The new "normal" (or I like to say, Color is the new Black!) originally posted June 17, 2010

George and I like to consider ourselves thoughtful people. We set goals and work hard to achieve them. When it comes to enjoying the fun parts of life, we love spontaneity. However, we're pretty calculated people when plotting out the bigger picture. And so far, this has worked very well for both of us. Everyday, we appreciate how fortunate we are to have the family and friends we love, successful careers, to have found each other, and to share the joy of our extended circle of friends and family.

But now, it seems our world is in someone else's hands (and this time, we're not talking about that greater power running the bigger universe)! Since the day we decided we were ready to start a family, seems there was someone else out there telling us it wasn't up to us to decide. After a somewhat long road, it was finally time.

We found out we were pregnant on May 17th, then again on May 18th, and May 21st (I just couldn't trust those faint blue lines, so yes, I went digital). Not long after getting the news, our world got a lot more colorful, and the new "normal" started to settle in. I wasn't overly sick, but always felt something, usually bloated, crampy, and tired.

We had a bit of a scare in week 5. Turns out, again, it was something somewhat common - or "normal" - but at 3am, the crippling pain seemed anything but. After some ultrasounds, we learned it was a cyst on the ovary - actually a good thing that supports the pregnancy. Despite our fears and the pain, the doctors assured us it was all just "normal". The silver lining of this early hospital trip: we got to see ultrasounds about three weeks earlier than originally scheduled. At 6 weeks and 2 days, I witnessed the baby's heart fluttering away at 120 bpm. Admittedly, no family resemblance was visible just yet, but that tiny movement made it all real.

Then the real fun began. And entire Saturday curled up on the chair avoiding even the mere thought of food or movement. Nap times at 10am, and again at 4, bedtime at 9. And now, every meal is determined by the craving of the moment - and just a consideration of something else can come with terrible consequences.

So this is the new normal. Every day brings a little something different, a new challenge, or learning about the next greatest stage of development. We're in the 9th week now, and according to my ticker app, only 220 days to go...til the real fun!

As someone with a closet full of black, I am truly loving every splash of color!