I had a wonderful birthday this year thanks to my colleagues, my mom and my husband. My colleagues spent the evening before decorating my desk area so that when I arrived at my desk on the morning of my birthday I couldn't even find my desk. Mu cube was filled with red and blue balloons. Streamers were hanging from the ceiling and stars were hanging form the lights. And of course, confetti was sprinkled EVERYWHERE.
Mom spent the day painting the baby's room a beautiful shade of creamy tan ("Creamy Camel" is the exact name). The best way I can describe it is the color of Classic Winnie the Pooh's fur. It's a great neutral color and the Pooh window valances and diaper hanger (also courtesy of Mom) give it a warm and inviting feeling. We're looking forward to finishing up the Pooh theme, but we're trying to take our time.
In the evening, Eric brought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers and then took both me and mom our for dinner at one of my favorite local restaurants "Muffuletta." Dinner was great and it reminded me a bit of dining in Maastricht. The atmosphere was cheery and warm. We had a nice long dinner without feeling rushed away from our table at all. We enjoyed our meals and then were treated to a birthday desert on the house. It was such a pleasant birthday dinner and so nice to spend some time with both Eric and my mom.
This year, the baby gave me my favorite birthday present. While it may have been due to the sugar high from all of the treats that my colleagues brought and on which we snacked all morning, at 10:30 the baby was doing the hula in my belly. It was the first time I was sure I could feel the baby. Every pregnant woman seems to describe the feeling differently. To me it felt like a little worm wiggling and poking around. It was quite different than any other movement I had felt before. So we're calling July 2 the day of quickening (meaning the first feeling of the baby's movements). I was so excited I couldn't wait to tell Eric. We both can't wait until the baby is strong enough for Eric to feel him or her move too.
The next ultrasound is approaching... July 15. We haven't yet decided if we'll find out the baby's sex, but in case we do... remember to vote for whether you think it's a boy or a girl (voting buttons on the right side of the page).
