Indiana and 25

First off. We made it! 2 days of driving a moving van across the country and we arrived in our first house ever! Pictures to come for sure, but for now here is a photo of Mr. Wood and I last Sunday on my 25th birthday in our new back yard. 25! And little baby (as of today) only has 3 months left! This is a lot of firsts for this little family. Also my hair is also tinged with hot pink, in a conservative sabbath crown braid. I feel like I should include this dramatic hair shift although I don't know why.

How is Indiana treating us? Well it is true, mid-westerners (or in this case Hoosiers) are incredibly nice! The weather? Very wet. Like rain and clouds wet. But your thinking "Shannon, you are from Oregon!". Let me remind you that Oregon is essentially dry for 3 months every year, and relatively low humidity. Our new home town of Mishawaka is proving to be moist. But there is little time for outdoor activities (because let's be honest... the bugs) but also because Mr. Wood and I are focusing on some first time home renovations! Our house is from the 70s, with 2 layers of harvest-toned Linoleum to prove it. So the first thing to go was the twitchy appliances, the next a wall, and this week new floors.

Now in the spirit of recording our history I would like to include a list of things that have helped me survive a first pregnancy and first move all in the armpit of summer. 

1. Mr. Wood. 

Because obviously he is already a thousand times wonderful. But in case you didn't know how wonderful here are some samples:

• Taking me to every doctors appointment. Which is hard especially when switching hospitals half way through
• Driving the moving truck. The whole way.
• Learning a million new house building skills and working on them right away before school starts so we can have a nice place to live.
• Lifting every heavy thing for me, whenever I ask.
• Letting me nap every day.
• Buying me ice-creams, when we both know that the baby doesn't need ice-creams, although sometimes I claim he does.
• Sweeping spiders away from the door.

And so on. 

2. The bounty of summer foods. Mainly roasted tomatoes and iced pero drinks.

Roasted tomatoes (soaked in balsamic above) have been going on everything lately. Pizza, BLT's, egg sandwiches and just tomatoes on bread. I can't quite get enough. Which is sad because we don't actually have a garden this year. 

But being a foodie, and one trying not to poison her fetus with daily ice-cream trips, I take joys in finding seasonal produce that is amazing tasting. Grapes last week were superb. Organic blueberry picking was divine (Thanks Linford's for the tip!). Fresh corn cut into salsa, lovely. You know, give me the good stuff. Now if I could only figure out how to get delicious watermelons without going to mom's house.

3. Yoga! So pregnancy is kind of uncomfortable, if you haven't heard. But I've managed to keep a lot of niggles away by doing yoga. If I miss a few days, horrid aches and pinches start showing up and I wonder how anyone survives with out doing yoga. They probably do other things right? I like a good youtube video to keep me focused. My all season favorite is Tara Stiles, which I still do, but for pregnancy specific pains and yoga adjustments I like Katy Appleton.  If you are new to yoga (and preggers) Appleton is a great start.

4. Straws! Make everything delicious. Need I say more?

5. Skirts and dresses. Either stretchy or super roomy. If you've seen my wardrobe, not much has changed with this current bump. Pants (Even maternity pants and yoga pants) are either pinching my uterus or falling down my butt. Not to mention their complete lack of air circulation. So-- when I get home it is a dress for me. A lot of my dresses fit me now, but with the third trimester on it's way I have my eye on something like this.

Anyways. Thank you for all your love, we miss all of you, and I hope you are having a lovely summer time.

-Shannon

Pregnancy #1

*posting past posts from dearsweetwood.com for saving.

This is our first baby! And like many life changes this one started with unusual amount of stress. Here is how we found out. It was a busy week, Mr. Wood was leaving the next day for a PhD interview in California, I was having weird dreams, and attending work as usual. As I left work that morning (just on time which was impressive) the car broke down. Let me clarify--the only car.

I have always had this irrational fear that the Integra (despite it's upstanding name) would break down while I was driving it. We've had a complicated relationship. Mr. Wood and the Integra have always been fast companions, nothing could sway Mr. Wood's trust in that machine. But, as if the 2-door could sense my doubts of it's abilities (it was built when I was 7) it would metaphorically stick it's tongue out at me when I drove and Mr. Wood was not present. Like the radio shutting off, or the battery dying while I made a right-hand turn. Every incident left no evidence, and could not be repeated, so our rivalry grew and Mr. Wood's devotion was constant. Then, as if the Integra sensed the growing life in my womb which would cause the vehicles eventual replacement despite Mr. Wood's love, the Integra played one last raid on my psyche and broke down. On 9th, 20 minutes before school started. I did not cry, I would not let the Integra see me cry. Luckily for Teacher friends I had transportation. But only 5 minutes of morning prep is not how a high school foods teacher likes to play, and I was to say the least a little frazzled by the time I got home. 

The Integra turned out to be fine. It just needed clutch fluid. But it had to make a big deal of itself and get towed home and everything before telling us.

Anyways, it was on this day, packing for Mr. Wood so he could leave for the week I decided it was time to know what the Integra had known all day. And, it was true! We were going to have a baby! I Was going to make a child. We were so grateful, for something we had waited years for!

So at this 5 month mark, and in the spirit of recording my feelings before my body explodes into pain I want to share my personal favorites and not-so favorites of being a baby maker. Obviously these are not universal, if you are in the early stages of pregnancy I hope you get to avoid every single bad one. 

It is not so nice being pregnant because:

1. Sleeping is like really hard. You are supposed to sleep on your side so the now huge uterus doesn't cut off blood circulation. I just am struggling okay?
2. The current and past things all the mom's in your circle have told you about the horrors of being a mom. The pains of ligaments, oozing body fluids, never showering again, baby's getting dropped etc etc... Yeah it is hard, but so is anything worth having. So let me stay in my bubble of hope and great expectations of motherhood for now.
3. Um--being perpetually sea-sick for 4 months straight. Morning, noon, and night. I must apologize for all the students I made do stuff for me, just because I had to hold still or gag.
4. Not liking food. I mean. I LOVE food. But I didn't like it at all for 4 months. That love has recently re-surged thankfully, but when the only thing you can imagine eating for 3 days is a baked potato, life starts to loose some sparkle.
5. Being tired always.
6. Picking baby names is hard. Don't ask us, we don't know what to name the poor boy. I am one of those people that doesn't know what they want, but knows exactly what they don't want.
7. Everything smells bad. I've always had a snobby nose, but now I can smell everything gross, and I can smell it all day. Sleep is my only release. see #1

It is pretty cool being pregnant because:

1. My body is totally changing shape! It is like a really slow super power. But I love that my stomach is getting rounder, but  hard somehow. And soon I will get to see the inside of my belly button!
2. In the first trimester getting to eat what I want sometimes, because eating was so hard. Like the time Mr. Wood insisted we go to 3 grocery stores just to find a bag of Cheetos Mix-ups-Cheesy-Salsa-mix because it was the only thing I had wanted for 2 days. Such a good man. Such a good cheetos mix.
3. Baby Clothes! they are so small, and so cute.
4. People are so excited for us! It is happy to be happy when you are with other people.
5. Picking baby names. It is kind of fun, but only when imagining ridiculous names. Right now the little guy is referred to as "Clodius" at home
6. Pregnancy clothes totally fit me. I always joked to my mother in high school that I could wear most of my clothes while pregnant and no one would know. It is kind of true. Bring on the big dresses, baggy tops and stretchy pants!
7. I have this unnatural aversion to sugar. Which is waning, thanks to a trip to my parents... But it was pretty cool when I could refuse a cookie. It was like false self control. I love cookies...
8. Even when I'm lazy and sitting around, I'm still working hard! Man, making placenta was exhausting. But lazing on the couch and imaging my body making little cartilages and heart chambers is pretty satisfying.
9. We get to have a little baby Wood at the end of all this!

Babies are pretty neat. I'll let you all know when Clodius comes out.