oh canada

Toronto was awesome. We toured a castle, ate delicious Korean food, saw a baseball game, went up the needle (which doesn't hold a candle to Seattle's, but is still pretty great). Visited quite a few breweries (I sniffed but did not sample), gawked at the amazingly attired Fan Expo attendees (Canada's version of Comic-Con), and went to Buskerfest (a street performer fair). We also ate maple doughnuts, which are awesome (again, not as good as Seattle doughnuts, but that's an incredibly high bar, and I try to be fair). And we bought our first onesie. It's an artsy screen-printed onesie that says Canada. (We stole the idea to buy onesies while traveling from Matt & McKenzie. Thanks guys.) Tater is going to be super hip.

One of the things I have to watch these days is my protein intake. My iron levels are fine, and the doctor had zero concerns with my diet, but I'm supposed to be eating 75 grams of protein a day. 75! It's a lot for a vegetarian. MomRo brought me some high-protein snacks, and when I realized that she was a little worried, I decided to start watching my protein a little more closely. I should be fine, so long as I continue gorging on cottage cheese. Mmm.

false start

Brad and I are leaving for a weekend in Toronto with Mom and DadRo tomorrow. Unfortunately, I experience most of my first-semester symptoms in the afternoon/evenings. And the nausea + exhaustion really knocks me out. So the plan is to wake up at the crack of dawn and pack/clean/etc. I'm a rockstar in the mornings.

On to the real update. We had our second "real" ultrasound today. It was supposed to be our genetics testing ultrasound (to look for signs of chromosomal disorders), but they accidentally scheduled it a few days too early. (The tech asked why we scheduled it early. Dear tech: the timing of these things is your area of expertise. You knew the due date. Look elsewhere to affix blame.) So, we are going back in two weeks for another ultrasound. Another chance to see tater!

Everything looked super. Tater was moving around quite a bit. We didn't learn how long s/he is measuring (forgot to ask, and the tech didn't mention it). But the heartbeat was well over 170, so that was super. Pretty sure we caught him/her in the middle of a workout. And tater definitely has two arms and two legs. Good stuff. We got a pretty decent profile shot, and a picture of Tater's two feet. :)

We'll have more pictures in less than two weeks. That will be a fun comparison.

oh, (great) grandad

We shared the news with Aunt Georgia and Granddad today. Thought it would be fun to tell them in person, and we won't be back in Birmingham until Christmas.

Georgia was so tickled. She immediately asked about our favorite gender-neutral colors, so she can start buying baby clothes. Such fun.

Granddad was a bit of a different story. We invited him over for lunch, and we were all sitting around the kitchen table, eating deliciousness. Here's a recap:

Brad: Granddad, we have some news.
Granddad: Yeah?
Brad & Robin: We're pregnant!
Granddad: Great. (editor's note: that's an intentional lack of emphasis in punctuation. if only there was a font that conveyed gruffness.)
Brad: Aren't you excited to be a great-granddad?
Granddad: Not particularly.
[cut to a half hour later]
Granddad: I think I'm going home.

We're pretty sure he was doing cartwheels on the inside. When we told him about the costumed rehearsal dinner, he insisted that he would not be there, and we could tell people that he was dressed as the invisible man. But he was there and had a blast (dressed as a grinning tourist).

Regardless, it was the funniest reaction we've had thus-far. We love you, (great) granddad!!!

let's party like it's 2000

Today was Brad's 10-year high school reunion. (He just missed attending mine, which was held about three years after his actual high school graduation.) Anyhoo, I didn't drink. And no one batted an eye. Probably because it was a hassle to acquire a drink, involving a complicated ticket system and long lines. But the bartender comped my club soda when I told him the ticket system for non-alcoholic beverages was entirely unclear. Drink fiasco aside, it was fun to see his old friends that I already count among mine, and good to meet some new folks.

When we arrived in Birmingham yesterday, MomRo had gifts waiting for us. Brad is the proud owner of two new children's books and I received my first maternity dress! I put it on, and cannot believe that it will fit me in the near future. But it is an cute black jersey dress, and I think I'll be wearing it all the time.

The Robertsons also filled the kitchen with foods that I can't get enough of. Grapefruit juice, of course. Plus spaghetti-os, which I haven't eaten since I lived in the first-year dorm at UVA. Pregnancy can be so odd.