28 Weeks

*Sorry, I'm not totally vain, I just had to include two pictures with my attention whore pup. He's been such a little lovebug lately, he craves attention haha.

How far along?: 28 Weeks
Total weight gain: I'm not checking this week :-P
How big is baby?: Just under 15 inches and around 2.22 lbs. Eggplant!
Maternity clothes?: Yes and I need more, but I'm too cheap to buy more. Tops that I wore pre-preg that I thought would totally be long enough for maternity leave me just a wee bit exposed on the bottom.
Stretch marks?: Just the same couple buddies hanging out on my right side. Stay put lil guys!
Sleep?: Up once or twice a night to pee, and I can't sleep unless I'm snoogled. I've grown to actually love that thing!
Best moment this week?: This was last week but I forgot to post about it... During one of our childbirth classes, we were supposed to lay back on our husbands knees with our eyes closed and as I was relaxing, she was kicking and moving around like crazy and hubbs kept cracking up. He always gets excited seeing her move around. She loves to start movin' and shakin' whenever I'm relaxing. :-)
Movement?: Oh yeah, see above.
Food cravings?: I've been on a slurpee bender since our local 7-11 brought in Hawaiian Punch slurpees. Yum!
Gender? Girl
Labor signs?: Not.
Belly button in or out?: Still flat, not popped!
What I miss: Being able to walk for more than 5 minutes at a time without feeling like I have to pee.
What I'm looking forward to: We're doing maternity pics (I got a killer deal on them) in a few weeks, and the photographer just emailed me asking questions about what I want to do.
Milestone: Tomorrow I'll be able to say I'm going to be giving birth in two months! June is getting close!



So hooray hooray, the furniture was delivered on Monday! I was so excited to finally see it in her room (albeit a tiny bit sad since the room felt so big with nothing in it! Is that weird?). Anyhow, the big day came, and Bellini delivered it... and there's a small scratch on the front of the crib. Oh the tragedy! I mean furniture ain't cheap, and I don't think I should have to settle for a crib with a big ol (ok small) scratch in the front! Bellini is now saying it will take 14-16 weeks. Um hello?! Why it only took 5 1/2 weeks to get alllll the furniture, yet it takes 16 freaking weeks for a replacement front of the crib is beyond me. If I must be honest, their furniture is beautiful, yet their customer service blows. They're just terrible at calling us back, always. When I spoke with the owner yesterday, she said she would call me by the end of the day and give me a more accurate estimate as to how long it would take to get the piece (she said she would try to do is as soon as possible). Um yeah, it's tomorrow and I still haven't heard from her. I won't hold my breath.

OK I'm done ranting. The nursery is coming together great, and it's now my favorite room in the house by far. We go and sit in there for a bit every night just soaking it all in. :-)

I miss being blonde...

Like really really. Once upon a time I highlighted my hair to a golden shimmer and I miss those days. Well I actually HATE getting my hair done, as it is at least a 3 hour process and I don't like sitting still that long and I always need a day to get used to the new color, but after... man did I love being blonde!

When I was blonde I actually toyed with the idea of going back to my natural hair color all the time, but I just didn't remember what it was. Little did I know it would be forced on me. And then of course when my hair started growing back, mousy brown is better than no hair any day! I've wanted it to grow long and healthy before messing with it. It used to feel dry and brittle from dying and flat ironing and all that. My hair's never felt so soft and healthy as it does now. But it's just not me. I mean, it's the "natural" me, but I feel like I should be blonde. I don't recognize myself STILL in the mirror. I think I may just do it once babygirl gets here. Maybe. Now I'm chicken...

While we're at it, I miss being thin! And tan. ::ponders getting a spray tan:: Oh and look, the first baby I ever held! My friend's daughter, just hours old. Ahhh she was so cute and tiny. Well, she still is, but they grow up so fast...

27 Weeks!

I'm now officially in my 3rd trimester! It really hit me today that all this time I've been counting UP (25 weeks, 26 weeks, 27 weeks...) and now it seems like the time to start counting DOWN begins. Yesterday I realized that baby's due date was in exactly 3 months. Time to start freaking out?

I actually feel pretty good about this whole thing haha. I realized that I was focusing so much on tiny details, such as the nursery, to distract me from the big scary elephant that is giving birth and becoming a mother. But I'm finding that I'm much more at peace with everything now and actually am starting to feel "ready" for mommy-hood. I suppose you're never really completely ready, but I know that I am ready to love her with all my heart and do my very best to take care of her and give her anything she could ever possibly need/want. My very best is the most I can give, right?

We "graduated" from our childbirth prep class last night. Our instructor was just the most lovely lady ever, and I'm glad we decided to take the class. I mean did we need it? Probably not. But it did help to make us feel more prepared and I guess it psychologically helps us feel like we're being productive and proactive about parenting. Hubby decided he wants to take ALL the classes offered, so we may just be signing up for an arsenal of Breastfeeding, Infant CPR, The Amazing Newborn, Child Care and Baby Sign Language. Do we need to take all these? Probably not. But again...

Other updates, on the physical side:

• Feeling quite a bit more sleepy lately and it's getting harder and harder to get up in the morning.
• The urge to pee has reached a personal peak for me. I'm usually fine sitting down, but if I walk for more than 10 feet, baby decides to start jumping on my bladder and I need to pee. I still only wake up to go to the bathroom once a night, so I guess it could be worse.
• My belly feels rock hard, and maneuvering (especially trying to get boots on/off) is becoming more and more difficult. It's often itchy, though I am slathering it twice daily with Mama Mio Tummy Butter in a vain attempt to avoid stretch marks. We'll see. 
• My left eye has been bothering me for a couple days. Not sure if it's pregnancy related, but thought I'd note it. 
• My sweet tooth has achieved hypermode. Can someone say Cinnabun/powdered donuts/chocolate chip cookies/cupcakes/cotton candy? It's all I want. Trying to limit this is quite difficult. 

Oh and I finally ordered nursery bedding. I decided to stop making such a huge deal over it and just got something sweet that fit in with the room. We ended up ordering a reasonably priced set from Target in the Shabby Chic collection, and it just arrived today. It's really adorable and I'm super thrilled with it. Here's a detailed pic: 

Oh and I have to include a photo from my official start of 3rd trimester (yesterday):

Pretty righteous top from H&M, no? And yes, I am totally rocking a cherry slurpee in my left hand. Oh and no, a rectangle did not die in the nursery, I just laid out where all the furniture will be based on each piece's exact measurements. Anal much? ;-)

We painted the nursery!

Finalmente! After slapping on no less than 10 (!) paint samples on the wall, we decided that going and finding an 11th would be ridic. So I "settled" on Gossamer Sky, our 9th patch (2nd from last on the bottom). I really loved the Robin's Nest color I'd seen in other nursery pics online (the large patch), but in the room it just came out so dark. I even went to Benjamin Moore and asked for a 75% shade of it and it came out horrendously neon-like (the last one on the bottom right). So Gossamer Sky (by Valspar, at Lowes) was selected. We got down to business on Sunday, and I'm so incredibly thrilled with how it came out! I didn't have to settle at all, this is so perfect. I think paint colors photograph waaaay lighter than they actually are in person, which is why RN wasn't coming out right in person at all, and why this color may seem super light in photos. In reality it is a beautiful airy seafoam, and if you listen closely, you can hear the gentle breeze and ocean waves crashing just outside (hee hee).

Our 10 samples:

The Befores:

During the paint-fest (hubbs looks adorable and I just look like a hot mess, but we had fun!):

And the finished product:

Again, the pictures don't even do it justice, but at the end of the day, I'd rather have a room that I love being in and looks beautiful in real life than one that just photographs deceptively well. :-P I can't wait to get the furniture in and put up curtains and decor!

I still need to decide on a glider. Any ideas as to what color upholstery? Furniture's antique white (as if you could forget, I obsessed endlessly on that one!). Oh and um I still haven't found bedding I like. Please don't hit me.

26 Weeks!

How far along?: 26 Weeks
Total weight gain: About 20 lbs. Bad girl.
How big is baby?: She measured 1lb. 13oz. at my appt. last Tuesday so I'm thinking she may just be 2lbs! Yelp.
Maternity clothes?: Indeed.
Stretch marks?: The same couple small ones on my right side. I don't know why I said left side last time. I told a lie.
Sleep?: Decent amounts this week actually!
Best moment this week?:
Movement?: Yes, and though I freaked that I hadn't felt her much last Sunday, she's been kicking away like crazy since, so I'm no longer worried.
Food cravings?: Ummm the new Taco Nachos at Jack in the Box. And brownies. Please refer to the weight gain above.
Gender? Girl
Labor signs?: None.
Belly button in or out?: Pretty much flat now.
What I miss: Not having to make decisions!
What I'm looking forward to: Our furniture is in, so I look forward to it being delivered and finally seeing it in the nursery!
Milestone: I'm now in the 2 digit range. 98 days to go!


It's finally warm here in So Cal, so out come the summer clothes! I'm looking forward to living in dresses soon. Jealous? I have to have some way of justifying the high cost of living here!

Happy Birthday to Me! And 25 Weeks!

Yay, it's my birthday! Wheeeee! I had a fantastical day that I'll be sure to blog about later. For now, I'll stick to the 25 week update...

• I've started feeling a bit uncomfortable, as in really feeling the need to pee more often and getting a sore back after sitting too long. Not terrible, but I've definitely taken notice. 
• I gained 7 lbs. in the last 4 weeks. Oops! My ob wasn't worried, yet the peri where I got my ultrasound yesterday basically said to only munch on flax seeds and a cucumber. Food nazi. 
• She had her adorable little legs crossed at the ultrasound, and her hand covered her face the majority of it. Shy gal! She uncrossed just long enough for us to be able to see that she still is a girl. Could you believe I still needed reassurance? 
• Oh and she's measuring big. I'm measuring big. 27 weeks to be precise. Oh dear...
• I passed my 1 hour glucose test, so no gestational diabetes for me! 
• We decided to take childbirth preparation classes, and had our first class last night. Our instructor has had 7 children, and her labors all lasted around 3 hours, with 10 minutes of pushing. Bitch. She actually seems lovely though, and the money spent on the class was well worth it just for the simple reason that it requires Adam to massage me for at least 15 minutes at a time. 

Here are the 25 week shots, including one from my viewpoint. Where did my feet go?!

And the best for last, a couple pics of my little lady:

She either had her hand over her face, or she was turning away, so this was the best face shot we got outta her. Looks like she's giving me a kiss! Oh and note the size of her feet! I think she's gonna take after her daddy...

I've come a long way...

Two years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer on this very day. Two days before my 24th birthday. I can still remember that moment that morning, hearing the dr. tell me the news. It was supposedly somewhat good news, because Hodgkin's has a higher treatment success rate than non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, but all I could hear was cancer. I felt so stuck for so long, that all my plans and dreams would be put on hold to deal with "this" thing.

One of my first thoughts went to "Will I be able to have children?" I feared that it would not be possible. And here I am, 6 months pregnant, two years later. I can not express how blessed and in awe of life I am right now. I've gone from such a low point to such an incredibly high point. I'm not going to lament on the sadness of the past, but rather embrace the excitement and beauty of the present and future. Two years ago I could not imagine being on the other side; I just saw this massive mountain in front of me. Now I look back like it was a trip I took a long while ago. I feel so removed, so distanced. Sure there are souvenirs and reminders of that vacation all around me: scars, the still-growing-out hair, etc. but I really don't notice or think about them much anymore. I'm not bitter, or wounded, or anything like that. All I know is that's one destination I really never intend to return to, ever, ever again.

Did someone say SALE?!

So my birthday is approaching this week (the 10th) and my mom convinced me to drop the baby-shopping and researching for the day to take me shopping for me. I haven't had much interest in getting things for myself, since my attention is purely focused on the little one on the way, but naturally I obliged. I wouldn't want to deprive my mom of buying goodies for her baby girl ;-)

I got a couple pairs of sweet flats for work, and a really cute long skirt from Free People that I can wear while with a baby bump and without. And then, as we walked through Neiman Marcus, en route to the restroom (I like to use the fanciest of the toilets nearby) I caught a glimpse of a Bugaboo stroller with a big red "SALE" sign dangling from it. I made a beeline for the Bee (hee hee) and discovered they were practically giving the thing away! I wasn't too keen on the canopy it came with (the cream colored Treasu(red) one), but the sales lady said it includes an extra canopy, and went to check what she had in the back. She returned with both a pink and a yellow one (um, my two favorite colors that it comes in) and I got her to throw them both in. I hemmed and hawed for a bit and asked if this one too was at an additional 20% off (there was another one on display that was really scuffed up that I initially looked at, and she told me I could take 20% off that one). I was sure she'd say I was bonkers, since this one was in pristine condition, but she said yes!

Ummm SOLD! The stroller retails for $599. We got it for $287!

So I guess I couldn't go the whole day without shopping/planning for our girl, but man, I love that rush from saving all that $$! The carseat adapter was also on sale, as was this weird sunshade thing that my mom insisted I needed, so we took those too. I loved surprising Adam with it... I put it in front of our door, rang the doorbell and ran. :-)

I'm a winner!

My adorable little bows are in! Through the wonderful world of the blog-o-sphere (is that a word?) I came across Charming Baby Bows. Sure, my little princess isn't quite here yet, but who can resist adorable baby bows?! And at the incredible price of $1 a bow, how can you even argue with that? I've seen similar bows in the two digit price range. I became a follower, and I just so happened to win the March giveaway! I had my pick of 3 colors, and went with these lovelies:

Super precious, and she even included little "grippers" I can attach to them to make them stay in the finest of baby hair. And, as I'm a sucker for all details, I must add that even the tissue she wrapped them in was delightful!

You can become a follower of Robin's blog and be entered for a chance to win 3 bows too, just head on over.

24 Weeks!

Happy V-day to me us! V day is known as viability day, or when the baby will have a 50 percent chance of survival outside the womb should the unthinkable happen and I give birth anytime soon. I refuse to believe that she is coming any time within the next 14 weeks, so stay put little one!

Ahh ok here's my little survey this week:
How far along?: 24 Weeks
Total weight gain: I'll know next week at my dr's appt! It has to have gone up...
How big is baby?: Almost 12 inches and around 1.3 lbs! According to http://www.babycenter.com/average-fetal-length-weight-chart
Maternity clothes?: Yes and either they've shrunken or they were sooo not long enough to begin with, because I need to get some longer ones soon.
Stretch marks?: A couple tiny ones on my left side.
Sleep?: For the last few days I've literally slept about 12 hours per night and I still wake up exhausted. What happened?!
Best moment this week?: Feeling her kick like crazy when I played the 80s lullabyes cd I bought. Isn't that supposed to make her calm and sleepy?! And oh yes indeed, I got this awesome CD the other night, full of some of my fave 80s tunes in lullaby form. All I need now is the Rockabye Baby Rolling Stones and Beatles CDs!
Movement?: All the time, and now she's kicking away even when I'm standing (usually it was only when I was sitting or laying down).
Food cravings?: I wanted Twizzlers badly yesterday. And onions I guess. On a hot dog, on my cheeseburger, I just want onions on things. Ew, right?
Gender? Girl
Labor signs?: Not yet!
Belly button in or out?: Shallower innie.
What I miss: Being able to go to Disneyland and ride rides!
What I'm looking forward to: My birthday next week :-P I am NOT looking forward to the GD testing the day before. I hear the stuff they make you drink is just blech.
Milestone: V-day! 


So we've decided to have the bedding custom made since I can't settle on anything I've found. We went to JoAnn's Fabrics tonight to see some fabric, and we happened upon a little section of the most adorable beach cottage decor items. Major score... but I was bummed that we didn't have any coupons on us, since there are always 40% off coupons for JoAnn's in the paper. I lament this out loud, when a wonderful girl walking by says "Oh! I have tons let me give you some!" And she proceeds to fish out a dozen coupons for us out of her purse. She said they don't like to honor them all at once, but if you are persistent, they should. We got to the check-out and I sugary sweetly asked the guy to let us use them all, even if we had to make them separate transactions, and he obliged! So we saved 40% off all this cute stuff... I'll have to post when the nursery progress is a bit more underway. 


Here's the 24 week belly! I'm wearing the same shirt that I had on for the 17 week shot... slight difference, no?