9 1/2 weeks: So short but so long

Whenever I'm feeling uncomfortable, huge, cumbersome, tired, fat or achy (which is a lot these days), I keep telling myself, "It's only 9 1/2 more weeks." Sometimes that makes me feel better, I've already made it over 30 weeks now. I can hang in there for 9 more weeks. (my weeks turn each Friday).

But then I think, "man, he's due in September and it's only JULY." And it's been a hot June and July (for the most part). I still have to make it through the rest of this month and all of August and then part of September as well (unless he decides to come early). When I think about that, it seems so long.

So it makes sense to me why I'm caring less about going to my firms for standing appointments (when I may or may not have a meeting with a client, it's a walk-in basis) and why I'm not being as hard core about forcing myself to go to the gym if I'm hot and/or tired. Indeed, I am gaining more weight than I wanted to. But who ever wants to gain this much weight in this short of time? Besides, at this point, all I can really do is try to stave off any surplus gain, which is just a few pounds. Meh. I'd rather go balls to the wall after he's born than deny myself the comforts of cold foods right now (decaf iced latte, lemonade, yogurt, milk w/Ovaltine), especially since I can't chill with a nice glass of Pinot Grigio or Sauvignon Blanc or even an iced cold beer to help beat the heat. :-)

Here's to hoping that July and August fly by! I can deal with 10 days or 2 weeks of serious discomfort in September as long as I'm not working. But trying to drag me, baby and all my crap around the City through July and August for work, especially in this heat, is something I WILL NOT miss in the least!

Stay cool this week everyone! Enjoy a nice glass of wine or a cold beer for me please!

Unpatriotic?

I don't know why, but for some reason we seem to be the only people on the planet without 4th of July plans. Most people we know are either [1] on vacation/out of town or [2] spending the weekend with family. It didn't even occur to either one of us to make plans. Huh.

Sure, we could drive up to Sac-town and visit the folks, see some fireworks, eat some BBQ. But I just hung out with my mom all last weekend, which was totally fine and a good time.... not to mention that I don't really want to spend $100 on gas driving there and back just to say we did something on 4th of July. Then there's fireworks options locally, but anyone who lives here knows that fireworks in the City, and quite possibly in Pacifica, are just going to create brightly lit fog. Meh. So, I don't even know if we'll end up watching fireworks tomorrow unless they are outside our house. (which, like BT is experiencing, is quite possible given our neighborhood's love of cohetes).

I wouldn't say I'm feeling particularly unpatriotic... but it does seem a little odd not to even be bothered to think about celebrating our national holiday. Seriously, the only thing I have planned is to sleep in, go work out and see if M feels like cleaning out the garage this weekend. (hey, he's been seriously motivated for some DIY projects 'round the house lately, so it's totally possible he'd be up for it)

Maybe we'll go get a burger or something. That seems in keeping with the 4th of July spirit.

Happy 4th everyone!

29 1/2 weeks and counting . . .

If you're curious as to what 29 1/2 weeks looks like, here is the latest:




I'm starting to see how they say my uterus is the size of a soccer ball now. Don't you?
Some other interesting tidbits on his development thus far:

Your baby now weighs about 2 1/2 pounds (like a butternut squash) and is a tad over 15 inches long from head to heel. His muscles and lungs are continuing to mature, and his head is growing bigger to make room for his developing brain. To meet his increasing nutritional demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamins C, folic acid, and iron. And because his bones are soaking up lots of calcium, be sure to drink your milk (or find another good source of calcium, such as cheese, yogurt, or enriched orange juice). This trimester, about 250 milligrams of calcium are deposited in your baby's hardening skeleton each day. Courtesy of babycenter.com

Well, that explains my insatiable appetite for cereal (we currently have 6 boxes on top o' the fridge), milk with Ovaltine (1 gallon of milk in 4 days?!) as well as yogurt, cottage cheese and regular old cheddar cheese. Should I just buy a cow and get it over with?

Weekend roundup in pictures

It's funny to think that my new definition on a busy weekend includes putting together nursery furniture, working in the garden and getting laundry/grocery chores done. There were no crazy nights out, no hangovers on Sat & Sunday mornings, no greasy breakfasts to ease the pain. Just a couple nights of pretty good sleep (which has been a rarity as of late), some movie-watching with M and hanging out with my mom here (and putting her to good use!).

Our family dog of 15 years, Taz, died on Saturday morning. My mom was so shaken and sad when she called with the news. The fact that my dad is out of town for the family reunion on his side (none of us were able to make it this year for various reasons), didn't help matters either. So M and I invited her to come down and hang out (read: help with the nursery) with us. Those who know my mom know that nothing is better than having lots of things to do. First, she's a do-er. She can't just sit down and chill. Second, it's a way she shows her affection--by doing stuff for people she cares about. Now that I am totally aware of these things, I'm able to deal better with her.

Plus, this weekend we were planning to re-stain/re-finish the crib, assemble the dresser and re-paint the glider chair for the nursery--all of which are right up her alley and areas of her expertise. Plus, I had some sick tomato plants that needed transplantation and she's got a great green thumb. So all in all, it worked out. She got to come down here, not be alone in her big house without our dog and hang out with us. We got the benefit of a third pair of hands, expertise and willingness to dig in and do the hard work.

So, here are some pics of the fruits of our labors:

The crib

M repainting the glider chair (my mom is making new cushions):

While we bought a new dresser for the baby's room, after putting it together (for 3 hours!), we decided that the color was wrong and gave him our dresser instead. The dresser we bought is actually part of the set that goes with our bedroom furniture, so we switched with him. Which actually saved us from having to refinish/restain the crib, so double yay!
Thyme that my mom donated to our garden:

Our zuccini plants are going wild! This particular plant has 5 or 6 new baby zuccinis growing on it. We already ate the first of the fruit off of this one-yum!

One of our Early Girl plants going crazy!

One of our Brandywine plants, actually bearing fruit! My mom says that hierlooms are hit or miss, so if you're lucky to get a plant that bears fruit in a season, you're doing well. Yeah! That also explains why none of our heirlooms did well last year. Although not exactly explaining why none of our hybrids did particularly well either.... Hm.

This is our formerly sick tomato plant that we just transplanted this weekend into a bigger pot with lots and lots of new soil. Grow baby grow!

Truths about pregnancy

Ok, this isn't really a post, but I thought it was worthy of posting because it's absolutely true and pretty funny when you're going through it. The article I'm stealing it from calls it Belly laughs, I'm calling it Truths about Pregnancy. Enjoy!

If only you'd known you were going to trade...

• Monthly PMS for nine months of weeping
• Lacy thongs for cotton tents
• Sex for gas
• Zinfandel for Ovaltine
• Birth control for laxatives
• Going to the gym for getting up to pee
• Your waist for a hot-air balloon
• Kickboxing for kick counts
• Your innie for an outie — a way-outie
• Sleeping for groaning
• Freedom for the most intense love you've ever known*

*this one I'll have to wait to find out, but from all current reports, it's absolutely true. Every cliche about being a new parent (I've been told) is more than true. (if that's even possible). Stay tuned.

Happy Saturday! We're off to work on the nursery--building furniture, restaining the crib, painting the gliding chair, etc etc etc. Woo hoo!

A new high, low . . .or wherever the baby is at the moment

I'm wondering now--Is it possible for the baby to have grown so much that I can tell a difference in 2 days? It sure feels like it. Over the weekend I was starting to feel mildly uncomfortable after sitting for a length of time. But now that my boobs rest on my belly all the time, I find my upper back getting tired of sitting for as long as just a lunch with a friend. And crossing my legs? Fuggetaboutit. That was a talent that left me probably a month ago, I can't even remember.

I am beginning to think of new milestones now that I'm in the third trimester. For instance:

• 30 weeks--because then I can assume/hope that I only have 10 weeks left. Plus, it's an even number; and like I said at the beginning of this journey, I like even numbers.
• 32 weeks--because that's the next time we get to see our little guy in an ultrasound.
• 35 weeks--because it's kind of an even number AND it means I only have (hopefully) 5 weeks left.
• 38 weeks because then he's no longer "premature" in the dangerous sense.

My secret wish is that I don't gain more than 35 pounds. My original goal was 30 but now that it's become evident that I will be passing that number for sure.... I have made a new goal :-) These goals are, of course, completely arbitrary and I know that. But they have been a good reason for me to skip a night at Yumi Yogurt (oh butterscotch with Reese's PB cup chunks I miss you!) and choose a salad over a sandwich at lunch, so it's all good.

So, I have a week and a half to go until my next milestone--30 weeks. Woo hoo!

Week 28: The last trimester is here!

I can't believe it's already here . . . the third and final trimester!

The baby is doing well. Man! He is kicking up a storm as of late. Last night I got the biggest kick ever, so big that I saw my stomach jump even though I wasn't looking directly at it. My eye just caught the movement. And of course I felt a huge kick.

I am now in my 28th week, it's official! I am coming in on the home stretch. YAY! I must admit, I haven't hated being pregnant and by no means has this been totally unpleasant. In fact, since he started moving around 21 weeks, it's been pretty cool to feel him all the time.

But, I am looking forward to getting my body back. Since about week 20 I've been fine with the weight gain and looking chunky. I'm not totally at ease with the fat thighs part, as I'd been hoping and trying to keep my arms and legs looking reasonable with regular workouts. (that didn't exactly work out for me even though I have been working out). But overall, it's been fine. M doesn't seem to mind my weight gain, in fact he's still telling me I'm beautiful. He must be one of those guys who finds pregnancy sexy or something... he sure acts like it. And for that I'm eternally grateful!

And while I do realize there will be a few more months after he's born that I'm not totally back to my normal (or even close to it) weight, I am looking forward to being able to work on it it more. Right now, even if I don't want to, I drink milk, eat potatoes, lots of fiber, etc and whatever I injest seems to be making it's way to my hips, butt and thighs.

In fact, this morning I was looking for a picture to send to a friend who is making a bridal scrapbook for another friend and came across many many pictures that made me feel nostalgic about how I used to look. Even just 7 months ago when I thought I needed to lose a few pounds before the holidays. I can't wait to have my face look less chubby, get my thighs back to a reasonable size and look at my quads and not think, "damn, those weren't that big before!"

I know I will be changed when he gets here and this is definitely going to be worth it, but it still will be nice to be "me" again.

Speaking of me now, here is a recent picture of M and I at the Tahoe wedding a couple weeks ago. Trust me when I say that the angle is extremely flattering! I normally look wider and chubbier than this :-)