The Chop and I had a “very baby” New Year’s Eve, spending it down south with our friends who also have a new baby (he’s 3.5 months older than the Peanut). This meant the babies played, ate and slept while we drank, played board games and generally had a hilarious time. It also meant that the Peanut woke up around 2AM. (We were still awake, fail number 1.) We went to bed around 3, but the Peanut stayed up until 4… fail number 2. And then he was up again at 530, and then 615, and so on, until I got up with him at around 8… fail number 3. After breakfast and another board game, the Chop and I came home and I promptly took a four hour nap… win!

A pregnancy, a baby, a friendship rekindled, a flood and loads of visitors made 2010 an incredibly interesting, stressful, insane, happy, amazing and overwhelming year.

Top Favorites of 2010

1. The Peanut! We adore him. He doesn’t sleep much (’cause he’s a robot), but he’s an amazing, adorable and happy baby. I’ve taken over a thousand photos (actually probably more, and omg, that’s insane), loads of videos and am still constantly amazed that we made him.
2. Being married to the Porkchop. They say a true test of marriage is having kids, so perhaps the ultimate test is having one before your first anniversary. I can’t imagine anyone I’d rather be married too or raise a baby with – we’re still as happy and in love as we were when we met.
3. Finding out I was pregnant. We were shocked and it took us a few days, but it was a pretty awesome surprise. Also, telling my parents :)
4. Finding out an old friend was also pregnant, reconnecting and becoming fast friends again. We missed you guys and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather be pregnant and bitchy with — or moms and awake at 4am ichatting with. I can’t wait to watch our sons grow up together. :)
5. Having so many friends and family visit. If I’d have known all it took was a baby to get people to visit in droves, I’d have had one years ago, lol. It was amazing having so much help and showing him off.
6. Going to my parent’s for Christmas with the Peanut. They adore him and we got some much needed rest.
7. The Chop’s sister getting married! She had one not-so-good engagement years ago that crushed her, and seeing her so happy has been awesome.

Top Bummers of 2010

1. The great flood. Stupid freaking flood that wrecked our basement. Granted we met a great contractor, and increased the value of our house, but what a nightmare five months it caused.
2. Pregnancy, wtf. Pregnancy is a) hard, b) sucky and c) excruciating. He was definitely 100% worth it, but oy. Hard shit.
3. Not going on our honeymoon to Italy. We scheduled it for March of 2011, but now we’re leaving the Peanut with my parents… a whole other set of concerns, lol. As in, can I leave my almost 6-month-old while I go for two weeks to a foreign country? We’ll see!
4. Labor. Wow. I dunno how people do it more than a couple of times. I think after two or three I’ll be all set. Overwhelming and excruciating, it was the worst pain I have ever felt. And it went on and on and on, lol.

The good 100% outweighs the bad. I am overwhelmingly grateful and thankful every day.

The Chop and I brought the Peanut out to visit my parents this Christmas… it was the one thing my mom wanted, and after all her help this year, there was no way we could say no. It went surprisingly well — he slept on the plane and we’ve been sleeping 6-9 hours at a stretch as my parents and sister take turns with the Peanut at night. Magical Christmas, truly.

Sadly the little guy is teething. It started at 10 weeks, and now he is working on tooth #2 and #3. It’s crazy for a baby this little to teethe—there aren’t even teethers small enough to fit into his mouth. He’s pretty advanced for his age, but having teeth already? Crazy. So although he’s having a lovely Christmas, he’s still sad sack. :( Poor little guy.

Today I turned 28. Last year on my birthday I knew I’d spend this one married… I didn’t know I’d spend it holding a baby. Who, incidentally, is having a growth spurt today and wants to eat constantly and hardly sleep. Fortunately he smells yummy and is generally adorable, so I don’t mind that my birthday was spent changing diapers, washing bottles and eating takeout while holding a fussbucket. :)

In a couple of days the Chop is heading to MN for his sister’s wedding, and while my mom is coming to help while he’s gone (thank god, he’s still only sleeping for two-three hour stretches at night), I’m still not looking forward to it.

The Chop, of course, is excited to get hours and hours of uninterrupted sleep… and so I also hate him just a little bit, lol.

28. I’m really on the downside towards 30 now, sigh.

I was originally planning on blogging regularly this year… focusing on, if not every day, at least 4-5 times per week. Unsurprisingly, that has been quite difficult, and although part of it is I have too much work, and part of it is there’s nothing interesting to blog about, the other part is that there was an elephant I didn’t want to mention and I found it almost impossible not too.

So instead I blogged some, but kept most of it un-posted.

Drumroll please…

We found out about eight weeks ago that apparently we are highly fertile. Yes, we managed to get pregnant the same damn month we got married—hello Christmas 2009. You were good to us, weren’t you? :P

Today I’m supposed to be 13 weeks, although according to the ultrasound yesterday, I’m 13 weeks and 6 days, so frankly how they calculate that is beyond my understanding. If at my first ultrasound they said I was 7 weeks, 1 day and at my second ultrasound (when I should’ve been 12 weeks, 6 days) am 13 weeks, 5 days… the baby grew faster? I time-traveled? The kid is just extra-long because Chop is tall? (That’s the one I’m hoping for.)

At around 7 weeks I started feeling not so hot. My liver issue, which they thought was because of estrogen/hormones, appears to definitely be because of estrogen/hormones. My LFTs were all elevated, I was terribly nauseated, exhausted and itchy. My dad started me on the SAM e again and the nausea and itching went away and the LFTs went down.

Unfortunately the itching is returning with a vengeance, so we’ve upped my dose, but sleep and every day life has become quite irritating.

In good news, the baby is kinda cute—although it’s a true my side thing to stick your butt in the air when you’re supposed to be taking a picture. Sooo typical.

I’ve also added a new category, Peanut, and have posted all the posts into it, by their correct date.

My LFTs came back last week—elevated, as expected. I now have an appointment with my liver doc, an appointment with a new, hi-risk OBGYN at the best hospital in the area and a inordinate level of stress that I’m trying to corral.

We upped my SAM e, which has helped immeasurably with the slight itching and overall exhaustion, but I’m still slightly freaking out. My mother is really no help, talking about several months of bed rest, them potentially moving in toward the end (kill me, seriously) and the possibility that we will have to induce me early.

Personally I’m trying to take a positive approach to the whole thing… and it mostly works, on days I don’t feel sick or really tired or my side is really sore, lol.

I started SAM e yesterday and I’m frankly terrified. I’m having symptoms of being sick again, and after checking with my Dad, decided to try the treatment that worked four years ago. So far, I’ve been hardly nauseated at all and the itching is mostly gone—but no one knows what SAM e does to babies, so I’m basically freaking the fuck out.

My OBGYN isn’t in today and my LFTs (liver tests) aren’t back yet, so basically it’s take a couple of pills and hope nothing bad happens. Very discouraging, to my mind.

There’s something called cholestasis of pregnancy, where in the third trimester you get itchy and your body isn’t putting out enough bile because of the hormones. I’m pretty sure I’m experiencing that, but in my first trimester, which is probably a bad sign. It is bad for the baby, and the suggested treatment is everything that never worked for me before when I was sick—so in my mind, this treatment is the only way to help.

It’s a very disconcerting feeling, wondering if my taking the SAM e (which is an over the counter pill) will help me, but hurt the kid.

It’s very hard to be low-stress lately.

February 3rd
Yesterday we found out that I’m pregnant. I had an inkling last week.. relatively constant nausea, total exhaustion and um, very sensitive boobs, lol. It looks like I’m about 7 weeks along—I go see a doctor next week and we’ll get a more firm answer—and my due date is September 17th.

Which means we’ll have a baby before our first anniversary lol, and a three month old at Christmas. And, oh yeah, I’ll be three and a half weeks pregnant on our honeymoon, lol.

So far it’s mainly the nausea and exhaustion that is doing me in. I’m already on prenatal vitamins, too, which are huge and NOT gel capped—wtf, hi, ill over here?!

No major cravings, I’m just eating a lot of oranges.

2009 has been equal parts awesome and awful. I can’t remember any other, aside from perhaps 2006 (sick, but met the Chop) and 2003 (my Nana died/my sister got divorced, but moved to the East Coast), where there was such an equal amount of good and bad.

January
We elected a new president, and although it hasn’t been all roses, I’m still glad he’s it.
We started planning the wedding and getting pressure for our “no gift” policy. Sigh. And I lit our oven on fire.

February
We picked our wedding spot, caterers and photographer—and they all turned out to be absolutely perfect.
A dear friend lost her husband.

March
We went on vacation in Ireland, which was amazing. Even though I have a little bitterness about not moving there, lol.
My dryer crapped out, three of our favorite restaurants closed and, oh yeah, that 15% pay cut. Damn the recession.

April
We went and saw David Sedaris, the world was introduced to Susan Boyle and the Chop and I decided to start house hunting.
I had to go to Vegas for our conference; we put an offer on a house that turned out to be the lemon of the century (hello $30k in fixes)… and so we pulled out.

May
Went to a very entertaining wedding of a good friend—and on the same day, found the house we would buy.
We house-hunted every weekend.

June
Bought our house, switched states and marked four years of blogging.
Moved out of my favorite place and left my home of four years.

July
Quit one job and got another. Kept the other job as a client for more money and less pain—win, win.
The dog decided to inaugurate the house by using the basement as her personal toilet—very. bad.

August
Oh god, the wedding planning. And the DMV. And the lack of air conditioning. August was rough.

September
Convinced my parents I should be able to wear red at my wedding. Built the wedding website.
Wedding planning. Hell. Went dress shopping. Double hell. Worked like a dog.

October
Went to TX, where my awesome godmother made my VERY RED dress!
Worked like a dog. Went to ME with my mom and sister—where we fought constantly. Tried to convince Chop that we should elope already goddamnit.

November
Went back to WA for a bridal shower, where my awesome cousin surprised me, which was lovely. My family came for Thanksgiving, which was also surprisingly lovely.
Counted down to the wedding, with all the insanity and annoyances that came with it. Worked like a dog.

December
Got MARRIED—now I get to wear an additional shiny, shiny ring. Went to MN for Christmas and had so much fun. Am planning to spend New Year’s happily ensconced at home, with my husband.
Went through so much insanity during the week of the wedding—and the wedding. Dealt with every possible crisis that could come up. Am still exhausted from the entire year.

Well the Chop and I took the plunge on Friday. :) The wedding was crazy (we didn’t go to bed till 4AM) but awesome and we really enjoyed the party. There was major drama (uh, almost-sex in the steam room—not us—and crazy dynamics of family), but all in all we had a good time.

Plus, hi, super shiny new ring!! :D

Today marked four years since I started this blog, and my first day as a homeowner.

In those four years, I’ve:

moved four times.
graduated college.
quit one job and started another.
started my own business.
fallen in love.
gotten engaged.
become part-owner of a crazy dog.
been dangerously ill.
gone through 2 1/2 laptops.
bought a house.

It’s nice to look back and have a record of at least a portion of my life. I’m planning to blog more regularly now that the stress of this year is mellowing into only wedding stress, but we’ll see how that goes.

Thanks for being along for the ride. :)