Snow, Snow, Snow...

Snow, Snow, Snow...I guess that is what you expect when we live in Norway (DAD!). We had our first snow fall on the 29th of October. We woke up ot our yard covered in snow. Luckily, I will be coming back to the states in two weeks (Nov 12th). This allows me to avoid the extreme weather until Jan.

Warning, Warning, Warning…this is not pre-term labor!

Round Liagment Pain, definition: sharp pain in the abdomen or hip area that is either on one side or both. Some women even report pain that extends into the groin area. Round ligament pain is considered a normal part of pregnancy as your body goes through many different changes.

I believe that pregnant woman should be warned on this type of pain before it happens and before they completely freak themselves out and their husband. Even though it only lasts for like a couple of seconds, it is very discomforting and downright scary; especially when these pains are sharp, sharp, and did I mention SHARP. They should create a book about all the NORMAL warnings of pregnancy (No Pain, no Gain, Poking and Prodding: the TRUTH). Maybe I will write one since I am just a domestic engineer, which I have to say isn’t my cup of tea. But then again, cleaning and I go together like pickles and ice cream…ha!

I think I am getting better though, however I was informed by my husband today that when I do laundry I need to fold the long sleeve shirts different than the short sleeve shirts. Surprisingly that didn’t bother me (he probably thought I was about to rip his head off but nope); actually I found it quite amusing. He did show me a better way to fold it too, which is also hilarious. Where does he learn this stuff from? I thought I was particular about things.

So to the people who know me well and are amazed that I did not lose my cool (I know I am kind of amazed too, usually I would have slammed a door, yelled at him or just thrown the shirt at him--maybe all three). My reasoning behind not losing my cool is first it was HILARIOUS and mainly he works his butt off every day to provide and pay the bills (including my student loans. I only have a 55 square meter condo that I have to keep clean and I don’t mind the whole laundry thing. It is wonderful to have a great husband (he definitely gets an A+ in the husband department, right now I am probably at a C- but that is okay I am pregnant). I am truly blessed to have an amazing hubbie:)

It's a Boy!!!

Baby Perkins is a BOY!!! At the start of the scan he was sucking on his thumb and taking a nap. However, once getting poked a few times he woke up real fast. The boy is fascinated with his fingers and hands. Might be the first sign he is going to take after his daddy!!! In one of the pictures you can actually see him sucking on his index finger. In the same picture you can see his heart. He was very active during the scan. He was kicking up a storm (probably because he was mad he was woken up) and then he decided to have a bite to eat. By the end of the scan he was tired again and starting sucking on his thumb again. Everything looked great and he is very healthy at the time being. So thank you for your prayers and keep them coming. The midwife told me that I should start feeling him very soon as he kicks with force and sure likes to push against my uterine wall.

Vålerenga har slått Lillestrøm to ganger i år!

Translation: Vålerenga has thumped Lillestrøm two times year! Last night VIF beat Lillestrøm for the second time this year. They are VIF arch rivals. The score was 3-1. The guys played a great game!

Troy is Home!

What makes me happy...not seeing your husband for 12 days and when you do, he is so happy to see you. He has the biggest grin on his face and gives you the biggest bear hug. What makes me more happy...when he sees your ever growing belly (which has doubled in size since he has left)and thinks it is the most fanastic thing ever!

How did we found out?

Everyone has been asking me how I told Troy I was pregnant; well here is the story…

It all started on a Tuesday evening…Troy was gone to an away game and I decided to go and pick up some beer at the market that morning. Well, after a hard day of work (you know the house cleaning, laundry,….haha). I decided I would have a nice cold beer while watching TV. I went, opened up the fridge, grabbed a cold one, and poured it into a wine glass (that is how they drink it over here, actually to think of it they drink everything out of wine glasses.) Well, as soon as I got it out of the damn can, got it into the glass and started to take a sip, it dawned on me that this doesn’t smell good and I really don’t want a beer. First, let me tell you I am NOT an Alcoholic, but for me to turn down a beer (and Norway has some good beer) there must be something wrong with me. So I sat on the sofa and contemplated why on earth I didn’t want a beer. DING, DING, DING….AM I PREGNANT???? Well, of course when that thought came to my head I sure as hell didn’t touch the beer. And of course it is the time of day when all the Apotex’s (pharmacies) are closed (and they don’t carry pregnancy tests in grocery stores). Now I am cussing silently at my husband for bringing me to a country that does not have 24 hour pharmacies or groceries. Of course I am silently cussing because I don’t want my “maybe baby” to hear the words that are running through my head. The poor thing obviously didn’t even have ears at that point, but oh well. So after no sleep and waking up at 8:00am I went to the dreaded Apotek and bought a pregnancy test, of course thinking I was just overreacting about the whole situation. So I get home, pee on the stick, and of course it comes back GRAVID!!! Well, then I think to myself what the hell does that mean. So I rush off the toilet, almost falling on my face, to look up the word in my oh so handy pocket dictionary. Well, of course we all know now that GRAVID equals PREGNANT. I was looking for IKKE GRAVID (not pregnant) because Troy and I weren’t planning on this. (We all know what a planner I am too!) Next, I rush back to the Apotek to buy four more tests because surely that test was wrong because I am on the pill. It even says on my package insert in my birth control that it is 97%-99% effective. So I come home, pee on three of the four sticks (wanted to save one for the morning, just because that is what it says online to do.) I also looked up the instruction online in English because maybe I didn’t do the first one right the first time (even thought I was doubtful, I have counseled too many patients on how to use a pee stick, but this is Norway). But of course the other three and the one the next morning came back positive. There I had it! I was convinced! So now I am like…OH SHIT OH SHIT OH SHIT. The first thought after that was “how am I going to tell Troy?” Well, I went through mixed emotions and convinced myself that Troy was going to be mad at me (we all know I hate it when Troy is mad at me). But then I thought… no he isn’t going to be mad. Well, it was game day and I didn’t want to tell him before the game and I really didn’t want to tell him after the game either because I believe this sort of news needs to be told in person. So I waited another sleepless night until he got home. So I met him at VallHall and as we were walking home, I just busted out in tears and Troy said “Honey what is wrong.” Then I proceeded to tell him that I was pregnant, more tears streaming out of my face and that I was sorry if he was mad at me. Well, of course he wiped my tears away (don’t know why guys do this sweet gesture, just makes me want to cry more because they are being so loving). He told me how could he be mad at me. He had a big smile on his face and just gave me the best bear hug. After I stopped crying and shaking we proceeded on our walk home. He then stated, “I can’t believe you would think I would be mad at you, especially something we made together.” Then I started laughing uncontrollably. We got home and Troy drank all the beer in the fridge and I went to bed.

First Real Pregnancy Craving...

Well, people always ask me what I am craving and I crave the usual: salt, protein, sweets, and pickles. However, today at lunch there was pickled red beets. I know sounds discussing. However, I can not get enough. They are delicious. I think I might just run to the store to get a jar!

Boy or Girl...One Week Left!

Only one week left until we find out the sex of Jellybean. Oh how excited we are!!! It's amazing how excited you get over seeing your babies privates, my bad reproductive organs!!! Can't wait to quit referring to the baby as a it!!! So mark your calendar's.

Oh so Fabulous!!!

They say that pregnancy is SUPPOSE to be glamorous. You are SUPPOSE to have this pregnancy glow, your hair is SUPPOSE to be shinier, your complextion is SUPPOSE to be ravishing, and you are just SUPPOSE to have this great aura around yourself. Well…I can’t wait for this to happen. I am nowhere near any of that. I am not so glamorous (I feel uglier than prettier), I do not have a glow (more like a pale complexion), my hair is a mix between tangles and frizziness (way out of control), my complexion is more of zits and dark circles under my eyes, and I really don’t feel like my aura is shining or broadcasting anything. I spend most of my day contemplating whether or not I am going to be a good mother (know this is normal) and whether or not my baby is going to be healthy (also know this is normal). I know these feeling are all natural. I guess motherhood comes to you naturally, especially in regards to how many baths you give a baby a week or day(woke up panicking about this one after a weird dream), what each cry means etc, etc, etc. They also have great books for the technical things. On the other hand there are some benefits of pregnancy:
1.Never being alone and always having someone to talk too that won’t
tell you to be quiet--Ha!
2.Bigger Breasts (Yes I am almost 34D now)
3.No obsessing over gained weight
4.Maternity Clothes (yes not so fashionable but oh so comfortable)
5.Great Nails!!!
6.The shopping for little clothes, shoes, and toys for the little one
7.And best of them all THE BABY!!!
Yes, the baby makes everything worth it. Knowing that you are growing a human being in your belly is one of the most amazing, incredible experiences that any woman would be blessed to go through. So if asked would I do it all over again…ABSOLUTELY!

Philippians 4:6-7
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.").

USA heads to Trindad...

Troy arrived late last night in the Port of Spain, Trindad. I haven't spoken with him but did manage to read that the USA team arrive safely and were at the hotel. They will play on Wednesday night and the game will be televised on ESPN 8pm ET. Here is the 18 man roster: U.S. ROSTER VS. TRINIDAD & TOBAGO
GOALKEEPERS (2): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa: 2/2 SO), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF: 0/0)
DEFENDERS (6): Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA: 0/0), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland: 2/0), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew: 13/1), Michael Orozco (San Luis: 0/0), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock: 6/0), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC: 0/0)
MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco: 3/0), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers: 20/6), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers: 3/0), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA: 4/0), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids: 11/0), Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio: 1/0) José Francisco Torres (Pachuca: 1/0)
FORWARDS (3): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal C.F.: 1/1), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF: 0/0), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew: 0/0)

Washington Post Interview with Troy by Steve Goff

A Few Minutes With Troy Perkins
What's it like being back in Washington?

"It's weird. I actually came out to D.C. United training [Tuesday morning] to say hi to everyone because I never really got a chance to say goodbye last winter. It was funny because Ben Olsen was out here on the practice field, trash-talking with everyone as usual, and he kind of looked over and looked at me and then turned back around. I just kept walking and then he turned around again and recognized me. I said, 'That's right, it's me!' He came running over. It was good to see those guys."

Overall, how have things gone for you with Valerenga?

"it's been a good move. For my career, I feel like I have made huge strides. I am in a good environment with a great club that I feel apart of and grown to love."

How would you describe the level of play in Norway?

"It's quite good. It's a lot faster than MLS and you have all the big guys because all the athletes play football there. It's physical, like in England, but obviously closer to the Championship division than the Premiership. You don't have the technical players. There are some, but not as many as you find in England."

More below.....


How's the language and culture in Norway?

"The language sucks. It's a tough one to learn. Everyone speaks English and they love to speak English with you. You start speaking English to them, they think it's great. Oslo is a fantastic city and we have a lot of friends there now. Socially, it's getting better and better."

Is your wife working there?

"No. She graduated from Auburn with a degree in pharmacy, and she can't get a job in Norway because she doesn't speak Norwegian. She could be a pharmacist or work alongside a doctor. She was going to come back here to Washington to work and learn the language, but then we found out she's pregnant. So she has stayed. The health care takes care of everything. It has worked out in the end. She'll learn the language there and, that way, when we're settled with the baby, she'll be ready to go."

When do you find out you were being called into U.S. camp?

"It was only a week or two ago. It was a fax to our sports director. He showed it to me. To be honest, even after that fax arrived, I didn't think it was going to happen. I thought it was just an early list that they came up with and I would be the fourth goalkeeper on it. But when the plane ticket showed up, I got a big smile. It was finally nice to have that chance again [after being in one other camp, in early 2007]. I'm here to get better, to learn, no matter what position I am in, and leave a good impression with these guys."