we have ourselves a thumb sucker.

We had an amazing and busy week  last week. Like Eddie said, we went for a sonogram on 12/14 that was so amazing. I really cannot believe how much the bean has grown in 2 weeks. There were two really great shots of the little thing as it flipped and moved around. The lady told us again that this is a very energetic little bean! In the first shot you can really tell how much he's grown since the last scan:

In the second shot, the little bean is sucking his thumb!! So so cute:

We also had some wonderful news about the first set of tests they run on the baby. We aced the Down Syndrome and genetic disease testing, which we were very excited to hear. They said there is less than a 1/10,000 chance that the baby would have Down Syndrome with the blood test and measurement testing they did. Such a great thing to know, what a relief. We also went to the OBGYN on the same day and had more great news. Apparently my vegan diet is wonderfully healthy- he said my blood was perfect, no B12 issues, no anemia, nothing that people would associate with a meat and dairy free diet. That was great to hear. I have also gained 5 lbs. :) Almost 120 and moving upward, not backward. I am feeling less nauseous too, only about 1/4 of the day do I feel like I'm going to puke now, rather than the whole day. You have no idea how amazing that is. Hoping I feel even better next week, which will be the official end of the first trimester.

Last night Eddie and I decorated the Christmas tree and wrapped gifts. We put a cute little pic of the bean in the frame Tracy gave us and it was the last ornament we put on the tree- front and center. We also used our Flip for the first time (amazing gift from my boss!) and recorded a video message to the bean about how much we love him already...

Now, I am using "him" a lot, but we do not know yet if it's a boy or a girl. We just made the appointment for when we find out, though! January 17 at 11:15 we will know for sure...we really cannot wait!

More updates over the holidays...xoxoxo

Photo Shoots, Plain Bagels & Ellie

On Dec 14th we went and saw our little rock star scientist live. The bean is moving! We have decided to stick with one nurse that we see each time we visit - she is a riot. I wasn't surprised when the doctor told Autumn that she received an A+ on the first exam. So far 10 fingers, 10 toes happy healthy! The daily breakfast menu remains the same with chef Eddie whipping up toasted plain bagels - took me years to learn the recipe. Christmas is around the corner and we'll have our annual tree decorating ceremony this weekend complete with the bean's first ornament (thank you aunt Tracy) but only if I can find the CD Autumn bought years ago. We have been fortunate and Autumn is doing an amazing job with everything. Eldridge was chatting it up to me this morning - I think the boys are onto us about this whole baby thing. Did you know you can't go ice skating when you're pregnant?

eddie=steve martin

Do yourself a favor and watch Father of the Bride Part II. Yes, really. MC and I partook in this little nugget of joy on Sunday and I remembered how much I love this movie and Steve Martin. It did make me want a big family house with a white picket fence and a basketball hoop though, can't lie...

Made me very excited for the little bean to get here- I just want to see it's face. Ahhh- July is so far away!

More tomorrow, another sonogram and doc appt. :)

my name is autumn and i'm a....crier.

The hormones I have been so wholeheartedly trying to pretend do not exist reared their ugly head this morning during the Today Show....damn you Matt Lauer! I have such a celebrity crush on you, but this was too much.

They did a segment on Elizabeth Edwards, which would have been enough to make me cry in and of itself, but it got worse...way worse. They said in the story how Elizabeth wanted to be buried next to her son who died in a car wreck at the age of 16. He died the summer between his junior and senior year in high school and, a few days after the accident, his summer reading list came in the mail. Elizabeth bought all of the books on the list and, for 6 months, went to his grave every day and read them all to him.

To me, that is the epitome of a mother's love.

Okay, crying again...crazy hormones, grrrrrrr.

once a bean traveled the world...

So I have found that one thing that helps with my nausea is Starbucks decaf gingerbread soy lattes. I think it's the ginger in there- calms my tummy in the mornings. Also, I love seeing this sign every morning- it just couldn't be more true, could it?!

It says: Once a bean traveled the world to find you here. Our bean travelled a lot further than the world, but this still makes me smile...and the ginger makes me not puke. It's a win win for all involved.

2 more weeks of winter...

When the ultrasound lady told me that I am only 10 weeks, not 12 like we had thought, it was like the groundhog seeing his shadow. Two more weeks of nausea...booooo. Eddie has been great, though. When I feel like I can eat, no matter what it is or when, he goes in a hurry to get it. This is because we both know that in 7 minutes, give or take 30 seconds, I will likely be nauseous again and not be able to eat it. It's all in the timing.

This weekend we relaxed a lot. Friday night we went to dinner with MC and chatted a little more about baby names. I agreed (drum roll please) to putting Maximo in as a second middle name if this baby is a boy. Eddie is just SO in love with the name that I want him to have it- even if it's hidden in there. So, Trager Edward Maximo Berrang it is. That's a mouthful! We will call him Trager unless he is leaping tall buildings, flying, or saving the life of another. At those times, he will be known as MAXIMO!!!

I went to see Black Swan with MC and Ang after dinner. Sounds weird, but I felt bad seeing a rated R movie knowing that the baby was with me. Hahah. I didn't want it to be scared. I need to do some research about that....I'd rather not watch Disney for the next 7 months. :)

The rest of the weekend was spent mostly on the couch. It was nice and frigid in NYC, so I put on comfy clothes and rested. I swear I could sleep all weekend after the long weeks at work. It's like I need it to recharge. Also, feeling like you have the stomach flu all the time takes it out of you.

I have noticed that I have very strange dreams now and remember almost every detail. On Saturday night I dreamed that Lacey and I were driving from Jacksonville to Miami, we were taking 2 cars- a rental and my Mom's old green Subaru. We stopped at a car wash on the way and, somehow, the car wash lost the Subaru. After hours of trying to find it, the car wash guys offered us 2 motorcycles instead- a cruiser and a spot bike. Lace and I decided to take those to Miami. Because it was so late and dark by the time we got on the road, I kept falling asleep on the cruiser and having to pull off to the side. Lacey kept telling me that I needed to ride the sport bike because cruisers were for meat eaters. Go figure. I swear this dream lasted all night long...so so strange.

Other than the nausea, I'm feeling pretty good. I still haven't gained any weight- 117.6 this morning, but the doc said that is totally normal at 10 weeks when you are nauseous all the time. Eddie keeps pushing me to work out, and I do want to, but I feel like I need to wait until I'm not so sick. I just have no energy right now and yoga is the last thing on my mind. I walk enough to get a bit of exercise...I'll wait until I stop gagging when I brush my teeth to try to work up a sweat...seems smart to me.

Okay, back to work. I miss Danielle. :(

Have to start thinking of some GIRLS NAMES!!

A sneak peek at the bean.

Hi All! Eddie and I went to the Carnige Ultrasound Center in NYC on Wednesday,12.1.10 for our very first peek at the bean. It was like being at the biggest event of your life...the lights went dim and instantly our little bean showed up on the big screen right above the bed- unreal. The woman who did the scan was so very nice and bubbly and made us both so excited about the whole process. Unfortunately, I am not quite as far along as we thought (I am 9 1/2 weeks, not 11 1/2 weeks), so we could not do the tests that they planned to this visit. The good news is that means we get to see the little dude again on 12/14! I also had to get a finger prick to take 5 drops of blood for the first part of the Down's Syndrome testing. Next visit they will do the measurements they need to in order to complete the tests. It made it so real for both of us seeing the little bean wiggle around in there. It was kicking it's legs and moving it's arms all around. So amazing that it's only an inch long and already looks like a baby (or sea monkey as Meg Green said, or gummy bear as Tracy Emara thought! Hahah). Here is the best image of the bean from this visit:

I told Eddie I think he has his nose. :)

I am still really nauseous and eating is a chore. That was the only reason the news that I am only 10 weeks now upset me...another few weeks of this never hungry forcing myself to eat feeling, blahh.

Right now I haven't gained any weight, but I definitely have a little pooch! So fun- I have never wanted so badly for a pudgy tummy before!

"Mista, Get Me Outta Here!!"

Hello, this is the first photo shoot ever done of our little friend. Since we don't know a gender, we are just assuming a boy. The likely name is Maximo but for some reason I keep getting really mean looks from Autumn about this? Eldridge and Grande and I are gonna sit her down later tonight and walk through a powerpoint we put together about names. More to come on this development.