The Blue Toilet Seat Mystery

I thought long and hard about whether I was going to post this. I decided to, since I feel I must contribute to the other women who will one day google this and feel comforted by my story. At the very least, it will make for a good laugh for everyone else. Read on and you will understand....I will give you every detail so you fully see the picture.

About two weeks ago I decided to take a mini-bath and shave my legs (this is a rare occurance 9 mo preggo.) Then I stood up and took a shower. The bathroom had a good cleaning a few days before. No new cleaners. I also use soap while I shower, also not new. Not surprisingly I had to pee once I was finished showering. I dried off and went to the bathroom, then headed to my room to get dressed.

SO-- upon returning to the bathroom I noticed (I am very detail oriented so yes, I did notice right away) that suddenly my toilet had a light blue tinge to it. NOT there 10 min. prior. So I investigate. I look at the skylight for a possible shadow, I move the seat in different angles, I try to rub it off. I call in Steve. He looks at it, runs through all the things I just did and we are perplexed. Now a few minutes later, the seat is getting a darker and more noticeable blue. I bust out the Clorox wipes and scrub away. Nothing. Steve leaves and assumes we just have an old toilet seat and it must have been gradually fading. I however am not convinced. I then sit back down and notice that it is in the perfect shape of MY rear and thighs. GREAT. It is my fault and I dont know why!! You better believe I then went back to my room and looked in the mirror. There was no blue on my hiney. So obviously, my husband must have used something in the tub that I sat in that didnt come off with soap and reacted with the toilet seat. Negative. Now before you all make assumptions let me remind you. No new cleaners, no new soap, no new jeans or clothes, I had just got out of the shower! (and I have used the bathroom right out of the shower plenty of times!) I run through all possibilities for a couple hours (this doesnt just happen!) and then I decide to Google-it. Steve thinks Im nuts and says just leave it alone and we can go get a new one. Ignoring him I type in "toilet seat suddenly turned blue." THE FIRST HANDFUL OF HITS WERE ABOUT PREGNANT WOMEN TURNING THE TOILET SEATS BLUE!! Now I am in shock, and so is my husband! So I am a freak who is not a freak alone! What the heck is going on!??! Now I am captivated by my magical talent and afraid to use any other toilet ever again. Here is the concensus...it has no medical backing, it apparently happens to pregnant women past 30 weeks, there is no explanation, but considering there are multiple women that this has happened to, it is not a fluke! The only slight explanation I came across (again nothing scientific or medically proven) was a sudden surge or drop of hormones. (It also has been reported to change the seats a pinkish-purple too.)

I call the consulting nurse and first off tell her I am not giving her my name or ID number because I do not want my following question in my file. I prepped her that this was going to be the strangest thing she has ever been asked. She doubted me. Then I proceed. After she was finished laughing at me, she said it was the oddest question and she asked around the office, more laughter, and couldnt help me. I then called my mother in law to check her bathroom since I had been there the night before. Totally normal. And now two weeks later, I have had no other problems. It must have been (totally an assumption) a possible drop/surge in hormones, my damp skin and whatever hangs out on your toilet seat all reacting together. (I was praying it was a sign, but considering Im still pregnant, it wasnt.)

So if there is anyone else out there whom this may have happened to, please leave a comment! Or leave a comment of humor. (I have already heard all the smurf and blue baby jokes possible so you can leave those out.) Feel free to pass this link on/repost it so others may be informed of this phenomenon, or at the very least get a good laugh at a 9 month pregnant woman! :)

38 weeks Q & A

Here we are at 38 weeks! (2-17-11) I am SO ready to be done!

Here is a fun little pregnancy survey I came across... enjoy!

1. After we have this baby, Steve will surely have to... help change diapers!

                        2. the thing I am most worried about the delivery is... needing a C-section.

3. the food that i have been craving the most is... turkey sandwiches.

4. the best part of being pregnant has definitely been...feeling her move. And morning sickness suddenly made me find nail bitting gross. I have never had such beautiful hands!

5. The most ridiculous thing I cried over was...Steve not taking me to get a cheeseburger late one night.

6. How long I could wear regular clothes... about 20 weeks.

7. ...came up with the name Grace. Steve. I came up with Olivia.

8. I've been nesting by... I made a huge house to-do list for the month of February. And her room has been done since the weekend after my showers.

9. the strangest/worst thing anyone has said during my pregnancy has been...Person: " Oh you dont look like you've gained any weight." Me: happily, "oh really, I've gained about 30 pounds." Person: "Ohh, well nevermind that's not good!" Seriously!?!?! Thanks. Steve was told "Good luck with that." when another guy found out he was having a "kid." lol

10. the food that i really haven't been able to tolerate is... chicken. Couldnt eat it for 1st tri and 2nd tri and sometimes cant stand it now.

11. I had morning sickness for... weeks 6-14.

12. the worst part of this pregnancy has been... stretch marks. I would honestly trade 9 months of morning sickness to not have a single stretch mark.

13. after Grace is here, i'm most worried about... 1) the stretch marks going away by summer. 2) getting my pre baby body back.

14. the thing I miss being able to do most since being pregnant...I really wanted to go snowboarding this winter. And I miss tasting the batter of my cookies. (raw egg) And occasionally a glass of red wine would be so relaxing.

15. the 1st thing I bought for Grace was... as soon as I found out I was pregnant I bought baby a yellow duckie blanket. Steve bought Grace pink baby Carhartt overalls.

16. during my pregnancy, the thing that has surprised me the most has been...how everyone has advice. I have strangers telling me all sorts of "medical" information. People at Walmart are my favorite. Lol.

17. the one quality that i hope Grace gets from me is... my patience

18. the one quality that i hope Grace gets from her dad is... his sense of humor

19. The weirdest craving I had was... lemons.

20. I completely underestimated this about being pregnant... the 9th month discomfort. It doesnt help she is already hanging out at 0 station!



Now All We Need is a Baby

~Before & After~

I have to admit I am a little embarrassed to post the "before" pictures online. Yikes! This was our spare room/dog room/guitar room/throw all our extra crap room. We had some serious work to do when we found out a baby was on the way!

Notice all the old gross carpet. And the brown walls. And all the junk!

                                                                              

And done! The bookcase is full of mine and my siblings childhood books. Steve's mom made Grace pretty pink curtains. Grandpa and Nana Corrigan bought Grace and I the glider. I see many late nights ahead there!

My husband was busy repainting the walls, installing hardwood and trim. So much more cheery for a baby!

My Dad bought us the crib as soon as he could! He wanted to make sure he was the one to give Grace her bed. :o)

I have a bit of an organization problem. All of her clothes (look at them all!!!) are sorted by size and labeled in bins. I was worried about how to make this little closet work and Steve creatively built in all the shelving for me. He is so handy! He makes all my visions come to life!

Toys that grandparents couldn't resist!

Less than a month until my due date! We will see if she lasts that long. Momma has a feeling she will surprise us all a bit early. :o)

35 weeks

35 wks 1 day ~ 1.28.1

So ready for Grace! I just got to that point. She can come early. The belly is getting in the way, I hurt, sleep is a memory and I waddle. I have apparently "dropped" which may explain all the discomfort and have a variety of other pre-labor symptoms. I would like for her to wait at least till 37 weeks, but by all means at that point I'll be praying her along! :)

I had one of my baby showers this past weekend too thrown by Grandma, Great-Grandma and Auntie to be! It was so special and fun to talk with other mommas. Grace was given so many goodies! We are so beyond blessed! God provides so much for us. Thank you everyone for coming and showering baby with so many gifts!

Grace in 3D

Not as good as the real thing, but close enough for now!

We had a 3/4D ultrasound done at 34 weeks to get a glimpse of Baby Grace. What a personality she has! Here is the visual story:

She started the ultrasound with her hands in her face. Great picture of both hands up close! But really hard to see what she looked like.

 After some poking by the sonographer, she was forced to move her hands down, and she was NOT happy about that! This is when she decided to get ulrtra serious and pout!

This was a full on tantrum! Obviously her frustration shows in her face. We just laughed at how cute she was! She also would whip her head back, smashing her nose against my uterus (so that's what that is!) and the back of her head hits my bladder (so that is what that is!) You can still see her hand, but now she is hanging on to the cord.

 After we were done laughing at her fit, Steve started talking. As soon as she heard his voice, we watched her face soften and relax. That was amazing! She actually started to smile and calm down. So he just continued to talk about nothing so we could get some cool shots! She is smiling.

Side shot of her smiling. You can really see her chubby cheeks and little double chin here. (that is from her father! lol)

Eventually she was tired and starting to sleep again. These last two were her most "relaxed" face pictures.

We are so happy we had a chance to do this and take our family along with us! She had such a huge personality! We keep looking at both our newborn pictures and comparing facial features. She has a little of both of us for sure! A little less than 6 weeks until my due date!!



32 weeks & 3 days

I think I am definately ready to STOP growing. She can continue as long as I dont have to, haha. About 7 or so weeks to go!

* I am definately a lot more tired lately again.

* Putting on my shoes, socks, or even touching my feet is now an aerobic workout. I live in flip flops. Solves all problems.

* We toured the hospital and birthing area this week. Getting pretty realistic!

* I am SO excited for upcoming baby showers. I cant wait to celebrate her with other family, friends and mommas! (Some of my random pregger facts may be good to know....) :o)

* Pregnancy cravings have pretty much subsided for now. The thing I craved most while pregnant was definately sandwiches. The weirdest thing was lemons.

* I dont want to even talk about weight gain. Or stretch marks. Ever. Im ready to hop back on the treadmill and run.

*One of my favorite parts of pregnancy is feeling her move around. And shopping for her little itty bitty things. Babies R Us is my new favorite store.

* We have anywhere form 5-8 weeks until she is here. That is crazy and exciting all at once!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

Love came down at Christmas,

Love all lovely, Love Divine;

Love was born at Christmas;

Star and angels gave the sign.

~Christina Rossetti

First off, Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday Jesus! This Christmas means so much more to me than years past. Each Christmas my love for Christ becomes stronger (since becoming a Christian) but this year is different. Maybe because we are having a baby and I have a new understanding of how I cant even begin to fathom God's love for us. There is no one on earth I love enough to sacrifice my daughter, yet that is exactly what God did for us. He gave us the most unbelievable gift on this special day. May we always have Christ in our hearts and praise God for this glorious day!



 30 weeks & 1 day - 12.24.10

So excited to be on the downhill stretch! 10 or so weeks left to go before we get to meet our little girl.

 My Christmas puppies - Reagan & Riley

Our last Christmas just us two.

Winter Storm 2010 & 26 weeks pregnant

We had quite the week this last week. On Monday morning we woke up to snow. Sweet! We never get snow so it is always a mini-holiday! That is until about 4pm and it became windy. And not just a little wind,  we thought we were in a blizzard-hurricane!! The wind was spinning the trees in circles. About 7 pm we lost power. And then the snow stopped, it is became COLD. Like 15 degrees cold. 55 long hours later (early Thanksgiving morning) power returned. We bacame acutely aware of how little we have control of anything in our lives and reflected on how much we forget to thank God for the simplest of blessings. Power, hot water, heat. We spent 3 days talking and sitting around staring at each other, that was a blessing too -  enjoying the quiet, technology free time we had together. We have been warned this will be a rough long winter, so we know this is just the start!

 Of course being 26 weeks pregnant helped keep me a warm for a while, baby Grace is getting big! (approx 2 lbs now!) There is no where for this baby to go but out when you are 5 feet tall! When I look in the mirror, I see a little bump, when I see this in a picture I look huge! 13 weeks to go!! ( this was 11.28.10 - 26wks, 3 days)

Our lovely little home during the storm. The warmest place to be is in the living room near the fireplace (off to the left) so we camped out right here for 3 1/2 days. Lots and lots of layers of clothes and blankets, we all survived just fine. (Actually I was only home for the first 40 hours and Steve took me to my dads with power, we determined it wasnt safe being cold and pregnant - my family loves me and Grace!)

She Already has a Personality

I'm learning more and more about little Grace's personality. At first I thought some of these things were coincidence, but since observing her for a few weeks now, I'd say they are not by chance, they are indeed a glimpse of who she is...
* When it is just me and quiet, or Steve and I she will move and kick all around, especially when I am eating!
* If there is a lot of noise in the background or a lot of people talking at once she is very still. Even if I am eating she doesn't budge. (which is interesting because at home she violently kicks at mealtimes!) Now as soon as I leave the noisy atmosphere, she wiggles all about again. Its like she just hangs out and listens.
* The exception is music. She goes crazy when music is on, especially at chuch when the worship band is going. Sunday morning worship is the loudest area of my week and it is definately her favorite. My little one loves the Lord! Or if I have music on in the house or car she dances around, but not nearly as much as church. I cant help but get teary eyed on Sundays, it is so precious!
* At night when I lay down for bed I can just watch my stomach move about. So I  "play" with her by poking her and she will kick back. I call it playing, but Im sure it is more annoying to her than fun to be pushed.
* Steve has been able to feel her kick a couple of times. Here soon he should be able to feel it more often.

Today I am 24 weeks & 4 days. I will post a new belly pic when Steve brings the camera home.

Current thoughts - Being Pregnant Completely Changes You

I can only imagine how much my life is going to change once my daughter is actually here. For all my non-pregnant/non-momma friends you have no idea what is up ahead of you in the future. It is beautiful, it is scary, it is emotional and dramatic. And I cant imagine not being in this position. I am so in love with a 1 lb. kicking little baby.


* I woke up early every morning that week in June and anxiously stared at that little stick praying it would show me two lines. It took 3 days before that happened. The moment it happened I panicked. I was terrified, I changed my mind, I take it back! My life was forever going to be different and I was no longer sure I was ready! I laugh now at that day and I also know I am not alone. All moms go through a moment of fear. My husband brought me back and reminded me that we trusted God and prayed for His timing and that magic urine was not by chance. Since that day I have been nothing but excited!


* You look at life completely differently. Actually you look at life as if you were a small child. I wonder what bad decisions our country is making that my baby is going to have to deal with. Suddenly issues on politics, safety and education have a new light. It isnt about what is best for me and my generation, it's about the generation coming up. I just voted for an election with a whole new perspective.


* Every child looks different. Especially since finding out baby is a girl. When I see a little baby girl or waddling toddler or little girl dancing around the grocery store I tear up. I imagine little dresses and hair bows and princesses. All children look different. They are more precious, more special and more beautiful than I ever thought before. (and I am a teacher at heart!)


* I love my husband in a whole new way. I cant wait to see him be a father. I see him stronger yet more gentle than before - even with that burley beard he refuses to shave. Watching him create the baby room - paint, install flooring, build the crib - was just as romanitc as the proposal. This is a little person, a little mix of both of us that will physically bind us forever. She is the result of love in a marriage between a husband and wife. You cant possibly understand this feeling unless you are married and expecting a baby. I only fathomed it before, and it was nothing I imagined.


* Your body transforms into one you no longer recognize. I cant name one area of my body not changed. Everything. Sometimes I am sinfully vain and hate my new body. Sometimes I feel liberated that I dont need to feel pressure to conform to societies standards. I'm beginning to view my new shiny stretch marks as badges of honor, a right of passage into motherhood, something to be proud of. And it always seems that in a moment when I am down, when I look in the mirror and see anything but a "glow", I get a kick, a precious little reminder that it doesnt matter anymore. She does. Growing this miracle is more joyous than a size 2 body.

* Most importantly my love for God has grown. I am being given a gift that I do not deserve. I get to be the mother of this child of God and can only hope that we can raise her to love Him as he truely desires. I pray continually for strength in this pregnancy, for both our health, and for wisdom to raise a daughter of the Lord. I am so thankful and blessed! We are so excited to meet this little person God is preparing for us, and so excited to see what is in store for the rest of our future!

20 down, 20 to go!

We are halfway there!

20 weeks 4 days~ 10.18.10

So excited to be at the halfway mark (or so...)! I can definately feel Grace getting bigger, or at least her kicks are getting stronger! She is very active in the middle of the night and Momma is not too excited about that, I guess it's practice for the future!

My belly is growing super fast now, it's hard to believe. (Even harder to imagine what it possibly will look like 20 weeks from now!)

Other than the normal aches and pains all is well and healthy with the Martinsen family.

I think she looks like you

Finally uploaded pictures from Wednesday's ultrasound. Grace held still enough in these to get a couple side profile shots. She moves around a lot! (and I love it!)

18 weeks 6 days - October 6, 2010

It's a...

We are having a GIRL!!!

Baby Grace Olivia Martinsen

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16

18 weeks down!

The baby bump is officially here! Here I am 18 weeks & 1 day (10.01.10)
This is was at 13 weeks. There is a BIG difference that's only going to get bigger! :O
Some of my crazy pregnancy symptoms so far:
* This burger is an example of a specific craving. I had to have a giant, greasy, bar burger. Steve made this for me and it was delicious! I ate the WHOLE THING! He was surprised. An hour later I was back in the kitchen looking for a snack...haha the last couple weeks my appetite has really increased!
* My weirdest craving so far would have to be lemons. For a while just having them in my water was enough, then I started eating them...I couldnt get enough of the sour taste! :o)
* Aside from lemons I need something strong flavored with my meals. Pickles, onion, vinegar, italian dressing, spices, etc.
* I have been feeling the little one kick around the last couple of weeks. What an amazing experience! It makes all the not-so-pleasant side effects totally worth it! (I'll have to actually hold the little one to admit the stretch marks are worth it though...haha)
** We find out Wednesday the 6th if Baby is a Boy or a Girl**

Oh Baby!!

Here is our little blessing!

10 weeks & 4 days Baby's arms/hands are up by the face (on the left) and you can see the tops of the knees - the feet are tucked under. We also heard the heart beat today! That was the most beautiful sound I have ever heard! I still cant believe there is a little person inside me! Baby was jumping and wiggling all around on the ultrasound...already an active little thing.

Updates so far:
*I did end up having some morning sickness (nausea only thank goodness!) from weeks 6-9. Now it is pretty much gone, I am just SO tired all the time.
*No belly bump yet, just a few extra pounds from how much momma is eating!
*My official due date is March 3, 2011

The Greatest Gift of All!

My Birthday was a wonderful one this year. On Wednesday the 23rd I saw a very light pink line and on Thursday the Dr. confirmed... WE'RE EXPECTING!!!! We waited to tell most people on my birthday and a few family members before. We feel so blessed by this gift!

So here is the rundown for everyone who has been asking:

• I'm almost 5 weeks along now
• I had a gut inuition long before a positive test...I know my body and something was different!
• Sometimes I will have a moment or so of nausea, but nothing to complain about.
• For the most part I have MORE energy now...but then again about 8pm and zonked out till morning.
• IM HUNGRY ALL THE TIME!!!!
• I cannot stand the smell of coffee (sad I know!) or anything greasy or deep fried. My two favorite things: Starbucks and a cheeseburger are off the menu for now!
• I crave sandwiches and fruit. I would eat a sandwich for every meal, but I dont think Steve would like that as much as me! Subway? Yes, please!
• I become out of breath quicker and cant workout for anywhere near where I used to. But slow and steady is fine for me... Im listening to my body and not pushing anything.
• I will be due sometime in early March (3-5). The Dr. will pinpoint that date at my first appt.
• We have our girl first name chosen for sure (but keeping that to ourselves till we know what Baby is.) Kinda decided on a girl middle name, and have no clue for a boy. We keep tossing around different boy names and one of us wont like it. We wont find out the gender till end of Sept-Oct. so we have lots of time to discuss it.

We are so excited and thank our family and friends who call me everyday to ask how I'm feeling and share their excitement. This is the most amazing experience Steve and I have yet to walk through..Thank you for sharing it with us!