Drumroll Please...It's a...GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, our future could be filled with princesses, the color pink, tea parties and Todd trying to figure out how to put hair into pigtails.

We went for our 20 week ultrasound and check up today and learned that we're having a girl! We are absolutely thrilled!! Going forward, we think we need to start calling her Michelle O'Baby instead of Barack, though.

Officially, that makes the score Modern Technology 1, Sarah's Maternal Instincts 0.

The ultrasound was just amazing. It was so much fun seeing her on the screen moving around and clenching her fists (just like Mom!). By all accounts she is developing normally. She has all of her parts and everything is in the right place. Forgive us for sounding like 'those' expectant parents, but we think her profile is just adorable. Todd even thinks her upper lip looks like mine. (When you see her nose, there's no question she's ours!) In the picture above you can see her spine and heart (the black spots in her chest) and near the bottom of the image you can see her left hand. The big gray thing on the right is the placenta.

Today capped off a really great weekend. On Saturday, we went to Ann Arbor to watch the Michigan Football Spring Game (really an intra-squad scrimmage). It was baby's first trip to Michigan Stadium! The highlight was definitely seeing 1991 Heisman Trophy winner (and my first love) Desmond Howard (I don't think that was the highlight for Todd).

After the game we spent the afternoon at my sister Carrie and her husband Dolby's house playing with their two adorable kids Anabelle and Sonny. We got to dye Easter eggs with Anabelle and I got to rock Sonny to sleep. We can only pray our little girl is as clever and sweet as Anabelle. Carrie gave me some great advice and assured me it was normal to be creeped out by the things that are happening to my body right now. I needed that!

We came home Saturday night and spent Sunday watching the Masters. That was when Todd felt her kick for the first time, which we can only assume means she has a future in the LPGA...or wanted Todd to change the channel.

Time for us to turn in...we'll post another update soon. In the meantime, we'll be here on cloud nine...!

Great Family News, Weird Body Changes and NCAA Heartbreak

Hey everyone! I decided to write the blog today but Todd is making comments (I'm writing in red because it's gender neutral).


This week brought some amazing news...Todd's sister Alissa is also pregnant!!! (YEA!!!!!!!). She and her husband Scott are due with their second child on October 15, just six weeks after our due date. We're very excited that Barack will have a cousin his own age to play with in addition to his older cousins. And, selfishly, I am thrilled that I won't be the only pregnant one unable to enjoy Margaritas by the pool this Fourth of July!

Pregnancy-wise, we learned even more unpleasant things about how the body changes during pregnancy this week. First, and particularly horrifying (stop reading now if you have not had a child yet and are easily grossed out) is that my cute little baby bump is not really a 'baby' bump, but is mostly the organs that have been displaced by my growing uterus. How gross is that!?!! On the one hand, it gives me a whole new respect for how a woman's body adjusts to carrying a child. On the other, it's so completely bogus I can't even think about it. The books point out that our baby is still lower than my bellybutton. I'm told that after 20 weeks or so the bump is mostly baby. Who knew?! Well, probably most people but we had no idea. There's something to be said for a clueless pregnancy. The more we learn, the more we feel like the less we know, the better! (And knowing is half the battle...GO JOE!...that is a GI Joe reference for those that didn't get it...our kid is going to have the coolest toys).

The other body news I learned this week is that, evidently, my abdominal muscles have already started to separate. Normally this happens after 20 weeks but according to my prenatal pilates instructor, in very small women or women with developed abs, it can happen earlier as the body expands and things move around (see previous paragraph). It won't really impact me now, although it does mean there are certain exercises I have to avoid in class, not to mention I can't do any heavy lifting (which means Sarah's goal of winning a clean and jerk weightlifting Olympic gold will have to be put on hold). After the baby is born it will come into play as I try to get back into shape. That's what I need...something to make it harder to get my shape back! Man, this kid better cure cancer someday or at least play football for Michigan. (No pressure from Mommy, kid...geez).

This last week hasn't all been about weird body news, though. On the brighter side, we took advantage of the gorgeous weather last weekend and did some shopping in the neighborhood. (yawn). At one maternity store catering to moms-to-be who are way cooler than I am, we picked up a Barak O'Baby tank top! And here we thought we were so clever and original. (Check out the super cute picture of my wife in her tank...I tried to get her to pose in the weird-ass positions that the women in the books pose in, but she said she would kill me...you would never guess that this girl builds playgrounds for a living).

We're still counting down the days until our 20 week appointment on April 13. We are super excited to find out the sex but we're also excited to see the little guy or girl again. It's been a month since our last ultrasound. (Oh, and as our wonderful cousin Debbie pointed out in the comments section...we may be able to get some sort of videotape or something, but we had never heard of anything like that before, so it goes to show how much we still have to figure out. Oh, and if we get a video you can bet we are going to show it to everyone who says they don't want to see it). We haven't felt Barack moving, yet, but we know he was cheering for both Michigan and Syracuse during their noble runs in the NCAA tournament. Alas, Michigan lost to Oklahoma in the second round and Syracuse couldn't make it past the Sooners in the Sweet 16. (It's fair to say that our child won't be named Blake or Griffin...that's Oklahoma's stud player that whooped both of our teams). On April 11, Barack will make his first trip to Ann Arbor when we go watch the football team's Spring game at Michigan Stadium and see Sonny and Anabelle, my sister Carrie's two adorable kids. I asked Todd if we could go to the first football game of the season on September 5 if I haven't delivered yet but he put his foot down. Evidently he doesn't think it would be as cool as I do to have our child delivered in Michigan Stadium. (Cool? Yes. But with our luck it will happen during an important part of the game and Sarah won't want to leave).

There isn't too much else to report. I am fully past the sickness of my first trimester but I don't have much of an appetite. I'm pretty close to where I should be weight-wise but expect in the next couple weeks my appetite will return to make it an easier process. Todd's appetite has not diminished at all. (Hey...was that necessary? Ok, I guess if pictures of Sarah's belly are going on this thing then I have to put up with whatever pay back I get). Talk to everyone soon!

Barack's Bracket-Buster

We were pleasantly surprised tonight to learn that Barack Obaby has an amazing talent...he can predict the NCAA brackets! Well, more specifically, he accurately predicted that those lovable Michigan Wolverines would upset Clemson in the first round. (Sarah typically does not fill out a bracket, but this year she channeled thoughts from her belly and made picks). We were excited that Michigan basketball is restoring some pride to our alma mater, but we were happier that we got to sing the fight song. The books say (yes, those same books that our doctor specifically warned us against reading because they are filled with lies, dirty, dirty lies) that in the 15th to 16th week, a baby starts to hear. The books also say that sounds won't have much meaning (other than starting to recognize the sound of the mother's voice), but if there is even a possibility of brainwashing our kid to be a Michigan fan, well...Hail to the Victors!

In other news, not much has changed. Now in the 16th week, Sarah's belly continues to grow (she is getting proficient at forming weird shapes when she tightens her stomach muscles), nausea is basically gone (but food aversions are as strong as ever...don't mention any type of food to Sarah that rhymes with "rasta"...unless you are her mean ol' husband who forgets every so often), and we have done some more shopping for new pants (not just for Sarah...cough, cough). Through it all, the anticipation is continuing to grow for our April 13 appointment for the 20-week ultrasound when we will know whether the stork will deliver a little boy or girl (wait...a stork is going through the delivery? Phew...Sarah is really relieved!). Either way, it will be exciting to find out. Luckily for me, the NCAA tournament is on until then so I have a nice little distraction (much to Sarah's delight...not really).

Ok, well, we will update again soon. We'll try to post an updated belly picture this week. Oh, and to those of you that have checked back to the blog more than once, thank you, thank you, thank you. As you can tell, this is a fun little way for us to share the strange little stories that may be mundane to people who have gone through it already, but to us are still just so, so surreal. Bye for now!

Where did this belly come from!!!!!?

New pants here I come!

As you can see in the picture, my belly has officially arrived. This morning it took me several extra minutes to find a pair of pants that fit and I don't think I have too many more options. I don't think I'm ready (emotionally or physically) for full-on maternity pants but I don't think they're too far off, either!!

Other than my bfb (big fat belly as we lovingly call it), there is thankfully not too much else to report. I guess that's good news pregnancy-wise but probably makes for a boring blog! We're in our 15th week now and the second trimester is shaping up to be what most people say it should be. Generally I feel great and my nausea is definitely lessening. That's good for Todd, who is practically wasting away from not having normal dinners (okay, wasting away may be overstating things a bit but it's a definite plus for him to have this pass).

I'm dealing with all the same really weird things that women experience with pregnancy. Some make me laugh because they're so absurd (why does my stomach itch so much?!). Like all pregnant women eventually do, I've come to the realization that no matter how many people you know who have had kids or how many books you read or how great a doctor you have, there's just a lot of crazy stuff that you can't prepare for. For the most part, though, I'm really loving being pregnant. I know I have tougher months ahead so I'm trying to enjoy each day and not look ahead too much. It helps to have an amazing husband going through this with me. Fortunately, he finds the same things I do funny and hasn't been horrified by anything (or at least he's smart enough not to tell me that he has -- I'll let him blog about those another day!).

That's all for now. Thanks to everyone for your continued good wishes and for following along as Barack continues to change our lives. We are so lucky to have the friends and family we do...it's a wonderful feeling to know our child is going to come into the world surrounded by so much love.

Ushering in the second trimester!

Continuing on our journey, it has been an exciting week in the expanding Pinsky household. We are officially 14 weeks and into our second trimester!

Since our last post, we visited Grand Rapids to see Sarah's parents, Janet and Michael. On Saturday night we went to dinner at the 1913 Room in the Amway Grand Plaza, the hotel where we got married. The timing couldn't have been better...on the 16th we will celebrate 7 years (yes, 7 already, wow!) of wedded bliss (oxymoron? Nooooo). We peeked into a wedding going on in the room where we celebrated our reception, but we refrained from crashing like people had done to us. It was very sweet to be in the place where we 'made it official' in front of our family and friends. Being there reminded us that at that time, we were on "the 5 year plan" for kids, which seems in hindsight to be a decent guess. At dinner, Sarah's sister Julia conducted an impromptu check up of Sarah's belly and misplaced organs (making all diners question their choice of restaurants). Before heading back to Chicago we stopped in and spent some time with Julia's adorable girls, Ceara and Tara. Like their mom, they couldn't resist poking and prodding Sarah, which was fun for us to watch their excited and horrified faces. Tara seemed especially pleased when we reminded her that she had wished that Sarah would have a baby just hours before we spilled the beans to Sarah's family.

On Sunday, we did some shopping, including our first foray into the crazy and confusing world of maternity clothing. Elastic, drawstrings, and panels, oh my! Sarah was a little horrified to realize that she will grow to need all of the extra fabric (but she had to admit that, at least for now, they seemed mighty comfortable). Fortunately, Sarah's friend Cortney generously brought up several armloads of clothes from when she was pregnant last year so we have plenty of things for Sarah to grow into in the closet.

On Monday, we received a very touching present from Sarah's friend and co-worker, Roopal Saran, and her husband Atul (they have three of the cutest kids EVER). Receiving two books that were their children's favorites made Sarah tear up, and then reading the stories sent Sarah over the edge. (Todd realized that this is going to be a loooong 6 more months).

Today's big event was our follow up appointment with Dr. Feldstein. We heard the heartbeat!!! It was just amazing. It's one thing to see the ultrasound pictures but to actually hear little Barack's tiny but strong heart beating away was incredible. Dr. Feldstein was happy with how things were progressing, going so far as to say Sarah is as healthy as a horse (Really? Comparing a pregnant woman to a barnyard animal?! Who does that!? Brave man). Despite the unfortunate comparison, it was welcome news. So was Sarah's weight gain (those elastic waist jeans may not be too far off). He also reported that Sarah's blood work is A-OK. Our next appointment will be in six weeks when we will have our 20 week ultrasound and find out our baby's sex. Even though Sarah is convinced it's a boy, Todd is a stickler and insists we have it confirmed by an actual doctor.

Sarah has been feeling awfully pregnant of late, mostly because she is showing a lot more (Todd wouldn't say "a lot," partly because he isn't stupid, but mostly because it is only a cute, round thing at this point). Todd's belly is still bigger (thank goodness) but Sarah's jeans are getting mighty tight. The nausea is better than before and we're still hoping it will fade now that we're passing the magical 14 week mark. We'll post an updated belly shot soon but so long for now!

Hiccups!

Well everyone, today we experienced another amazing milestone...our first ultrasound showing something that actually looked like a baby!! It was absolutely incredible.

We saw all of the things that you would expect (hands, feet, heart, brain, spinal cord, face, etc.), and got a few cute surprises. Our little Barack was so excited for his screen test that he got the hiccups. It was crazy watching his little body (which is less than 3 inches long!) jump all over the place with each hiccup. The ultrasound technician said it often occurs at this age. Maybe this is common knowledge that we somehow missed (that's what you get when you don't read all the books!), but we were so surprised that our tiny little chip off the ol' block moved around so much. He ruined several pictures by turning his head away from the "camera," but we did get the cute shots that accompany this post. We saw Barack raise his hand, stretch his legs, attempt to punch his way out of Sarah, and even seemed to raise his hand to his forehead (as if to say, oy vey, enough already, I'm tired). All jokes aside, this was a truly special moment for us and we every loved second. As you might expect, Sarah cried the entire time.

The other good news was that everything so far is A-OK and normal as far as length, heart rate, nose bridge, etc. As you can see in the picture, Sarah's belly continues to grow (no new pants quite yet but, alas, that's not too far off) and with the help of grape and cherry lollipops, her nausea is getting a little bit better (but still having weird food aversions...like any sort of pasta sauce). We're now officially into our 13th week and hope that her appetite will get back to normal soon.

As things keep going, we will keep entertaining ourselves by adding posts...because now that Top Chef is over (and there's only one week left of the Bachelor), what else is there to do? If you are reading this, feel free to post a comment (if you want).

The Word Is Out!

This week was a lot of fun (and a little scary!) as we shared our great news with family, friends and Sarah's extended family at KaBOOM!. The responses we've received from everyone have warmed our hearts and made us so grateful that we are surrounded by so much love and support. We are thrilled (and relieved) that all of you will be a part of Barack O'Baby's life! Thank you to everyone for their kind, loving words and wishes.

The fun update from this week is that Sarah is starting to show a little bit (Todd would have said that it was a "big update," but Todd's too smart to make that mistake). Where there was once a flat stomach there is now the beginnings of a round belly which is both very cool and...we'd be lying if we didn't say it...a little weird. Todd is dutifully making sure that his own belly is still the biggest in the family! No new jean size yet, though (for either of us).

In other news, Sarah is still dealing with daily bouts of nausea. She was able to make it through her three day staff retreat in DC okay but she had some dicey moments. We are eagerly anticipating the nausea abating now that the first trimester is ending. Despite the sickness, she is still managing to gain some weight overall, which is good. We look forward to next week's doctor's appointment. We will keep updating our blog because, if nothing else, this is just so cool for us.