Baby

Well, the rumors are true. I'm pregnant! My husband and I are both extremely excited and completely terrified. This being our first pregnancy, we have very little to go on besides Google searches and family input. I'd like to think we are "ready" to be parents, but are first time parents ever really ready for any of it? There is so much I don't know, and way too many of my questions do not have a definitive answer. What did people do before the internet? I feel like pregnancy was a lot easier without everyone's opinion, but then again, a lot of babies died, and no one knew why! So maybe too much feedback is better than not enough.

I'm only 9 weeks pregnant, (further by the time you read this), but I feel as if I've been pregnant for a lifetime. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd be this sick. Throwing up? Nope, not yet, but the nausea, queasiness, and food aversions have me in a foul mood literally ALL DAY LONG. There's only so far a diet of saltines and ginger ale can take you before you start to hate your life and everything in it. Overdramatic? Don't even get me started. I am a certified basket case 90% of the time. My poor husband has been putting up with me in one loooooong, prayerful stride. No wonder they make you take vows.

Other than feeling sick, I'm doing pretty well. My family continually encourages me and allows me to see the bigger picture, even on my worst days. My brother and sister-in-law bought me my first onesie, my parents bought me the most darling Vera Bradley diaper bag, and I have enough baby books to keep me reading for years! Each new gift reminds me that this pregnancy is a means to an end, not a never ending toll on my body. Perspective is key, at least that's what everyone keeps tells me. ;)

Last week we had our first ultrasound. It was crazy to see this big cavernous cave and this tiny little peanut nestling quietly in one corner. Everything looked good, and its heartbeat was quick and strong. Zach was giddy, taking pictures and videos while I laid there taking in the surreal moment, one breath at a time. Who would have thought that, God willing, in 7 months we would be parents? A real mom and dad to this tiny little creature with no name. There it was, cuddling up in its soft little home, looking as peaceful as I felt just knowing it was there. That was my first sign that God was in control, and all I had to do was get ready for His incredible blessing.

To answer the various questions we've been getting:

     *Our due date is July 30th.

     *Yes, it was planned/wanted... (I can't believe people ask me that!! lol).

     *Yes, our apartment is tiny, but we will find a place for the little one.

     *No, I probably do not need more baby books, but does anyone have plus sized maternity clothes?? I can't find many.

     *No we are not registered yet. It's still a little too soon to do that. But don't worry, I'll let you know when we do.

     *Yes, there is something you can do for me ... PRAY! Pray that this beautiful baby is brought to term with no health problems or complications. :)

Thank you to everyone who congratulated us! Stay tuned for more blog posts and feel free to leave some love in the comments section below! Take care everyone.

xoxo Liz

Starbucks

Hey everybody!!! It’s so good to be back to blogging! As you may or may not know, I’ve been doing a few vlogs lately. You can find my videos by searching lizpattersonlove on YouTube. I’m having a lot of fun recording my dorky self talking about life, jewelry, friends and shopping. I have a lot of ideas for more vlogs, but my internet has been down for a few months! Now that it’s back up, you’ll be seeing more of this cute face, I promise. As far as this blog goes, I don’t plan on neglecting it completely. I very much enjoy the live video world, but there’s nothing quite like sitting in a quiet room with no make-up on (and clothing equally as optional), typing out my thoughts and perfecting them before I hit send. It's not nearly as easy when video editing is involved, trust me. Either way, keep your comments coming and share with your friends. I hope to bring you lots of entertainment from both sites.

For now, I leave you with something I wrote many years ago. Tucked away in a random book, I found this quarter sheet of paper with tiny handwriting, front and back, describing one of my many trips to Starbucks. I loved going to coffee shops in college to do homework, but more times than not I was way too distracted to get anything done.

Why did I think I could concentrate? There is no possible way my silent reading could compete with the shouts of mixed late flavors, random gossip, and business phone calls. The business man has his laptop opened and papers everywhere. He keeps getting up from his table to take calls from "broker liaisons" and other important figures. He's selling something. Insurance maybe? Now he's arguing with a buddy from the office. His tone is no longer professional. The elderly couple that just sat beside me is debating how many pills were taken in the morning, and analyzing the effectiveness of reading glasses. Their laughter about medicine is drowned out by the two middle-aged women using their hands to describe the length of time they have been married. "Well, after about 10 years of marriage..." one continues. I wonder if she will ever put her hands down and sip the coffee she spent a fortune on. At the table just beyond her is a man in a clean mint-green dress shirt and khakis. He also has his laptop opened, but hasn't moved in a while and may have dozed off. The first business man just threw away his tiny little coffee cup. Espresso. I knew it. His shoes do not match his pants. He's taking out his car keys and shutting down his computer. I bet he drives a Lexis. The color of these walls are bland but modern and the photos of coffee on the walls scare me. This chair I'm sitting on is uncomfortable and the table is wobbly. The staff here is overly nice. Must be the smell of coffee. When I ordered, the gentleman asked for my name and then said to his coworker, "How 'bout we get Liz a Grande toffee-nut late?" As if to say, "Honey, will you please pour a spot of tea for our guest?" I don't like that. I'm not their guest, I don't even know them! Someone just ordered something like a Venti, sugar-free, non-fat, vanilla soy, double shot, decaf, no foam, extra hot, mocha. I laughed out loud when the barista correctly repeated it. Is that the problem with America? You can get exactly what you want? That’s a question for another day, because now I must read.

I immediately thought of my awesome brother Chris when I found this. As an avid fan of quality beverages, and quite the talented barista, I’d like to think this post will make him smile.

Xoxo Liz