Bumpdate- 32 Weeks

How far along: 32 weeks 3 days

Baby is the size of:honeydew!

Extra poundage: after Christmas, i have to be at least 20 pounds in.

Bump status: umm, have you seen the picture above? holy cow!

Favorite food of the week: probably my step-mom's homemade mac n'cheese we had for Christmas dinner. omg.

Heartburn worthy foods: i'm terrified my heartburn is coming back! i've had it twice this week- both after eating Christmas dinner and subsequent leftovers. please God, no!

Favorite piece of clothing this week: i'm starting to hate having to wear maternity shirts. and pants. 1 of my 2 pairs of "weekend pants" started to separate from the elastic waistband, so i had to take it to the dry cleaners to fix. then, knowing i only have 7 weeks left, i hate having to think about buying more shirts. but i just can't fit in old ones and don't want to stretch them out. grrrr...

Movement: Little Wood is starting to cause me some pain here and there. i know it's because she's running out of room and is probably more aware of her ability to move her arms and legs. but sometimes she hurts! and i have random stretches where she moves like crazy, then a day or two where she's much more subdued. huh.

Sleep: getting floppier every night. luckily, it's only when i'm about to wake up, but still.
Pee trips in the night: 1-2. 

Guilty pleasure:  my friend, Gwin's fudge.

Baby purchases this week:  Old Navy is having a great sale, so i bought 4 onesies, 1 pair of leggings, and a hat. then i went to Target, who is also having a sale, and got 4 more pairs of leggings. it's about time- the poor girl needs some pants. 

Looking forward to: only 5 weeks of work left until maternity leave starts!

nursery update

i've made some more headway on Little Wood's nursery in the last two weeks, and i'm pretty much done with furniture purchases. yay! i'm very blessed to have a part time job on the side that allows me a little extra money so we can buy some things for the wee babe and not have it impact our budget (especially because we are preparing for a reduced income in the next 2 months!). that being said, i still try my best to get reasonably priced items when i can because a) little wood won't know the difference and b) i don't plan on her using this furniture her entire life like some people might. it just won't happen.

now, on to the updates! first up, the dresser. it's definitely nothing fancy (aka, from Ikea), but i like that it's simple and has a wide enough top to double as a changing table. i don't plan on getting a separate one due to space and the fact that i've never liked the idea of a changing table, because it has such a short lifespan (i.e. no more diapers= no more using it).  it also has a separate top i can buy for only $30 that would add edges so i could put the changing pad inside. but i'm not sure if i need it so am waiting to purchase. i like that the top has an open space for baskets for diapers etc., and that the the first drawer has another smaller drawer inside for some smaller items like bibs, hats, and rattles. don't be fooled however- this thing was a bit of a beast to put together. really Ikea, 40 steps? thank goodness my dad helped me! the husband would have had a heart attack!

i also picked up some picture ledge shelves from Ikea because i wanted something understated, but also decorative enough that the nursery didn't look barren. my handy dandy dad did me a solid and helped hang these as well. these shelves also come in a size that's about twice as long, but they didn't have them when i went and i kinda liked the small size of these anyways. kind of like "baby" sized shelves, if you will. i've bought 2 prints from Etsy (see below) and some white frames (hi-yo, penny sale at Aaron Bros!) and will lean them on the shelves once i get them.

 

this is what it looks like, big picture:

i'm still trying to decide if i want to hang anything over the crib, since it sits on the biggest wall. however i would hate for anything to fall and hit Little Wood! i guess i could search for some canvas prints, but i haven't found anything i like yet. speaking of prints, these are the two that i have bought so far:

(from this shop)

 and this one i just bought yesterday:

(from this shop)

i just LOVE this ee cummings poem and thought it would be a beautiful piece for LW's room. both prints are 8x10's and i plan on putting this one in a larger frame with a matte because i love it so much.

i still have a few things left to purchase:
new floor lamp
mattress for crib
some drawer and closet organizers
a few more pieces of art

i'm definitely enjoying this part of nesting, but have to say that i'll be glad when this is all finished and the only thing i'll be missing is Little Wood!

Christmas in utero

Christmas is probably my favorite holiday of the year. i love the music, decorations, and the overall spirit. oh, and the eggnog, peppermint, and cookie treats.  it was a little emotional for me this year, what with all the hormones, and i even caught myself trying not to cry a few times at church while singing Christmas carols!  being that this is our last Christmas without the wee babe, the husband and i decided to take it easy, but to also spoil each other a little in the gift department:) we know our focus during this time will change completely next year, and definitely for the better! we are always blessed during Christmas by each other, and our families. here are some of my favorite gifts from this year!

Madewell Heart Stripe sweater- this was an inadvertent gift from the husband. he had originally gotten me a different sweater that made me look like a whale (and it would have even w/o being pregnant) and some awesome thermal pajama pants. but the pants were defective and i had to return them and they didn't have any more! so sad. but i got this cute sweater instead and it kind of even fits my pregnant belly.

Clarisonic Mia cleaner- i didn't even know i wanted this until I had it! it's a facial hand buffer/exfoliater which i've used 3 times and already love it. it's gentle on my acne prone skin and makes it feel so soft! i'm hoping it can really keep my acne at bay until i can get back on my Rx creams after Little Wood comes.

JCrew striped blouse- i LOVE this print and can't wait to wear it! right now i look a little silly in it because my belly is half exposed. oh well.

Chi pink flat iron- i've had my Hai for at least 5 years and needed an upgrade. my parents got me this new one and it's AMAZING! it's much smoother than the Hai and makes my  hair so much shinier.

Madewell UK Storyteller Scarf- this is such a beautiful scarf. it's got "hand drawings" of Scotland, Ireland, and England on it and i can't wait to wear it.

Les Miserables (unabridged)- yes, i know, i'm quite advantageous for having a baby next year. but i've always wanted to read this and i think it may be my 1 and only book goal for next year. we'll see.

Madewell Skimmers in emerald green- i've decided that i'm a "flats" girl. heels kill my feet and do not a happy mama make. my husband is now indulging me, and got me this lovely flats!

and finally, the wee babe was also blessed this year by the hubs (guess which item he bought) and by grandma and grandpa Jalowiec:

it goes without saying that i can't wait until we can share the wonderful holiday season with our newest Little Wood next year. she is already so loved and blessed!

Bumpdate- 31 Weeks

How far along: 31 weeks 4 days today. holy cow, i'm in the single digits for number of weeks left- 9!

Baby is the size of: head of lettuce

Extra poundage: doctor confirmed- 19 pounds. after my ultrasound, they also told me the wee babe is 3lbs 10 oz! (and that she's still a girl. PHEW!)

Bump status: feeling a little bigger here and there. my t-shirts i wear for PJ's are looking pretty silly with half my belly showing, but i don't care!

Favorite food of the week:  Korean bread that my boss got me. holy cow, such buttery goodness.

Heartburn worthy foods: had a tad of HB twice this week with enchiladas. it must be the spiciness!

Favorite piece of clothing this week: my new Gap maternity shirt (seen in the picture above). even though it's the color of melon and makes me look a little similar to one, it's super comfy and i like that it doesn't have the ruching on the side. it seems every maternity shirt i come across has this!

Movement: i don't feel many kicks per se anymore. like a good wine, Little Wood is a more full bodied mover at this point. to be honest, it can be a tad painful at times, and i think i'm feeling her fingers grab at my insides at times. and yesterday my belly was pretty lopsided after a jaunt through the mall for some last minute shopping!

Sleep: good, but much more flopping back and forth as my belly gets heavier.
Pee trips in the night: 1-3. 

Guilty pleasure:  Christmas sweets. 

Baby purchases this week:  three more onesies (i really should start focusing on pants) from Baby Gap.

Looking forward to: Christmas! only two days away, and it's our last without Little Wood.

last ultrasound

i always thought i would be a big proponent of having a lot of ultrasounds when i was pregnant. pregnancy is quite long, all things considered, and i knew i would be curious about what my little one was up to in the womb. now that i'm here, i'm surprised at my lack of interest in getting more pre-birth pics of my babe in utero. it probably has a lot to do with the little info we have on the impact of ultrasounds on the unborn, and me just not wanting to take the risk. additionally, i  just have this desire to leave my wee one alone in there as she makes her way towards life. i can feel her all day every day, and that's been enough for me.

that being said, my doctor required that i have a final ultrasound this last week to make sure my placenta had moved up. at my 18 week scan, it was a little low, and they wanted to make sure i wasn't a candidate for placenta previa. good news to report, it has! along with ensuring i was good to go for labor and delivery, i also got to see a few last moments of the wee babe before she's here for good.

one thing i will say, is that Little Wood is not very photogenic. this is the 2nd time that she has refused to cooperate for a good picture. this time, it's because she was busy hiding her face by having her legs practically touching her forehead. she blocked any good face shots that may have been. regardless, i was still a happy momma to be. the ultrasound tech said that she looked perfect and even had some hair! she is head down and if i'm going to take a stab at natural childbirth, i hope she stays that way.

here's one last photo for your viewing pleasure!

Bumpdate- 30 Weeks

How far along: 30 weeks 5 days today. i'm 3/4 of the way done! (p.s. it was raining yesterday, hence the inside photo. also, don't mind my fly away hair)

Baby is the size of: head of lettuce

Extra poundage: i weighed myself at the gym last week and i'm up to 19lbs!

Bump status: feel about the same as last week. everyone i come across though doesn't believe i'm as far along as i am and tells me i'm tiny! can't complain.

Favorite food of the week:  peppermint! anything peppermint- hot chocolate, creamer, cookies oh my!

Heartburn worthy foods: none!

Favorite piece of clothing this week: long sleeved anything. it's been cold in good ole California. though having only bought 4 long sleeved maternity shirts, i'm in desperate need of just a few more to make it the last 9.5 weeks.

Movement: i swear the other morning i felt either a head or rump move over by my hip. it was the first time i felt something so distinctive and large that i knew it was a body part, not just a kick. so cute.

Sleep: pretty good.
Pee trips in the night: 1-3. 

Guilty pleasure:  Trader Joe's Candy Cane Jo-Jo's. i will need to stock up on these before they stop selling them for the season.

Baby purchases this week:  yep! i bought the wee babe two long sleeved striped onesies (i just LOVE stripes and polka dots on babies), a dresser, shelves for the nursery, and some jars for hair bows. that little bit of shopping helped me regain control. i was starting to feel unprepared again.

Looking forward to: my last ultrasound on Wednesday. i'm just hoping she's still a girl- i've done way too much painting and shopping for that 1st ultrasound to be wrong!

Bumpdate- 29 Weeks

How far along: 29 weeks, 3 days in the picture. 29 weeks 5 days today.

Baby is the size of: butternut squash (so cute!)

Extra poundage: still 17 lbs that i know of

Bump status: i don't feel bigger, but i did wear a maternity shirt to work last week and was told i got huge! though i'm not offended because i know they didn't mean bad huge ;)

Favorite food of the week:  nothing in particular

Heartburn worthy foods: i was burping our carne asada fajitas for about an hour after dinner last night, but that's about it.

Favorite piece of clothing this week: i had to work all this week and was just grateful for stretchy pants. i've also noticed that my shoes are starting to kill me, or rather, just being on my feet off and on all day :(

Movement: still a lot. last week i had to have an unexpected appointment due to a lovely UTI infection and they wanted to check on the wee babe. she did NOT like the doppler. she kept moving away and when they found her, she would kick it! i personally thought it was cute :)

Sleep: so good! i think it's the cold weather. i'm getting into some DEEP sleep where i wake up and my ear hurts from sleeping on 1 side for so long.
Pee trips in the night: 1-3. yes! only 1x last night!

Guilty pleasure:  coffee. i blame it on all the fancy coffee creamers and holiday drinks. darn you Starbucks!

Baby purchases this week:  i really tried, but i'm finding i'm REALLY picky and will not put just anything on my child. that being said, nothing.

Looking forward to: mailing off both my Christmas cards and 1 set of shower invites this week! (see above for a preview of our Christmas card shoot!)

another class for the wee babe

this past week i took my first class at the hospital in preparation for the wee babe's arrival, Successful Breastfeeding! i told Dave he could take the night off, even though i knew he was more than welcome to come. i figured he would be more uncomfortable than anything and i wanted to make sure i could absorb all the info without worrying about him.

this was the best 2 1/2 hours i've spent so far! obviously, i have no experience at all in this area of child-rearing, and my mom didn't breastfeed because it was the 80's and it wasn't much of a fad in those days, so i couldn't glean a lot of knowledge from her. i absolutely loved the instructor, the materials, video, and facilitation. i feel much more prepared and am actually very excited for my Little Wood to hurry up and get here! oddly, it was quite the bonding experience.

i'm not going to go into details about what i learned because you can take your own class! we've already signed up for our Childbirth 101 classes in January and am a little scared, i'm not going to lie. it's 3 consecutive Thursdays in a row, and i've been instructed to wear comfortable clothing and bring to pillows. that just screams heavy breathing. i'll let you know how it goes!

Belly Laughs

it seems odd to me that i haven't had the desire to read more pregnancy related books, especially given my love of reading. i hear a lot of people run to their nearest bookstore the second they see two pink lines and stock up on all things pregnancy. i guess i'm having enough real-life experiences that the thought of reading about it is the last thing on my mind!

that being said, i was lent this book by a friend and just now finished, 29 weeks in! it wasn't a particularly long book, it's just that i now got to reading it. having now finished, i can definitely recommend this book to other preggo's out there, and even to those anticipating having a baby in the near future.

obviously, writing isn't Jenny McCarthy's strongest skill, but you can feel her sincerity and humor throughout her book. i really appreciated her honesty and bluntness to talking about all things pregnancy.  for example, when you're terrified of getting stretch marks, you learn to appreciate Jenny's tell-all that even she got them, and that no one wants them.  i don't want to hear that they "tell a story" and are "to be worn proud" because you carried your child. blech. look, i don't want them, and i don't know anyone who does. anyways, McCarthy is quite the open book in her novel and i love how she talked about topics that people forget to warn you about in pregnancy. if you need a good laugh, and a good read, read this!

Bumpdate- 28 Weeks

How far along: 28 weeks, 4 days in the picture. 28 weeks 6 days today. it was a crazy week and that's why i'm getting to my bumpdate later than usual

Baby is the size of: a small head of cabbage

Extra poundage: 17 lbs (eek!)

Bump status: regular shirts are no longer doing the job....

Favorite food of the week:  meh. nothing is really sounding all that good right now. fatigue is slowly creeping back into my bones and i will eat whatever is easiest. especially Brinner (breakfast for dinner, for those of you who don't know)

Heartburn worthy foods: nothin'. i even ate Italian food!

Favorite piece of clothing this week: ugg, clothes. with about 11 weeks to go, i'm starting to see where this is headed. i would probably just say anything with elastic that doesn't make me look like a whale?

Movement: tons. at my 28 week appointment, the doctor commented that i have a very active baby. she does not like the doppler and turns away whenever they try and find her heartbeat. moo haha.

Sleep: since i put my flannel sheets on, much better. though the first night way a little rough and i woke up super sweaty because the husband had closed every door and window in the house!
Pee trips in the night: 2-3. again:(

Guilty pleasure:  my friend's home made fudge. i've never looked so forward to dessert at home!

Baby purchases this week:  Little Wood's crib.

Looking forward to: Christmas. i know it's some ways off, but it's my favorite holiday of the year!

welcome to my crib!

last weekend, my good friend and i spent about 4 hours repainting LW's nursery. i've never painted before and while i certainly enjoyed myself, it was hard work! i'm so thankful my friend is an experienced painter, because i never would have been able to do with without her! Here are some shots of our work:

 

the paint fairies definitely visited us because we had JUST enough paint to cover the two walls we painted. i was a little perturbed because i had even used a handy "paint calculator" on the Glidden website that told me i would have more than enough paint. luckily, i still had my leftover paint sample because we had to scrape every drop of paint to finish up. i'm also thankful we used duo paint + primer. it cut down on a ton of grunt work!

now to my newest advancement in the nursery, our crib! i want to give a shout out to Walmart for not only having a crib i loved, but also because of their customer service. i ordered the crib this past Tuesday, and when i got home from work on Wednesday, it was already at my door! That's even faster than the ship to store option! i don't have to explain to most of you that this is not a typical Walmart situation. they have redeemed themselves in the slightest in my eyes. here she is, the Baby Mod Modena!

 i love this crib for many reasons:

• the color. it's not easy to find cribs in non-traditional colors. since dave and i couldn't agree on white vs. black cribs, this was the perfect compromise. 
• it comes with a free toddler conversion rail and parts. this usually costs an extra $100+ dollars, but not-so with this baby! i'm not sure if i will ever use it, because i feel like the conversion beds look a little silly, but at least i didn't have to pay extra for the option.
• it's unique. i love the solid sides and that it doesn't look uber babyish.
• it's the perfect size. it's not humongous looking, and doesn't overwhelm the nursery.
• it's quality. oh walmart, you've surprised me again! i was super shocked to receive the box in perfect condition, as well as the crib itself. there's not a scratch on it, and we didn't nick it at all whilst putting it together.

i'm loving this process of preparing for my little one on the way. i know she won't understand all that it took to make way for her, but she is the first thing on my mind most days and i just pray she will feel as loved as she is! i have a ways to still go, but i think my pink and grey nursery is coming along quite nicely:

hospital tour

now being in my 7th month, there seem to be a lot of "responsible" things that the hubs and i need to accomplish. one of these things was taking a tour of the hospital we'll be delivering at, St. Joseph Hospital in Orange.  i haven't been to this hospital since my younger sister shoved a fake pearl up her nose when she was about 5 and  had to be put in a straight jacket to have it removed. i'm still smarting that i never got a picture of that moment. people have asked me how i chose this hospital to deliver, and while i want to say it's because i did my research or i know first hand they have quality doctor's based on pearl removing experience, it's really only because that's where my OB delivers. and that's that.

so we signed up for the Maternity Open House this past Monday.

they say to take this tour when you're 8-9 months, but with the holidays coming, i didn't feel like trying to fit in what would surely be an uneventful class into my schedule of joy and good cheer.  that being said, i was definitely the least furthest along than all the other women there. i was a little bummed to learn that we would be taking a "virtual tour" instead of an actual tour, however it made sense because i really wasn't in the mood to be walking by women in labor, etc.

we walked away with lots of homework! one of which is choosing a pediatrician, which i will probably just pick from the list of docs with visiting privileges on the handy dandy sheet they gave me. i'm just not high maintenance about these things. how can i be, when i have no experience? i'm also beyond excited to watch the dvd "did you know your child would cry like this?" nothing like making a FTM feel ready! here's a snap shot of the goodies we received:

next week i have my breastfeeding class, in which i'm required to bring my own doll. i'll get back to  you on just why it is that a hospital wouldn't have ready-made breastfeeding dolls at their disposable for a class such as this.

2nd Trimester: done!

it goes without a doubt to say that i can't believe the 2nd Trimester has come and gone. i also think most women would agree with me that it's leaps and bounds better than the 1st Trimester, and also is the best out of all three. Though, having only gone through 2 I can't be sure.

i didn't have horrible morning sickness in my 1st Trimester, but the overall, constant feeling of sickness almost did me in. However, literally the FIRST morning of 2T i woke up and felt amazing! I got ready, and even wore lipstick AND perfume! To top it all off, i made it to work on time! i couldn't believe the wives tales of the 2nd Trimester being that much better were true.  but i wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. i haven't looked back since then.

the 2nd Trimester held a lot of milestones for me:

1. the best was feeling Little Wood move. there is absolutely no way to describe the feelings, both physically and emotionally. i didn't feel the much remarked "butterfly" feeling and felt like i had to wait longer than most. and as far as emotionally speaking- again, there are no  words.
2. finally starting to show. since i started feeling better in 2T, there was almost an odd sense of worry because i didn't "feel" pregnant (i.e. sick) and wasn't looking like it either. starting to show evened everything out.
3. feeling better! i was able to go back to the gym (though not as frequently) and could actually drink water without gagging.
4. finding out that LW is a girl! it really helped me bond and i've been able to feel like i can start preparing for her now that i know.

in the tradition of saying farewell to the 1st Trimester, i've compiled a list of some of my favorite things that helped get me through the 2T.  i've probably already talked about most these in the past, but when i looked back they were my saving grace!

the Preggle pregnancy pillow: sleeping with this was like learning to ride a bike. at first it was always just in the way and way too big for me to sleep with. but now i realize it's because I wasn't big enough. while i definitely recommend getting a pregnancy pillow early on to train yourself with sleeping with one, please know that it really starts to help when your belly is getting big and it hurts to sleep on your back. hugging this while side sleeping is where it's at.

Knudsen Cottage Cheese: ironic, as this is how your thighs are probably starting to look right now! but seriously, i buy the 3 gallon tub from Costco and usually have a little when i get  home from work before dinner. i don't feel guilty eating it, feel satiated, and it's a good source of dairy and protein.

Motherhood Maternity dress pants: if you don't work in an office, who cares right? go shopping wherever you want, spend whatever you want. but if you're a working professional like me (sounds much fancier than it really is) then you need decent work pants that aren't expensive. these are comfortable, look like legit dress pants (already got some complements from other preggos at work) and are cheap! don't let the Destination Motherhood people talk you into Pea in the Pod pants- not worth it!

Target Mossimo Micro Rib Tanks: i know i've talked about these a lot. they are my go-to undershirt, weekend shirt, and make my regular shirt look longer than it is shirt. i've always bought them in a Medium because i like them to be longer and now i can wear them well into 28 weeks. they are $9 at their most expensive, and are always on sale for $7 or even $4 in the clearance racks. plus, you don't feel bad if you stretch them out, and can wear them post delivery with the same sentiments about getting spit up on them. i plan to!

Mustela Double Action Stretch mark cream: I just got my 3rd bottle a few weeks ago and this will continue to make an appearance until stretch marks do. i figure i will need at least 1 more before all is said and done because my belly is only getting more surface area, and therefore, more cream. obviously i know that stretch marks are genetic but i will do everything in my power to prevent them. no stretch marks yet! i'm sure that gaining weight slowly and exercising have also aided in this journey, but i definitely put my stamp of approval so far on this cream.

whew! and there you have it. time has done nothing but speed up in this journey and i can't believe i have less than 3 months before i can meet my Little Wood.  hello 3rd Trimester!

Bumpdate- 27 Weeks

How far along: 27 weeks, 5 days. i've made it to the 3rd Trimester!

Baby is the size of: a head of cauliflower

Extra poundage: 13 lbs

Bump status: it's starting to really get in the way. i went to the movies yesterday and had the WORST time getting comfortable. and after painting the nursery for 3 hours on Saturday, the only thing i could do after was lay on the couch because of my aching back. ahh, the joys of pregnancy.

Favorite food of the week: Thanksgiving food! 

Heartburn worthy foods: nope, nada.

Favorite piece of clothing this week: i'm digging my new maternity shirt from Target in the picture above. i'm also keeping an eye out for more shirts because i won't be able to stretch mine much longer! (literally and figuratively!)

Movement: i'm feeling LW much more frequently and can tell she's getting bigger. kinda feel bad for her because there's not much room in there!

Sleep: as you can see by the above picture, i'm looking a little tired! for some reason, i've been waking up at 3am everynight to go to the bathroom. at which time it then takes me at LEAST an hour to fall asleep :(
Pee trips in the night: 2. and the other night when the husband was not home i only went 1x! i think he wakes me up at night more than i realize, so i just get up and go, even though it's not a dire situation.

Guilty pleasure:  Coco's Harvest Pumpkin Pie. omg the best pumpkin pie on the planet!

Baby purchases this week:  the hubby bought LW a very cute sundress (even though it's a USC dress) for Christmas, and we also bought her a cute ruffled body suit at Old Navy. this is getting fun!

Looking forward to: buying LW's crib! I'm planning on doing it this week.

Bumpdate- 26 Weeks

How far along: 26 weeks, 5 days

Baby is the size of: a cucumber, although i hope not as skinny as one.

Extra poundage: in between 12-13 lbs- it depends on what time of day it is :)

Bump status: i forgot to mention last week that i was measuring 26 centimeters at my 25 week appointment. i have no idea what that means, except that i'm in good range for how far along i am.

Favorite food of the week: b, bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s

Heartburn worthy foods: still no HB!

Favorite piece of clothing this week: my Target Mossimo Micro Rib Tanks! They are nothing special but i've been wearing them under EVERYTHING. they give me the extra length i need for my non-maternity shirts and an extra layer for my protruding belly button

Movement: i think Little Wood is starting to be able to hear the goings on outside the womb because when we went to the movies last week, she was pretty active the entire time. James Bond was a pretty loud movie!

Sleep: sleep in and of itself is good. but when i wake up, i have a super hard time going back to sleep. this week's it's because of congestion. i feel like every inhale and exhale is amplified and i'm keeping myself awake with my own nose! so this morning i ordered a new humidifier. hopefully this will also alleviate my snorer of a husband too!
Pee trips in the night: 2-3.

Guilty pleasure:  the pizza i had yesterday for lunch. it may not sound like much but i tried to do a really good job eating healthy last week, what with my glucose tolerance test on Friday. so, the pizza was delicious;)

Baby purchases this week:  none this week.

Looking forward to: ok painting the nursery. i really am going to do it this week.

nursery planning

i've never considered myself much of a designer. i like to steal inspiration from others, or buy complete sets of furniture so i don't have to put much thought into decorating, for fear that it will look awful if i don't. because while i never consider myself "cutting edge" i can definitely recognize when people CLEARLY have no idea what they are doing in the design department. i like simple but nice pieces, and nothing too trendy because i don't want to have to buy furniture or change everything in 2 years.

all that being said, i definitely know my tastes when it comes to baby design. it's most likely my love of simple that keeps me away from all the cutesy "baby" designs that many people cherish. i have a very fond memory book to remind me of my childhood Winnie the Pooh nursery and wouldn't have it any other way. but my style, circa 2012-13 is different from 1981 (yes, i'm dating myself here). i have absolutely NO problem with other people going for the full-on butterfly, teddy bear, Winnie the Pooh designs- they just aren't for me.

once i decided on light pink and grey for Little Wood's nursery colors, it made it a little easier to start designing. with my color choices, we couldn't stay with the brown that came with the wee babe's room. not to mention, the previous painters did an AWFUL job of touching up, and ended up using a different shade all together. it is VERY obvious, which you'll see in just a moment. i've never painted before, much less picked out my own colors so my first trip to Home Depot was a litle overwelming! i came back with these:

if you've ever painted before you know that at first glance they all look very similar. however every single one is super different in the right light. so i decided to pick two and see how they looked:

see there IS a difference! The one on the left is "mulberry white" by Glidden and has a pink tinge.

the one on the right is "pink petal white," and is definitely more white than anything else.

i decided to go with the Mulberry White because i wanted a pale, pale, pink that was almost white and this fit the bill. my friend Gwin is going to help me paint next weekend and we will be moving right along. Oh! and my glider came this week and it's even more gorgeous than i thought. it will be perfect in the corner. i left the plastic on until we're done painting, even though i'll probably have the Husband move it out of the room anyways, just to be safe. here's the room as it looks now (p.s., if you look to the right of the paint samples you can see the completely discolored walls and the lovely "touch up" job the leasing dept did):

next up: Little Wood's crib!

Sugar Momma

ahh, the dreaded glucose tolerance test. it's every pregnant woman's nightmare. somehow, medicine hasn't advanced enough to do away with a test that requires a preggo to fast for 12 hours, then consume a crapload of sugar in 5 minutes, and get 3 blood draws over the course of 2 hours ( i can't imagine how fasting that long is good for baby!). luckily, i didn't have to do the 3 hour test or tack on another blood draw and an even more concentrated glucose drink. blech!

i was most afraid of the fasting portion of the test because i get HUNGRY and feel like i have to eat NOW. i scheduled the test for 8 in the morning and was hoping that it would be early enough that i wouldn't feel like i would die of hunger. i had cereal as late as i could the night before and it paid off. i got to the lab a little early and they took my first blood draw. then they handed over the goods: 10 ounces of Lemon Lime glucose drink in 75 mg.

mmmmm.... it looked deceivingly like sprite and actually didn't taste too different. just much more sugary. i downed it in 3 minutes and was on my way to the waiting room. i brought my iPad and ensured i had a movie on it to help pass the time. so i spent most of it watching the very appropriate Hunger Games!

i could definitely identify with Katniss and being hungry. although i must say that the glucose drink did a good job of coating my stomach so i felt pretty good. i didn't feel tired, jittery, or the wee babe go out of control on a sugar high at all- all things i've heard other people say.  the only downer was on my 2nd blood draw when the lab tech couldn't get a vein and jabbed me 3 times (quite painfully i might add) before resorting to taking blood from a vein in my hand.

after i finished, i treated myself to a egg sandwich at the Corner Bakery (hello protein! it never sounded so good) and went home to an amazing nap. unfortunately, i woke up with a huge bruise :(

i have about 2 surface veins total in my arms and since they didn't want to keep poking those they had to dig around for a new one. eww.

i think i'll find out next week if i passed and i'm praying i do! this is my last hoo-ray of the 2nd Trimester. after this week, hello 3rd Trimester!

dressing the bump

i never knew when i would be pregnant, but i knew one thing: i was going to make sure i embraced stylish pants. i've seen women at the mall who think that being pregnant means wearing a mu-mu or a tent that doubles as a blouse. no siree, that was not going to be me. i was also pretty confident that i would spend the copious amounts of money it took to get myself a pair of designer jeans, and probably 7's. they're the only jeans that i wear sans bump, and they were surprisingly cute in maternity. i justified my thoughts by saying it's money well spent because i'll wear them every day!

but when the time came to enhance my wardrobe with some stretchy goodness, i was appalled at the price of "designer" jeans:

really 7 for all Mankind? $198 for a 3/4 pair of jeans? Because really the top part is all elastic. and these aren't Chanel jeans! i don't spend that on regular jeans, so why would i fork it over for a pair of pants i'm going to wear for 4 months? no matter what you tell yourself before you get pregnant, or even in the first few months, you will NOT wear these every day because a) you don't need them til at least 6 months, and b) you won't want to wear ANY pants if you don't have to. the moment i get home, it's off with the non-sweatpants. and the people at Destination Maternity are evil geniuses because these NEVER go on sale.

finally, they aren't made that well. i picked up several pairs to look at and all the jeans were already separating from their elastic bands. i even talked to a good friend who bought a pair of Joe's maternity jeans and she said that her Old Navy maternity jeans held up WAY better than her Joe's. go figure.

so in lieu of dropping almost 2 hundy on a pair of jeans, i decided to go with the Heidi Klum Loved brand at Motherhood. even if they weren't that great, i would only be spending $40 on a pair of pants. they could fall apart after Little Wood comes and i would still have gotten my money's worth. turns out, these pants are amazing! they are just the right amount of stretchy, comfy, and are still stylish.

i also got a pair of grey pants because a girl's got to have more than 1 pair to get through approximately 100 days of hugeness. these were also $40:

i will offer another piece of advice when shopping for maternity pants. obviously there are conflicting opinions on this, but i am a full believer in the full panel pants. in case you didn't know, there are two types of maternity pants, demi (or "under the belly") and full panel.

before i needed to wear them, i thought that i would NEVER wear full-panel. i thought they were disgusting and totally mom-ish. then i realized the error of my ways when i had to buy some professional work pants that only came in full panel. OMG they were so comfortable! i felt like they held everything nice and tight (which feels even better the further along you get when you feel like everything is flapping in the wind) and they were a welcome relief from the belly band which made all my pants look bumpy. plus, they help shield my ever showing belly button these days. i must say, i don't hate wearing pants as much when i can look forward to wearing these. all in all, shopping while pregnant hasn't been as bad as i thought. but i'll still be glad when i can return my focus to clothing that doesn't require spandex!

Bumpdate- 25 Weeks

How far along: 25 weeks, 6 days

Baby is the size of: an eggplant, but bigger than last week's eggplant. Supposedly, LW is nearly 2 lbs by now!

Extra poundage: eeek! stepped on the scale and i'm up 13 lbs! wasn't expecting that. i'm ok with it, just still a surprise!

Bump status: ok, i'm starting to look big. 1 stranger asked how far along i was (only the 2nd stranger to ask me if i'm pregnant) and a friend commented that i'm finally showing!

Favorite food of the week: omg i made the most amazing pumpkin, frosted cookies and they were delicious! and because they were so good, they are now gone because my husband couldn't keep his hands off them. :(

Heartburn worthy foods: no heartburn in a few weeks and i'm loving it.

Favorite piece of clothing this week: my maternity jeans. it's so nice to wear a pair of pants that fit! separate post to come on my thoughts on spending a ton of money on maternity clothes, especially jeans.

Movement: the wee babe is going CARAZY! i swear, the other night she was doing somersaults. 

Sleep: i get some good stretches of sleep, but wake up more frequently. side sleeping is becoming more comfortable, but i usually have a bit of a time going back to sleep because LW starts to dance at night.
Pee trips in the night: 2-3.

Guilty pleasure:  probably those pumpkin spice cookies...

Baby purchases this week:  i made some inadvertent purchases relating to the nursery this week- painting supplies!

Looking forward to: painting the nursery. i've never painted before and am excited to make some progress so i can feel like i'm getting ready. Only 99 more days until my due date!

babymoon

two week's later i'm finally getting around to uploading my babymoon pics from our recent trip to San Francisco. it's been one of those month's. anyways, we had a great time in good ole San Fran, with tons of walking, beautiful weather, and an untimely visit during the World Series in which my most HATED team, the Giants, was contending for baseball's greatest honor. let's just say i never want to find myself in a bar during a SF World Series again.

i've had some questions from people as to what exactly a babymoon is. i just think of it as the last hoo-rah of a trip before the wee baby arrives. we may do some other weekenders before then, but this was our specific trip dedicated to the last 7 years of marriage, sans children. sure, i would have loved to take 2 weeks off and go to the Caribbean, but who has time for that?

we decided to splurge a little and stayed at the Mark Hopkins InterContinental Hotel, a historic hotel that managed to survive the great San Francisco earthquake and fire.

it was a beautiful old hotel (with tiny elevators!) and we had a great view.

somehow we managed to avoid the typical San Francisco fog for the entire trip. we had an amazing (albeit LONG) walk from our hotel to Pier 33 to catch our boat to Alcatraz! I don't know what it is, but i LOVE the Rock. i could spend hours over there. i love the history. here are some of my favorite pics:

 

 

after quite the day of walking, we didn't feel like going crazy for dinner. so we headed to Morton's, a few blocks away and were back in the hotel by 7:30. we had to force ourselves to stay awake! it was awesome begin able to go to bed early and then lay around the next morning. i'm sure i will miss those days when Little Wood is here.

 we relaxed on Sunday until our flight left. unfortunately we were stuck in the airport JUST long enough for the Giants to clinch the World Series title. blah. anyways, that was our trip!