Thanksgiving Weekend

Thanksgiving was wonderful...food, fun, and family, but I am so glad that we are just about out of leftovers.  (I get food guilt and really don't like throwing things away). We had a lovely dinner at Phil's mom and dad's complete with turkey, stuffing, bike-riding, secret-santa drawing, and resting.  Then we followed up with a visit to Grandma Marie's where we visited with Aunt Mary, Uncle Walt, and our beautiful cousins Ally and Charlie.  We never did make it to the Muppet Movie, but we did see it last night instead!  Love those furry guys.  Here are some highlights of our day... 

From the mouths of babes...

Just something funny...

Out of all the friends and family we have seen and heard from over the past few weeks, there is one person's response that sticks out in my mind as the most memorable and humorous.  My five year old niece, Kiera got on the phone with me and said, "So, what do you have to tell me, Karen?"

Me: Kiera, I'm going to have a baby.
Kiera: Aunt Chelle's gonna have a baby?
Me: No, Kiera, I'M going to have a baby.  You're going to have another cousin.

------LONG PAUSE------

Kiera: Are you sure???

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.  Now starts the countdown to Christmas.  This is the best time of year!   

Three Months Already?

I have heard all the horror stories of not being able to eat for days, nausea, the whole bit--but luckily, the pregnancy gods have smiled down upon me.  For the most part, my first trimester was a breeze!  I have managed to get through thus far without any sickness (please please please don't jinx myself).  I've even made some drastic (for me) changes to my diet by adding meat back in for protein on a semi-regular basis.  This might not sound like a big deal, but after being a vegetarian for nearly 8 years, it was an adjustment.  You never know what you're going to crave while pregnant.  Some things I used to love I have no interest in eating.  But meat, that sounded good.  So I ate it.  And it was yummy.  And I think the baby is very happy.  To all my carnivore friends and family--I'm baaack (for now). :) These past weeks have already gone by so fast, and I imagine that's how it will be from here on out.  I've really enjoyed being able to share the news with loved ones, and see the expressions on my customers' faces as they squeeze the living life out of me in excitement.  We are really happy for all the enthusiasm.  But the one thing I was not ready for was the need for people to tell you their unpleasantries.  It's crazy the stories people will tell you when they know you're pregnant.  I'll spare you all of that, but to these people, I say...please, save it for AFTER the baby is born.  Who needs to think about that? Getting your house ready for a new family member may not seem like a large task to some.  Like my Grandma Marie says, "Having a baby, it's easy--you just throw one more potato in the pot."  I do appreciate her wisdom, but I also feel like I need to start doing things now to get a head start for when I am too tired to do stuff.  One project that we accomplished over the weekend was giving Kayleigh's bathroom/guest bathroom/soon-to-be-baby's bathroom a face lift.  The walls were white and it was kinda boring so we painted and decorated.  Thanks to Home Depot, Kohls, and Ross, we now have a bathroom that meets Kayleigh's approval, and is also gender neutral so that whether we have a boy or girl, it will be appropriate.  I know there will be LOTS more to do, but it just felt good to get something checked off the list.  Hope you all have a very happy Thanksgiving spent eating, relaxing, and giving thanks.  I plan on eating turkey this year, and later going to see the new Muppet movie.  And of course, watch football.

We're off and running...

October was an EXCITING month for the Rinella's!  We had just finished celebrating Kayleigh's 11th birthday on the 23rd of September.  Then we celebrated some more for our 3rd wedding anniversary on October 11th.  And then--one more celebration...we were blessed with the happy news that there is a baby on the way! 

Since I don't have a facebook, I thought I'd open up a blog page.  That way, I can share my experiences with my family and friends who are not with me during this wonderful and exciting time.  I'd like to keep you in the loop!  I will share updates from doctor's visits and things that I wish I had the opportunity to tell you in person.  

Phil, Kayleigh, and I are so excited.  I've been to my first doctor's visit last Wednesday, and here is what I can report: I am definitely pregnant.  :)

My doctor is a wonderful man named Dr. Semrad and I am very happy to be in such good care.  We just did exams, drew blood, and all that fun first-appointment kind of stuff.  My next appointment is December 6th, and I'm really looking forward to hearing the baby's heartbeat.  We are expecting a baby around May 29, but that due date may change so stay tuned...we'll be finding out if our baby is a girl or boy sometime around the first of the new year!