To zap or not to zap...

Okay, so registering has long been a troubled source with Mitch and I. After we got engaged, we headed out to the appropriate stores to register. I think we were both very excited to zap items with our handy-dandy register gun. But, as we walked around Hecht's, Crate and Barrel, William Sonoma, and Linen's N Things we kept asking each other the same question.

"Do we need this?"

I mean, honestly, a $50 pizza cutter, a waffle maker(cool, yes-but ask yourself how many times you have used yours), 12 $30 wine goblets(and all those other sets of glasses they swear you need), serving platters for this and that. The list goes on, but you get what I am saying. We had lived together for a while and had a lot of stuff like blenders, plates, and towels. So, when we registered it was very low key. I did want my wedding china and silver. I do admit to that. But, other than that, we registerd for very little and practically.

The point is, Mitch and I are not the best at registering. We just don't get gun happy and we always look at items reasonably. But, seeing as we have nothing baby related and baby needs a lot we headed to Babies R Us this weekend to start a registry. It went alright. We registered for a few big ticket items and looked around for a bit before deciding we would be better off coming home to research, discard, and select. We have to do things in stages and Mitch loves to weigh out all the options. I get a little overwhelmed while in stores and trying to decide whether I need this or that. And frankly, there was a lot in the store that just seemed like a lot of fuss. A poncho for your stroller(I don't plan on getting stuck in a monsoon), a bassinet that really is useless after a few months, and baby monitors with little tv's. Again, I could go on. And then, do we need a bouncer, swing, and glider. Why do I need a Baby Jumper and an Activity Jumper?

Don't get me wrong. Registering is enjoyable and I love doing it. I just may be a little bit more modest when it comes to the process than others. So, over the next few weeks we will be researching baby stuff and selecting and discarding from our list. It seems like it would be easier to have just gone in and got everything in one visit-we just don't operate that way:)

We Have a Heartbeat!

Not that we thought we didn't, it is just up until today we had not heard such a gorgeous sound. We headed to the doctor for our 12 week appointment this morning. I was super excited because I thought we might get to see the baby, but alas today was just an informative appointment. We got brochures about babies, classes, and tests. They took down some stats, asks questions, and I gave up some blood. I was starting to get anxious when the nurse finally said we could go into the examination room to hear the heartbeat. We waited patiently as the nurse tried to locate the baby. As she inched toward the right side of my stomach we suddenly heard our little one's heartbeat. We squeezed each other's hands and smiled. I swear Mitch was a little dusty:)
HAPPY HEARTBEAT DAY!

(Great) Grandparent's Day

At 10 weeks, Mitch and I decided it was time to let our grandparents in on our little secret. Of course, I had been dying to tell anyone what was going on. I just had not decided when we should tell . I spoke to my father to let him know my last doctor's appoinment had gone well and he mentioned that he noticed Grandparent's Day was coming up (surely invented by Hallmark, by the way) on his planning calendar at work. I had never heard of this day before. But, never being one to pass up a situation decided this would be the day to tell all of our grandparents. Plus, my father and brother were going crazy seeing my grandpa every Monday at my Dad's office and not being able to say a word about the baby on the way.
So, we gave Mitch's grandparents in Arizona and North Carolina a call to tell them our news. We, also, headed to my grandfather's apartment in Alexandria and my grandmother's house in Arlington on Grandparent's Day. We had a great time visiting with my grandparents and each got a card with a tiny sonogram photo of their great-grandchild.


Here are some photos from the day. Notice all the posed of Mitch and I. My grandma kept finding roses in her garden to add to the photos:) Poor Mitch. If you know my mom and my grandmother, you should know they love pictures and nothing pleases them more then to make you pose over and over again. Mitch has been subjected to this for years now and he is a good sport. And, I don't mind because I have inherited this ridiculous love of taking pictures.

Mitch and I on the steps of my favorite part of my grandmother's backyard

Uncle Gary, Grandpa, and Mitch and I

Momma, Grandpa, and Mitch and I

Mitch, Me, Grandma, and Floyd

Mitch, Cat, Grandma, and Mom

Four Generations(Baby not pictured)

More posing for Mitch:)

Backstreet Boys

Yep, you read right. I headed to Wolf Trap to see Girlicious and the Backstreet Boys this past Monday. Surprisingly, I was impressed with the show. It was fun to sit with my girlfriends and reminisce my late youth. I proudly admit that I jammed to these boys, especially on long drives to visit Mitch in college.
And yes, I loved the beginning with the Rocky theme.

Telling the Family

This past weekend we called Mitch's parents and Russ and Michelle to give them the good news. We, also, had my family over for a famly brunch. We enjoyed a yummy lunch before giving my father a book, "Why I Love My Grandpa" and my mother, "Grandmothers Are Like Snowflakes."

It was so much fun and a relief to share our happy news with our families. Now, keeping quiet for another six weeks will be a struggle:)

The Milchak Family + Baby

Celebrating Six Weeks

We headed out to the Cheesecake Factory this past weekend to celebrate Baby Z.

Six Weeks Pregnant, and yes I changed my wrap...could not decide which color to wear to dinner, hee, hee.

Mitch is a Daddy

One of the most precious things to find out is that you are going to be a mommy. It is amazing to think that in 9 months you will bring a life into this world. And during those months you will house and protect your tiny baby. You will experience a closeness to your child that no one else ever will. It is an unexplainable feeling. You want to shout out to everyone that you are expecting a bundle of joy.
So, how do you share this amazing news with your husband. You shower him with gifts and books, of course. At least I did. I wanted Mitch to feel close to the baby, as well. So, I went out and bought onesies, Daddy and Me Books, stuffed animals, etc. I placed them all on the table in our home, so they would be the first things he saw upon arriving home from a 24-hour shift at the fire station.
Discovering you are going to be a mommy is a wonderful moment. However, seeing your husband's face sink in that he is going to be a daddy is the most memorable moment I have experienced thus far in our journey to parenthood.

Mitch and the adorable "We're Expecting" card I found

The Staging of Gifts

Alligator and Lovebug Onesies

A Boy or a Girl, we won't know for 9 more months

The Wine Lover's Onesies

DAD!

At least 20 or so Daddy and Me related books

Mitch loved alligators as a child, so this was very fitting...