Mele Kalikimaka!

Merry Christmas from the Kramers!
May peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through.

Gobble Gobble

I ate the whole turkey! Well at least I feel like I did.
Darnell and I stayed home and enjoyed a quiet Thanksgiving Dinner together. I think the most fun was shopping for supplies the day before at 4:00am! Not only did we have the entire parking lot to ourselves, but the whole store too. The cashier accidentally rang us up for a free turkey, but upon realizing her error she let it go. Yippee! Thanks to Darnell, the turkey was delicious. The grilled eggplant and zucchini rocked too.
Here's a belly pic Darnell took from our local beach the day after Thanksgiving Day.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

7 MONTHS!!!!! Are you kidding me? Wasn't I just 3 months like... yesterday? Oh man. This is becoming a reality sooner than I had expected. Still feel great. No pains or aches. Sleeping like a baby... sorry, no pun intended. Passed the glucose challenge test (GCT), so I don't have gestational diabetes which is a big relief. BRING ON THE PUMPKIN PIE! Fundal height (distance from pubic bone to top of uterus) is 27.5 cm. Baby's heartbeat is still rocking 156 bpm. Only thing I am noticing is how huge I am starting to get. Belly is definitely starting to get in the way (i.e. shaving legs). Hard to believe I have 3 more months of growth to occur.

San Diego Visit

Had a great time on my 'last' visit to San Diego for quite a while. Got to see loads of friends and eat everything in sight. In fact, I gained 9.5 lbs in the week there! (Don't worry, I've come back down since returning to a normal diet.) Ahhh.... tacos. So good. Got to hit up one of Darnell's favorite breakfast spots, Hash House A Go Go and get their AMAZING Hot Cocoa. Special thanks to the Keller Family for the baby gifts and to Grandma-to-be Danna for the wonderful keepsakes. See you all next year!

Hiccups

Enjoyed a lovely night out with my hubby last night and the restaurant was pumping some pretty fun music. A good mixture from our HS years. Baby Kramer (BK) was moving around pretty well and made me sit back in the booth. Soon The Smiths were playing and BK got a pretty good rhythm going on in the nightclub we'll call House of Womb. In fact, it was too good of a rhythm. Each thump was at a consistent beat. I glanced over at Darnell and said "BK's got the hiccups!".
So cool! 100 days to go!!!!

6 Month Belly Dance

Still getting used to having something inside of me moving around. So bizarre. Most movement comes in the morning as I am awakening. This is followed by fits of giggles as I watch my fuzzy belly button jump around. I can only imagine the snorts and laughter will increase as this baby grows.

The Pink Palace

Went to Tripler Army Medical Center today for my check-up. This is also where we will be having the baby. Built in 1907, Tripler's massive coral pink structure can be seen from any point in the Honolulu District. Supposedly the signature coral pink color of Tripler was a personal choice of General Richardson, who borrowed the color/design elements of the complex from the Royal Hawaiian Hotel in Waikiki. Another story says the architect came into Col. Robert B. Wood's office, who was the Army Corps of Engineers area engineer, and said it was time to select the color for the hospital. Wood's looked out his window at the red dirt on the then-undeveloped Moanalua Ridge and said, "You've got to get it as close to that color as you can because that's the color it will be when you're through." The building also has some colorful nicknames: "The Pink Palace", "The Pepto-Bismol Building" or "Crippler", just to name a few.

Here's a pic I took on the way to the hospital today:
Appointment went great. Baby Kramer has a super strong heart beat. I have no swelling in feet/ankles, a little weight gain (first time since becoming preggers) and an A+ on my white blood cell test from last week. YAY!

Deez Nuts

Was beyond blessed this week to be given an all-access pass to Disney's new Aulani Resort in Ko'Olina. Eternal 'Thank Yous' go out to Alex, Jen and John. I've been having a lot of lung troubles (as many of you have heard my hacking... sorry). Being able to swim for 2-hours and then sit (legs only of course) in the hot steamy jacuzzi for another hour each night has really helped my breathing. Not only that, but I was able to meet all of the Disney characters.

Here's a pic of Chip and Dale after they were told I had swallowed a huge nut!

Ultracool

Today is Week 20 which means it is time for the Ultrasound! Drank water all morning and drove with crossed legs to the hospital. Was asked who was attending with me, but alas due to schedules it was just me. Nurse commented how on a scale of 1-10 in water consumption I was a 1. WHAT?!? There is NO WAY I could have consumed more. Seriously had to go so bad. She got over it pretty fast and although she wouldn't allow me to videotape, she did print out extra photos for me to take home.Wow. Seeing this little being inside squiggling about is really something pretty cool. The pictures just can't capture that motion. Most of the time the baby was suckling it's toes or trying to poke it's eye out. I didn't know how I was going to react. I was calm and collected until the baby opened it's fist with a big wave 'Hellooooo!". The nurse couldn't click the capture button fast enough and we missed it, but it was a neat moment. Another time we were looking at the baby straight on to check for a cleft palette. The ultrasound was fixed-in on two very plump lips (no Scandinavian roots there!) when the baby lifted it's head towards the camera and gave a great big ol' yawn. AHHH! So cute!

Well, here are the pics:

Oh, and in case you are curious... the tech couldn't sex the baby which is fine with us. So it will be a surprise to everyone, including the doctor, upon delivery. What's your best guess? Ya got 50/50 odds!!!

Pumpkin Bump

Stopped by a pumpkin patch and couldn't help but feel a kindred connection with the gourd-like squashes.

Baby Bump

OK, so I haven't taken any photos yet, but the good news is that Beyoncé Knowles and I are due at the same time. (She's a singer, married to Jay-Z, used to be in Destiny's Child, and no I don't own or listen to her music.) Why is this good news? Because she's on the cover of every magazine. So next time you're at the grocery store, glance (ever so briefly) at the tabloids and you will see how big my belly is... minus the ruffles. I might take a pic eventually, but right now I just feel weird about it.

Wait, What Was THAT?!?

That was odd.
I was bending over in the yard two days ago and felt what I thought was blood pumping through my belly, but then it fluttered and felt like a little muscle spasm. No way! Was that what I thought it was? A little nudge, a little kick, a little request to stop bending over and squishing poor Cletus? Bizarre!

Welcome to 4 months!

I Popped!

It was bound to happen. Packed for the Maui Photo Festival Monday and thought I had included some stretchy clothes. Well here we are on Friday and alas... NOTHING FITS!!!! I am having to not only unbutton my shorts during the 2-hour long seminars, but unzip them as well.

This morning at 3am I drove to the top of Haleakala Crater which sits at 10,023 ft above sea level and was a chilly 45 degrees. My jeans, which fit perfectly 4 days ago, refused to zip up. So here I am, freezing my patooty off and my pants are wide open to the rising sun and it's 100+ crater visitors. Joy.

I guess it's time for a wardrobe change.

This Made It Real...

Thanks to Dr. Pilgrim for allowing me to video during the 12-week check-up. Everything is looking and sounding good!

The Announcement

Well, today is the day. Mailing out the "we're expecting" notices. Not because today is any sort of special day, but because this weekend I finally got the image photographed and printed for the cards. Haven't been feeling 100% with all my sneezing (see the June 19th post) so it took awhile. In Hawaii it is customary to remove your shoes before entering a home. Therefore in front of any home, you will find 2 to 20 pairs of shoes. No kidding. For the photo I took our Keens and the new pair of baby Keens I surprised BigD with (see June 29th post) and placed them on our front porch with a 'Mahalo For Removing Shoes' sign. Hoping someone spots the extra pair of shoes in the photo!

Registered Baby

OK, so when I said I was done shopping for a while, I meant spending money. Granted I'm only in the hole $27 so far and have 53 items to show for it, but it is still fun to window shop. Soooooo.... here's our Baby Register! Shipping is horrible to Hawaii, so hopefully most of these items can be shipped for free with Amazon.com. Personally, I'd rather have hand-me-downs and homemade items, but obviously some things must be purchased. Haven't decided on a car seat or stroller yet. All suggestions welcome!

Baby Registry:
http://www.amazon.com/registry/baby/18NADIYW0KI8A

Super Duper

Gotta love the Super Garage Sale the military hosts quarterly. Stuff is cheap and the people selling need to move their stuff quickly. Had a couple things in mind this time, but as with any sale, you get what you get. Emily joined me and as we approached the field we saw hoards of people waiting for the gates to open. We stretched and warmed-up our elbows for nudging and pushing and went in. Almost immediately I spotted the cutest shelf for Emily, perfect for her newborn baby girl. Picked up some other stuff: Basket ($3) for diapers, onesies, bottles, etc., Messenger-style diaper bag ($3) complete with diaper changing pad and a couple Cheerios, Brand new Carter's onesies 3-set package ($1) marked 10 bucks, some random cute clothes, 3 Noah's Ark bibs, and 2 biblical children's books (love them!). The total came out to $12. I did miss out on a gorgeous bouncer seat, but Emily got the brand name for me. I'm done shopping for a while... or at least until the next Super Garage Sale!

Gettin' Some Good Will

Our local Goodwill store has a couple special bins. Sometimes there are 12 bins, sometimes just 4. In these bins are everything Baby. You can pay 99¢ per item OR you can pick 12 items and pay just $5. They get new stuff in each Monday. So after my ukulele lesson I stopped by... just to browse. 36 items and $15 later I had my first baby purchase complete! Seriously think I'm good on clothes now for the first 9 months. My favorite is the handmade bib made out of a Hawaii Shave Ice pattern. Either that or the Cat in the Hat one. Or maybe the little western shirt. Everything is like new and obviously will be washed. Tried to stick with gender neutral themes and BRIGHT happy colors. So far I'm loving green, orange, turquoise, purple, brown and animal-themed or patterned. I'm not into pink, blue or yellow.

All Terrain

Today Darnell and I visited Kualoa Ranch with friends John and Erica as one year ago we purchased 1/2 price activity coupons. Located on the windward coast of the island and family owned since 1850, Kualoa Ranch is a 4,000-acre working ranch. I knew it was going to be an all-day thing, so I packed tons of snacks and utilized my hiking Camelback bag so I would always have access to water. That turned out to be my saving grace. Had a couple big sneezes, but was able to keep a lot of the nausea down to a minimum. We started off riding ATVs through the valley. I had never been on one. WHOA are they FUN! Loved it. Perhaps too much. Darnell and John got a couple great jumps in! We even went through a stream. Then we took the Jungle tour which turned out to be even crazier than the ATV tour and included a short hike to the top of the Ka'a'awa Valley (see pic). Stopped for lunch at Auntie Patty's Cafe and finished up with the Movie Tour. So much fun!

Horsin' Around

After the meeting with the nurse Wednesday I am much more aware of the frequency in which I need to eat. I was eating the right stuff, just too far in between. Therefore the nausea was getting pretty intense. So now I'm on a every-3-hours-have-a-snack plan, and life is a little better. Still sneezing up a storm. I had booked a sunset horseback riding trip with a campfire BBQ for Darnell and I, so I packed my snacks and off we went. I felt great during the ride and it was an absolute blast. Gunstock Ranch is located on the north-eastern tip of Oahu on 700 acres of pure country. It's not until you spot a single palm tree over Daisy the cow that you remember you are on an island. Darnell rode Sarge and I got Cowboy. Rode for an hour and a half up to the top of a hill, enjoyed the sunset while chowing down steak, local corn, garlic shrimp and Chocolate Haupia pie. Finished off the BBQ by roasting marshmallows over a campfire before riding back to the stables. Loved it!

Needle Time

Have I mentioned how much I detest giving blood? Well today was my first appointment. Basically it sets you up with a doc for your 3-month exam, gets your labs in the system and they go over any family medical issues. Until 3 months they really don't want to see you in-depth in case you miscarry.
I was NOT prepared to give 7 vials of blood. Nor was I prepared to pee in a cup. Survived the blood, although I'm left with a nasty bruise in my arm. Also managed to dribble into the cup, and on my hand, and on the seat, and on the floor. Out of all of this and more than anything I am so excited to learn my blood type. I have been trying for years to discover it and although the Red Cross will provide you with your blood type, they will not accept your blood donation if you have malaria medicine in your blood stream. Well with 76 countries under my belt, I have almost always had malaria meds in my veins.
Met with the nurse who went over all the things to expect the next few months and paperwork that will need to be completed. Set me up with my 3-month exam and provided an info book/journal as well as a DVD. So far so good!

The Shoebox

Hippie hooray BigD came home today! You know what that means... time to spill the beans. Wanted to have some fun with it, so since I always have a couple pressies for him upon return, it seemed only fitting to sneak in a special gift. First was a t-shirt from our recent fishing trip. Nothing too special. Then was an unwrapped shoebox. "I already have a pair of these" he said. Yea no duh, I used the same box. "Well you know how I can't refuse a deal!" I explained. Upon opening the box he found a pair of tiny baby Keens (we both have gone through numerous pairs of this brand of shoes) along with a note reading "You're gonna be a Poppo!". I tried to record the event, but I managed to aim the camera right at his crotch plus I had it on macro mode, so not really usable footage, just audio. Here's the breakdown:
D "Ha ha ha haaaa. How funny! They're cute little things. Are you getting dogs?"
H "Did you read it?"
D "Yea, cool."
H "I wanted to tell you in person."
D "Yea, I'm here."
H "We did it!"
D "Cool. You're on. And I get a t-shirt."
At this point BigD gives me a big and and says "Congratulations, now you're getting an organic food processor!" I replied "That's what you have to say to me?" We had a big laugh and then BigD stuck his stinky foot in my face.
See? Wasn't waiting and telling him in person worth it? (sigh)

I think I'm gonna... ACHOO!

So THIS is Morning Sickness. AHHHHHhhhhhhh blahhhhhhhhhhh. And WHY call it Morning Sickness it it occurs every 30 minutes ALL DAY LONG? Weird thing though, I have yet to puke. Instead, right before I am about to be sick, I sneeze.

Turns out I have a wonderful feature in my odd body. When the acid begins to rise up from my stomach, it triggers the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve links the abdominal organs to the central nervous system, or in my case specifically to the sinuses. So when I feel nauseous, the acid triggers a sneeze which contracts my throat forcing the acid back down and temporarily interrupts the nausea. Brilliant! Unfortunately I'm sneezing like 50 times a day. Add to that a nasty throat cold I've picked up and well... no more voice. At least I don't need a bucket. For now.

25 cents.

I'm bleeding. Not what you want to see the day after you are told you are pregnant. To be overly specific, I bled a dime, a nickel and then another dime. So... does this 25 cents in my panties mean the end of a very quick excitement in my life? Made the mistake of Googling it. Note to self: stop Googling things regarding pregnancy. Way too many horror stories. Turned off the computer and turned to prayer. I trust that whatever God allows to happen in my life, whether good or bad in my opinion, will be the best for me. I also asked Darnell to pray as I was having "female issues". I wasn't ready to tell him. Father's Day is coming up and it would be cool to tell him he is going to be a dad, but I also want to do it face-to-face and see his reaction. He can be short on words at times and show little excitement, so I knew his response might disappoint if done over the phone. "Hey guess what?" "Chicken butt." "You're gonna be a DAD!" "Oh, cool." See? Nah, I'll wait.

The folded paper.

I hate giving blood. Hate it. I often faint afterwards, so I try and avoid the whole procedure. But... I still can't figure out the stick reading so I made sure to pack snacks and headed to the clinic on base. Gave blood and waited 40 minutes. At the 20 minute mark I asked if it was ready, it was. I was brought in, weighed, measured, blood-pressured, temperatured and told to sit. Their printer was broken. I finally got up and assisted with the printer (turn off, count to 10 and turn back on) and my results were printed out. The nurse folded the sheet in half and entered my stats into the computer. Then I was told to sit outside again. Another nurse called me in and brought me to another room. Still no mention of results, still one folded piece of paper. She asked me some basic questions like was I trying to get pregnant. At this point I've come to the conclusion the one line is indeed just one line and now I get to listen to a lecture on taking my temperature every morning to know when I'll be most fertile. Greeeeat. Instead she hands me the paper and says congratulations. I look and it says "Positive". Well... you can't argue that one! So... HERE WE GO!

Uhhh... huh?

Tiffany is still visiting this week and we are having a BLAST, but Aunt Flo did not show up with her red suitcase on Monday. Waited 2 days for her before sneaking away and peeing on a stick. I covered the result section right after. Perhaps I want to know, perhaps I just really don't want to know. This is the moment where you realize your life may take a turn. I'm not going to cry or feel terrified or trapped. No panic attacks, no shock. I've been off the pill for 8 solid months. When I finally looked I was like "Uhhh... huh?". I mean it should be a pretty simple system, but boy I had one REALLY dark line and one kinda not so much. Did I wait long enough? Did I wait too long? But the really strong line isn't in the place it should be according to the diagram. Maybe I'm being too literal with the diagram? Maybe one line means one line. Well, only one way to tell for sure. Time to call the doc.

Enfuego.

Love on the island is on fire and so is my back. I'm not sure I have EVER had such intense burning in my back. Started in my shoulder blades and moved down to my lower back. I can't sleep. Today was a joyous day though... Tony proposed to Amber and I had the pleasure of assisting Tony in the big surprise. With the help of Tiffany, John, Pher and Emily we set a message in a bottle in the sand along Ko'Olina beach with the message "Amber, Marry Me?" inside. A heart was drawn in the sand with candles. Tony then walked out and "discovered" the bottle and called a reluctant Amber over to check it out. Seeing the message in a bottle, Amber exclaimed "This is so random!". She opened the bottle, read the message and looked at the cheap bling pink ring as Tony slid down on one knee and revealed the REAL ring. Amber cried. It was super sweet and perfectly executed. Great job team!

Something's just not right.

Something is just not right this week. For one... my boobs hurt. They are swollen and they shouldn't be, not for another 2 weeks anyway. TMI, I know. Secondly, upon trying to kill a Hawaiian roach with a broomstick I found myself dropping the broom to the floor, clinching my fists and screaming to the sky as tears fell down my face "WHY WON'T IT DIE!?!?!". Hmmm... usually I take a great deal of pleasure squishing these formidable giant house guests. And thirdly, upon my hubby commenting on my more-than-normal gas explosions, I realize I have not pooped in 3 days. 3 DAYS?!?! OK, WHAT is going on? He is deploying soon, so maybe I am just emotional.

Welcome!

Welcome to Kramer Kasa!