no, not the day of the week when i take a shower,
although i did take one today so as not to stink up the party
but today is the day of my second baby shower.
i am so excited...
here are pictures of me the day i got the shower invite in the mail
in the last one i am clearly rocking the little baby onsie
although when i texted it to my mom, she didn't get it.
oh well, i thought it was funny.
i'm excited.
i called my mom last night and she and my sister were at her house,
two busy little bees getting everything ready
i wish i could go over there now and see what they were up to
but i can't, i have to pace around my house for 2 1/2 more hours
in anticipation.
looking forward to sharing photos and stories soon.
have a good Saturday, i know i will.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
shower day
Posted by jess at Saturday, January 29, 2011 0 comments
Thursday, January 27, 2011
this week's pregnancy stats
I follow {the blog} of a girl I used to know.
She’s also pregnant, due only a couple weeks ahead of me.
Every week or so she writes a blog post full of pregnancy stats
It’s cute and it lets us see the progress of her pregnancy.
I know I haven’t done it week by week, but I thought it would be fun to share my stats as well
So here you go…
How far along am I? 35 weeks
Total weight gain: she stopped telling after a while, but heck, who cares…I’m 5 weeks out and have gained about 30 lbs. I feel like a whale but I don’t think I look THAT huge…I think it was silly to assume that since I didn’t gain at all (actually lost) during the first four months, I would gain less over the course of the next two. It catches up and I’m happy with that number, although at the end of the night, my feet may not be!
Maternity clothes: I have about 4 pairs of maternity jeans, but only a couple of shirts, I’m making due with what I have and I must say, for all the snarky comments I’ve gotten about refusing to buy a lot of clothes it’s actually working pretty well for me. I was never one to wear a lot of tight tops anyways, so I’m working with my longer, stretchier shirts and my large selection of cardigans are really working well for me.
Sleep? Sleep is getting harder and harder and not refreshing like it used to be. just this last week I’ve started dreading sleep, even though I find myself exhausted at 8pm. Rolling over is difficult and I literally wake up every time I move – between that and getting up to pee, I’m definitely getting ready for the lack of sleep that will be for other (cuter) reasons soon.
Best moment this past week: childbirth class with my man. Although it wasn’t the greatest class, I found it to be a really great bonding time with Curtis. Although I gawked and snickered at the breathing and practice exercises, it was just a fun day giggling with him through serious tee hee haaa breathing moments and letting him rub my back as we lounged on pillows. It also solidified what kind of birth we want and made us even more excited (and not grossed out) about our impending labor experience.
Movement: Lots! And another interesting fact – I’ve felt most of his movement on my left side. It’s almost like he snuggles up on my left side and refuses to move sometimes. Yesterday morning my OB noticed this fact and told me that she thinks it’s because of my unicornuate uterus, because most women feel the majority of movement on the right side.
Cravings: nope, none. I wish I did. I think I’ve been easy on the food end. No food aversions, no cravings, no heartburn. I’ve only had acid reflux once, but it was my fault because I chugged a glass of orange juice at a morning work meeting and then found myself laughing hysterically at something someone said, making me throw up in my mouth just a little bit. Whoops. Lesson learned.
Name: We’ve have one for a while now. We are telling people, but have decided to keep it off of the blog and facebook until he’s here. So wait for a grand announcement once he’s born.
Labor signs: nope. I had one Braxton hicks contraction about a month ago and then nothing. However, last week he “dropped” and now I feel like a (not) lean, mean waddling machine!
Belly button in or out: I know it sounds weird but it is half in and half out. I think it may be due to the fact that I used to have my belly button pierced – went and screwed it all up. However, if I’m laying back and use my stomach muscles (or what’s left of them) to hoist myself up, or if I get on a major giggle fest, it does poke out all over and look like a very messed up outie on top of a triangular belly mountain. Sounds weird, but if you saw it, that’s exactly what it looks like.
What I miss: raw sushi & margaritas – however, last night i got sushi with a friend, the cooked stuff which isn't as good, but will have to hold me over for a few more weeks. Although, the soy definitly didn't help the swollen feet -- they looked like little sausage toes by the end of the night.
Weekly wisdom: hmmm, this is a tricky one. I actually haven’t gotten a lot of wisdom recently, but something I told myself and others, including my doctor confirmed is that it’s great to have a birth plan, but it’s also wise to be open to whatever happens. If the end result is a healthy baby and a healthy mommy, then if I can’t go natural, or we need a c-section (or whatever) it’s okay. It’s still a beautiful moment, and your still his mom and you still gave him life and helped him grow for many many months, and it’s still a birth. I thought that was great wisdom.
Milestone: While I’m not quite considered full term yet (that comes at the 37 week mark) my doctor told me today that if I did go into labor right now, they wouldn’t try to stop it. This was great news to hear, because despite not mentioning it here much, I only have one fallopian tube and really only half a uterus, so the fear was I wouldn’t be able to carry to full term. They said it wasn’t the case in all unicornuate uterus cases, but it is the most common risk. I really hadn’t thought about it in a while and hearing that this morning – that we are pretty much out of the woods in terms of risk at this point was very happy news.
Well there you go! Hope you enjoyed this little peak into my pregnancy. only 5 (or hopefully less!) more weeks to go!
Posted by jess at Thursday, January 27, 2011 1 comments
Monday, January 24, 2011
ultimate anti-winter smoothie recipe
It has been so cold
So cold.
So it’s peculiar that I’ve been drinking fruit smoothies like it’s summer
But hey
They’re healthy and I’m pregnant and it could be so much worse
Here’s the one I created today:
small coconut greek yogurt
frozen banana
Handful of frozen pineapple chunks
Handful of ice cubes
Splash of orange juice
Almond milk until consistency is right
Blend
Sip and think of sun-shined skin
Sand between toes
And reading while watching
waves crashing on shore
And forget about cold and snow
And wind chills below zero
Runny noses and ice cold toes
Spring is almost here
(at least that’s what I’m telling myself!)
Posted by jess at Monday, January 24, 2011 2 comments
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
i write to remember
Posted by jess at Wednesday, January 19, 2011 3 comments
the thoughts that come in the morning
Not panic really
A cup of coffee
no exaggeration - lately i'm more inclined to drink than to eat...is that a craving?!
how my mornings will soon be so different
how much i'm looking forward to this new season in our lives...
Posted by jess at Wednesday, January 19, 2011 1 comments
Saturday, January 15, 2011
how to love someone after 11 (or 7) years...
(i made him eggs)
(i had a bagel, coffee, orange juice)
when I read this post, it resonated with me
mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving.
It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than
perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses.
-Ann Landers
Posted by jess at Saturday, January 15, 2011 0 comments
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
what's for dinner: two soups, one recipe
today i made an early morning trek through the falling snow
just so i could hear my boys heartbeat
then i decided on the way back that i wasn't going to risk wasting hours in the car driving to and from work today and made the last minute decision to work from home
last night the snow wasn't even that bad yet, and it still took me an hour to drive what should've taken me 20 minutes.
so i went home, and got to work, taking a little break around lunchtime to run to the grocery store before the roads got too bad. we were out of everything and although last night's french toast was a nice little treat for dinner and curtis was in syrupy heaven, we were hitting the bottom of the barrel.
when i got back, i unloaded my edible loot, put on my sweats, turned on the fire and have been working ever since - minus another break to make some soup.
two soups actually.
i just made two small pots of soup: broccoli cheddar and cauliflower
now i'm just waiting for the husband to get home to dig in.
creamy soup and crusty bread - what better meal for a snowy january evening...
here's the recipe i used for both if you're interested:
Cauliflower (or Broccoli) Soup
1 cup milk
1/2 cup half and half
1 cup chicken stock (I used the last of my frozen turkey stock left over from Thanksgiving)
3 T melted butter
2 T flour
2 cups cooked cauliflower (or broccoli)
salt & pepper to taste
blend all ingredients in blender
pour into pot on stovetop
simmer but do not boil
the end.
(for the brocolli, i just plopped in a chunk of cheddar cheese and stirred until melted into the soup)
not the most healthy of all soups, but who doesn't like a creamy soup every once in a while?
*photograph taken about two weeks ago - i'm now almost at the 33 week mark! only 7 more weeks to go!
Posted by jess at Wednesday, January 12, 2011 0 comments
Saturday, January 8, 2011
what i did on my christmas vacation
Left work a little early
Ate thai food with curtis’ family
Sat through curtis’ riveting graduation ceremony
Threw him a party to celebrate
Shopped till we dropped
Went to holiday costume party sans costume
Packed for Chicago
Drove to Chicago
Explored a german market and navy pier in Chicago
Crocheted 36 new granny squares
Gave and got a ton of gifts
Took a nap on Christmas day
Drove home with lots of potty breaks
Celebrated curtis’ birthday with an Indian feast treated by my parents
Made some returns
Did more shopping
Met some girlfriends for our once yearly lunch
Went out for a brunch date with my man
Ran into said girlfriend from above lunch randomly at a coffee shop
Sat and talked for hours
Went to bed early
Woke up early
Took down Christmas decorations before new years
Got my car fixed
Got sushi and thai food with friends on new year’s eve
Watched a kids movie and fell asleep before midnight
Stopped by a new year’s day party at a neighbor’s
Spent the evening snacking and laughing with friends
Returned to church after a month-long break
Shared a milkshake over lunch on my last day off
Ran around and did errands alone for the first time in two weeks
Missed him as I drove in silence pondering how our life is going to change
Went out for Mexican with most of my family
Ended vacation watching the second half of a movie we’d already started while snuggled on the couch
Went to bed early
Woke up to the start of eight more weeks sans baby
Repeated, “I think I can, I think I can,” over and over through a painful first day back.
Posted by jess at Saturday, January 08, 2011 0 comments
Friday, January 7, 2011
things I’m looking forward to in January
My wonderful girlfriends at church are throwing it for me.
My other baby shower is also in January
We will also be finishing our basement organization project
We will hopefully also be installing organization/shelving in the baby’s closet
We will be attending our one-day childbirth preparation class this month
I may pack a hospital bag towards the end of the month
I also go to the OB twice this month.
I will be eating a TON of clementines
And lastly, once January is over, I will be four weeks closer to meeting our guy
January is going to be a good month
***
Posted by jess at Friday, January 07, 2011 0 comments
tea and sympathy...lots and lots of sympathy
well, not really
when i'm sick, i usually don't want much sympathy
(that's more my husband's style)
i'm one of those sickies that likes better to be left to myself
today i'm home
still in my pajamas
sitting on our new living room shag rug and trying to work with a bounty of cold remedies surrounding me
a glass of water
a glass of orange juice
a finished cup of coffee
a pot of hot water on the stove for the cup of tea i'm about to go make
a box of kleenex
neosporin (to rub under my raw nose)
vicks
vicks nasal spray
and rosebud salve (for my lips and nose)
my cell phone
remote
fireplace remote
and laptop
in the kitchen looks like a similar remedy warzone
the netti pot sits by the sink
next to salt, baking soda and a teaspoon to stir
my sinuses are too clogged and swollen
the water solution won't flow through
but i keep trying
baking soda is supposed to help loosen the mucus
we'll see
i just finished off my second box of kleenex
and everything from my chest up, hurts
but at least last night i slept
my doctor told me i could take benadryl
so i took her up on it and took it
slept like a baby minus a trip or two to the bathroom and to blow my nose
i woke up feeling like crap again, but at least i slept
now, i sit and type as mea sleeps next to me
and i think about what i should wear to my baby shower tomorrow (i know, deep thoughts!)
in a minute i'll get up to make tea
and maybe toast
and get back to work
and pray this cold doesn't linger too far into the weekend...
Posted by jess at Friday, January 07, 2011 0 comments
Thursday, January 6, 2011
but i don't have time to be sick...
on tuesday night i knew i was coming down with something.
i just knew it
i didn't have the symptoms yet, but i could feel them brewing
wednesday morning i woke up feeling like crap
then last night rolled around and i literally was up every hour on the hour
to sneeze, blow excess liquid out of my completely clogged nose and cough
oh, and i guess i can admit, by 4 am i was crying i was so tired
and poor curtis had to listen, or try to ignore - not sure which
but i got up this morning, against my body's temper tantrum and got ready
i had an important breakfast i had to be at and was determined not to miss it.
then, instead of following my gut and going back home to bed,
i ventured into work
but only made it to noon before waving my white flag in defeat
i drove home
a box of kleenex my co-pilot and did some work on the couch before trying
to sleep off whatever was inhabiting my body
the sleep was not a healing sleep and i woke up feeling worse than before
earlier curtis told me i should go to the doctor
and i resisted, but after that nap i broke down and called when i thought about my last night's sleep
plus, i have a lot going on this weekend that i can't be sick or contagious for
they had no appointments for this afternoon or tomorrow so i hung up and was going to call the urgent care center
until the receptionist called me back, telling me they could probably sneak me in if i came right then
so i did
i bundled up and trudged out into the snow, hoping for some relief
and relief came in a z-pack, again
i was just on it like a month ago, but after she told me i had two ear infections and another sinus infection
i knew i needed something to put me out of my misery
so i filled the Rx, came home, make a cup of tea, took the first dose and sat in the kitchen in silence and pain until curtis got home
so now i'm just praying that it kicks in and kicks in quick
i'm tired and my nose is raw from all the blowing
oh, and just now, as i was writing this, i think i had my first ever braxton hicks contraction
i've got a crazy, exciting life people - seriously, now i'm really ready for bed!
Posted by jess at Thursday, January 06, 2011 1 comments
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
we can, so we do
The sky was cold but blue yesterday
The sun made shadows of our building on the one across the street
Like a sandcastle sketched against a sandstone wall
There was no frost on our windows
The office was hot
Almost beach-like
Skipping socks and boots for heels
My feet were hot
So were my fingers as I typed
Monday night I was so uncomfortable
Feeling heavy and unsteady on my feet
I made dinner
Defrosted enchiladas from a previous cooking night
Made rice and beans
My heavy legs barely held me up under the hot water of the shower
Until my skin turned pink, nearly purple with the heat
The baby was not his usual still as I bathed
He kicked and rolled his big movements
Cramped in a space getting tighter by the day
No doubt as warm as I was
I was aware of his presence within me
As I washed my stretched belly twice
Once for me and once for him
Before the oven timer went off
I stood in front of the bathroom mirror
Once again in shock of my changing frame
Almost as if I was staring at someone else
Splotched red, a towel no longer wraps around me and covers my bare reflection
I am self aware but not as self-conscious as I once was
Whatever shape my body takes post birth will be my badge of honor
Although I hope to be one that tightens up moreso than before once that time comes
Time will only tell
So I laboriously dried off and scurried slippered feet back down to the kitchen
Finished dinner and we ate over talk of the day
We hadn't done that in a while
We are rusty at dinner talk
it came with familiar silences and bursts of chatter as it hit us
quite dinners just the two of us will be fewer and further between come march
We have been told to take advantage of these days
As just the two of us
And we have
We are
We’ve spent more time together over the last two weeks
Than the last 6 months combined
And it has been a lovely reconnection
Before everything changes
again
So we eat
then stand to scrape our plates
rinse
load the dishwasher
together
Nothing fancy
But at least we’re together
To wash dishes, watch t.v. and head to warmed sheets
early
Because hey,
we can.
So we do.
Posted by jess at Wednesday, January 05, 2011 0 comments
Saturday, January 1, 2011
a new year, and an old sweater
this morning, after eating a bowl of grape nuts, sipping a cup of coffee and cleaning out our third bedroom in a rush of new year adrenaline
i decided to take a trip down memory lane and read some of my blog archives from last January.
i read {this} and laughed to myself.
what are the chances i would have on the same striped cardigan that i had on last new year's day?
and guess what i'm about to do...
take down my little december print and replace it with the january one i'm holding in that picture.
i would think my life is on repeat except for the fact that i can't button the sweater this morning.
Posted by jess at Saturday, January 01, 2011 1 comments