Friday, October 28, 2011

holy crap I suddenly feel like Feb 7th is like, tomorrow

hi Megan,
you're 25 weeks pregnant!

Baby's now the size of an eggplant!
That oh-so-handy sense of equilibrium is kicking in, and baby's learning to distinguish right side up from upside down.

sleep, or lack thereof

I know that I officially have nothing to complain about until I have a crying infant waking me up every two hours (and that's if I'm lucky) but man, I miss sleep.
Sleeping has not been fun for about a month now and it's only getting worse. I'm able to fall asleep quick & heavy for the first couple of hours, but then I feel like I'm mostly awake the rest of the night.
My awake time includes turning to my left side but not liking it, or turning to my right side with apprehension. (Frequently Asked Question: why is it so important to mostly sleep on your left side? Because your heart is on your left side, and when you lay on that side it allows for better circulation of both blood and oxygen to the baby). My awake time also includes about four trips to the bathroom. It includes dealing with my cats. And the worst of all (even worse than the cats which is bad) is dealing with leg cramps.
My legs just feel achey and heavy all night long. Even when I go for a 9pm walk. Even when I stretch. Even with a pillow between my legs. Even with flexing in bed, on my back, for a cherished two minutes. (If you spend too much time on your back, said circulation gets cut off)
Again, I know this is nothing compared to my near future. I know this is good preparation. But man, I'm tired of being tired. I think that what compounds it all is that my work load at my job has gotten 100% easier because wedding season has ended. I haven't even been here an hour and I'm already caught up on emails and voicemails. Sitting here trying to think of busy work does not motivate me or give me energy or make me very cheery.
Nevertheless, Everything else is good so I really shouldn't complain. The weather has been beautiful, there's a fun holiday weekend ahead complete with three different birthdays (Ericka, Julie, and my dad) and I had pumpkin cream cheese for breakfast.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

a corner of a living room

so, my current dilemma at home is this one corner of our living room. one wall of the corner is completely blank, and the other has a long, low shelf that's probably meant for behind a couch. it fits perfectly beneath our window and currently houses all of my bday cards lined up in a row even though my bday was 9/15 ;) Anyway, not sure that we need to keep that piece of furniture. have considered buying two comfy chairs. but those are not cheap, and in the back of my mind i know i should be patient and keep the space open so that in the near future, it can hold a pack n' play or some such thing, or hold baskets of toys, etc. 
But i still keep it on my mind when we're out looking at furniture, and the photo above, which i spotted on design*sponge is, in my opinion, a great balance of much furniture, many items, yet a clean, classy feel.

Monday, October 24, 2011

moi



updates:
here are three photos taken from my new iphone in our living room tonight, at 24 weeks. sans makeup! i'm so brave.
my belly keeps growing and so do it. we had another doctor's appointment today, and i've gained 5 lbs since the last one, which was four weeks ago. she said as long as i keep it at 1 lb a week i'm fine. she's very kind about weight gain ;) but i do want to be more cautious. i don't so much feel guilty for eating the amount that i do, because i don't find it to be that much more than what i had been eating. i more so want to walk much more often. twice during the day at work and hopefully once a night. though i feel like i'm hardly ever home so i need to make those work walks uphill just in case i don't squeeze in an evening one (how cool that i have uphill work walk options; not to mention all the deer sightings lately)
so, most importantly of all updates:
health: our baby is doing very well. her heart rate is good; not too fast, not too slow. she's a good size. if anything, a bit on the petite side. our doctor already has a 'gut feeling' that she won't reach 8 lbs but will likely reach 6 or 7. how she can tell that is beyond me.
gender: today's appointment was ultrasound # 2 to confirm the gender. just in case some anatomy was hiding last month. sure enough, we've still got our girl. it was nice to get the confirmation, and even better to see her moving around and hear her heartbeat
activity: she's a mover & a shaker. some days i don't feel much but when she's awake, it's very obvious. our doctor even commented on her kicking during the ultrasound (you could see her kick and then cross her legs at the ankles!!) and during lamaze class tonight i started to feel movement so i pulled my cardigan to the side and greg and i both saw a kick!
me: i've been having quite frequent discomfort in my upper stomach, below my rib cage on the left side. i figured it was indigestion. it's a burning feeling in the same area every time, and from what i could sense in a pattern, it happens after meals. our doctor believes it's 'stretching pain' which does make sense. it's all my organs pushing up and out, including the top of my uterus.
delivery: we asked whether i will be given the option of having an episiotomy (sp?) (where they cut you to prevent tearing...down there). She said she will definitely talk to me before doing anything, and it just depends on how i look down there before i'm getting ready to push. We also asked about how the conversation regarding an epidural goes during delivery, and she explained that she keeps a neutral position and lets it be our choice, and sometimes labor is quick enough that you're never given a chance (hmm, the idea of a quick delivery sounds great but too quick that you miss the epidural window? a little scary). We told her that we're leaning towards getting an epidural but still want to do research. i didn't tell her that in last week's lamaze while watching a video about the pros and cons of receiving the pain reliever, i almost walked out in hysteria because it was so overwhelming and scary.
nursery: we measured all the walls today and started conversation about where to place the crib and dresser, so that the rest can 'fall into place' in terms of smaller bookshelves, wall-hangings, etc. We'll also need to buy new curtains and purge the closet. bringing in the furniture will take place before we fly to austin for thanksgiving. i at least want the layout of the room confirmed before then, because once we return it's december and we all know what that month is like
to compare: today i also went and had routine blood work done to check my sugar levels and make sure that i don't have gestational diabetes. it's the 'glucose test' which proceeds as follows: go to the lab (there's one 2 mins from our house) have your blood drawn, drink super sugary, lukewarm fluid (fruit punch flavor) and by drink i mean chug it within five minutes, then wait in the waiting room (i took 3 magazines: they don't let you leave) then once the hour is up, have your blood drawn again. this is all after fasting, so it's a little scary not eating breakfast but i felt just fine.
anyway; to compare: while reading my mag and waiting, a girl came in and i saw her drinking the same juice and she sat down and we started talking and: she's due one day before me!! on feb 6th. so that was really fun, comparing notes. it's also her first baby, she's having a boy, hasn't felt a strong kick yet, and works at banana republic. we wrote down each others names so we can be facebook friends :)

ok, that's enough updates for now. i'm sure there's many more because i haven't written in awhile, but it's past my bedtime and i'm hungry but don't want to eat more so i'm going to go to bed.


baa baa white sheep

a little lamb!! too cute. you can order prints at: the animal print shop. seen thanks to: cup of jo

24 weeks

Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

wedding bells



This Saturday, 10/22, will be a special special day. My dearest friend is getting married to her beau of 10 years!! I've known the bride since we met in Technology class in the 6th grade...that was 17 years ago!!! I will be matron of honor in her wedding, and I am very honored and getting quite excited. It will be a very classy but fun wedding and I'll be sure to post photos though I'll leave much of the work up to her stellar photographer who is quite big in the blog world that I follow: Adrienne Gunde
as being photographed by her will be another honor in itself.
Us gals in the wedding party will wear navy blue floor-length chiffon gowns, carry beautiful bouquets, and stand near the chuppah as vows are exchanged.
The bride has granted us total creative run with our hair-dos, and i've been collecting images on Pinterest. These 3, although blurry, are perhaps my top 3, in descending order. The bride liked the subtle braid. We'll see.

din din

dinner tonight. i made soup, which I do love doing. tj's has some great varieties of pre-washed, pre-chopped veggies. I didn't keep time but i would have to say that making this soup tonight took under 10 minutes. it's all veggies; i omitted my usual grains & beans for something lighter. carrots, celery, onion, zucchini, green beans, (canned) tomatoes in juice, spinach, and veggie broth. top off with a little parmesan, toast a roll, and you've got yourself a happy pregnant lady (Now, what's for dessert?...) ;)
see? can you tell i'm already getting better at posting photos now that I have an iphone?

the perfect Fall outfit

as seen on you are my fave.

a proud new owner.....


Yes, indeed, I am a proud new owner of a brand new iphone 4s. It took some talking into (I was willing to accept hubby's hand-me-down) but I'm so glad I went big and treated myself to the new one. I mean, up until now I had a keyboard phone, with no internet. I've finally caught up with the times!!! And yes it feels over-the-top and indulgent but it also feels really great ;) My favorite part of my new phone is the camera. The quality is pretty stellar and I get to utilize my favorite app, Instagram. Here are some photos I took at my work, Descanso Gardens, of our pumpkin totem poles. The app allows one to adjust the lighting, etc of a photo, allowing it to look antiquated, or black and white, etc. I am so excited about how easy it will be to take photos of our little babe and email them to her grandparents asap, without even leaving my seat or turning on the laptop. Technology allows us to be so lazy! Hoorah!!

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

and just like that....



and just like that, hubby shares the photos with me from his iphone and i can post a belly shot.
on monday, we hopped on le ol' metro and treated ourselves to a lavish lunch at bottega louie. the space is large, loud, and beautiful. i can't wait to return. we had the best sauteed brussel sprouts with pistachios, and you can't knock a restaurant that offers complimentary sparkling water. we were too full for lunch but our sweet server brought us 3 complimentary macarons. we thought we weren't fans....until we bit into the pumpkin one.
it was a beautiful day, and we walked from 7th & Grand to Pershing Square which is where Greg took the first two photos. We also ventured to Olvera St before heading home to the last stop on the gold line, 1 mile from our house. a fun treat, and one of those afternoon that we know will no longer come as easily once we are three. so we basked in it.

updates


Hi. Gosh, it's been awhile. I don't know where I've been. My blogging motivation has been lacking, but I'll pick up the pace. There's too much going on in my life & in my belly to not better document it. If nothing else, I should at least use this space as a pregnancy journal since I'm not doing so elsewhere, and these details will be important & nostalgic to look back on one day.
I could stand to be more creative with my blog but I'm deeply obsessed with: Pinterest. B was right, I freaking love it. The perfect space for me to display images of all things I love, from baby stuff to home decor to just gorgeous photos of food.
Anyway, I promise I'll get belly photos up on here asap. Greg took one on Monday when we took the Gold Line downtown to have a random lunch @ Bottega Louie.....holy moly, so good.
As for pregnancy updates:

Belly button is on its way out, literally. I'll have an outtie soon enough. So strange!!
Sleep kinda sucks. I terribly miss sleeping on my back, and feel guilty if I rest on my right side but I prefer my right side.
My mom is spoiling her granddaughter like crazy, with fleece pjs w/footsies, a knit strawberry cap, and more. Perfect attire for a winter baby.
Plans for the baby shower are in the works.
Plans for registering are in the works.
Plans for setting up furniture are in the works. I want the above 3 mentions done before our Thanksgiving trip to Austin.
There's kicking as I type this. I'm hungry as I type this. I'm avoiding work as I type this. See, not much has changed!! ;)
Lamaze class is down 3, with 2 to go. I'm learning a ton, and laughing through all the breathing and birthing practices & positions. Our instructor kindly reminds us that we won't be laughing during the actual event!
The emotions are kicking in. The other day I cried during the opening credits of 'The Wonder Years' and I cry at the end of each gross, vivid birthing video that we watch during lamaze class.

Life is good, no complaints at all. Greg and I have so much support between all family & friends....this is definitely one of the best times of my life <3

Tuesday, October 11, 2011



hi Megan,
you're 22 weeks pregnant!

Week 22
Baby's now the size of a papaya!
Baby's settling into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

frequently asked question

Do you have any names picked out??

Man, when I say frequently asked, I mean frequently asked. It takes effort to be a good sport about this question. And I try not to mind, because I loooove asking moms-to-be the same thing. But I'm hearing it so often now that we have a gender, which of course is fine, but it's like, 'ok, the pressure is on. People want to hear your ideas, even if it's nothing solid yet.' So I tell them our #1 fave but explain that we're not certain yet. Nor do we have a committed middle name. But here & now I want to explain that it is possible that we'll have our top 3 choices, and not commit until we meet our little girl and see what she looks like. That's what my parents did with my sister and I. They saw my redhair and instantly knew, 'Megan.' I want to see my daughter's newborn personality and hold her, and then decide. So that's the plan as of now, but we also have 4 months to go, so that could change. (ohhhhhhhhhhmygosh, I just typed 4 months)

gender reveal

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!
hi Megan,
you're 21 weeks pregnant!

Baby's now the size of a banana!
Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, if baby is a girl, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth).

Updates

1. I am 21 weeks along. The baby is approximately the length of a banana. I know, going from cantaloupe to banana hardly makes any sense to me either.
2. My belly is big. I can still wear my regular pants but they can't zip up, not one centimeter. Thank goodness for a 'be-band' which looks like a tube top but you wrap it around your waist and ta-da, no one (hopefully) can tell that my pants are completely unzipped.
3. We started lamaze class. One class down, 4 to go. I enjoyed it; I learned a lot. Specifically about what to take to the hospital. #1 suggested item: chapstick. I believe this, and I already have an obsession with Burt's Bees, so Greg knows now to definitely bring a hefty supply.
There are 7 couples total in the class. 5 of us are giving birth to the same gender. I don't know that I see us being friends with any of the couples, unfortunately. (That's how I feel about the girls in my yoga class....so maybe it's just me being the unfriendly one).
We watched an incredibly vivid birth video half-way through class. The instructor said 'let's just get this over with now.' I sat with my hand over my ajar mouth the entire time.
4. I'm starting to feel movement much more frequently. It's not necessarily a strong 'kick' but more like the baby is having a dance party (yeah!) The past two days it was pretty wild. It's so fun. The baby definitely responds to breakfast, which I eat in the car on the way to work. Once I sit down at work, it's dance party time.
5. Greg got to feel a nudge. I told him to keep his hand on my belly, below my belly button, while we were watching tv, and to press down. It took a few minutes but it was a pretty fun moment.