How far along? 30 weeks and 6 days
Total weight gain/loss: Around 20 pounds give or take :)
Stretch marks? Nope! Hoo-ray! Let's not talk about the veins on my legs though...
Sleep: Difficult. It's getting more and more uncomfortable.
Best moment this week: Sitting in the chair in baby's room imagining all the fun adventures we're going to have with her.
Movement: I'm starting to figure her out. Two days of quiet followed by one day of Par-TAY!
Food cravings: Just about anything as long as it's edible. I've been especially prone to eating chicken salad and ice cream.
Labor Signs: None yet, thank goodness! Stay in there little nugget you've got some more marinating to do.
Belly Button in or out? Out! It's so gross. You can see it through my clothes. Blech....
What I miss: Sleeping on my back.
What I am looking forward to: Our birthing class a week from today!
Weekly Wisdom: Don't even try to go out in hot weather. Also, drink lots of chocolate chip frappuccinos.
Milestones: I feel like 30 weeks is a milestone in itself. Only ten weeks left! Can't wait to meet you little baby.
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 30, 2010
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Yet Another Grump-tastic Afternoon!
This sign was on the back of my cereal box the other day. I feel it's appropriate because someone has a serious case of the Ogres this week. And no, it's not Eric or the Dizzy cat. It's me.
I put the sign on our front door the other day to warn Eric of his impending doom. I didn't care about what the neighbors thought. They already keep their distance because two Halloweens ago I accidentally slammed the door in the face of the five-year-old boy across the hall when he came to our door trick-o-treating. It was a complete misunderstanding!! Still, word must have gotten out that a crazy redhead lives here because last year we didn't get any trick-o-treaters at all.
Now my pregnancy hormones are making me an extra-crazy fat redhead. I feel like I have Seasonal Affective Disorder except aren't you supposed to get that in the winter??? Yesterday, around 4 PM, I went absolutely stir crazy and had to get out of the house "N-O-W!" before I got all Jack Nicholson from The Shinning. Eric-the-wonder-boyfriend brought me to Starbucks and bought me a chocolate-chip frappuccino because (once again) Eric has learned to feed me whenever I get cranky. It worked.
Today we were supposed to go to the beach where I was looking forward to sitting with my feet in the water and letting my freckles marinate thus giving me the illusion of a tan. BUT, this morning the news told us it was going to thunderstorm all day. (For the record, it did NOT thunderstorm, and it's currently very hot and sunny out. That's what comes from watching the news!)
Instead, we decided to go into Boston for the day so I could check out a ridiculously trendy and overpriced baby store that I heard about. We didn't buy anything there because we're not trendy enough, but it sure was fun to look.
All was well through lunch, but then we decided to leave the air-conditioned sanctuary of the mall for some outdoor window shopping/gawking. Once the heat hit me, my legs swelled, my hair frizzed, and my face turned the color of freshly stomped grapes. And, the last place you want to feel like you're playing the title role in Attack of the Killer Tomato is a trendy area like Newbury Street. I kept looking at the storefronts and thinking, "Wow, I wish I had $200 and a WAIST so I could wear those skinny jeans."
Therefore, we decided to cut the afternoon short and head back to the train. This made me even more grumpy because I WANTED to hang out longer. I WANTED to window shop and sit on the common and mosey back to the train slowly...and enjoy myself dammit! Still, my body was making that impossible. Everything hurt. My melon belly hurt, my teeth hurt for some reason, and most of all my legs hurt.
I know there are pregnant ladies out there who run marathons. There are probably still pregnant ladies in parts of this world who pop out kids in fields, strap them to their backs and get back to work. Well, I give those ladies my undying respect because honestly, I'm a whiny little wimp who can't even window shop for more than two hours without feeling like my cankles are going to explode.
To further complicate the situation, we passed through Fanuiel Hall on our way back to the train because we're complete morons obviously. What better place for a cranky, fat pregnant lady to go than a hot, crowded tourist trap where the bathrooms just may be one of Dante's levels of hell?
Luckily, there was a Starbucks there, and Eric still has gift cards from his darling students. Another chocolate chip frappuccino was consumed. This time it didn't help. Poor Eric was subjected to me snapping at him for looking at me and listening to me badmouth every annoying person we saw on the train. My bad mood stayed in place the entire train ride home and didn't subside until I was safely cocooned in our air conditioned apartment.
Lesson Learned: If I stay at home all day, I'll be cranky. If I try to go out and have fun, I'll be cranky. So, what's a pregnant lady in search of a good time supposed to do for the next ten weeks?
(Arrgggh! I'm a Krampus!)
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
How Big is Baby??
It's the big 3-0, and baby is the size of a...
Cabbage!
Meanwhile, I'm the size of an...
Entire cabbage patch!
Cabbage!
Meanwhile, I'm the size of an...
Entire cabbage patch!
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
OMG I Totally Look Like Mrs. Shrek!
I just opened a new box of Cheerios and found a toy in it!
Do you know how long it's been since I've found a toy in my cereal!?! And, even when you do get toys in your food these days they're always lame so that kids can't choke on them. Like the Susan B. Anthony picture I got in my box of Cracker Jacks. Thanks a lot Cracker Jacks...what kid (or almost-thirty-year-old woman) wouldn't want a mini picture of Susan B. Anthony in her caramel corn??
But this prize is pretty cool. It's a Shrek highlighter which will totally come in handy for correcting kids' papers and such. I even got to put the stickers of his face on the marker to make it look like Shrek! If only it was a Fiona highlighter because I've decided that I kinda look like her. But at least it was Shrek and not that stupid cat. (Sorry, Antonio...Loves!)
I was so excited to find my prize that I did a little dance around my kitchen that closely resembles my pee dance. Eric isn't home, so the only person I had to share my enthusiasm with was Dizzy the cat. He was not amused by my prize or my pee dance.
But anyhow, all of this leads me to ask...Am I really mature enough to have a child? And, when I have said child, would it be wrong of me to keep the cereal prizes for myself?
(See the resemblance? )
Do you know how long it's been since I've found a toy in my cereal!?! And, even when you do get toys in your food these days they're always lame so that kids can't choke on them. Like the Susan B. Anthony picture I got in my box of Cracker Jacks. Thanks a lot Cracker Jacks...what kid (or almost-thirty-year-old woman) wouldn't want a mini picture of Susan B. Anthony in her caramel corn??
But this prize is pretty cool. It's a Shrek highlighter which will totally come in handy for correcting kids' papers and such. I even got to put the stickers of his face on the marker to make it look like Shrek! If only it was a Fiona highlighter because I've decided that I kinda look like her. But at least it was Shrek and not that stupid cat. (Sorry, Antonio...Loves!)
I was so excited to find my prize that I did a little dance around my kitchen that closely resembles my pee dance. Eric isn't home, so the only person I had to share my enthusiasm with was Dizzy the cat. He was not amused by my prize or my pee dance.
But anyhow, all of this leads me to ask...Am I really mature enough to have a child? And, when I have said child, would it be wrong of me to keep the cereal prizes for myself?
(See the resemblance? )
Monday, July 26, 2010
I Can't Wait To...
Bring baby to Folk Festival next year!
Every year the folk festival comes to town and disrupts our lives for a few days since it is literally set up in our front yard. All the downtown streets are shut off, which means it's very difficult (if not sometimes impossible) to get out of our parking lot. This year, there was even a beer garden blocking our driveway!
Eric had a beer there just so he could say he drank in our parking lot. What's more awkward than a fat pregnant lady standing in a beer garden? Possibly a fat pregnant lady standing outside the fence of a beer garden taking pictures of her baby-daddy while he tries to enjoy his beer.
(The picture is really dark because my flash didn't turn on, and I felt too ghetto standing there taking pictures to take the time to fix it.)
Luckily, folk festival is a lot of fun so we don't usually mind being trapped there. The centerpiece of the weekend is, of course, the music. The award for most interesting act this year goes to...Kosher Gospel. Very interesting. All the art galleries are open, and there are booths set up with people selling their crafts. Best of all, there's food!! Lots and lots of foods from all the different cultures in the area. Want Asian? Got it! Want soul food? Check! Greek? Yes, sir! A good ol' American hot dog? But, of course!
As you can see, I ate ALL the food. I think there should always be a fried dough stand set up at the end of our driveway. Just saying...the city should consider it.
On Saturday morning, we walked around and looked at all the art before it got too hot out. We scored two great toys for baby's enjoyment. Not only are they both adorable, but I like that I'll be able to look at them and remember that I bought them at folk fest.
The colorful sock dolls were made by a woman named Arlette Laan. They're machine washable so baby can drool all over them. The giraffe marrionette was handcarved by Fish River Crafts in Maine. I don't suppose this will be a very interesting toy for baby, but it looks really cool in her room.
On Sunday, we got to the main stage early and set up our chairs in the shade. It was beautiful out, and we spent several hours sitting there listening to all the great music.
I was on baby high alert and spent more time watching the babies frolicking on the grass than I did watching the bands. While last year I saw babies and thought, "That should have been us," this year I kept thinking, "Next year that will be us." I can bring baby to the park and let her roll around on a blanket in the sunshine. I can show her the doggies and the balloons and the other babies and the different instruments on the stage. I can dress her in a cute outfit and let everyone "Ooo" and "Ahhh" over her. Best part is, if baby gets fussy...it's only a one minute walk back to our apartment. It'll be great! Next year, I won't mind being trapped at home at all.
Every year the folk festival comes to town and disrupts our lives for a few days since it is literally set up in our front yard. All the downtown streets are shut off, which means it's very difficult (if not sometimes impossible) to get out of our parking lot. This year, there was even a beer garden blocking our driveway!
Eric had a beer there just so he could say he drank in our parking lot. What's more awkward than a fat pregnant lady standing in a beer garden? Possibly a fat pregnant lady standing outside the fence of a beer garden taking pictures of her baby-daddy while he tries to enjoy his beer.
(The picture is really dark because my flash didn't turn on, and I felt too ghetto standing there taking pictures to take the time to fix it.)
Luckily, folk festival is a lot of fun so we don't usually mind being trapped there. The centerpiece of the weekend is, of course, the music. The award for most interesting act this year goes to...Kosher Gospel. Very interesting. All the art galleries are open, and there are booths set up with people selling their crafts. Best of all, there's food!! Lots and lots of foods from all the different cultures in the area. Want Asian? Got it! Want soul food? Check! Greek? Yes, sir! A good ol' American hot dog? But, of course!
As you can see, I ate ALL the food. I think there should always be a fried dough stand set up at the end of our driveway. Just saying...the city should consider it.
On Saturday morning, we walked around and looked at all the art before it got too hot out. We scored two great toys for baby's enjoyment. Not only are they both adorable, but I like that I'll be able to look at them and remember that I bought them at folk fest.
The colorful sock dolls were made by a woman named Arlette Laan. They're machine washable so baby can drool all over them. The giraffe marrionette was handcarved by Fish River Crafts in Maine. I don't suppose this will be a very interesting toy for baby, but it looks really cool in her room.
On Sunday, we got to the main stage early and set up our chairs in the shade. It was beautiful out, and we spent several hours sitting there listening to all the great music.
I was on baby high alert and spent more time watching the babies frolicking on the grass than I did watching the bands. While last year I saw babies and thought, "That should have been us," this year I kept thinking, "Next year that will be us." I can bring baby to the park and let her roll around on a blanket in the sunshine. I can show her the doggies and the balloons and the other babies and the different instruments on the stage. I can dress her in a cute outfit and let everyone "Ooo" and "Ahhh" over her. Best part is, if baby gets fussy...it's only a one minute walk back to our apartment. It'll be great! Next year, I won't mind being trapped at home at all.
Saturday, July 24, 2010
Week 29
(My concerned mom called me this morning because I haven't posted a new blog in five days, so I figured I better get on it.)
If what they say about babies developing a taste for whatever the mother eats while she's pregnant is true, then baby is going to come out asking for Ben and Jerry's ice cream. I sure have been eating a lot of it.
This week was pretty busy for us considering we've been doing a whole lot of nothing this summer. We went to a friend's lovely wedding, drove to the Brimfeild antique fair, and I went on a mini girl's vacation to Vermont with Amy for a few days.
We were only in Vermont for two days, but in that time, I ate Ben and Jerry's ice cream on three separate occasions. We went to the factory on our drive up, drank coffee fraps while waiting for a rainstorm to pass in Burlington, and I ate some of the Cherry Garcia (mmmm, best flavor ever!) my parents left in the freezer for breakfast. The only reason there was any ice cream left in that freezer at the end of our trip was because there simply were not enough hours in the day for me to eat it all.
Baby has been continuing to kick and grow. She was kicking so hard last night that I could feel an outline of a little baby foot (or maybe it was an elbow) in my side. Eric even got to feel it. Very cool. So far she's been pretty quiet this morning...I think she's all tuckered out from her disco adventures last night.
Meanwhile, I'm back to feeling tired all the time and plan to spend some time with baby napping on the couch!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Squashy
It's week 29, and baby is currently the size of a...
Butternut Squash!
Or a Squash!
(Finally, those websites are starting to match up better!)
Meanwhile, I'm the size of a...
Small circus carnival!
Butternut Squash!
Or a Squash!
(Finally, those websites are starting to match up better!)
Meanwhile, I'm the size of a...
Small circus carnival!
Monday, July 19, 2010
The (Soon to be Not So) Glamourous Life of Dizzy the Cat
This is Dizzy, our asthmatic cat.
Dizzy, my friends, is one spoiled cat! Because although people are always like, "Blah, blah, blah, cats are dumb and dogs are awesome!" our cat actually is awesome. He's provided us with hours of amusement. He sings in the shower for God's sake! And he carries a little stuffed mouse (with no ears) around the house with him like a security blanket! He gives himself asthma attacks in his pitiful attempts to chase birds sitting on our windowsill...hilarious! And he sleeps on our feet every night when we go to bed.
Sometimes when I look down at the fat fuzzball sleeping on my feet, I find it really strange that we have a wild little creature that lives with us. And sometimes when he stares at me from the dark safety of the shadows, I know he's thinking, "How can I eat her??" And when he peed on my bedspread, got stuck in the couch, and broke my laptop all during the first week I brought him home from the shelter, I was sure I made a huge mistake in adopting such a cantankerous beast.
But, still, we love the little Dizzy, and he pretty much has the run of the place. He literally walks all over us.
Poor Dizzy...his whole world is about to be flipped upside down in the name of a wailing, pooping mini-human who will monopolize all our time and energy. Attacking my ankles is one thing, but it's on if he touches baby! Who will have time to cuddle a little cat immediately after entering the apartment when there will be a sweet little baby to cuddle?
Dizzy has already started to catch on to the fact that things are changing. First, I won't let him walk up and down my belly anymore because he weighs 17 pounds, and 17 pounds on my baby bump is not comfortable. Secondly, the baby's room used to be our office/cat room. He had his cat bed in there along with his cat tent and cat toys. Now, we've moved all his things to our bedroom, and we try to keep him out of the baby's room as much as possible.
Dizzy doesn't quite understand why the new furniture in baby's room doesn't belong to him. We've caught him in the baby's crib twice! And to him, a Pack and Play seems like the most reasonable place for a cat to be in the world!
This is partially our fault. When we put the changing table together, the first thing I did was pick up the cat and put him on it to test the stability of the table. (The cat is 17 pounds for crying out loud!) Once I knew the changing table would be able to support our baby, (Who will not be 17 pounds when we bring her home!) I promptly kicked the cat off it and shooed him away. The next time he tried to climb up on the changing table I sprayed him the face with a water bottle. (Actually, Eric sprayed him because if the cat's going to hate someone, it might as well be Eric.) No wonder the poor cat is confused! Luckily, I've learned my lesson, and I resisted the temptation to wheel him around in the new stroller this week.
As much as he hates the water bottle to the face, I still have my suspicions that he's sneaking into the crib when we're not looking. He may look pretty stupid, but he has a crafty little mind between those ears.
Dizzy, my friends, is one spoiled cat! Because although people are always like, "Blah, blah, blah, cats are dumb and dogs are awesome!" our cat actually is awesome. He's provided us with hours of amusement. He sings in the shower for God's sake! And he carries a little stuffed mouse (with no ears) around the house with him like a security blanket! He gives himself asthma attacks in his pitiful attempts to chase birds sitting on our windowsill...hilarious! And he sleeps on our feet every night when we go to bed.
Sometimes when I look down at the fat fuzzball sleeping on my feet, I find it really strange that we have a wild little creature that lives with us. And sometimes when he stares at me from the dark safety of the shadows, I know he's thinking, "How can I eat her??" And when he peed on my bedspread, got stuck in the couch, and broke my laptop all during the first week I brought him home from the shelter, I was sure I made a huge mistake in adopting such a cantankerous beast.
But, still, we love the little Dizzy, and he pretty much has the run of the place. He literally walks all over us.
Poor Dizzy...his whole world is about to be flipped upside down in the name of a wailing, pooping mini-human who will monopolize all our time and energy. Attacking my ankles is one thing, but it's on if he touches baby! Who will have time to cuddle a little cat immediately after entering the apartment when there will be a sweet little baby to cuddle?
Dizzy has already started to catch on to the fact that things are changing. First, I won't let him walk up and down my belly anymore because he weighs 17 pounds, and 17 pounds on my baby bump is not comfortable. Secondly, the baby's room used to be our office/cat room. He had his cat bed in there along with his cat tent and cat toys. Now, we've moved all his things to our bedroom, and we try to keep him out of the baby's room as much as possible.
Dizzy doesn't quite understand why the new furniture in baby's room doesn't belong to him. We've caught him in the baby's crib twice! And to him, a Pack and Play seems like the most reasonable place for a cat to be in the world!
This is partially our fault. When we put the changing table together, the first thing I did was pick up the cat and put him on it to test the stability of the table. (The cat is 17 pounds for crying out loud!) Once I knew the changing table would be able to support our baby, (Who will not be 17 pounds when we bring her home!) I promptly kicked the cat off it and shooed him away. The next time he tried to climb up on the changing table I sprayed him the face with a water bottle. (Actually, Eric sprayed him because if the cat's going to hate someone, it might as well be Eric.) No wonder the poor cat is confused! Luckily, I've learned my lesson, and I resisted the temptation to wheel him around in the new stroller this week.
As much as he hates the water bottle to the face, I still have my suspicions that he's sneaking into the crib when we're not looking. He may look pretty stupid, but he has a crafty little mind between those ears.
New Baby Pics!
We had an ultrasound today to check on baby's growth and fluid levels. We got one good profile shot, and it's still a girl!
Baby does not appreciate being poked or having her picture taken as she spent the entire ultrasound squirming around like crazy. She made it difficult for the ultrasound technician to get the measurements needed. Baby is definitely a stubborn baby. I guess nobody really likes being poked and prodded when they're trying to sleep though...
Baby's also doing cartwheels in there because her head is also no longer down. In fact, it was right up under my ribs on my right side. Her feet were a little bit lower than my ribs on my left side, so she's almost lying horizontally across my stomach today.
This ultrasound was not as exciting to watch as others have been. For one thing, the ultrasound technician was standing pretty much right in front of the screen the whole time making it difficult for me to see. (Excuse me M'am, I know you're trying to do your job, but would you mind taking two steps to the left? A little bit more? Right there! Perfect!) Secondly, baby is now so big that you can't really tell what it is you're looking at. I remember when she was just a tiny little peanut floating in space, and you could see everything very clearly. Now, she's all smooched in and you can't really tell if you're looking at an arm or a leg or her bladder.
The most exciting thing was the the ultrasound tech. said she could see baby practicing her breathing. Baby's getting ready for her big debut. She's only got three more months to practice!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
28 Weeks
At the beginning of the third trimester, we're now two-thirds of the way there. Just three months left!
I've noticed pregnancy does weird things to time. One one hand, it's going by so fast; but on the other, each day sort of feels like a mini-eternity. On one hand, I want to enjoy the last few months of being pregnant; on the other, I want to fast forward to October when baby girl will be here safe and sound.
And just when I thought I was starting to get to know Baby, she threw me for another loop this week. Last week, she was kicking away, and my stomach was moving and shaking along with her. I was very happy about this because it's just so freaking cool to see her bopping around doing her Esther Williams routine.
Toward the end of last week, however, the movements suddenly changed and became less intense and less frequent. Obviously, I got very stressed out.
I mentioned this to my doctor at my appointment on Monday. He felt around a bit and told me that, although it's a little early, he thinks Baby has turned head down already. He said this would explain the change I'm feeling in movements because she now has more room to stretch out. It also explains why I've been feeling a lot of strange little jabs under my ribs the past week; it's her feet jammed up in there! Baby could always flip back around the other way, but my doctor said, "When they figure out that's where they're supposed to be, they usually stay there."
I've read that most babies flip themselves head down between 32-36 weeks, so Baby is a bit ahead of schedule. I take this as a sign that either A.) Baby is quite smart and advanced for her age or B.) She will be spending a lot of time hanging upside down from the monkey bars in the future.
I have an ultrasound on Monday to check for growth and fluid levels. I'm very excited for this! I love seeing Baby! Hopefully, I'll have some new pics to share as well.
(Since she likes being upside down, maybe I'll just carry her around like this.)
I've noticed pregnancy does weird things to time. One one hand, it's going by so fast; but on the other, each day sort of feels like a mini-eternity. On one hand, I want to enjoy the last few months of being pregnant; on the other, I want to fast forward to October when baby girl will be here safe and sound.
And just when I thought I was starting to get to know Baby, she threw me for another loop this week. Last week, she was kicking away, and my stomach was moving and shaking along with her. I was very happy about this because it's just so freaking cool to see her bopping around doing her Esther Williams routine.
Toward the end of last week, however, the movements suddenly changed and became less intense and less frequent. Obviously, I got very stressed out.
I mentioned this to my doctor at my appointment on Monday. He felt around a bit and told me that, although it's a little early, he thinks Baby has turned head down already. He said this would explain the change I'm feeling in movements because she now has more room to stretch out. It also explains why I've been feeling a lot of strange little jabs under my ribs the past week; it's her feet jammed up in there! Baby could always flip back around the other way, but my doctor said, "When they figure out that's where they're supposed to be, they usually stay there."
I've read that most babies flip themselves head down between 32-36 weeks, so Baby is a bit ahead of schedule. I take this as a sign that either A.) Baby is quite smart and advanced for her age or B.) She will be spending a lot of time hanging upside down from the monkey bars in the future.
I have an ultrasound on Monday to check for growth and fluid levels. I'm very excited for this! I love seeing Baby! Hopefully, I'll have some new pics to share as well.
(Since she likes being upside down, maybe I'll just carry her around like this.)
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Nature Vs. Nurture
Baby hasn't even made her grand entrance into this show yet, and I'm already starting to become jealous of her wardrobe. The number of shoes, hats, and adorable little dresses are multiplying in her closet, and I plan on only adding more as she grows.
Which all leads me to wonder if my desire for pink, frilly little clothes is predispositioning baby to be a girly-girl.
Maybe a woman's need for yet another pair of shoes all goes back to the moment her mother finds out the baby she's carrying is a she baby and starts loading up on all things pretty.
On the other hand, I consider myself to be pretty darn girly, but I don't think I was particularly raised to be that way. My bedroom was not pink; it was blue. I did wear cute dresses for special occasions, but I think I rocked primary-colored overalls more than anything. I had toy trucks that I played with (though I did prefer Barbie.) Yet, now, as an adult, my favorite color is pink, I love shoes, floral dresses, expensive purses, and (sigh) Tiffany's as much as Holly Golightly.
Therefore, maybe even if I dressed baby in a potato sack until she's 15, she would still end up loving shoes. Or---Maybe she will rebel against my girlification and want nothing to do with dresses. That will be a sad day for her mother, but I've got a good four to five years of dressing her without her say-so...I intend to live it up.
Maybe the doctors made a mistake and baby is not a she baby, but in fact, a he baby. (That would be a shock!) In that case, my social experiment would really be put to the test because that baby boy would be wearing nothing but pink dresses for the first year of his life. I've already got a closet full of them.
In keeping with my master plan of girlification, I spent my morning looking at adorable baby girl clothes on Etsy. Here are a few of my favorites:
This hat by Chunky Monkey Beanies:
And this cute pinafore by Lee Marie.
And this darling romper by Charming Necessities:
And this smock by Pink Dixie:
Which all leads me to wonder if my desire for pink, frilly little clothes is predispositioning baby to be a girly-girl.
Maybe a woman's need for yet another pair of shoes all goes back to the moment her mother finds out the baby she's carrying is a she baby and starts loading up on all things pretty.
On the other hand, I consider myself to be pretty darn girly, but I don't think I was particularly raised to be that way. My bedroom was not pink; it was blue. I did wear cute dresses for special occasions, but I think I rocked primary-colored overalls more than anything. I had toy trucks that I played with (though I did prefer Barbie.) Yet, now, as an adult, my favorite color is pink, I love shoes, floral dresses, expensive purses, and (sigh) Tiffany's as much as Holly Golightly.
Therefore, maybe even if I dressed baby in a potato sack until she's 15, she would still end up loving shoes. Or---Maybe she will rebel against my girlification and want nothing to do with dresses. That will be a sad day for her mother, but I've got a good four to five years of dressing her without her say-so...I intend to live it up.
Maybe the doctors made a mistake and baby is not a she baby, but in fact, a he baby. (That would be a shock!) In that case, my social experiment would really be put to the test because that baby boy would be wearing nothing but pink dresses for the first year of his life. I've already got a closet full of them.
In keeping with my master plan of girlification, I spent my morning looking at adorable baby girl clothes on Etsy. Here are a few of my favorites:
This hat by Chunky Monkey Beanies:
And this cute pinafore by Lee Marie.
And this darling romper by Charming Necessities:
And this smock by Pink Dixie:
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Cabbage Patch Kid
Hello Third Trimester!! It's week 28, and baby is the size of a....
Chinese cabbage!!
Meanwhile, I'm the size of a...
I can't believe how rapidly everything is growing now! When I look at pictures from a month ago, I look so much smaller.
I'm fully aware that I have three more months of expansion ahead of me, but logically, I just can't wrap my mind around it. How can my stomach get that much bigger?!? I feel like an overstuffed pinata. Except instead of being filled with candy, I'm filled with a wiggling miniature human. Hopefully no children try to whack me with sticks. That would ruin my day.
Chinese cabbage!!
Meanwhile, I'm the size of a...
I can't believe how rapidly everything is growing now! When I look at pictures from a month ago, I look so much smaller.
I'm fully aware that I have three more months of expansion ahead of me, but logically, I just can't wrap my mind around it. How can my stomach get that much bigger?!? I feel like an overstuffed pinata. Except instead of being filled with candy, I'm filled with a wiggling miniature human. Hopefully no children try to whack me with sticks. That would ruin my day.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Embarrassing Moment Number 42
This afternoon a gust of wind blew my skirt up revealing....well, a lot more than I would like to reveal to anyone outside of the delivery room...and some guy on the street whistled at me!
Who the hell whistles at a fat pregnant lady who has obviously just been publicly humiliated? A guy standing outside the China Ruby restaurant wearing a wife-beater at 1 PM on a Friday afternoon, that's who!
(I've included a visual so you can get a better picture of what this all looked like.)
My face turned just as pink as my disobedient skirt. I think this was even worse than being heckled by the Walgreens Lady.
On a more positive note, the reason I was walking down said street was because I went to several baby consignment stores in the area today, and they were all awesome!
I went to Noah's Ark in Littleton, Buttons and Bows in Acton, and Kid to Kid in Natick. I tried to go to Baby B's in Maynard, but they went out of business :( To add insult to injury, that is also where the whistle heard round the world occurred.
The stores had really high-end stuff at really, really good prices. I'm pretty sure half of the clothes there had never even been worn. I had to resist buying every adorable outfit I saw since baby doesn't need twenty sun dresses...especially since she'll be born in October. But, I'll definitely go back with baby after I meet her and have a better feel for her fashion sense.
As it is, I bought five items of clothing for about $25....and that included my $13 splurge for a sweater from Janie and Jack with the tag still on it.
Good deal! Baby consignment stores are the way to go!
Who the hell whistles at a fat pregnant lady who has obviously just been publicly humiliated? A guy standing outside the China Ruby restaurant wearing a wife-beater at 1 PM on a Friday afternoon, that's who!
(I've included a visual so you can get a better picture of what this all looked like.)
My face turned just as pink as my disobedient skirt. I think this was even worse than being heckled by the Walgreens Lady.
On a more positive note, the reason I was walking down said street was because I went to several baby consignment stores in the area today, and they were all awesome!
I went to Noah's Ark in Littleton, Buttons and Bows in Acton, and Kid to Kid in Natick. I tried to go to Baby B's in Maynard, but they went out of business :( To add insult to injury, that is also where the whistle heard round the world occurred.
The stores had really high-end stuff at really, really good prices. I'm pretty sure half of the clothes there had never even been worn. I had to resist buying every adorable outfit I saw since baby doesn't need twenty sun dresses...especially since she'll be born in October. But, I'll definitely go back with baby after I meet her and have a better feel for her fashion sense.
As it is, I bought five items of clothing for about $25....and that included my $13 splurge for a sweater from Janie and Jack with the tag still on it.
Good deal! Baby consignment stores are the way to go!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Week 27
It's week 27- the last week of the second trimester!
I can't believe how fast the weeks are starting to fly by. Summer is going to be over before we know it.
This week was pretty low key. I had what I think was food poisoning over the Fourth of July weekend. (Nothing's worse than being pregnant at a fair and not being able to eat any fried dough.)
It's also been really hot so I've been spending lots of time escaping the heat by lying low in the air conditioning.
Baby is getting bigger. Sometimes at night my belly will all of a sudden become really lopsided, and if I run my hands along it, I can feel the outline of her body. I don't know if I'm touching her head or her back or her bottom or a leg, but there's definitely a baby in there! I think it's really cool. Eric thinks it's really weird.
I also took and passed my glucose screening. No gestational diabetes for me! Hooray!
I have my monthly doctor's appointment next week which I always look forward to, and then we'll just continue to watch baby grow for the last three months!
I can't believe how fast the weeks are starting to fly by. Summer is going to be over before we know it.
This week was pretty low key. I had what I think was food poisoning over the Fourth of July weekend. (Nothing's worse than being pregnant at a fair and not being able to eat any fried dough.)
It's also been really hot so I've been spending lots of time escaping the heat by lying low in the air conditioning.
Baby is getting bigger. Sometimes at night my belly will all of a sudden become really lopsided, and if I run my hands along it, I can feel the outline of her body. I don't know if I'm touching her head or her back or her bottom or a leg, but there's definitely a baby in there! I think it's really cool. Eric thinks it's really weird.
I also took and passed my glucose screening. No gestational diabetes for me! Hooray!
I have my monthly doctor's appointment next week which I always look forward to, and then we'll just continue to watch baby grow for the last three months!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
Food Cravings: Diary of a Fat Pregnant Lady
Have you ever wanted something so bad it makes you cry? (Isn't that an old Brandy song?) Well, this morning I came this close to shedding tears for a guacamole dip I remembered my mom making when I was a kid. I wanted it THAT badly.
The strange part is that back in 1995 when I last tried the dip, I didn't even like guacamole or sour cream. (Clearly, I was a stupid child) So, why then did I suddenly decide at 11 am this morning that I HAD to have that particular dip?? Because I'm pregnant and hormonal and apparently experiencing what they call cravings. I don't know..it's all very scientific; you can Google it.
I interrupted my mother's vacation in Vermont for the recipe, and because she would beat Martha Stewart in a throw down, she happened to have it on file! After giving me the recipe, she asked where I was headed. (Obviously making an extravagant party dip implies that I'm heading to a party.) Slightly ashamed, I had to admit that the only party I was having was a guacamole-induced-coma party with myself and my couch.
The next step in my epic quest was to get the supplies at the grocery store. It is, however, hotter than Salma Hayek's left buttock here, and the thought of carrying groceries from my car to my apartment in this weather was something I couldn't even comprehend. After all, I do have a history of flipping out in hot weather. That's why I decided to wait for Eric to get home from teaching music lessons so he could help me out!
As soon as Eric walked into the AC of our apartment, he announced that he was not going grocery shopping because it was too damn hot and there was too much damn traffic. I accepted this graciously, and decided that he was probably right. I'd just eat a bowl of Cheerios. But my heart was broken for my dip, and for the next half an hour, I could talk about nothing else but how good it was. Eventually Eric decided it wasn't so bad out after all and we could go. Apparently when given the choice between battling the heat of Hades or listening to me whine about guacamole, Eric would rather face the heat.
While at the grocery store, I decided I also HAD to HAVE a BBQ pulled pork sandwich so we picked up supplies for that too. It was a double win! The rest of the afternoon was spent eating my dip and waiting for my pulled pork to roast in the slow cooker. Amy even came over, and while she doesn't like guacamole, she did watch me eat it while we sat and watched two hours of the Tyra Show. It was a perfect afternoon!
I love my mom for giving me the recipe, I love my boyfriend for taking his crazy girlfriend grocery shopping when it's 101 degrees out, and most of all, I LOVE my guacamole dip!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Friday, July 2, 2010
Week 26
This week's post could also be entitled, "Hippie Crap I Plan on Doing."
First, we went to a breast feeding class last night. (Or, as Bob calls it, my "I Don't Know Nothin' Bout Birthin Babies, Miss Scarlet," class.)
When I first told Eric we were going to this class he was a little confused as to why he had to go. Isn't that whole business in my department?? Come on, Eric, you mean you weren't looking forward to sitting in a class full of pregnant woman talking about their leaking breasts? But, he was a trooper and, in spite of being worried that he'd be the only dude there, he came along without complaint.
(I think Eric was worried he'd have to wear one of these during class...)
We were both a bit anxious that I'd have to practice bare-chested in front of a room full of strangers, but luckily it was nothing like that, and there were lots of other guys there. They basically just went over the benefits of breast feeding, different positions, (We got to hold creepy life-sized baby dummies! I named mine Carlos.) what your baby's poop should look like, and different strategies for going back to work.
I'll probably forget everything we learned by the time baby comes, but honestly, I think breast feeding must be one of those things that you just sort of figure out as you go along. After all, women have been doing this since the beginning of time without fancy breast feeding classes to teach them how.
Still, I learned a few valuable tidbits. Apparently, my newborn's poop will look like black tar for the first two to three days of her life; and babies lose about 7% of their birth weight in the first few weeks after being born. Good things to know because otherwise seeing tar leaking from my anorexic baby would completely freak me out.
My top three reasons to attempt breast feeding:
1. It's much less expensive than formula
2. There are a lot of great health benefits for the baby
3. It burns 500 calories a day!!!
Secondly, I really want to attempt cloth diapering, so I ordered a few brands to experiment with. If I like them, then I can order more after baby is born. I ordered some bumGenius, gDiapers, and I want to order some Fuzzi Bunz as well.
Most people I've mentioned my plans to think I'm nuts. I think people picture the old fashioned methods of pinning and folding when they think of cloth diapering...at least that's what I thought of before I started looking into it. But, now cloth diapers can have snaps, Velcro, and built in water-proof covers. They basically look exactly like a disposable diaper, but you can wash them. I realize it will take more work, and it may end up being a big yellow-poop-filled disaster, but I figure it's worth a shot.
Some benefits to cloth diapering:
1. It's cheaper in the long run
2. It's environmentally friendly
3. Less diaper rashes
4. I want to prove Eric wrong.
Thirdly, (although this doesn't fit in with my hippiness as much as it does with my yuppiness) we went to Ikea and bought an armoire for baby's room. Eric put it together, and it looks adorable!
Her room is really coming along now.
Remember when it looked like this?
Well, now it looks like this!
Progress!!!
First, we went to a breast feeding class last night. (Or, as Bob calls it, my "I Don't Know Nothin' Bout Birthin Babies, Miss Scarlet," class.)
When I first told Eric we were going to this class he was a little confused as to why he had to go. Isn't that whole business in my department?? Come on, Eric, you mean you weren't looking forward to sitting in a class full of pregnant woman talking about their leaking breasts? But, he was a trooper and, in spite of being worried that he'd be the only dude there, he came along without complaint.
(I think Eric was worried he'd have to wear one of these during class...)
We were both a bit anxious that I'd have to practice bare-chested in front of a room full of strangers, but luckily it was nothing like that, and there were lots of other guys there. They basically just went over the benefits of breast feeding, different positions, (We got to hold creepy life-sized baby dummies! I named mine Carlos.) what your baby's poop should look like, and different strategies for going back to work.
I'll probably forget everything we learned by the time baby comes, but honestly, I think breast feeding must be one of those things that you just sort of figure out as you go along. After all, women have been doing this since the beginning of time without fancy breast feeding classes to teach them how.
Still, I learned a few valuable tidbits. Apparently, my newborn's poop will look like black tar for the first two to three days of her life; and babies lose about 7% of their birth weight in the first few weeks after being born. Good things to know because otherwise seeing tar leaking from my anorexic baby would completely freak me out.
My top three reasons to attempt breast feeding:
1. It's much less expensive than formula
2. There are a lot of great health benefits for the baby
3. It burns 500 calories a day!!!
Secondly, I really want to attempt cloth diapering, so I ordered a few brands to experiment with. If I like them, then I can order more after baby is born. I ordered some bumGenius, gDiapers, and I want to order some Fuzzi Bunz as well.
Most people I've mentioned my plans to think I'm nuts. I think people picture the old fashioned methods of pinning and folding when they think of cloth diapering...at least that's what I thought of before I started looking into it. But, now cloth diapers can have snaps, Velcro, and built in water-proof covers. They basically look exactly like a disposable diaper, but you can wash them. I realize it will take more work, and it may end up being a big yellow-poop-filled disaster, but I figure it's worth a shot.
Some benefits to cloth diapering:
1. It's cheaper in the long run
2. It's environmentally friendly
3. Less diaper rashes
4. I want to prove Eric wrong.
Thirdly, (although this doesn't fit in with my hippiness as much as it does with my yuppiness) we went to Ikea and bought an armoire for baby's room. Eric put it together, and it looks adorable!
Her room is really coming along now.
Remember when it looked like this?
Well, now it looks like this!
Progress!!!
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Twihard with Avengance: AKA Total Eclipse of My Pride
"Omigawd Mo-o-om, you are soooo like embarrassssssing me!"
This is what baby girl would be saying if she knew that I went and saw Twilight: Eclipse at the movie theater yesterday. Luckily, baby is still a baby, an unborn one at that, and doesn't even know Twilight exists. Therefore, she didn't have to experience the utter embarrassment of watching her mother waddling into a theater full of adolescent girls yesterday.
(Bonus embarrassment points??? I balanced a bag of popcorn on my belly.)
When the movie was over, Amy leaned over to me and laughed, "We should be way too old to be watching these movies. I know they're so awful, but I just can't help watching them!" She's right. The books and the movies are not very good, and I'm keenly aware of that as I watch/read them, but I just have to do it! It's like Lady Gaga, crack, and McDonald's french fries combined.
In reality, walking into the theater wasn't as embarrassing as I had envisioned. I may have been the only pregnant woman there, but I wasn't the oldest. There were plenty of moms there with their middle-school-aged daughters. The moms seemed just as excited to be there as their children. I read an article not too long ago (Wish I could remember where) about how moms and their daughters are both developing heavy crushes on Edward Cullen. It basially said that since he's both 17 and 109, and that he can stay frozen in time, he appeals to a wide range of ladies. I bet Joan Rivers loves him too.
I'm glad baby has missed this pop-culture phenomenon. I'm ashamed of my Twilight addiction enough as it is. I can't imagine sharing my crush on Edward Cullen with my teenage daughter. That'd probably scar her for life.
Still, who knows? By the time baby is 15, there will probably be some new fad out there. Maybe one about teenage leprechauns or moody, misunderstood Yeti. In the meantime, I'll just pat my belly and be glad she doesn't have to watch her mother make a fool of herself...yet.
This is what baby girl would be saying if she knew that I went and saw Twilight: Eclipse at the movie theater yesterday. Luckily, baby is still a baby, an unborn one at that, and doesn't even know Twilight exists. Therefore, she didn't have to experience the utter embarrassment of watching her mother waddling into a theater full of adolescent girls yesterday.
(Bonus embarrassment points??? I balanced a bag of popcorn on my belly.)
When the movie was over, Amy leaned over to me and laughed, "We should be way too old to be watching these movies. I know they're so awful, but I just can't help watching them!" She's right. The books and the movies are not very good, and I'm keenly aware of that as I watch/read them, but I just have to do it! It's like Lady Gaga, crack, and McDonald's french fries combined.
In reality, walking into the theater wasn't as embarrassing as I had envisioned. I may have been the only pregnant woman there, but I wasn't the oldest. There were plenty of moms there with their middle-school-aged daughters. The moms seemed just as excited to be there as their children. I read an article not too long ago (Wish I could remember where) about how moms and their daughters are both developing heavy crushes on Edward Cullen. It basially said that since he's both 17 and 109, and that he can stay frozen in time, he appeals to a wide range of ladies. I bet Joan Rivers loves him too.
I'm glad baby has missed this pop-culture phenomenon. I'm ashamed of my Twilight addiction enough as it is. I can't imagine sharing my crush on Edward Cullen with my teenage daughter. That'd probably scar her for life.
Still, who knows? By the time baby is 15, there will probably be some new fad out there. Maybe one about teenage leprechauns or moody, misunderstood Yeti. In the meantime, I'll just pat my belly and be glad she doesn't have to watch her mother make a fool of herself...yet.
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