Friday, December 30, 2011

hi Megan,
you're 34 weeks pregnant!

Baby's now the size of a honeydew!
Baby can recognize and react to simple songs...time to start practicing your lullabies! In fact, baby will recognize frequently sung tunes after birth and probably find them soothing. Less cute news: She now urinates about one pint per day. Get the diapers ready!

Friday, December 23, 2011

hi Megan,
you're 33 weeks pregnant!

 Baby's now the size of a honeydew!Things are heating up inside as well: Baby may grow up to a full inch this week alone, and his brain is developing like crazy. Pretty soon, he'll be able to coordinate breathing with sucking and swallowing. Also, his bones are hardening, and he's started to keep his eyes open when he's awake.

Your body is changingYou are one hot mama -- literally. A 20 percent metabolic rate increase throughout pregnancy can leave you begging for a cool breeze no matter what the weather is like. Distract yourself with an exercise in blind identification. Try to distinguish between baby's feet, fists, knees, and elbows -- all doing some major pushing and nudging inside of you.

[ tip ]Wash just a few of those adorable newborn outfits before baby comes and keep the tags on the rest. Baby will probably outgrow most before she gets to wear them, and you'll be able to return or exchange for a bigger size.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

updates

4 days until Christmas! I say this every year (we all do) but it came too fast! I love this time of year, and have to admit I feel that the build-up (decorating, shopping & wrapping, the music, the parties) are even better than the actual day. But I bet that will change: as our daughter(!) grows older, the holiday itself will become even more fun, as we witness it all through her eyes.
Anyway, I finished shopping earlier this year than usual so that's a great feeling. Hubby and I decided not to exchange gifts, and instead open a joint account. But there are still plenty of gifts to give away to our family & friends, and the empty crib has come in very handy for storing gifts away from our ribbon-loving cats.
Today I received the whooping cough & tetanus vaccines. It's funny how many times you get poked by a needle while pregnant. Receiving shots doesn't freak me out but I have plenty of friends who don't do as well. It's something you just have to do! My arm is sore now.
Greg and I are floating a new name around. This name is totally out of the blue and will remain a secret ;)
The nursery is officially ready; the foundation, at least. Greg finished the dresser and it's so beautiful! My dad saved the ladder shelf from my old bedroom and it's leaning against our wall with stuffed animals on it. I will post photos soon. We keep the door closed so every time I go in there it feels crisp and smells fresh and clean.
I'm on pins and needles until our next ultrasound, which is at 36 weeks and I'm 33. It's been so long since we've seen her!
She's moving as I type this.
Dinner is in the oven but I'd almost rather nap than eat. Almost. I might have to nap after I eat ;)
I'm sleeping much better lately.
I sleep with five pillows.
I have 3 yoga classes left.
No one has told me lately that I look like I'm having a boy.
I still have not had a stranger touch my stomach.
Time to finish making dinner!
(Photo again from our gingerbread day at my aunt's house)

Monday, December 19, 2011

32 weeks


Hello, Megan!
By now, your baby weighs 3.75 pounds (pick up a large jicama) and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb.

Monday, December 12, 2011

updates

Life is good. Now that I no longer work at TJ's on Sundays, I have two days off in a row. There is plenty to do to prepare for our little munchkin, but we're tackling one thing at a time and I'm feeling good about everything. 
Here's what's been goin' down during my blogging break (which stemmed from Texas, power outage, and lack of blogging energy)
Registered at Target for my baby shower (incredibly overwhelming~I recommend that moms to be start sooner rather than later
Assembled the crib
Put up book shelves and new blinds in the nursery
Purchased & wrapped most christmas gifts
Signed up for five more yoga classes
Greg is going to assemble the dresser today
Calling around and setting up interview appointments with various pediatricians


My energy is definitely dropping. I welcome the chance to have a nap, or at least shut my eyes for a few, every day. I don't sleep all that much, plus a little someone inside my belly is growing rapidly and zapping our shared energy. So I'm just trying to both take it easy and get things done here and there so that I don't fret about having soooo much to do (I'm good at fretting about that). My legs and pelvic bone are still killing me; aches and pains almost constantly. I'm trying to bump up the calcium and potassium, stretch, walk, hydrate.
*photo from our annual gingerbread cookie decorating day at my aunt's house. I suckered Greg into coming. And those two are my cute cousins.

28-31 weeks



Hello, Megan!
Your baby is growing rapidly now. This week he weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is getting bigger to accommodate his growing brain – which is busy developing billions of neurons. Every day, about 200 milligrams of calcium is deposited in your baby's skeleton, which is now hardening. With this rapid growth, it's no surprise that your baby's nutritional needs reach their peak during this trimester.


 Hello, Megan!
Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now, and she weighs almost 3 pounds (like a head of cabbage). A pint and a half of amniotic fluid surrounds her, but that volume will decrease as she gets bigger and takes up more room in your uterus. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. When she does open them, she'll respond to changes in light but will have 20/400 vision – which means she can only make out objects a few inches from her face. (Normal adult vision is 20/20.)


Hello, Megan!
This week, your baby measures over 16 inches long. He weighs about 3.3 pounds (try carrying four navel oranges) and is heading into a growth spurt. He can turn his head from side to side, and his arms, legs, and body are beginning to plump out as needed fat accumulates underneath his skin. He's probably moving a lot, too, so you may have trouble sleeping because your baby's kicks and somersaults keep you up. Take comfort: All this moving is a sign that your baby is active and healthy.

the storm of all storms


On Wednesday night, Nov 30th, I went to dinner in Toluca Lake w/my friend Chelle @ Gindi Thai (so yummy). We sat by the window and commented on how windy it was outside. When we walked down the street afterwards to our cars, we reached my car first, and then she ran to hers because it was so cold. I got on the freeway and had to grip my steering wheel tight, the wind was so strong. By about 10pm Greg and I were both home and a bit freaked out by the wind. By 11pm, I said I should go to bed since I had to get up for work in the morning, but the wind was so strong it was shaking our windows and doors so I told Greg I wanted him to come to bed with me. We laid in bed for 5-10 minutes before looking at each other and saying 'let's move to the living room.' We were too scared to be near the windows of our bedroom. We set up camp in our living room; he gave me the couch and he slept on the floor. We bundled up and lay in shock. The anxiety was so bad that we could hardly sleep; we were terrified that our windows would pop in or a pine tree would fall on our roof and come crashing in upon us. Dramatic thoughts, I know, but when your power goes out at midnight and doesn't return until the following Sunday morning, and you walk through your neighborhood and notice the destruction (in the photos above) you realized that you spent an entire night awake, trembling on the couch, during the storm of all storms. 

Thanksgiving in Texas


















First-Up in my attempt to catch up on my blog: random photos from our trip to the 'Lone Star' State.
We had a great time catching up with family, walking around, sitting around, and eating. That was our trip in a nutshell, especially the eating & catching up part. Here's a brief synopsis:
We flew in & out of Austin but spent two nights in San Antonio, 2 nights in Austin, 2 nights in Houston, and then our last night @ the San Jose boutique hotel in Austin. Aside from that last night we were lucky enough (saves so much money!) to stay in homes (his brother's house, his aunt's house, my sister's apt). Strange, yes, we both have family in Texas. But so great to get to see so many family members, and where they live, all in one trip.
Of all the cities, I preferred Austin, which has funk & charm. However, I wouldn't say that I would want to live there; especially with all the humidity they get in the summer. My favorite areas (from what we saw) of Austin were the South Congress (or So Co) area along with Barton Springs. These areas feature tons and tons of restaurants & bars that all have really groovy outdoor patios. We had perfect, perfect weather the whole trip so we were able to take advantage of well, eating and sitting and talking on numerous patios.
Houston deserves a better rep. My sister drove us around to various neighborhoods (one looked like Melrose, one looked like Beverly Hills). There is diversity within this humungous city, and their downtown is actually quite beautiful. The most special part of the trip was spending time with my sister and seeing her Texas digs; she's been living there for years and I had yet to visit her.
I realized on this trip (well, I've kind of always known...) that I'm pretty horrible at taking photos. I don't put enough effort into documenting moments and areas and people. That's something I really want to work on. The photos above illustrate the trip in some way, though most were taken in Austin.

Friday, December 9, 2011

sneak peek.....

i'm coming back to blogging life, i swear. this was me one week before thanksgiving; my last day at work before spending 7 days in texas.
since then i've just been trying to recover, (isn't it funny how you need a vacation after a vacation?) and then there was the whole 'insane windstorm knocks your power out for four days' now it's all about gearing up for xmas, focusing on the baby shower, and oh yeah, acknowledging the fact that (hopefully) two months from today there will be a newbie around.
nevertheless, i have sooo much to write about. i really can't wait to catch up on here, for myself if no one else. but for now, sleep is beckoning me.

Saturday, November 19, 2011

to bump, or not to bump?

I've had the constant question in my head: should I tie a bumper to the inside of the crib?
Every single photo I see, of all the hundreds of nurseries on current blogs & pinterest, showcase crib bumpers. Yet every single word I read about bumpers says that they're a huge suffocation risk; thus can cause SIDS; or in the least, limbs can get caught.
Despite the cuteness & coziness that they invoke, I've pretty much decided that I will not have a crib bumper. I'd rather she bump her head on the crib wall then ...... yeah.
They are pretty cute, though. But, when people know better, it's safe to take their advice.

books as decor

These are the shelves we bought from Ikea! Though we only bought two. I love the idea of books as decor. Must be the teacher in me. I really love that end table, too!

i miss coffee.

I really do miss coffee. More than I miss red wine & margaritas. (by the way, that's an FAQ: 'Do you missing drinking?' Answer: There's been a few moments, yes. But overall, no).
Anyway, I'm tired of being tired, especially when you have an office job and sit at a computer and don't move much and just stare....it's even harder to feel alert. I try and walk off my sleepiness (or, food & water help) but I miss the convenience of sipping on some espresso and becoming all jittery and semi-human. I know this tiredness is only going to get worse, so I should stop complaining. In the least, I do enjoy my starbucks decaf soy lattes....pretty often.
(all images via pinterest)

Friday, November 18, 2011

hi Megan,
you're 28 weeks pregnant!


Week 28
Baby's now the size of an eggplant!
Baby's lungs are mature enough that, if born right now, she has a pretty good chance of surviving (with help from medical technology). Her skin is still pretty wrinkly (one byproduct of living in amniotic fluid) but will smoothen as fat continues to deposit.
\

anti-turkey week

On Monday, we board an airplane for the grand ol' state of Texas. We'll be there for an entire week, from Monday to Monday, bridging the Thanksgiving holiday. I'm very excited to:
go on vacation
see my sis
see Greg's family
see Austin
eat Tex-Mex food
go to the river-walk in San Antonio
see the bats fly in Austin
see where my sister sleeps, works, studies, and plays in Houston
enjoy a cozy holiday with family

I'm not totally looking forward to the forecast: high 70's with severe thunderstorms. Ah! What does that even mean?? I'm afraid of humidity.
It'll be so nice to have an entire week with no responsibilities, no clocking in and out, no losing sleep because of our cats (though I'll miss them a bunch and worry about them even more). There will be a lot of driving (we're going to Austin, San Antonio, and Houston) but we're quite excited & hope the baby likes to fly.

28 weeks


Believe it or not, the 28th week is here and in fact halfway through. 
Greg took these photos on his iphone today when he picked me up from work so that we could catch our doctor's appointment. 
Luckily, we both have Mondays off together so we've always been able to meet with our OB then. However, the next two Mondays we'll be in Texas(!) so we had to go today, on a Friday. I was more than happy to leave 2.5 hours early, as my workload has decreased dramatically now that wedding season is over, so I'm simply trying to find ways to look busy and not fall asleep at my desk.
Anyway! The appointment was great. Short & sweet, sans ultrasound, but she listened to the heartbeat and said it sounds nice and steady. Measured the 'size of my uterus' (tape measure vertical against my stomach from top to bottom) and said it's exactly 28 inches and the baby should be about 3 pounds.
She confirmed that I'm officially in my 7th month and THIRD TRIMESTER!!! Here's what I can expect:
The hunger returns....It has taken our baby 7 months to reach 3 lbs, and in the next two months, her weight will double. I've consistently been gaining 1 lb a week which isn't awful, but I need to watch it and not go crazy.
The exhaustion returns....and I can already tell. Having an ever-growing little one in your belly knocks the wind out of you. 
The growing pains are here. My pelvic bones hurt SO bad. She confirmed that they're slowly widening. I don't like it one bit. Bending down hurts, as does putting on pants, taking off pants, changing positions while sitting down, etc. Between this new pain and the stiff legs during sleep, I can say that the 'aches and pains' of pregnancy have been the worst part of it all (which, in truth, is not much to complain about). 
We now start visiting our OB every two weeks!!! I'm so excited. Just going more often, asking questions more frequently, seeing her more often, gets me pumped up. Plus, this officially means we're in the home-stretch. 
Lastly, I received a shot today (in my bum!) because I have a rare blood type (RH-negative) and Greg has a common, A-positive, thus there is a conflict of types swimming through my body and I could get sick, or worse the baby could become sick. I just read the wikipedia explanation of it all and it went a bit over my head, but at least it's getting taken care of; I'll receive one more shot at the hospital during delivery.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Baby's new dresser!

Doesn't our daughter have great style? Aren't you surprised by the sophistication of this dark grey dresser that will be used in her nursery as a changing table? Aren't you impressed with the size? As she grows and accumulates more clothing, we'll have the drawers for her. You can't see the knobs very well here but they're pretty. The top will be used for the changing pad, and then baskets of diaper essentials. I'm glad she picked out this dresser, through telecommunication with me ;) My mom liked it too. Don't you think the grey will look great with the white & turquoise in her room? This baby girl is going to have great style.
wink.

26 weeks


These photos were taken about a week and a half ago; I've just been too lazy to post anything. I'll write updates in my 27 week post.

Monday, November 14, 2011

27 weeks


Hello, Megan!
This week, your baby weighs almost 2 pounds (like a head of cauliflower) and is about 14 1/2 inches long with her legs extended. She's sleeping and waking at regular intervals, opening and closing her eyes, and perhaps even sucking her fingers. With more brain tissue developing, your baby's brain is very active now. While her lungs are still immature, they would be capable of functioning — with a lot of medical help — if she were born now. Chalk up any tiny rhythmic movements you may be feeling to a case of baby hiccups, which may be common from now on. Each episode usually lasts only a few moments, and they don't bother her, so just relax and enjoy the tickle 

-I like the number 27. We were married on the 27th of June. 
-Weeks 25 & 26 were pretty great in terms of sleep. And now -I'm loving week 27. A few reasons:
I feel as though, finally, I'm mentally bonding with, and really falling in love with, our baby. Even though she's been growing inside of me for almost 7 months now (!) it's only been very recently that I've been able to associate the kicking being in my belly with the daughter that I will eventually know and love. I feel more focused and aware of the fact that I am growing an identity. I suppose it's her movement, and my very obvious baby bump, that's triggering the emotional reality that I'm feeling. It feels really good. Don't get me wrong, everything still feels very very surreal, but I'm only getting more & more excited. 
-Speaking of movement, I think that today marks the day when I've felt the most movement. I swear she's going to be a dancer. She's been bopping around all day; it's so fun! And when I lay on my back (yes, only momentarily) such as in the morning to flex my feet, or during relaxation in yoga, it's as if she's a moon-walker; the lack of gravity in there must automatically push her up, because suddenly I have this boulder beneath my ribs. Such a trip!

Monday, November 7, 2011

frequently asked question

'Does it bother you when people touch your stomach?'


Nope, not at all. 

bedtime in our house

this was last night, when we were reading in bed after watching 'How to Make it in America' and 'Boardwalk Empire.'
Both cats found warmth in laying between Greg's legs. Once the light turned out, he turned on his stomach and they got dissed.
Last night was exceptionally cold. When we got home from work at 9:30pm, there was SNOW on our front lawn and side yard. I just kept walking through it, slush slush slush.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

updates

  • this week i slept very well. hooray! i believe it's a combo of a few things: lack of stress. the cold weather knocks the cats out (makes them just want to cuddle all night instead of play). waking up earlier (having a sleep routine, and not getting too much sleep does wonders-who would have thought?)
  • Charlie Horse this morning. shot out of bed at 6am; scared Greg. once i stood up it went away but there's nothing you can do in the moment besides shout.
  • i ordered chocolate souffle at the yardhouse last night and decided it's my new favorite dessert. the sweet cravings are officially here.
  • yesterday my supervisor & friend, Susan, and i drove our cars in the rain to her house a few miles away from work. i got to see her beautiful home which definitely deserves to be featured in Sunset magazine. and we loaded both of our cars up with baby hand-me-downs. her daughter Rachel is 8, but Susan has kept so many items boxed up and bundled up in her attic. we inherited: a crib, a pack 'n play, a high chair, 3 plastic bins of baby clothes, bedding for the crib, and a dollhouse. after work that day, we both went to my house and greg helped us unload both cars. it was fun going into the nursery this morning to grab my jacket (we keep the door closed so the cats stay out, but have to use the closet in there) and seeing a (dismantled) crib in there. i can't believe we'll soon have use for a crib!
  • yesterday the baby was dancing in my belly. it felt like she was doing the worm in there. i love when i feel her in different spots at the same time. i guess she's going to like kickboxing like i did. i'll feel simultaneous kicks and punches. i can't believe that she started as the size of an orange seed, and now spans the width of my ever-growing belly.
  • we're getting very excited for our trip to texas this month. we leave the monday before thanksgiving and return the monday after. we're flying, but will be among family with cars, so we'll actually get to see San Antonio (where greg's brother resides) Austin (where we'll celebrate the holiday at his aunt's house) and Houston (where my sis resides with her boyfriend and two cats) Can't wait!!

Friday, November 4, 2011



hi Megan,
you're 26 weeks pregnant!


Week 26
Baby's now the size of an eggplant!
Baby's soaking up your antibodies, getting her immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and she'll soon be practicing the blink...perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.