Week 10: Somewhere Sunny and 75

Hitting 9 weeks was pretty refreshing. I know we’re not out of the weeds just yet, but 9 weeks feels like a pretty solid number. Entering into week 10 my mind is fully on surprising Jill and my grandparents, and soaking up as much sun as I possibly can. It snowed a good four inches in Rapid over the weekend and temperatures hovered in the negatives. I’m SO tired of being cold. I think me and Peanut could use a solid dose of Vitamin D.

My flight our of Rapid City on Tuesday got cancelled for no reason. So after a lengthy discussion with the United Airlines rep I flew out on Monday instead, arriving in Orlando at the late hour of 11:32, and HOPING the customer service rep at the airport would kindly provide me with accommodations for the night. This was a serious challenge to my anal planning personality. I’ve never been anywhere where I didn’t have a hotel booked and transportation figured out. But, people do it all the time, and I decided it would be good for me to live on the edge a little.

I arrived as scheduled, only to find a completely deserted terminal. But I’m happy to say, the nice lady at the baggage claim service desk ended up hooking me up with a room at the swanky Renaissance hotel just a few miles down the road. Jill and Missy weren’t due in till 1:00 the next day so I was treated to an extra day by the pool.

The Big Reveal
Jill and Missy’s trek from the airport took a little longer than planned, but when they pulled up I was ready and waiting with the birthday card in hand and my phone set to record. Jill started trying to load my things and I handed her the card and told her happy birthday. She hurriedly said thanks and then continued loading my luggage. So I had to encourage her a little to go ahead and open it. Unfortunately she didn’t have her reading glasses on so it was pretty hard to make out the light blue lettering and my scribble, but she read the card and said thanks and then set back to loading. Again, I offered a little encouragement to read the card all the way through. At which point she finally saw “Baby J” included in the ending. Her reaction was priceless.

We spent the next 24 hours discussing all the little details. Jill was absolutely shocked I had managed to keep it all a secret from her for so long. I was really happy with how it all worked out though. I wouldn’t replace her reaction for anything. I had accepted that Harry Potter World was off the books for me, but Jill insisted since we were there I should just go. So I did. Theme parks are really not near as much fun when you can’t partake in all the rides and thrills, but I was happy to see the park and slurped down some butterbeer. That afternoon we drove on to Sarasota.

Shortly upon arrival I presented my Mamaw and Papaw with the German phrase book. Tears were spilled and lots of hugs were given. I’m sure I’ll say it a million times by the time our baby is born, but I am so truly thankful that our child is already so wanted and loved. It’s a pretty amazing feeling to know you have two families behind you all the way, offering all the love and support they can.

Taking It Easy
The rest of the week was spent in pure relaxation mode. The first few days in Sarasota were rainy and pretty chilly. We tried to brave going to the beach anyway one day, but the <65 degree weather and cold wind made it pretty miserable. We ended up hiding in between some sand dunes to block some of the wind before finally calling it a day. The last two days were beautiful however. I managed a little touch of sunburn and finally got some healthy color to my face. After months of the cold it felt so good to be wrapped in a blanket of warm sunshine.

Here I am in all my pale glory. Still no bump, although some days the bloat is enough to make me look 5 months along!

From day one my Mamaw insisted that I shouldn’t be doing this or that, including lifting the bed out of the sleeper sofa. I tried to assure her that I had just worked out deadlifting 155 for a workout the week before. It’s funny how the perception of pregnancy has changed over the years. I was thankful everyone was more than willing to fulfill every craving I had, including a multi-stop search for a hard scoop chocolate ice cream in a waffle cone. I can now say that craving has been fully satisfied 🙂

Heading Home
I hit the official 10 week mark on Monday the day before we left. Everyone watched the weekly What To Expect video with me and laughed that Baby J is now the size of a caterpillar.

I didn’t see my family almost the entire year of 2013, and already in 2014 I’ve gotten to see them twice, with the promise of another extended visit in just a couple of months. I had a feeling 2014 was going to be a good year, and it’s already proving itself so!