Lions and flowers and birds, oh my!

And so goes the theme of our nursery. We ordered our crib bedding fabric online and it arrived several weeks ago (coming in a little late on the post). If you’ve followed this blog, you may have read the post about some challenges I was having finding crib bedding until a visit with my tailor proved eventful and she is going to make it for us. With the production question out of the way, the fabric hunt began and continued until bingo...the match was made. When I first found a photo of the pattern, I fell in love with it immediately. Even better was when I showed it to Jeff and he thought it was pefect too.

We wanted gender neutral without being too typical. We wanted baby appropriate without being too babyish. Add onto those that we were looking for something to match the paint color we had chosen for our walls. The fabric's pattern contains multiple colors, 18 to be exact, three of which are variations of orange, and number six on the pallet? You guessed it! Firebush (or at least a close cousin, even though here it looks more redish).


I’m crazy about the combination of the aqua with the orange and I love how the other colors complement. We think the vivid colors with the dark wood furniture will work well together. I laid the fabric out on our bed and with a voice filled with gusto said, “I’m in love with a fabric. I’m in love with a pattern!” When I fully expected Jeff to bust out laughing at how ridiculous I sounded I was surprised to hear his reply. "Same." he said without hesitation and somehow it still sounded moderately manly. Such easily excitable fools!

Our baby at 30 weeks

At 30 weeks, the baby weighs about as much as a good-sized head of cabbage (approximately three pounds).

I had my 3o week doctor appointment on Friday (Friday, December 26th) and it went well. The time feels like it's going so quickly now when he breaks down the remainder of my pregnancy in just a few more appointments, every two weeks until the big day. I'm still measuring normally at 30 centimeters (from the top of my pubic bone to the top of my stomach). Jeff was a whopping nine pounds and seven ounces when he was born, so when we were told that even though "one person in the room weighed like 97 pounds or something at birth, there was no reason to think I'd be having such a large baby myself," well, I was very happy. Please hold true.

Gotta love my doctor who even said that I looked fabulous! I had to make sure that's what he said when we left the room so I asked Jeff, "Did he say I looked great or did he say I looked fabulous?" "He said fabulous." All right! I needed to remember the exact phrase; I was worried it may have been my imagination or wishful thinking. Usually I wouldn't necessarily feel the need to write that down, but hey, I'm hanging onto any compliment I can get at this point. It was so nice to hear that, especially after my weigh in revealed that I had gained another four pounds since my last appointment, just over two weeks ago! That currently makes the grand total 20 pounds. Thank you nice weigh in and blood pressure taker lady and thank you Dr. Chow for telling me that's normal and good. Whew.

The worst part about Christmas is its conclusion

All was very merry and bright around our home as we celebrated Christmas this year and we hope that was the same for all of you who are reading. We loved receiving the cards and photos from our family and friends and looking through them together kindled our Christmas spirits. We're sorry to see the holiday come to an end.

Even though it's over, I've still been trying to eat as many cookies, sweets, goodies and treats as possible since the baby really enjoys them. God bless parents. The many sacrifices they have to make for their children and so many go unnoticed. I'm not asking for any credit here, but I really feel it's the very least I can do at this point. If it's for the good of the life inside of me, of course I'm all for it. And if that means three of something delicious isn't enough, I'll force another two or three down the hatch. Our little one sure has been active and Jeff and I love feeling all of the movements coming from my belly. Actually seeing the thumps and bumps has brought a lot of added entertainment for us too! When our substandard belting of "Baby it's Cold Outside" doesn't get that baby going, no doubt all the sugar will.

Our families were so thoughtful and made sure the bundle already had some gifts this year. We're all very excited for the day we get to meet him or her and it was fun knowing that in just a couple of months, those gifts will be put to use.


Friends thought of our baby too which was also so sweet.


This rocking horse has been in Jeff's family since he was just a baby and maybe by this time next year our baby will be at Vince and Tricia's riding on it (with a little help!).


Noelan wanted to help Jeff open the baby's gifts at my parents' house...pretty soon he'll have a new cousin to read to.





O Christmas Tree...

Not the best planning on our part when we decided to fit in a very large window replacement project just before Christmas. Although the windows look fantastic, the cleanup before having both of our families (including my relatives from my mom's side) to our house for Christmas Eve was no small task. We were a bit frazzled by the mess and all there was to do to prepare and get our house back in shape. We had almost succumb to the fact that maybe this year would be our first without a Christmas tree. The thought provoked mixed emotions, but we reasoned with ourselves...this year was different, we fell behind, there was too much to do now, people would understand, we'd still have everything looking nice and decorated, just no tree. The Thursday before Christmas (Thursday, December 18th) I was driving and really thinking about not having a tree, not decorating it together just the two of us for one last time before our baby arrives. Turns out that it bummed me out more than I thought it would. I know that things will only get better over Christmas as our family grows, but thoroughly savoring our final moments as a twosome has taken on such importance to me. However, I let the thought of not having the tree go knowing that we wouldn't let its absence detract from our Christmas.

So imagine my surprise when the very next day (Friday, December 19th) I came home to a house filled with the melodies of Christmas songs, my husband sitting and waiting anxiously for my arrival and a beautiful Christmas tree already covered in lights (my eyes well up as I write, just as they did when I walked in the door, because of the impact it had)! The house was completely dark except for the glow coming from the tree (and somehow I didn't even catch a glimpse of the it as I pulled up to our house). Jeff had taken the afternoon off to arrange getting a tree to our house with his dad and once it was inside, he worked to get it prepared with lights for when I got home from work. It was the sweetest surprise. How could we have even contemplated not having this beauty? We sat together and stared as we sipped our favorite egg nog; we were mesmerized. We cherished the conversation that followed and what a memory to hold onto.

Jeff's parents came to help us dig ourselves out of the mess that had become our house the next day so we could concentrate on rounding out our weekend with the fun stuff: decorating the tree and the rest of the house. Our Christmases will never be the same and the changes we expect will be spectacular. But our final Christmas as husband and wife, independent of Christmas as mommy and daddy too, was specially marked by that extraordinary moment I will always treasure, courtesy of my husband and a lovely Fraser Fir.






(The photos aren't our best and turned out blurry unfortunately, but I hoped if I put the family ones small enough, no one would get mad at me for posting them!)

28 weeks: Photos

Owwwwww

Oh what a feeling, and not in a Lionel Richie "Dancing on the Ceiling" kind of way. Last weekend was the first time I had ever experienced leg cramps during pregnancy . These things are unbelievable! I have never felt anything quite like them. A couple months back, I experienced a foot cramp, but just once and it was something I hoped would never return. Ever. It was like my foot, from my arch to my toes, took on a mind of its own and I couldn’t control it as it contorted into new shapes. Toes in goofy directions and all. I tried and tried to get relief, having to bend my toes with my hands because my foot wasn’t able to function to stop these horrendous cramps on its own. I was paralyzed by pain. I am trying not to use that phrase lightly either; that’s what it was. I would get relief for about five seconds until OH MY GOSH, again? Thirty seconds or so of pain, five seconds of some relief. The process lasted about 20 minutes and I was in misery until poof! It just went away. Well, this weekend started something new, but along the same lines. Now this madness had taken over my leg, and multiple times.


In the middle of the night this past Friday (or technically early on Saturday morning) I awoke to excruciating pain in my leg. It was like a spasm of sorts, a tightening that affected my entire leg, even causing me to cry out in agony. Seriously, paralyzed by pain is the best way I can describe it. I had been forewarned about these monsters, but thought I had escaped their wrath since it had been so long since that pesky foot cramp. I was wrong, and Saturday night, the same thing! Again I awoke to pain as I slept and this time, there were multiples. Every time, I’d wake up and have to spring out of bed with my awkward leg that didn’t even feel like my own. I watched as it straightened while everything in my mind asked for it to bend. Noooooo! Please, no more! I stood on my heel which was all I could manage until slowly being able to push my foot to the floor until the pain subsided. Then it was over. Each cramp lasted about fifteen seconds and thank the lucky stars for that because even though these were short-lived, they really hurt. I hope not to jinx myself, but I haven't had one since. If I can be guaranteed that if I do get them again, they'll be short, then fine. But it's the---what if they don't go away so fast the next time?---that gets to me. Hello, doctor? Is it too soon to ask for an epidural?

The 3rd trimester has begun

Today marks my 28th week of pregnancy and we took some time out tonight to partake in some celebrating, thanks to my husband. When I arrived home from work, Jeff awaited me with sparkling cider (and yes, poured into a champagne flute!). Once our drinks were finished, we ventured out for a fabulous dinner, another surprise. It was a special touch I very much appreciated. Carrying our child is something I have enjoyed to the absolute fullest, but it means so much when your husband acknowledges the effort involved. Jeff shows gratitude to me regularly for having our baby and it makes me feel so special, so loved. It's fun to joke about hoping for this or that-rewards of sorts-from my hubby for any little step I take in my pregnancy, but the truth is that in those steps, I do feel a great sense of pride. So when those "rewards" come in whatever form (a card, a thank you, a kiss, sparkling cider dolled up to seem like champagne, a nice dinner to start a new trimester), they feel good and bring a smile to my face. But nothing can hold a candle to the love I receive daily from the best person I know, and next to the life I grow inside of me, he is my true reward.

Sometimes time seems like it's flying and other times, knowing that there are still three months to go can seem like an eternity until we get to meet this baby of ours. Thank you all for sharing in our experience by reading this blog. We are so looking forward to the joys of parenthood and having you along with us on the journey we've taken to get there has been wonderful.

Doctor appointment: Diabetes and hemoglobin screenings

Today was an appointment that I wasn’t so much looking forward to; it was time for my gestational diabetes screening. I don’t know if I was more worried about actually having the condition or having to drink the nasty, sugary drink I had heard so much about! The fact is that yes, I was more worried about having gestational diabetes , a type that occurs only in pregnancy and usually goes away after delivery of the baby. I know that frequent urination is definitely a pregnancy side effect, but it's also one of the top warning signs for diabetes. Because those frequent trips to the throne started so early on for me (and to some extent, before pregnancy too), I had my suspicions. Also, numbness and tingling in hands, feet and legs along with blurred vision are signs too and although I have always attributed these symptoms to the kind of migraine headaches I get, maybe I couldn't be sure. So I've had some thoughts about the possibility of having diabetes in general; thus, I considered today's screening a "moment of truth", if you will.

Good news on both counts. The drink went down fine and wasn’t even close to as bad as I thought it was going to be. I was given two choices during my last visit and opted for the fruit punch as opposed to the orange flavor. I’ve had the 10 ounce bottle in my fridge for a month and almost dreaded the thought of drinking it. Turns out it was pretty much like drinking a sweetened version of Gatorade. The best news though was that I do not have gestational diabetes. My hemoglobin screening, to check for anemia which is fairly common in pregnancy, came back good also.

I wasn’t able to sneak into my appointment without a trip to the scale, so off went my shoes and coat as I watched the numbers increase. When they stopped, I asked how much it had gone up since last time. “Don’t worry, it’s always a big jump now,” she says. “Now’s the time when it happens.” Oh nice, she doesn’t even want to tell me! Then she showed me my chart (could she not even utter the words aloud?) and the jump was six pounds. After a buildup like that, a weight gain of six pounds was all right by me, especially since I hadn’t gained anything at my last appointment (both my 20 and 24 week checks registered the same weight). I continued to measure normally and got to hear our baby’s heart beating away. Warning signs for preterm labor were discussed and I was given a chart to record the baby’s movements to make sure all still goes well. From now on, the appointments happen approximately every two weeks which will really make it seem like this pregnancy is in the final stretch!

These are a few of my favorite things (sorry for getting the song in your heads)

I’ve been asked about cravings and have had trouble being completely specific in what I have been craving since I’ve wanted to eat pretty much everything I wanted before pregnancy...in large quantities...and often! I'm on a major Bruegger’s egg and cheese bagel kick and cannot get enough of them, mostly at lunchtime. I've gotten a real hankering for those over the last few months, along with malts made with malted milk powder prepared on probably a couple too many occasions by my hubby. Funny how I hadn’t had one of those in years I bet, but now they are really hitting the spot. Actually, even though it's getting colder outside, I could eat ice cream in general every day. Not that I necessarily couldn't before, but now it sounds extra yummy and much more regularly than it used to. I suppose I have to throw brownies or any fudgy, chewy, gooey type of dessert in the cravings mix. The consistency is the key (maybe the chewiness is what does it for me with the bagels too). Oh, and peanut butter. Peanut butter sounds especially good to me now too. Great. I'm beginning to see a pattern here with these last few which all amount to the introduction of my new nickname: Fatty Fatcakes...coming soon no doubt. OK, so I guess now that I mention it, yes, I've been having some cravings!






Besides those, my main indulgences include: decaf nonfat white mochas with no whip (not because I’m opposed to the luxury of whipped cream, but because I like my coffee hot) usually from Caribou or Starbucks (Please feel free to drop by my home or office with one at any time! I mean ANY time. Coffee isn’t just for mornings.), basic decaf coffees with skim milk or flavored liquid creamer for added gratification (usually just from Casa de Jiovanazzo prepared by yours truly), hot chocolate and caffeine-free Coke (which tastes just like the real thing and is particularly satisfying with Mexican food and pizza). None of which helps with my trips to the bathroom, however. That is just fine; they're worth it.




Drinks, specifically the coffee drinks, become even more of a treat when the people around me are cocktailing. They're definitely tougher to come by though, especially at other people's houses, and not that they shouldn't be. But, when people ask what the preggo wants to drink, I can't really ask them to whip me up a white mocha or throw on a pot of decaf, but indeed, that's what I'd really like. Don't even bother asking for caffeine-free Coke either...anywhere. Don't more dining establishments know that pregnant women are supposed to limit their caffeine intake? Last I checked, there are a lot of people around, thus leading me to believe that a lot of women have had to become pregnant. Where's the love for the bundlewarmers? (OK, princess...but I'm just saying :))

Sure, we all survived with our parents even boozing it up some and puffing on heaters, but these days if you throw down a couple Mountain Dews, my gosh, the guilt practically permeates your soul. Fortunately I'm not a regular caffeine drinker anyway, but come on, could we get a few more choices on the drink list, sans caffeine? Yes, there's Sprite, but why even waste the calories? Why not Squirt? How did Squirt become so underrated? A big kudos to Manny's for offering me a sparkling cider. I didn't even have to ask! Not only could I have devoured a brownie something or other for days there, but I was offered a sparkling cider, and I got to drink it out of a champagne glass which I swear made it taste even better. I don't even like steak, but who cares after that treatment? If only I had my very own barista . Hey, maybe that will be my token gift from the bundlebreeder when I hit trimester three!

Feeling well. Eating well. Drinking well (for the most part). I’d say life is swell! Enough about me...um, until the next time I write about me.

Our baby at 27 weeks

At 27 weeks, the baby is about the size and weight (almost two pounds) of a head of cauliflower.

Back to reality after a fun-filled journey overseas

We enjoyed our time away so much. Our stay in London was exactly what we had hoped for. It was leisurely and unrushed since we didn't need to make time for any of the main tourist attractions. It was strictly about savoring being there, and we did fully. We visited a horse track, saw a play and mixed it up with the locals as we took part in one of their favorite pastimes, watching a football (soccer) match. That was a highlight for both of us. Our seats were fantastic and being a spectator there was unlike so many other sporting events. The electricity the crowd omits is like nothing else. Everyone is so into the cheering (or the singing, as the case may be) and it makes for such a magnetic atmosphere. The day before we went together, Jeff made it to another match (and some pubs) while I spent a day making my way through Portobello Market and other shopping areas before heading to my first ever pregnancy massage. It was wonderful. I haven't been able to comfortably lay on my front for some time now, so being able to do that on a special table with a hole just big enough for my stomach was nice in itself. Then the rub down began and ahhhh. One of the things we highly recommend doing is strolling through the food halls at Harrod's department store. There is room after room devoted to some of the finest foods you've ever seen. We thoroughly enjoyed the spread we brought back to our hotel room and stuffed ourselves silly, as we did the last time we visited. We had a ton of fun and it was a such a pleasant time in London.

Paris was much more on the go since we had limited time there. We were prepared for it though, so it made it more manageable. We knew we couldn't possibly see everything the city had to offer, and constantly keeping this in mind also made everything easier to handle. We paced ourselves nicely while still seeing so much of what's there. Our hotel was not only beautiful with amazing views, but it was in a perfect location just next to the Arc de Triomphe and off the Champs-Elysées . We visited two of the most famous museums in Paris, Musée du Louvre and Musée d'Orsay , and also got out to take a peek at the Notre Dame . Of course no trip to Paris would be complete without seeing the Eiffel Tower and we were able to see it both nights (Monday, November 24th and Tuesday, November 25th) of our stay. The first night we traveled to the top and it was spectacular, although it was bitter cold up there as the wind smacked us upside our heads, and several times. Regardless, it was well worth it. The second night, we had dinner at a beautiful restaurant, Cafe de l'Homme , nestled into a table providing us with priceless views of the Eiffel Tower set up by our hotel's concierge. The only downfall of our vacation was that Jeff and I both came down with colds, and although mine left me dragging some by the end, nothing was going to stop us from having an unforgettable and fabulous time. We completely did and feel so fortunate to have had the opportunity to experience this one last trip for just the two us us before our anxiously awaited arrival gets here in a few months.

London highlights:

The first night of our trip (Thursday, November 20th), we had decided to venture out of London a bit to see a new horse track, the first track built in England in over 100 years. It was quite the adventure. After about a 30 minute ride on the underground (aka the tube, London's metro system), then another 30 minutes by train, we managed to find a bus to take us the rest of the way. Finally we arrive and are told that there used to be a shuttle from the bus to get there, but they had just quit running it because it wasn't being used enough. Nice. Not to worry too much because we could see the lights, so how far of a walk could it really be? It's a miracle we weren't killed after having to cross the equivalent of 494 in the dark. One obstacle down and we come to realize that we still have at least a mile of a walk ahead of us, in the mud on the side of the highway to get to the place! And in dress clothes nonetheless since it was clearly stated not to wear jeans (only to get there and half the place is in jeans). Plus, it was cold; it was absolute misery! It made for many chuckles when it was all said and done, but we were not happy campers in the midst of it all. At least we were together and that was all that mattered, right? That's what we kept having to tell ourselves to stay sane.

The dreaded walk begins...the smile won't last.





On the Friday night of our stay (Friday, November 21st) we went to the Apollo Theatre to see Rain Man. It was really good. The main highlight was that it starred Hollywood pretty boy and local Minnesota resident, Josh Hartnett. We purchased our tickets and were warned that he may not be playing the night we planned on attending. We were bummed at that chance and hoped all day that he'd change his mind. He did and there he was, 11 rows up from our seats.




In the hallway of the theatre, we found this and had to take a quick snap (a shout out to the maiden name).


Soccer match: Tottenham vs. Blackburn







Paris highlights:



Our hotel, Hotel Splendid Etoile , and some shots from our room's balcony








Arc de Triomphe


Champs-Elysées



Musée du Louvre













Musée d'Orsay








We couldn't resist picking up a gift here (one of several from the trip atually) for the little one. It's a children's book about the museum and some of its works of art. After we bought it, we talked about how special it will be to write in it for our child, to read it to him or her and to share all these memories from the trip as the babe just got to ride along with us on the tummy train. The thought choked us both up and it was a sweet moment I hope to always remember.


Eiffel Tower




From the top



We didn't know this ahead of time, but the lights on the Eiffel Tower twinkle every hour.


Check out the view from our restaurant table while we dined our last night in Paris.


From the restaurant's terrace, we tried to snap a self portrait with the Eiffel Tower in the background. This was the best we could do.


For dessert, our waiter recommended a photo-worthy brioche with caramel.


Notre Dame


Thanks to a great recommendation, we had to get our hands on some Berthillon ice cream, which is said to be the best ice cream in Paris. We chose chocolate and its fudge-like consistency left us wondering how we could have opted for only two scoops. The two cups on either side contain pure chocolate to be poured in to make our own hot chocolate with the steaming milk and sugar cubes behind them.


Until the next time, and we do hope there is a next time (even though we know it won't be anytime soon), we'll miss you London and Paris!