Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 41

I'm guessing the cat's out of the bag... I'm no longer sporting a bump these days. Actually, I take it back. I'm sporting a hobbit like bulge that hints at too many beers, but I carry no baby around in it.

That's because Jack McKay Sutherland is finally here!

He was born at 11:55 pm on Thursday, August 9, and he is all sorts of wonderful. There's so much I want to share with all of you, his birth story, the challenges and joys thus far, however, it turns out I am not one of those bloggers that can maintain it after becoming a new mom.

Kudos to those of you who are; how do you do it? I can barely find time to eat and shower, let alone type on my computer.

Kyle goes back to work tomorrow, and at that point, I hope to be picking up where I let off pre-pregnancy (i.e. posting more than just once a week and good god, no more photos of me up in here!).  Ok, Jack's crying, my time here is done for the moment.

Over and out... xoxoxoxox.

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 39

This has been a mind blowingly wonderful day. I stopped talking about BBS being breech a couple weeks ago, because he wasn't turning and the closer we got to this week, the more likely it appeared he would be born via c-section. It was scheduled for Friday morning, and I didn't want to share it with the entire world.

It took days and weeks for me to wrap my head around the possibility of a C. I had been prepping myself mentally for it and had made peace with the chances of it happening. That being said, I still held out hope he would flip.

And flip he did!

We confirmed it on the ultrasound this morning, so with the c-section officially cancelled, we can play the waiting game for real.

I mean, he's coming in the next two weeks, one way or another. Holy crap, I am actually going to be someone's mother.

On to my frightening photos!

Musings on weekly photo: While the last photo of this bunch is frightening, it's meant to convey my excitement that BBS did what he was told. Congratulations little one! Also, this was written yesterday (and the photos were taken as well), however, iPhoto crashed... thus, a late posting.

Size of baby: They say he's the size of a small watermelon. It's weird, because sometimes, it feels like I'm carrying a 20 pound bowling ball, and other times, it's as though I'm still my pre-pregnancy weight. Even this far in the game, I still occasionally forget I'm having a baby.

Movement: Clearly, the only movement I'm concerned about is the movement he's made in the right direction. I'm ever so proud of him. I know it wasn't easy.

Cravings: With this stagnant and oppressive heat, water, water, water has been the bee's knees for me.

Annoyance: It's still the buckets of sweat I produce daily.

Highlight of the week: Cancelling our c-section this morning was the highlight, although an afternoon at the races with Kyle (that included a chili cook-off, a lot of bad predictions, and a free Cake concert), comes in second place. Oh, and you saw that the nursery is officially DONE, right?

Non-Highlight of the week: I'm drawing a blank here... which is a great thing!

Fears: This isn't really a fear, but I had mentally accepted that I was having a c-section, so now going back to having a baby naturally is a bit of a challenge.

Nursery: Like I mentioned, DONE!

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone!

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 38

Oh, Bump Day was supposed to be yesterday? I literally forgot until about 7pm last night that it was even Wednesday... and this was certainly not going to happen at that hour!

Truth be told, my life kind of feels like this these days: I have all the time in the world and no time at all. My mom put it perfectly when she said you feel like a fat hen sitting around, hanging out and waiting, waiting, waiting.

Photo fun? Shall we? Dare we? DO IT!

Musings on weekly photo: I hope you're soaking this all in, because there is a time limit for this gorgeousness. A short time limit of showstopping belly love.

Size of baby: I'm hoping he's at least at the 7.5 pound mark, but we shall see. He loves stretching his long legs out on my right side and putting his (what are sure to be the ugliest cute) feet all bundled up.

Movement: He started moving when I put on dance music this afternoon; thank goodness he is agreeable to the boogeyman in him.

Cravings: My trip to the farmer's market, as well as a generous box of produce from Kyle's grandparents' garden, quelled any tomato and stone fruit cravings I may have had last week. I am still trying to down them as quickly as I can before they go bad.

Annoyance: I sweat like a linebacker in the Texas heat. Like a whore in church, if you will.

Highlight of the week: Pretty much any one on one time with Kyle is appreciated wholeheartedly these days. I know it has an expiration date on it and I am trying to get my fill before we are forever a threesome.

Non-Highlight of the week: Cleaning has become one of those things that I MUST DO, but physically exhausts me. Not to the point of sleeping well at night, but what can you do?

Fears: No fears this week, folks.

Nursery: All we have to do is hang our pictures and some curtains and we're done! Nursery photos coming soon.

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone!

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 37

I'm reporting to you, once again, from Breech City. I can confirm that BBS is all kinds of comfortable and sticking his ground. This week has been a series of all sorts of fun activities, including acupuncture, moxibustion, headstands in the pool, vitamin B pills, inversions AND hanging out in the bathtub with an ice block on my stomach.

I never thought I'd be one of those people who had to resort to such measures.

And he still isn't turning! Start sending positive head down vibes my way everyone...

Who's ready to be dazzled by my beauty?

Musings on weekly photo: You're speechless right? The hotness has stolen your ability to think straight. It happens to me every time I look in the mirror. Just can't get enough, let me tell ya.
PS This is me being sarcastic.

Size of baby: Who knows? My acupuncturist has been calling him a "mysterious shrimp" because of how he likes to be curled up like, well, a shrimp. It's difficult to make out where he is most of the time (although the fetal heart monitor at today's doctor's appointment did show him to be hanging upright).

Movement: Yes, we get it. We've got a hellion on our hands. He refuses to sit still, yet won't move in the direction expected of him. We are screwed, friends.

Cravings: I'm making a special trip to the farmer's market this weekend just for tomatoes. Have you seen Bon Appetit's August cover? Be still my heart. And don't even get me started on the stone fruit that's been turning up.

Annoyance: That hideous slut heartburn continues to plague me. Be gone, wench!

Highlight of the week: The Dark Knight Rises at 8am on Sunday morning followed by a lovely lunch with some lovely ladies in Solana Beach. It was a good Sunday until...

Non-Highlight of the week: Organizing the bathroom on Sunday night was all sorts of hideous. HOWEVER, Netflix recently released Season 4 of Breaking Bad, so at least I was being kept entertained.

Fears: I'm not necessarily afraid, but a little weary of my nurse practitioner's reaction to my questions regarding a "gentle c-section."

Nursery: We're waiting on the rug to arrive from Overstock.com and we still need to buy a chair and ottoman. Aside from that, hanging up the artwork on the wall is all we have to do! Photos... maybe... next week?

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone!

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 36

Ok, ok, you got me. Hump Day was technically yesterday, and I'm a day late in getting this up. What can I say about the last 24 hours? A trip to the doctor confirmed BBS is still breech and while I'm staying positive, the fact that I accidentally discovered they had scheduled me for a c-section without even talking to me about it kind of sent me into a spiraling depression. Believe me when I say if I had written this yesterday, it'd be awfully morose. The gloom lasted about 6 hours, but was luckily assuaged by my favorite Childbirth Prep Class couple.

Their nickname is ScrunchMo (short for Scrunchie Moan). Yes, they were entertaining as hell. No, I won't be explaining why (because then I'd really be an asshole).

Onto the shockingly large photos...

Musings on weekly photo: HELLO neon orange. These pics get more and more painful to take as time goes on, but I hope my son appreciates them someday. I don't have many photos of my mom pregnant with me or my sister, so I figure maybe (just maybe?) it'll be a hoot to see how he progressed from point A to point human.

Size of baby: Ok, so this is all a guesstimate, but I'm thinking around the 6-6.5 pound mark and between 18 to 20 inches? I'm no pregnancy wizard, so this is based on my readings (for the record, I cannot WAIT to be done reading about babies and birth and pregnancy).

Movement: Baby Boy has been a mover and shaker from the get-go... I wish he would bust a move in the right direction though. I do like to envision him sitting like a contemplative Buddha, legs crossed with his head by my ribs. However, meditation is over, son... get thee south for the winter! 

 Cravings: The heat and humidity of this week have left me craving, you guessed it, water. Over the weekend, we celebrated Kyle's grandpa's 80th birthday, and his grandmother made him a carrot cake. The cake was good, but the cream cheese frosting was, how do I put it, heavenly. Serious heaven. I could eat an entire bowl of it right now.

Annoyance: There's really only one way to describe what it feels like to get up in the middle of the night now. Imagine you're in an alley, and you stumble upon the world's most disgruntled midget (little person, for the politically correct readers). Said smaller human takes his anger out on you by forcefully punching you over and over again at his eye level (i.e. your nether regions). It is a strange thing to hobble to the bathroom like you've been attacked, granted, only from the waist down.

Highlight of the week: Baby shower numero tres was an amazing good time! I still can't get over how blessed I've been to have these celebrations for Mr. Man. He is one truly loved cookie, let me tell you. Lindsay, Micaela, Chris and Caity, if you're reading this, thank you so much for all your hard work and effort; I will never forget it. I'll be posting some pics tomorrow, so stay tuned!

Non-Highlight of the week: Accidentally finding out about my scheduled c-section totally threw me. Of course, it also lit a fire within me to go balls to the wall agro on getting him flipped. And flip he will!

Fears: None to speak of this week... honest!

Nursery: Almost done! Can you believe it? Checking things off my list like an actual grown-up, hoozah!

Additional Notes: At the end of the day, I'm going to get to meet my son in the next 5 weeks; it could even be as soon as 3 (it could even be tomorrow, truly). And I'm so, so, so excited.

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone! 

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 35

I can remember this countdown point before Kyle and I got married. Someone told me that the six weeks leading up to your wedding are called "the vortex" because no matter how much time you think you have, it goes by incredibly quickly.

Similar to sand falling through a sieve, maybe?

Either way, whenever I can start to visualize upcoming weekends, I know the event I'm looking towards is closer than I may have originally thought. So goes it with Baby Boy's arrival. With our last baby shower this Sunday (and, of course, I'm over the moon excited for it!), I feel like the tick tock, tick tock, will become deafening until the alarm sounds.

The alarm being his debut, naturally.

Onto the photos?

Musings on weekly photo: From waking up this morning to right now, I have donned four different shirts. Four! It is officially summer in San Diego and the weather, it appears, has agreed to keep up his hot end of the bargain. So much for all my hoping that it was going to be a cool summer like two years ago. Due to the muggy heat, my gray maternity tank top and leggings is what you get... sorry for the lack of originality.

Size of baby: According to all the guessin' experts, he's at least 5.5 pounds and between 18.5 and 20 inches. That's a legit baby right there. Truthfully, I only have a week and a half until I'm considered "full term," which means, gulp, I really am about to have my boy one day soon.

Movement: I won't go on and on about him being breech like I did last week, but he has been moving a ton per usual, so maybe (MAYBE?!) he's doing his "Turn, Baby, Turn" dance. Or his "Dance, Magic, Dance" dance. Who's to say?

Cravings: Cravings? Glad you asked, friends! Last week, I managed to buy the world's worst watermelon from Trader Joe's. It was a let down, because TJ's usually manages to offer decent goods (although, granted, their produce is often lacking a tad). Though it was truly inedible, I didn't want it to go to waste, so I blended that sucker up in the Vitamix and strained out the pulp. It offered enough juice to fill a pitcher and the fun doesn't stop there, folks! I created a delicious mocktail: into a pint sized mason jar, squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon, then fill it with 2/3 watermelon juice and 1/3 Hansen's Mandarin Lime soda. Holy refreshing, it is damn good!

Annoyance:  Over the course of the last week, a somewhat older lady has moved in with our neighbors (there's a good chance she's in her forties and has spent way too much time in the sun). They're on the stranger side themselves but manageable, and while I don't think she's there to stay, she gets up to some weird stuff. Case in point, she sold all her furniture during a "fire sale" she hosted over the weekend, and everything that didn't sell is now, naturally, strewn about our shared corridor, including a wooden box that makes it very difficult for me to do laundry. To paint a picture, she walks around in cutoff jeans, bikini tops and let us not forget her straw cowboy hat, loudly talking on her phone about NOTHING to god knows who, at all hours. We've had a few conversations and my favorite thus far includes her detailed telling of all three of the births her daughter has had. Good times.

Highlight of the week: This was such a productive week, y'all. The nursery looks like a nursery. The snozzberries taste like snozzberries! Kyle and I have been working our booties off and it's to the point now where I can actually imagine our son in his room. Which is exciting and surreal in the biggest way.

Non-Highlight of the week: The anxiety I've been feeling over him being breech has been a little difficult to manage at times, but ain't no thang; it'll work itself out. I can just feel him being cooperative!

Fears: Similar to my first trimester, my emotions have been all over the board with the third. It makes me a little afraid for me (and Kyle) in regards to postpartum hormones. Mainly, I fear for Kyle.

Nursery: I may actually be rolling out a tour of his nursery in the coming weeks! I should have taken some "before" pictures when it was our bedroom, but c'est la vie.

Additional Notes: In addition, we had our first hypnobirthing class last night which was an informative and surprisingly enjoyable evening. More on that down the road. 

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone!

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 34

This is technically a day late, but not a buck short, and while I toyed around with the idea of posting yesterday, I couldn't muster up the energy. Yes, we've entered THAT territory, friends. However, Kyle and I finally got a jump start on organizing, cleaning and sorting, and while the looks of our house would suggest otherwise, I can assure you, we spent the majority of the day neck deep in stuff, things and more things and stuff.

Onto the photos (luckily for you, we're meeting friends for dinner tonight, so I won't be entertaining you with "Elizabeth's Cracked-out Pregnancy Ensembles" today).

  
Musings on weekly photo:  I kept these photos on the "closer" side so you wouldn't be forced to stare at all the things around my feet. You know how organization goes: it can only get worse before it gets better. It does certainly look like I'm storing a watermelon in my shirt.

Size of baby: We had our 34 week ultrasound on Tuesday, and it confirmed Senor Bébé is 5 pounds. The doctor estimated his weight will be around 7.5 pounds at birth, but I still feel like he'll at least hit numero ocho.

Movement: The ultrasound brought something unexpected to light: BBS is breech. What the hell, BBS?! When I was at my last appointment, he was head down and my doctor said, "The odds of him moving are slim to none." SLIM to NONE. Of course, he does have Sutherland blood coursing through his veins, so going rogue and flipping the bird to authority doesn't come as that much of a shock. At this point, I am thinking head down happy thoughts and hoping it all works itself out. 

Cravings: Water, water and more water. My feet have yet to swell up like balloons and I thank my friend, Agua, for that little awesome bit. 

Annoyance: I would be lying if I said the whole breech thing wasn't the biggest annoyance of all. I'm having some anxiety about it, though I'm trying to remain as calm as possible. Moving around has also become a bit of a pain; they aren't kidding when they say you really slow down in the last month (or month and a half if you're me, I suppose). If you were to see me walking down the street right now you'd first think, "What is she wearing?!" and then you'd think, "That is the biggest duck I ever did see." The waddling is out of control, friends.

Highlight of the week: My safari themed baby shower in northern California was such a good time! I wish you could have seen the cake my Aunt Margie whipped up, or the diaper cake my Aunt Judy put together (those are two crafty sisters, let me tell you)! I love visiting with my family, and since my chances to do so are few and far between, it's nice to be able to spend time with them, especially during this incredible time in my life. Also, staying at an awesome house in Calistoga with my husband, sister and two of my best friends wasn't shabby. 

Non-Highlight of the week: Breech baby, breech baby.

Fears: Starting to sound like a broken record: that he won't flip and I'll have to have a cesarean.

Nursery: We spent all of Fourth of July organizing and cleaning house (as I mentioned before), and though it looks like we've been burgled, I can assure you, it was a major step in the right direction!

Additional Notes: We may have not had the most relaxing Independence Day, but we did cook up some delicious eats: barbecued baby back ribs, grilled corn with garlic butter, kale chips, macaroni & cheese and strawberries with vanilla bean whipped cream. DELICIOUS and the perfect midweek treat.

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone!

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 33

Here we are, just a couple of young crazy kids, whiling away the afternoon and enjoying summer.

Oh wait, forgot, those are the lucky bastards that are under the age of 22. I, meanwhile, am sitting at my computer, wishing I had spent $2 in Chinatown at some point on a flyswatter to kill all the damn flies buzzing in my house. A special shout out to the crazy cat lady who lived here before we did; your frisky felines sure managed to leave perfect sized holes in the screens on our windows! Well done, Madam, well done.

They are driving. me. insane. They're driving Moe insane, too; I've never seen this dog so crazy intrigued by insects before.

I feel like there's much ground to cover this week, so on to the photos!

Musings on weekly photo: This stopped being a fashion show a long time ago, didn't it? I received an email this morning (from yet another baby website) titled, "Puffy Cheeks?" The creative author asked if we had recently started looking like chipmunks storing up for winter. I've always had a roundness of the face that suggests perfection for hibernation, so the added bloat that's begun is especially pleasant and cute.

Size of baby: According to all the emails I get each week updating me on my son's progress, he's grown a full inch this week alone! Don't ask me how they determine that generalized "milestone." I have no clue. I'm pretty sure it puts him at the 19-20 inch mark and almost 5 pounds. We'll get a better estimate next week at our last ultrasound, which seemed so far off at his gender reveal.

Movement: Whether or not he's actually grown a full inch this week, it certainly feels that way... Boyfriend is wiggling all over the place like only a future Sutherland male child could, and I think his head has officially begun it's grand trip south for the winter.  

Cravings: I haven't been craving all that much, but I will say I could go for a bowl of cookie dough right now. Oatmeal chocolate chip, naturally.  

Annoyance: I think I may have totally blown it this past weekend. I was asked at the pool of the hotel we were staying in (by one of Orange County's biggest d-bags, to paint a picture), if I felt weightless in water. I told him I wasn't feeling all that heavy yet, and there friends, right there, is where I made my mistake. Two days later, I felt like I'd gained 100 pounds, which is why I think BBS is starting to drop the way he's supposed to. Waddling like Donald Duck is what I do best now. 

Highlight of the week: Definitely, hands down, our Palm Springs getaway to The Parker. It was all kinds of relaxing, and I cannot recommend that property enough. Also, we had a delicious meal at a restaurant in downtown called Johanne's. While the idea of Austrian/Asian fusion cuisine is probably throwing you, every dish we had was unique and tasty in the extreme.  

Non-Highlight of the week: I had a bummer non-highlight this week: the biggest social media account I'm currently working on overextended their summer budget and pulled the plug until September. Granted, I was going to be done for a while as of August, but it has certainly shifted a few things for me. Oh well. When life hands you lemons, make lemon drops. Or drink some lemonade and save the vodka for August. But if Grandpa Don hands you oranges, you are not, strictly NOT, allowed to make cocktails with them. They are for eating only.  

Fears: Too many to count, not enough to list... I feel fear is an ever-present, always ignored thing when you're about to birth a human into the world. 

Nursery: Things are not looking as bad as last week, but we are certainly pushing its debut to the last minute. We've set aside next weekend to really whip it into shape. I'm hoping I'll be able to share photos before BBS is residing there. 

Additional Notes: I am off to Napa this weekend for my second shower, hosted lovingly by my aunts, Judy and Margie. I cannot wait to: see my family, road trip with my sister, hang out in Calistoga, lounge by a pool with some of my best friends, and try to soak up every ounce of enjoyment this summer has to offer before my world is consumed by baby, diapers and no sleep. You know, kids' stuff.

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone!

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 32

Happy first day of summer, everyone, and happy anniversary to my husband and me! Three years ago we figuratively "jumped the broom," and after having spent almost a decade together, I have to say the last three have been the most interesting and adventure filled yet.

I mean, adding a baby into the mix couldn't make it any MORE interesting, right?

On to the photos, which get more difficult to shoot with each week that progresses.

Musings on weekly photo: I took these hastily after a walk with my dog... no judgement! Also, hallelujah for stretch fabric.

Size of baby: Right around four pounds and probably between 18 and 19 inches. We have our last ultrasound scheduled for July 3 (which, of course, can't come fast enough), and our doctor will predict his size at birth at this appointment. I'm putting my money at the over 8 pound mark, but we'll obviously have to wait until August to see if I'm right!

Movement: BBS kicked for his Auntie Lindsay this week, which I believe makes her the second person to feel a kick and the fifth person to feel movement. He has a tendency to stop moving the second anyone turns their attention to his activity, so I was pretty happy she got to experience it.

Cravings: We received a Vitamix this past weekend from my awesome in-laws at my phenomenal baby shower, and I have officially broken it in with this green smoothie. It is uber-healthy, uber-delicious and I can only imagine that baby boy loves it as much as his mama!

Annoyance: The usual suspects, naturally: sleeplessness, heartburn, and when I actually fall asleep, waking up sore all over. We've entered fun territory, let me tell you.

Highlight of the week: The shower was the definite highlight of my week. Seeing some people I haven't in years, enjoying the company of my friends and family and celebrating my baby was beyond a good time.

Non-Highlight of the week: I... don't think I have one? Oh, there's a person who owns a red Jeep who keeps parking where I normally park, and while it's technically not "my spot," I've come to see it as such. So I curse the red car every time I see it. I realize this is an appropriate spot to mention we bought a new car a couple weeks ago, but I completely forgot to say so when it would have been relevant (you know, for the HIGHLIGHT OF THE WEEK section). It's a silver Toyota Rav4 and I love it quite a bit.

Fears: Oh golly gosh, I'm good for right now. No fears this week, folks!

Nursery: The nursery looks like a bomb went off, mainly due to all the amazingly generous gifts we received on Saturday. This baby is already spoiled and well loved, let me tell you.

Additional Notes: We are off to Palm Springs this weekend to celebrate our anniversary and relish in one last vacation that's just the two of us (I think they've been known to call them "babymoons" in some circles). I plan on floating around like a beached whale in the pool at our hotel and eating great Mexican food. I also feel this is a good time to mention I had a dream last night involving dinner with Kareem Abdul Jabar. Que interesante...

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone!

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 31

Another week, another post. Thank god I've made a habit of putting these up each week; this blog might be devoid of any current content whatsoever if I didn't.

Yesterday was the official "two months out" point. I know how quickly it's going to fly by, but I've decided I need to start tackling things or I'm going to have a major freakout. Like a "no more wire hangers" kind of freakout. Lists have a way of being by friend (most of the time), so I think after I'm done taking care of this, I'll turn my attentions to creating one.

Do we... dare move onto the bump photos?

Musings on weekly photo: This is one of the remaining shirts left in my repertoire from pre-pregnancy. I like to think the stripes make it look like I've gained a ton of weight, but you'd be wrong. I look like I've gained a ton of weight because I have! Thus, I had to include the bare belly shot. I feel it gives a better assessment of what 7.5 months pregnant looks like.

Size of baby: 3.5 pounds and 18 inches, Bébé! Size wise, the sites are comparing him to a pineapple, but I have yet to find an almost 4 pound pineapple in my life; how about you?

Movement: Hiccups, wiggles, flips, twirls. Senor Sutherland appears to be following in his father's hyperactive footsteps, even from the womb. It makes me hope he won't be getting into any major oops moments like these (which are HILARIOUS, yes?).

Cravings: I'm not sure I would call this a craving, but I have been thoroughly enjoying my homemade pico de gallo. The recipe is fairly simple and the flavors make my heart and palette sing (for the record, it's cherry or pearl tomatoes (they're the only tomatoes I'll cook with before tomato season in the summer), diced red onion, cilantro, lots of lime and lemon juice, and salt). 

Annoyance: Sleeplessness. Heartburn. You know, the usual.

Highlight of the week: Ivory Sparrow did our first ever inspiration shoot on Saturday, and it went off beautifully! I can't wait to see the photos via our photographer, Kimberly Hernandez, but until then, enjoy this sneak peak of our table setting: 

 

 

Coming up this weekend is a Roald Dahl themed baby shower hosted by my mom and sister. I can't wait to see how it all comes together because they have busted their booties working on it! Also, I'm excited to see all the people with whom I'll be spending the afternoon; they are some of my favorites.

Non-Highlight of the week: It turns out they weren't lying when they said pregnant women should take it easy- I pushed it WAY too hard at the photo shoot on Saturday, and paid for it all Sunday. It was by far the worst day of my pregnancy, which unfortunately coincided with Kyle's birthday. Foolish, foolish lump of a girl!

Fears: I'm trying to change my attitude about childbirth and coming at it from a "bring it on" perspective now (as opposed to "If I believe hard enough, he will magically appear" way of thinking). Having said that, I'm afraid of not getting everything done before August 12. I think it will be a fear that hangs around until D-Day, which as I mentioned, I think is actually going to be August 18.

Nursery: Let's just remain hopeful, shall we?

Additional Notes: Kyle had a dream this week where he wrapped our baby in a breakfast burrito. It doesn't get much better than that. It truly doesn't get much better than that.

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone!

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 30 (Seriously?! Week 30?!)

Yes, it's true. There's "officially" only 10 weeks to go. How did that happen? I have this song playing through my head as I type this, and I may find myself, with a beautiful house and a beautiful wife, and I may ask myself, how did I get here?

Confused?

Me too.

As of next week, we are in the single digit week countdown (full disclosure, we kind of already are, but what can you do?).

Musings on weekly photo: Remember when I told you guys I'm afraid of facial swelling? We've entered that territory. I fear for the size of my nose by the time this baby makes his debut. Oh, and this full ensemble is courtesy of the Gap Memorial Day 40% Off Sale I was telling you guys about last week.

Size of baby: At this point, he's probably passed the three pound mark and is now being compared to members of the squash family size-wise. I receive pretty much every weekly "baby update" that the expecting websites can muster, and it's as if they're determined to not use the same fruit or vegetable. "Oh, so xyz.com is using butternut squash as a comparison? Nevah! 'Tis the size of an acorn squash, it 'tis." Apparently, in my brain, the authors of these websites are Victorian gentlemen.

Movement: Yup, still moving like crazy. It's a strange sight to watch your abdomen sway from one direction to another while you're sitting still on the couch. I know many women say they miss this, but I'm... not sure I will? Don't get me wrong; it's all kinds of cool and reassuring, but I'm getting to the point where I'm excited to have my body back just for me.

Cravings: Do yourself a favor and make Marcela Hazan's bolognese recipe. I made a huge pot of it Saturday night and finally reached the end of my leftovers today. It is all kinds of delicious.

Annoyance: No annoyances this week, folks! Enjoy it while it lasts.

Highlight of the week: Too many. (1) Our friends came down and ran the Rock N Roll Marathon on Sunday (CONGRATULATIONS Jenny and Trav!!!!). Thus, we had 3 straight days of them (very satisfying) and had the honor of watching them complete an impressive feat. 26.2 miles is a LONG distance to run, amigos. (2) I got a prenatal massage at Equilibrio in San Diego yesterday. If you're pregnant and live down here, I highly recommend them! They're incredibly knowledgeable and I had a fantastic time relaxing. (3) Birth Preparation Class begins tonight... I'm excited either way, even if it ends up being a tad frightening. (4) Kyle's birthday is this weekend, as is a photo shoot for Ivory Sparrow. (5) OH! And I almost left out a huge one: Brittney of Our Poverty with a View fame had her baby on Sunday! Hudson James was born at 9 pounds 9 ounces and is one damn cute baby. Hooray Brittney and Matt, and welcome to the world, Hudson!

Non-Highlight of the week: With that many highlights, how do you have a non-highlight? Oh, Kyle spilled hot tea on my second degree sunburn Sunday. Thanks for that, babe.

Fears: I watched a ton of scary movies growing up, but I won't lie: I'm a little afraid of the birth videos we may or may not encounter at class tonight.

Nursery: I'm happy to report that everything looks EXACTLY the same as last week. Read: not at all like a nursery should.

Additional Notes: Question for all you mamas/expectant mamas: Facebook... Does having a child affect your comfort level to how visible your profiles are? I'm feeling a major "friend" purge coming on. Kyle and I talked about it over the weekend, and I think we are barely going to put any pics of Mr. Man up when he's born, if any. What's your take on the whole sitch?

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone!

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 29

Full disclosure: you are lucky to be reading this. I only realized it was actually Wednesday because my husband just reminded me over the phone.

Phew, sigh of relief, I know!

Unfortunately for you, you have to enjoy me in all my unadulterated glory. No makeup. No perfectly coiffed hair (because my hair is always perfectly coiffed, this should come as no surprise to you). No cute maternity get-up. Don't think I've let everything go to hell in a hand basket though! There's simply no time to get pretty AND get this up on time.

The things I do to put these photos on the internet for you. ONWARD!

Musings on weekly photo: Heads up: I refer to myself as a "skinny-ish" pregnant woman later in this post. By the looks of these photos, one might call me a delusional liar. I know I am!

Size of baby: We are nearing the three pound mark... ma goodness gracious, me oh my. Apparently, his brain starts to do all sorts of building in the coming weeks. Right now, it's rather smooth, but soon it will have many wrinkles like yours, mine and Kanye West's (errrm, scratch that last one).

Movement: It literally looks like something out of Alien. If you watch my stomach when he's going to town on moving around in there, there are dips and waves and forceful kicks. It's quite the sight.

Cravings: Fruit and ice cream. Not together, mind you. Good god, wouldn't that defeat the purpose of both?! Although, I suppose a banana milkshake manages to give a hat tip to each craving simultaneously (and deliciously).

Annoyance: Not too much to complain about due to pregnancy this week. My friend Nigel said to me over the weekend, "You're much skinnier than I expected you to be, Elizabeth. I thought you'd be fatter." I don't know why I'm putting this in the annoyance category, because it actually made me quite happy! However, while I may look like a somewhat "skinny-ish" pregnant woman, my wardrobe is shrinking by the second. I'm starting to have to make decisions on what I'd be ok with having stretched out after the baby's born and what I'd rather just put into storage and bid adieu to until next year. Decisions, decisions (oh, and note to all you pregnant gals out there: wearing tighter clothing actually makes be feel better about my appearance. Yes, I realize this may not be the case for all, but I figure it couldn't hurt to mention it).

Highlight of the week: Memorial Day weekend was pretty stellar. We spent the entire time hanging out with college peeps, which translates into about 72 hours of non-stop laughing and inappropriate jokes. I love my friends with all my heart, and cannot believe how much they already love our son. It makes me melt into a ball of goo.

Non-Highlight of the week: Yeah, girlfriend didn't put sunscreen on her legs at the beach on Sunday. And she's still suffering from 2nd degree burns on her calves. Being a person of Scandinavian descent, as well as one who does all she can to stay out of the sun, this may be one of the biggest "baby brain" moments she's experienced thus far. Foolish, foolish lump of a girl.

Fears: I've returned to worrying about getting the nursery set up and ready to go by August. We were doing well for a while, and then life kind of got busy, and we stopped. I recognize that the more I do, the better I feel, so I shall eat my beans with every meal. Wait a second...

Nursery: See above. Not much progress made on that front. Although we did get his mattress (which Kyle scoffed, "It's better than ours!").

Additional Notes: Another little mention to expectant moms out there: I wait until holiday weekends to buy maternity gear because sites tend to have big sales. So far, it's worked like a charm, especially for awesome basics from Gap Maternity. They've done 40% off sales every holiday weekend I've been pregnant, and if you purchase over $50 worth of stuff, they ship it to you for free. SCORE.

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone!

Hump Day, Bump Day: Week 28

Yowza, the weeks keep flying by, don't they? This past weekend, Kyle and I did very low key things because we realized the next 6 weekends (!) are filled to the brim with all sorts of greatness, friends and adventures.

Which is awesome because I love adventures. And friends.

However, I know it means it will make time speed by even faster. Which means I will be a mom in the blink of an eye.

Shall we... move on to the photos?

 

and why not one from the front... for fun!

 

Musings on weekly photo: Holy moly, we're starting to get into big girl territory. Is it just me, or do I actually look significantly bigger from last week's photo? Naive Elizabeth mentioned "stretch fabric is her friend" back around Week 18. Stretch fabric is no longer her friend; it's a necessity.

Size of baby: If we're going off the guesses made at this week's doctor's appointment, he's about 2.5 pounds and the size of an aubergine (that's eggplant to all you non-European folk. Holla, Gurs and Nigel!). What's really crazy is that the majority of his length growing is almost done; he'll only tack on a couple more inches before August. But the weight gain? That's just beginning.

Movement:  It's to the point now where I have to keep track of how much he moves. I'm not a huge fan of this kind of stuff because sometimes it encourages anxiety for me ("Has he moved enough? Is he moving? Dear GOD, is he alive?!?!"). However, the boy is clearly Baryshnikov, what with all the pliés and pirouettes that he does, so luckily, I don't have to dwell on the concern.

Cravings: Nothing new to report in this department, although I am obsessed with this local find from Little Italy's Farmer's Market. Yes, the name is horribly cheesy. Yes, the sauce is damn good!

Annoyance: I feel like I mention this once every couple weeks, so bear with me. Sleeping just sucks, man. I'm hot all the time now, I wake up about 4 times a night, and when I do, everything just aches. EVERYTHING. Ok... I'm done throwing myself a pity party.

Highlight of the week: Kyle and I took Moe to Fiesta Island this Sunday and caught the eclipse. Aside from having a great seat to watch it all, we had the privilege of watching him go swimming in the bay. This might not sound like a big deal to most, but Moe is not a swimmer by nature and he does this hysterical horse trot when he gets back onto land.

Non-Highlight of the week: I'm starting to get antsy about meeting BBS and there's still quite a few ways to go! I vacillate between excitement and terror, so these are passing feelings.

Fears: Never sleeping well... again?

Nursery: More organization is happening, slowly but surely, and I am excited to make a couple more furniture switches to bring it all together.

Additional Notes: If you own a dog and have a baby or are expecting a baby and you didn't have a chance to read my post about Dogs and Babies from last Friday, look it over. I could go on and on about what I learned at this class.

Happy Hump Day, Bump Day everyone!