eat endless amounts of:






I just had to share.  It's funny because it's true.

-- Heather

Bump Update, With Flashbacks

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

I am so happy to have reached 32 weeks with Cheeseburger!  For those of you who are uninitiated to the wild world of pregnancy, the way the doctors actually count the journey is 40 weeks. Yup, you got it:  10 months.  As it turns out, that whole "9 month" thing is a lie.  And when you're the one carrying around a bowling ball, every month matters.

I digress.  Speaking of the bowling ball, here is its evolution:




Just starting to show at 15 weeks



Feeling sassy at 19 weeks



I realized I was really starting to show at 20 weeks.
I could not get over the size of my belly!  Ah, little did I know...



Redefining "bump" at 27 weeks



Bringing us to today -- 32 weeks!

The whole point of bedrest is to keep Cheeseburger in there and growing.  Based on the size of my bump, we are succeeding!

Hope this finds everyone in good health. 

-- Heather




Take a Guess in the Geaux Baby Pool!

Monday, January 11, 2010

As you know, we don't know when Cheeseburger will arrive, or whether to buy pink or blue clothes.  Help us play the waiting game by taking a guess in the Geaux Baby Pool.



(The game will tell you that the due date is March 8, 2010.  Today marks the beginning of Week 32, which is great!  But, just a reminder that due dates are educated guesses, and even more "guess-like" when the mom has experienced preterm labor.  So, this part is a bit of a mystery, too!)

Click on the link above to place your guesses...come one, come all!

My Bedrest Buddies

A lot of you are checking in on me lately to make sure bedrest is going okay.  Thanks for thinking of me!  I am doing fine, but bedrest is definitely an adjustment. My days of 5:30 AM walks and runs with Lucy and Pablo are on indefinite hold...and when they resume, they will be with Cheeseburger!

The dogs are adjusting remarkably well, though.  In fact, they might be my best role models for how to reeeeally relax and take advantage of this time. 

Pablo is happy to demonstrate:



In fact, is that a little doggie smile I see on his face?

He also posed for a still life for his napping portfolio:




Lucy is also a professional relaxer, but she was a bit more excited at the prospect of being included in the blog, so she wanted to make sure I got a close-up:



She is, by the way, cozying up to my brand new leather recliner, which has been dubbed Mission Control.  Mission: Bedrest, that is.  Pics of that to come; I'll need someone with opposable thumbs to help me document this part of the experience.

Ta ta for now!
-- Heather

Honing in on Nursery Decor

Friday, January 8, 2010

Sometimes, when you are on bedrest, you don't do much all day.  Today was one of those days.  I did watch part of a Millionaire Matchmaker marathon (say that three times fast), but that's it. 

That said, let me share a bit more of our eclectic, tree-inspired, nursery decor.  Here are the cute, jute curtains that we found at World Market:




I am looking forward to getting the nursery put together over the next few weeks as we anticipate Cheeseburger's arrival!

Bed Rest Update: One More Week

Thursday, January 7, 2010

So, the doctor has prescribed another week of bedrest.  We'll re-evaluate next Thursday and see where things stand.  She has confirmed that I am allowed up to:  use the restroom, shower, and get food and beverages.  That's it. 

I told her that I occasionally start a load of laundry and was cautioned not to do too big or heavy of a load.  That's bed rest for you, people.

So, in addition to catching up on Martha Stewart and Oprah on the DVR, I did manage to do something productive today.  I bought a mobile for the nursery!  Here it is, from Land of Nod:




Our nursery is an exercise in gender-neutral.  The theme is, loosely, trees and cute little animals.  The colors are, loosely, grass green and ochre.  Mobiles are pricey and all tangled up in elaborate nursery themes.  This one is cute, simple, colorful, and on its way to us as as I type.  Hooray!

I'm off to see what other projects I can accomplish from Mission Control (aka, my recliner with my laptop).  Who knows, from here, Cheeseburger and I could take over the world!

-- Heather

Welcome to Geaux Baby!

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

As Durel and I anxiously await the arrival of our first child, it occurred to me that I could use a cool and efficient way to share information and pictures with our amazing network of family and friends.  I am not sure how reliable I would be at uploading pictures to Shutterfly (or whatever) and sending out mass emails every few weeks.  To my friends who have that level of organization, I salute you.  I am not brave enough to count myself amongst your ranks.

But, I can blog!  And have been for some time (to wit, see simpleetiquette.blogspot.com).  So, I have started this blog to chronicle the life and times of Cheeseburger Bernard and his/her inexperienced but ambitious parents.

A few things to start:

1)  Yes, we call our baby Cheeseburger.  I know lots of people have cute names for their unborn children, like Love Bug, Peanut, or Bean.  None of those seemed right to us.  However, the fact that I now eat burgers like Popeye's friend Wimpy seemed noteworthy.  Especially since I had not eaten red meat for about five years prior to becoming pregnant.  Also, cheeseburgers are delicious and gender-neutral.  A nickname was born.  Cheeseburger Bernard, we can't wait to meet you.




2)  No, we do not know our baby's sex.  We decided very early on in the pregnancy not to find out and, amazingly, have stuck to our guns.  We cruised through the 20 week ultrasound with flying colors and looked away at the "right time."  We haven't had an ultrasound since then, but our resolve is strong to look away at the next one, which should be at 36 weeks.  I mean, we've come this far, haven't we?

Waiting to find out is cool.  We've decided that the nursery theme is loosely based on trees and woodland animals.  I like trees; trees are green; trees are gender neutral.  And woodland animals, well, they're awfully cute and come with the turf.  I shy away from nursery themes that are, well, "theme-y" -- I respectfully leave the jungle nurseries and ballet nurseries to parents other than me. 




3)  We are not sharing our names.  We will proudly introduce Cheeseburger to the world and reveal his/her full identity, including name, when he/she arrives.

4)  I am currently on bedrest.  I was having some early contractions the weekend before Christmas and spend the weekend in the hospital.  The good news is that they stopped the contractions and sent me home to rest, where I have been for the past three weeks.  The other good news is that every week which passes without more contractions or Cheeseburger's arrival makes him/her bigger and stronger.  The down side is that bedrest is a bit of a challenge for me.  But, in the immortal words of Gloria Gaynor, I will survive.

5)  I know that "geaux" is spelled oddly.  But, if you are from Louisiana, it's not odd at all.  For those of you who are uninitiated to the linguistics of Louisiana, "geaux" means "go."  You tend to use it when you are cheering for the LSU Tigers, as in "Geaux Tigers!" 




Urban dictionary agrees:  http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=geaux

It seemed like a good way to welcome and celebrate Cheeseburger's unique heritage:  Half Louisiana, Half Maryland, soon-to-be a Native Texan. 

Thanks for reading.  See you soon.

-- Heather

Monday, January 25, 2010

Reminder: Geaux Baby Pool Needs Your Vote!

We know that your every waking moment is not consumed with wonder about whether Cheeseburger will be a boy or a girl.

But we'd still love to know your guess!



Come on, it'll make you feel good.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Geaux Baby Cheers for the Saints

To say that Durel is a Saints fan is an understatement.  To say that I am not a football fan is also something of an understatement.  But hey, I'm learning. 

It's probably a good thing that I'm learning, because if I didn't, I would soon be outnumbered by Saints fans in my household:




Here's hoping that the Saints make it to the SuperBowl for the first time in history.  Though, for the record, no matter what happens today, if Cheeseburger happens to be a boy, he will NOT be named Drew Brees Bernard.

Geaux Baby!
-- Heather

Saturday, January 23, 2010

Week 33 Update



How far along are we? 33 weeks.  We'll hit the magical 34 week mark on Monday!  I am still seeing the doctor every week because of the preterm labor, but things seem to be going well.

How are those maternity clothes? Best invention ever.  And all of the tops that, at 12 weeks, I could not imagine myself ever being big enough to wear?  Now my favorites.

Highlight of the week:  Returning to work for 2 hours a day, 3 days a week, after one month of bedrest (and house arrest).  My average ratio is 2 hours of work; 3 hour nap when I get home to recover.  A month of bedrest takes it out of a girl!

What's Cheeseburger doing these days?  Kicking me in the ribs and growing.  Most importantly, not making his or her debut yet!

Any odd cravings?  J'adore chocolate, still.  And today I rediscovered root beer.  Who knew?

Any feelings about the gender? Not to be glib, but it's either a boy or a girl.

What do you really miss?  Mobility, running, sushi, my toes.

What are you excited about?  My baby showers!; decorating the nursery; hitting the (even more magical) 36 week mark.  A refill on my root beer.

What are you not excited about?  My ankles. 

Have you had any deep thoughts this week?  Making life is magical.  And uncomfortable.  But truly magical.

Hooray goes to:  Durel.  For a million reasons, but the current reason is that he's upstairs assembling the crib right now, and let's just say that putting together furniture is not his favorite pastime.

Monday, January 18, 2010

The Agony and the Ecstasy of HEB

For those of you who are not in Texas, HEB is the grocery store.  It's ubiquitous.  It's easy.  It's great.  We happen to have an HEB very close to our house, which has a treacherous parking lot, but also a fresh sushi bar.


This week, I returned to HEB for the first time in a month.  In the wake of what's happening in Haiti, it is mind-boggling to consider the extravagant amounts of food that we have available to us.  In the wake of bedrest for a month, it is mind-boggling to be in a fully-stocked grocery store.

First, it's huge.  And I got tired.  Granted, my belly is a lot bigger now than it was a month ago.  I also just sort of ran out of steam.  I was incredulous that the frozen food aisle was just the mid-point -- how could dairy still be so far away?  But seriously, these stores are big.

Second, it's full of stuff.  I read recently that the average grocery store has 50,000 products for sale.  I dismissed it when I read it, finding it either unfathomable or irrelevant to me, perhaps both.  Not so, this time.  I saw more of these thousands of items than I had ever seen before.  In fact, I saw them to the exclusion of the things I was looking for, as I rapidly tired in this mega mart of high-fructose corn syrup consumption.  Dazzled, I trudged on.  In fact, I waddled on.  I think I am waddling at this point.




Needless to day, I am talking about a simple trip to the grocery store and I did manage to make it out in one piece.  I also made it out, and to my car, with assistance.  With my new "restricted activity" status, I gratefully accepted the bagger's offer of "help out with that," and found that it is, quite simply, the best thing ever. 

It goes without saying that when I got home, it was naptime.




Hope this finds you well.  Here's to naps and reaching week 33!

-- Heather

Thursday, January 14, 2010

A Glimmer of Freedom

The doctor says that Cheeseburger and I are doing well -- yay for week 32!  In fact, it seems as if CB has settled in for a little while longer, which is just what we want.  Because of this, my doctor has told me that I can start doing a few things!



Today marks the 28th day of bedrest.  From today moving forward, rather than being confined to my trusty recliner for 12 hours a day, I can now run errands, do little things around the house, and gently, ever so gently, ease back into normal life!  Woo hoo!  No lifting, no exercise, nothing crazy, of course, but this is more freedom than I've had since ... December 18th.  Awesome!

Next week, I will road test returning to the office for a couple of hours a day, a couple days a week.  My coworkers have been so supportive, and I will be glad to get back to work, even if it's in bite-sized doses.

Exciting news of the day!  Yay for Cheeseburger, and double yay for a glimmer of freedom!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Funny Because It's True

Prior to getting pregnant, I almost never ate dessert.  I also almost never ate red meat.  I gleefully ate tofu, veggie burgers, salads, and had coffee "for dessert."

Now, these are the two things that I could eat endless amounts of:






I just had to share.  It's funny because it's true.

-- Heather

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Bump Update, With Flashbacks

I am so happy to have reached 32 weeks with Cheeseburger!  For those of you who are uninitiated to the wild world of pregnancy, the way the doctors actually count the journey is 40 weeks. Yup, you got it:  10 months.  As it turns out, that whole "9 month" thing is a lie.  And when you're the one carrying around a bowling ball, every month matters.

I digress.  Speaking of the bowling ball, here is its evolution:




Just starting to show at 15 weeks



Feeling sassy at 19 weeks



I realized I was really starting to show at 20 weeks.
I could not get over the size of my belly!  Ah, little did I know...



Redefining "bump" at 27 weeks



Bringing us to today -- 32 weeks!

The whole point of bedrest is to keep Cheeseburger in there and growing.  Based on the size of my bump, we are succeeding!

Hope this finds everyone in good health. 

-- Heather




Monday, January 11, 2010

Take a Guess in the Geaux Baby Pool!

As you know, we don't know when Cheeseburger will arrive, or whether to buy pink or blue clothes.  Help us play the waiting game by taking a guess in the Geaux Baby Pool.



(The game will tell you that the due date is March 8, 2010.  Today marks the beginning of Week 32, which is great!  But, just a reminder that due dates are educated guesses, and even more "guess-like" when the mom has experienced preterm labor.  So, this part is a bit of a mystery, too!)

Click on the link above to place your guesses...come one, come all!

My Bedrest Buddies

A lot of you are checking in on me lately to make sure bedrest is going okay.  Thanks for thinking of me!  I am doing fine, but bedrest is definitely an adjustment. My days of 5:30 AM walks and runs with Lucy and Pablo are on indefinite hold...and when they resume, they will be with Cheeseburger!

The dogs are adjusting remarkably well, though.  In fact, they might be my best role models for how to reeeeally relax and take advantage of this time. 

Pablo is happy to demonstrate:



In fact, is that a little doggie smile I see on his face?

He also posed for a still life for his napping portfolio:




Lucy is also a professional relaxer, but she was a bit more excited at the prospect of being included in the blog, so she wanted to make sure I got a close-up:



She is, by the way, cozying up to my brand new leather recliner, which has been dubbed Mission Control.  Mission: Bedrest, that is.  Pics of that to come; I'll need someone with opposable thumbs to help me document this part of the experience.

Ta ta for now!
-- Heather

Friday, January 8, 2010

Honing in on Nursery Decor

Sometimes, when you are on bedrest, you don't do much all day.  Today was one of those days.  I did watch part of a Millionaire Matchmaker marathon (say that three times fast), but that's it. 

That said, let me share a bit more of our eclectic, tree-inspired, nursery decor.  Here are the cute, jute curtains that we found at World Market:




I am looking forward to getting the nursery put together over the next few weeks as we anticipate Cheeseburger's arrival!

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Bed Rest Update: One More Week

So, the doctor has prescribed another week of bedrest.  We'll re-evaluate next Thursday and see where things stand.  She has confirmed that I am allowed up to:  use the restroom, shower, and get food and beverages.  That's it. 

I told her that I occasionally start a load of laundry and was cautioned not to do too big or heavy of a load.  That's bed rest for you, people.

So, in addition to catching up on Martha Stewart and Oprah on the DVR, I did manage to do something productive today.  I bought a mobile for the nursery!  Here it is, from Land of Nod:




Our nursery is an exercise in gender-neutral.  The theme is, loosely, trees and cute little animals.  The colors are, loosely, grass green and ochre.  Mobiles are pricey and all tangled up in elaborate nursery themes.  This one is cute, simple, colorful, and on its way to us as as I type.  Hooray!

I'm off to see what other projects I can accomplish from Mission Control (aka, my recliner with my laptop).  Who knows, from here, Cheeseburger and I could take over the world!

-- Heather

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Welcome to Geaux Baby!

As Durel and I anxiously await the arrival of our first child, it occurred to me that I could use a cool and efficient way to share information and pictures with our amazing network of family and friends.  I am not sure how reliable I would be at uploading pictures to Shutterfly (or whatever) and sending out mass emails every few weeks.  To my friends who have that level of organization, I salute you.  I am not brave enough to count myself amongst your ranks.

But, I can blog!  And have been for some time (to wit, see simpleetiquette.blogspot.com).  So, I have started this blog to chronicle the life and times of Cheeseburger Bernard and his/her inexperienced but ambitious parents.

A few things to start:

1)  Yes, we call our baby Cheeseburger.  I know lots of people have cute names for their unborn children, like Love Bug, Peanut, or Bean.  None of those seemed right to us.  However, the fact that I now eat burgers like Popeye's friend Wimpy seemed noteworthy.  Especially since I had not eaten red meat for about five years prior to becoming pregnant.  Also, cheeseburgers are delicious and gender-neutral.  A nickname was born.  Cheeseburger Bernard, we can't wait to meet you.




2)  No, we do not know our baby's sex.  We decided very early on in the pregnancy not to find out and, amazingly, have stuck to our guns.  We cruised through the 20 week ultrasound with flying colors and looked away at the "right time."  We haven't had an ultrasound since then, but our resolve is strong to look away at the next one, which should be at 36 weeks.  I mean, we've come this far, haven't we?

Waiting to find out is cool.  We've decided that the nursery theme is loosely based on trees and woodland animals.  I like trees; trees are green; trees are gender neutral.  And woodland animals, well, they're awfully cute and come with the turf.  I shy away from nursery themes that are, well, "theme-y" -- I respectfully leave the jungle nurseries and ballet nurseries to parents other than me. 




3)  We are not sharing our names.  We will proudly introduce Cheeseburger to the world and reveal his/her full identity, including name, when he/she arrives.

4)  I am currently on bedrest.  I was having some early contractions the weekend before Christmas and spend the weekend in the hospital.  The good news is that they stopped the contractions and sent me home to rest, where I have been for the past three weeks.  The other good news is that every week which passes without more contractions or Cheeseburger's arrival makes him/her bigger and stronger.  The down side is that bedrest is a bit of a challenge for me.  But, in the immortal words of Gloria Gaynor, I will survive.

5)  I know that "geaux" is spelled oddly.  But, if you are from Louisiana, it's not odd at all.  For those of you who are uninitiated to the linguistics of Louisiana, "geaux" means "go."  You tend to use it when you are cheering for the LSU Tigers, as in "Geaux Tigers!" 




Urban dictionary agrees:  http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=geaux

It seemed like a good way to welcome and celebrate Cheeseburger's unique heritage:  Half Louisiana, Half Maryland, soon-to-be a Native Texan. 

Thanks for reading.  See you soon.

-- Heather
 
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