A Smorgasbord: Adorableness, Squished Bladders & Massages

The life of an actor is just getting cuter.  So I've been auditioning for a commercial this week.  Well, the first call was two weeks ago and callbacks were this week.  I was pretty excited to get a callback and then even more excited when I got a second callback for the spot today.  Why was I so excited?  Well, yes, because it would be great to book a job.  But also because I would play the mom of a toddler in the spot and today was the day when they were bringing in all the kids.  Oh. My. Gosh. Guys.  The kids were so cute!!  And they were all little boys, which just made me even more excited to meet my little boy in a few months.  Seriously, there was a cute-spolsion occurring in this casting office today and I was happy to be a part of it.

So my morning was spent with adorable toddlers and now I'm home, already in my sweats, because it's raining out and getting cozy felt like the right thing to do.  Sure, I have some errands to run but they might just have to wait.  I've got rain tap-tap-tapping on the window, Christmas songs playing, the Christmas tree lighting up the grey day and I'm contemplating making some chocolate chip cookies.  'Tis the season for cookies!

We started our childbirth classes last night.  We are doing a four-week series, where each class meets for 2 1/2 hours.  There are nine couples and we're all expecting in either late January or February, so it was interesting meeting everyone and seeing how different we all seem to be even though we are expecting around the same time.  One woman is due in late January and she is ready to be done.  Uncomfortable and big and swearing this is the first and last child.  Another woman, who is also expecting in late January, looks smaller than me.  And I get, "You're seven months?? No way!" all the time. That same woman said that she was bedridden for the first two months of her pregnancy.  Just miserably sick.  I am so glad I was spared sickness in the beginning!

The class focuses on preparing you for childbirth and yesterday we went over the different stages of labor and what physically is happening to both the mother's body and with the baby.  It was really fascinating.  I think I was most surprised by how squished the bladder becomes once the baby drops down a few weeks before delivery.  Dear goodness.  The only thing positive about a bladder that squished is that the baby will be arriving soon!  That's what I'll be repeating to myself when I basically have to move into the bathroom later in this pregnancy.  And I thought I pretty much lived there now! We also watched a video that covered the different stages of labor. It followed four different couples as they labored and then they were interviewed post-partum.  I'm surprised - really surprised - that the graphic videos of the actual birth process aren't freaking me out more.  I could hear quite a few squeals of discomfort from some of our classmates as we watched but I felt oddly calm watching the babies be born.  I always figured I'd be pretty squeamish when I saw videos like this so I've pretty much avoided them.  But...it's not as bad as I've made it out in my head.

This class is also a lamaze class so we learned a few different breathing techniques last night but my favorite part was when our support partners (aka, for me, my husband) were taught how to properly massage our legs and feet while we're laboring to help us relax.  When I'm in that much pain, I'm not sure if I'm going to want anyone touching me, but last night?  It was quite a lovely treat!  I am treating myself to a prenatal massage for Christmas and if I was excited before, I'm leaping with anticipation now.  I don't realize how sore and in need of a massage I am until one happens. I noticed this the other night too when my back was hurting and my husband rubbed it to help ease the pain.  I think I need to make my appointment asap.  Any LA mamas have a recommendation on where to go?  I usually go to Ole Henriksen for spa treatments and they offer a prenatal massage so I was thinking of going there.  But I'm very open to suggestions!

Hope you all enjoy your weekend!  Can you believe tomorrow is December??

The Commercial that Made Me Cry

So this commercial made me stop in my tracks on the way to the bathroom last night.  And for some reason I can't find the 30 second version of the spot online, which is what I saw, and that had the tagline at the end that really got me crying.  Since I can't find it online, I'll write it here.  In fact, I can't repeat the line aloud without tearing up:

"Because Carter's knows, when a child is born...so is a mom."

I mean...right???  That made me boohoo!!  Even without the teary tagline, this is such a sweet spot.  Those ad execs know what they are doing.

Stroller, Shipping & Facebook

Walmart delivers!  Both literally and figuratively.  I mentioned that I ordered our stroller on Black Friday because it was marked down and had cheap shipping.  Well, right after I posted that, there was a knock at the door.  Our stroller was here!  If you're playing along at home, that basically took one business day.  Having ordered a lot of different things online at this point, I can safely say that was the fastest delivery yet.  And really the fastest delivery possible.  And you know what?  It came via FedEx.  Everything else has been shipped UPS and takes at least 7-10 days.  FedEx is the winner!

I ended up ordering the stroller that I was contemplating last month, the Baby Trend Jogger Travel System, and so far, I like it.  I mean, what do I know really?  I haven't exactly gone for a spin around the block yet since I'd feel strange strapping in a teddy bear, in place of a baby, but it looks nice and sturdy and like it will do the trick.  The one thing is...it's large.  Maybe too large?  Definitely not something you can take casually to travel.  I wanted a jogger stroller that was rugged and sturdy so that I could go on long walks around my neighborhood, eventually jog with it when I'm feeling up to it and, eventually-eventually, take it on hikes at Runyon, my local hiking spot.  I think it's going to be the perfect stroller for that.  But for shopping?  Or flying?  I think I'm going to have to look into lighter-weight options.  Any suggestions??

Bonus about this stroller so far is that it folds easily for storage purposes, which is great for our space.  I still have some more playing around to do with it to figure out all of it's little quirks but I also love that it came with the infant car seat.  I nearly teared up (thanks, hormones!) when I saw the little infant head support that comes in the seat.  It's so tiny and sweet!  Just like my little man is going to be!  My-oh-my!  I'm 28 weeks along as of today, so needless to say, this is all getting very real.  I've been in surreal land for most of my pregnancy so far but things are finally sinking in!

Also!  If you're on Facebook, please "like" the new Project: Baby/Project: Mom page so that you can be alerted when a new post is up.  And if you came to this post because you already liked the page??  YOU ROCK!  Thank you so much for liking and following along.  It means a lot!  And it's nice to know that I'm not just talking to myself anymore...!

Winding down and Winding up

I'm hungry again.

Thanksgiving!  It was delicious and abundant and fun and another one for the books.  We had a great time with our friends, who are also expecting.  We sipped sparkling cider and toasted to this being our last Thanksgiving without kids.  Hard to believe that next year we'll each have a new mouth to feed that is way cuter than any mouths we've seen before.  Sitting around and talking pregnancy-shop with Emily was particularly fun.  Comparing symptoms, talking registries, which products are best for each of us and just having someone to relate to in general was great.  I have the What To Expect app on my phone and am part of the "February board" on the forums, so I read through what different women around the world who are due around the same time as me are saying but I've never participated on the boards.  I'm a lurker.  So it was fun to actually have a dialogue!

I love the pace of Thanksgiving weekend too.  I know a lot of people enjoy going shopping on Black Friday but dealing with crowds and getting up early are two of the things I like least so we skip those shenanigans.  The next day we slept in, hung out, had leftovers, went for a long walk on a foggy beach and played board games before heading back home.  I also was showing Emily the stroller I had picked out online and noticed it was marked down by twenty dollars and shipping was only 97 cents, so I went ahead and ordered it.  So I guess I did get a little Black Friday shopping done after all!

The winding down from Thanksgiving lasts about a day though because then it's on to winding up and decorating for Christmas!  I love getting a tree and we had this bad boy donned licketysplit.

Sipped some decaf peppermint mocha while making this
happen. It was divine.

When we were picking out the tree, the guy helping us asked if wanted a few of the lower branches trimmed off.  I said, "Nah, we aren't actually putting gifts under it.  Next year though!"  Then I patted my belly.  Christmases are just going to be fun times a thousand from here on out.

Other key developments from this past holiday weekend:

• I think I gained about two pounds.  I blame the sweet potato casserole.  And pie.  And turkey. And stuffing.  And the human growing inside of me.
• We got a rocker/recliner! Spent most of my day in it yesterday...both rocking and reclining.  I think it'll do the trick.
• We picked up the crib mattress.  Last trip to Babies R Us for awhile...I hope!
• Baby got his first pair of shoes! Two pairs, actually.  Steve and Emily had a generous gift bag waiting for us when we arrived on Thanksgiving full of lots of fun goodies for the baby.
• Baby has been very active.  Especially yesterday and this morning.  His new favorite place to kick me is right under my right ribs.  I feel you, Baby.  I'm glad you're there.

Lots going on this week!  A few more deliveries for the nursery are expected to arrive today, we have our 28 week check up with the doctor, we start our four-week childbirth class at the hospital and I'm sure other fun things will pop up along the way.  It's that time of year when everything seems to be in fast-forward!

Third Trimester!

Today marks the first day of my third trimester!  I can't believe it's here already.  It seems like just yesterday that we were looking at the results on a stick and seeing two lines.  Then it seemed like time crawled before we could tell people we were expecting.  When we finally did, time sped up. And now everything is going too fast!  I feel like I went to sleep on Monday and woke up a size larger on Tuesday.  And it's not even Thanksgiving yet!  I plan on growing at least another size after feasting tomorrow.  Of course, that growth might not take place just in my belly.  Those sweet potatoes are bound to take up residence at the back of my house...if you know what I mean.

Planning on getting the potato dishes done today and then making the apple pie tomorrow while the rest of dinner is being prepared.  I like how I conveniently volunteered to make all the sweet stuff for tomorrow's dinner. Yummm.  To balance things out, I also volunteered to make the green beans.  So there will be at least one healthy thing on the table!  My husband wanted cream corn and I said, sure, I can do that.  I started looking up recipes, trying to determine what would be the yummiest way to do this and when we to the store he said, "Oh no, I just want the corn out of the can."  "Are you sure?"  "Oh yeah."  "Well...ok then."  The man knows what he wants!  I picked up two cans and that is what he is bringing to dinner.  May not be the "best" way but it sure as heck is the easiest way!

I hope wherever you are and however you're celebrating, you have a wonderful, plentiful Thanksgiving holiday!  See you on Monday, when the house will be decorated for Christmas and we'll all be a few pounds...fuller!

Project Nursery: Assembly Required

I am strange in that I love putting together furniture.  "Assembly required" is not a phrase that I mind.  It's like a puzzle when you unpack all of the pieces and screws and allen wrench and when it's all done, there is a sense of, "I did that!" that I love.  So when the changing table I picked out arrived on Friday, I was super excited to start assembling on Saturday morning!  Hubby and I unpacked and dug in.  After about an hour, we had the changing table all ready to go.  Space is limited in Baby Boy's room and as much as I would have liked to get a low dresser that I could have just plopped a changing pad on for now and continued to use later, the dimensions of the room didn't allow it.  So, thanks to Pinterest, I found a corner changing table that fits perfectly in the space.  It has shelves that I can store wipes, diapers, creams and such on.  And it has a hamper, which was a big selling feature for me.  I didn't know where I'd be able to keep a hamper in his room so this works perfectly.  Plus, with the handle on the hamper, I can easily transport it to the laundry room without having to re-bag it.

Ta-da!

I really love the changing table.  The changing pad that came with it?  Not so much.  It's thin and the washable cover smells terrible.  The problem is, the space for the pad is 30 inches instead of the standard 32 inches for a changing pad.  No big deal, I thought.  I can just order the slightly smaller size online.  But see how the back of the table becomes a triangle to fit into a corner?  That's how the changing pad that came with it is shaped.  And I can't find a changing pad online that has that same shape.  They are all rectangles, which means that I'd have to push the table out from the wall quite a bit to accomodate it.  When I put the pad that came with it actually on the table, it doesn't feel too thin.  It actually feels firm and well-supported.   So I think I'm going keep it.  Now I just need to figure out the cover for it.  My mother-in-law can sew well so I may ask her help me make a few over Christmas.  And I'm going to soak the cover that came with it in some Woolite and hope that helps remove some of the packaging smell.  It really is an awful smell.  

What else did we tackle in the nursery this weekend?  We bought a crib mattress from Babies R Us.  Is it just my local store or are all Babies R Us's terribly staffed, run and kind of dirty?  I hate going there but it is the most convenient one to where I live.  What should have taken fifteen minutes to order took about an hour because the woman helping us didn't know about the crib promotion that they've been running in-store for at least a month.  I don't want to get into it all but every time I have gone there I have had some sort of problem.  At this point, I'd rather drive forty-five minutes to Santa Clarita so I can shop peacefully and with people who know what they are doing at BuyBuy Baby.  I know this paragraph has sounded snotty but if I had one bad experience at this store, fine, these things happen.  But something has gone awry on all four or five trips I've taken there in the past few months.  Shame on me for continuing to shop there!  This past time will be the last time though.  I've learned my lesson.

And last, but not least, we got a rocker!  There is no room in Baby's room for any sort of rocking chair, so we made space downstairs for one.  It's stuffed and oversized and we got it on sale, so that was a bonus.  It gets delivered tomorrow and I'm excited to start using it.  I'm also a little nervous that it will fit in the space we cleared for it...there might have to be some major rearranging happening tomorrow!  We'll see!

Thanksgiving Week!

From my first time hosting Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  It trumps Christmas, New Years and even my birthday.  Which, ok, fine, isn't an official holiday unless you're in my world...then it is.  Why do I love Thanksgiving so much?  I love that it is a holiday with no expectations beyond being thankful for what you have, where you are and what the year has brought.  The gift is the gratitude.  And I am a big fan of the food.  I was so excited when I found out I was pregnant - for the obvious reasons - but I was also excited that I'd be in the prime of my pregnancy during the holidays.  Would I like an extra serving of sweet potato casserole?  Well, I am eating for two...  Pass the yummy, there's a baby in my tummy!

This is where having our families on the east coast gets especially hard.  We have been alternating holidays with each side of the family for years now.  One year it's a Baltimore Thanksgiving and a Florida Christmas.  The next it's a Florida Thanksgiving and a Baltimore Christmas.  It's a lot of travel within a few weeks but it was worth it.  However, a few years back, we decided that while the traveling isn't so bad, the paying to travel is a bit ridiculous.  I think it should be illegal for the airlines to hike their prices for the holidays but no such legislation has been passed (yet!  I should get on top of writing a proposal) so we decided to start staying home for Thanksgiving and saving at least a thousand dollars in the process.  It's been difficult being away from our families on my favorite holiday but we've made adjustments that make up for it.  First, since we miss Thanksgiving with the fam, we started a new tradition called "Febsgiving."  It's where we travel in February, when airfare is MUCH more reasonable, to see the family we should have seen at Thanksgiving.  We make it a long weekend, everyone gets together without other holiday obligations thwarting plans, and we have a feast!  This year we're having everyone come to us for Febsgiving though...since we'll have a brand new baby boy!  We also found out that a lot of dear friends here in Los Angeles didn't travel for both holidays either because of the piracy of the skies, so we started celebrating Thanksgiving together with big potluck gatherings.

Most of our friends that we've celebrated with in years past though got the opportunity to go home for Thanksgiving this year so, instead of a big friends-gathering, we are going low key with our dear friends Steve and Emily...who are also expecting their first baby!  Emily is due about four weeks after me, which has been so much fun.  Steve and my husband have been friends since high school and Steve was even in our wedding.  We love that they live out here in California now (Emily is originally from here!) and we get to hang out and spend time together.  And I can't wait to have a pregnant feast with them!  We've had an email chain going about what goodies we all want to bring to the table and I have a feeling we'll have enough food to last a week.  Although, with two pregnant women in the house, guessing how far food quantity will go is a risky gamble.  Thankful, indeed!

More tomorrow on baby-specific things.  We got some more work done on the nursery and made some more big ticket furniture purchases (ouch) over the weekend.  Lots to share...and be thankful for!

Baby Kick Wives' Tales: True or False?

Close up of his feet at 20 week ultrasound.
They look huge to us but the doctor said
that they are normal-sized. Mmhmm.

Little one was having a party in my belly last night.  He always seems to get a little more active after I eat strawberries - one of my favorite night time snacks - but it's weird to me because I eat them and like ten minutes later, kick-kick-kickety-kick.  I would think if he's responding to the sugar in the fruit, then it would take a little longer for that to get to him.  But I'm no doctor (just hopin' to play one on TV).  Last night I could feel him roll, kick, punch and doing jumping jacks, it seemed.  After awhile I pulled up my shirt and started to watch the show.  It is definitely a weird sensation to see my belly jump as I feel him moving from the inside.

I'm 26 weeks along now but have been feeling him kick since very early on.  I mentioned to my doctor at my 16 week check up that I thought I could feel him moving.  And she said, "It's a little early but you should start feeling him in the next few weeks or so."  And then I explained, "Well, it feels like little flicks from the inside every once in awhile."  And she said, "Hmm, that sounds about right."  The week before we were in Big Sur and had just finished a two-mile hike when I felt a flick-flick-flick, all in a row along the left side of my belly.  I had felt a little flick or two before that that I had wondered if it could be the baby but I couldn't be sure.  The movement after the hike was distinct though and I was pretty certain that was the baby moving and not any other internal happenings.  Having my doctor say the following week that that sounded right confirmed it for me.

I bring this up because I'm curious about other mothers' experiences.  My mother-in-law says that her two boys were very different in the womb and that their level of activity was really reflected in their personalities once they were born.  Has anyone else noticed that with their kids?  Like, did you have a super active kicker that ended up being a little active baby?  Or did you have a super active kicker that ended up being a laid back and docile child?  Or the opposite!  Did you have a baby in the belly that was chill who ended up being a little spitfire once they debuted?  If level of activity in utero indicates the child's personality, then I've got my hands full once this baby comes into the world!

I want to hear all about it!  Leave a comment and let me know:  Is this an old wives' tale that holds up?  Or should I kick it to the curb? 

(sorry. I couldn't resist. hashtag: funwithpuns)

Bits and Pieces

This has been a strange week for me.  I mentioned that my back has been hurting and I also mentioned that I seemed to have aggravated it on my hike last Wednesday.  So I've been taking it easy since then. Thought I'd just take a few days off from my exercise plan and then be ready to get back into the swing of things.  Well, it's been six days and my back still is tweaked.  It definitely seems to be on the mend and I might even attempt a walk today.  But there is still some residual pain. I tweaked it good, y'all.  Things are definitely different when you're pregnant!  They aren't kidding when they say that joints and flexibility and balance all start to shift when there's a baby in your belly.

I feel like there are some bits and pieces to wrap up that we've talked about recently so here they are:

1.  Glucose Test:  I think I passed!  I drank that orange concoction, had my blood drawn on Nov. 2 and I haven't heard anything from my doctor yet so...I think I'm in the clear.  She said "no news is good news" and I love that my phone hasn't rang.  

2.  Flu Shot:  I've decided NOT to get it.  After doing more research and hearing more about my husband's family history with flu shot complications, I decided it'd be a risk.  At this point, there is a risk either way - whether I get it or not - so I've chosen "not."  I'm being very diligent about hygiene, eating right, taking my vitamins and getting plenty of rest.  I'm also being very vocal with my friends and people I spend time with.  If you're not feeling well, we can hang out another time.

3.  Business of Being Born: I was nervous about watching this documentary because I know I'm having a hospital birth, no matter what.  I was worried that I'd doubt my decision and be frightened by the statistics offered in the film.  I expressed my fears here.  I expressed them to my husband.  So when he came downstairs about halfway through the doc and sees me sobbing big tears, he got a stricken look on his face.  "Oh no," he said. "What happened??"  And I sobbed back, "It's...just...so...beautiful. I'm...so...lucky..."  Needless to say, he was a little relieved. The birth scenes had me all verklempt, guys.  And the film itself didn't scare me.  I thought it gave a really interesting overview of the history of birth in America and interesting insight into those who choose to have an at-home birth.  I highly recommend watching it if you are considering having an all-natural birth or just want to understand a little bit more about why someone would choose to do that.

4.  Nursery:  Is coming along!  Two big things happened on Saturday.  Dan got the room painted AND the crib arrived so he assembled it!  We love both.  We still need to get a mattress for the crib.  Any suggestions out there?  I also ordered the changing table and a rug.  Still on the hunt for a dresser but once I find that, all the key pieces will be in place.  Then it will be time to decorate the walls and find the right window treatments.  Hope to have it all done before the end of the year and can't wait to show it to you!

A Day of Rest (ok, maybe two days)

Snuggling with Winston the Teddy
Bear yesterday. A friend gave us him
as a gift for the baby. Just keeping him
company until Baby arrives.

I mentioned in my last post that my back pain is acting up again.  I think I may have aggravated something on my hike Wednesday.  It's basically on the left side of my lower back and if I turn the wrong way (like to dry my hands after washing dishes) or bend the wrong way (like to get something out of the fridge) or lift my leg up (like to go up the stairs) or turn over (while sleeping), there is a seizing, sharp pain.  To summarize, it's not fun.

Yesterday I decided to take the day off from my exercise routine and basically everything else so that I could rest my back.  This meant no cleaning, no errand running, no laundry and I ended up not leaving my house.  I caught up on some writing, reading and knitting and it was a good day to do it.  We had a rare gray and rainy day yesterday in LA.  I swanned around in my maternity support brace and thought I'd be good as new today.

Nope. Still hurts.

It doesn't seem to be as severe today, which is encouraging, so I'm going to try to get a few things done instead of mandating a day of rest.  I know that a day of rest sounds wonderful - and I am beyond lucky that I could take one - but just doing nothing can get really boring.  And make you feel like you're an unproductive human being.  I'm sure this a deeply ingrained character flaw but I always feel like I should be embarrassed for having a lazy day.  I feel a sense of guilt.  But then I remind myself that I'M GROWING A HUMAN* and I should give myself a break.

After I take care of a few errands today, I'm going to spend the afternoon resting.  I saw that The Business of Being Born is available for free on-demand and I think I'm going to finally force myself to watch it.  I've heard nothing but great things about this documentary but I've been very hesitant to sit down with it.  First of all because I know I'm going to have a hospital birth and I know that they give a lot of scary statistics about doing that.  So I didn't want to flood my head with negative thoughts.  But I also know that the hospital I'm going to is one of the best in the country so that eases my mind a bit.  I've decided to watch it because I am toying with the idea of having a natural birth and since I've educated myself on the pain management options at my hospital, it's time I educate myself on the flip-side of the equation.  A very big part of me wants to just go into labor and delivery in an "ignorance is bliss" bubble but I know that, in the end, being educated is going to help me understand and feel more in control of all my options once the time comes.  And knowledge will help lower my stress levels.  And hopefully that will help me have a smoother delivery.

These are the things I tell myself.

(* = did you see Modern Family this week? Gloria is like, "Aye, I'm so tired." And Manny is like, "How can you be tired? You just woke up." And she shouts back, "I don't know...maybe because I'm TURNING FOOD INTO A HUMAN!"  My husband gave the side-eye because I am always saying this to him.  "I'm tired. It's a lot of work making a baby!")

Fun Way to Track Pregnancy

As soon as we found out I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to take weekly pictures to track the pregnancy.  I had seen so many cute ways other people had done this but I just wasn't sure what would be the best way for us.  Some of my favorites are when people photoshop the week onto the picture.  But I don't have photoshop so that was out.  I thought about just holding a number that we had made out of construction paper or something but that didn't seem fun enough.  So I did a quick google search and that is how I found the Little Baby Garvin blog.  Jessica Garvin is a new momma to Baby Harper and a chalkboard artist who tracked her pregnancy with her weekly chalkboard designs.  Her typography and design skills far surpass my abilities but playing with chalk looked so fun and I knew I had found the best way to track my pregnancy.  I looked back through her posts to check out her chalkboards and now I officially follow her blog.  It's been fun following along because her daughter was due February 22 of this year and I'm due February 20th of next.  It's like a little glimpse into the future when I read her posts.  I get to think, "Fun! Baby S. will be four months old in July!  That'll be good time to travel." or "Oh my goodness, Halloween is going to be so fun next year.  Look how adorable her baby is!"

Jessica has a great tutorial on how to make your own chalkboard which is a fantastic option for you crafty mavens out there.  I always fancied myself as crafty so I thought I'd make one myself too.  I went out and got chalkboard paint and was about to go thrifting to find a good-sized picture to paint (see her tutorial) but then I read the instructions on the paint.  You had to let it dry and set for 72 hours and I didn't have the time.  You see, I wanted to be accurate when tracking our weeks and take a picture on the same day every week which means I was in a time crunch to get a chalkboard up and running.  I basically needed it the day I found I was pregnant.  I'm a bit of a stickler for these things.  So instead of getting crafty I ran to Office Depot.  They basically laughed at me when I asked if they had any chalkboards.  They were like, "We have dry erase boards....you archaic animal."  Ok, that last part was added by me. But that was what their eyes were saying!  So then I went to Staples and sheepishly asked - afraid of being ridiculed - if they had chalkboards and they were like, "Sure, over here by the children's supplies."  Victory!  They only had one size and it wasn't as big as I would have liked but it was going to have to do.  And it has!  Here's a little sample:

Look at that flat belly. And that long hair!

Long hair gone. 

Something's starting to happen.

This is how I usually looked after a big meal, pre-pregnancy,
so I still couldn't believe a baby was in there. 

Whoa! Growth spurt! Baby's popping out now.

My shirt has a pumpkin face on it.
A mom trick-or-treating with her kids saw me and shouted,
"Someone has a pumpkin in her belly!"

Every week we have our chalkboard ritual.  I write out which week we are at and what size fruit or vegetable the baby is as big as - according to my What To Expect app - and then my husband draws the weekly produce.  Then we head upstairs, hang it on the wall in our bedroom and take a picture.  It has been fun and exciting every week.  And it still is - don't get me wrong - but last night I found myself dragging my feet.  My back pain was really acting up and I just wanted to finish dinner and curl up on the couch and possibly fall asleep while watching Survivor (which, if you saw Survivor last night, then you know that was impossible!  Best tribal council ever.  Ahem, anyway...).  I snapped out of it though when I thought about how lucky I am to be tracking this pregnancy, with this little boy kicking and moving and growing in my belly.  And I wasn't going to let a little back pain steal away that joy.  So we took our latest picture:

Time to cut my hair again. It really does grow faster when you're pregnant!

Big thanks to Jessica Garvin for inspiring our chalkboard ritual! We also loved how they dubbed their daughter "Little Baby" before she was born and we incorporated it into the header on our board.  That header is getting really chalk-dusty.  We should probably re-draw it.  Or maybe we'll just see how dusty it can get...add a little character to our Staples-one-size-only-rushed-buy board.

Do you have a fun way to track your pregnancy?  I'd love to hear about it!  

Rockin' the Vote!

This mama rocked the vote this morning, first thing when the polls opened! Thought my new cobalt blue shirt from Motherhood would be the perfect choice to wear on election day.  I got surprisingly excited while standing in line to cast my ballot.  I felt an overwhelming amount of pride and honor to live in a country where I can vote.  I was much more involved this election season than in years past.  Watching all of the debates, reading articles, watching the news and learning as much as I could about the candidates and their stances.  I feel like I made an informed choice that I can be proud of.  I hope you feel the same way and exercise one of your most important rights as an American today!

Nursery Time!

Don't get too excited...yet.  Transforming my husband's office into a nursery is a process that we are taking our time with and the journey has just begun.  But we made some major strides this past weekend.  Here are some before pictures:

And here's some backstory.  My husband works from home and when we first moved to LA from NY, we moved into a one-bedroom apartment.  This seemed like grand luxury to us since we had been living in a studio apartment in NY where we could hold hands and touch either side of the room when we stretched our arms.  His office was in our bedroom and that worked out fine.  The only slight issue was that he works with a company on the east coast so his hours start rather early here on the west coast.  Like when I'd rather be sleeping.  So every day when his alarm went off, I would move my sleepy self to the couch in the living room for another hour or so of shuteye.  We did that for three years.  Then we moved to a two-bedroom apartment last year and he set up his office in the second bedroom.  I thought we were living in grand luxury before!  Now when the alarm went off, I'd just roll over as he went to his office and shut the door.  Ooh la la!

The thing was, we always knew that his office would eventually become a nursery if we were lucky.  And everyone who knew us seemed to know that too.  "Oh, you're moving to a two-bedroom?  Making room for baby?"  And we'd laugh, "Ha ha ha. Well, making room for office."  But we all knew the truth.  And, so, here we are!

We have a daybed in the office for when guests come to visit so when my mom said she was coming out for a few days we decided it was time to go ahead and start the office-to-nursery transition.  She'd be here for two weekdays, when hubby needed to work, so instead of sharing the space with her we decided to give her her own space.  Yes, this means his office is now in our bedroom again.

No more office! New comforter and sheets too!

When my mom arrived, my husband joked that we were giving her basically prison accommodations - bed only - to which my mom quipped, "As long as there isn't a toilet next to the bed, that's fine with me."  There wasn't.  The only thing next to the bed were a few baby gifts we received and an old paper shredder that was on it's way to Goodwill.  We also taped out the dimensions of the crib and changing table I picked out so we could get an idea of how things will fit in the room because we are a little excited.  And a little anal.

The closet in the office houses our suitcases and coats.  This past week we weeded that out and took a large donation pile, along with the shredder, over to Goodwill on Saturday.

Then we went to Home Depot to look at paint color.  This is one of my favorite things to do!

In my mind, I was picturing a soft gray color.  Something that would brighten the space but still be neutral and soothing.  I plan on putting a lot of colorful accents into the decor so I wanted a wall color that could handle the excitement.  Gray is a tough one because it can have the full spectrum of undertones to it and you never know how it will look in certain light.  I knew I wanted one with a slight blue undertone, so we picked out four samples and brought them home with us.

I sat on the bed and dictated while this happened. Perks of pregnancy!

After the paint dried we made a decision:  Twilight Grey by Benjamin Moore!  It's the middle color that you can see there. Once it dries, it is very light - almost white - but with the right hint of gray and blue.  It reminds me of clouds on a summer sky.  Bright yet soothing.  Yesterday we picked up a gallon of it!  

Then we ordered the crib!  The one I had my eye on went out of stock for a second and I was convinced I would have to scour for another.  But it came back!  And we snatched it up.  It should be here in a few weeks.  Can't wait to show you the fully painted room with the crib in it!

The rug I've had my eye on ALSO went out of stock.  So I'm patiently hoping it comes back.  I check the website a few times a day just to see.  Ok.  So maybe I'm not so patient.

More about the theme of the nursery and where to get the products we picked out as it comes together.  For now it's  just a sneak peek behind the process.  Very excited to share once it is all done!

Glucose Screening, Gestational Diabetes and Bad Eyesight (AKA, The Wonders of Pregnancy & Internet Research)

I'm 24 weeks, 2 days, today and that means....Glucose Screening at my doctor's appointment this afternoon.  I'm not sure why I feel a little nervous about it.  But I guess most "tests" bring a certain amount of anxiety.  I'm being careful with my sugar intake today so that I don't increase my chances of a false positive.  Of course, gestational diabetes doesn't have any truly noticeable symptoms according to WebMD.  They say, "Sometimes, a pregnant woman has been living with diabetes without knowing it. If you have symptoms from diabetes, they may include: increased thirst, increased urination, increased hunger, blurred vision."  Umm....in my experience....THAT'S CALLED BEING PREGNANT.  Excuse me while I go pee for the third time this morning (if you don't count the times I got up in the middle of the night).

Ok.  I'm back.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, I only have one risk factor working against me to develop gestational diabetes and that is my age.  Ha...that's a risk factor I'm very familiar with, living and working in Hollywood.  Being over 25 gets me again (shakes fist at sky)!  The risk factors they list are:

• Being over 25 (check)
• Family history - close family member - parent or sibling - with Type 2 Diabetes (nope)
• Excess weight - BMI of 30 or higher (nope)
• Nonwhite race - black, Hispanic, American Indian or Asian (nope - although I do have a bit of American Indian heritage...like most Americans)

And this is why researching medical information on the web is, at most times, counterproductive.  I start thinking, "Huh.  I am thirsty, hungry and pee a lot.  And my glasses prescription seems to be weaker.  What does it all mean??"  Well, luckily, a few weeks ago I picked up my What to Expect book for some light reading and saw on page 242 a topic on "Vision."  I was in my fifth month and noticed that I couldn't read anything on the TV when I had my glasses on so I was about to call up the eye doctor.  But then I came across this little gem: 

"Nope you're not seeing things - that is, you're not seeing things as well as you were prepregnancy...Your vision should clear up and your eyes return to normal after delivery (so don't bother to get a new prescription unless the change is so pronounced that you really can't see well anymore)."

It's a good thing I didn't set up an appointment!  And a good thing that I know this now as I'm reading over possible symptoms you could be living with and not realize you have GD.  I would have been sent into a tailspin of worry over the "blurred vision" symptom.  Basically, every possible symptom of GD is congruent with normal pregnancy symptoms.  Which is why GD catches women by surprise.  Nothing I can do now but drink the orange, syrupy formula my doctor gave me at our last appointment and hope for the best.  And like I said, I am being mindful of sugar intake until that time.  My doctor didn't encourage me to fast or change my eating habits in anticipation of the test but, being that it's two days after Halloween, I think I'll postpone eating leftover candy bars after lunch today...

Moms are awesome (especially mine)

My mom left on Monday after a long weekend visit and I couldn't seem to stop crying after dropping her off at the airport.  Dang these pregnancy hormones!  I am so happy that she came out here for a bit.  I was worried that I wasn't going to get to see her during this pregnancy.  Sure, I saw her when I was was about ten weeks along but that isn't the same as 24 weeks!  We alternate holidays between both sides of our family and this year we'll be spending time with my husband's side so technically we weren't due for a visit with my family until the baby is born.  But my mom surprised me two weeks ago and said, "So...what are you doing the weekend of the 27th? I found a cheap ticket and I'm thinking of coming out there."  I was so excited!!

Mostly we just hung out - which was the best! - but we also got some registering done for the baby.  It made such a difference having her here and having her advice through the process.  I could ask, "What do you think?  This baby bath or the other?"  And, "Do I really need a swing for the baby?"  (The answer was "yes," by the way.  But we did decide that since space is limited in my place that a portable swing would work just as well as a full-sized one.)  If she hadn't come out here, I don't know when I would have buckled down to register.  All of the "stuff" the baby needs is completely overwhelming to me and so I continued to put it off.  I did register for a few things online before my mom got here though and that was based on suggestions from my friend Michaela who has a four-month-old daughter.  She sent me the most amazing list of what she found to be essential when her daughter was born.  What made it better than most lists I've seen is that she told me WHY she liked what she did and how it worked to help her and her baby.  She even provided links in her email to all of the products online, so I clicked through every one of them and registered for the ones I thought could/would work for us.

The thing was, a lot of the products were found at different sites - not all at one store.  So I found MyRegistry.com and signed up for an account.  It's like Pinterest in that you add an icon to your bookmark bar and then whenever you see something you like online, you can easily add it to your registry by clicking the icon.  I thought I would just use it to put everything in one place.  But then I saw that you can sync your registries from other stores onto your account at MyRegistry.  So instead of telling people, "We're registered at BabiesRUs AND BuyBuy Baby AND MyRegistry," we can just send them to MyRegistry and everything is in one place.  This way, family members that aren't as "down" with online shopping can go to the actual brick-and-mortar storefronts where we're registered and shop there.  And those that prefer to shop online can do so all from one site.  Fingers crossed that it works as well as I think it will!

As far as the items that we registered for, I'm going to hold off on making any recommendations just yet...since I don't know how well everything will work once baby arrives!  If you are looking for personal recommendations, Little Baby Garvin just posted a list of her Baby Registry Must-Haves this week that is great.  Her daughter is seven months old now, so her opinions are based on a lot of use.  I can't wait to be able to curate my own list, once Baby S. is born, after road-testing all of the products!

My mom quipped while she was here:  "I know why our economy is doing better.  Everyone stayed home when things got really bad in '08, '09 so they wouldn't spend money. But they did...other things...for entertainment.  And now we have all these babies.  And babies need A LOT OF STUFF.  Economy fixed."  Ok, I paraphrased a bit, but you get the idea.  More babies means more stuff means more money spent...ta-da!  I'm just doing my part to get our country back on track ;)