My Life as a Novel

Ok, not literally. But this blog is moving. Again.

My apologies, but please update your rss feeds and whatever else. I'll be at wordpress from now on:

http://ritapolk.wordpress.com/

"I have a daughter." I am still getting over the amazement that makes the previous statements true. "I'm going to be someone's parent, and that someone is inside Rita's tummy." All things that I simply can't begin to understand. My brain can hardly remember how to put a sentence together. Life is pretty rad.

- Kyle Polk

This was Kyle's "status" on facebook. And I thought it was too special to let it get lost in the clutter of facebook forever. So I put it here where I can remember it.

Labels: baby, pregnancy

I am surprised at what a big difference yesterday made. We're having a little girl. We know her name. And, with our very patient ultrasound tech "in control", we could see and hear her heart beat, and we got to watch her wiggle around, move her mouth like she's already trying to talk (I'll save the Peanut Gallery some effort -- yes, she's like her mom already), fiddle with her hands, kick her little feet around. And we marveled at her little personality already beginning to show itself. For a few minutes, we watched her and were really fascinated the whole time. She's a baby - our baby!! Crazy!!

I've been feeling her kicking around for a couple of weeks now. Kyle hasn't been able to feel her yet, (though my mom did very briefly over the weekend) but he definitely likes to try. It seems like if she's moving around and we put a hand over her, she settles down. So, while it's sweet that she already finds comfort from our touch, it's disappointing because I really want Kyle to be able to feel her kicking around in there. All in due time, I suppose.

I've heard stories from expecting mothers whose husband's are musicians and whenever the baby hears their daddy start playing, they dance all around. I've always kinda hoped for that - some kind of recognition of "That's my dad!" from the baby (silly, perhaps). But just watching her being so laid-back yesterday made me know that she's reacting completely naturally - being herself. Besides, her dad plays the drums so often, it's probably just as natural for her as hearing her mom snore at night!

Labels: baby, pregnancy

Labels: Aunt Rita, baby, photo

We had our ultrasound this morning at 9 AM. Sitting in the waiting room, we had this conversation:

Kyle "What do you think it's going to be."
Rita: "I honestly have no idea. What do you think?"
Kyle: "It's probably a girl. (10-second pause) ... or a boy."
Rita: "Way to cover all your bases!"

Really, going into this, I think we both just "knew" it was going to be a boy. Kyle's family doesn't have girls, it seems. In the Polk line, I believe the "Family Historian" (John - Kyle's brother) told us that there hasn't been a girl born in 90 years. And she was the 10th child in her family! So it just seemed like we'd definitely have a boy.

And we'd be happy either way ... but really, I wanted a girl. :)

So when the ultrasound tech finished doing some of her measurements, she said, "You guys want to find out what it is, right?" Two emphatic affirmations from us and she said, "Good. I've got it right here. You're having a girl!"

Kyle and I were so surprised -- and kept saying how surprised we were -- til the point she said, "You guys have got me second-guessing myself. I'm going to go back and check." She tried, but little Iva was being modest and stubborn (she is her mother's child). She was covered up and refused to move.

The tech couldn't finish all of her measurements, because the baby refused to move so she could get the other side. I guess she was comfortable! So that means we'll have another ultrasound in a few weeks, most likely. And we'll get another look at her!

In summation: IT'S A GIRL!!!! I'm still in shock! And welcome, Ivalee Grace!!

Labels: baby, pregnancy

This is maybe the only point in his life where it's ok for me to brag about how "pretty" he is, so I shall! Y'all seriously. Mendy and Derek made a PRETTY baby!

And he's soooooo sweet!

My parents and sister were very obliging and I think I held him most of the day on Saturday, except for during feedings and some nap times! :) I think he likes me. He hasn't actually said the words yet, but I can tell he's working on it.

All these pictures are straight out of the camera and need some photoshop work, but I just couldn't wait to share them with you! So here they are!! More to come! (Oh yes, many more!!)

Labels: Aunt Rita, baby, family, photo

One year ago today, my best friend celebrated the birth of her first child: Harper Wren. And 24 hours ago today, she celebrated the birth of her second.

I present, Mozelle Hope, or Baby Elle:

And with the birth of this child, I stumbled across my newest pregnancy goal: to look as good as Anna did right after she popped a baby out. Seriously. Unbelievable how good she looks, and this is literally less than 20 minutes after the baby was born. What an inspiration!!

Labels: Friends, photo

There's a new poll on the side bar of my blog. We find out on TUESDAY whether we're having a boy or a girl.

What do you think?

Some people have no filtration system between their head and their mouth. And lately, I'm noticing a trend with older women who speak "down" to younger, pregnant women. As though they feel their experience with child-bearing however many years ago gives them the right to say whatever they please, no matter how harsh. Like they're inducing me into the "I've Been Pregnant Before and Now I Have All the Answers" Club.

I've heard some of the strangest things. And some of the people who say them, I kinda tilt my head to the side and think, "What?!" as they're walking away. So with that in mind, I present:

Things You Should Not Say to a Pregnant Woman.
(Note: While this is presented in jest, everything listed has been said to me over the course of the past couple months and weeks.)

• "You're due in August?! Are you CRAZY!? My baby was born in June and I swore I'd never have another summer baby. I (insert lengthy list of end-of-pregnancy symptoms that can be made worse by extreme heat including but not limited to swelling, general aches and pains, inability to pee, and inability to walk) so much worse than with my other pregnancies."
• "Well I'm just really sorry for you that you didn't get to give your parents their first grandchild." (I've heard this from two separate sources, and always with such sympathy in the voice. WHY?!?!)
  
• "Don't listen to anything anybody else tells you." Which almost always comes before they tell me something that, if I heed their advice, I will ignore.
• "Summer babies! You and Amy are going to be so miserable this summer! Your sister was smart and got hers out in the Spring."
• "So I guess you felt bad that your sister and sister-in-law were giving your parents grandchildren before you and you had to jump on the bandwagon, huh?" (Yep. Bandwagon-jumping. That's how babies come to be.)
  
• And the REAL kicker: (this was over the office phone one day earlier this week - allow me to emphasize - I'm at work) "I was talking to my daughter the other day. She said you're not really showing yet. I told her it's probably because your boobs have gotten so big they're overshadowing whatever little pregnancy bump you might have." (This is just so disturbing on so many levels. How the size of my boobs comes into play in any conversation where I am not present just befuddles me.)

And on a much more positive note, we received what will probably go down as my favorite baby compliment yesterday. Joe is one of Kyle's good friends, a coworker whose wife is also pregnant. They were talking about baby stuff yesterday and got on the subject of names.

Don't know if I've ever shared this on here, but the names we have picked out are (boy) Darby Bishop and (girl) Ivalee Grace (we'll call her Iva). It was surprisingly easy for us to come up with names that we agreed on. It took all of two or three weeks to commit and we LOVE both of the names so much!!

Back to Joe & Kyle: When Kyle shared the names, Joe's reaction was so awesome! He said, "Wow! Those are such great names! That kid is gonna be somebody!"

It seems like there can be such negativity surrounding pregnancy. Yes, some of the symptoms aren't fun and I'm definitely treading new territory with a lot of what's going on in my body. But every single thing that happens, I try to view as a celebration of the miracle of what's going on in my body. God is shaping my child. There's going to be a personality to get to know, a temperament to adjust to, a will to mold, a soul to invest in. My Child! Iva Polk. Darby Polk. And I know the process of child-bearing is not a foreign one - it's part of the circle of life, having taken places billions and billions of times in the course of history. But that doesn't make it any less miraculous. And it doesn't decrease our anticipation at all!

So to the recruiting members of the "I've Been Pregnant Before and Now I Have All the Answers" Club, I make one request: Take a tip from Joe. Celebrate this child with us. And please don't try to take my happiness and put dread and fear in its place.

Thank you.

Labels: pregnancy