As you’ve probably noticed, my posts have been very few and far between – I’ve been a tad bit busy. Before I had a baby, I observed my best friend Michelle run on no sleep and keep a schedule of constantly hectic days. Being the childless naive friend that I was, I once asked her (very nicely) “how does one baby make you so busy, tell me what all you have to do in one day…” I was genuinely interested as we were beginning to think about bringing a little one into the world and I wanted to know what I was getting myself into. She just said “Callie, I don’t even know where to begin to tell you everything that goes into it but I will tell you that it is the best and hardest thing you’ll ever do.” I couldn’t have said it better myself and I found an article that sums it up impeccably:
TELL ME ABOUT IT ®
(Nick Galifianakis for The Washington Post
By Carolyn Hax
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Carolyn:
Best friend has child. Her: exhausted, busy, no time for self, no time for me, etc. Me (no kids): Wow. Sorry. What'd you do today? Her: Park, play group . . .
Okay. I've done Internet searches, I've talked to parents. I don't get it. What do stay-at-home moms do all day? Please no lists of library, grocery store, dry cleaners . . . I do all those things, too, and I don't do them EVERY DAY. I guess what I'm asking is: What is a typical day and why don't moms have time for a call or e-mail? I work and am away from home nine hours a day (plus a few late work events) and I manage to get it all done. I'm feeling like the kid is an excuse to relax and enjoy -- not a bad thing at all -- but if so, why won't my friend tell me the truth? Is this a peeing contest ("My life is so much harder than yours")? What's the deal? I've got friends with and without kids and all us child-free folks get the same story and have the same questions.
Tacoma, Wash.
Relax and enjoy. You're funny.
Or you're lying about having friends with kids.
Or you're taking them at their word that they actually have kids, because you haven't personally been in the same room with them.
Internet searches?
I keep wavering between giving you a straight answer and giving my forehead some keyboard. To claim you want to understand, while in the same breath implying that the only logical conclusions are that your mom-friends are either lying or competing with you, is disingenuous indeed.
So, since it's validation you seem to want, the real answer is what you get. In list form. When you have young kids, your typical day is: constant attention, from getting them out of bed, fed, clean, dressed; to keeping them out of harm's way; to answering their coos, cries, questions; to having two arms and carrying one kid, one set of car keys, and supplies for even the quickest trips, including the latest-to-be-declared-essential piece of molded plastic gear; to keeping them from unshelving books at the library; to enforcing rest times; to staying one step ahead of them lest they get too hungry, tired or bored, any one of which produces the kind of checkout-line screaming that gets the checkout line shaking its head.
It's needing 45 minutes to do what takes others 15.
It's constant vigilance, constant touch, constant use of your voice, constant relegation of your needs to the second tier.
It's constant scrutiny and second-guessing from family and friends, well-meaning and otherwise. It's resisting constant temptation to seek short-term relief at everyone's long-term expense.
It's doing all this while concurrently teaching virtually everything -- language, manners, safety, resourcefulness, discipline, curiosity, creativity. Empathy. Everything.
It's also a choice, yes. And a joy. But if you spent all day, every day, with this brand of joy, and then, when you got your first 10 minutes to yourself, wanted to be alone with your thoughts instead of calling a good friend, a good friend wouldn't judge you, complain about you to mutual friends, or marvel how much more productively she uses her time. Either make a sincere effort to understand or keep your snit to yourself.
Write to Tell Me About It, Style, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071, ortellme@washpost.com.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/22/AR2007052201554.html
Which brings me to my main point—babies create a new normal in your life and by that I mean a year ago, normal to me would be a great day at work: the market rallies and the Dow closes over 10,000, bringing in new assets under management, opening new client accounts, tax harvesting gains and losses in client’s portfolios, come home, fix dinner or go to dinner and be in bed by 10pm= SUCCESS. Now my new normal is: it’s five o’clock in the afternoon and I’m still in my yoga pants and tank top, baby throw up in my hair, no makeup and all I’ve had to eat are stale cookies someone brought me a few days ago. However, Rob is clean, fed, happy, healthy and oh so peacefully sleeping in his little lamby swing and all I can think about is seeing him in an hour or two waking up with that little gummy smile on his face that I’ve come to live for. Rusty is somewhat clean, fed and peacefully sleeping and I have a few minutes to myself to start laundry, wash dishes and throw something together for dinner, if I’m lucky I will get to take a shower and try to look halfway presentable before my husband gets home = SUCCESS! Now that Rob is almost 7 weeks old, things are much less hectic and we’ve settled into a great routine but it is still constant work and constantly rewarding. I always say I can’t tell if I’m deliriously tired or deliriously happy! As crazy as it sounds, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Now, that’s not to say that I won’t go back to work; I love what I do, I love my degree and I’m good at it. It’s part of who I am and what makes me me; but as for right now I am absolutely loving my new normal.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Where to Begin?--Birth Story!!
I know it’s been a while but I really don’t even know where to begin, as you can imagine the past few weeks have been filled with the most life altering experiences I’ve ever encountered, every second of my day is filled with making sure Rob’s needs are met. Showers, phone calls, hot meals and makeup are all luxuries and take a backseat to feedings, diaper changes and pediatrician appointments. Rob’s naptime is my new happy hour! It is the best hard work you could ever imagine, without sounding like a major cheeseball, I love him more than I could have ever, ever imagined; he makes me so happy my heart hurts; it really is an unexplainable type of love. The minute I saw him I new I would die for him and I would do anything in my power to never let anything bad happen to him … with that being said, the first few nights were ROUGH!!! No matter how much you love your baby, it is still the biggest life adjustment you will ever experience! I breastfed through tears at first (we now have the hang of it but NO ONE told me how hard it was going to be!!!) I remember sitting in the rocking chair in the nursery the first night home, Rob was crying inconsolably, I was crying because I couldn’t soothe my baby and I remember thinking: “What am I doing?!? He might be an only child because I’m the worst Mom ever; I can’t even comfort my baby!” Even though that was only a few weeks ago, I can look back on that and laugh because every night gets so much easier and every day brings new challenges but also new blessings.
Enough rambling! I guess I need to start with Rob’s birth story:
My due date was August 21st and of course the date had come and gone with no signs of my little one wanting to budge so finally after much urging from my doctor, I agreed to a scheduled induction on Sunday, August 29th at 9 pm. I knew it was going to be a long road; I wasn’t dilated or effaced at all and he was still basically up in my ribcage. I had prepared myself to be in for the long haul … call it Mother’s Intuition already kicking in but I knew it was going to be a long process with an extremely high probability of the labor ending in a c section. When I arrived at the hospital (Methodist in the Medical Center), I was of course a little nervous but was quickly greeted by the sweetest nursing staff you could imagine. We got set up in our room (where we would be for the next WEEK) and they started the basic IV fluids – which would later make me more swollen than a stuffed hog. At about 10 pm they gave me the first dose of Cytotec orally; it’s a pill used to help start contractions and soften the cervix. I did start having some mild contractions, nothing too painful but definitely more noticeable than Braxton Hicks. At 3:30 am Monday morning I was dilated 1cm and about 30% effaced, not monumental progress but it was better than nothing! So then they gave me round 2 of cytotec and an Ambien so I could sleep and was I GLAD I got some sleep, it was the last night of semi-good sleep I’ve had since!
At 10 am Monday morning the nurse came in and started the Devil Water (DW), or more commonly known as Pitocin. (It’s an artificial version of the hormone Oxytocin that your body produces naturally when you’re in labor.) The Cytotec managed to help me dilate to 2cm and 40% effaced but now it was time to bring out the big guns. At first the DW started off on the lowest possible amount dripping into my IV, no big deal; I got up put on makeup, was checking email and facebook, talking on the phone, etc. But as the day wore on they upped the dosage every 15 minutes and before I knew it I was gripping the bed rails. I thought the pain was bad, but I had no idea what the next day would bring… my water had yet to be broken! So Tuesday morning rolls around and my doctor is like “okay, we have to get this show on the road, we need to have this baby today” so she broke my water at 5 am on Tuesday. Uh muh guhd. OUCH!!!!!! Whatever I thought were contractions before this point were a trip to the petting zoo compared to this. A lot of people say contractions feel like extremely painful menstral cramps, I just don’t see it. The only thing this had in common with those cramps was that the pain was in the same region. It literally felt like someone was ripping out my insides (sorry if that’s too graphic, there’s no other way to explain it!) It was unbelievable – so I had these contractions ALL DAY on Tuesday and didn’t opt for any IV pain meds until about 5:30 pm that evening (stupid), at 6 the doctor checked me and I was 4 cm and 60% effaced, she looked at me in agony and she said “Callie, I’m giving you two more hours and then we are going to have to do a C section.” At this point, any rationally thinking person would have said to themselves: “self, I’ve been in labor for almost 2 days and I’m dilated to a 4, she’s giving me 2 hours to get to a 10, lets’ just go ahead and get this over with” but me being stubborn, sleep deprived and now feeling the effects of the nubane coursing through my veins, I thought….maybe somehow I will just magically dilate to a 10 in two hours!!! Needless to say, that was two more hours of torture I could have done without and at 8pm the doctor started to prep me for a c section. First, she called in the anesthesiologist (at this point I wanted to name my son after her for putting me out of my misery) let me tell you …. GET THE EPIDURAL AS SOON AS YOU CAN!! I didn’t get it until 40 minutes before my son was born and after I did get it, I could have run a marathon while in labor simultaneously. Get the epidural.
So they wheeled me into the OR and Rob was out in about 15 to 20 minutes, pink, puffy and crying. That cry was like music to my ears, I had waited for an eternity to see him, hear him hold him and now it was happening I just couldn’t believe it! Here he was, after being 10 days late and enduring 46 hours of labor, he was born on August 31st at 8:44 pm weighing 8lbs, 3ozs, 20 ¾ inches long. He scored a 9 out of 10 on his APGAR test (already making me a proud Mama by acing tests) and as soon as we were back in my room I was holding him on my chest and he lifted his head up to look at me, turned it to the right and to the left and put it back down on my chest. He was just a FEW HOURS OLD!!! That is a milestone that a lot of babies don’t accomplish for a few WEEKS!! All the nurses, doctors and the pediatrician kept talking about how remarkable his head control was! Okay, sorry I’ll stop bragging about my child now
Everyone asks if the incision and recovery of the c section hurts. Honestly, I didn’t think it was bad at all. I was up out of the bed the next morning and walking the halls that afternoon. We left the hospital on Friday and I never even filled my prescription pain meds. I went back for my 2 week check up this past Tuesday so the doctor could look at my incision and it’s already healed.
So we are getting settled into a routine, doing great with exclusively breastfeeding and I’m learning what all of his different cries mean. Now that’s not to say we don’t still have rough nights but more often than not he’s sleeping some good three and four hour stretches at night which is pure BLISS!! I will try and write more often but as you know, everything takes a backseat to my baby Rob right now : )
Enough rambling! I guess I need to start with Rob’s birth story:
My due date was August 21st and of course the date had come and gone with no signs of my little one wanting to budge so finally after much urging from my doctor, I agreed to a scheduled induction on Sunday, August 29th at 9 pm. I knew it was going to be a long road; I wasn’t dilated or effaced at all and he was still basically up in my ribcage. I had prepared myself to be in for the long haul … call it Mother’s Intuition already kicking in but I knew it was going to be a long process with an extremely high probability of the labor ending in a c section. When I arrived at the hospital (Methodist in the Medical Center), I was of course a little nervous but was quickly greeted by the sweetest nursing staff you could imagine. We got set up in our room (where we would be for the next WEEK) and they started the basic IV fluids – which would later make me more swollen than a stuffed hog. At about 10 pm they gave me the first dose of Cytotec orally; it’s a pill used to help start contractions and soften the cervix. I did start having some mild contractions, nothing too painful but definitely more noticeable than Braxton Hicks. At 3:30 am Monday morning I was dilated 1cm and about 30% effaced, not monumental progress but it was better than nothing! So then they gave me round 2 of cytotec and an Ambien so I could sleep and was I GLAD I got some sleep, it was the last night of semi-good sleep I’ve had since!
At 10 am Monday morning the nurse came in and started the Devil Water (DW), or more commonly known as Pitocin. (It’s an artificial version of the hormone Oxytocin that your body produces naturally when you’re in labor.) The Cytotec managed to help me dilate to 2cm and 40% effaced but now it was time to bring out the big guns. At first the DW started off on the lowest possible amount dripping into my IV, no big deal; I got up put on makeup, was checking email and facebook, talking on the phone, etc. But as the day wore on they upped the dosage every 15 minutes and before I knew it I was gripping the bed rails. I thought the pain was bad, but I had no idea what the next day would bring… my water had yet to be broken! So Tuesday morning rolls around and my doctor is like “okay, we have to get this show on the road, we need to have this baby today” so she broke my water at 5 am on Tuesday. Uh muh guhd. OUCH!!!!!! Whatever I thought were contractions before this point were a trip to the petting zoo compared to this. A lot of people say contractions feel like extremely painful menstral cramps, I just don’t see it. The only thing this had in common with those cramps was that the pain was in the same region. It literally felt like someone was ripping out my insides (sorry if that’s too graphic, there’s no other way to explain it!) It was unbelievable – so I had these contractions ALL DAY on Tuesday and didn’t opt for any IV pain meds until about 5:30 pm that evening (stupid), at 6 the doctor checked me and I was 4 cm and 60% effaced, she looked at me in agony and she said “Callie, I’m giving you two more hours and then we are going to have to do a C section.” At this point, any rationally thinking person would have said to themselves: “self, I’ve been in labor for almost 2 days and I’m dilated to a 4, she’s giving me 2 hours to get to a 10, lets’ just go ahead and get this over with” but me being stubborn, sleep deprived and now feeling the effects of the nubane coursing through my veins, I thought….maybe somehow I will just magically dilate to a 10 in two hours!!! Needless to say, that was two more hours of torture I could have done without and at 8pm the doctor started to prep me for a c section. First, she called in the anesthesiologist (at this point I wanted to name my son after her for putting me out of my misery) let me tell you …. GET THE EPIDURAL AS SOON AS YOU CAN!! I didn’t get it until 40 minutes before my son was born and after I did get it, I could have run a marathon while in labor simultaneously. Get the epidural.
So they wheeled me into the OR and Rob was out in about 15 to 20 minutes, pink, puffy and crying. That cry was like music to my ears, I had waited for an eternity to see him, hear him hold him and now it was happening I just couldn’t believe it! Here he was, after being 10 days late and enduring 46 hours of labor, he was born on August 31st at 8:44 pm weighing 8lbs, 3ozs, 20 ¾ inches long. He scored a 9 out of 10 on his APGAR test (already making me a proud Mama by acing tests) and as soon as we were back in my room I was holding him on my chest and he lifted his head up to look at me, turned it to the right and to the left and put it back down on my chest. He was just a FEW HOURS OLD!!! That is a milestone that a lot of babies don’t accomplish for a few WEEKS!! All the nurses, doctors and the pediatrician kept talking about how remarkable his head control was! Okay, sorry I’ll stop bragging about my child now
Everyone asks if the incision and recovery of the c section hurts. Honestly, I didn’t think it was bad at all. I was up out of the bed the next morning and walking the halls that afternoon. We left the hospital on Friday and I never even filled my prescription pain meds. I went back for my 2 week check up this past Tuesday so the doctor could look at my incision and it’s already healed.
So we are getting settled into a routine, doing great with exclusively breastfeeding and I’m learning what all of his different cries mean. Now that’s not to say we don’t still have rough nights but more often than not he’s sleeping some good three and four hour stretches at night which is pure BLISS!! I will try and write more often but as you know, everything takes a backseat to my baby Rob right now : )
Friday, August 27, 2010
Week 41: In My Hospital Bag
As you all know, the big day came and went and here I am still as pregnant as ever! My hospital bag has been packed for about two weeks now and my anxiety is growing by the day. Here are a few things I've included:
My "couture" blue and tan leopard print hospital gown (hand made by my Mama)
Robe
IPod with my push playlist
Camera and video camera
Fuzzy Socks
Peanut butter and oatmeal cookies for the nurses (hopefully I can bribe them into giving us a "suite")
Two sets of nursing PJ's
My Laura Bush book
Refillable water bottle
Hand held fan
Chapstick
Sugar Free Jolly Ranchers (I won't be able to eat anything!)
Laptop
Toiletries
Snacks for Carlysle
Three outfits for Rob
All you Mamas out there let me know if I'm leaving anything out!!
My "couture" blue and tan leopard print hospital gown (hand made by my Mama)
Robe
IPod with my push playlist
Camera and video camera
Fuzzy Socks
Peanut butter and oatmeal cookies for the nurses (hopefully I can bribe them into giving us a "suite")
Two sets of nursing PJ's
My Laura Bush book
Refillable water bottle
Hand held fan
Chapstick
Sugar Free Jolly Ranchers (I won't be able to eat anything!)
Laptop
Toiletries
Snacks for Carlysle
Three outfits for Rob
All you Mamas out there let me know if I'm leaving anything out!!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Week 40: Seriously Rob, Mama Said It’s Okay to Come Out Now
So I went to my 41 week appointment today and NOTHINGGGG!! I had major, continuous, uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions all weekend so I thought surely, surely I would be somewhat dilated, effaced, softened, something but nope! Apparently Rob plans on staying in there until Christmas. I broke down and cried in the Doctor’s office, I just lost it and I don’t even know why! I think it’s a combination of lack of sleep (I cannot get comfortable at all I’ve been having major insomnia), crazy hormones and being completely frustrated. I am not what one would consider a patient person to begin with so you can imagine my agony as I cross off the days on the calendar awaiting his arrival. This is seriously torture! I have put in my time (almost 41 weeks now) and I want to hold my baby. I have literally tried EVERY natural labor induction method known to man including but not limited to: Evening Primrose Oil capsules, Red Raspberry Leaf tea, bouncing on the birthing ball, walking, walking and MORE walking, reflexology pressure points, pineapple, eggplant, tons of jalapenos, lunges, squats and jumping jacks, swimming, and a few others I won’t mention here … (I refuse to try Castor Oil). So the plan is to wait some more. There’s a full moon tonight but I think it would take more than a miracle for this iron-clad cervix to budge.
Here are a few semi-recent preggo pictures:
Here are a few semi-recent preggo pictures:
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Week 39: You Guessed It!
Still no signs of Rob making his appearance any time soon! This week's appointment was so funny though... Let me preface this story by saying that I absolutely love my doctor; she is young, funny, extremely smart, always answers all of my questions and never makes me feel rushed. We have developed a very jovial-banter type relationship over the past nine months. So yesterday when she walked in the room I was perched on the table, ready for my weekly exam and I swung my feet up in the stirrups and said enthusiastically: "Okay I'm ready to push!" She starts cracking up and says: "Just let me know when you want me to schedule you!" We were both laughing but I was serious when I told her that I really don't want to be induced. I explained that I'm not against medical intervention at all but if I'm healthy and the baby's healthy, what's the rush? (You have NO idea how hard it is for me to not jump at the chance to be induced. I am the most hyper-scheduled person ever and HATE surprises, I just have this weird gut feeling that I need to wait.) She agreed but explained that the placenta is only designed to do it's job for a certain length of time (40 weeks) and after that period of time, it can start to deteriorate and not allow the baby to receive the proper nutrients and oxygen. So I told her I'll wait as long as she'll let me.
Before the exam, I had an ultrasound to check Rob's weight -- which is currently 8 lbs (plus or minus one pound margin of error), the amniotic fluid level, heart rate (139 bpm), fetal movement, etc. Everything is great, the doctor said my fluid is actually much higher than normal. The ultrasound technician said he wasn't moving around very much, he must have been taking a nap or he's run out of room and she kept commenting on how large his belly was! So basically she told me my baby was fat and lazy haha! He has a tiny bit of hair, she said it's probably 1mm long, we could kind of see it waving around on his head.
So again, no contractions, no pre-labor signs... I honestly feel the exact same as I did when I was 20 weeks pregnant. I'm banking my hopes on the fact that next Wednesday is a full moon. Please keep sending labor vibes my way!!!
Before the exam, I had an ultrasound to check Rob's weight -- which is currently 8 lbs (plus or minus one pound margin of error), the amniotic fluid level, heart rate (139 bpm), fetal movement, etc. Everything is great, the doctor said my fluid is actually much higher than normal. The ultrasound technician said he wasn't moving around very much, he must have been taking a nap or he's run out of room and she kept commenting on how large his belly was! So basically she told me my baby was fat and lazy haha! He has a tiny bit of hair, she said it's probably 1mm long, we could kind of see it waving around on his head.
So again, no contractions, no pre-labor signs... I honestly feel the exact same as I did when I was 20 weeks pregnant. I'm banking my hopes on the fact that next Wednesday is a full moon. Please keep sending labor vibes my way!!!
Week 38: Signs You Know You're Ready to Have That Baby!
10. Your belly now doubles as a cup holder.
9. Your husband graciously agrees to shave your legs for you since you can't bend over anymore.
8. You get heartburn after drinking a glass of water.
7. Your feet are so puffy, the term cankles doesn't even properly describe their condition.
6. Apparently, the size of your belly causes people to lose all tact and discretion, forcing them to ask you: "Are you having twins?" Or exclaim: "Oh my God, you're SO HUGE!" or, my all time favorite: "Sweetie, are you okay? You look like you're about to pop...." Lovely.
5. All you want for your birthday is to be dilated
4. You have packed and re-packed your hospital bag, adding more non-essentials each time.
3. The slightest twinge down there causes you to think "This is it!!!"
2. Your top Google search is now "Natural ways to induce labor."
1. You've changed your voicemail to: "No, I haven't had the baby yet, If you need something else please leave a message and I'll call you back." : )
9. Your husband graciously agrees to shave your legs for you since you can't bend over anymore.
8. You get heartburn after drinking a glass of water.
7. Your feet are so puffy, the term cankles doesn't even properly describe their condition.
6. Apparently, the size of your belly causes people to lose all tact and discretion, forcing them to ask you: "Are you having twins?" Or exclaim: "Oh my God, you're SO HUGE!" or, my all time favorite: "Sweetie, are you okay? You look like you're about to pop...." Lovely.
5. All you want for your birthday is to be dilated
4. You have packed and re-packed your hospital bag, adding more non-essentials each time.
3. The slightest twinge down there causes you to think "This is it!!!"
2. Your top Google search is now "Natural ways to induce labor."
1. You've changed your voicemail to: "No, I haven't had the baby yet, If you need something else please leave a message and I'll call you back." : )
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Week 37: Baby Update and Non-Baby Obsessions
Okay, first ... the update. So I definitely know the drill at the Doctor's office by now and the past three visits I've heard the same story-- No dilation, effacement or any evidence of pre-labor signs. Mama makes a good home : ) This time I kept thinking "All I want for my birthday is to be dilated to AT LEAST 1cm shoot, I would even take .5cm!" haha! But sure enough ... nothing. I'm sure he would stay in there until October if we let him but this week the doctor informed me that we'll be doing an ultrasound next Wednesday to check fluid levels and if they're not to her liking we'll set a date for induction. You might be just as confused by this information as I was at first--I was thinking: "Induction? It's August 10th and I'm not due until August 28th!" She must have noticed the perplexed look on my face because she said "do you have any dates in mind?" To which I replied: "Um, no, I really don't want to induce unless we absolutely have to! Now I'm not too sure I'll feel the same way if I'm still pregnant in September...." and she said: "September! Honey your due date is next weekend (Aug 21st) I will not allow you to go into September still pregnant." Okay 1. Am I already a bad Mom for mistaking MY OWN DUE DATE?!!! I mean, granted, it's changed a million and one times since conception but still! This whole time I was thinking I had two, three maybe even four weeks left! But she informed me that it is FOR SURE August 21st and she won't let me go a week past my due date. So that's that. I REALLY don't want to be induced so please send lots of labor vibes my way and lets hope that I start on my own!!!! Which is highly unlikely considering the only pre-labor symptom I've experienced so far is what I like to refer to as "lightning crotch." I'm sure that's not the Harvard Medical School term for it but that's the best way to describe it -- a sharp, piercing pain down there that the doctor says is "completely normal" (yeah right!) and is caused by a muscle spasm due to lots of stress on the Round Ligament (helps to hold the Uterus in place). It hurts so bad it literally takes my breath away and then goes away just as fast as it started. FUN!
Okay on to the next ... I've been trying to stay occupied with non-baby stuff to stay sane so here are some of my latest fixations:
In My Tummy: CRAVE Cupcakes -- Oh. My. Gosh. I don't care what kind of diet you're on, you must try one of these ASAP. It's in Uptown Park (Houston) and they are TO DIEEEEE FOR! And no, they will not be a part of my post-preggo diet :(
On My Nightstand: Spoken From the Heart by Laura Bush -- I have just always thought so highly of Mrs. Bush; she is so poised, beautiful and classy and I think women everywhere could learn a lot from her grace regardless of how you feel about politics. I also LOVE her West Texas roots, both sets of my grandparents are from Midland/Odessa and my Great Aunt Patricia knew Mrs. Bush personally.
In My Makeup Bag: Tarina Tarantino Dollface Powder -- Google it and check out the fabulous compact!!! Now everyone knows my obsession with all things sparkley so yes, I was initially attracted to the compact. BUT the powder is really great too :)
On My Radar: Major splurge = Post baby vacay to Napa Valley, but I'll settle for a romantic dinner to Nino's for my birthday :)
Okay on to the next ... I've been trying to stay occupied with non-baby stuff to stay sane so here are some of my latest fixations:
In My Tummy: CRAVE Cupcakes -- Oh. My. Gosh. I don't care what kind of diet you're on, you must try one of these ASAP. It's in Uptown Park (Houston) and they are TO DIEEEEE FOR! And no, they will not be a part of my post-preggo diet :(
On My Nightstand: Spoken From the Heart by Laura Bush -- I have just always thought so highly of Mrs. Bush; she is so poised, beautiful and classy and I think women everywhere could learn a lot from her grace regardless of how you feel about politics. I also LOVE her West Texas roots, both sets of my grandparents are from Midland/Odessa and my Great Aunt Patricia knew Mrs. Bush personally.
In My Makeup Bag: Tarina Tarantino Dollface Powder -- Google it and check out the fabulous compact!!! Now everyone knows my obsession with all things sparkley so yes, I was initially attracted to the compact. BUT the powder is really great too :)
On My Radar: Major splurge = Post baby vacay to Napa Valley, but I'll settle for a romantic dinner to Nino's for my birthday :)
Friday, August 6, 2010
Week 36: Antsy Pants
I'm now going to the Doctor once a week and it is really starting to sink in how close D Day is. If there are any males reading this (which I highly doubt) you may want to stop here if you don't like hearing about "girl stuff."
The purpose of these frequent visits are to check for cervical progress such as dilation and effacement (opening and softening, respectively). At my last appointment (the first of my weekly visits) I almost asked not to be checked for two reasons: 1. If I was dilated at all I would just be even more antsy--if that's even possible--thinking that I could go any day now! And 2. If I wasn't dilated at all I would just be super bummed out thinking I was going to be pregnant forever. She went ahead and checked me and said: "you're closed up tighter than Ft. Knox but he's beautifully low." I think she could sense some disappointment in my demeanor so she quickly reminded me that it's only the very beginning of August and my due date is August 28th and no woman on record has stayed pregnant forever ... plenty of time for progress! So as for now Mama has made a good home for Rob and he is super comfy; no signs of wanting to vacate the uterus! She also checked my amniotic fluid level and said I have "tons of fluid" and when my water breaks I will definitely know it. That night, I had a dream my water broke at Juanito's haha! My blood pressure has also managed to stay pretty low ... usually in the third trimester it creeps up and is a major reason for early induction. All in all, I ended up being very happy that she checked me, it gave me a whole new dose of patience knowing that he will come when he's ready, not when I want him to. He can stay in there and cook for as long as he needs to (However, I may change my tune if I'm heading into September with no baby!). I've realized that no matter how early I may be to everything, he may not have inherited Mama's punctuality gene!
I know it may seem early to be getting antsy but let me tell you about the misery of weeks of 105 heat index when you're 8.5 months pregnant. Now, I am not a complainer at all and I've had a wonderful pregnancy but when people tell you the last month is the hardest, they are RIGHT! For one, I am so ready to hold my sweet baby in my arms and see his face. Two, I wish I could roll over in bed without a big production and internal pep talk. Three, I'm tired of peeing my pants every time I sneeze or cough (sorry if TMI)...and yes, I've done Kegels but they're no match for a 7 pound baby on my bladder. Four, I want to be able to shave my legs and tie my shoes both of which Carlysle has been graciously assisting me with and Five the swelling has started limiting me to flip flops and tennis shoes and I am NOT happy about losing my high heel privilege! Yes, I now have sausage feet/cankles and none of my rings fit. However, I keep telling myself to keep my eye on the prize and I'll get out his 3d/4d ultrasound pictures, smile and know that this prize is worth sacrificing anything, including my favorite heels : )
The purpose of these frequent visits are to check for cervical progress such as dilation and effacement (opening and softening, respectively). At my last appointment (the first of my weekly visits) I almost asked not to be checked for two reasons: 1. If I was dilated at all I would just be even more antsy--if that's even possible--thinking that I could go any day now! And 2. If I wasn't dilated at all I would just be super bummed out thinking I was going to be pregnant forever. She went ahead and checked me and said: "you're closed up tighter than Ft. Knox but he's beautifully low." I think she could sense some disappointment in my demeanor so she quickly reminded me that it's only the very beginning of August and my due date is August 28th and no woman on record has stayed pregnant forever ... plenty of time for progress! So as for now Mama has made a good home for Rob and he is super comfy; no signs of wanting to vacate the uterus! She also checked my amniotic fluid level and said I have "tons of fluid" and when my water breaks I will definitely know it. That night, I had a dream my water broke at Juanito's haha! My blood pressure has also managed to stay pretty low ... usually in the third trimester it creeps up and is a major reason for early induction. All in all, I ended up being very happy that she checked me, it gave me a whole new dose of patience knowing that he will come when he's ready, not when I want him to. He can stay in there and cook for as long as he needs to (However, I may change my tune if I'm heading into September with no baby!). I've realized that no matter how early I may be to everything, he may not have inherited Mama's punctuality gene!
I know it may seem early to be getting antsy but let me tell you about the misery of weeks of 105 heat index when you're 8.5 months pregnant. Now, I am not a complainer at all and I've had a wonderful pregnancy but when people tell you the last month is the hardest, they are RIGHT! For one, I am so ready to hold my sweet baby in my arms and see his face. Two, I wish I could roll over in bed without a big production and internal pep talk. Three, I'm tired of peeing my pants every time I sneeze or cough (sorry if TMI)...and yes, I've done Kegels but they're no match for a 7 pound baby on my bladder. Four, I want to be able to shave my legs and tie my shoes both of which Carlysle has been graciously assisting me with and Five the swelling has started limiting me to flip flops and tennis shoes and I am NOT happy about losing my high heel privilege! Yes, I now have sausage feet/cankles and none of my rings fit. However, I keep telling myself to keep my eye on the prize and I'll get out his 3d/4d ultrasound pictures, smile and know that this prize is worth sacrificing anything, including my favorite heels : )
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Week 35: Nesting...It's Not Just for the Birds
Oh. My. Gosh. My recently turbo-charged organization skills would make Martha jealous. Closets cleaned: check, pantry cleaned and organized (we're talking spices in alphabetical order): check, fridge cleaned out: check. I'm completely organized but I can't stop!! I've taken all of Rob's clothes out of his already perfectly organized drawers and re-folded and re-organized them according to size, brand, color/theme(can you say sick?). I'm a pretty organized person in general but this is ridiculous. I'm starting to think something is wrong with me but I'm going to go ahead and chalk this irrational behavior up to the "nesting instinct" that most moms get. Call it a pre-labor symptom if you will.
This past Saturday Carlysle and I attended a childbirth class at Methodist hospital (where I'll be delivering) from 9:30-4:30. He is really such a good sport about all these classes :) It made for a pretty long day but it was very informative; we learned about everything from breathing and relaxation techniques to what your body actually physically endures throughout the course of labor and of course there were the leave-nothing-to-the-imagination-videos! I'm not going to lie, the videos grossed me out (and I have a very strong stomach) but I think Carlysle is scarred for life!! Let's just say he'll definitely be standing at the head of my bed during the delivery :)All-in-all the classes were a big help and I would definitely recommend them to anyone who's pregnant. It's helped to greatly reduce my anxiety about labor and delivery and the instructors were very good about letting you know it's not all rainbows and unicorns after the baby arrives.
Weekly Womb Workings:
By now, Rob weighs about 5.5 pounds and is probably about 19 inches long--I'm really not sure how in the heck he can possibly get any bigger. Every time I feel a foot in my rib cage I'm reminded of how cramped he must be in there! He is working on his suckling reflexes in order to perfect the art of breastfeeding once he arrives (that must explain all the hiccups he's been having lately) and he's packing on the fat in order to help keep his body temperature regulated once he's outside the womb.
This past Saturday Carlysle and I attended a childbirth class at Methodist hospital (where I'll be delivering) from 9:30-4:30. He is really such a good sport about all these classes :) It made for a pretty long day but it was very informative; we learned about everything from breathing and relaxation techniques to what your body actually physically endures throughout the course of labor and of course there were the leave-nothing-to-the-imagination-videos! I'm not going to lie, the videos grossed me out (and I have a very strong stomach) but I think Carlysle is scarred for life!! Let's just say he'll definitely be standing at the head of my bed during the delivery :)All-in-all the classes were a big help and I would definitely recommend them to anyone who's pregnant. It's helped to greatly reduce my anxiety about labor and delivery and the instructors were very good about letting you know it's not all rainbows and unicorns after the baby arrives.
Weekly Womb Workings:
By now, Rob weighs about 5.5 pounds and is probably about 19 inches long--I'm really not sure how in the heck he can possibly get any bigger. Every time I feel a foot in my rib cage I'm reminded of how cramped he must be in there! He is working on his suckling reflexes in order to perfect the art of breastfeeding once he arrives (that must explain all the hiccups he's been having lately) and he's packing on the fat in order to help keep his body temperature regulated once he's outside the womb.
Week 34: Push Playlist
I've heard the most important thing to focus on in the delivery room is relaxation techniques(YEAH RIGHT!!!). One thing that's always helped me to relax before a big exam or important event is music so I've put together my "push playlist" to listen to while I'm having contractions. Granted, this idea might go right out the window once I'm paralyzed with pain but it will have to suffice until the anesthesiologist arrives with my most wanted epidural. These are my top picks so far, let me know if you have any suggestions!! And yes, I know my taste in music is completely random...
U2--Beautiful Day
Black Eyed Peas--Rock That Body
Goo Goo Dolls--Iris
Diana Ross--I'm Coming Out
Incubus--Stellar
Rolling Stones--Beast of Burden
Journey--Don't Stop Believin'
Salt-N-Peppa--Push it
Lynyrd Skynyrd--Simple Man
Fleetwood Mac--Landslide
And OF COURSE the list wouldn't be complete without some BRITNEY!!!
Stronger
Crazy
Brave New Girl
Gimme More
Piece of Me
Me Against the Music
I need some more so give me some suggestions!!
Weekly Womb Workings:
Basically this week my baby is getting fat and sleeping a lot :)
U2--Beautiful Day
Black Eyed Peas--Rock That Body
Goo Goo Dolls--Iris
Diana Ross--I'm Coming Out
Incubus--Stellar
Rolling Stones--Beast of Burden
Journey--Don't Stop Believin'
Salt-N-Peppa--Push it
Lynyrd Skynyrd--Simple Man
Fleetwood Mac--Landslide
And OF COURSE the list wouldn't be complete without some BRITNEY!!!
Stronger
Crazy
Brave New Girl
Gimme More
Piece of Me
Me Against the Music
I need some more so give me some suggestions!!
Weekly Womb Workings:
Basically this week my baby is getting fat and sleeping a lot :)
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Week 33: Pre-Push Jitters
I've been going to the doctor every two weeks and I'm starting to get really excited!! Rob is head down and doing great, he's actually measuring a week ahead (I've known all along that my due date is actually the 21st, not the 28th) and at the next appointment she'll start checking for dilation and effacement progress! The countdown is on!!! This realization has brought on a flury of different emotions (surprise surprise, an emotional pregnant lady)! First, I obviously cannot be more excited to meet my baby boy and hold him and love him and bond with him but second I feel like I will never be able to protect him and keep him as safe as he Is right now (Don't worry, I'm not going to be an overprotective "HoverMom," I'm just happy he's so safe right now). I will also miss his little kicking temper tantrums he throws when my bladder gets full (he may be able to get away with that now but little does he know Mom plans on being a major disciplinarian!!) I will miss feeling him roll around in there as his way of responding to my voice. I hope I don't sound like a crazy person but there really are a lot of things I will miss about being pregnant. My mom always says, "don't wish your life away" and while I can't wait for him to be here, I'm still enjoying our special time together before I share him with everyone else :)
Funny story that has nothing to do with my hightened emotional state: Today I went to HEB for major grocery shopping; I haven't been in a while and I've planned dinners for the next two weeks so my cart was FULL. As I was leaving, I decided to push my cart down the sidewalk to my car to avoid all the parking traffic -- big mistake! As I reach my car I realize there is no down ramp to the parking lot (great planning HEB!) so I decide that I'm going to attempt to ease my cart down the curb. Let me just paint this picture for you ... I'm 8 months pregnant, dripping sweat from just walking to my car, my glasses are completely fogged up due to the lovely humidity and the person next to me parked so close a three year old couldn't fit between our cars, much less a huge pregnant lady. So as I begin to force my bulging cart down the curb my pallet of Ozarka water slides off the bottom, the plastic rips open and water bottles roll all over the parking lot; with the majority of them stopping to rest under the car that parked too close to me. As I'm trying to round up some of the waters, the top part of my cart continues to slide off the curb and TIPS OVER!!!!!!!!! Yes, groceries went flying everywhere. Yes, my eggs broke all over the parking lot and Yes I was a hot mess. Now at the time this wasn't too funny but now looking back it's pretty hilarious : ) The thing that wasn't so hilarious about my then-precarious situation is that NOT ONE person stopped to offer help. Not one. And four or five people probably walked by while all this was going on. Unbelievable. People, if you see a struggling, sweaty pregnant lady please help her!
Weekly Womb Workings:
As I mentioned before, Rob is head down and ready to go. He weighs about 5 pounds and is 19 inches long. Right now his major task is gaining weight -- the doctor says he could gain up to a half a pound a week from here on out! His brain is maturing and increasing in size and his fingernails have grown so long they're starting to curl over his fingers (Mani/Pedi for baby and Mom after delivery?). So basically on the agenda for the next few weeks are brain, lungs and fat! Sounds easy enough : )
Funny story that has nothing to do with my hightened emotional state: Today I went to HEB for major grocery shopping; I haven't been in a while and I've planned dinners for the next two weeks so my cart was FULL. As I was leaving, I decided to push my cart down the sidewalk to my car to avoid all the parking traffic -- big mistake! As I reach my car I realize there is no down ramp to the parking lot (great planning HEB!) so I decide that I'm going to attempt to ease my cart down the curb. Let me just paint this picture for you ... I'm 8 months pregnant, dripping sweat from just walking to my car, my glasses are completely fogged up due to the lovely humidity and the person next to me parked so close a three year old couldn't fit between our cars, much less a huge pregnant lady. So as I begin to force my bulging cart down the curb my pallet of Ozarka water slides off the bottom, the plastic rips open and water bottles roll all over the parking lot; with the majority of them stopping to rest under the car that parked too close to me. As I'm trying to round up some of the waters, the top part of my cart continues to slide off the curb and TIPS OVER!!!!!!!!! Yes, groceries went flying everywhere. Yes, my eggs broke all over the parking lot and Yes I was a hot mess. Now at the time this wasn't too funny but now looking back it's pretty hilarious : ) The thing that wasn't so hilarious about my then-precarious situation is that NOT ONE person stopped to offer help. Not one. And four or five people probably walked by while all this was going on. Unbelievable. People, if you see a struggling, sweaty pregnant lady please help her!
Weekly Womb Workings:
As I mentioned before, Rob is head down and ready to go. He weighs about 5 pounds and is 19 inches long. Right now his major task is gaining weight -- the doctor says he could gain up to a half a pound a week from here on out! His brain is maturing and increasing in size and his fingernails have grown so long they're starting to curl over his fingers (Mani/Pedi for baby and Mom after delivery?). So basically on the agenda for the next few weeks are brain, lungs and fat! Sounds easy enough : )
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Week 32: Shower Power!
So the last baby shower has come and gone and I'm just thinking to myself how grateful I am to have had them early because it's going to take me at least a month or so to sort through the duplicates, return stuff, open the parent-proof boxes and assemble everything with parent-proof directions. So now it's just a waiting game ... up until this point it seems like my pregnancy has flown by at warp speed and now I'm getting antsy! The nursery is completely finished, the bassinet is put together and ready to go and we've had run-through car seat installations. I haven't packed the hospital bag yet, I think I'll save that until week 37! I know I'm probably (definitely) over-doing all this ahead of time but I just hate to procrastinate when it comes to anything and I feel 100% less anxious when I get stuff done. It is also getting hotter and hotter outside and I'm getting bigger and bigger which is not the most fun combination! However, I have been enjoying my pregnancy-induced gastric bypass--Rob's getting so big I think my stomach is all squished up somewhere near my lungs so everytime I eat it seems like I get full after about three bites. I'm currently on a smoothie kick; I've been going to Froberg's farmers market once a week for fresh berries and having a protein smoothie every morning YUM! I will post some updated belly pics soon :)
Weekly Womb Workings
As of my last appointment, Rob is head down and ready to go! He's spending his days blinking, looking around, grabbing things, making faces, practicing his breathing, peeing and listening to everything around him—pretty much exactly what he'll be doing for the first three months of his life, sans the audience and the flashing camera. He weighs about four pounds will probably gain about a half a pound a week from here on out!
Weekly Womb Workings
As of my last appointment, Rob is head down and ready to go! He's spending his days blinking, looking around, grabbing things, making faces, practicing his breathing, peeing and listening to everything around him—pretty much exactly what he'll be doing for the first three months of his life, sans the audience and the flashing camera. He weighs about four pounds will probably gain about a half a pound a week from here on out!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Week 31: The Top Ten Things I'm Looking Forward to Post Pregnancy
I almost feel bad writing about this topic because I've had such an easy and wonderful pregnancy; I've really loved every minute of it! With that being said, nothing as wonderful as creating a little life comes without a few sacrifices :) So here are a few things I'm looking forward to once our little one is here!
10. Wearing all of my "normal" clothes again -- although I've gotten my hands on some super cute maternity duds, there's just nothing like my favorite 'ol pair of khaki shorts (I realize I won't necessarily be wearing them home from the hospital but hopefully soon after!).
9. Ice cold corona with lime -- because it's delicious and I miss having one on occasion : )
8. A super huge CAFFINATED skinny vanilla latte from Starbucks -- mmmmmm
7. Eating a cold turkey sandwich -- pregnant people are suppossed to heat any lunch meat consumed due to increased risk of listeria infection. Microwaved turkey is pretty rubbery and unappetizing!
6. Having my bladder back -- it has been completely taken over!
5. Being able to walk normally -- I've got the third trimester pregnancy waddle down pretty good
4. Sleeping on my STOMACH -- I have been a stomach sleeper my entire life and just cannot get comfy on my side or back
3. Shaving my legs without my belly getting in the way -- and paint my toenails, tie my shoes, etc
2. Not having to hear the comment: "Oh my gosh your getting so big!" -- Umm yeah, that's kind of what happens when you're growing a child inside of you ...
1. Being able to hold my baby boy!!! This is self explanatory and I can't wait! I'm already getting antsy.
Weekly Womb Workings:
Rob's about 3 pounds and 16 inches long. This week there's major production going on in the red blood cell and brain department. From here on out the brain, lungs and baby's fat stores will be receiving the most attention. He also opens and closes his eyes regularly now and will soon be able to detect the difference between light and dark.
10. Wearing all of my "normal" clothes again -- although I've gotten my hands on some super cute maternity duds, there's just nothing like my favorite 'ol pair of khaki shorts (I realize I won't necessarily be wearing them home from the hospital but hopefully soon after!).
9. Ice cold corona with lime -- because it's delicious and I miss having one on occasion : )
8. A super huge CAFFINATED skinny vanilla latte from Starbucks -- mmmmmm
7. Eating a cold turkey sandwich -- pregnant people are suppossed to heat any lunch meat consumed due to increased risk of listeria infection. Microwaved turkey is pretty rubbery and unappetizing!
6. Having my bladder back -- it has been completely taken over!
5. Being able to walk normally -- I've got the third trimester pregnancy waddle down pretty good
4. Sleeping on my STOMACH -- I have been a stomach sleeper my entire life and just cannot get comfy on my side or back
3. Shaving my legs without my belly getting in the way -- and paint my toenails, tie my shoes, etc
2. Not having to hear the comment: "Oh my gosh your getting so big!" -- Umm yeah, that's kind of what happens when you're growing a child inside of you ...
1. Being able to hold my baby boy!!! This is self explanatory and I can't wait! I'm already getting antsy.
Weekly Womb Workings:
Rob's about 3 pounds and 16 inches long. This week there's major production going on in the red blood cell and brain department. From here on out the brain, lungs and baby's fat stores will be receiving the most attention. He also opens and closes his eyes regularly now and will soon be able to detect the difference between light and dark.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Chic Shoes
“The fact is, sometimes it's really hard to walk in a woman's shoes. That's why we need really special ones now and then to make the walk a little more fun.” –Carrie Bradshaw
Shoes are just so wonderful because no matter what size my belly grows to, my feet stay the same size. So far they only swell a little if I’m on them for hours at a time but for the most part, I’m still wearing my four inch heels!
Because there’s such a vastly wide range of prices of my faves (most of them grossly unattainable but too fabulous to omit from this post), I’ve picked some splurges and steals.
Here are the major, major splurges:
Manolo Blahnik Jeweled Metallic Slides:
These $935 shoes are perfect for a night out on the town or the trip home from the hospital after Rob's here(just kidding)!!!
Christian Louboutin Miss Boxe Wedge Pumps:
These are so incredibly fabulous because you could wear them with anything!! With the right skirt suit, you could even wear them to the office... where you'll be working overtime if you want these $700 beauties :)
Giuseppe Zanotti Black Suede Jewel Detailed Sandals:
Wow. Wow. Wow. These are my faaaaavorites!! And at $1,300 a pair, I will just have to admire them from a distance :)
I realize those price tags make those shoes pretty ridiculously unnatainable for most of us so here are some of my other faves:
Guess Nazir Sandals, $66 at Macy's.com-- I really love these, the Zebra makes them chic and trendy and the touch of blue piping that outlines them makes them fun and flirty!
Chinese Laundry.com Money Maker Shoes $119-- If you're feeling really brave, these 5 inch heels would be so fun for a night out! Not recommended for weak ankles :)
Not Rated Inked 2 $60, Zappos.com--I love these because they're a neutral color yet the detail makes a huge statement!! They would look cute with a dress or dressy shorts. Love them!
Weekly Womb Workings coming soon!
Shoes are just so wonderful because no matter what size my belly grows to, my feet stay the same size. So far they only swell a little if I’m on them for hours at a time but for the most part, I’m still wearing my four inch heels!
Because there’s such a vastly wide range of prices of my faves (most of them grossly unattainable but too fabulous to omit from this post), I’ve picked some splurges and steals.
Here are the major, major splurges:
Manolo Blahnik Jeweled Metallic Slides:
These $935 shoes are perfect for a night out on the town or the trip home from the hospital after Rob's here(just kidding)!!!
Christian Louboutin Miss Boxe Wedge Pumps:
These are so incredibly fabulous because you could wear them with anything!! With the right skirt suit, you could even wear them to the office... where you'll be working overtime if you want these $700 beauties :)
Giuseppe Zanotti Black Suede Jewel Detailed Sandals:
Wow. Wow. Wow. These are my faaaaavorites!! And at $1,300 a pair, I will just have to admire them from a distance :)
I realize those price tags make those shoes pretty ridiculously unnatainable for most of us so here are some of my other faves:
Guess Nazir Sandals, $66 at Macy's.com-- I really love these, the Zebra makes them chic and trendy and the touch of blue piping that outlines them makes them fun and flirty!
Chinese Laundry.com Money Maker Shoes $119-- If you're feeling really brave, these 5 inch heels would be so fun for a night out! Not recommended for weak ankles :)
Not Rated Inked 2 $60, Zappos.com--I love these because they're a neutral color yet the detail makes a huge statement!! They would look cute with a dress or dressy shorts. Love them!
Weekly Womb Workings coming soon!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Week 29: Face Faves
With my belly growing at an amazingly rapid pace, it’s becoming increasingly harder to feel cute when I feel like a beached whale …. sooo I’ve been focusing my attention to the top and bottom of my overall look (top being makeup and bottom being shoes). This week I’m going to highlight some of my favorite bronzers, eyeliners, eye shadows, etc. Next week I’m going to talk about SHOES!!!! (Thank goodness my feet haven’t swollen up like little sausages yet.)
Eyeliner: right now I’m really into liquid eyeliner for a number of reasons. One, it is too hot in the summer for a pencil; the color just seems to melt right off my face. Two, a little goes a long way and three, once you learn how to put it on correctly it works great for day or evening looks. The downside is that it is a challenge to put it on without looking like you applied it during an earthquake. My favorite brand (and I’ve tried LOTS) is Chanel. A lot of the cheaper choices dry and crack but this one goes on super smooth and stays until you wash it off.
Bronzer: A must must must have for summer. Yes, tanning beds are bad for you. Yes, spray tans stink (literally). But that doesn’t mean you have to look pasty all summer – pregnant or not. My favorite, most natural looking bronzer is by NARS; it’s called The Multiple in South Beach. It’s a color stick that has a great shimmer to it and glides on very smoothly. It gives the most beautiful, dimensional color to your skin, I use it everywhere … eyes, lips cheeks. !
Eye shadow: The BEST summer colors, hands down are brought to you by Christian Dior in Tropical Light. This is a pretty pricey pallete but I’m here to tell you, it’s worth it. The colors are bright, beautiful, shimmery and can light up any face. It also stays all day without primer and can be applied darker for evening if desired. I get so many compliments on my eye shadow every time I wear it and I just cannot say enough good things about it.
Lip Gloss: The best plumping lip gloss is Buxom by Bare Escentuals in Bambi. I’ve looked high and low for the perfect petal pink color and this is it. The texture is also fabulous; it’s not sticky and it doesn’t sting so much that it dries your lips out after it wears off.
Weekly Womb Workings:
Having a baby prematurely is frightening, no doubt. But due to the impressive advancements of medical technology, if Rob was born this week, he'd have a 9 out of 10 chance of survival, which is seriously great news. Other awesome developments:
His brain can now control his breathing and body temperature. He can also cough and yawn (as evidenced in the 3d ultrasound pictures)!
His skin is looking less wrinkled as he packs on the pounds. He’s now storing up on the energizing and insulating “white fat” he'll be born with (unfortunately, white fat is not energizing and insulating for Mom!).
And speaking of energy, my little meatball is on fire these days. I’m feeling all sorts of kicks, punches and elbows, especially when I’m lying down. It’s an amazing feeling except when I'm trying to sleep at 3 a.m.
This week Rob is a little over 15 inches long—about the length of a loaf of bread—and weighs about 3 pounds, as much as a Macbook Air laptop, which I’ve had my eye on since my computer crashed last week.
Eyeliner: right now I’m really into liquid eyeliner for a number of reasons. One, it is too hot in the summer for a pencil; the color just seems to melt right off my face. Two, a little goes a long way and three, once you learn how to put it on correctly it works great for day or evening looks. The downside is that it is a challenge to put it on without looking like you applied it during an earthquake. My favorite brand (and I’ve tried LOTS) is Chanel. A lot of the cheaper choices dry and crack but this one goes on super smooth and stays until you wash it off.
Bronzer: A must must must have for summer. Yes, tanning beds are bad for you. Yes, spray tans stink (literally). But that doesn’t mean you have to look pasty all summer – pregnant or not. My favorite, most natural looking bronzer is by NARS; it’s called The Multiple in South Beach. It’s a color stick that has a great shimmer to it and glides on very smoothly. It gives the most beautiful, dimensional color to your skin, I use it everywhere … eyes, lips cheeks. !
Eye shadow: The BEST summer colors, hands down are brought to you by Christian Dior in Tropical Light. This is a pretty pricey pallete but I’m here to tell you, it’s worth it. The colors are bright, beautiful, shimmery and can light up any face. It also stays all day without primer and can be applied darker for evening if desired. I get so many compliments on my eye shadow every time I wear it and I just cannot say enough good things about it.
Lip Gloss: The best plumping lip gloss is Buxom by Bare Escentuals in Bambi. I’ve looked high and low for the perfect petal pink color and this is it. The texture is also fabulous; it’s not sticky and it doesn’t sting so much that it dries your lips out after it wears off.
Weekly Womb Workings:
Having a baby prematurely is frightening, no doubt. But due to the impressive advancements of medical technology, if Rob was born this week, he'd have a 9 out of 10 chance of survival, which is seriously great news. Other awesome developments:
His brain can now control his breathing and body temperature. He can also cough and yawn (as evidenced in the 3d ultrasound pictures)!
His skin is looking less wrinkled as he packs on the pounds. He’s now storing up on the energizing and insulating “white fat” he'll be born with (unfortunately, white fat is not energizing and insulating for Mom!).
And speaking of energy, my little meatball is on fire these days. I’m feeling all sorts of kicks, punches and elbows, especially when I’m lying down. It’s an amazing feeling except when I'm trying to sleep at 3 a.m.
This week Rob is a little over 15 inches long—about the length of a loaf of bread—and weighs about 3 pounds, as much as a Macbook Air laptop, which I’ve had my eye on since my computer crashed last week.
Week 28—Hellllooo Third Trimester!
Here we go! This is the last leg of the Mt. Everest Journey my body will undergo in order to produce our little being. Before the horror stories of the third trimester come to life, I wanted to document all the wonderful things about pregnancy before I’m too huge, hot and miserable to remember how much fun I’ve had the first two-thirds of the trip. So I’ve decided to do my top ten favorite things about being pregnant:
10. Good Skin: After the ultra hormone-induced teenage acne of my first trimester and after the lizard skin (see week 23 for details) of most of the second trimester, I am finally enjoying the pregnancy glow look and I love it!
9. Expectant Mom Parking Spots: I’m not going to lie…before I got pregnant; these parking spots always irritated me. I thought to myself: “don’t pregnant women need exercise?” Well, now that I’m 7 months pregnant, it’s June in Houston, my lower back hurts all the time and it’s becoming increasingly harder to breath due to my lungs being smushed by my uterus, I TOTALLY understand the parking spots and I’m very thankful for them : )
8. Feeling Him Kick: There’s really no explanation for this one, if you’re a mom, you know. If you’re not a mom it’s pretty hard to describe and explain but it’s the coolest, most wonderful feeling in the world!
7. Baby Showers: I love a good party and all of my baby showers have been a BLAST!!! It has been so much fun to get together with friends and family who love and care about us so much. I know after little Rob gets here, our visits with friends might be a little more sporadic so it’s really great to visit everyone before the real chaos begins.
6. Sucking In (or lack thereof): It seems like I’ve been sucking in since the second grade so after I hit the twenty week mark and had a little baby bump, I decided … what’s the point of trying to suck in? I’m embracing my expanding belly and letting go of trying to hold it in (which is basically impossible at this point).
5. Shopping for Baby Clothes: All I have to say is keep me out of Baby Gap!!!
4. Decorating the Nursery: I’m having the best time putting everything together for baby Rob’s nursery! It’s such a cool feeling to wash, fold and organize his clothes and try to imagine what he’ll look like sleeping in his crib.
3. The Ultrasounds: This goes without saying, but the 3d ultrasound was the most amazing experience of them all. The detail in the pictures and the ability to see his features is just incredible! When I feel like I still have a long way to go before I meet him, I can look at the pictures and see his little face.
2. Having such a sweet husband to experience the journey with me: I must say that I feel beyond blessed to have such a wonderful, caring and supportive husband. He has been so excited from day one and has gone to EVERY Doctor’s appointment with me (I don’t expect that to continue as I’m approaching my bi-monthly appointments, he does have a job, after all). He’s up for anything, whether I’m craving ice cream or exercise. He’s also there to offer a backrub every night which has been a lifesaver lately as the baby is getting bigger. Thanks honey!!!
1. My favorite thing about being pregnant is the fact that I’m growing a life inside of me! I realize that millions of women have babies everyday (and before I got pregnant, I really didn’t think much about it) but when it’s your body and your child, it really sinks in what a miracle it is. One day early in my second trimester, Carlysle came home from work and we exchanged the usual “Hi honey, how was your day?” And I thought for a second, smiled, and said “It was wonderful! According to this book, I made Rob’s brain, eyes and started on his lungs today!” It’s just amazing to know that I’m growing a little human inside of me.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Week 27: The Fuzzy Math of Pregnancy
Okay if someone asks you “how many weeks are in a month?” Wouldn’t you reply with “four?” Well, I’ve always thought there are four weeks in a month, give or take a few days here and there. A woman’s gestation period is 40 weeks long—so that’s 10 months right?? I’ve always wondered why people say you’re pregnant for nine months. For example, next week I will be 28 weeks pregnant (7 months pregnant) and I have 12 weeks to go (3 months left) for a total of – drum roll please—10 months! Okay, enough of first grade math lessons and onto the fun stuff. I recently had maternity pictures done by Maddie Dean Photography and they turned out great! I couldn’t decide whether or not to have them done. After all, pregnancy seems to make every branch of your body puffy, not just your belly! But I figured this is a pretty special time in our lives so why not, I didn’t want to regret not having them later. It was a pretty funny photo shoot, I was almost 27 weeks pregnant and my belly is obviously not nine-months-preggo-huge yet so before every picture Sarah, the photographer, would say “okay ready? 1, 2, 3 PUSH OUT!” And I would push out my belly as hard as I could while trying to maintain a relatively photogenic appearance despite the fact I was trying to look like Bubba with a beer belly! It was the first time I’ve ever “pushed out” in a picture rather than sucked in.
Weekly Womb Workings
I’m not sure if I’m pregnant with a baby kangaroo or a baby human… these kicks are getting intense!! He’s already started to throw temper tantrums; when my bladder gets full he starts kicking A LOT—I think that’s his way of saying “Mom, give me more room in here!” This week he’s about 15 inches long and a little over two pounds. His taste buds are very developed now and he actually “tastes” the amniotic fluid so he’ll be semi-used to the foods I eat when he begins to nurse after birth. His hearing continues to develop and he can now recognize voices and sounds he hears on a regular basis.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Week 26: Baby Got Back ... Pains
This weekend my cousin Mark took a few days off from Air Force pilot school to be married to his college sweetheart, Lexi in San Antonio. The wedding was beautiful and we got to see all of my Mom’s side of the family. Sunday, my Aunts hosted a baby shower for me and my Dad’s family drove in from the Kerrville area to join us. The shower was sooooo cute and fun and I now know that as of yesterday, my belly is 10 toilet paper squares round! The food was delicious: homemade chicken salad croissants, pimento sandwiches cut into heart shapes, fruit salad, pasta salad and my all time favorite: Cake Balls made by our cake lady, Annette, brought all the way from Houston. You haven’t lived until you’ve had one of Annette’s cake balls….maybe we should have done the toilet paper belly measuring game before I had three of them.
Speaking of bellies, It seems like the first 20 weeks of my pregnancy I wished for a baby bump so I could look more pregnant than pudgy. It seems like I started showing right at 20 weeks and this belly has taken off! Now I’m like “whoa Nellie! Slowww down!” I still have 14 weeks to go and the bump is growing at an amazingly rapid pace. It’s become increasingly harder to bend over and buckle the straps of my favorite summer wedge espadrilles (yes, I’m still wearing heels and am determined to right up until I deliver) and my back is starting to really complain about the extra weight it’s supporting. I’ve read that the ligaments and joints around the area where your tailbone meets your hips start to loosen so your hips can expand and it can be painful. Umm If I could relay a message to my hips, I would let them know that they really don’t need to be ANY wider than they already are. And I can definitely tell when Rob moves and hits my Sciatic nerve--that’s happened a couple of times and pain shoots down one or both of my legs. It’s really neat. This pregnancy really has been so much fun though. I loooove feeling him move inside me, there’s just nothing like it. Carlysle can feel him now too, which is so amazing for him, it makes everything that much more real (not like it wasn’t real from the minute the pee test screen showed a little blue cross, but you know what I mean). Besides the minor backaches, I really feel exactly like I did before I got pregnant, just with a bigger belly : )
Weekly Womb Workings:
Air sacks are developing in Rob’s lungs, which means it just might be possible for him to take a breath at the end of this week. The air sacks (technically called alveoli) will continue to grow for the next nine years. The membrane that keeps the alveoli separate from the blood vessels is now thin enough to allow for that oxygen–carbon dioxide exchange we call breathing. Other highlights this week:
The retina completes the development of its normal layers this week but he still can’t see anything because his eyes are sealed shut and it's really dark in there, but his eyes are now fully developed.
Brainwaves for the auditory and visual systems are detectable in his brain this week. That means his brain is registering things like sound and light. I’ll be sure to hit the classical music sessions extra hard from now on : )
I’m breaking out the sparkling grape juice—Rob has now completed two-thirds of his stay in Hotel Womb de Callie! Although I love being pregnant, I think I will love hanging out with my little meatball more. He weighs about 2 pounds and is 14 inches long head-to-heel, or about the length of a burp cloth. (Otherwise known as my primary wardrobe accessory for the next several months … good thing my Mom made me some really cute ones!)
Speaking of bellies, It seems like the first 20 weeks of my pregnancy I wished for a baby bump so I could look more pregnant than pudgy. It seems like I started showing right at 20 weeks and this belly has taken off! Now I’m like “whoa Nellie! Slowww down!” I still have 14 weeks to go and the bump is growing at an amazingly rapid pace. It’s become increasingly harder to bend over and buckle the straps of my favorite summer wedge espadrilles (yes, I’m still wearing heels and am determined to right up until I deliver) and my back is starting to really complain about the extra weight it’s supporting. I’ve read that the ligaments and joints around the area where your tailbone meets your hips start to loosen so your hips can expand and it can be painful. Umm If I could relay a message to my hips, I would let them know that they really don’t need to be ANY wider than they already are. And I can definitely tell when Rob moves and hits my Sciatic nerve--that’s happened a couple of times and pain shoots down one or both of my legs. It’s really neat. This pregnancy really has been so much fun though. I loooove feeling him move inside me, there’s just nothing like it. Carlysle can feel him now too, which is so amazing for him, it makes everything that much more real (not like it wasn’t real from the minute the pee test screen showed a little blue cross, but you know what I mean). Besides the minor backaches, I really feel exactly like I did before I got pregnant, just with a bigger belly : )
Weekly Womb Workings:
Air sacks are developing in Rob’s lungs, which means it just might be possible for him to take a breath at the end of this week. The air sacks (technically called alveoli) will continue to grow for the next nine years. The membrane that keeps the alveoli separate from the blood vessels is now thin enough to allow for that oxygen–carbon dioxide exchange we call breathing. Other highlights this week:
The retina completes the development of its normal layers this week but he still can’t see anything because his eyes are sealed shut and it's really dark in there, but his eyes are now fully developed.
Brainwaves for the auditory and visual systems are detectable in his brain this week. That means his brain is registering things like sound and light. I’ll be sure to hit the classical music sessions extra hard from now on : )
I’m breaking out the sparkling grape juice—Rob has now completed two-thirds of his stay in Hotel Womb de Callie! Although I love being pregnant, I think I will love hanging out with my little meatball more. He weighs about 2 pounds and is 14 inches long head-to-heel, or about the length of a burp cloth. (Otherwise known as my primary wardrobe accessory for the next several months … good thing my Mom made me some really cute ones!)
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Week 25: The Dream Registry
This weekend was our Couple’s baby shower at Birra Poretti’s in Friendswood. It was so much fun!!! It’s such a great venue for any type of shower and the food was excellent. We got to talk to friends and family that we haven’t seen in a while which is always great. My sister-in-law made a beautiful diaper cake and on the guest favors—get this—were custom printed M&M’s with our BABY PICTURES ON THEM!!!! It was so cool, I’ve never seen anything like it. And all I can say is Baby Rob is going to be one spoiled little turkey!!! He got a stroller, car seat, pack and play, high chair, baby monitors, baby swing, some awesome blankets, bathtime essentials, clothes, books and toys … thank you so much everyone!
All of these showers lately have my imagination wondering … what would it be like if we could create an impossible dream baby registry? What would be on it? What would you wish for as a new Mom or in your remaining months of pregnancy? Here are some of my “dream wants:”
10. A live-in Maid – because between the feedings, diaper changes and playtime who has time (or wants to) clean their house??
9. A set of Octopus arms – Now I know I’ll be new at this but I’ve been around enough friends and family with newborns to know that extra arms would be really nice at times.
8. Five (or more) extra hours in the day – Trust me, I’ve heard the nightmare stories about new mom sleep deprivation that goes on for weeks and months so what if moms could have a “free five hour a day nap time?” Hey, it’s only a dream.
7. A live in chef --- see reasoning for #10 … (no wonder celebrities have so many babies; they can afford all the things that can be bought from this list!)
6. An endless supply of diapers that actually fit. MAAANNN those things are expensive!!! Not that I will have time for pedicures anymore, but if I did, they would certainly cut into my pedicure budget
5. I wish another baby mega store company would open a store in Houston. I really, really dislike Babies-R-Us for some reason. I can’t ever concentrate when I’m there and the customer service is pretty sub-par. Why can’t we have a Buy Buy Baby in Houston?!? (It’s a baby store owned by Bed, Bath and Beyond and I’ve heard it’s way better than B-R-U … any moms out there want to help me petition for one in Houston?)
4. One free admission ticket for a short, pain – free labor. Hahahaha! Okay, don’t laugh, this is my dream registry : )
3. A personal shopper/assistant—because I’m sure it’s not easy toting a newborn to Babies-R-Us and standing in the customer service line for an hour to return stuff that doesn’t fit.
2. I wish I could fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes the day after I get home from the hospital. What? Isn’t that how it works … the baby comes out and your stomach is flat again? : )
1. Fully Paid electricity bills from May through November!!!!! I am soooo hottttt and 1. It’s not even that hot outside yet, 2. My belly is not that big yet and 3. I STILL HAVE THREE MONTHS TO GO!!! Mom, if you’re reading this, I really, really, really appreciate you having me in August. I’m sure this will not be the first time that, as a parent, I’m realizing what I put you through as a baby/child/teenager!!! (Even though I’m pretty sure I was an Angel.) So THANK YOU for carrying me in the Houston heat all summer!!!!!!
Weekly Womb Workings
Rob's hands are now fully developed and he spends most of his awake time groping around in the darkness and grabbing his umbilical cord. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that he can feel the sensation of touch. His arms and legs have grown to almost the proportions they will be at birth, which is still sort of short—T Rex baby : ) His nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, clear out (like he's taken a super-dose of Sudafed) and he can practice breathing through the nose. The structures of his spine are now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and some 1,000 ligaments. I cannot believe we can grow something so complicated inside of our bodies!
The capillaries, the teeniest blood vessels, are now forming in his body, giving his formerly translucent skin a pink glow. The blood vessels in the lungs also develop this week. Rob weighs about a pound and a half and is about 13½ inches long—he still has a lot of growing to do and his weight will double in the next few weeks!
All of these showers lately have my imagination wondering … what would it be like if we could create an impossible dream baby registry? What would be on it? What would you wish for as a new Mom or in your remaining months of pregnancy? Here are some of my “dream wants:”
10. A live-in Maid – because between the feedings, diaper changes and playtime who has time (or wants to) clean their house??
9. A set of Octopus arms – Now I know I’ll be new at this but I’ve been around enough friends and family with newborns to know that extra arms would be really nice at times.
8. Five (or more) extra hours in the day – Trust me, I’ve heard the nightmare stories about new mom sleep deprivation that goes on for weeks and months so what if moms could have a “free five hour a day nap time?” Hey, it’s only a dream.
7. A live in chef --- see reasoning for #10 … (no wonder celebrities have so many babies; they can afford all the things that can be bought from this list!)
6. An endless supply of diapers that actually fit. MAAANNN those things are expensive!!! Not that I will have time for pedicures anymore, but if I did, they would certainly cut into my pedicure budget
5. I wish another baby mega store company would open a store in Houston. I really, really dislike Babies-R-Us for some reason. I can’t ever concentrate when I’m there and the customer service is pretty sub-par. Why can’t we have a Buy Buy Baby in Houston?!? (It’s a baby store owned by Bed, Bath and Beyond and I’ve heard it’s way better than B-R-U … any moms out there want to help me petition for one in Houston?)
4. One free admission ticket for a short, pain – free labor. Hahahaha! Okay, don’t laugh, this is my dream registry : )
3. A personal shopper/assistant—because I’m sure it’s not easy toting a newborn to Babies-R-Us and standing in the customer service line for an hour to return stuff that doesn’t fit.
2. I wish I could fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes the day after I get home from the hospital. What? Isn’t that how it works … the baby comes out and your stomach is flat again? : )
1. Fully Paid electricity bills from May through November!!!!! I am soooo hottttt and 1. It’s not even that hot outside yet, 2. My belly is not that big yet and 3. I STILL HAVE THREE MONTHS TO GO!!! Mom, if you’re reading this, I really, really, really appreciate you having me in August. I’m sure this will not be the first time that, as a parent, I’m realizing what I put you through as a baby/child/teenager!!! (Even though I’m pretty sure I was an Angel.) So THANK YOU for carrying me in the Houston heat all summer!!!!!!
Weekly Womb Workings
Rob's hands are now fully developed and he spends most of his awake time groping around in the darkness and grabbing his umbilical cord. Brain and nerve endings are developed enough now so that he can feel the sensation of touch. His arms and legs have grown to almost the proportions they will be at birth, which is still sort of short—T Rex baby : ) His nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, clear out (like he's taken a super-dose of Sudafed) and he can practice breathing through the nose. The structures of his spine are now made up of 150 joints, 33 rings and some 1,000 ligaments. I cannot believe we can grow something so complicated inside of our bodies!
The capillaries, the teeniest blood vessels, are now forming in his body, giving his formerly translucent skin a pink glow. The blood vessels in the lungs also develop this week. Rob weighs about a pound and a half and is about 13½ inches long—he still has a lot of growing to do and his weight will double in the next few weeks!
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Week 24: Shower Shindig
This Saturday, some of my best college friends threw a beautiful baby shower for me in Dallas. It was just perfect … a patio brunch get together with beautiful, wonderful and sweet friends. The May heat stayed at bay with the help of a cool breeze and the sun was shining all afternoon. As I looked around, I thought gosh … I’m so lucky to have the family and friends that I have—and not only am I lucky, but this wonderful little meatball growing inside of me is too; he’s already so loved and so wanted, and nobody’s even met him! It’s really amazing how that happens. My Mom and I stayed with my friend Megan (her home is becoming more like Hotel Megan as much as I’ve been up there lately!) and enjoyed a relaxing Saturday evening of pizza and movies and drove home on Sunday in time for a Mother’s Day celebration at my parent’s house. I could really get used to this Mother’s Day thing … thanks to my thoughtful husband; I’ll be enjoying the gift of a prenatal massage from Bergamos very soon!!! And not only that, I came home to new carpet in the nursery, the crib put together, the new chandelier hung in the dining room and our disappearing fountain in the garden all FINISHED!!! Thank you honey, you are truly the best
Weekly Womb Workings:
This week, Rob weighs a little more than a pound and a half and is about 8.5 inches long (crown to rump). His tiny little face is fully formed so hopefully in a few weeks when we go for the 4D ultra sound, we’ll be able to tell what he looks like! His skin is still very thin and transparent and will continue to be that way until he accumulates fat under the skin. I just love chubby cheeks, don’t you?! Hopefully he’ll have them soon, he’s expected to gain weight at a rate of 6 ounces per week now.
Weekly Womb Workings:
This week, Rob weighs a little more than a pound and a half and is about 8.5 inches long (crown to rump). His tiny little face is fully formed so hopefully in a few weeks when we go for the 4D ultra sound, we’ll be able to tell what he looks like! His skin is still very thin and transparent and will continue to be that way until he accumulates fat under the skin. I just love chubby cheeks, don’t you?! Hopefully he’ll have them soon, he’s expected to gain weight at a rate of 6 ounces per week now.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Week 23: Lizard Skin
This past week reminded me a lot of my Freshman year at Texas Tech--not the fun stuff like Rush Week or football games or Chimy’s on Fridays after a killer test or Carol of Lights but getting used to the dry-as-a-bone desert climate. Now, I realize Houston is not a dry climate by any standards but my skin is so dry it looks like I took a dip in a vat of rubber cement and let it dry out in the sun. Okay, I'm exaggerating a little but it’s beyond parched people. Despite my moisture challenged epidermis, I have managed to find a cream that has thus far kept my bulging belly quenched and stretch mark free. It is Mustela Double Action Cream, not cheap but it’s worth every penny! As for the rest of my skin, I’m not sure anything short of Vaseline will help it now. As I head into the summer months, I’m coping with the fact that my usually shiny, bronzed summer skin now looks more like lizard skin.
My hair is a whole other issue! The other day my hair lady was going on and on and on about how dry my hair is and I just wanted to say “look lady there's not much I can do about it right now and my nose in Vogue Magazine means I don't really want to talk about my lack luster locks anymore!” But being the polite person that I am, I just nodded and smiled and tried to read up on the latest summer fashions.
The bottom line is Baby Rob is zapping my normally hydrated ecosystem of all its moisture for some reason! He’s worth it though : ) I’m sure I’ll have to sacrifice a lot more than shiny hair and skin for him once he’s here. Let my life of total servitude begin!!!!
Weekly Womb Workings:
This week, Baby Rob is eight inches long and slightly over 1 pound in weight; he’s roughly the size of a small doll (and just as cute, no doubt)! His weight in the next four weeks is expected to double – come on chubby cheeks!!!
Rob’s got a while to go before his lungs will be ready for air and he’s practicing his "breathing" on the amniotic fluid—sucking it in and out of his lungs, I actually felt him hiccup the other day! He’s starting to look more like a newborn as his skin becomes less see-through. His body is looking more proportional now, although his head is still kinda big compared to his cute little body.
My hair is a whole other issue! The other day my hair lady was going on and on and on about how dry my hair is and I just wanted to say “look lady there's not much I can do about it right now and my nose in Vogue Magazine means I don't really want to talk about my lack luster locks anymore!” But being the polite person that I am, I just nodded and smiled and tried to read up on the latest summer fashions.
The bottom line is Baby Rob is zapping my normally hydrated ecosystem of all its moisture for some reason! He’s worth it though : ) I’m sure I’ll have to sacrifice a lot more than shiny hair and skin for him once he’s here. Let my life of total servitude begin!!!!
Weekly Womb Workings:
This week, Baby Rob is eight inches long and slightly over 1 pound in weight; he’s roughly the size of a small doll (and just as cute, no doubt)! His weight in the next four weeks is expected to double – come on chubby cheeks!!!
Rob’s got a while to go before his lungs will be ready for air and he’s practicing his "breathing" on the amniotic fluid—sucking it in and out of his lungs, I actually felt him hiccup the other day! He’s starting to look more like a newborn as his skin becomes less see-through. His body is looking more proportional now, although his head is still kinda big compared to his cute little body.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Week 22: Baby Book Bonanza
Okay, I’m not sure if this is normal or if it has something to do with my over-analytical, OCD personality … My nightstand is stacked to the ceiling with books and magazines. No, not my pre-preggo faves like US Weekly, Vogue, Lucky and Harpers Bazaar, but What to Expect When Expecting, What to Expect the First Year, Baby Wise, Parenting Magazine, A Pediatrician’s Guide to Years 1-5, etc, etc. I feel like that girl in the Bing “search overload” commercial. I still have four months to go and I feel like I have so many reference books, I need to start using the Dewey decimal system just to stay organized! I love reading about all the theories and methods and schedules; some of them I think are totally bunk but others make perfect sense and I think “okay, I’m going to try that.” I’ve also signed up for a breastfeeding class, a childbirth class and an infant care class. A little much, I know--but as corny as it may sound I really do love learning about this stuff and the more I know, the less anxiety I have about the most humongous job life has to offer. With that being said, I also know that many people tell me that the sleeping schedule theories and feeding methods go right out the window once you actually have the baby. But, the classes and the books make me feel nice and prepared so I’m going to continue my nightly study routine for my 22 year exam. (18 years + 4 years in college … but I guess you don’t ever stop being a parent so it’s more like a life long test!)
One of my dear friends Whitney got married over Easter weekend and we had a après wedding bachelorette/wedding shower party this past weekend in Dallas. It was so much fun and so good to see everybody! I flew in Saturday and we went to dinner at this trendy little pizza place in Uptown called Coal Vines—it was DELICIOUS!! We were some of the oldest people in there and I was definitely the largest with my pregnant belly. I felt like we were living that scene in the movie Knocked Up where Katherine Heigl and her sister are trying to get into the club and the bouncer looks at them and says “No way, I can’t let you in; you’re old and you’re pregnant!” We had so much fun though, we laughed and talked and tried to catch up on all six of our lives in two hours. We had reservations at a wine bar after dinner, but being the old crowd we are, we opted to go back to Megan’s and have wine and talk. (I found the BEST sparkling grape juice at Albertson’s, it tastes just like champagne!!!) Whitney, the bachelorette, fell asleep before any of us : )
Sunday I came home to the best surprise ever: Carlysle had FINISHED painting the nursery!!! That alone qualifies him for Dad of the Year in my book. I was elated to see the final result; the colors are absolutely beautiful and the chair rail trim is just perfect for the look I’m going for. We are a long way from being done but I am just thrilled with the way it’s coming together.
Weekly Womb Workings:
Our little Meatball’s hands have grown bigger and stronger and the nerve endings in his fingers have developed his sense of touch. He's in there testing out his newfound abilities by touching his face and grabbing the umbilical cord.
His brain is developing rapidly this week and will continue to do so until he's five years old (good thing I’ve been diligent with my BeBe Sounds)!
His hair is now a short, bright white crop. No matter what color it will end up—most likely blonde--all babies' hair lacks pigment at this point.
Baby Rob now weighs almost a pound and measures almost 11 inches from his head to heel. Until now his legs were curled tight up against his torso, so he was measured from his head to bottom (or crown to rump) and not head to toe.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
B is for Belly
….and it has arrived!! Right on schedule-- everyone told me a first-time Mom usually starts showing around five months. Now, as a woman having done anything and everything to have and maintain a flat tummy for nearly the past two decades, I never thought I would be this excited about having a protruding abdomen! But let me tell you, I am SO excited!!! Little Rob is making his presence known with his nightly kickboxing routine and by expanding his sleeping bag, also known as my uterus.
This weekend, Carlysle and I made the last minute decision to spend the weekend relaxing on Lake Travis. We slept in, spent the days cruising the lake on the pontoon boat, and floating in Cow Creek. (Well, Carlysle and Mushy floated, it was too cold for me!) We had a great time and made it back home Sunday evening.
The nursery re-texturing is COMPLETE!! After a long, grueling and powdery process, it is done. (We got a quote to re-texture the entire house and I almost choked when it came back at $10,000, but now I can clearly understand why they charge that much.) I’ve picked out the paint and started painting a sample wall to determine whether or not I like the color in the room’s light. I loooove chocolate brown and blue for little boy’s nurseries, however, it has become a slightly overused color combination so I’m varying it somewhat by going with a powdery-teal blue and tan. The paint colors are “Interesting Aqua” and “Nomadic Desert”. Now that I finally have some color on the wall, I’m in full-on nursery mode. All the furniture is picked out, the chair rail is ordered and my Dad is making me a custom surprise for the windows … pictures are coming but I can tell you, it’s going to be FABULOUS!!
I should start a whole new blog based on my weekly-first-time-mom-baby-gimmick-obsession. However, I don’t think this one is a gimmick: my friend Courtney has a two-and-a-half year old little boy named Easton and he is very advanced for his age. He speaks in full conversational sentences and I’ve always been very impressed with him … well, she let me in on a little secret called BeBe Sounds. When she was pregnant, her sister gave her a headphone set specially made for pregnant bellies and she played classical music every night for Easton while she dutifully read her parenting books. (Can you say perfect Mom?) After she told me this, I started reading all kinds of studies linking the concerts in utero to brain stimulation and early advancement in language and motor skills. Well, needless to say I ordered the headphones! Actually, my Mom, being a huge proponent of education (I’ve had a Pearland Library card since I was five) said “I want to buy it for him!!” immediately after I told her about it. It will take a little while longer than the Snoogle to determine if this one works, but I will let you know! Of course, I think every parent thinks their child is a genius so I might not be the best source.
Oh … and I got my Snoogle and it is wonderful! I think it came complete with special sleeping sprinkles or something because I have slept through the night since I got it.
Weekly Womb Workings
By now Rob looks like a mini-version of what he'll look like when he's born. All his facial features are formed and hair is growing on his head. Hopefully not a lot of hair, I've heard the heartburn is worse the more hair they have. He's even acting like a baby and will occasionally suck his thumb or yawn.
His heartbeat is getting stronger and can be heard using a good old-fashioned stethoscope. By 21 weeks, fetal bone marrow starts making blood cells—previously done by the liver and spleen. This may not sound that exciting, but it's good news.
The amniotic fluid that has been cushioning our little nugget now serves another purpose: he uses it to "practice" chowing down. Yes, it sounds gross (as many aspects of pregnancy do), but it's an important step toward him being able to chow down in the real world. He's been swallowing amniotic fluid for a while now, but now the intestines are finally developed enough that he's absorbing small amounts of sugars from it. And let's face it, being able to effectively digest sugar is important at every stage of life....especially if he gets his Mom's sweet tooth!
He now weighs between 10 and 11 ounces and is approximately 7 inches long. Big Boy!!
This weekend, Carlysle and I made the last minute decision to spend the weekend relaxing on Lake Travis. We slept in, spent the days cruising the lake on the pontoon boat, and floating in Cow Creek. (Well, Carlysle and Mushy floated, it was too cold for me!) We had a great time and made it back home Sunday evening.
The nursery re-texturing is COMPLETE!! After a long, grueling and powdery process, it is done. (We got a quote to re-texture the entire house and I almost choked when it came back at $10,000, but now I can clearly understand why they charge that much.) I’ve picked out the paint and started painting a sample wall to determine whether or not I like the color in the room’s light. I loooove chocolate brown and blue for little boy’s nurseries, however, it has become a slightly overused color combination so I’m varying it somewhat by going with a powdery-teal blue and tan. The paint colors are “Interesting Aqua” and “Nomadic Desert”. Now that I finally have some color on the wall, I’m in full-on nursery mode. All the furniture is picked out, the chair rail is ordered and my Dad is making me a custom surprise for the windows … pictures are coming but I can tell you, it’s going to be FABULOUS!!
I should start a whole new blog based on my weekly-first-time-mom-baby-gimmick-obsession. However, I don’t think this one is a gimmick: my friend Courtney has a two-and-a-half year old little boy named Easton and he is very advanced for his age. He speaks in full conversational sentences and I’ve always been very impressed with him … well, she let me in on a little secret called BeBe Sounds. When she was pregnant, her sister gave her a headphone set specially made for pregnant bellies and she played classical music every night for Easton while she dutifully read her parenting books. (Can you say perfect Mom?) After she told me this, I started reading all kinds of studies linking the concerts in utero to brain stimulation and early advancement in language and motor skills. Well, needless to say I ordered the headphones! Actually, my Mom, being a huge proponent of education (I’ve had a Pearland Library card since I was five) said “I want to buy it for him!!” immediately after I told her about it. It will take a little while longer than the Snoogle to determine if this one works, but I will let you know! Of course, I think every parent thinks their child is a genius so I might not be the best source.
Oh … and I got my Snoogle and it is wonderful! I think it came complete with special sleeping sprinkles or something because I have slept through the night since I got it.
Weekly Womb Workings
By now Rob looks like a mini-version of what he'll look like when he's born. All his facial features are formed and hair is growing on his head. Hopefully not a lot of hair, I've heard the heartburn is worse the more hair they have. He's even acting like a baby and will occasionally suck his thumb or yawn.
His heartbeat is getting stronger and can be heard using a good old-fashioned stethoscope. By 21 weeks, fetal bone marrow starts making blood cells—previously done by the liver and spleen. This may not sound that exciting, but it's good news.
The amniotic fluid that has been cushioning our little nugget now serves another purpose: he uses it to "practice" chowing down. Yes, it sounds gross (as many aspects of pregnancy do), but it's an important step toward him being able to chow down in the real world. He's been swallowing amniotic fluid for a while now, but now the intestines are finally developed enough that he's absorbing small amounts of sugars from it. And let's face it, being able to effectively digest sugar is important at every stage of life....especially if he gets his Mom's sweet tooth!
He now weighs between 10 and 11 ounces and is approximately 7 inches long. Big Boy!!
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Week 20: Feeling Life
Two remarkable milestones this week: 1. I’m halfway through my pregnancy and 2. I’ve felt life for the first time!! I’ve had inklings of little flutters in my belly since about week 18 but last night Carlysle and I were laying in bed talking and all of a sudden – two little taps that I knew FOR SURE were the baby. It was the coolest most indescribable feeling; I was just elated to finally feel my little bug moving inside of me. I am however not having as much fun adjusting to sleeping on my side. I have been a tummy sleeper my entire life and now that is just impossible. Not only is it obviously not good for the baby, it feels like I’m laying on a watermelon! My doctor and everything I read say the best position for pregnancy sleep is on your side and let me tell you, that is my LEAST favorite. In non-medical terms, there is a major vein and artery that run vertically through your body and if one lies on their back, the weight of the baby, uterus, placenta, etc. compresses this vein and reduces optimal circulation; hence the side sleeping recommendation. Yuck. After a while, my hip falls asleep and the ear that I’m laying on starts hurting so I’ve decided to order the Snoogle Sleeping Pillow… probably a pregnant Mom gimmick, but I’m willing to try anything. Here’s a picture of it:
I realize how ridiculous it looks but I’m really excited about it! Another really exciting thing happened this weekend: I found the coolest handmade changing table EVER!! The picture is kind of fuzzy because I took it with my phone but it’s made with old tin roof tiles and cedar wood. It’s painted a really, really dark brown/black so I might repaint it to match the crib or just try and find a black chest of drawers to match the changing table and have the crib as the focal point. Here’s a pic:
I also got to see my friend/pledge sister Carly who is due to have her baby boy, Max on July 21st! She lives in Chicago but was visiting family on her Spring Break. I was able to attend one of her baby showers and see her precious little baby bump : ) It is so fun to be pregnant at the same time as so many friends!
AND ... I'm finally starting to get a REAL baby bump!!! It's about time! It literally seemed to just appear one morning. I will post a pic of that soon too.
Oh, also several people pointed out to me that I forgot last week’s Weekly Womb Workings and I apologize for that. I haven’t forgotten and I will keep posting them but I was running out the door as I was trying to post and that section was sacrificed due to my obsession with punctuality. I’ve heard that will change after I have kids but I doubt it, we’ll see!!
Weekly Womb Workings:
Rob has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now (I can tell you from the movement I feel he probably wont’ be sleeping through the night). From this point forward, he will put most of his energy into gaining weight right now he weighs approximately 10½ ounces and is about 6½ inches long, about the size of a can of Red Bull (which has way too much caffeine for a pregnant woman to be drinking). He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and we’ll see it in his first soiled diaper … YAY I can’t wait to see that : )
I realize how ridiculous it looks but I’m really excited about it! Another really exciting thing happened this weekend: I found the coolest handmade changing table EVER!! The picture is kind of fuzzy because I took it with my phone but it’s made with old tin roof tiles and cedar wood. It’s painted a really, really dark brown/black so I might repaint it to match the crib or just try and find a black chest of drawers to match the changing table and have the crib as the focal point. Here’s a pic:
I also got to see my friend/pledge sister Carly who is due to have her baby boy, Max on July 21st! She lives in Chicago but was visiting family on her Spring Break. I was able to attend one of her baby showers and see her precious little baby bump : ) It is so fun to be pregnant at the same time as so many friends!
AND ... I'm finally starting to get a REAL baby bump!!! It's about time! It literally seemed to just appear one morning. I will post a pic of that soon too.
Oh, also several people pointed out to me that I forgot last week’s Weekly Womb Workings and I apologize for that. I haven’t forgotten and I will keep posting them but I was running out the door as I was trying to post and that section was sacrificed due to my obsession with punctuality. I’ve heard that will change after I have kids but I doubt it, we’ll see!!
Weekly Womb Workings:
Rob has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now (I can tell you from the movement I feel he probably wont’ be sleeping through the night). From this point forward, he will put most of his energy into gaining weight right now he weighs approximately 10½ ounces and is about 6½ inches long, about the size of a can of Red Bull (which has way too much caffeine for a pregnant woman to be drinking). He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and we’ll see it in his first soiled diaper … YAY I can’t wait to see that : )
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Week 19: The Name Game
What goes best with a family of names like Carlysle, Callie and Mushy? That’s a tough one. Thanks to family traditions, my job with this one was pretty easy. Our baby boy will be named after his Father and Grandfather, Robert Carlysle Gulledge III. And because I love my friends Christine and Lauren, we’ll call him Rob for short after their husbands. (Not really, but we’re definitely not calling him Bert or Lysle so Rob it is!) I am really excited to have a little Carlysle Jr. Hopefully, he’ll grow up to be just like his daddy : ) I went to the Doctor this week and they did another ultrasound … pics coming soon, the scanner is fussy today … and she said everything looks great, he’s growing and moving around A LOT. During the ultrasound, he was in the breech position and doing frog kicks, it was the funniest thing. The ultrasound technician informed me that the organ right next to the uterus that he was jubilantly froggy-kicking was my bladder—that explains a lot!!! With several showers quickly approaching, I’ve been trying to get registered before invitations go out. It is MUCH harder to register for baby stuff than it is for wedding stuff but it’s also a lot more fun to oooh and awww over the precious baby stuff. I just didn’t know where to start!! With a little guidance from friends and family, I’ve managed to register at Babies-R-Us, Doodles and Bering’s YAY!!!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Weeks 17 and 18: Mr. Sandman, Please Stop the Madness!
Between the all night trips to the bathroom and Carlysle and Mushy’s snoring contests (don’t let Mushy’s demure demeanor deceive you, he is a rather formidable foe when it comes to these contests), I actually do sleep a little bit. Lately, that sleep is filled with wild and crazy dreams and I have no idea where they’re coming from. I’ve never had dreams before – well, let me rephrase that, apparently everyone has dreams; you just don’t remember them sometimes. Now, my dreams are as vivid as Lady GaGa’s wardrobe. I won’t go into detail (because you would think I was wacko) but I will share with you parts of one of my recent favorites. So … from what I remember it goes something like this: Heidi Klum and I were on a yacht cruising around the Mediterranean (I was in A Pea in the Pod earlier that day looking at stuff from her new maternity line, I think that’s the connection.) and we were total BFFs. That is, until I walked in on her laughing hysterically while going through my suitcase and stuffing my wardrobe into a big black Hefty trashbag while she was telling me how pitiful it was! She was definitely not as nice as she usually is on Project Runway. It reminded me of a time in college when my roommate Megan and I decided to have a garage sale and called our friend Lauren Stover to come help us. She helped a little but mostly just laughed at all of our stuff we were selling; and she especially had a good time with Megan’s cat shirts, wigs and rollerblades : ) But yes, my dreams have been WILD to say the least. Not necessarily bad, just crazy and very memorable.
This weekend my family and I went to San Antonio to celebrate my Grandparent’s 55th wedding anniversary. 55 YEARS!!! Fifty-five is the emerald anniversary so we decorated my Aunt’s house with green tissue paper flowers, garland and gifts with green wrapping paper. We also enjoyed green beverages such as fresh limeade and margaritas (virgin for me!). It was so much fun, the whole family was there and we bar-b-q’d a big brisket, made potato salad, beans, creamed corn, you name it. And of course, my little belly got lots of rubs and love from all of my Aunts. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful and loving family!
Carlysle has been hard at work in the nursery retexturing the walls. Our house was built in the 70’s so it has this super awesome wall texture that I fondly refer to as wall acne : ) It’s also known as popcorn texture and it is AWFUL! So we’ve decided to slowly retexture the entire house starting in the baby’s room. It’s almost finished and it looks AWESOME. It has kind of an antique Italian rough finish to it, I just love it but it is very time consuming and when Carlysle starts the sanding part I can’t help because billions of tiny white little dust particles fly everywhere and I doubt that’s good for a baby’s developing lungs. I have so many ideas for how I want to paint the nursery, I can’t wait to see the finished product!
Hmmm let’s see, what else went on these past two weeks? Oh, yes, Obamacare passed! I cannot tell you how excited I am that we’ll get to pay for other people’s health insurance! Maybe we should pay for their mortgages too … oh wait, we’re already doing that. Our nation is 12.6 TRILLION dollars in debt, the economy is in the tank, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are bankrupt so let’s throw in another government subsidized program! What a great idea! Hopefully this is just the beginning of the fight, 38 out of the 50 states (or 52 states if you ask Obama) are considering legal action against the bill. I just can’t wait to see what doctor’s office’s waiting rooms are going to look like in 2014…. My guess is they’ll be similar to the way emergency waiting rooms look like now. Maybe we’ll try and have all of our babies before then so I don’t have to stand in line for a bed when I’m 9 centimeters dilated.
Weekly Womb Workings:
Baby’s adding fat stores that will keep him warm and cozy after he's born; his weight will increase approximately six times over the next four weeks. Good to know I’m not the only one tipping the scale. He’s also hard at work honing his sucking and swallowing reflexes—all the better for eating that 2 AM (and 5 AM, and 8 AM ...) meal in a few months! The finger- and toenails are beginning to grow from their nail beds, which would explain why he'll need them trimmed almost as soon as he's born!
Baby weighs nearly 5 ounces and is a little over 5 inches long—about the size of a baked potato (load on the butter and sour cream, please). This week is also the beginning of ossification. And while that sounds like some long and involved paperwork we’ll have to fill out, it's really a fancy medical term for the hardening of the baby's miniature bones. And that's a good thing. The baby's nerves are making more and more complex connections. His sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing. A substance called myelin, which makes nerve connections travel faster, is now coating your baby's nerves.
This weekend my family and I went to San Antonio to celebrate my Grandparent’s 55th wedding anniversary. 55 YEARS!!! Fifty-five is the emerald anniversary so we decorated my Aunt’s house with green tissue paper flowers, garland and gifts with green wrapping paper. We also enjoyed green beverages such as fresh limeade and margaritas (virgin for me!). It was so much fun, the whole family was there and we bar-b-q’d a big brisket, made potato salad, beans, creamed corn, you name it. And of course, my little belly got lots of rubs and love from all of my Aunts. I am so blessed to have such a wonderful and loving family!
Carlysle has been hard at work in the nursery retexturing the walls. Our house was built in the 70’s so it has this super awesome wall texture that I fondly refer to as wall acne : ) It’s also known as popcorn texture and it is AWFUL! So we’ve decided to slowly retexture the entire house starting in the baby’s room. It’s almost finished and it looks AWESOME. It has kind of an antique Italian rough finish to it, I just love it but it is very time consuming and when Carlysle starts the sanding part I can’t help because billions of tiny white little dust particles fly everywhere and I doubt that’s good for a baby’s developing lungs. I have so many ideas for how I want to paint the nursery, I can’t wait to see the finished product!
Hmmm let’s see, what else went on these past two weeks? Oh, yes, Obamacare passed! I cannot tell you how excited I am that we’ll get to pay for other people’s health insurance! Maybe we should pay for their mortgages too … oh wait, we’re already doing that. Our nation is 12.6 TRILLION dollars in debt, the economy is in the tank, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are bankrupt so let’s throw in another government subsidized program! What a great idea! Hopefully this is just the beginning of the fight, 38 out of the 50 states (or 52 states if you ask Obama) are considering legal action against the bill. I just can’t wait to see what doctor’s office’s waiting rooms are going to look like in 2014…. My guess is they’ll be similar to the way emergency waiting rooms look like now. Maybe we’ll try and have all of our babies before then so I don’t have to stand in line for a bed when I’m 9 centimeters dilated.
Weekly Womb Workings:
Baby’s adding fat stores that will keep him warm and cozy after he's born; his weight will increase approximately six times over the next four weeks. Good to know I’m not the only one tipping the scale. He’s also hard at work honing his sucking and swallowing reflexes—all the better for eating that 2 AM (and 5 AM, and 8 AM ...) meal in a few months! The finger- and toenails are beginning to grow from their nail beds, which would explain why he'll need them trimmed almost as soon as he's born!
Baby weighs nearly 5 ounces and is a little over 5 inches long—about the size of a baked potato (load on the butter and sour cream, please). This week is also the beginning of ossification. And while that sounds like some long and involved paperwork we’ll have to fill out, it's really a fancy medical term for the hardening of the baby's miniature bones. And that's a good thing. The baby's nerves are making more and more complex connections. His sense of smell, taste, sight and hearing are all developing. A substance called myelin, which makes nerve connections travel faster, is now coating your baby's nerves.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Week 16: Registry Ruckus
This week was pretty crazy. I had so much going on all week and it ended perfectly with a celebration of my Mom’s birthday on Saturday night. During the week, I took a pre-trial registry test trip to Babies-R-Us out of curiosity. I’ve been there before several times to pick up gifts for friend’s showers but I was usually in a hurry and frustrated with the ultra slow printing pace of the dinosaur registry printer so I cheated and bought gift cards. Well, without ever having thoroughly explored the baby super mega mall that is Babies-R-Us, I was completely overwhelmed. They should offer tour guides for first time moms! I’m serious, there are like five different types of Diaper Genies (I just want to know what the difference is and which one works best). There are fifty different types of bottles to choose from, high chairs, pack-n-plays, strollers, you name it. I was about to have a panic attack trying to figure out if and when I had to buy an infant car seat and a toddler car seat, when to switch them out, rear or forward facing AHHHHH?!? I could just picture a hospital staff nurse escorting Carlysle, baby and me to our car to go home from the hospital, taking one look at the wrong car seat I bought and screaming: “Oh no, you’re not taking the baby home in that!!! In fact, your car seat is SO bad we’re keeping the baby until you come back with the right one!! (In case you can’t tell, sometimes my mind wonders to the worst possible and most ridiculous scenarios!) But it seems like kids have to be in a car seat until it’s time for them to get their driver’s license so obviously we’re going to need a couple different sizes right? (Can you picture driving your sixteen year old to the DMV in a booster seat haha!)
And then, when you think about it, we invite our loved ones and dearest friends to our showers … so why on Earth do we make them spend one of their precious Saturdays at crowded Babies-R-Us standing in line to print out 25 pages of products with 18 digit SKU numbers waiting to play hide-and-seek with their latest victim in a store the size of Wal-Mart? I mean really, that’s just cruel.
Weekly Womb Workings
This week, Baby G is about five inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces (OUNCES?! So why am I putting on POUNDS?!). Baby’s body fat is beginning to form and will accumulate throughout the pregnancy…hopefully he will have lots of juicy fat rolls for me to love : ) He is listening to all kinds of noises now. Apparently he’ll know Mushy’s bark before we even bring him home from the hospital and should sleep right through any outbursts (that’s good news for Mushy). Although the eyelids are still sealed, Baby can perceive some variances of light. Most survival reflexes that he will have at birth are being developed in utero right now.
And then, when you think about it, we invite our loved ones and dearest friends to our showers … so why on Earth do we make them spend one of their precious Saturdays at crowded Babies-R-Us standing in line to print out 25 pages of products with 18 digit SKU numbers waiting to play hide-and-seek with their latest victim in a store the size of Wal-Mart? I mean really, that’s just cruel.
Weekly Womb Workings
This week, Baby G is about five inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces (OUNCES?! So why am I putting on POUNDS?!). Baby’s body fat is beginning to form and will accumulate throughout the pregnancy…hopefully he will have lots of juicy fat rolls for me to love : ) He is listening to all kinds of noises now. Apparently he’ll know Mushy’s bark before we even bring him home from the hospital and should sleep right through any outbursts (that’s good news for Mushy). Although the eyelids are still sealed, Baby can perceive some variances of light. Most survival reflexes that he will have at birth are being developed in utero right now.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Week 15: Nursery Mania
I am a very decisive person: my wedding dress was the third dress I tried on. It took me 15 minutes to pick out our granite countertops. I know what I like and I don’t look back. With that being said, I found the perfect baby bedding and crib in a matter of days. There is SO much to choose from, it can be really overwhelming so I tried to narrow it down by theme. I also loooove the internet for stuff like this; you can bargain shop without running ragged all over trafficky Houston. The only problem with internet shopping is you don’t get to feel the textures of your possible textiles in person.
I’ve heard that all Moms cherish the moments when their baby sleeps peacefully either throughout the night or in reasonably long increments. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t sleep very well if my sheets felt like sandpaper. And I’m not kidding when I say that some of the cheaper bedding really does feel similar to an emery board. However, I was not about to go to the other end of the spectrum and spend more on my infant’s bedding than my own. Recently, I was in Baby’s First Furniture and happened upon the most gorgeous, moderately priced and very soft patchwork bedding set. The only problem with it was that it was pink and they didn’t carry the boy version so I turned to my best friend, the internet. I found the boy version online (it was even cheaper than the girl’s!) and ordered it that day. It doesn’t have a theme per se, but one of my fashion-forward girlfriends described it as “shabby chic.” It’s a patchwork combination of blue and cream toile print, cream dupioni silk squares, tan and cream houndstooth check, gold satin and blue velvet. The same week, I also happened to stumble upon a beautiful antique style old world crib with gold hand painted detail. Since it was on sale, I called the store and they said there were only three left so I went ahead and ordered that too. The nursery is well on its way to being completed and we still have five months to go!! However, we are undertaking another remodel project (poor Carlysle has been so bored since the kitchen and patio have been done for a few months now) and we’re re-texturing the walls starting in the nursery so that will take a while to finish and then we’ll paint. No more 80’s popcorn walls (AKA Wall Acne texture)!!! My friend Lauren is coming from Dallas sometime in April to custom paint the nursery and I will definitely post pics when it’s done!
Weekly Womb Workings:
Baby's head is now resting on his well-formed neck instead of directly on his shoulders like Igor. He's beginning to grow eyebrows and eyelashes this week. (All the better to give me that "Mom, you're crazy" look when he's a teenager.) Although his eyes are sealed shut, he's now able to sense light. His eyes and ears finally look like real baby features now. As he practices sucking and swallowing actions, he may actually hiccup, it’s a tell tale sign that he's had one too many shots of amniotic fluid. Over the next month, he will grow faster than ever, and I’ll actually start to develop a “baby bump” instead of just looking chubby (YAY!). He now measures nearly 4 inches, about the size of a piece of a Kit Kat (regular-size, not the Big one you get at the movies), and weighs almost 2 ounces. Little biscuit :)
I’ve heard that all Moms cherish the moments when their baby sleeps peacefully either throughout the night or in reasonably long increments. I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t sleep very well if my sheets felt like sandpaper. And I’m not kidding when I say that some of the cheaper bedding really does feel similar to an emery board. However, I was not about to go to the other end of the spectrum and spend more on my infant’s bedding than my own. Recently, I was in Baby’s First Furniture and happened upon the most gorgeous, moderately priced and very soft patchwork bedding set. The only problem with it was that it was pink and they didn’t carry the boy version so I turned to my best friend, the internet. I found the boy version online (it was even cheaper than the girl’s!) and ordered it that day. It doesn’t have a theme per se, but one of my fashion-forward girlfriends described it as “shabby chic.” It’s a patchwork combination of blue and cream toile print, cream dupioni silk squares, tan and cream houndstooth check, gold satin and blue velvet. The same week, I also happened to stumble upon a beautiful antique style old world crib with gold hand painted detail. Since it was on sale, I called the store and they said there were only three left so I went ahead and ordered that too. The nursery is well on its way to being completed and we still have five months to go!! However, we are undertaking another remodel project (poor Carlysle has been so bored since the kitchen and patio have been done for a few months now) and we’re re-texturing the walls starting in the nursery so that will take a while to finish and then we’ll paint. No more 80’s popcorn walls (AKA Wall Acne texture)!!! My friend Lauren is coming from Dallas sometime in April to custom paint the nursery and I will definitely post pics when it’s done!
Weekly Womb Workings:
Baby's head is now resting on his well-formed neck instead of directly on his shoulders like Igor. He's beginning to grow eyebrows and eyelashes this week. (All the better to give me that "Mom, you're crazy" look when he's a teenager.) Although his eyes are sealed shut, he's now able to sense light. His eyes and ears finally look like real baby features now. As he practices sucking and swallowing actions, he may actually hiccup, it’s a tell tale sign that he's had one too many shots of amniotic fluid. Over the next month, he will grow faster than ever, and I’ll actually start to develop a “baby bump” instead of just looking chubby (YAY!). He now measures nearly 4 inches, about the size of a piece of a Kit Kat (regular-size, not the Big one you get at the movies), and weighs almost 2 ounces. Little biscuit :)
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
IT'S A BOY!!!
Everyone's asking how we found out so soon so here's the link to the genetics testing company we used and the explanation of the gender determination test:
http://www.geneticstesting.com/gendertest/gendertest.htm
We are so thrilled! I thought it was a baby boy from the very beginning but right before we got the test results I started thinking it was a girl. I had to listen to the message four times before I believed it.
http://www.geneticstesting.com/gendertest/gendertest.htm
We are so thrilled! I thought it was a baby boy from the very beginning but right before we got the test results I started thinking it was a girl. I had to listen to the message four times before I believed it.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Week 14 -- Rock the Bump!
As my pre-pregnancy clothes seem to be getting smaller and smaller, I’ve been browsing the web for maternity clothes. I’m in that awkward, uncomfortable stage where I don’t have an official baby bump but my tummy is definitely not flat anymore and it’s past the point of sucking in. So basically I just feel like I need to lose a few pounds and we all know how uncomfortable that can be! Sources tell me that in the past, finding fashionable maternity clothes was harder than finding a Republican in California (um, no Arnold doesn’t count). Thanks to designers like Heidi Klum, Nicole Richie, Rachel Pally, Juicy Couture and Danang to name a few, there are SO many options now days for every season of pregnancy. Who says you have to put your sequin leggings on the top shelf of your closet never to be seen again just because you’re preggo? Okay, you might catch a few awkward glances if you’re sporting the sequin leggings in the 8th month, but you get my point. Recent maternity fashions are pushing the envelope with everything from leather leggings to sequin tunics and bright bold satin printed blouses. Even though you may not feel like a million bucks, there’s no reason you can’t look like it. Here are a few of my favorite pieces:
I got plenty of parenting practice this week by watching Michelle’s 17-month-old daughter Kaylen. She came with me to a Dr.’s appointment; we went to Chic-fil-a and Toys-R-Us and played outside. She definitely kept me BUSY!! She is walking/running everywhere, into everything and even more dangerous, she repeats everything I say! She has the vocabulary of a 36 month old and is already wise beyond her years like her Mom. Saturday Carlysle and I went to our brother-in-law’s 40th birthday party at Golfcrest Country Club; we enjoyed a live band, dinner and a Hawaiian shirt inspired cake. Sunday I was busy hosting our Houston Zeta Alumni Association annual Social. For events like this, we usually go to a wine room or have a seated dinner so this year I decided to change it up a little bit and host it at St. Arnold’s Brewery. It was SO much fun! We expanded the guest list to Zetas and their friends, families and husbands so we had a great turnout.
Weekly Womb Workings:
Our baby now has fingerprints! Believe it or not, he actually created them himself while swimming around in the amniotic fluid. As he moved his hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. That's why no one on earth has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins! Cool, right? His arms are now in proportion to his tiny body, but his legs are still on the short size in comparison. The baby continues to gain new and impressive skills such as practicing and controlling voluntary muscle movements which are no longer the jerky, uncontrollable twitches of yesterday—he now moves with semi-graceful control. He weighs about an ounce and is the length of a flip phone, or roughly 3.5 inches—he's tripled in size from a mere three weeks ago! Luckily, I haven't done the same.
I got plenty of parenting practice this week by watching Michelle’s 17-month-old daughter Kaylen. She came with me to a Dr.’s appointment; we went to Chic-fil-a and Toys-R-Us and played outside. She definitely kept me BUSY!! She is walking/running everywhere, into everything and even more dangerous, she repeats everything I say! She has the vocabulary of a 36 month old and is already wise beyond her years like her Mom. Saturday Carlysle and I went to our brother-in-law’s 40th birthday party at Golfcrest Country Club; we enjoyed a live band, dinner and a Hawaiian shirt inspired cake. Sunday I was busy hosting our Houston Zeta Alumni Association annual Social. For events like this, we usually go to a wine room or have a seated dinner so this year I decided to change it up a little bit and host it at St. Arnold’s Brewery. It was SO much fun! We expanded the guest list to Zetas and their friends, families and husbands so we had a great turnout.
Weekly Womb Workings:
Our baby now has fingerprints! Believe it or not, he actually created them himself while swimming around in the amniotic fluid. As he moved his hands, the skin on the tips of his fingers formed unique ridges and folds. That's why no one on earth has the same fingerprints, not even identical twins! Cool, right? His arms are now in proportion to his tiny body, but his legs are still on the short size in comparison. The baby continues to gain new and impressive skills such as practicing and controlling voluntary muscle movements which are no longer the jerky, uncontrollable twitches of yesterday—he now moves with semi-graceful control. He weighs about an ounce and is the length of a flip phone, or roughly 3.5 inches—he's tripled in size from a mere three weeks ago! Luckily, I haven't done the same.
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