First Kick (?) and Holiday Parties

So last week, I "think" I felt the baby move, kick, punch, stretch or whatever BL is doing in there. It was very faint, but happened about four times right in a row. Little butterfly flutters is the best way I can describe it. However, that being said, it's kinda early to have felt something, or so I've read....still, it's always possible. Everyone I mentioned it to said, "It might have been gas," yet to be honest, I wasn't gassy at all that day. I called Ben at work and told him, and he got just ask excited as me! Then the whole rest of the day and the following day, he asked me if I felt any more, but alas, no...Oh well. Definitely looking forward to BL's first really distinguishable kicks, although I know there will be some later on that will rocket me out of my chair, I just know it.

Ben's work Christmas party was on Friday. They don't do the spouse thing, so Kate and I met up and went out to dinner. Then we headed to Vesta Dipping Grill to meet Shelley and her crew to celebrate her birthday. Kate and I had already eaten, so we sat at their table during dinner and just hung out with them. It was great. Shelley has been dating this super sweet guy, Chris, and he was adorable with her. She seems happy, so I'm happy for her! Kate and I then went to meet up with the rest of the ALPS crew after their party ended. Ben was a tad bit intoxicated, so he was dancing (believe it or not) and rubbing bellies with me. Very cute! He is so excited about this baby, I can't tell you how excited that gets me! His buddy Pat was all about my belly, rubbing it, singing to it, pointing to it. I was laughing. Saturday night it was my work's Christmas party. A five-course dinner at the Brown Palace. It was wonderful! The food was awesome and the room was beautiful. The attire was cocktail, so everyone was all snazzy and dressed up. Both of us were tired by 10 p.m., so we headed out of there, went home and crashed.

Ben left for a one night trip to NY for a client meeting on Sunday and my mom and I went to see Jersey Boys at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. It's a musical about the Four Seasons, and I LOVED IT! The music was great, the guy who played Frankie Valli was amazing. I would highly recommend it to anyone!

Here's a couple of photos of Ben and I from my holiday party - Ben looks so great in a suit, and since I don't travel with him, I never get to see him wear them that often. So enjoy!

First Belly Photos

I'm currently about 15 and a half weeks, and people have been asking for some belly photos (Shaleigh, here you go). I will try and take a photo or two each week to post on here. I am not looking so pretty - just back from swimming. I've decided that maybe I'm not too keen on taking these belly photos - my back is all out of whack and these photos don't look natural at all. Oh, and I'd just eaten dinner, so I'm full....Maybe we'll have better luck next time...

Cats

Pat forwarded this video to me and it reminded me of our cats. Milo in particular - he's been known to swipe at strange dogs and even us when we walk by and he wants to play. I could definitely see Andy getting a little persnickity about something like this though. Enjoy....



Another note about the cats - I am wondering if they can sense that I am pregnant? Here's the back story - literally. I was doing the elliptical two nights ago and at the end of my time, I got on the floor and did some stretching. My back has been bothering me since about the time I found out I was pregnant, thanks to the hormone relaxin, so if I lay flat on my back for about 5 minutes, it gets all stretched out and aligned and I feel much, much better. As I was laying on my back, Andy crawled up on top of my belly and rubbed his head back and forth on my tummy. Now I know you don't know our cats as well as Ben and I do, but he's NEVER done that before. I don't know about you, but tells me he can either smell, sense, feel or smell something in there....weird, I know. But it was totally cute! I went downstairs and told Ben, who proceeded to roll his eyes and me and call me crazy. Still, I'm starting to think Andy has figured it out. As for Tanner and Milo, that remains to be seen.... What do you think - can cats, or any pets in general, sense when their mommy is pregnant? Post your comments to let me know what you think.

Cute baby/dog photo

This came from my stepsister. One of her friends had a baby recently, and she sent me this photo (knowing that we have a dog as part of the family). I cannot wait to see how cute Tanner will be with Baby Lowe. Enjoy!

Welcome Second Trimester!

It's official, I am now in my second trimester. Crazy how time flies. I am 14 weeks, 2 days along. No news to report, which I guess is good. No complications, no worrisome pains, no weird stuff. I think my energy level is starting to come back up a bit, my nausea is really all but gone, and I find myself feeling hungry at weird times, like 9 p.m. before bed and in the middle of the night. I kinda don't feel pregnant, except that I'm just barely starting to show. I am able to wear my work clothes right now, but my jeans are a no go - at least not without leaving the button open and using a belly band to cover the button and zipper. It's actually comfy - no restrictions or tightness!

We had Thanksgiving dinner with my mom, Kari, Uncle Roger and Aunt Suzy at my mom's house. It was nice and quiet. Too much food! But everything was really yummy and we enjoyed it. I was sad to miss most of the family, but everyone was doing their own thing this year. Friday morning we drove up to Estes Park to see Connie, Stacey and Danny, Pat and Paul. We watched tons of football, movies and did plenty of puzzles. After being so tired and worn down for the last two months, it was so nice to go up there and have no obligations, no alarms, no nothing, except relaxing, catching up and digging into those puzzles. Oh and the leftovers weren't bad either! We ate way too much again! We took some shrimp cocktail for Friday during the CU/Nebraska game (they almost pulled it out....) and I have to admit it was the best shrimp cocktail I've ever had! Their cocktail sauce was the best any of us had ever tasted. I highly recommend it.

Sunday we drove back home, and Ben put up some more Christmas lights on the house. It looks so good! He did such a great job. I just laid on the couch, and did some laundry. He treats me well, to say the least! Tanner got way too much people food off the plates of everyone at Connie's cabin, so he had some serious diarrhea and vomiting when we got home Sunday, but he seems to be better today. Then of course, one of the cats threw up this morning, so maybe Tanner was actually sick and not just spoiled rotten.

Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday! Looking forward to hosting my in-laws for Christmas!

No news, just a weekend update

Nothing new in baby land, just spent the weekend relaxing and not doing much of anything! I am still feeling tired, although at certain times during the day I do feel better and have more energy. The doctor said from this point on out, in general my energy level will be up, but I will have good and bad days along the way. Ben and I walked Saturday and Sunday, up to and around Cheeseman Park by our house. A nice hour long walk. Tanner loves it - he chases squirrels the whole time and is in heaven!

Really, nothing to report, just didn't want to leave the blog un-updated for weeks like I have been. Thanksgiving is Thursday - I'm so excited for turkey! Then we head to Estes Park for the weekend to visit Connie, Stacey and Dannie, Pat and Paul....more relaxation, right up my alley. Ben plans to fish, so hopefully it doesn't snow the entire time.

We did watch Tropic Thunder last night - it was surprisingly funny! Tom Cruise is hysterical in it, I think he is the funniest part of the whole thing. I was a bit shocked at his crudeness and language, but then again it's a movie, right! And he dances to rap, which is totally had me laughing. I just kept thinking to myself....what must those Scientologists think of this?!?! All in all, I would recommend it, we enjoyed it! It's a bit crude, bloody, etc., but it is a true comedy.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

12-week doctor's appt. and ultrasound

Ben and I went to our 12-week appointment and ultrasound yesterday. It was great! First the ultrasound - got in the chair, pulled up my shirt, got squirted with some gel, and it was on! Once she found BL, we could totally tell it was a baby - no longer a gummy bear or peanut looking thing. Complete and total love! A real baby! At first BL looked like it wasn't moving much, and the ultrasound tech was taking various measurements. Then all of a sudden, you can see two little legs just kick out super fast. Kick, kick, kick!! (Future soccer player in the making!) Then back to being still. The tech kept doing her measurements and pointing out all the features (we could make some out on our own, some we couldn't). After a while, BL was being stubborn (knowing it's father, that's not surprising....), so she'd use the wand and push on my belly a little bit and then BL would move some in reaction. I loved it! Here are some photos:

This first one shows BL with its head down and to the right, stretched out, legs to the top left. You can make out both hands too! This is the best shot by far.

This is a shot of baby in the same position, but turned a little bit so you can see the spine. Legs are stretched out again. Very cool! This is a shot of baby waving! Yes, if you look closely you can see a tiny hand, four fingers and a thumb...

We met with the doctor after the ultrasound and just did blood pressure, weight, etc. I gained 4 lbs. my first trimester - right on track. Normal weight gain the first trimester is anywhere between 3-5 lbs., so I'm good to go. She went over the measurements the ultrasound tech took and everything looks great! BL did measure at about 13 weeks, even though I was just at 12 weeks, but the doctor said that this ultrasound is not generally the most accurate, so no change in due date. Last thing was a finger prick and blood spotting test. Five small spots of blood on paper, which constitutes our first genetic screening. The blood results combined with some of the measurements the tech took either indicate a higher risk of certain diseases (namely Downs Syndrome), which may or may not call for additional testing down the road. Next appt. is Dec. 17. It'll be a fast appt., just one blood draw for more genetic screening, my vitals and listening to baby's heartbeat. Next ultrasound will be mid-January at 20 weeks. We're supposed to bring a DVD so they can record the ultrasound - we are super excited for that one!

Ben and I concluded the best part of yesterday was watching the baby kick around so much. I'm shocked that I can't feel a thing - BL is really having a party in there! Must be all the Mexican food I've been eating and craving. Oh yea, we are also both feeling like this is a boy. Up until yesterday, I really thought it was a girl, but those long chicken legs look too much like Daddy's legs to belong to a girl....unless she turns out to be 6'2" or something. And the baby is really stubborn - didn't move on queue - stubborn like Daddy.....and probably just as cute!

It's OFFICIAL - We are pregnant!

Okay, Ali is actually the one who is pregnant, but Ben is just as much at fault! We found out near the end of September and have gradually been telling people. We were planning on telling my extended family at Thanksgiving, but it sounds like we are all doing our own thing with other extended family, so here I am breaking the news....for family, I'll follow up with an email encouraging you to view our blog.

I am a few days short of 12 weeks today. We are due May 31, and we're going to wait to find out the sex. We want the movie moment -- it's one of the last great surprises in life, so we're willing to wait it out. I guess that means we'll be shopping for lots of gender neutral things in greens, yellows, and creams. But we're fine with that!

I've been feeling pretty good in general. The one thing your friends who have been pregnant before don't tell you is how TIRED you are during your first trimester. That really is my biggest complaint. I've gotten good at napping on the weekends, sleeping in when I can, and generally just taking it easy. I have had some nausea and queasiness, but to this date I have not thrown up once! Thanks Mom (it's genetic)! Ben and I have been pretty good about walking, I really want to try and stay as fit as I can during the pregnancy. I'm going to start swimming here soon as the weather gets colder, and then next spring its on to prenatal yoga!

We have our second ultrasound next week (12 week ultrasound). Apparently, at that time, you can make out more of Baby Lowe's ("BL") features, so we are super excited to see it on screen again. I'll post a photo below of our first ultrasound. Ben and I both got teary eyed at the sight AND sound of BL's heartbeat - such a moving moment. One of the highlights of my life so far.

I'll keep you posted on the pregnancy, I promise!

Baby Lowe pictured at 6 weeks, 3 days (Oct. 8, 2008, which was our two year wedding anniversary!). You can see the heartbeat imaging at the bottom of the first photo. Double click on the photo for a larger shot.

No post for too long, I'M SORRY!!

Since my birthday back in August, it's been a bit hectic for the Lowes. We headed to Park City, UT for a week in the middle of August to meet some of my in-laws relatives who I've never had the opportunity to meet. It was a great trip and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Ben and I rode some of the rides at the base of Park City's ski resort, I'll try to dig up the video of our alpine coaster ride, it's pretty funny. Other than that, it was mostly rest and relaxation. We took some scenic drives, ate at some great restaurants, and just enjoyed the company. My mother-in-laws relatives (something like 40+ people) all showed for a BBQ in the park one day that we were there. They were nothing but gracious, friendly and kind. They were interesting, each and every one of them. And for Ben and I...well, we were fresh meat! It was great to connect with them, even though I'm not sure when we'll see them next.

After Park City, we returned to Denver with the "anticipation" of moving again. We decided of all places that we liked, the place that the people who were buying our house would work. So basically, our move was a same day housing swap. In general, nothing went wrong, except that the people who moved out of our new place didn't clean - not one bit. I was so irritated, considering I'd spent that entire morning cleaning their new place top to bottom, all while the new homeowner watched me do it while she organized her closets and bathrooms. Talk about a slap in the face. Ben and I agreed we'd wait to see if they offered to come clean or not, but alas, no. So we waited a week or so, then sent a nasty-gram email telling them we weren't happy with the condition of the house based on our agreement we'd clean as we moved each place, and that she'd watched me do all the cleaning at her place. Believe it or not, they offered to send a cleaning crew over and they paid for it! Let's see...we moved the last weekend of August, and here it is the first week of October, and I can say we are finally settled. A couple of pictures need to be hung, but nothing major. All in all, it's a good fit for us. We like the neighborhood more, and except for the living room, we have plenty of space.

Other than that...let's see...I'm still doing my PT about once ever three weeks. Mostly I'm just doing the stuff at home that I've been doing at PT, increasing my cardio and walking, working on my muscle building and still some flexibility stuff too. Not quite able to bend fully, but that's to be expected. Some people get it back, some don't. I don't really notice it much, except when I bend down to get something that's fallen on the floor or rolled on the couch. I can't quite sit on my knees and lean back all the way, but we'll see if I can't get there.

So really, that's pretty much it for now. More good things to come, I promise. I will be better about blogging (I hope). Take care!

Update from PT yesterday - more things ending with “-itis”, tornadoes in Denver, and my 30th Birthday…

So I’ve been kinda sore these past few days with no real culprit that I could come up with. I’ve been riding the bike for half an hour the past three days, so I thought maybe that might be it, but turns out it wasn’t. I went into PT yesterday and showed Brandi where I was feeling sore and describing that it felt more like tenderness around some of the bones in my knee and right below, and she pushed on the soft spot right below my knee and made me jump. Turns out I have patellar tendonitis (goes well with my pes anserine bursitis). Brandi did more of her “famous” massage yesterday, and yes, I managed to cry again. I feel like such a baby, but man, it hurts! Big old crocodile tears rolling down my cheeks….wimpy girl that I am. (Side note – I’m really not wimpy. Wade, an attorney I work with here, sees Brandi for his shoulder and he tells me every day after he sees her how much it hurts!!) Anyway, she showed me how to massage it so I can do it at home. Then she proceeded to tell me that I need to cease all exercises this weekend, no bike either, and just do stretching and lots of ice. Oh, and I can use the stim machine (the electric shock therapy thing that was delivered to my office this week - we tried it on Ben - he didn't like it too much!). So yesterday at PT was an “easy” day, so to speak. I did tons of stretching and then an ice massage for my patellar tendon. Then I was out the door. First time in weeks I haven’t left there dripping with sweat.

After work, we drove home in the rain (yes, rain!!). We haven’t had rain in months! I went to take Tanner out and Ben was making dinner. As we were playing in the greenbelt by our house the lightning and thunder seemed like it was starting to get closer, so we headed back to the house. Ben was listening to the news while he was cooking and 9News had the running line on the bottom with “Tornado Warning” and listed Denver as part of the area in that warning. Ben goes and gets online to check the radar and there is a huge storm right over us, moving to the northeast (toward my mom’s house). Then we hear the TV say that there were funnel clouds spotted and a possible tornado moving to the east from the Dacono area, which is just north of Denver. So I called my mom and Kari to see if they were moving to a safe area. My mom answered, sounded a bit frazzled, and said they were, but she’d have to call me back. I ran upstairs to grab something, and as I came down Ben said, “The tornado sirens are going off.” I didn’t believe him cause I couldn’t hear anything. He turned the sound off on the TV and then I could hear them. In all my time living in Denver, I’ve NEVER heard tornado sirens! Very eerie sound! Well, of course, being the smart girl that I am, instead of going to an interior closet (no basement at our house), I decide to go outside to see if I can spot anything. Duh – not smart. But I got outside and didn’t see crap! I was kinda disappointed. Ben will tell you, I’ll watch any show in Discovery or National Geographic with tornadoes and weather stuff. I still have never seen a real funnel or tornado. So the sirens are going off for about 5 minutes and then they go off. The tornado warning expired about 10 minutes after that. All safe and sound. I talked to Kari and she told me that as they were trying to wrangle the cats into pillow cases (they have a plan already discussed), my mom proceeded to go in her bedroom and change clothes!!! Kari and I were laughing so hard. Of all things to do, that would be last on my list! I’m sure Mom was just a bit out of sorts. They get warnings up there a lot, but I don’t know if they’ve had actual sirens going off or not. Anyway, just a funny story to go along with the crazy weather. There are some photos below of the weather that I grabbed from Channel 7's website...

We’ll be working a half day tomorrow, and then heading to my friend Bonnie’s wedding up in Granby. I think the weather should be nice, hopefully no sirens up there! Then Saturday, we’ll be having the BBQ for my big 30th! Can’t believe I’m 30…oh well, I still feel young. That’s all that matters, right!?

This is near E-470 (highway east of Denver)

This is near Harvey Park in SW Denver - caption says "Possible Tornado"

So, being that Ben and I live in Central Denver, we were right between these two weather related photos...fun stuff!