As I was flipping through the channels this morning while pumping (the only time I turn on my television), I realized that it was apparently time for the obligatory "Year in Review" segments on every single show, on every single channel. I suppose it's appropriate on this New Year's Eve 2011. Here I sit, while my little angel naps, and think, my goodness, what a year I've had. So, here I go, here is my 2011 walk down memory lane and some of the things I remember and more importantly, the things I've learned~.
In early February, I learned I was pregnant and my life changed forever. I remember taking my pregnancy test while my friends were sitting outside in my dining room drinking wine. At the same time, I remember thinking, Oh Shit! I just drank a glass of wine! (the last glass I drank until last month). I remember telling Matt that I was so bummed that I couldn't go snowboarding on our upcoming trip to Vermont, and the look on his face when he said "We're pregnant?!?". I thought about my body in a totally different way. The only thing I cared about was putting the right things into it, and treating it right so I could give my baby the most wonderful environment to live for the next 9 months.
I learned what it felt like to live in fear. For the first three months of my pregnancy, I lived in total fear that something would happen to my baby. After previously experiencing a miscarriage, I just knew I couldn't go through that sadness again. The joy that Matt and I felt at our 13 week appointment when we saw our little baby kicking around on the ultrasound was so overwhelming. One of my favorite moments!
Telling my family was one of my favorite memories of the year. We captured their reaction on film after Matt said he wanted to take a family picture while we were all out to dinner. Instead of "Say Cheese!", Matt said "Say Elisa's Pregnant!". My sister cried, my mom screamed a profanity and my dad & brother were all smiles. Pretty typical reactions for my family, but super fun all the same!
Telling our friends was also a lot of fun. Typical reaction comment (seriously, we heard this from several friends): It's the end of an era. (ha.)
Good pickles are expensive. When you are buying a jar or going to the deli for them every 3 days or so- they add up.
You will never ever be prepared for your baby. Over the past year I think I read at least 15 books on pregnancy and not one described the overwhelming feeling you have when they put that baby in your arms...or the shocking look on your husbands face when he sees that first black tarish poopy diaper.
In the year 2011, I became closer and more in love with my husband that I have in the past 13 years that I have known him. His strength and love toward me while I was pregnant filled my heart with joy and seeing him as a wonderful father makes him the most amazing man in the world in my eyes (...and the hottest. I also learned that when your husband becomes a father...hopefully to your child...he also get exponentially hotter).
Family is everything. I always knew this, I was always a family oriented girl, but while you are pregnant and when you have a baby, you really, truly understand this. My younger sister was my angel during my entire pregnancy. She was there for me to talk to, to help me with my laundry and to help me clean my house when I was too tired to do it myself. She came with me food shopping at the end, just in case my water broke (huge fear of mine..) and she unloaded all of my groceries. She asked me how I was feeling every single day. She grew up right before my eyes, and I am so grateful to have her in my life as my sister and best friend. I also gained a much deeper relationship with my mom. I learned so much from her, she was always there to answer my questions and give her opinion (SHOCKING, right?? ha. ). I value our relationship so much more now that I am a mommy. Knowing how much I love my son, makes me love her even more...because I know she loves me just as much. It has been a beautiful journey watching my family and friends love me and my son, right from the moment they learned of his existence.
I learned I am strong (if not humble..haha) person. WAY stronger than I ever thought I could be. I pat myself on my (achy) back this year.
And now, it's resolution time. I will not pledge to lose 10 pounds (even though I would really , really, really love to lose 10 pounds!! So maybe....), I will just pledge to love more, be angry less, keep my stress level at a minimum, be generous, try new things, be adventurous, give my everything to my precious baby so he can have a wonderful first year of life!
I will be ringing in at midnight with the 3 loves of my life tonight. Baby, Daddy, Chihuahua & me on the couch with a bottle of expensive champagne I have been saving for a special occasion. Since everyday is a blessing , I guess tonight is a as good of a night as ever to pop that cork and celebrate.
Happy New Year everyone. Lots of love for an awesome 2012!
xo
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Stuff you don't need. And a few things ya do...
Holden is 10 weeks old today. The time is flying by and I am now an experienced mother who knows exactly what I'm doing. HA! I kid. I'm thinking I will never know what I'm doing, but I have realized something: You really don't need all of the stuff you thought you'd need. When we went to register at our ginormous baby store, we registered for everything because that's what "they" tell you to do. And we were modest in our registering...we thought we were being practical. Well, now, in my sage wisdom, I can tell you some of the shit you don't need (at least this is what I am finding...I'm sure it's not the same for all so please don't take offence) and some of the stuff you absolutely do need. Happy registering for the soon to be mommies out there- have fun with it. Hope you find my little list helpful (or at least fun:)
DON'T NEED:
-Those little mitts for your newborns hands. Most newborn shirts have fold over sleeves that work great, and those mitts fall off and disappear in your washing machine (much like baby socks. Yes, you need these...but the dryer eats them.)
- Really fancy butt creams. I have about 10 different butt creams that contain calendula, chamomile and lots of other wonderful ingredients for my little ones precious tush. It just so happens that he has the most sensitive skin in the world, so now we have a big 'ol tub of Aquafor that works wonders to keep his hiney rash free.
-Crib bumpers- I actually don't have one because I cancelled it from my custom crib bedding order.They are officially dubbed "dangerous" by the important people at the American Academy of Pediatrics. Don't take the risk of putting one in your baby's crib just so it looks nice. Not worth it.
-A bumbo (sorry Heather ; )- I was obsessed with getting one of these and I did! Holden hated it, and soon after, reports of baby's falling out of them and cracking their skulls were reported. Again, not worth the risk...but if you do use one, for goodness sake, watch your baby!
-Baby blankets- I love all of my baby blankets, and I use quite a few of them regularly. But, you do not have to register for them! It is inevitable that you will receive lots as gifts.
- Also, don't register for baby clothes. You will have more clothing in your baby's closet than Kim Kardashian has in her closet. Only wash a handful of items at a time, and keep receipts so you can exchange them for a bigger size if necessary.
- A huge stroller. Ok, I know this is like talking religion & politics in the baby world, and I may get flamed for this...but I see zero reason for a $1000 stroller. I think it is the biggest waste of money ever. I don't even think you need a big, heavy travel system. Get a Snap & Go and you will be set...donate the other $900 you would have spent on your Bugaboo to charity. Simplify people.
- Dr. Brown's bottles- Before you scream that I am psychotic and that Dr. Brown's bottles saved your life, hear me out. I hear they are fantastic and I registered for them, and got them with all their million accessories. BUT, if you don't have a colicky, fussy or gassy baby, why the hell would you want to wash 5 parts on each bottle?? If you are using a bottle, I say start with something a bit more simple (love my Avent bottles for pumped breastmilk) and switch to the Dr. Brown's if you need them. You spend about 1/4 of your day washing bottles when you have the simple bottles, so don't bump it up to 1/2 a day unless absolutely necessary.
Now, on the contrary- here are some things you (and your baby) cannot live without:
- A "gardeners" knee pad. If you have to kneel on your tiled bathroom floor to give Baby a bath- head to Home Depot and buy one of these for $4.00. Your knees will thank you.
-A Sound machine- We are in love with ours. It sounds natural and it really, truly helps Holden sleep a solid 6-8 hours at night. This one isn't pretty or fancy, but check out the reviews. Totally worth it!
-Sleep sacks- I love the ones that are sleeveless so you can still put a pj on Baby. They are much safer than a blanket and are super cuddly for your little one.
-Swaddlers- I, like all the other moms who read blogs and magazines, love my Aden & Anais swaddle blankets. They are big, and stretchy and great. But, I also love my Swaddle Me blanket sleepers. Yes, they are a bit pricey at about $20 each, but I have 2 and wash them often (what's the difference, I do laundry about 100 times a day anyway!). Holden sleeps great when he is swaddled tightly in one of these and the are really comfy cozy for the winter.
- A high grade breast pump. I'll keep this short and sweet... if you are pumping lots (like me, I am almost exclusively pumping) rent a medical grade pump. Let me know if you want info and I would love to give it to you.
- A baby sling- Like any hippie granola head mommie, I love my baby sling. I don't wear Holden all of the time, but for me, it is a wonderful tool to have him close to me while having my hands free to do some housework (like the bottle cleaning and laundry mentioned above).
- A My Brest Friend pillow- If you are Breastfeeding, get one. Love it.
- A Pack n Play- A total yes for all of the traveling parents. I got one with the newborn napper and the changing pad...didn't use either of those though. I also have a Pack n Play at my mom's house. Great idea to have the basics at Grandma's if you are there a lot!
- Swing/Bouncy chair- Love this for when I need to shower especially. Holden just chills out in the bathroom with me and listens to the water!
- Boppy changing pad covers for your changing pad cover. Yes, your new baby will poop and pee all over your fancy (in my case, custom made) changing pad cover. Get these little pads by Boppy to put on top of the cover and you will be washing your cover less and changing baby on a naked plastic changing pad less.
-A camera. And a camcorder. And a Shutterfly account.- Take lots of pictures. And now, is the time to buy that Kodak flipcam you've been eyeing. They are adorable and deserve to log hours of film on your videocam.
And lastly, LOVE (duh)!!! Cuddle that sweet baby of yours and he will not know if you have fancy baby stuff or the bare necessities. They are pretty non materialistic and low maintenance at this point!
DON'T NEED:
-Those little mitts for your newborns hands. Most newborn shirts have fold over sleeves that work great, and those mitts fall off and disappear in your washing machine (much like baby socks. Yes, you need these...but the dryer eats them.)
- Really fancy butt creams. I have about 10 different butt creams that contain calendula, chamomile and lots of other wonderful ingredients for my little ones precious tush. It just so happens that he has the most sensitive skin in the world, so now we have a big 'ol tub of Aquafor that works wonders to keep his hiney rash free.
-Crib bumpers- I actually don't have one because I cancelled it from my custom crib bedding order.They are officially dubbed "dangerous" by the important people at the American Academy of Pediatrics. Don't take the risk of putting one in your baby's crib just so it looks nice. Not worth it.
-A bumbo (sorry Heather ; )- I was obsessed with getting one of these and I did! Holden hated it, and soon after, reports of baby's falling out of them and cracking their skulls were reported. Again, not worth the risk...but if you do use one, for goodness sake, watch your baby!
-Baby blankets- I love all of my baby blankets, and I use quite a few of them regularly. But, you do not have to register for them! It is inevitable that you will receive lots as gifts.
- Also, don't register for baby clothes. You will have more clothing in your baby's closet than Kim Kardashian has in her closet. Only wash a handful of items at a time, and keep receipts so you can exchange them for a bigger size if necessary.
- A huge stroller. Ok, I know this is like talking religion & politics in the baby world, and I may get flamed for this...but I see zero reason for a $1000 stroller. I think it is the biggest waste of money ever. I don't even think you need a big, heavy travel system. Get a Snap & Go and you will be set...donate the other $900 you would have spent on your Bugaboo to charity. Simplify people.
- Dr. Brown's bottles- Before you scream that I am psychotic and that Dr. Brown's bottles saved your life, hear me out. I hear they are fantastic and I registered for them, and got them with all their million accessories. BUT, if you don't have a colicky, fussy or gassy baby, why the hell would you want to wash 5 parts on each bottle?? If you are using a bottle, I say start with something a bit more simple (love my Avent bottles for pumped breastmilk) and switch to the Dr. Brown's if you need them. You spend about 1/4 of your day washing bottles when you have the simple bottles, so don't bump it up to 1/2 a day unless absolutely necessary.
Now, on the contrary- here are some things you (and your baby) cannot live without:
- A "gardeners" knee pad. If you have to kneel on your tiled bathroom floor to give Baby a bath- head to Home Depot and buy one of these for $4.00. Your knees will thank you.
-A Sound machine- We are in love with ours. It sounds natural and it really, truly helps Holden sleep a solid 6-8 hours at night. This one isn't pretty or fancy, but check out the reviews. Totally worth it!
-Sleep sacks- I love the ones that are sleeveless so you can still put a pj on Baby. They are much safer than a blanket and are super cuddly for your little one.
-Swaddlers- I, like all the other moms who read blogs and magazines, love my Aden & Anais swaddle blankets. They are big, and stretchy and great. But, I also love my Swaddle Me blanket sleepers. Yes, they are a bit pricey at about $20 each, but I have 2 and wash them often (what's the difference, I do laundry about 100 times a day anyway!). Holden sleeps great when he is swaddled tightly in one of these and the are really comfy cozy for the winter.
- A high grade breast pump. I'll keep this short and sweet... if you are pumping lots (like me, I am almost exclusively pumping) rent a medical grade pump. Let me know if you want info and I would love to give it to you.
- A baby sling- Like any hippie granola head mommie, I love my baby sling. I don't wear Holden all of the time, but for me, it is a wonderful tool to have him close to me while having my hands free to do some housework (like the bottle cleaning and laundry mentioned above).
- A My Brest Friend pillow- If you are Breastfeeding, get one. Love it.
- A Pack n Play- A total yes for all of the traveling parents. I got one with the newborn napper and the changing pad...didn't use either of those though. I also have a Pack n Play at my mom's house. Great idea to have the basics at Grandma's if you are there a lot!
- Swing/Bouncy chair- Love this for when I need to shower especially. Holden just chills out in the bathroom with me and listens to the water!
- Boppy changing pad covers for your changing pad cover. Yes, your new baby will poop and pee all over your fancy (in my case, custom made) changing pad cover. Get these little pads by Boppy to put on top of the cover and you will be washing your cover less and changing baby on a naked plastic changing pad less.
-A camera. And a camcorder. And a Shutterfly account.- Take lots of pictures. And now, is the time to buy that Kodak flipcam you've been eyeing. They are adorable and deserve to log hours of film on your videocam.
And lastly, LOVE (duh)!!! Cuddle that sweet baby of yours and he will not know if you have fancy baby stuff or the bare necessities. They are pretty non materialistic and low maintenance at this point!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
He's 2 months old & I'm a mom- damn, that went fast...
So, here we are...my first ever blog post as a mommy. Yes, if you have been living under a proverbial cyber rock, you may not know that on October 11th, all of my dreams came true. My life was changed forever when my son, Holden Salvatore, was born at 8:14PM, 7.4lbs and 19.5 inches long.
I won't go into his birth story in detail since it's not overwhelmingly interesting. I went in for my 38 week check up, I was 100% effaced and 4cm dilated (it turns out, I was in active labor for about 2 full days before that and didn't realize it), so they decided it was time for baby to come out before my water broke and his foot ehhh... popped out. That was at 3pm and by 8:14pm, he was here and I was changed forever.
There were a lot of things I thought would happen after I became a mom, and I grossly underestimated them all. This little miracle was mine, I made him, and he depended on me. That is a lot to handle emotionally....the emotions of loving someone else more than you could ever imagine loving any human being in the entire world kind of hits you hard. So I cried. A LOT. I cried when he cried. I cried when he pooped (awww look at the black, tar-ish, nasty poop!). I cried when I looked at my husband (he gave me the most beautiful baby boy ever!). I cried when I fed him. I even cried when I thought about him but he was sleeping in the next room! I tried to sing to him, and I cried and couldn't get through a song. And then I heard the song, Lullaby, by Billy Joel on my Pandora radio and I really lost my shit. This is a public service announcement to all new moms- Do not listen to that song as a new mom. Actually, I don't think I will ever be able to listen to that song ever again without bawling my eyes out. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy that all of my tears are the happy kind...but I just wasn't expecting to become such a blubbering fool about everything.
Now, it's 2 months later, and I cried yesterday because I already have to pack up my baby's newborn sized clothes.He is swiftly growing out of his 0-3 month outfits and I am not really sure how time is moving so fast. Tomorrow night, my husband and I will make a little toast to our baby boy at 8:14pm to celebrate his 2 months of being on this Earth, and for making us the happiest people in the world. And, I'm sure,as I look at his now smiling (yes, real smiles!) round face...I will cry. Gotta love being a mommy <3
Monday, October 3, 2011
Day 1: Maternity Leave
It's Monday, it's after 10am, and I am not at work. No, my NJ Transit train is not delayed (for the 2 millionth time)...I am officially on maternity leave! So, instead I sit here with a cup of (decaf) tea and leisurely write this post.
Baby R officially has a birth date (due to a scheduled Cescarian Section)~ October 19th, if he decides to behave until then. This gives me a nice amount of time to get the house further prepared, finish the nursery, do some more baby stuff laundry, and rest (HA!). I do not rest easily, so this will be a task within itself.
Some of the other things that I have scheduled during this maternity leave include: get my hair done (cut & glaze color), get a facial, get a massage (hey- girl has got to look good for those after baby pics...), go on an amazing date night to see Newsies with hubby on Thursday (EEK! so excited.), few more doctors appointments, possibly do a little apple picking (or just dictate which apples I want picked to Matt, since I get dizzy when my arms are above my head), and cook & freeze.
My cook & freeze mission started yesterday. I now have a beautiful new Kitchen Aid french door refrigerator with pullout bottom freezer and I intend on putting it to work. As beautiful as the fridge is, the freezer isn't too large, so I am only going to make a select amount of things to freeze. We also have some amazing family members that are cooking and freezing for us, so I need to leave room for that stuff too! Everyone has been telling me how insanely tired we will be and that we will barely have time to shower, so I am trying to be as prepared as possible with dinners. I don't want to always rely on a family member or a take out menu to feed us, therefore I am hoping that I can at least get 2 weeks of prepared, healthy meals in our freezer by the time Baby arrives so we can defrost & eat when necessary. The nice thing about it is, I just cook more than what I make for that evenings dinner (choosing a freezer friendly food, of course) and then freeze the extra! No double cooking!
Some of the items on the cook & freeze menu:
~Lentil Soup (made yesterday- froze 2 containers without pasta added)
~Baked Pasta with chicken sausage, baby spinach and fontina cheese (dinner tonight!)
~Lasagna Primavera... made with spinach, cheese, carrots & a bechamel sauce
~Tomato soup (a favorite of mine. Especially paired with a gruyere grilled cheese & tomato)
~Breaded Pork Chops (not cooked, just breaded and frozen. Maybe for a night that we have "more time")
~Chili
~Hazelnut Biscotti
~Buttermilk Scones
...those last 2 are to have on hand for visitors- if I don't eat them all as they come out of the oven and they actually make it to the freezer.
I'm taking additional food suggestions (and donations) if you have any! I've never, ever done this whole frozen prepared meals thing, so I'm kinda winging it.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
I'm hungry & tired & busy & excited &...well, you get the idea.
Another busy week down in the Rispoli household. 36 weeks and 3 days pregnant, and feeling it.
A short little update about some fun happenings in the past week: Our Sub-Zero fridge is on its death bed...going to look for a new one today (not a new Sub- Zero since 7 grand for a new fridge isn't in our budget right now), back is killing me, discovered what it is to be "nesting", and Baby found a new sport- kicking Mommy in the sciatic nerve! Woohoo{sarcasm}.
It's kind of an exciting week~ Today we have a Dr. appointment and extra ultrasound to see if Baby is still in the breech position. If so, I am pretty sure we schedule our C-Section and get to pick Baby's birthday!! We are taking a breastfeeding class at the hospital tomorrow, so that should be interesting. Also, this is my last week of work before I go on maternity leave (hallelujah for no more long train commute! My back cannot take it anymore). Good stuff this week!
For some reason, I am having a very "hungry day". It may be my nerves or maybe Baby is just having one last growth spurt.
So, in honor of my hungriness- Here is a list of all this things I would eat today... if I could. Which I can't, so I won't. Boo.
- Sushi. Specifically a white tuna and avocado roll. Possibly some salmon sashimi as well. And a Super Dragon Roll...I love those.
-Un-pasturized cheese. And lots of it. Like, I want to drive to Valley Shepherd and buy everything! But if I only had a few choices I'd take the Bleu, Pepito, and Truffle. Drool.
-A sub from the Sub Shop in Chester. A big fat Italian sub with 5 different types of coldcuts, oil & vinegar and mayo.
-A hotdog. No wait, a chili dog. Nathans.
-Shrimp ceviche.
-Beer. Specifically a microbrewed Octoberfest. I thought the summer would be hard...but the Octoberfest's are really killing me.
-A glass of good Pinot Noir. Just one (in a large wine goblet). I'm not greedy.
Maybe one of you will have one of these today in honor of me...just don't tell me. That's just mean.
A short little update about some fun happenings in the past week: Our Sub-Zero fridge is on its death bed...going to look for a new one today (not a new Sub- Zero since 7 grand for a new fridge isn't in our budget right now), back is killing me, discovered what it is to be "nesting", and Baby found a new sport- kicking Mommy in the sciatic nerve! Woohoo{sarcasm}.
It's kind of an exciting week~ Today we have a Dr. appointment and extra ultrasound to see if Baby is still in the breech position. If so, I am pretty sure we schedule our C-Section and get to pick Baby's birthday!! We are taking a breastfeeding class at the hospital tomorrow, so that should be interesting. Also, this is my last week of work before I go on maternity leave (hallelujah for no more long train commute! My back cannot take it anymore). Good stuff this week!
For some reason, I am having a very "hungry day". It may be my nerves or maybe Baby is just having one last growth spurt.
So, in honor of my hungriness- Here is a list of all this things I would eat today... if I could. Which I can't, so I won't. Boo.
- Sushi. Specifically a white tuna and avocado roll. Possibly some salmon sashimi as well. And a Super Dragon Roll...I love those.
-Un-pasturized cheese. And lots of it. Like, I want to drive to Valley Shepherd and buy everything! But if I only had a few choices I'd take the Bleu, Pepito, and Truffle. Drool.
-A sub from the Sub Shop in Chester. A big fat Italian sub with 5 different types of coldcuts, oil & vinegar and mayo.
-A hotdog. No wait, a chili dog. Nathans.
-Shrimp ceviche.
-Beer. Specifically a microbrewed Octoberfest. I thought the summer would be hard...but the Octoberfest's are really killing me.
-A glass of good Pinot Noir. Just one (in a large wine goblet). I'm not greedy.
Maybe one of you will have one of these today in honor of me...just don't tell me. That's just mean.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
I'm not surprised this baby is so stubborn...I've met his parents.
This week was a whirlwind of work (lots of work for my amazing hubby, he took 2 overtimes and worked 62 hours...ugh), doctors appointment and yard sale prep.
My 35 week appointment yesterday went as follows:
Doc (walks in to room): So, how are you feeling? Any concerns this week?
Me: Yes, my concern is that his head is right here (pointing to my upper right belly by my ribs), and he feet are down here (low- very, very, low in my pelvic area).
Doc: Hmmm, let's take a look. (Dr. then palpates my giant belly all around. He actually had his hand secure on a part of the baby. Very strange feeling). Well, your totally right...wow, that's pretty amazing that you knew exactly where he was! Yes, it seems we have a BREECH situation here.
I wanted to yell- DUH! THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU FOR WEEKS! But, I didn't, I kindly asked what that means, what do we do, and so forth.
He started talking about extra ultrasounds, appointments, and then aversion (where the Doctor will physically try to turn the baby around at an appt. in the hospital) and the dreaded C-section. And, I promptly started to have an anxiety zone out. This is not what I imagined the end of my super easy, super fun pregnancy to go like! So, since yesterday, I've been, well, kind of freaking out. In my own, research til I drop sort of way. I found out only 3-4% of babies are breech at birth...so it seems like I won some kind of crappy lottery.
Although I have an ultrasound in a week and a half to see if baby has turned on his own...I do not forsee this happening, because he has been in this position my entire pregancy. This means that at this ultrasound, if they find that baby is still breech, they will want to send me for aversion right then and there. And I do not want to do that. There are some risks that come with aversion (and it is super painful)- the worst being that they could break my amniotic sac, and they would have to do an emergency C-section. Matt is very concerned about them "squishing the baby around" (he is so cute), And I kind of agree. I don't really want them grabbing onto baby's little, soft head and squishing him in a circle.
So, I am taking action. I am not sure if this action will work, but it's worth a try...and I always like to try a holistic approach before the medical anyway.
I am getting moxibustion & accupuncture on Monday. Yes, I, who squirms at the very sight of needles will have dozens of them stuck into my body and feet (eeeeeeeek) while they are buring some strange Harry Potter sounding herb by my pressure points in my feet.
Here is the actual scientific description of this treatment:
Accupuncture
Using disposable needles, a practitioner will insert them just into the skin to release qi, prevent it from being blocked or help it move. This release of energy is said to help the baby find a better position by allowing mom's body to move freely and the baby to have the room he/she needs to be well placed in the uterus for birth.
Moxibustion
This form of traditional Chinese medicine involves burning a moxa (mugwort) stick near a certain point on the small toe of the foot (bladder 67). You can find practitioners in a variety of settings including the acupuncture clinic and other practitioners.
Meanwhile, this weekend, I will putting an icepack on my belly by baby's head, doing pelvic tilts, and some downward dog to help get baby to budge.
Doc also said "Wow you must be having some back pain because of how this baby is positioned! Hate to tell you, but it will get worse!". Yay. Something to look forward to! Thanks Doc.
Now, I just pray that in the next week and a half, this child will decide not to be stubborn and turn the hell around. If not, it may be to the OR I go.... {sigh...}.
My 35 week appointment yesterday went as follows:
Doc (walks in to room): So, how are you feeling? Any concerns this week?
Me: Yes, my concern is that his head is right here (pointing to my upper right belly by my ribs), and he feet are down here (low- very, very, low in my pelvic area).
Doc: Hmmm, let's take a look. (Dr. then palpates my giant belly all around. He actually had his hand secure on a part of the baby. Very strange feeling). Well, your totally right...wow, that's pretty amazing that you knew exactly where he was! Yes, it seems we have a BREECH situation here.
I wanted to yell- DUH! THIS IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU FOR WEEKS! But, I didn't, I kindly asked what that means, what do we do, and so forth.
He started talking about extra ultrasounds, appointments, and then aversion (where the Doctor will physically try to turn the baby around at an appt. in the hospital) and the dreaded C-section. And, I promptly started to have an anxiety zone out. This is not what I imagined the end of my super easy, super fun pregnancy to go like! So, since yesterday, I've been, well, kind of freaking out. In my own, research til I drop sort of way. I found out only 3-4% of babies are breech at birth...so it seems like I won some kind of crappy lottery.
Although I have an ultrasound in a week and a half to see if baby has turned on his own...I do not forsee this happening, because he has been in this position my entire pregancy. This means that at this ultrasound, if they find that baby is still breech, they will want to send me for aversion right then and there. And I do not want to do that. There are some risks that come with aversion (and it is super painful)- the worst being that they could break my amniotic sac, and they would have to do an emergency C-section. Matt is very concerned about them "squishing the baby around" (he is so cute), And I kind of agree. I don't really want them grabbing onto baby's little, soft head and squishing him in a circle.
So, I am taking action. I am not sure if this action will work, but it's worth a try...and I always like to try a holistic approach before the medical anyway.
I am getting moxibustion & accupuncture on Monday. Yes, I, who squirms at the very sight of needles will have dozens of them stuck into my body and feet (eeeeeeeek) while they are buring some strange Harry Potter sounding herb by my pressure points in my feet.
Here is the actual scientific description of this treatment:
Accupuncture
Using disposable needles, a practitioner will insert them just into the skin to release qi, prevent it from being blocked or help it move. This release of energy is said to help the baby find a better position by allowing mom's body to move freely and the baby to have the room he/she needs to be well placed in the uterus for birth.
Moxibustion
This form of traditional Chinese medicine involves burning a moxa (mugwort) stick near a certain point on the small toe of the foot (bladder 67). You can find practitioners in a variety of settings including the acupuncture clinic and other practitioners.
Meanwhile, this weekend, I will putting an icepack on my belly by baby's head, doing pelvic tilts, and some downward dog to help get baby to budge.
Doc also said "Wow you must be having some back pain because of how this baby is positioned! Hate to tell you, but it will get worse!". Yay. Something to look forward to! Thanks Doc.
Now, I just pray that in the next week and a half, this child will decide not to be stubborn and turn the hell around. If not, it may be to the OR I go.... {sigh...}.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Baby R's shoe collection has been started.
I come from a family of shoe divas...or shoe hoarders is probably more accurate. My mother has more pairs of shoes than anyone I have ever met. They are piled high in two separate closets in her bedroom and I have heard her say "I need a pair of simple black shoes to go with this outfit" about 50 times (hence, she has at least 50 pairs of simple black shoes).
I, on the other hand, am not a shoe diva. I won't spend more than $30 on a pair (unless they are boots, then I will spend a little more), and I tend to wear shoes until the heel is falling off.
This apple fell far from the shoe tree.
This being said, I actually love shoes. Especially baby shoes. How can you not be obsessed?? They are so cute and little!
I have a feeling Baby will have quite the shoe collection, since he is not even born and already owns 7 pairs.
Here is a run-down of what he has so far:
-Baby owns not one, but two pairs of black Converse high tops. They are so cute & necessary that I purchased them in a size 1 & 2! I think he might need a pair of blue ones at some point.
-Aunt Marissa just purchase baby his very first pair of VANS. They are the slip-on black, white and green checkered ones, and I am totally in love with them. They will look particularly good with his future mohawk : )
-In transit (I am checking the mail daily because I can't wait for these to come in!!), Baby has 2 pairs of these custom made Pirate Boot-ys coming in. I got them in distressed black and navy & gray. So punk rock, so cute, so cuddly. Again, obsessed.
- Great-Aunt Angie got him an adorable pair of red Converse-esqe hightops. Adorable
-Slip-on Diesel-like sneaks for when he wants to be all GQ. Ya know, for when he has a (play)date or something.
So, what do you think? I'm thinking we are pretty set in the shoe department...
All I can say is, thank god I'm not having a girl.
I, on the other hand, am not a shoe diva. I won't spend more than $30 on a pair (unless they are boots, then I will spend a little more), and I tend to wear shoes until the heel is falling off.
This apple fell far from the shoe tree.
This being said, I actually love shoes. Especially baby shoes. How can you not be obsessed?? They are so cute and little!
I have a feeling Baby will have quite the shoe collection, since he is not even born and already owns 7 pairs.
Here is a run-down of what he has so far:
-Baby owns not one, but two pairs of black Converse high tops. They are so cute & necessary that I purchased them in a size 1 & 2! I think he might need a pair of blue ones at some point.
-Aunt Marissa just purchase baby his very first pair of VANS. They are the slip-on black, white and green checkered ones, and I am totally in love with them. They will look particularly good with his future mohawk : )
-In transit (I am checking the mail daily because I can't wait for these to come in!!), Baby has 2 pairs of these custom made Pirate Boot-ys coming in. I got them in distressed black and navy & gray. So punk rock, so cute, so cuddly. Again, obsessed.
- Great-Aunt Angie got him an adorable pair of red Converse-esqe hightops. Adorable
-Slip-on Diesel-like sneaks for when he wants to be all GQ. Ya know, for when he has a (play)date or something.
So, what do you think? I'm thinking we are pretty set in the shoe department...
All I can say is, thank god I'm not having a girl.
Sunday, September 4, 2011
An ode to my friend, Tums, on this labor day weekend.
Never did I think there would come a day that I carried a sandwich ziplock baggie filled with Calcium Carbonate in my purse.
Where my pack of gum or cute tin of mints used to be, now sits this life saving bag of TUMS. Again, I don't think I have it quite as bad as some women who battle the dreaded heart burn throughout their entire pregnancy...but I have it bad enough.
Before I got pregnant, I think I took a total of 10 Tums in my entire life. Now I probably average about 2-4 a day. I pop them like candy, and the last time I purchased them, I purchased the Costco sized bottle. I can only eat the berry flavored ones, the other ones are gross.
The last few weeks I've gotten heartburn when I've eaten veggies, when I eat ice cream, or when I drink water. It is not prejudice (though oddly, when I eat Mexican food- No heartburn. Coincedence? I think not.).
But then I pop this magical, not so little pill, chew...and Viola! It's gone. I freakin' love Tums- that is the moral of this story.
So, a little salute to you today, oh mighty heartburn relief medication -(that also has calcium in it which is a nice plus)...as I go and eat my labor day foods consisting of steaks, hamburgers, tostitos and salsa, and any other acid inducing fare...I know you will be there waiting for me, to cool and sooth my insides, and I thank you.
Where my pack of gum or cute tin of mints used to be, now sits this life saving bag of TUMS. Again, I don't think I have it quite as bad as some women who battle the dreaded heart burn throughout their entire pregnancy...but I have it bad enough.
Before I got pregnant, I think I took a total of 10 Tums in my entire life. Now I probably average about 2-4 a day. I pop them like candy, and the last time I purchased them, I purchased the Costco sized bottle. I can only eat the berry flavored ones, the other ones are gross.
The last few weeks I've gotten heartburn when I've eaten veggies, when I eat ice cream, or when I drink water. It is not prejudice (though oddly, when I eat Mexican food- No heartburn. Coincedence? I think not.).
But then I pop this magical, not so little pill, chew...and Viola! It's gone. I freakin' love Tums- that is the moral of this story.
So, a little salute to you today, oh mighty heartburn relief medication -(that also has calcium in it which is a nice plus)...as I go and eat my labor day foods consisting of steaks, hamburgers, tostitos and salsa, and any other acid inducing fare...I know you will be there waiting for me, to cool and sooth my insides, and I thank you.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
It's almost Fall, which means it's almost baby time!
This past week has been a week of mixed emotions. Having made it through 2 natural disasters in the past 10 days (although we are still left without power or running water from that bitch Irene. Do you know how much it sucks not having a running toilet when you have to pee every 10 minutes?!), and a very sad death in our family, I am ready to welcome September with open arms. September means decaf pumpkin lattes, pumpkin bread, squash ravioli (you sense a theme here?) and 30 days closer to being October.
We spent one day this past weekend shopping for 8 hours straight. Not in preparation for Hurricane Irene like everyone else, but in preparation for Baby! We shopped til we dropped (and we happened to drop at one of our favorite restaurants, BOLU Trattoria in Basking Ridge, and ate a 5 course meal. If you haven't been there- GO! It's awesome.) and we did a lot of work in the nursery. We started organizing all of the baby paraphernalia and hanging some more of our pictures. Our custom printed Beatles inspired photos were framed in our beautiful glass and wood frames (which I found on clearance at Target for $4. 24 each - so exciting!) and hung on the wall by our rocker/recliner. And we hung 2 of Matt's electric guitars on the main wall on either side of the loveseat(the black & white one and the signed Weezer guitar I got for Matt a few Christmas' ago).
Some of our newborn baby clothes were washed, along with receiving blankets, bibs and those adorable mini socks (I am kind of obsessed with baby socks, they are so cute and small!).
And that was just the beginning of our weekend baby activities...we also took our "Prepared Childbirth" class and maternity center tour at our hospital.
It was a full 8 hours of videos of babies being born (Matt, nor I, really liked that part), breathing (and lots of mimicking of the famous breathing scene in the "Bill Cosby, Himself" stand up comedy act...not by the entire class...just by Matt and I. Glad we took it seriously) and then we took our tour of the maternity center. Pretty nice digs, I have to say. As we passed by the nursery, the nurse on duty brought the one lone infant that was there up to the window for us to see. OMG. This little munchkin just melted my heart. He was adorable and I actually had tears in my eyes when I looked at him. I have a feeling I will be a blubbering mess when I see my own little one all swaddled up in a few months. Or, in 7 weeks and 4 days to be exact. CRAZY!
It is truly going by so incredibly fast. I have 5 more weeks until I go on maternity leave and 7 weeks until I give birth to our son. OUR SON. Still totally trips me out.
Everytime I feel him roll around in my increasingly growing belly, I smile.
Every time. Even when he kicks me so hard in my lady parts that I wince. I still find myself smiling afterward.
We spent one day this past weekend shopping for 8 hours straight. Not in preparation for Hurricane Irene like everyone else, but in preparation for Baby! We shopped til we dropped (and we happened to drop at one of our favorite restaurants, BOLU Trattoria in Basking Ridge, and ate a 5 course meal. If you haven't been there- GO! It's awesome.) and we did a lot of work in the nursery. We started organizing all of the baby paraphernalia and hanging some more of our pictures. Our custom printed Beatles inspired photos were framed in our beautiful glass and wood frames (which I found on clearance at Target for $4. 24 each - so exciting!) and hung on the wall by our rocker/recliner. And we hung 2 of Matt's electric guitars on the main wall on either side of the loveseat(the black & white one and the signed Weezer guitar I got for Matt a few Christmas' ago).
Some of our newborn baby clothes were washed, along with receiving blankets, bibs and those adorable mini socks (I am kind of obsessed with baby socks, they are so cute and small!).
And that was just the beginning of our weekend baby activities...we also took our "Prepared Childbirth" class and maternity center tour at our hospital.
It was a full 8 hours of videos of babies being born (Matt, nor I, really liked that part), breathing (and lots of mimicking of the famous breathing scene in the "Bill Cosby, Himself" stand up comedy act...not by the entire class...just by Matt and I. Glad we took it seriously) and then we took our tour of the maternity center. Pretty nice digs, I have to say. As we passed by the nursery, the nurse on duty brought the one lone infant that was there up to the window for us to see. OMG. This little munchkin just melted my heart. He was adorable and I actually had tears in my eyes when I looked at him. I have a feeling I will be a blubbering mess when I see my own little one all swaddled up in a few months. Or, in 7 weeks and 4 days to be exact. CRAZY!
It is truly going by so incredibly fast. I have 5 more weeks until I go on maternity leave and 7 weeks until I give birth to our son. OUR SON. Still totally trips me out.
Everytime I feel him roll around in my increasingly growing belly, I smile.
Every time. Even when he kicks me so hard in my lady parts that I wince. I still find myself smiling afterward.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
You know you're in your 3rd trimester when...
So, I think it's finally happened and I guess it took long enough. I feel pregnant. Really, truly pregnant.
Gone are the days of a cute tiny bump, wearing 4 inch heels all day long, and strangers still wondering if your pregnant or just ate a quarter-pounder with cheese for lunch. Now my belly looks like I swallowed a watermelon (and two honeydews up top, and two cantaloupes on my backside), I wore sneakers (SNEAKERS!) twice last week, and total strangers greet me with "Hi Mama!" "Congrats!" or "Boy or Girl?".
I have been feeling wonderful the entire past 7 months, and now I am starting to feel...well, pregnant I guess. I still feel good, so I'm not complaining (per se), but things just change when you hit your 3rd tri-mester.
There are a few things that I have noticed most notably in the past couple of weeks...so I entitle this- (and I worn you, some is not for the faint of heart, or stomach. Or men. Men might not like hearing some of this stuff.)
You know you're in your 3rd trimester when:
- You hit your belly when closing the stall door when using the restroom at work
- You think of a game plan before bending down to or sitting on the ground. You need to make sure there is something in arms reach to prop your self back up, or you may be chillin' on the floor for a while.
- You call your husband from another room, just to turn on a light.
- You get really pissed off when Macy's is on the other side of the mall from Bloomingdale's.
- You consider getting into your car to drive from Macy's to Bloomingdale's.
- Every closet in your entire house has been organized and re-organized...and most of the stuff inside the closets has been thrown away.
- You find yourself praying in the middle of the night for just "30 minutes of continuous sleep" PLEASE SLEEP GODS! Have mercy on me!
- You need to leave work a few minutes earlier just to make your train on time.
- Eating has become an hourly necessity. Unless you want to deal with a majorly cranky, starving, crazy woman.
- You start to use your belly as a snack table.
- Your exercise becomes walking up one flight of stairs. Even though you sound like you just ran a marathon because you are so out of breath.
-You grunt and moan a lot. And not the good type of grunting and moaning.
- Double chin. I hate it. ugh.
- It kinda looks like a cat scratched up the sides of your hips a bit.
- Your legs look like a kindergartner shaved them.
- You start to look like a 70s porn star (yeah, you know exactly what I mean.)
Only 9 more weeks until we get to meet Baby!
...and loving every minute of it.
Gone are the days of a cute tiny bump, wearing 4 inch heels all day long, and strangers still wondering if your pregnant or just ate a quarter-pounder with cheese for lunch. Now my belly looks like I swallowed a watermelon (and two honeydews up top, and two cantaloupes on my backside), I wore sneakers (SNEAKERS!) twice last week, and total strangers greet me with "Hi Mama!" "Congrats!" or "Boy or Girl?".
I have been feeling wonderful the entire past 7 months, and now I am starting to feel...well, pregnant I guess. I still feel good, so I'm not complaining (per se), but things just change when you hit your 3rd tri-mester.
There are a few things that I have noticed most notably in the past couple of weeks...so I entitle this- (and I worn you, some is not for the faint of heart, or stomach. Or men. Men might not like hearing some of this stuff.)
You know you're in your 3rd trimester when:
- You hit your belly when closing the stall door when using the restroom at work
- You think of a game plan before bending down to or sitting on the ground. You need to make sure there is something in arms reach to prop your self back up, or you may be chillin' on the floor for a while.
- You call your husband from another room, just to turn on a light.
- You get really pissed off when Macy's is on the other side of the mall from Bloomingdale's.
- You consider getting into your car to drive from Macy's to Bloomingdale's.
- Every closet in your entire house has been organized and re-organized...and most of the stuff inside the closets has been thrown away.
- You find yourself praying in the middle of the night for just "30 minutes of continuous sleep" PLEASE SLEEP GODS! Have mercy on me!
- You need to leave work a few minutes earlier just to make your train on time.
- Eating has become an hourly necessity. Unless you want to deal with a majorly cranky, starving, crazy woman.
- You start to use your belly as a snack table.
- Your exercise becomes walking up one flight of stairs. Even though you sound like you just ran a marathon because you are so out of breath.
-You grunt and moan a lot. And not the good type of grunting and moaning.
- Double chin. I hate it. ugh.
- It kinda looks like a cat scratched up the sides of your hips a bit.
- Your legs look like a kindergartner shaved them.
- You start to look like a 70s porn star (yeah, you know exactly what I mean.)
Only 9 more weeks until we get to meet Baby!
...and loving every minute of it.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Bumbos, Boobie pads & Baby clothes...oh my!
So, the day has come and gone... one of the days I was looking forward to most out of my time being prego- My baby shower!
This Sunday was my baby shower, and holy crap, was I showered. With love, with fun, with food, with laughs and with presents!
We kind of did a very nontraditional traditional shower. First off, I knew all about it. I told my mom from the very beginning not to try and surprise me, because it just doesn't work. Seriously, it's not worth the effort. I am too much of a (self titled) control freak to be surprised, and it stresses me out. But we did the whole women only thing, so we kept with the tradition there. My wonderful husband hired a piano player to play some of my favorite Beatles, Elton John, Billy Joel etc... tunes for the first two hours. And we had a really delish cocktail hour of passed food followed by a buffet with 2 carving stations and a pasta station. And a whole wall of desserts, homemade zeppoles and red velvet cake. yum.
So, I helped a bit with the planning, and in the end, my mom and sister threw me the best shower ever.
There was lots of eating, drinking (including a gallon of home-made Bailey's. But of course, I stuck to water with lemon and shirley temples), chatting (we did have 60 women at this party), and rubbing of my ever-growing belly (which ,I, unlike most pregnant women, actually love).
Some questions/comments that were heard/made to me during the party:
Them: Do you have a name picked out?
Me: Yes, but I'm not telling you...or anyone.
Them: Why?
Me: Because I want it to be a surprise! ...and I don't want your opinion ; )
Them: Can I rub your belly? (as they are already rubbing it...)
Me: Sure!
Them: How much weight have you gained so far?
Me: 14 pounds
Them: Bitch. (seriously was the response by 90% of my family & friends that asked me this..ha)
Them: What would you do if the baby came out a girl?!
Me: Most likely have a heart attack in the delivery room, so hopefully that won't happen.
"POOP!!!!" ~ Screamed out by my bff, Katie, after she received a poopy diaper in the poopy diaper game
"ARGHHHHH MEEEE (while jumping up and down)!!!"~ Screamed out by my other bff, Lindsey ,after she won a Coach key-chain in the raffle game (This was followed by me doubled over and holding my"self" because I was laughing so hard, I thought I might pee my cropped leggings)
"Who wants a shot?!? ~ usually said by my Mom. Yup. We are some classy broads.
"Elisa, your cake is PINK!" ~ said by half the party after they brought my cake out covered by the brightest pink icing I have ever seen. They later fixed said pink icing and made it bright blue. But you could still little smudges of pink here and there. Maybe it's an omen?! And, seriously, who cares...it was freakin' scrumptious.
"This cake is better than sex." ~ Can be overheard on the video that my aunt was taking of me opening my gifts (thank you Patty for the hysterical commentary : )
Yeah, it was a pretty fun day. And we got a crap load of gifts to boot! The gifts literally take up the entire nursery (I will post a pic tomorrow) and I think we may need to put an addition onto the already ginormous room.
How much stuff you "need" for a baby is truly amazing to me. It is the biggest marketing scam ever.
I am pretty sure my grandma, my mom and millions of other moms got by without a Bumbo (I still am unsure what this thing is for, but I HAD to have one.), or a baby hiking backpack. But alas, they are sitting in my soon to be little ones room, and I cannot wait to use them. I also got an entire basket dedicated to my soon to be lactating boobies (you know you're prego when this excites you), and a gift certificate for baby's first photo-shoot (he already has paparazzi!).
With all this stuff, It sometimes feels like we are giving birth to a Sultan, not an infant.
Next step, go shopping for the other stuff that we didn't receive and still need. Yes, there is still more. Lots more. It is truly unbelievable.
I never thought I'd think this, but the Baby industry must rip you off more than the wedding industry.
...But then again, baby socks are so much cuter than a food processor.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Pretty great Groupon deal for all of my NJ moms of young kiddies...and some cool shoes too!
Just thought I'd share....
Groupon is running this pretty great deal today: Gymboree Play & Music – Multiple Locations
One-Month Gymboree Play & Music Membership with Waived Initiation Fee.
I have attended a similar class at a different chain with my nephew a few months ago, and he just loved the child interaction as well as running around like mad!
I actually have every intention of enrolling the little man into Gymboree Play & Music when he is about 6 months old. I think I will love this program especially because of the music aspect to it....can't get enough music into my little ones life!! And, one of the locations happens to be about 15 minutes from my house which is nice.
But alas, this particular Groupon deal expires in November, and baby will only be a mere few weeks old if that...so I will have to wait until the next deal, or (GASP!) pay full price when the time comes.
So, I thought I'd share for all of you other mommies out there...hurry though! Only a few more hours to purchase!
PS- Check out my facebook page for another awesome deal....
Super cool artist from Etsy.com (my FAVE site), MEandREEKIE, is offering an awesome deal until tomorrow (Aug. 18th). Buy one pair of her totally cool Boot-ys and get a second pair free. I ordered the Pirate Boot-ys in distressed black and also in brown...for $25 total including shipping!! Not too shabby for custom made, adorable shoes.
Here is the link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/75000226/grey-and-black-pirate-boot-ys?utm_source=OpenGraph&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share
Besides- these are kind of a must have for any punk rock baby like my future one... ; )
Happy Shopping!
E <3
Groupon is running this pretty great deal today: Gymboree Play & Music – Multiple Locations
One-Month Gymboree Play & Music Membership with Waived Initiation Fee.
I have attended a similar class at a different chain with my nephew a few months ago, and he just loved the child interaction as well as running around like mad!
I actually have every intention of enrolling the little man into Gymboree Play & Music when he is about 6 months old. I think I will love this program especially because of the music aspect to it....can't get enough music into my little ones life!! And, one of the locations happens to be about 15 minutes from my house which is nice.
But alas, this particular Groupon deal expires in November, and baby will only be a mere few weeks old if that...so I will have to wait until the next deal, or (GASP!) pay full price when the time comes.
So, I thought I'd share for all of you other mommies out there...hurry though! Only a few more hours to purchase!
PS- Check out my facebook page for another awesome deal....
Super cool artist from Etsy.com (my FAVE site), MEandREEKIE, is offering an awesome deal until tomorrow (Aug. 18th). Buy one pair of her totally cool Boot-ys and get a second pair free. I ordered the Pirate Boot-ys in distressed black and also in brown...for $25 total including shipping!! Not too shabby for custom made, adorable shoes.
Here is the link: http://www.etsy.com/listing/75000226/grey-and-black-pirate-boot-ys?utm_source=OpenGraph&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share
Besides- these are kind of a must have for any punk rock baby like my future one... ; )
Happy Shopping!
E <3
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
¡Aye aye aye, el bambino necesitas el comida mexicano mucho!
First off, I apologize in advance for any unintentional profane text, or even worse, any unintentional spelling errors. I am attempting to write this blog post from my droid on my 90+ min. train commute home. And if you have ever received a text from me, you probably know my sent messages could occupy an entire page of "F you auto correct".
That being said, I have nothing all that impressive or pressing to report today except that I am craving mexican food. Again. I am starting to think that mexican food is my main diet and everything else is a craving because I eat it so much. I can honestly say that I have barely had a different craving during my entire pregnancy. Sure, I occasionally want to go out for ice cream, ate nothing but eggplant for an entire week, and asked my (amazing and beautiful) aunt to send me home cactus pears from Brooklyn all the way to NJ....but I realize those are items I wanted.
Mexican food, my dear friends, is something I NEED...and I need it NOW.
I thought pregnant woman cravings were for the weak. For the woman who couldn't control herself, or her mind. Not me, I thought.... I am so not that girl. And then it happened, BOOM! My need for the grande burrito and some tamales from my favorite little mexican joint (the real deal people, we are not talking Taco Bell here) hit me and it hit me strong. A pregnant womans craving starts out like a little nagging feeling...and then you begin to think about that feeling a bit more...then you start to salivate a little thinking about it (yup)...then you call your huband and ask him if he needs to go to Lowes or Home Depot for anything tonight because you know your restaurant is only up the street...then when your husband says "nope, don't need anything", you cry. Yeah, true story. I can never seem to say, I have a craving for mexican food, outright. I play this dumb game to try and get out of cooking...and then cry like the hormonal mess I have become when I fail.
Humerous, sure. Embarrasing? Kind of.
In short (or not, since I just wrote forever about this suto-rant), if my sons first words are Aye Papi, or if eats tortilla chips instead of baby biscotti, we'll know why.
So, if you need to find me tonight (or any other night this feeling overcomes me), you'll find me eating a pollo burrito con pico de gallo, avocado, salsa verde y un poquito de jalepeno. And a mexican coca-cola...those things are amazing!
That being said, I have nothing all that impressive or pressing to report today except that I am craving mexican food. Again. I am starting to think that mexican food is my main diet and everything else is a craving because I eat it so much. I can honestly say that I have barely had a different craving during my entire pregnancy. Sure, I occasionally want to go out for ice cream, ate nothing but eggplant for an entire week, and asked my (amazing and beautiful) aunt to send me home cactus pears from Brooklyn all the way to NJ....but I realize those are items I wanted.
Mexican food, my dear friends, is something I NEED...and I need it NOW.
I thought pregnant woman cravings were for the weak. For the woman who couldn't control herself, or her mind. Not me, I thought.... I am so not that girl. And then it happened, BOOM! My need for the grande burrito and some tamales from my favorite little mexican joint (the real deal people, we are not talking Taco Bell here) hit me and it hit me strong. A pregnant womans craving starts out like a little nagging feeling...and then you begin to think about that feeling a bit more...then you start to salivate a little thinking about it (yup)...then you call your huband and ask him if he needs to go to Lowes or Home Depot for anything tonight because you know your restaurant is only up the street...then when your husband says "nope, don't need anything", you cry. Yeah, true story. I can never seem to say, I have a craving for mexican food, outright. I play this dumb game to try and get out of cooking...and then cry like the hormonal mess I have become when I fail.
Humerous, sure. Embarrasing? Kind of.
In short (or not, since I just wrote forever about this suto-rant), if my sons first words are Aye Papi, or if eats tortilla chips instead of baby biscotti, we'll know why.
So, if you need to find me tonight (or any other night this feeling overcomes me), you'll find me eating a pollo burrito con pico de gallo, avocado, salsa verde y un poquito de jalepeno. And a mexican coca-cola...those things are amazing!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Phew...what a weekend!
It's Sunday evening and I am exhausted. Apparently, my 3rd trimester low energy-ness has decided to kick in today.
It was a crazy weekend filled with family parties, moving furniture (I didn't move anything, no worries...), buying (more) stuff for the nursery, going on a long hike, spa visits (facial AND massage this weekend- so nice!) housework, and contractions. Yep- I experienced my first contractions.
Mr. Braxton Hicks decided to visit me on Friday night with a vengeance (what I did to him, I'm not so sure...). I got so nervous that I even decided to call the 24 hour nurses hotline that I have access to through my insurance. The RN explained to me that if I was not experiencing contractions closer than every 10 minutes, then I should be ok, and they were only Braxton Hicks (or practice contractions). Kinda scary stuff though! That paired with me pulling a muscle in my hip made for a pretty uncomfortable weekend.
Today, I chilled. Dr. Matty (aka my overprotective husband) put me on bed rest, so I did a lot of tv watching, reading and napping (...and food shopping. Oh well, a wifey's gotta do what she gotta do sometimes).
It was a lovely day until I noticed a giant leak in our master bedroom ceiling from this awful rain (said master bedroom is the same one we just got painted LAST WEEK! UGHHHHH). Yeah, I've said it before...don't buy a house.
Onto this week- I am 30 weeks prego and Matt is turning 30 years old tomorrow!! Lots of fun stuff planned for next weekend including my 30 week doctors appointment, getting my hair colored for the first time in 7 months (YAY), Matt's 30th birthday dinner and bonfire, and my babyyyy showerrrrrr! WOOHOO!
Now,hopefully I can make it to Thursday without collapsing from sleepiness. Then I'll get excited about the weekend.
It was a crazy weekend filled with family parties, moving furniture (I didn't move anything, no worries...), buying (more) stuff for the nursery, going on a long hike, spa visits (facial AND massage this weekend- so nice!) housework, and contractions. Yep- I experienced my first contractions.
Mr. Braxton Hicks decided to visit me on Friday night with a vengeance (what I did to him, I'm not so sure...). I got so nervous that I even decided to call the 24 hour nurses hotline that I have access to through my insurance. The RN explained to me that if I was not experiencing contractions closer than every 10 minutes, then I should be ok, and they were only Braxton Hicks (or practice contractions). Kinda scary stuff though! That paired with me pulling a muscle in my hip made for a pretty uncomfortable weekend.
Today, I chilled. Dr. Matty (aka my overprotective husband) put me on bed rest, so I did a lot of tv watching, reading and napping (...and food shopping. Oh well, a wifey's gotta do what she gotta do sometimes).
It was a lovely day until I noticed a giant leak in our master bedroom ceiling from this awful rain (said master bedroom is the same one we just got painted LAST WEEK! UGHHHHH). Yeah, I've said it before...don't buy a house.
Onto this week- I am 30 weeks prego and Matt is turning 30 years old tomorrow!! Lots of fun stuff planned for next weekend including my 30 week doctors appointment, getting my hair colored for the first time in 7 months (YAY), Matt's 30th birthday dinner and bonfire, and my babyyyy showerrrrrr! WOOHOO!
Now,hopefully I can make it to Thursday without collapsing from sleepiness. Then I'll get excited about the weekend.
Friday, August 12, 2011
The baby furniture is here!
Matt and I are so thrilled, because our crib, dresser and nightstand arrived this week! We also picked up the rocker/recliner and loveseat that will also go in the nursery. Our nursery happens to be quite the gigantic room (22'x14'), so we are trying to make it an all purpose baby room/sitting area/playroom for our little pumpkin.
We chose the Metro line from Bonavita for the nursery furniture. It really fits the modern and sleek decor we are going for. The entire theme of the nursery is MUSIC (are you surprised at all?!?). Most of the decor elements have been custom made by awesome artists on etsy...including our crib set, which is going to be incredibly cool and cute. I will be sure to post all my vendors that I used if anyone is interested.
Soon to be Grandma & Grandpa P (or G-MA as my mother would like to be called by our child. Yeah. I don't get it either...) graciously purchased our little ones furniture and we couldn't be more grateful. We really are so in love with it!!
After the furniture came yesterday, Matt and I kept finding ourselves sitting in the baby's room (laying on the carpet, sitting on the loveseat, walking around aimlessly...). I think we both just love it so much already, and this whole thing is starting to feel really real.
Well, onto organizing and decorating! Maybe the little one will change positions so I can actually bend more than an inch today...because right now, my back is not allowing it!
Hopefully more nursery pics to come soon.
E <3
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Well...here we go!
Here we are...my second attempt at keeping a blog, during one of the busiest times in my life!
I thought this would be a nice way for friends and family to keep up with mine and Matt's already busy life that is about to get wayyy busier, because come October, we are going to have a baby! Yes, we finally did it! After over 6 wonderful years of marriage, we thought we'd buckle down and become adults.
So, a little bit about our current situation: Matt and I are expecting our first baby due on October 22nd. We are ridiculously excited at the prospect of having a "Halloween baby, because as many of you may know, we are ridiculously obsessed with all things Halloween. We found out we were pregnant in late February, and found out we were having a SON in early June! I would have never ever admitted this before, but I always wanted to have a boy as my first child- so I am extra thrilled!
I have had the easiest pregnancy known to man (or woman rather) so far- so feel free to hate me all you want. I am hoping this last 11 weeks or so will treat me just as well as the weeks so far.
Now, it's crunch time. But, it's also time for the fun stuff...nursery getting painted, furniture getting delivered, baby shower, assembling baby paraphernalia (thank you in advance, Matt), baby classes, hospital tours, panic attacks (wait? what?). I must admit- the closer we get to October, the more excited I get to meet my little boy, and I also get exponentially more terrified.
But, alas, here I am...writing this blog about my final few weeks as a first time prego, and then my journey into motherhood and all of the crazy adventures in between.
Hope you find my stories as fun as I do.... E <3
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