Things I Have Learned from My Pregnancy

In the last couple of weeks I have learned some things that I felt I just had to share.

1. Traveling for 12 hours in one day is NOT so comfortable when pregnant. I know I’m not that big yet, but it is still very uncomfortable to sit in one position for that long.


2. Ryler does NOT like to be squished! Anytime I bend over to get up or get something off the floor he stretches out and kicks back. It’s cute! I’m also starting to recognize Ryler’s sleep patterns. He is definitely a mover and a shaker!!


3. I like maternity clothes way more then I thought I would….it’s soooo much more comfortable then squeezing into your old jeans and leaving them unbuttoned with the belly band covering it up!! You spend all your day fidgeting with your pants making sure people can’t see that you don’t have your pants buttoned or pulling up your pants…..annoying!


4. Boy clothes are coming around but most of it is not nearly as cute as girl clothes. However, my friends and family have found some of the cutest boy clothes lately!


5. Making a baby registry (Babies R Us | Target) is fun and suuuuuuuuuuper overwhelming!! Babies need so many things these days!! All I see is $$$$$$$$.....which if you know me well you know this is making me a nervous wreck….lol. No matter how much planning you do, I don’t think you’ll ever be ready for it!


6. When you talk to people they immediately ask, “How are you feeling” and while asking that question they take a (very obvious) scan of your belly. Talk about make a pregnant woman feel self conscience!! So, for the rest of the conversation I’m thinking, “They think I’m too big” then I start thinking about how much I’ve gained, and what I ate, etc. In other words, if you are one of these belly scaners, I really have no idea what we talked about….lol


7. Losing 160 pounds and keeping it off over a four and a half year journey is hard...super hard, but gaining weight after all that (even though you’re pregnant) is much much harder!

Hamburgers and Hotdogs

Most of you saw the great news on Facebook. If you haven’t it’s a BOY!!! However, the best thing about Friday was getting to see our little one. And this time he looked like more then scratch on an old black and white TV. He was very, very wiggly. Even the ultrasound tech was amazed at just how much he was moving around.

What a difference a few weeks makes! (left side:6 weeks, right side:17 weeks)

The Ultrasound Technician took all of the baby’s measurements and it looks like we have a very healthy baby boy. Right now he is weighing in at a grand 8oz. which would move his due date to around December 11th. Who would have thought, Chris and I have a big child……hummmm….odd? :O) You know how due dates go though, so we’re just thinking somewhere around in December (if your listening baby boy, mommy is hoping for you to come after the 17th due to my maternity leave weirdness).

So here are some of the shots they got yesterday! We are happy to introduce our SON…..Ryler Aaron Mahler!!

Here's his profile

Like the caption says...100% boy

And there's his little foot, perfect for giving Mommy a little kick!

Thank you, Oma, Poppi, Mimi, Grandma Mahler, Pappi, and Nanny for being there to share in our great news and for being part of this amazing journey.

The Retiring Ceremony…

Back in the day, Kings and Queens had this specific procedure that they and their royal peeps followed before bedtime. This procedure was referred to as “The Retiring Ceremony.” Things aren’t as formal these days, but I know everyone has one (at least I like to think everyone does). The retiring ceremony, for me, is that series of things you do to get ready for bed.

I’m such a routine type of person that I do the exact same thing every night, in the exact same order before bed. When I was living with Tina through college, she called it the retiring ceremony and it just stuck. I’m aware of how OCD it sounds, and sure I’ve got some quirky tendency, but let’s face it, those that know me well enough are already very aware of that! Which brings me to the new, AWESOME addition to my “Retiring Ceremony.” A friend of mine let me borrow her Doppler (thanks Meghan!). This Doppler allows Chris and I to hear the heartbeat of the baby any time we want. Because of my OCDish behavior (as stated above) this could become my new obsession. So, we decided to work it in to my “Retiring Ceremony”. It is the sweetest time of the day, and I just can’t wait for bed time each night. Chris and I just sit and listen with goofy smiles on our faces and time seems to stop for those couple minutes


We recently went on vacation with our friends, and we were able to bring the Doppler with us, since it is pretty small and really portable, so my “Retiring Ceremony” kept it’s most important and newest addition! We were also able to let our friends hear since we were all staying together, so then instead of just me and Chris with goofy smiles and headphones it was goofy smiles all around.

Now, there is an added bonus to the Doppler…quickening! Quickening is described as the first movements felt by mom. I am starting to feel little movements; however, before I was pregnant, there were also “little movements”, so how was I supposed to know if it was baby or gas!?!? The added bonus from the Doppler is….we can now hear the baby moving around with the Doppler (s/he tends to be full of life at around 10:00) and when I feel one of those little movements and hear it on the Doppler at the same time, I can safely say it’s NOT gas!! It is getting easier to decipher the baby’s movements with out the Doppler, as s/he gets stronger, but that Doppler gave me that peace of mind even earlier. I, also, now know why they call it quickening. Every time I feel that little one move around, my heart quickens and I get all giddy! It’s one of the best feelings ever!!

Don’t forget, only 8 more days to vote if you haven’t already done so. What do you think….boy or girl?