Big news!

We haven't posted in quite a while largely because we've been harboring a secret. Ryan and I are going to be parents! I'm 12.5 weeks pregnant and we just had our first ultrasound showing that everything is healthy and on track, so now we are sharing the news with the world.

While I've been around kids my entire life, I'm very nervous about being a parent for the first time. I'm not 100% confident in my skills to be a patient and nurturing mother. I'm selfish. I require more sleep than the average person. I like being in control. I love my job. I enjoy our quiet and peaceful home. At a time when most mothers-to-be fret over the health of the baby, I'm most anxious about balancing my career, which I will not give up, with a healthy and happy home life.

One critical lesson I've learned so far is to go with the flow. Right now, the bun is healthy and thriving in the oven, and I'm starting to feel better. Ryan is working hard to finish the basement, and I'm shifting my attention to other priorities like lining up day care (believe it or not, I'm actually way behind on this front because many day cares in Seattle have waiting lists of a year or more).

This laid back attitude stops when it comes to what the call the fetus. Originally, Ryan called the baby "blasto" because it was a blastocyst. I've been calling it a "bun" but that lacks creativity. Ryan has moved on to "the spawn", which I'm not crazy about since I work a lot on salmon recovery issues. As much as I love my job, I want to keep my personal life separate from my work life.

Stay tuned for regular updates, observations, and quirky stories of our experiences in the months ahead.

The first look at the bun.
During the ultrasound, the baby was moving and kicking up a storm. Ryan thinks this means the baby is a future soccer star.