Eating Healthily

Here is the deal: my sophomore year of college I started having strange issues with my heart rhythm, which I have since gotten pretty much under control and don't appear to be anything major (I know you were worried!) Ever since then I have been a really healthy eater. I am all about whole grains and low-fat dairy and fruits and veggies and lean meats. During my first pregnancy I was super careful. Not too many sweets (always my weakness), lots of fruits and veggies etc. etc. 

While I was nursing Lily I was SO HUNGRY all the time and could not keep any weight on. All of my pants got way too big (I know you feel really sorry for me) so I basically just ate anything and everything I wanted. Once I began weaning Lily (from about 12-16 months) I kept eating the way I was eating and immediately gained about 10 lbs. About two months after she fully weaned, I got pregnant again (on purpose! I know, I didn't give myself a lot of time with my body to myself). I never really took the time to consciously start caring about what I was putting in my body. I am not saying I was eating fried chicken every day or ice cream every night (it wasn't EVERY night!), but I just was not really paying attention. 

Because I started this pregnancy at a slightly higher weight and definitely not as fit as I was the first time around, I have been stressing a bit about how much weight I gain and how quickly. I didn't gain much at first and then this last month... 7 lbs! I want to put a disclaimer in here that I am not one to watch my weight. I want to feel good in my clothes and feel healthy in my body. I am also not one to try to diet or anything of the sort while pregnant. However, I realized that I need to be more aware of what I put in my mouth. Already having a toddler, I barely have time to make myself a meal during the day. It is silly how much I care about what goes in Lily's mouth and how little I was caring about what went in mine. I decided I just need to surround myself with more quick healthy options. 

 {Healthy snack. Boom. In your face (not your thighs).}

{Colorful lunch: Tomato soup, mango, crackers, spinach, and turkey.}

Today is a new start. No more eating that greasy tuna melt at lunch just because I'm pregnant and I am going to gain weight anyway. I know I will feel better in general, and hopefully I won't come out of this pregnancy with more stretch marks than I entered with. If you have any quick good-for-you snacks that you love to have around, let me know. I am looking for more variety!

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Hide and Seek

{Oh hi! I found you! Hide and seek is our new favorite game, but don't come out before she finds you or she gets very upset.}

{Side note: it's totally normal to gain like 7 lbs in one month when you are pregnant right? Just pretend. Thanks.}

  Linking up for Wordless Wednesday with The Paper Mama, 5 Minutes for Mom, Parenting By Dummies, Project Alicia, And Then She Snapped, Live and Love Out Loud, Naptime Momtog, and Jenni from the Blog. 

Some Thoughts on Pregnancy

For those of you who have never been pregnant, it is a beautiful and wonderful time in your life. Really. It is. No, really.

For those of you who have, isn't being pregnant weird? It does such strange things to your body. There seems to be a lot of what is THAT!? and what's happening over THERE? and why am I so itchy?

Also, when your boss says "You are starting to look pregnant! And I mean that in the nicest way possible." is that a good thing?

All I know is it is the best excuse I have ever had not to participate in a polar bear plunge.

Amber Brickman Photography

{This pic is from when I was pregnant with Lily, that is not what I look like at 16 weeks. Or is it?}

Happy Friday!

The (Really) Big Climb

For the second year in a row, some friends and I are participating in The Big Climb. What is that? I thought you would never ask! The Big Climb is a fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society where 6,000 people raise money, climb 69 flights of stairs (that is 1,311 steps and 788 feet of elevation). Why would we do this? Because it makes us feel awesome.

The biggest difference this year is that I will be 5 1/2 months pregnant. Ah! Am I crazy? Oh well.

What I need from you is your support (both emotionally and financially). If you are a crazy wonderful person who would like to donate to an important cause and help this pregnant mama climb 69 flights of stairs, please click here and support our team. Any amount is beyond amazing and fabulous and any other word I can use to profess my extreme love for you.

Yes, our team name is the Heidi Hos, what of it?

Please donate if you can. If not out of the goodness of your heart, then maybe to get karma back on your side after passing that guy with the clipboard outside the grocery store that just needed a moment of your time to save the whales. We all do it.

Thoughts on the Second Pregnancy

I'm not sure if anyone has ever told you this, but the second pregnancy is DIFFERENT!

Oh, everyone says that? Ok, nevermind.

But REALLY, it is different.

I'm not just talking about the whole I wanted to barf my guts out for 13 weeks and I already look 5 months pregnant thing, I am talking about how I feel about this pregnancy... and how everyone else feels I suppose.

With my first pregnancy I was so obsessed with knowing every second what was going on in there. "Today it got fingernails, hooray! baby has no more tail... today it might be sucking its thumb" etc. etc. This time is more... "Oh yeah, I'm pregnant! I forgot again." Understandably I am a bit more distracted as said first pregnancy has developed into a crazy toddler who occupies my every waking (and sometimes sleeping) thought. 

I also remember feeling this closeness knowing my baby was in there growing and dreaming about our future together. I feel bad even typing it, but right now I don't feel any real sort of bond. There are a lot of reasons why this is the case. I haven't really felt much movement yet so the connection from my body to my brain that says "Hey! there is something in there!" hasn't totally been activated. Seriously, seeing the ultrasound was a bit "Wow! whose baby is that?" Also, I think what I do feel this time is probably fairly similar to what I felt during my first pregnancy, but it pales in comparison to the kind of love you have for your child once they actually arrive. I am already having mom guilt about feeling like I am giving too much love to one child over the other, but I know it is just unrealistic to expect the kind of connection I have with Lily to exist before I even meet #2.

{Anybody in there?}

Another problem? I hate having to call this baby "it" and "junior" and "#2" and "squid" (again, don't ask). I want to know its name! This will get better in about 6 weeks when we find out the sex and can decide on a name. That will just make everything feel more real.

Lastly, the reactions from everyone else are a bit different. My family is super excited for this baby, just as excited as they were for Lily, but some of the shiny-newness wears off when it isn't the first time. All of my friends are excited too. I don't know how to describe it, things are just different. Also, I don't plan to have a shower for this one, because I already have all the stuff (and believe me, I don't need any more THINGS), but it feels kind of sad. Why shouldn't this baby have a celebration, you know?

All this boils down to is POOR BABY #2! Why doesn't mommy remember that you are in there!? 

But seriously, I am just looking forward to things feeling a little more real so I can enjoy the excitement and anticipation. I guess that is it, it just doesn't feel real yet.

So now you know.

{If you missed it, here is our big news!}

Now you know why I have been a little more MIA here for the past couple of months. 1. Because I have been trying not to die my deadliest death via nausea and exhaustion, and 2. because it is REALLY hard to tell any story ever while not discussing the biggest change in my life right now!

I wanted to wait and make sure everything was A-Okay in there before I announced to the world, but I actually kind of became a crazy person not being able to tell you all for so long. I started just blurting out "I'm pregnant!" to strangers on the street. I'm not kidding.

But now a weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can freely talk about everything here once more.

First of all, I think it is a boy. I am no doctor, but last time I was pregnant I had basically no symptoms except a little sleepiness in the first trimester and some hip pain once I was huge. Who was that pleasant little creature inside me? A girl. This time? This time I have been so sick. No actual vomiting (aside from the stomach flu) so I can't complain too hard or Mandy will kick me in the pregnant belly (I'm kidding, she would never do that! Maybe a shin.) I have also had kind of actual cravings this time, but for boring stuff like Grapefruit and Cup o' Noodles. I am also exhausted, but that may be the extra kid running around that I didn't have last time. All this in my mind = boy. Maybe I should be a doctor.

We will see in July! (Just kidding, we will see in March, did you think I could actually wait until the kid was born? Don't you know me at all?)

I have so many stories to tell you, but maybe I will parcel them out and instead leave you with a few cute pictures of my kid. Deal?

So the other day, we turned her carseat around for the first time. It was better than Christmas. We were trying to make it to two years, but she is so tall it was getting impossible to get her in and out with it rear-facing. Plus she is approaching the rear-facing weight limit, so forward it is! 

She has never been more pumped. Suddenly car trips are a treat instead of a chore. The first day we took her out forward-facing we finally got home and parked and she shook her head "no, no, no!" so we drove around for another 15 minutes just looking at houses. It was nice.

 {She looks sad but she is just in a daze.}

 {This is how she really felt about it.}

{Love this happy girl.}

Family road trips here we come!

Birth Story

Just about 11 months ago this was me:

I believe that picture was taken on your due date (April 26, 2010 aka my 28th birthday!). It was also my first day of maternity leave. I was very proud to have worked right up to my due date...little did I know I could have worked for another full week!

Taken April 30, 2010...I realized at this point you were not going to be an April baby

Here is the story of your birth day: 


My due date came and went. I was finally on maternity leave and enjoyed a couple of days relaxing at home, but I was so anxious for your arrival. Lots of long walks and some very spicy food were not doing the trick, I had not had one contraction. My doctor informed me that she would like to induce labor Tuesday morning, May 4th, 2010. 


This was a hard decision for me as I was really really hoping not to be induced. Induction can lead to more risk of c-section if your body isn't ready for labor, contractions can be more painful because they are brought on by medication, etc. etc.  Basically I didn't like the idea of forcing my body to do something, I wanted to wait until I went into labor on my own. 


After a LOT of discussion we decided that I would go forward with the induction. I was so scared about making the right decision for us, I just wanted to make sure that you would be ok. 

The day of the induction we were suppose to arrive at the hospital at 6 am, but about a half hour before we were going to leave we got a call that the hospital was super busy and our time was being pushed back to 7. I was nervous and excited and just so very very ready to meet you. 


The induction (pitocin drip) probably started around 8 am.  I have a major phobia about needles and the idea of being hooked up to an IV throughout the labor completely freaked me out. I understand why some women choose to give birth at home or without these types of interventions, but I also felt at ease being at the hospital and knowing that if anything went wrong you would be ok. 


I guess everyone has to find the balance of what they need in order to have a comfortable birth experience. After the contractions started I didn't even notice that tiny needle.

This was the whiteboard in our room, after midnight they came in and replaced that 4 with a 5, you were determined to be a Cinco de Mayo baby.

The beginning of the day. Look at my sweet husband giving me a foot rub!

All I could eat all day was chicken broth, jello, and popsicles. This did not stop your dad from eating three full meals. If I remember correctly: an omelet, a cheeseburger & fries, and a chicken caesar salad. Yes, I remember what he ate.

The doctor broke my water around 1 pm and then I started to be able to feel my contractions. I labored for many hours and it was painful but bearable with moving around and breathing, walking etc. Your dad walked the halls with me, pausing every few feet so I could lean against the wall during a contraction. 


I was dealing with the pain really well and I felt I could make it through without pain medication. I had mixed feelings about getting an epidural. Mostly I wanted to continue to move around and I wanted to be able to feel the natural sensation to push when the time came.

Your dad and Nani stayed with me the whole time and Papa, Auntie Em and Uncle Ben were in the waiting room far into the night. Things were progressing slowly and the nurse kept turning up the pitocin level trying to get me to dilate further. 


Around 8 pm I was only about 4cm dilated and the pitocin was making such strong contractions that they were overlapping. I had been dealing well with the pain by breathing through them and trying to relax and regroup in between, but now I had no break and the pain started to become overwhelming. The nurse told me they would have to turn the pitocin up as I was not dilating. I couldn't imagine how I could breathe through the contractions if they were going to become stronger and continue to overlap. 


At this point I decided to try the epidural in the hopes that they would be able to up the pitocin medication and I would begin to dilate. I think in the end this was the best decision because after breaking my water, they wanted to get you out in a certain amount of time to avoid the possibility of infection. 


If I had not progressed any further I was headed for a c-section, which is a major surgery that I did not want.

I asked for the lightest epidural so I could hopefully still move around a bit and feel when it came time to push. It took the anesthesiologist 7(!) attempts at different points in my back for him to place the epidural (this was probably the worst part of the whole experience, especially trying to stay still and not shake through the contractions). I thought your dad was going to punch the guy if he stuck me one more time, and your dad is not a violent or angry person by any means. 


The anesthesiologist finally got the epidural in around 9:30 pm and I was able to get a bit of rest. I could still feel a lot of pressure, but the pain was no longer constant and once again I could breathe through each contraction.

At this point the room was quiet. I was laying in the bed on my side and suddenly with each contraction I could feel you moving lower. It was an amazing moment for me because only you and I knew what was happening. No doctors were around, everyone else was asleep, but you and I knew it was time.

Everything progressed pretty quickly after that, by 12:30 I was 10 cm and started pushing. We had a really awesome nurse during the last part of delivery. Her name was Angie and she was a no-nonsense woman. She made me feel like I was amazing and I had absolutely no fear. I was so happy because I could move positions and feel the sensation to push, but the pain was dulled, which is exactly what I had hoped for. 


Pushing was actually my favorite part of the labor process, pushing helped with the pain.  Trying not to push (to rest through a contraction) was basically impossible. I had enough energy and I was so ready to meet you that I pushed with every contraction for 2 hours straight. 

At 2:30 the doctor came in and at 2:44 am on Wednesday, May 5, 2010 I delivered a 9lb 6oz baby girl. The doctor literally had me reach under your arms and pull you out (which I thought would be weird, but instead was amazing). You were finally here.  


I have to admit after I saw your beautiful little face, the first thing I did was look to make sure you really were a girl. I still thought it was too good to be true that I got my girl on the first try. 


They put you on my chest and the same thing just kept running through my head: "so it was you who was in there all along!" Even after they took you to check you out and weight you I just kept looking at your face, I couldn't believe I could finally see you. My Lily.


Everyone else was focused on two things: "9lbs 6 oz!?" and "Look at that hair!"

No one expected that you were such a big baby! he doctor said later that I must have had very strong ab muscles.

First family pic. Exhausted and ecstatic.

Daddy and his girl.

Already wrapped around your tiny finger.

Is she proud? I can't tell! :)

My love.

Still my favorite place to kiss.

We did it Lily! At least YOU got some sleep after all that.

"I'm an Auntie"

Hello world! Your very first facebook picture. Everyone was so excited to see you.

Look at that beautiful face. This is still the background on my cell phone. I love it.

All tuckered out.

Nothing compares to this sweet little face and the fact that you stop crying when I hold you.

Just the beginning

We were at the hospital until Thursday afternoon and then they sent us on our way. No more nurses to help us or tell us what to do, we were on our own. I have never felt more scared and excited and nervous yet calm in my life. We were responsible for this little being and now it was our job to help her grow and flourish.

I couldn't get over the fact that you were seeing everything for the first time. Even if most of it looked liked colored blobs to you. You had never seen a tree or the sky. Seeing the world through your eyes has been one of the best things about being your mom.

So that's our story, the beginning of everything.

Remembering a wonderful woman

After this post I promise that I will return to detailing all of the happy times in our lives since you have arrived, but first I need to tell you one more difficult story.

I need to tell you about the beautiful, amazing woman that was your Grandma Donita.

Donita with her baby boy (your daddy!) at our wedding. June 14, 2008

I cannot do her justice here on this page, but it is my hope that you will know her through our memories and through the kind and wonderful hearts of her children and grandchildren who knew her and learned from her.

On December 1st, 2009 Donita lost her battle with thyroid cancer. She had been sick for about a year, but she always kept such a positive attitude and outlook on life that her passing still came as a bit of a shock to us all.

The last day that we all spent together was Thanksgiving day, which we hosted at our new house. The day was spent lounging and eating and catching up with family. Donita was not able to eat much, but she staked herself out on one of our big comfy couches and throughout the day it seemed she made sure each of us had a chance to sit and chat with her. I don't know if she had any idea of the future, but I am glad she took those moments to touch each of us another time.

At the time I was 19 weeks pregnant with you and December 1st had been a day I was longing for. It was the day of our big ultrasound, the day we would know if you were a Lily or a Jack. Many people like the idea of being surprised and waiting until the baby is born to find out the gender. I am not one of those people. I couldn't wait to start anticipating, planning and dreaming about exactly what our future would hold.

That morning Ryan(your dad :)) and I were driving into work when Grandpa Roy called and told us that Donita was not doing well. Ryan dropped me off and went straight to the hospital. Just hours later he called me to let me know they were discussing hospice care. I immediately called Papa who came and brought me to the hospital.

I am grateful that we had enough notice that all of her kids were able to fly in and we were all with her when she passed. I have never experienced a room filled with so much love and sorrow and grief. I am so thankful for this beautiful family and how they have supported each other through everything. It is truly Donita's legacy that her children and grandchildren are the warm, kind, intelligent, love-until-it-hurts kind of people that they are.

An hour later I left that room for another doctors office just down the street. In an emotional daze I waited for my own appointment. Some crazy scheduling errors at the office gave us enough time that Ryan was actually able to make it.  I am forever grateful to whatever powers of the universe allowed that to happen as he so needed to see his little baby. I can't tell you what it did for us to see that healthy little life on such an otherwise dark day. Donita had been joking that we should have a boy so she could buy us those pee-pee tee-pees, but she knew how badly I wanted a girl and she just loved the name we had chosen.  There we were just hours after her passing seeing our little baby, seeing you. Our Lillian.

It saddens me to my core that she is not here to hold you and kiss you and laugh at your crazy hair or the funny faces that you make. Even though she isn't physically here now, I know she loves you. I cannot wait to see what personality traits you may have inherited from her. I see the stubborn and mischievous gleam in your eye already.

Life

As I attempt to tell you the stories of your life I am writing chronologically from the very beginning. This brings us to my pregnancy.

Here you are rocking out to some Britney Spears, or some Debussy, hard to tell.

My pregnancy was a bit of a roller coaster. Not the pregnancy itself, I believe I may have had the easiest pregnancy ever, but life all around us was a jumble of peaks and valleys. I have been contemplating what to include as I write to you about that time in my life. I don't know when you will read all of this and how many discussions it will bring up, but I do know that these are stories that you should hear. I suppose I will just write everything down for you an we will handle these discussions when we get to them.

Two major losses rocked our world during the time that I was pregnant with you, I will save the second for another day.

I hope that if my friend ever reads this note, she will not mind that I have told a small piece of her story.

During the early months of my pregnancy, a very good friend of mine was pregnant as well. She was exactly 8 weeks further along than I and though she lived over a thousand miles away, we were keeping in close contact about our pregnancies and enjoyed sharing this excitement that our other friends had yet to experience. When I was 4 months along, and she was 6 months along, she planned to come to Seattle for her baby shower. The Tuesday before she was to arrive I got a phone call from her sister. She had lost the baby.

For me, miscarriage had always been a huge fear. I know it is something that happens all the time and usually it is in the first few months and the emotional pain far outweighs the physical. I also know now from experience that I was a mom the moment that line turned pink and a loss at any point would have been absolutely devastating.

This, however, was far worse. Being as she was so far along in her pregnancy, she would have to deliver knowing that the baby was gone. Even today after experiencing childbirth firsthand, I cannot  begin to imagine what she went through. After this loss, we all tried to be there for her and offer as much love as we could from far away, but I knew it would be different for her and I. I knew if the situation were reversed it would be terribly difficult for me to talk to her while she was still pregnant. We kept in touch through facebook and group emails, but I understood why she kept her distance. I cannot quite express the feelings of joy mixed with guilt over my own healthy pregnancy. I can tell you that I had very few complaints about being 9 months pregnant. I tried to relish in the incredible discomfort that a healthy full-term pregnancy had given me.

A couple of days after my birthday (aka a couple of days past your due date, yes I was still pregnant!) I saw a missed call from my friend. We hadn't spoken over the phone in about 5 months and I knew this could be a somewhat emotional conversation. I sat myself in your nursery and called her back. She had called to wish me happy birthday and tell me she was thinking about me as your arrival approached. She started to apologize for being distant. I understood, I said, it would have been hard for me to. Then she told me the best news I could hear. She was pregnant. She hadn't told many people and had only just found out herself, but she wanted me to know. That happy, healthy baby was born just last month.

Life is full of both joy and sorrow and I suppose all we can hope is that the former outweighs the latter.

Baby's first photoshoot

September 29, 2009 was the first time I saw you. I was so nervous going in for the ultrasound that it had all been a mistake and I wasn't really pregnant. You see, I wanted you so badly that I thought maybe this was all too good to be true. But there you were...and you were MOVING! Your tiny little legs and arms waving to a beat only you could hear. Thinking back now I can't believe those were the same little arms and legs that I kiss every night with their sweet, soft, tiny fingers and toes.

When we got home I sent the following email to all of my girlfriends and your future aunties:

Dear Aunties,

I just had my first picture taken yesterday and I wanted to see what you think.  The doctor described me as looking like Glinda the good witch in my little bubble which made my mom very happy as she loves Wizard of Oz references.  I even danced a little for my mom and dad to show them how much I like it in here and showed off my little heartbeat which my dad says looks like a butterfly. The pictures don't really do me justice as I promise I am not a fuzzy blob, but well, you get the idea.  Oh also, I thought it would be REALLY funny to make my due date April 26th and steal my mom's birthday, I am hilarious. Ok, love you all, I promise to tell you in about 10 weeks weather I am a boy or a girl! Hehe, I already know, but I'M NOT TELLING! I won't even tell the doctor until then, I am sneaky.

See you in 6 1/2 months!

Lots of love,
Peanut

You can see that your original due date based on size was 4/30/10, which they later adjusted to 4/26/10 (my 28th birthday!) Little did they know you would choose another holiday for your arrival.

A closer look (Nani said you looked like an owl holding a beer)

Here are some of the responses we received:

Dearest Peanut,

I am soooooooo excited for you to get here and your aunties cannot wait to teach you the ways of the world.  Auntie Jess will be waiting to accessorize you the second you come out.  Always remember, when you're having a bad day... just have mommy take you to Nordstroms, its a magical place.  And when you get older, Auntie Smita will teach you how to use those vocal cords to wooo the opposite sex.  That's how Auntie Smita landed her husband, Justin Timberlake.  Auntie Lisa will teach you all about football and beer (when you're old enough) and she'll be like your other mommy because, hello, you are best friend's with her little one.  Auntie Beth & Paula will tell you all sorts of secrets about your mommy when she was little when you visit them every year when mommy and daddy need some "alone time."  Most importantly, you need to know that you can always ask Auntie Emily anything you want.  She knows about everything.  As for me, I'm not allowed to hold you until you're three... but as soon as you can walk, I'm going to teach you how to run.  And later on, if you're lucky, I'll teach you how to sneak out of your bedroom to go to a party.  That is a very important life skill.  But that's going to be our little secret, ok?

Can't wait to meet you!

Auntie Mo


Ashley M.:
   
Mamma Chelsea!!!  Glinda (or Glindo, if it's a boy) looks beautiful!  I can't believe you got to see the babe already in there.  Have you started telling people yet, or are we still sworn to secrecy? More pictures please! :D

Love you


Smita S.:
   
PEANUT! I CANNOT WAIT TO MEEEEEET YOU!!! ahhhh you're cuter than your mom! ;-) xoxoxoxxoxo


Beth K.:
   
Yayayayayyayayayaayayayyayay!!!!!!!!!!!!


Emily J.:
   
Dear Peanut,
You are already an adorable little nugget.  I love you SO much and you are going to be the most spoiled nugget in the world.  I'm going to put your pictures on my bulletin board at work so that all my kiddos can see you.  Can't wait to meet you!  Be nice to your mommy.

Love, Auntie Em


Lisa M.:

Such a cute e-mail Chels!  I cant wait until our Peanuts can play :)  I love that your due date is your bday, now I wont forget!

Lisa


Paula:

Oh my gosh!!! I am so excited I can hardly stand it. Love you so much, tell your momma she better give you lots of good stuff so you are a cute lil' chunky monkey!!!!


Natalia F.:

Well Hello, Peanut!

Aren’t you just the cutest little thing!  You would steal your momma’s birthday, wouldn’t you – you little stinker!  (…I like you already!  Hehehe)

Don’t even worry about your gender now, you’ll have plenty of time to deal with THAT once yr out of the womb!

Love you,
Auntie Tal


Lauren F.:
   
Well hello there, Peanut! You look like you're going to be the cutest little thing in about 6 months! We can't wait to buy you lots of toys and onesies! Maybe we should start calling you Glinda? You can get back to me on that.

xoxo
Lauren


Katie W.:
   
This is sooooooooooooo exciting!  -- You are going to have the best parents in the world!!!! -- (and the best aunties :)

Congrats Chels and Ryan!!  Keep us posted every step of the way!  (except for the gross stuff... although I should probably know about that stuff too)

Love you guys so much!  -- I had a wonderful time Sunday!
xoxo Auntie Katie (i like it :)


Krista W.:

you are so photogenic! must take after the mum and pops and aunties! :)


Dana F.:
   
WEll Hello Peanut! It's wonderful to hear from you, you look comfy cozy in your mama's belly. Kevin and I can see where you get your name : )
Can't believe you'll be entering the world in 6 months! We best start preparing for your arrival

Can't wait for our next message from the womb : )

Lots of Love to you, mom and dad!

Auntie Dana xo


Nicole P.:

Hello Peanut!

Aren't you just the cutest thing ever?  You have a lot of anxious aunties out here getting more and more excited every day for your arrival.  Boy are you going to be one spoiled little kid. :)  We love the Wizard of Oz references too, so your doctor must be a good one.  Can't wait to meet you in just over 6 months!!

xoxo
Auntie Nicole


Meghan B.:

I can't get over that there is a little person living inside you. Amazing!


Kaitlin V.:

Congrats!  Glad to hear everything is going well:) Congrats again to both of you!

-k


Katy C.:

So amazing Chelsea!!  I am so excited for you.  Tell us as soon as you find out the sex.  Little selfish peanut stealing your b-day!!!  Hopefully I will get to see the little one sometime soon after it is born :)

love you
Katy Co


Kristen T.:

Oh my god!  So amazing!  I can't wait to meet you Peanut :)


April G.:

Chelsea!!  It's so amazing!!  I love it!!  Maybe the peanut will decide to come 2 weeks early and steal my thunder instead...ha ha!!  Lots of love to you, Ryan, and Peanut.  :c)


Emily C.:

Peanut is getting big!! What a cutie. I feel so honored to have already spoken with him/her.  Can't wait to meet you too, P-dogg!


Thalia S.:

Peanut, it's so nice to see you!!  I am looking forward to holding you in a year! Your mom threatens to sit me down and make me do it earlier, but I am planning to wait until you are a solid little nugget.  You have a lot of us to meet and just like in Sleeping Beauty with the little fairies each of your aunties will bless you with a gift we will help you to develop.  I plan to help you with the gift of "playerness".  Whether you are a boy or a girl you will be an undercover 'playa' and know how to get whoever and whatever you want.  You will be charming and beautiful and of course, since your mom is a DG and it is in her blood which she is passing on to you, you will be able to drink beer like a DG and handle your liquor.  This drinking talent of course will have to wait a number of years, but in the meantime you will be quite the little flirt.  I'm pretty sure you will have all your aunties' hearts with just a single yawn and a blink of your eyes.  Looking forward to seeing you nugget, in the meantime your mommy will keep you warm and well-fed.

Lots of love,
Thalia


Kristen T.:

Ooh!  I like the idea of bestowing gifts on the Peanut.

To you Peanut, I bestow the gift of humor: you will forthwith find all poop/fart jokes hilarious (especially when Auntie Thalia clears the room out), love to have spontaneous dance parties involving belly rubs, think the word "horticulture" is real knee-slapper, and die laughing when one of your clumsy aunties does something stupid (which will happen a lot).

I have to admit, Peanut, I might be a little scared of you... but only at first.  I might have to practice passing Howard to April (Thomas is too fat) to make sure I practice supporting your little neck, but I'm ready for the challenge because I have a feeling I won't want to give you back once I get to hold you.

For your first gift, it won't be a pretty silver rattle, or cute little dainty pair of shoes.  No, I will be giving you a martini mixer and make sure you know how to use it by the tender age of 5 so lazy Auntie Kristen doesn't have to get up off one of Mommy Chelsea's comfy couches.  Okay, okay, your mom might get mad about that.  (But really, we will.  We'll just keep that as our little secret.)
Can't wait to meet you, Peanut.  Stay warm in that belly of yours.

Love, Auntie Kristen


Donita N.:

I loved your letter on little peanut.  I am so happy for you growing your little family.  We look forward to sharing in your joy.  We love you very much.

Grandm


Clover S.:

Ryan & Chelsea-

Congrats!!!! What an exciting time for you. I promise that it only gets better. Being a parent is the best thing ever! I can't wait to hear more from "peanut".

Clover


Tahnee N.:

Sneaky Peanut!  How am I supposed to buy you clothes if you dont tell if you are a boy or a girl :)  Can't wait to meet you!

Tahnee


Tasha M.:

Ryan and Chelsea,

To cute for words!  I am so thrilled for you and really the adventure beyond your comprehension, is unfolding for you both.  Tayler, Tori and Troy each are such blessings and the love I have for them is immeasurable.
This love affair awaiting you will take your breath away!

Tasha


Lisa N.:

Soooooooooo  excited for you guys !!!  Can't wait to meet you Peanut...


Tilena K.:

Love your little story peanut!!! Looking forward to meeting your sweet face.

Thx for sharing!

Tilena

Sharing the News

We had so much fun telling our friends and family that we were pregnant.  The day we got back from the doctor (where I had an official blood test even though she said 4 positive pregnancy tests were probably enough!) we gave Auntie Em a “housewarming” gift over at Nani & Papas house.  When she opened it, it was a tiny baby onesie! They were so very very excited. Some friends we were able to tell in person, I would just slip it into casual conversation, or wait for them to notice that I didn’t order a glass of wine at happy hour. Others we told over the phone or eventually in e-mails. Universally everyone was beyond excited and many happy tears were shed.

Just before I went “public” with our news, I made sure to contact close friends that I hadn’t had a chance to tell in person. I thought it might be fun one day for you to be able to read some of their responses:

Andrew S.
 to me, courtney
   
show details 3:12 PM (0 minutes ago)
   
Whoa.  Hold up.  Did you conceive on my wedding night!!!!  That is so cool!  I mean, that's what Courtney and I do - we make special things happen!  Of course, it didn't happen for us (THANK GOD!) but I'm so happy it happened for you!!!!  That just makes my wedding day all the more special.  I am so happy for us all! :)

Totally kidding.  Obviously I'm smart enough to know that you didn't conceive on my wedding night.  Pregnancies are 11 months long and thus, if you're due in April, you conceived months before my wedding day.  (kidding again!)

Kidding aside, I'm so happy for you guys!  I told Court (who hadn't checked her email yet) and she screamed!  We're pumped for you cause you guys are gonna be such good 'rents (weird that you're gonna be a mommy - wow).  Let's plan a time next week to do dinner or something to celebrate - you guys around?

Oh, and....how serious were you regarding that whole "not public knowledge" thing.  Is it bad that I sent a text to my whole phonebook making the announcement?  I was just so excited! ;)  (again - kidding.  Promise!)


Stephanie B.
 to Bjorn, me, Ryan
   
show details 11:44 AM (1 minute ago)
   
Congratulations you two!  It is so fun and you will love being
parents.  I am excited Camden will have a playmate and in time for
Doden and Emily's wedding too :).   We are so excited to have another
couple with a baby!!!!  I hope you are feeling okay Chelsea....Old
Navy online is a good place for maternity clothes :).  Congrats again
and hope to see you soon!

Steph


Sarah R.
 to me
   
show details 6:55 AM (4 hours ago)
   
CONGRADS CHELS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait to see you and yur
belly!! that is so great. I should be home around the end of the
month, so I will see you then, or thanksgiving, or whichever comes
first...Can't wait!!! and Congratlations again!! Xoxoxo


Kristen R.
 to me
   
show details 4:58 PM (18 hours ago)
   
Chelsea!!! Congratulations!!! Indeed mom has been very good and hasn't said anything to us. Thanks so much for sharing with us and letting us in before it is "public". I won't tell anyone (not sure who I'd tell!). How are you feeling??? Hope you're doing well.I'll be in seattle in December, so I'll probably see you at Christmas!  Lots of love to you and Ryan.

Kristen


carly
 to me
   
show details 9:35 PM (13 hours ago)
   
YYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

I'm sorry, if you missed that, it was:

"YYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY"

I am so so happy for the two of you! I hope I get to see you soon, too!

Much love,

-Carly


Chels!!!!! congrats!!!!!!! i am so so so so SO happy for you.

this is so fantastic. you are hte best grandma ever so i know tat you will be the best mom ever too!!!!!

so happy for you and ryan, friend!

i promise i won't say anythign

love
kin


courtney
 to me
   
show details 5:57 PM (17 hours ago)
   
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  We're freaking out for
you (don't worry - this is GOOD freaking out, not bad freaking
out!!!!)!!!!!!  This is the BEST news I've had since Andrew said, "I Do!"
I am soooooooooooooooo happy for you!!!!

Andrew agrees that we should all go out and celebrate!!!!  When are you
guys free?  How about dinner soon?  Andrew has school Monday-Wednesday,
but any other days work great for us.  Andrew just said that this will be
perfect because he and Nelly and I can all get really trashed in your
honor, and you can drive us around!  I told him as punishment for his
ridiculous comment, he will remain sober and you will order all the virgin
drinks you want and then proceed to pretend to get crazy drunk and HE can
drive all of US around!  He didn't like that idea as much ...

Oh this is so GREAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  April 26
is a good day - not only because it is your birthday, but because it is
the day before my little brother and Eliza Arai's birthday also - so it's
a GREAT time to be born!  I can hardly contain myself!  I'm so
happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Andrew says to change that to WE'RE so happy
... WE'RE SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let us know when you are free!!!!!

C&A

P.S - Your secret is safe with us!!!!  We kept the Bjorkmans' secret for
over a month!

|
Bjorn B.
 to Ryan, me, Stephanie
   
show details 5:06 PM (18 hours ago)
   
Wow, thats awesome.  We are so excited for you.  You both have messages on you cell phones right now too.  Yeah, Steph noticed that Chelsea wasn't drinking at Shultz and Courtney's wedding and we might have mentioned that it could be baby related.  But we only mentioned to ourselves so no one else suspects.  So my math may be a bit off but that puts you at about 10 or 11 weeks along now right?  Or I might be off.  In any case hopefully you are getting close to being done with the first trimester.  Steph said that was by far the worst.  Hopefully the morning sickness hasn't been too bad.  Yeah, we are gonna have to have lots of play dates.  So excited.  Ok I'm done now.  And I promise to keep my mouth shut.  Have fun telling everyone.  Thats the fun part.  Talk to you soon.

Bjorn

P.S.  Steph and I pretty much just hang out at the house now so if you want to practice baby things you should come on out.  Just let us know you're coming.


Sean K.
 to me
   
show details 4:36 PM (18 hours ago)
   
That's so cool. I'm so excited for you and Nelly. It was fun seeing you at the wedding. We all need to hang out again soon and I can't wait to see the little guy or gal. I miss you guys too! I think of all the fun we had at Whitman and it always makes me smile. Anyway, that's awesome and I guarantee I will try to be a good influence on the little tyke.


Emily M.
 to me
   
show details 4:25 PM (18 hours ago)
   
Chels!!!

Congrats to you and Ryan!!!  April is a great month to have a baby :)

When can I see you?

Thanks for sharing!!

-Em


Vanessa K.
 to me
   
show details Oct 6 (4 days ago)
   
A little birdie told me today that someone is expecting.... OH I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!  Seriously that is wonderful news.  You both are going to be the BEST parents.  How are you feeling?  I bet your parents are going crazy with excitement.  Well congrats!!!!  We will be thinking of you three lots over the next few months.


Nicole P.
 to me
   
show details Oct 1 (9 days ago)
   
I had a dream last night that you had a baby girl and she was BEAUTIFUL!!!  :)