How 'Bout Now?

ABCs...

2011-03-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

I stole this from the Lovely KB over at The C(K)Lamb Roll. :) Thanks KB!

Just a little St. Patty's Day fun that has absolutely nothing to do with St. Patty's Day.

Age: 33. Sometimes I forget and have to think about it. Isn't that sad?
Bed Size: King. Love it.
Chore you dislike: Vacuuming and ironing. Luckily my husband enjoys both of these.
Dogs: Boomer was my childhood dog. He was the best. Lola is my mom's dog and she's pretty cool too.
Essential part of your day: Snuggling with Brody
Favorite color: prob pink. or maybe navy.
Gold or silver: Silver, for sure.
Height: 5’3″
Instruments you play(ed): I played the violin in elementary school. Failed. Hated it.
Job title: Academic Advisor/Orientation Coordinator
Kids: 1, Brody, 4 months old.
Live: San Jose, CA
Mom’s name: Sue Ellen
Nicknames: I really haven't had many. Not much you can do with Sara. LB calls me ST or swout (back in the day). Kerry calls me Shibbs or Shibby. Dee and Cari call me Sar. Joe and I call each other Marty.
Overnight hospital stays: The first time I ever had to stay in the hospital was when I had Brody. My send was 6 weeks later for my gallbladder. 2 hospital stay in my entire life, all withing 6 weeks. Oh and they were two different hospitals.
Pet peeves: chronic complainers/negative nellys (good one, KB), people who drive really slow even though everyone else is going much faster, people who make it seem as though their work lives are so stressful, though you never actually see them doing anything.
Quote from a movie: “You said three casinos?"- Ocean's 11. Best.Movie.Ever.
Righty or Lefty: righty
Siblings: One older brother, Jason.
Time you wake up: During the week, I usually get up at 6. On days that Joe takes Brody to daycare or is at home with him, it's 6:45. The latest I'll usually sleep on the weekends, is 8 or 8:30 and that's if Joe has already gotten up with Brody.
Underwear: In the words of my good friend Erin "everyone loves a full panty".
Vegetables you don’t like: zucchini
X-rays: once, when I thought I broke my finger. And dental xrays of course.
Yummy food you make: mini meatloaves. mmmm.
Zoo. Favorite zoo animal: hmmm, probably the monkeys or penguins.

Going Back To Work...

2011-03-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

I went back to work shortly after Brody turned 3 months old. The adjustment was a lot easier than I thought it would be, but that's because I think I expected the worst. I wasnt excited about going back to work and leaving my little man, so I didn't think about it a lot. I had child care in place, but other than that I didn't really focus on maternity leave coming to an end.

I really couldnt be happier with how thigs have worked out. Our child care set up is great. He's with Joe on Mondays (we call them Daddy Mondays), my mother in law on Tuesdays and with Miss Pat (in-home day care) on Wednesdays through Fridays. It's a really nice balance actually. He gets to be at our house on Mondays and Tuesdays, which is great for me because I get to just leave the house and go straight to work. It's also nice for him to be in his own environment. He's a baby that likes to sleep in, so that's a bonus for him too. I have left many mornings where he hasn't woken up yet. It's sad that I don't get to love all over him, but I love peeking in over the crib at him sleeping peacefully.

I love Miss Pat. She came highly recommended by my Mom's neighbor, who's little girl (E is 2 1/2) has been going to Miss pat since she was a few months old. They have the cutest relationship. I was worried that I was going to intrude on this and forever scar E for taking away her Pat, but it seems to be going well. I think E is coming around to liking Brody. Yesterday, she kissed Brody on the head and said "bye sweetheart" as we were leaving.

Pat is wonderful. You can just tell that she loves Brody already. She has so much experience with kids and always has the most helpful tips to share with us. She can make Brody smile just by looking at him. I love that he loves her. I hope we can continue taking Brody to Miss Pat for a long time.

Of course Brody loves being with his Daddy and his Nana too. Those are great times that they both get to have with Brody. I love coming home at the end of the day to hear how much fun they've each had with him and just how cute and wonderful he was all day.

There have definitely been some adjustments with going back to work. I get up almost an hour earlier in the morning, but I arrive to work at least a half an hour later than I used to. It's not just get up, get ready and go anymore. It's actually kind of nice to have so much interaction with Brody, Joe, and/or Peg and Pat in the mornings, but they can be hectic. Time flies with a baby. The evenings are the same way. When I pick B up from Miss Pat's, we don't get home until 6pm at the earliest. He often gets tired and hungry shortly thereafter, so we quickly try to eat and clean up before giving him a bath and a bottle. I love evening with my husband and baby, but I wish I had more time to play with Brody and relax with Joe. I'm still trying to figure out the best schedule for all of us to make the most of our evenings together. It actually looks like the time change may help us a little bit with keeping him awake an hour longer. Hopefully it stays that way!
I treasure my weekends more than ever. Saturdays are family day. Joe doesn't work, so it's our one day a week to spend together, just the three of us. I love doing nothing, or doing everything. We usually don't make any plans and just let the day unfold. Sunday's are equally as fun, since I get Brody all to myself. I usually make a lunch date with a friend or spend the afternoon with my mom. Weekends are just like maternity leave except more friends/family aren't working! Hooray!

Overall, I feel very lucky to have the set up that I do for our family. As much as I didn't want to return to work, it's something I had to do for our family. I am thankful that I enjoy my job and the people that I work with. I'm also beyond happy with our child care situation. A happy mama equals a happy baby and vice versa. I can honestly say that although it's been an adjustment, everyone is very happy.

4 months

2011-03-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

I've finally caught up! Brody is four months old, as of last Sunday.

Brody loves to chew on his hands.

How big is Brody? We had B's 4 month well visit on Monday and he weighed 16 lbs, 2 oz. and measured 24.75 inches. He's in the 75th percentile for weight, 50th for height and 80th for head size. He's my little chunky monkey.

Almost all of his clothes are now 3-6 months with the exception of some 6-12 month stuff from Old Navy. He's quickly growing out of the 3-6 though. At the end of last summer, Joe and I bought a handful of sale stuff that he could wear this summer. However, we estimated that he'd be in 6-9 month when the weather got warm. He's quickly Approaching that size, so it better get a lot warm real fast, or he better stop growing so quickly. I prefer the former.
He's officially in size 2 pampers diapers. We made the switch a week or so ago, and I actually think it was a little overdue.

Teeth? Still no teeth. The doctor checked and said it he will probably start teething at around 7 months.

What's he eating? B is now eating/drinking 5 oz, every 3 hours. We upped his ounces to 5 and even tried 6, but that was too much for him to have consistently. We give him 6 oz at bedtime, but during the day, he was spitting it up. We're also incorporate some juice to help keep that little soy baby regular. The soy can be constipating, so the juice will offset that. He's not a huge fan of the juice, but we can usually get him to take a sip or two a few times a day. I've tried both prune and pear juice. We talked to the doctor about solid, so we'll try out some rice cereal this weekend.

Sleep? He's still pretty inconsistent with his sleep. Sometimes he'll go down right away and other times he wakes up every half an hour for the first few hours. He seems to be having nightmares (is that possible?) where he's crying in his sleep and then wakes himself up, pretty upset. The other nights, he's a champ. Falls asleep and will wake up only once to eat. Those nights are obviously the best.

Personality: I'm sure every parent thinks their child has the best personality. Bordy is just so much fun and super easy going. Even if he's crying in his crib, as soon as he sees you, he starts to smile. he'll smile at strangers and even himself in the mirror now. He laughed for the first time at the little girl at day care. She was dancing and jumping around and he thought it was funny. He started to giggle more throughout the month, and will now laugh when we blow raspberries on his belly. He's super interested in anything that's around him. He looks all over when we're in a new place, checking out his surroundings. He's very curious.

New Developments/Adventures: Brody loves his hands! They are constantly in his mouth. If you take one hand out of his mouth, the other goes right in. He is very curious about textures too. His bedroom walls have a roughness to them and he loves to rub his hands over the wall when I change him. Also, when we lay him in his crib, he immediately reaches out to rub the bumper with his fingers. Not texture there, but he loves to touch it. He's been more interested in toys and loves having something in each hand. I've attached toys to his car seat and he often has a hold of one in each hand. Brody has a lovey that's a monkey and he loves him. We named him Marvin. It's actually amazing to see how much calmer he gets when we give him Marvin. He always holds him close to his face. If we let him, he'd sleep with Marvin over his face. Obviously, because of this, he does not sleep with Marvin.

Brody has started rubbing his eyes when he's tired. I think it's the cutest thing. Usually it means he's beyond tired, but it's still nice to have a sign as to what he needs.

Brody started daycare, when I returned to work this last month. I plan to do a post all about returning to work. I'll just say that everything with our child care is working out great and I'm a very happy momma.

Brody is a chatterbox. He has lots and lots to talk about. He will just sit there and babble. He often wakes up and just starts talking to himself and he's always talking to himself in the car. It's the cutest thing. I have to hold myself back from taking videos of him doing this. I just think it's so entertaining. Most recently, he's learned to make high pitch squealing noises. He sounds like a dolphin. It's still cute.

A rather new development, just within the last week or so, is that Brody gets distracted very easily when he's having a bottle. If Joe walks by and says something or even sits out of sight and talks, Brody immediately stops eating and looks around for him. He likes to be part of the conversation as well. He prefers to sit near us when we're having dinner, and doesn't like if we both walk into the other room without him.

The doctor said that the most changes occur between the 2nd and 4th month and I completely agree. Brody has not only grown a lot, but he's learned so many new things. It seems like there's something new everyday. He's such a fun little boy. I cant wait to see what he has for us next month!

Pot sticker Soup

2011-03-09T15:18:00.000-08:00

I'm posting a recipe! This is huge for me. I never cook anything exciting, and rarely have any recipes worth sharing. I give full credit to my mother in law for this soup. I feel in love the first time I had it and now it's a staple in our household. It's super easy and super delish. You should give it a try.

Ingredients:
Frozen Chicken and Vegetable Pot stickers (as many as you want to eat!)
1 T minced garlic (or less is you don't like garlic)
Swansons Chicken Broth- size depends on how many you're feeding (32oz or 48oz)
Baby Carrots (amount of veggies it to your liking. all chopped to bite size)
Broccoli florets
Snap peas
mushrooms
green/red peppers
spinach leaves
Green onion, chopped
Sesame Oil
Mongolian Fire Oil- if you like it spicy. Joe uses it, I do not.
Directions:
Saute minced garlic in med/large pot. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add pot stickers and carrots and cook for 8 minutes. After 4 minutes, add the rest of the veggies, except for the spinach leaves and green onion. After the 8 minutes, add in the spinach leaves green onion and sesame oil to taste. Stir and serve. Add fire oil, if desired.

It's so easy, fast and scrumptious. I much prefer cooking recipes where I can see what the finish product looks like, but I dont have a picture. You'll just have to trust me that this soup is totally worth it.

My Favorite (Baby) Things

2011-02-28T15:38:00.000-08:00

I have so many funny baby stories/adventures to share, but before I get caught up on the last few months, I thought I'd share some of my favorite baby items, thus far.

When I first registered, I put EVERYTHING on it. I gathered lists from a number of my friends with recommendations of "must have baby items". I then decided that I needed all of it. First lesson was realizing that there were only so many people that were going to be buying us gifts, so I should really only put the items on my registry that either: 1. I couldn't/didn't want to buy myself 2. fun things other would rather buy for us or 3. expensive items that multiple people could go in on together. People who are having multiple showers or a very large shower and/or a large family may want to put more items on their registry so there's more to choose from. I ended up taking things off of my registry, fearing that we wouldn't get the things that we really needed. In the end, we got almost everything we needed or ended up purchasing them with gift cards that people had given us. It all, obviously, worked out.

Everyone has different circumstances, so each mom will have different reasons for their must haves. Some people have bigger/smaller houses and live in different weather climates. I think it's still fun to gather lists from friends to see that kinds of things they recommend.

Here's are may must haves based on the last 4 months....

Car seat:
We went with Chicco Key Fit 30 - did you know it's pronounced "key-ko"? I didn't! We really like it. A few people I know used the same brand and really liked it. It also had really high safely ratings. We got it from AlbeeBaby.com. I highly recommend this website. The car seat was much cheaper here than it was at Babies R Us (BRU) and had free shipping.

Pack 'N Play:
I knew I wanted a pack n play, not only for travelling, but also because I figured that this is where he would sleep for the first few weeks/months. We picked the style that had a "newborn napper". I thought it seemed like a cozy place to sleep. He did end up sleeping here before moving to his crib, however, it seemed to be quite an adjustment going from the cozy cocoon feel to flat on his back in the big 'ol crib. He's since adjusted, but he wasn't thrilled at first. I still highly recommend the pack n play.
Stroller:
I love love love our Snap 'N Go stroller. It's absolutely the best invention ever. It's makes taking the baby anywhere a breeze. For those who don't know, the infant car seat fits right into the frame of the stroller. It's super lightweight and easy to push. One of my top three baby items, for sure! I also have the Maclaren Techno XT. I got it on a discounted website for almost 50% off. It's kind of big, so we'll be using it more once he's able to sit up on his own. It'll be great for outings and travelling.

Swing:
We went big on the swing and chose the Fisher-Price lamb cradle swing. I'd been told by numerous people to get a swing that goes both back and forth and side to side, which really proved to be a good thing. At first Brody only wanted to go front to back and now he prefers side to side. We use this to get a nice fat nap out of Brody during the day. Bad habit, I know, I know. It's a sleep machine for sure! It also has different reclining positions and a lap bar with toys.

Bouncy Seat:
I never thought we'd get as much use out of a bouncy seat as we do. We went with the Fisher Price Bouncer. We have two - one at my mom's and one at our house. Brody actually spent a lot of time sleeping in his bouncy chair when he was a newborn, so this thing was a lifesaver. Now, he loves to play with the toys while Joe and I have dinner or while I'm getting ready in the morning. It's an affordable baby item that I highly recommend.

Bottles, binkies, etc:
We first started out using Playtex Drop In Bottles and used them for about 2.5 months before switching to Avent bottles. I liked the Playtex bottles, and had used them before when I was a nanny, but I got tired of dealing with the liners. I originally wanted them based on the fact that the liners were disposable and it cut down on the time it took to wash bottles. But, really I don't mind washing bottles. I do them once a day and it takes all of like 5 minutes. Plus, you still had to wash the playtex bottles. The avent bottles are wider and shorter. For some reason I really preferred this over the taller, skinny bottles. Call me crazy. I've also been using the Avent pacifiers. We were using the NUK brand, but then I tried the Avent ones and he seemed to not spit them out as much.

Play mat
Brody loves his Mobile Gym play mat. My mom got it for him right before Christmas. Even at 6 weeks, he was totally into the lights and toys. Now he grabs on to the toys and "talks" to the animals. It's another top 3 must have for us.

Baby Carriers:
We have both the Bjorn and the Ergo Carrier (borrowed). People swear on the ergo carrier over the Bjorn, but I think they kind of have different functions. I like the Bjorn better for littler babies, where the ergo works better for bigger/older babies. I also think that Joe would much prefer to use the Bjorn over the ergo. I have used each of them one time, but hope to get much more use out of both of them.

Other items that I love...
Children's Place PJ's- Stretchies- we put these under his sleeping bag
Carter's Sleeping Bag- I tried everything...swaddling lasted all of a months. The woombie never took and the sleep sack made his arms cold. The carters fleece sleeping bags are my favorite!
Carter's Onesies (long and short sleeved) Kohls has the best deals on Carters' stuff
Trumpette socks- we only have one pair so far, but they stay on so well, and they're SUPER cute!
Pampers Swaddlers Diapers
Pampers Sensitive Wipes- B got one diaper rash early one when we tried to switch from these wipes. It went away as soon as we went back.
Carter's Hooded Towels Are you noticing a theme? I loves Carters! These towels are much thicker than most hooded baby towels. I think they'll last longer and be perfect for the pool/beach as well.
Onesie Stickers- I think these stickers are the cutest idea for recording your baby's growth through pictures. I get so excited to take B's picture every month.

I'm sure I'm missing something. There are so many great baby things out there. It's so funny to think about what you think must have and then don't end up using....and then the things you didn't think you'd want/need are your favorite items.

Another thing that I highly recommend is joining Amazon Mom. You can become a member and even do the subscribe and save membership where you have diapers, wipes or anything else delivered regularly for up to 35% off (15 off for joining amazon mom and 15% off for doing the subscribe and save). It's so easy and convenient. Diapers and wipes right to my door? Yes, please!

Amazon Mom Info

Subscribe and Save Info

What's that? You want to see a picture of Brody? Ok, here he is from the other day. He's sporting his airplane overalls from his Auntie Nancy :)

3 Months

2011-02-28T13:27:00.000-08:00

Brody is 3 months old!

(technically almost 4 months at this point, but I'm catching up. Pretend I wrote this 2+ weeks ago, describing the month leading up to turning 3 months)

I think I'm going to start using a more standard format for these updates to keep things (and myself) more organized!

How big is Brody? It's all a guess now, since he hasn't been to the doctor since his 2 month check up. He'll go back again in a few weeks for his 4 months check up and shots. I'm so anxious to see how much he weighs. My guess is that he weighs somewhere around 13-14 lbs. That's a lot right?

He's wearing some 0-3 months and some 3-6 month clothes, now. He's in 3-6 months in Gap/Old Navy, although we have to roll the sleeves. He seems to have a longer torso and shorter arms and legs. Wow, that kind of made him sounds like a funny looking baby. He's not, I promise. Carters weight "limit" for 0-3 is 12.5 and although we think he's more than that, he can wear some of the onesies. Definitely not the pants! He's got a belly!

He's still in size 1, pampers swaddlers, although they're getting a little snug. I see size 2s in our not too distant future.

Teeth? Nope, no teeth. He's chewing on his hands a ton and drooling everywhere, so we're prepared for one to make an appearance, but nothing yet.

What's he eating? Brody is still on soy formula and eating 4 oz every 3 hours. He lets you know when he's hungry, that's for sure. Sometimes he can only manage to go 2.5 hours before he's ready for another meal. As suggested by the dr, we tried the milk based formula, to see if he could tolerate it. She said just one bottle would let us know. Well, he took one bottle and we didn't notice any difference, so we proceeded to feed him the milk based formula for the following two feedings as well. We weren't really sure how we'd know if he was ok with it, since our only sign before was that little bit of mucus/blood in his poop, and that only appeared maybe twice in 2 months. Later that evening, Brody had a melt down for an hour or so. We contributed it to the formula, and promptly took him off. I'm not really sure if it had anything to do with the formula, considering he'd had evening melt downs before, but we've been back on the soy ever since. The doctor said we could try again in a few months.

Sleep? Brody's sleeping patterns are definitely inconsistent, but he's gone some longer stretches this month. He went 7 hours between feedings one night, and 6 hours the next. He's gone back and forth between nights of longer stretches, and night with 3 hours stretches. Oh, he's also officially in his crib. Did I mention this? It's wonderful. Of course he's still having his daytime naps in the swing. I'll tackle that issue later.

Personality He's becoming so much more interactive. We have these little conversations that consist of "cooing" back and forth. He looks right into my eyes and chats away. It's fun activity that we usually do together after his bath. He's also becoming more predicable. We know what kinds of things are going to set him off, and what will calm him down. He's a creature of habit I think, and likes a schedule (like his momma). When he's getting tired in the evening he gets a little bit cranky. A bath will always calm him down. He loves his bath. But every night when I go to dry him off and put on his jammies, he smiles and coos, until I get to put his second arm into his PJs. Without fail. Every night. He's a funny guy. He cries and fusses until his arm is in, he's zipped, and I scoop him up. Then he's calm again.

New Developments/Adventures: Brody has his first haircut this month. You might think to yourself, "hmm, that's kind of early, isnt it?". We didn't have any issues cutting his hair. It was growing in all funky and we thought, why not. Joe was cutting his hair, so we figured, lets just buzz Brody's as well. Basically we just evened it out. we perched him in his Bumbo chair on the bathroom counter and Joe went to work. Brody couldn't have been less phased. He was a total champ, obviously having no idea what what going on. He's such a good boy!

Brody celebrated his first Super Bowl (and 3 month birthday) by cheering on the Steelers. They were not successful in securing their 7th ring, but we had fun rooting for them anyway. I take full responsibility in their loss, considering that I bought Brody a new onesie (second picture below) to wear for the big game, when he should have just worn his old one (first picture below) for continued good luck. Oh well...

Holiday Gallstones

2011-02-17T13:55:00.000-08:00

Let me just preface this by saying that prior to having a baby, I had never been in the hospital for anything. I'd never had and surgery other than having my wisdom teeth taken out. I've never broken a bone or even had stitches. So being in the hospital for the second time in two weeks was a crazy ordeal!

Here's the story...

Just before Christmas, when Brody was only 6 weeks old (to the day) I wound up in the hospital with gallstones. I had no idea that this is a common occurrence after pregnancy. I had never heard of it happening to anyone else and didn't come across it in any of my pregnancy/baby books.

I was fine the entire day leading up to when I went into the hospital. We visited with friends in the afternoon and then went to a graduation party that evening. We got home at about 8pm and settled in on the couch to relax. I wasn't feeling well, so I went to lay down in bed. After about an hour I decided to take a bath because my back hurt. Things just got worse from there. I had an awful pain in my stomach, right in the middle between my ribs. It was a sharp but burning pain, so I thought it may have been heart burn. Joe ran and got me pepto and maalox, but neither helped. At just after midnight I decided something was wrong and we needed to go to the emergency room. We decided that we'd go to the closest hospital to us, which is not the same one where Brody was born. Joe looked up the info online and said it was a 15 minute wait in the emergency room. I figured I could handle that wait- fearing that it would have been much worse and I would have been doubled over in pain among a whole bunch of weirdos.

Joe dropped me at the emergency room entrance and went to park with Brody. When I walked in, it was completely deserted. Not only was the waiting room empty, but there was no one at the front desk. I used the little phone as per the instructions on the wall and a nurse came right back to let me in. I answered some standard questions including when my last period was....eplying with "uhhhh, maybe January? I just had a baby 6 weeks ago". Joe walked in with Brody at that point and I was escorted back to a room. I had no idea what was going to happen next, how long I'd be there or what kind of tests I'd have to go through. I was talking to Joe about whether he should just leave me there, when a nurse stated that I'd at least be there for 3 hours while tests were being run. We decided that it would be best if Joe took Brody home, so they could both get some sleep. He did all my insurance paper work for me while I was hoked up to an IV and given some pain medication. They also took some blood from me. I then said goodbye to my boys and waited for someone to come in and talk to me.

A doctor arrived rather quickly and asked me a few questions before telling me that I'd be getting an ultrasound done of my abdomen. I was wheeled down the hallway for the longest ultrasound ever. The pain medication was working so I wasn't really feeling any discomfort. After the ultrasound, I was wheeled back to my room- which had a sliding glass door, like for a patio- to wait. Remember how I mentioned in the birth story, that it's not so easy going to the bathroom with an IV attached to you? Well, it's even harder when the nurse puts it in your right hand!

Am I making this story way longer than it needs to be??? I think I'll just get to the important stuff. :)

Ok, so anyway- I think I fell asleep after I got back to my room, and woke up at about 6am when the Doctor came in to talk to me. As soon as he sat down he said "well, it's definitely a gallstone, so you'll have to have your gallbladder removed." He told me that I did have an option of being sent home with pain medication, although I'd eventually have an attack again, and have to come back to have my gallbladder removed, or I could be admitted that same day and have it taken out right away. I opted for the latter, thinking that I just wanted to get it over with and get back to my family. I also didn't want to have another attack and do this whole process over again. I was told that the surgeon would come in to visit me soon and that I'd be moved up to the surgical floor by 1pm. I texted Joe right away to let him know and then called my mom to tell her. After that, I did what every normal person would do- I posted it on facebook. Almost immediately I had a handful of people responding, saying that they or someone they knew had the same thing happen after giving birth. So crazy that I had no idea!

I was sent up to the surgical floor at around noon that day and hung out there for a bit. Joe had come back and was hanging out with me before I went down for surgery about and hour later. Funny story- As we were waiting in the hallway to go into surgery, we were talking to the anesthesiologist. He was actually the man I was picturing for my epidural! Where was he 6 weeks ago? Oh right, wrong hospital. Anyway, he was standing at the foot of my bed when all of a sudden he asks me to stick out my tongue. I do, and he gets this crazy look on his face and says "why is your tongue black?" I totally thought he was joking, and looked to Joe. He had the same look! I realized that it was because I had eaten so many of the chewable pepto tablets the night before for that "heartburn" I thought I had. I'd read online that it will turn your tongue black. The doctor immediately seemed relived but we all had a laugh over it. Joe even took a picture with his phone so I could see it. I looked like a giraffe.

A few minutes later, I was wheeled back to the operating room. I don't know why they didn't knock me out first, those rooms are scary looking! The anesthesia took effect quickly, and before I knew it, I was partially conscious and in a recovery room. That part is a little fuzzy, though I do remember asking the nurses if they did some lipo suction for me while they were in there. I remember joking about that beforehand, but I cant believe I actually asked them that!!!

Later I woke up in my room, where both Joe and my mom were waiting. That was kind of fuzzy too. I remember feeling very drunk-like and then falling asleep again. When I woke up later, I was much more alert. I was uncomfortable, but I had this lovely little button I could push for more pain medication. It couldn't be pushed more than every 20 minutes and I used it sparingly unless I wanted to fall asleep. I felt guilty being away from Joe and Brody, but I was getting some much needed sleep.

My hospital roommate was discharched that evening, so I had the room to myself overnight. The next day was a little uncomfortable, but still not awful. My mom, Joe's mom, Joe and my friend Kristin came to visit and hang out. I slept a lot during the day too, which was nice. The plan was for me to be discharged that night. While I was anxious to get home to Brody, I selfishly admit that I sort of wanted to stay an extra night. I was still in some pain and knew that I wouldn't be able to care for Brody the way I'd want to. I was scared to go home and not be able to hold him the way he wanted and be kind of helpless about things. I did end up going home that night, and everything worked out. Joe's mom said she'd stay with us, so we could both get some sleep and she'd care for Brody. My mom came the next day to help me while Joe was at work, and so Peggy could go home and rest. It was definitely tough being uncomfortable and not being able to do what I needed to do for Brody. But I was thankful to have the help of our family.

I healed a lot quicker than I thought I would. I felt a huge improvement each day when I woke up. By the end of the week, which was Christmas, I was feeling great. My incisions were a little sore, but I was feeling pretty much back to normal.

I didn't have any restrictions after the surgery in terms of diet, which amazed me. Apparently it's an organ that has a function, but at the same time, the body operates just fine without it. I haven't noticed any differences in my digestions, etc since the surgery. So amazing to me.

This was all such a crazy experience! I am so thankful to have such wonderful family and friends around to help us. I'm also very lucky to have such an amazing husband who really became a total hero for me. I love my little family. :)

No relevant picture for this post, but here is a picture of Body and his daddy. They definitely became even better buddies while I was in the hospital. It's one of my favorite pictures. Cari took this one too.

Two Months Old - Santa, shopping and gallstones...

2011-02-16T15:10:00.000-08:00

Brody is two months old!

At his two month appointment, Brody weighed 11 lbs, 8ozs. He also got his first shots, which were not fun. He did ok. I also did ok. His band aids fell off, however and there was blood all over his blanket and my hand. Freaked me out, but everything was fine. He got new snoopy band aids and we moved on. He passed out on the way home, and by midnight, he seemed to not even have any tenderness in his legs. He started wearing wearing his 0-3 clothing at about 6 weeks with the exception of a few newborn outfits. He's in size 1 pampers swaddlers diapers. This boy has big feet, though. He fits into all 0-3 size baby shoes and is quickly outgrowing his socks.

Lots of fun things happened in the last month. The Holiday season was in full swing, so we decided to take Brody to the mall to meet Santa. We went on a Monday afternoon, so it was very quiet and no line at all. Santa was very friendly and great with Brody. Even though Brody was sleeping, we got some great pictures. Santa recommended that they take a picture where he's also sleeping and it came out so great. We got lots of compliments. I had already ordered our Christmas cards, but if I hadn't, this picture would have been used for sure!

Brody also got to attend his first Christmas Party for his Daddy's work. He slept most of the time, but also got some love from a few work friends. He also visited my work a few times and got lots of attention from both my co workers and the students.

December was a pretty nice month, weather wise, so we were able to get out and about. We did some Christmas shopping, lunched with friends and had outings with Daddy. It was so nice to have time during the holidays. We went on a lot neighborhood walks. For the most part Brody falls asleep right away when we got on a walk- just like he does in the car, but at least he seems to enjoy getting out.

When Brody was 6 weeks old, I had emergency gallbladder surgery. He spent one night with just his Daddy and the next two days and nights with his Nana (Joe's mom) and Nan (my mom) helping out. I missed him terribly, but everything worked out. It was a crazy time and one that will be detailed in my next post, so stay tuned.

I healed rather quickly from my surgery, so Christmas was not disrupted at all. We kept most of the same traditions that we've done for the last few years and added some new ones. Brody enjoyed his first Christmas Eve breakfast with my family and family friends and enjoyed Christmas Eve dinner at Frankie Johnny and Luigi's with my family again that evening. We decided now that we're our own little family, we want to start celebrating Christmas morning at our house. We used to go to my mom's for brunch, but now she comes to us. Brody got a fun play mat, that he actually seems to enjoy as well as a bumbo seat. He has lots of fun things to try out. We spent Christmas Day at Joe's Aunt and Uncles house with the rest of his family. It's a great group to hang out with, so we all had a lot of fun.

The Monday after Christmas, we went to the doctor and ended up putting Brody on soy formula. I guess his little tummy was having problems digesting the milk proteins. My brother had a milk allergy as a child and so did Joe, so I guess we passed it on. He's been great on the new formula. Prior to switching, he was having a few meltdowns at night and he no longer has those. I'm guessing the regular formula was just upsetting his belly. Now he seems much happier and appears to even be gaining more weight! Hooray for chunky babies.

Cari and Steve arrived just a few days after Christmas to visit with us for the week. Brody had such a great time with them loving all over him. I think he definitely reinforced their baby fever! We headed up north to the family cabin to celebrate New Year's Eve and Cari's birthday. Lots of fun was had by all. It was a very low key weekend with lots of snacks, wii and card playing and SNOW! The snow was a major surprise to us. We were up late playing the wii when Joe looked outside and noticed what he thought was snow. He called over the east coast experts who confirmed that it was in fact snow! We figured it would be gone by morning, but there was even more when we woke up. It was so beautiful. Cari and Steve may not have thought so considering that they'd just left a blizzard, but Joe and I were in heaven. It has snowed at the cabin before, but not since 2001. I thought it was a great way to start off 2011!

Brody is no longer sleeping in the hallway! Hooray! When Cari and Steve came to visit, we had them stay in Brody's room, so we moved Brody to the pack 'n play in the family room. It had both a changer and a "newborn napper" so it was multi functioning. He took to the napper really well, and has been sleeping great.

Cari did a little photo shoot the day before she had to head back home. The pictures came out amazing! She's really talented and just keeps getting better and better. Thank you so much, Cari for such stunning photos of our little monkey. Here are a few pictures from his 2 month photo shoot. Check them out and then check out more of Cari's work here.

December was a great month. Our holidays were wonderful and we loved visiting with our out of town guests! Only a few more weeks of maternity leave left. :(

One Month!

2011-02-15T10:02:00.000-08:00

Brody is one month old!

(Technically he's now 3 months old, but I'm starting at the beginning. I'll catch up- eventually)

So much has happened in the last 4 weeks! We brought Brody home from the hospital with a little bit of jaundice. We were told to put him in the sun as much as we could to try to get rid of the bilirubin. He actually enjoyed sunbathing.

He went to the doctor twice in the first two weeks. Both times were to check on his jaundice. His levels were low the first day, but the pediatrician still recommended he come in two days later to be checked again. We continued to lay him in the sun and by the end of the week, the jaundice was gone.

Brody definitely lost weight in the first few days. He was born at 6lbs, 7ozs and weighed in at just over 5 1/2 lbs during his first week. The doctor wasn't concerned, so we tried not to be as well. Needless to say, he's a pipsqueek that will be in newborn clothes for a while. Even some of the newborn stuff is too small for him. He's also in the newborn size pampers diapers and probably will be for a while.

I nursed Brody for ten days, before realizing that it wasn't working for us. We went to formula, and Brody took to it like a champ. We're using Enfamil Newborn formula and feed him 3ozs every 3 hours. Our little monkey (that's what I call him) is also a fan of the pacifier. We're calling them binkies or binks. He took to the Nuk brand moreso than the soothie one that the hospital gave us. They look so big on his little face!

Brody had lots of firsts this month. First bath, first time eating out in a restaurant. First walk. First trip to the mall, target, and babies r us. Brody loves to shop with mom.

Brody was only 2 1/2 weeks old for his first Thanksgiving, but he got to meet his Grandpa Larry and Grandma Judy. They flew in from Illinois to meet our little man and spend the holiday with us. My dad very much enjoyed getting to spend time with his new grandson. He also got to spend some time with his cousins and Aunts and Uncles for Thanksgiving. His cousins definitely think he's a cool little guy.

Brody is a pretty good sleeper, but it's definitely more sporadic at night. He definitely knows when it's been 3 hours and he is ready to eat! He's a noisy little guy when he's sleeping, so although he started out in the 'newborn napper' in his pack 'n play he has recently moved to the bouncy chair which is strategically placed right outside our door. It's close enough that we can hear him when he wakes up, but not so close that we wake up to all his "peeps and squeeks" as we call them. He sounds like a little monkey. It's cute, but we like our sleep too. So, yes...our son sleeps in the hallway. You'd think that we'd just move him into his own room, but that's to far away. Maybe next month. :)

We're having the best time with our little guy and are looking forward to lots of fun to come in the next few months. We've Got Christmas coming up, as well as a visit from our east coast friends, Cari and Steve.

Two Became Three. Brody's Birth Story- Part Two

2011-02-14T15:47:00.000-08:00

So we were on our way! We hadn't even gotten to the first stoplight when I realized that I was having contractions. They weren't awful- but they were definitely contractions. After timing a few of them we realized they were exactly 5 minutes apart and stayed that way for the entire car ride, getting only slightly stronger. I called my sister in law on the way and informed her that we were heading to the hospital. Joe also called his parents. I had already called my mom and texted many many friends! We were about halfway there when I realized that there was something I just had to do....so I promptly turned on Party In The USA, and proceeded to rock out and made Joe join me. You see, I figured if I listened to that song every day on my way to work while I was pregnant, maybe Brody would literally be born to love that song! I'm not sure if it worked, but we still had fun "bobbing our heads like yeah"... :)

It was after hours when we arrived to the hospital, so we had to use the night entrance. Basically this just meant that we went to the back of the building and called on the little phone to let someone know I was in labor. We were buzzed in, so we headed to the front desk. As I was filling out paperwork, I heard Joe ask the nurse behind the counter if she went to our high school. She did! She was one year ahead of us, and after she shared her maiden name, I completely remembered her. This was coincidence #1. There will be more. The same nurse took us to the Labor and Delivery room, to get me settled and changed. My contractions were getting stronger at this point so my belly started to feel a little uneasy. This subsided within a half an hour or so, but getting up and going to the bathroom is not so much fun when you're attached to an IV.

The nurse we knew ended her shift shortly after we got there, and a new nurse came in to greet us. I had a total of 3 nurses throughout the delivery and this 2nd one was not my favorite. She had a lot of personal stories to share- long ones. And she didn't seem to quite have the bedside manner that the other 2 had. However, she was very helpful during my epidural-which we'll get to in a minute....

Anyway, I'd only bee there for an hour or so when my in laws showed up. It was fun to have company. They live nearby, so it was easy for them to pop over. I also got a call from my friend Kerry who was just up the street at a function for her son's school. She also joined us, which was awesome. She delivered both of her kids at the same hospital and was super excited to be there with us. We all chatted for a while before I decided to get the epidural. I knew before coming to the hospital that I was going to get one. I had planned on it even before I got pregnant. My thinking was that I wouldn't get a cavity filled without Novocain, so why wouldn't I get an epidural. :) Everyone pictures what their anesthesiologist will look like, right? Well, I did. He was going to be an older man- maybe in his 60's- with white hair, glasses and a nice big smile. I guess the hospital didn't get my mental memo, because they sent in some hot-shot looking 30-something woman who was all business. Needless to say we did not become friends after my experience. I wasn't really nervous about the process at all. I had heard that it was super fast and basically just felt like a pinch. This was not the case for me. It was AWFUL. I felt the pinch, which wasn't bad. I also felt that damn woman digging around in my back for what seemed like an eternity. I think she tried 3 times to find "the spot". She also made reference- rather flippantly- that either the tattoo on my back wasn't straight or I had a mild case of scoliosis. Two thoughts here: 1. are you using my tattoo as a guide, because that's weird. 2. Really, you're trying to tell me now that I may have scoliosis? Awesome. Needless to say, I was ~~crying~~ bawling. It wasn't the best experience, but it did end up working and I started to feel my contractions less and less.

We were told that I still had a ways to go. I don't even remember how dilated I was. Since my water had broken, they didn't check me very often because they didn't want to create and infection by continuously going in there. Since it was after midnight, we decided to try to get some rest. Joe's parents and Kerry left so Joe and I tried to settle in. Joe had gone into work at 6am that morning, so he was exhausted. He passed out rather quickly, but I was too excited to sleep. I spent most of the night texting whoever was awake. My sister in law was up and excited so we were texting back and forth. Her son was born 3 months before Brody and apparently in the same exact delivery room! (Coincidence #2) I think I may have gotten an hour or so of sleep, but at 4am, I realized that my bff in Maryland was surely awake with her kids, so we texted back and forth for an hour or so. I think I probably got another hour of sleep after that, and then my mom arrived. She was there for a while before heading out to get some coffee for herself and Joe and returned just before I began pushing.

Our 3rd nurse arrived at 7am and she was wonderful! She came in with this big smile on her face and said, "hi, I'm Judy!". Just her smile and her warm personality made me instantly happy that she would most likely be with us for the delivery. She was amazing. It was just she, Joe and my mom in the room for the delivery which to me was perfect. Judy was super helpful and got Joe and my mom involved. She was the best coach and cheerleader. She praised me for a push well done and kindly let me know when I could do better. Before the pushing began we chatted a bit about where I worked and what I went to school for. She was telling me that she went to San Jose State for her nursing degree and mentioned that she did her undergrad in Pennsylvania. I told her that I also went to school in Pennsylvania, and before we knew it, we discovered that we both had the same alma mater! (Coincidence #3) Definitely a small world on that one, considering that almost everyone I tell where I went to school responds with "huh?".

I hadn't read a lot of birth stories and the ones I did read seemed to deliver their babies rather quickly. This was not the case for me. I began pushing at 8:45. Judy told me that because this was my first baby, I could push for up to 2.5 hours. That seemed like an eternity to me! I had a clock directly in front of me, so I just watched the hours go by. After about 45 minutes of pushing I was pretty sure my epidural had worn off. My legs didn't feel as heavy and the contractions were getting more and more painful. I was pushing and pushing, but his ~~little~~ humongous head was not descending. The doctor came in a few times to check. And although he was not overly concerned about myself or the baby's health/safety, he told me that I needed to keep working on getting that baby down because he wasn't where he should be by then. The pain continued to get worse and I felt like I had zero strength left. I remember telling Joe that I couldn't do it, that I didn't think I could keep going. I think that was about an hour and a half in. Things are kind of a blur after that. Somewhere between an hour and a half and three and a half hours in, I found the strength. I remember Judy telling me how close I was and then running to get the doctor to see if he could help me a long. He came in shortly thereafter and said, if I could just get the baby down a little farther he'd use the vacuum to get him out. I must have gone into full force because I was giving it my all. I pushed and pushed and pushed. I pushed for longer than I was supposed to, and didn't really rest in between each push. Before I knew it, our gorgeous baby boy had arrived. He was perfect. We were so anxious to find out how big he was because everyone estimated that he'd be big. When he measured 6lbs 7ozs, we were beyond surprised! His head was definitely larger than average, but it was perfect. He was perfect. He was immediately bundled and then placed on my chest.

The first picture of him still makes me laugh. It's the cutest things ever, but he doesn't look anything like he does now. I guess four hours down the birth canal can do that to you.

Two Became Three. Brody's Birth Story- Part One

2011-02-12T09:34:00.000-08:00

I had planned on taking thirteen weeks of maternity leave. One whole week to myself, and then the next twelve to be with the baby after he arrived. Instead, I got all thirteen weeks with my little guy...

My last day of work was Friday, November 5th. I had been counting down the days because I was tired. It was still pretty warm and I'd been going to a lot of meetings on campus that last week. Needless to say, I was ready to do some relaxing. I couldn't wait to finally be on leave. My boss told me I could take a half day to go home and relax. So after lunch with a co worker, I headed home. Joe went in to work at 6am that day, so he was home at 2pm. We sat around on the couch together for a bit before deciding to go to Chipotle for dinner. Before we left for dinner, I made a quick potty trip- ***TMI ALERT***- only to discover that I'd lost my mucus plug. Not just some of it, not just a tinge of blood- THE WHOLE DARN THING. There really wasnt any confusion. I knew what it was, and was kind of excited. However, I'd read that it really wasn't much to get excited about, as it could take weeks to go into labor after it's appearence. I of course called to tell my mom, who apparently called my brother who called my dad. My mom also spoke with a friend who is a nurse and she said that it is definitely a sign that "things are starting". My sister in law also said that she want into labor within a few hours of losing hers. I still wasnt buying it.

Anyway, Chipotle was quite delicicious and apparently the last thing I'd eat for the next 20 hours. After Chipotle I wanted to stop by Target and see about getting a new camera, since ours was pretty junky and we'd need a better one to take pictures of the little man. We picked the one we wanted and then headed back home.

When we got home, Joe went out to the garage to work on a putter that he was cleaning up for a member at the club. I was super excited to plop on the couch and watch Private Practice- it was the episode after Charlotte got attacked and I couldn't wait to find out what happened. So there I was, all of 15 minutes in, when I realized I had to pee. As soon as I stood up, however, my water broke. Right there. Just a small gush. Then some more. I ran to the bathroom, where it was completely evident to me that, "holy crap, my water just brok". I ran to the garage (still leaking amniotic fluid- it's never ending, apparently) to tell Joe. He responded with "seriously?" before jumping up and coming inside.

I called the hospital who informed me that the on call doctor woul call me back- she did within ten minutes and said to get things together and get to the hospital by 10pm. This was at about 8pm, so we had some time to kill. Joe took a shower and I made sure I had everything packed. I was so giddy! I couldnt feel any contractions, so other than the constant leaking, everything was bliss! I ran around packing up all the last minute items we had on our list....computer, ipod, new camera( good timing, huh?), snacks for me and Joe, cell phone chargers, etc. Then I jumped in the shower- redid my hair and make up- yep, I did it- and then put a cute little headband on and of course took a picture to document the still blissfull state I was in.

Then we threw everything in the car, and headed out the door...

To Be Continued!

Getting back on the horse...

2011-02-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

Is that what people say? I've only been on a horse once and it wasn't fun. hmmm

Anyway, I'm making a new year's resolution to start blogging again. Not that I blogged a lot, but now I have the best reason to blog. Who doesn't want to read about my super cute baby? Well, I realize not everyone does, but more than anything I want to document Brody's life. People kept telling me to write things down because I'd forget them. Guess what? I didn't write things down and now I forget.

Well, I haven't forgotten everything, but there are things that in the moment seemed so important, unbearable, crazy, etc but once those moments are over you totally forget about them. I also forget certain stages, but I figure that he's only 3 months old, so I can probably go back and ~~make stuff up~~ write about what I do remember.

So anyway, get ready to go back in time a whole three months. I hope to start with the birth story and move on from there.

And because blogs are always more fun with a picture, here you go....

This one of my favorite pictures of Brody. He's probably about 2-3 weeks old here. Funny guy. 

Stay tuned.....

Love this post...

2010-11-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

I found this a few months ago, and knew that I'd want to post it for myself when the time came. I just have to laugh out loud when I read these. I obviously have my own frustrations. Gotta love the humor in it. :)

What Not To Say To A Woman In Her Last Few Days of Pregnancy:

1. When I call you, don't answer the phone "Are you in labor"

2. When you call me and I answer don't say "So I guess you haven't had the baby yet"

3. If I don't answer, don't freak out. Don't keep calling!!! And don't start calling everyone else to find out why I didn't answer. Maybe I was in the shower. Maybe I went for a walk. Or maybe I just don't want to talk.

4. Don't tell me what day to have the baby because it is "better" for you. 2 reasons why:
A. I have been carrying this baby for 10 months and really don't care what is more convenient for you.
B. If I really had any control over when the baby came do you think I would still be pregnant????

5. Don't tell me "It will all be worth it." Well, duh! I am not a terrible person, nor will I be a terrible mom because I want my pregnancy to end sooner rather then later. I know it will be worth it, but I still have a right to vent if I want.

6. If you don't want to hear a woman who is 39.5 weeks pregnant vent, then don't ask her how she is feeling or read her blog. She feels like crap.

7. If you have been pregnant before, don't act like what she is going through is totally normal and it is no big deal....mother nature makes you forget how terrible the end is so you will have more babies. In the moment it is bad and painful and you have just forgotten that.

8. If you are the Publix cashier, don't say to me "you still haven't had that baby yet". Yes I told you very proudly last week that I hoped this would be my last shopping trip without the baby....but clearly I am still fat and haven't had the baby. I ran out of food so I had to come back, ok? (Ok- so this one is directed at one individual)

9. Please STOP asking when the baby will be here. I do not have a crystal ball. I don't know!!!

10. I will let everyone know by phone call, text, email, facebook, and blog once the baby is here. It is not like I am going to forget to mention it!!

source: http://babybignon.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-not-to-say-to-woman-in-her-last.html

Am I Just Being Sensitive?

2010-11-03T10:08:00.000-07:00

It's pretty easy for me to get wrapped up in my emotions these days, and I do have some fears about bringing home a newborn baby. However, I wonder why it is that with all the excitement that comes with the impeding arrival of my son, everyone and their mother decides that it would be helpful or funny or maybe it's just a right of passage (for them) to make not so helpful comments about how hard/negative everything is going to be.

"You better get your sleep now"
"I hope you and Joe are spending as much time as possible together now."
"Enjoy the peace and quiet, you wont get it back for a long time."
"Just wait....you'll see how hard it is"

No, I have never had a baby, so I don't know what it's like in those first few days, weeks and months, but I have figured out that there will be a lot less sleep than normal. I know things will be hard and there will be a lot of adjustments. But, I chose to have this baby. Both Joe and I did and we know that we will have our share of challenges as our lives change with caring for child.

I value more than ever the positive comments that people share with me. I love that it's not just us that are excited about Brody's arrival and the joy that will come with it. I've heard that I will fall in love all over, both with the baby and my husband, as I watch him be a father. I love when people tell me how sweet their babies were when they first came home, and how much they really cherished that time. I've also had moms tell me, that honestly it's not that hard. Be positive, sleep when you can, ask for help and just enjoy the experience. All things I want to be hearing at this point!

I am so excited for this next chapter in my life and can't wait to share it with my husband and family. I hope to remember these feelings that I'm having right now and when I have a friend who is expecting their baby to arrive, I will share all the positive things that I can with them.

**Sorry for the vent, but I had to get it out.**

Stay tuned for a post that I'm stealing from another blogger about "What not to say to a woman in her last few days of pregnancy" as they kind of relate.

38 Weeks

2010-11-02T10:23:00.000-07:00

Here is my 39 week update:

Brody is at least 6.8 lbs and 19. 5 inches. He's as long as a leek. However, at the doctor yesterday there was a conversation that went something like this:

Dr: How much did you weigh when you were born?
Me: 6lbs, 9ozs.
Dr: Oh yeah, this baby is definitely going to be bigger than that.

Milestone: So, even though the baby "dropped" last week, he was measuring at 38 centimeters this week. That's on track, however, we know he descended. It makes my doctor think that he's a pretty big boy. She said that she would plan to do an ultrasound next week to see how big he really is. If he's close to 8lbs, we'll talk about inducing so I don't have to birth a 9 pounder. Whew.

Feeling: I think I'm ready to not be pregnant anymore. I'm tired and uncomfortable. I know it could be much worse, so I'm trying to stay positive. I'm still at work until Friday, and I'm doing just fine with it. I mean, who wouldn't rather be at home on their couch? I cant really blame the pregnancy for that.

Movement: He's still pretty busy despite not having much room. I feel him a lot when I'm in the car and in the evenings.

Wishing for: Brody to arrive! :) Wishful thinking that he'll just show up on his own this week or weekend. Oh, I'm also wishing for more positive comments and thoughts from people. More on that in a bit...

Looking Forward To: Having some time to relax this weekend and next week- that's if he doesn't arrive before then. At the same time, I'm very anxious to meet this little boy!

Thankful for: Everyone who keeps checking in and has happy and positive thoughts to share. I cant get enough of the excitement that other moms have shared with me about whats it's like to have a brand new baby.

Reading: I haven't started reading either, but I bought the Nursing Mothers Companion and What to Expect the First Year.

Favorite clothes right now: None really. I bought a new dress for our anniversary and it felt good to wear something that I haven't worn once a week for the last few months. It's back to dresses for the next few days, as it's supposed to be in the upper 70s/low 80s.

Current Project: I think everything is actually done and ready to go! Joe even packed his bag last night and we have a list on the fridge of what we need to grab as we head out the door to the hospital.

Stretch marks: none. I thought I spied some the other day, but I had just been scratching my belly, so it was the lines from that. :)

38 week picture: I actually have a picture! Can you believe it? I had Joe take it on Saturday before we went out to dinner. I posted it on facebook, so you're probably already seen it, but at least I have one!

Happy Anniversary To Us!

2010-10-30T21:23:00.000-07:00

One year ago, I married my best friend.

It was the best day of my life and more than I could have ever imagined.

I cant wait to celebrate the nex 50 anniversaries with you.

Soon we will be parents and officially a family.

There is no one in the world I would rather share this journey with.

I love you, Marty.

Movin' My Hips Like Yeah.....

2010-10-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

For all of my beautiful bridesmaids who let me listen to "Party In The USA" over and over and over while getting ready for the wedding...

Thank you. I love you all 6 of you. I couldnt imagine getting married without you by my side. :)

37 Weeks

2010-10-27T09:17:00.000-07:00

Here's my week 37 update...

Brody is at least 6 1/3 lbs (if not more- big boy, remember?) and 19 inches. He's as long as a stalk of swiss chard. Again, with the weird foods...

Milestone: Brody has officially dropped. I had no idea what this meant. People kept asking me if he dropped and i had no idea. They said I'd be able to finally eat more, but I've never really had a problem with that. I've always felt like he's been kinda low, since he's not right under my boobs, but I still didn't know what "dropping" meant. Well, thank goodness for doctors. Apparently, he's literally dropped down farther into my pelvis. Each week, his measurements would correspond to the number of weeks that I am pregnant. But on Monday, instead of measuring 37 centimeters, he measured 35. So apparently he dropped down two centimeters. So what does this mean? Nothing really. All of my books say it means he'll arrive in the next few weeks. Really no surprise there.

Feeling: Basically the same as I've been feeling in the last few weeks. I wouldn't say that anything is all that different at this point.

Movement: Still lots of kicks from his little feet. I now know what all those moms are talking about when they said "just wait til he jabs you in the ribs". I've been getting a ton of jabs. He's definitely out of room in there and if I even think about hunching over, he gives me a swift kick to let me know that's not comfy for him.

Wishing for: This is pretty petty, but I'm really hoping that all my shoes fit me after I give birth. As of right now, they're all a lot tighter than I'd like them to be. It would be lovely if I didn't experience the whole foot growing thing, since I really like all my shoes....well most of them.

Looking Forward To: My work shower today and my 1st Anniversary this Saturday! Joe and I are going to a little restaurant in Capitola. I'm hoping to do some pumpkin carving during the day before he head over to the beach. After dinner, we'll watch out wedding video and eat cupcakes from the bakery that made our wedding cupcakes. Low key for sure, but I'm very excited.

Thankful for: The fact that I'm still feeling pretty ok. I was worried that I'd be miserable at work for the last few weeks. Everyone told me to take off at least 2 or more weeks before the due date, but i just couldn't. I'm so glad I can still get through the day just fine. Hopefully it continues through next week.

Reading: I'm not really reading anything at this point. I have 2 books in my "cart" at amazon. The Nursing Mothers Companion and What to Expect The First Year. Anything else I need to have for his arrival in terms or reading materials?

Favorite clothes right now: Nothing new, really. I do love that I'm able to wear layers and not sweat to death. I ordered a few things from Old Navy last week that I'm hoping will be a little pick me up in the fashion dept for the last few weeks.

Current Project: I made a mobile and a pillow for Brody's room this weekend. Oh the wonders of felt. I should have take a picture of them to post, but I forgot. Maybe I'll update later. Anyway, I just need to hang the mobile and the room will be all set. :)

Stretch marks: still none! Is it possible that they'll stay away? That would be amazing....

No preggo picture, but here's a little wedding picture, in honor of my anniversary. At this time last year, I was in wedding heaven, surrounded by everyone that I love. It was the best day of my life. :)

36 Weeks

2010-10-20T15:47:00.000-07:00

Here's my week 36 update

Brody is almost 6 lbs and 18.5 inches. He's about as big as a crenshaw melon....whatever that is. Oh, here's a picture:

Milestone: Well, Brody is officially measuring one week ahead. My doctor said he will definitely not be a 6 lb baby, considering that she believes he's at least that now. I'm not surprised...but hopefully it means he wants to arrive early! You know, so I don't have to deliver a 9 pounder! :) 3.5 weeks until his due date!

Last week, I was screened for Group B Strep and I found out yesterday that I am a carrier. Apparently it's a bacteria/infection that you can pass on to the baby during birth. You can read more about it through the link, but basically my doctor made it seem like it's not a big deal and the baby will be fine as long as I receive antibiotics when I go into labor.

Feeling: Ups and downs, but basically I'm still feeling really good. Some times I fee like I can skip around like a 4 year old and then other times, I feel like I'm falling apart. Please say this is normal. I'm still getting up about every 2 hours in the middle of the night to pee, but I'm a champ at going back to sleep. Oh- this is random.... my gag reflexes are ridiculous. I gag like crazy every time I brush my teeth. I cant help it. Is that also normal?

Movement: He's head down, so I feel lots of kicks at the top of my belly along with some punches along my left side. They feel a lot different than they did a month or so ago. They don't really hurt, but there is definitely more force behind them, compared to before. Every once in a while, he gets a good jab in there that throws me off for a minute. He's had more hiccups lately. They're so cool. :)

Wishing for: The weather gods have answered my wishes! It's been in the lowish 70's the last few days, with some cooler temps to come! But don't worry, I still have the mini fan on in my office.
My only wish for now is that Brody doesn't arrive before next Wednesday. It's my shower at work and I'm excited to hang out with everyone. :) He can arrive after that, though I still have a number of work commitments up until November 5th.

Looking Forward To: This weekend!- Joe has Saturday off and I'm hoping to purchase some pumpkins and do some carving. Then on Sunday, LB is coming over for some chili, a pedicure and just some good old fashion hangin'.

Thankful for: The cooler weather of course! I'm also really lucky to have great coworkers who are super supportive about the fact that I'm leaving them for three months. Everyone has been really flexible and accommodating.

Reading: It's not really reading- I've been obsessed with my new ipod touch. The games, the apps...it's all so fantastic. I cant wait to try out all the mommy/baby apps.

Favorite clothes right now: I've got the three pairs of maternity pants on rotation like it's my job. I'm also throwing in my leggings whenever I can. I love leggings. I need more dresses/tunics to wear with them. Super comf!

Current Project: I don't actually have any! Isn't that awesome? Joe still needs to pack his bag and we need to hang the quilt in the nursery, but that's really all. I have so much crossed off my list already. Feels gooooood.

Current Food Cravings: Cheese is still my bff, as is meat. Nothing new there.

Stretch marks: still none!

35 week photo: I wanted to take a picture of me in my phillies shirt the other night. I was so eager to find it, and completely excited to post a preggo picture of me wearing it. However, it does NOT fit. I got it on and Joe and I started laughing so hard, we couldn't stop. I even made him try it on (it's a boy's-like a child's large) and I'm not sure who looked more ridiculous in it. FAIL to that. Instead, you can look at the nursery photos, k?

Week 35 Update

2010-10-12T14:45:00.000-07:00

Here's my week 35 update

Brody is 18 inches long and 5 1/4 pounds. He's about as big/heavy as a honeydew melon. He should adding more weight in the coming weeks, but his length will stay around 18 inches.

Milestone: I'm officially going to the doctor every week now. I had the GBS screening done at the appointment and I also got my flu shot. It was ssomething I was avoiding, but decided to do anyway. I got a sweet snoopy band-aid though, so it was totally worth it. And aalthough I'd like the little guy to stay inside me and cook for a little while longer, he'd be healthy if he were to arrive now.
Feeling: Really good, actually. It's hot again. Damn this Indian Summer. So, other than sweating more that the normal person and constantly wanting the AC on, I'm doing pretty good. Energy level is still the same, though I was on a super mission this weekend when we were working on the nursery.

Movement: He had the hiccups twice this weekend. One of the times was while we were in our baby class, so Joe got to feel them for the first time. It's a cool thing. The other thing I've been feeling- and I'll put it in this section because, technically it's his movements fault- is a shooting pain in my nether regions. The doctor said it's the baby moving in a way that hits a nerve, much like hitting your funny bone. When he moves and hits the nerve, I get this shooting pain. It's not awful, just catches me off guard- literally like hitting your funny bone....though I'm not feeling it in my elbow. :)

Wishing for: You know what I'm going to say....cooler weather. Still waiting for Fall...

Looking Forward To: My Anniversary, Halloween and maternity leave! It's all so close!

Thankful for: I'm still feeling very blessed that I've had a relatively easy pregnancy. I'm so lucky to have mom friends to turn to for questions and support. I love hearing other people's experiences. So many of my mom friends have been more than generous with letting us borrow their baby items, saving us tons of money. It's so great knowing what items worked and didn't work for them. I'm also very excited for friends who are just beginning the pregnancy journey. I can't wait to share my experiences with them and have our babies grow up together. :) I feel very lucky to have a husband who gets just as excited as I do about little tiny baby clothes and setting up the nursery. It's been really fun preparing for Brody, so I know it's going to be even more fun when he gets here.

Reading: Still reading Tori Spelling's book...Yeah, I'm slow.

Favorite clothes right now: Are you kidding me? None. I'm STILL wearing summer dresses....the same ones I've been wearing since May. I'd welcome snow at this point.

Current Project: I need to pack my hospital bag (is it too early?), put the car seat base in Joe's car and gather a few more items off of our "to get" list before Brody gets here. I also need to go to Pottery Barn to purchase the crib quilt and maybe get a side table for next to the crib.

Current Food Cravings: Still loving cheese and meat. Sometimes I like meat and cheese together. Ohhhh, a cheese steak would be amazing right now. Hmmm, I'll have to plan that for later.
Stretch marks: no "stretchies" yet. That's what Joe calls them. He also calls leggings stretchies. He's so cute.

35 week photo: I had every intention on taking a picture this weekend, and didn't. How about some more maternity photos? Hopefully I'll be posting nursery pics soon, so that will make up for (yet again) not having a weekly update picture.

Week 34- Wait, where did 33 go?

2010-10-05T14:33:00.000-07:00

So, I failed at posting an update last week. I was off work on Monday and then swamped during the week, so it just never happened. Sorry. Rather than go back and do week 33, I'm just going to do a combo this week, mentioning thing from week 33 and 34.

Here's my week 34 update

Brody is almost 18 inches long and 4 3/4 pounds. He's about as big/heavy as a cantaloupe.

Milestone: I cant believe we've hit the point where I can say that I only have 6 weeks left. Well, that's if this little guy decides to show up on time!

Feeling: Good but tired. I'm pretty worn out in the evenings, with random bursts of energy. I've been sneaking in little catnaps at work during my lunch break. They actually help a lot. Otherwise, I'm usually pretty wiped when I get home from work. Other than being tired, I'm starting to feel more and more braxton hicks contractions. I didn't know what they were until recently. I though it was just him pushing out against me, but apparently it's the uterus contracting. It doesn't hurt, but it is a bit uncomfortable.

Movement: He's still moving a good bit, but I can definitely tell that it's getting tight in there for him. His movements aren't as "jabby" (is that a word?) as they used to be, but more like I can feel him slowly sliding from one position into another.

Wishing for: An October baby. Is that wrong to say? I would love a little Halloween baby. :)

Looking Forward To: This weekend, when we finally get to put the nursery together! Yay! Joe is painting the room on Friday and then we'll start assembling everything... the crib, bookshelf, etc. We're also going to pick up the dresser on Saturday. I am so excited to finally decorate his room! I will definitely post pictures when it's finally complete!

Thankful for: (this is a new one I just added this week!) I am so thankful for lots of things with this pregnancy, such as no stretchmarks, no heartburn and the impending fall weather, but more than anything I am so grateful for my wonderful friends and family. My mother in law hosted a shower for me a few weeks ago and it was amazing. It was held at Joe's country club, per his request. My sister in law Meghan made the most delicious and cutest cupcakes with fondant sailboats. Leslie jumped right in and helped with all of the details of the shower, down to personalized thank you notes that matched the theme. It was more than I ever could have wished for. So many of the ladies that are so important to me attended and were more than generous with their gifts for Brody. He is one lucky boy and I am one lucky mama. Thank you to everyone!

Reading: Tori Spelling's Uncharted TerriTORI. I know, it's not baby related, but I love love love her books. Leslie got me a copy and it's even signed by Tori, herself! Leslie's good friend from Vegas is Tori's personal assistant, so when they were in town for a book signing, Leslie got one for me. Isn't she awesome? I'm only a few chapters in, but it's pretty good, so far.

Favorite clothes right now: Still rocking the same old stuff. It's been a little cooler, so I'm not sweating as much when I wear my fall clothes. Bonus. I haven't gotten anything new recently, but I'm kind of itching for a few new things to put in the rotation.

Current Project: Nursery and shopping for those last minute items. We got some gift cards at the shower, so off we went to purchase some of the items we'll need after his arrival. I'm crossing off my to do items left and right and it feels wonderful!

Current Food Cravings: Cheese. I love cheese. I have been enjoying string cheese pretty regularly and even melting kraft singles on everything that I can find. Mmmm, cheese.

Stretch marks: Still none

34 week photo: I don't have pics that are specific to week 34...but here are two from my little photo shoot with Cari. More to come...

32 Weeks

2010-09-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

Here's my week 32 update

Brody is 16.7 inches long and 3.75 pounds. He's about as big/heavy as a large jicama.

Milestone: 8 weeks to go! I sent in my hospital admittance paperwork yesterday!

Feeling: Still doing well. Lots of hot flashes, especially in the afternoon. I'm still waiting for those low temps to stick around for more than two days at a time. I've been more tired in the evenings lately with less energy to do anything productive. I'm hoping it's just a phase, and that I will get more energy in the next few weeks.

Movement: He's still moving a lot, but I feel like it peaked last week. It's slowed down a little bit. I think things are getting tight in there for the little guy. His movements are sometimes uncomfortable, especially when it feel like he's pushing out on me, rather than just a quick kick. I still love feeling him moving around in there, though.
Wishing for: more energy in the evenings and even in the afternoons. Hopefully it's coming soon!

Looking Forward To: Leslie getting her tomorrow and my Baby Shower on Saturday! I'm excited to spend some one on one time with Leslie before the baby gets here, doing our usual, lounging, chatting and snacking. Saturday will be fun, since the shower is at Joe's golf club and I'll get to see friends that I haven't seen in a while and others that I enjoy seeing regularly! I'm also eagerly awaiting my maternity photos that Cari took last weekend. I cant wait to see them. And share them, here.

Reading: I just got "Baby Laughs" by Jenny McCarthy from my sister-in-law, but I'm holding off on reading it until I ready "Belly Laughs" first.

Favorite clothes right now: It's been nice to wear some of my more fall maternity clothes since the days have been cooler lately.

Current Project: Washing baby clothes, towels and blankets. We have picked out a few outfits that we'll take to the hospital for Brody to come home in. I also printed off a list of things that Joe and I should pack. We'll hold off on that for a few more weeks. We're still hoping to start working on the nursery next week or the following.

Current Food Cravings: No major cravings lately, but I did realize that I never liked black olives until I got pregnant. I have been enjoying them whenever I can.

Stretch marks: Still none

31 week photo: As soon as I get my preview pics from Cari, I will be sure to post them!

Happy Birthday, Grace!

2010-09-16T14:26:00.000-07:00

Happy 5th Birthday, to my niece, Grace!

Here she is on her first day of Kindergarten, a few weeks ago.

Luckily, shopping for Grace this year was much easier than last year's Barbie Hunt.

This year, Grace is all about the American Girl Dolls. When she went to visit my dad (Grandpa Larry) in Chicago, they went to the 3 story American Girl store. My mom had given her the money to buy her first doll.

I bought her an outfit for her doll to add to the collection. I cant help but love the American Girl dolls, too. I had just gotten to the age where I was too old for dolls, when they came out. Now, I can just live through Grace and play with hers.

Cari and I will be attending Grace's birthday party on Sunday. Hooray for little girl's birthday parties! I'm actually very excited about it. :)

Quality Television

2010-09-14T10:30:00.000-07:00

I <3 Bachelor Pad

Did you watch? It was fantastic. I loved every week of it. It totally exceeded my expectations- which were extremely low. It was fun, entertaining and obviously kept me going back every week for more. I enjoyed getting to know the characters on another level compared to when they were on The Bachelor or Bachelorette. I actually found this show to be way more entertaining than either of those shows. I would kind of equate it to a somewhat more grown up version of the Real World/Road Rules Challenge shows. It was way less trashy than I thought it was going to be. Even Joe was a fan by the end- though I'm sure he'd totally deny it.

I wonder if they'll do another season?

31 Weeks

2010-09-13T14:30:00.000-07:00

Here's my week 31 update

Brody is 16 inches long and 3.3 pounds. He's about as heavy as four navel oranges.

Milestone: I am officially going to the doctor every 2 weeks now. Just got my hospital packet this morning.

Feeling: I'm doing pretty good, actually. Not as much swelling and not as tired in the evenings. I think the cooler weather helps with that. I'm now tyring to keep up with my mom who had a hip replacement about a month ago. She's all over the place!

Movement: Lots! And lots of quick movements all at once. I can still feel his feet kicking and pushing at the top of my belly, but I can also feel him shifting around in there quite a bit. If I move from side to side at night, it seems like he does too. I can also now tell based on "hard spots" where he is in my belly. My new favorite thing it to balance the remote on my stomach and watch it wiggle all over as he's moving around. It's fun to watch.

Wishing for: more nights where I only have to get up once to pee. I'm always iimpressed when I can make it through more than a 3 hour stretch of sleeping.

Looking Forward To: Cari's visit this weekend! I cant wait for another fun filled girls weekend with my grad school partner in crime. Lots of good conversation and great food are definitely in store for this weekend. I'm also very excited for all the new episodes of my favorite shows this month! Hooray for fall tv!

Reading: Still reading the blogs that I love and any other new mom/pregnancy things I can get my hands on. I'm thinking about purchasing a breast feeding book that a friend recommended.

Favorite clothes right now: I'd say my favorite clothes right now are the ones I get to put on when I get home each day. A tank top with a built in bra and pj pants. Heaven.

Current Project: Still making plans for the nursery. I bought curtains, a curtain rod and hooks for the nursery this weekend, as well as purchase some felt for a still to be determined craft. I was going to attempt to make my own mobile, but I got cold feet. I may end up making a little pillow for the rocker.

Current Food Cravings: Nothing major. I've very much enjoyed meat this entire pregnancy. Mostly hamburgers. I can always go for a hamburger.

Stretch marks: None yet...

31 week photo: No picture again. I'm so bad at this. I'm pretty sure there will be plenty to share next week, as my personal photographer will be here in just a few days!

33 years old and 30 weeks pregnant...

2010-09-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

Today is my birthday! It's just not as exciting as it used to be, but it's still a fun day! I'm looking forward to lunch away from campus with a co worker and dinner and cake tonight, with Joe.

Here's my update for this week.

Week 30

Brody is the size of a head of cabbage. 15.7 inches long and almost 3 pounds.

Milestone: Two weeks into the 3rd trimester. Getting bigger everyday!

Feeling: I'm getting tired again towards the end of the day. Standing for long periods of time is not as easy as it used to be and when I'm sitting for too long, I have to get up and move around for a bit. My rings are definitely tight, but I'm determined to continue wearing them.

Movement: Still lots of movement. He's definitely a mover. I often feel kicks/punches at both ends of my belly at the same time. Not sure if he's stretching out or what, but it's an interesting feeling. The other thing I've been feeling a lot is him pushing up against my ribs. Everyone told me this would happen, but I thought it would be more of a kick, where I am most definitely feeling him push with what I assume are his feet. He's a busy guy in there. I also felt hiccups the other night when I was going to sleep.
Wishing for: Same as last week! Fall weather. Bring on the 60s!

Looking Forward To: More visitors! Katie's trip this last weekend was awesome. We had a great time catching up and doing fun girl stuff. She brought us some super cute things for Brody. I'm excited for this weekend of down time and my niece's first soccer game on Saturday. Cari will be visiting in 2 weeks and Leslie in 3!
Reading: I'm loving the free American Baby magazine I get in the mail. It has a great balance of pregnancy info along with new parent resources. And it's free! I'm also obsessed with the blog http://www.allthingsgd.com/ D's Baby is now 6 months old, but I just discovered her blog. She did the most amazing weekly pregnancy updates and even included her maternity fashions along the way. I'm keeping current with her latest posts, but going back week by week (reading week 30 today) to see her racaps and comparing her experiences to mine.
Favorite clothes right now: I am over my clothes. :( I'm still looking forward to being able to wear jeans and tops regularly when the temps drop some more.

Current Project: Well, I up and decided to change the bedding in the nursery. I liked the alligators, but originally I'd wanted to do a nautical theme. I looked high and low for a set that I liked and couldn't find anything. However, Pottery Barn just put out a new set called the Owen Nursery Bedding and it's exactly what I'm looking for. Sailboats, navy blue, baby blue and stripes. What more could I ask for? So now we're switching things up a bit. I'm on the hunt for the perfect navy curtains, as well as the right shade of baby blue to paint the walls. I am in love with the nautical theme.

Current Food Cravings: Cake. Maybe that's just because it's my birthday.
Stretch marks: Still none. Please stay away.

29 week photo: No photo, sorry. Maybe I'll take a birthday picture with Joe tonight. But here's a look at our new nursery bedding!

Hooray for September Visitors!

2010-09-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

It's going to be a great month. I have 3 of my favorite people coming to visit me this month, all on separate weekends. Two are flying across the country to get here and one is driving in from Nevada. I cant wait for some good old fashion girl time!

Tomorrow, the lovely Katie (right) will arrive, followed by Cari (left) on the 17th! My favorite grad school ladies! Katie said she absolutely must see me pregnant in person, and Cari wanted to make sure we got some one on one girly time in before Brody arrives.

Then, my maid of honor, "person" and ultimate partner in crime, Leslie arrives on the 24th for my shower.

I love visitors!

Better Late, Than Never? 29 Weeks....

2010-08-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

I'm awful at blogging, so I never committed to do weekly updates on my pregnancy. However, today I found a really easy format to follow, that I can most certainly (try to) commit to for the next 10 weeks or so.

Here we go! I'm 29 week and 2 days pregnant.

Weekly Update:

Brody is the size of a Butternut Squash

Milestone: I am one week into my 3rd Trimester. 76 days to go! I also passed my glucose test. Hooray!

Feeling: I'm feeling remarkably good. Although I'm probably supposed to feel good. Last week was tough, with classing being back in session. I was on my feet a lot, which caused some swelling in my hands and feet at the end of the day. The heat in the middle of the week probably contributed to it as well.

Movement: Tons! He's always the most active in the evenings, but I have been feeling him more and more during the day, especially in the morning and mid afternoon. He's upside down now, so I often feel his little feet going to town up near the top of my belly. I'm always feeling him moving around in the middle of the night if I get up to go to the bathroom. Not sure who's waking up who.

Wishing for: (consistent) fall weather. We've been so lucky with mild temps, but I'm actually looking forward to when the high temps are in the 60s!
Looking Forward To: Katie coming in Thursday! Lots of fun girl time ahead!

Reading: Same as always, babycenter updates, Your Pregnancy, Week By Week and Mayo Clinic Guide to A Healthy Pregnancy. Joe is still reading Happiest Baby on The Block.

Favorite clothes right now: Jeans with a tank top and cardigan/sweater. I'm so over summer dresses.

Current Project: Still collecting stuff for the nursery. Joe and I went to look at paint colors yesterday, so we just need to decide on one and go get it. I think we're going to go with the Benjamin Moore, no VOC version. The crib is in the garage, waiting to be assembled, as is the book rack my mom bought us.
Current Food Cravings: Anything sweet. Oh and burritos...of course. :)

Stretch marks: None yet...I look everyday. I know they're inevitable. I just hope they can hold off long enough for Cari to get some shots of this big 'ol belly when she visits in 3 weeks.

29 week photo:

Third Trimester!

2010-08-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

I am only 2 days away from entering my 3rd trimester! While I'm very excited to get closer to Brody's arrival, I'm slightly nervous for things to come in the last three months. The second trimester has been fantastic. I've felt completely normal with the exception of my growing belly. However, within the last week or so, I've noticed that things are starting to change from that feeling of normalcy. Here are the lastest developments, both good and bad:

I'm super tired again in the evenings. Just like in the first trimester, I get home from work and want to do nothing but sit on the couch and watch tv. I am forcing myself to go on evening walks with Joe, however.

I can't sit for longer than an hour and a half or so without becoming extremely uncomfortable. I wiggle around in my chair at work all day long. I get up to pee every hour or so, and still I dread going back to my chair. I'm going to start doing laps around the building just to get up and about.

Shaving my legs has become a workout. Especially in our stand up shower. Propping my leg up on the wall is no longer and inconvenience, it's darn near impossible these days. I've moved to taking baths in order to shave my legs, thus becoming a less frequent activity.

I'm short of breath like no other. Not that I was in the best shape before I got pregnant, but even walking up the flight of stairs in the parking garage has me winded. That basically means it's exercise, right?

A full night of sleep is long gone. I am an excellent sleeper. I love to sleep and generally require at least 8 hours. But getting up to pee every 2-3 hours has kept me from a solid night of sleep. So has the fact that I cant sleep on my back anymore, which is what I would prefer. I'm supposed to be sleeping on my side. It works for a little while, but I always wake up on my back and freak out that I've cut off a vital supply of blood or something else to the baby (because that's what I've read can happen). I'm able to go back to sleep, thank goodness, so at least I have that.

My wedding rings are officially tight. Last year at this time, my ring would spin and I was complaining that it was too loose. These days, I am fearful that I wont get it off at the end of the day. :( I'm really hoping that I can continue to wear them for the rest of the pregnancy, but I'm thinking that as the says go by it's only going to get worse.

**I hope I'm not coming off as a complaining pregnant woman, because really, I love being pregnant. :)**

Here are the changes that have me smiling:

I LOVE tight tops. Never before would I ever want to wear anything that would cling to my middle. I have always been a fan of anything empire waisted or swingy. I've always had more in my midsection than I cared to show off, and thus always shopped for looser styles. Not anymore! Now that I have a full on belly, I am embracing tight tops. I love wearing fitted tanks under cardigans. I say, bring on fall so I can wear more of them. I have been wearing loose dresses all summer, but I am now officially excited to show off my baby bump. I've gotten lots of compliments, too, which make me feel even better. :)

Brody is moving all the time! I've got a busy little boy in there. I absolutely love feeling him kick and punch. It's not the least bit uncomfortable (yet). He has his super awake times of the day- after I eat and in the evenings, but I've been feeling him more and more throughout the day including in the morning when I'm getting ready and even at night when I've gotten up to go to the bathroom. I love the constant reminder that he's in there and doing well. The newest feeling is him full on shifting from side to side or rolling over. It's a crazy feeling, but I love it! He's an active little guy.

The belly definitely has Joe more excited about the baby. He's so excited to see my belly growing as well as watching it jump around and feel Brody moving in there. I think the progress makes it more real to him, and it's been fun having him touch and talk to my belly.

Being pregnant is pretty much the coolest thing I've ever experienced and I hope to be able to do it again. I think I'm going to miss the bond that I have with the little man now, being inside of me. At the same time, I cant wait to see his little face and start the next chapter together as a family. 3 more months!

This pretty much sums up my life right now...

2010-08-18T10:12:00.000-07:00

Oh the joys of pregnancy!

I love my job...and I'm so glad to still have it.

2010-07-01T13:23:00.000-07:00

If I weren't so lucky, I would be unemployed as of today...but I'm not!

Back in the middle of April, actually, it was one day before my first Transfer Orientation of the season, I received a layoff notice, effective July 1, 2010. Although the position I hold was safe, because of seniority points, I was being laid off and someone else would be reassignmed to my job. It was an awful feeling for sure and it hit me like a ton of bricks.

However, throughout the last 3 months or so, I remained positive. I didn't tell too many people about the layoff, only because I was hopeful that something would work out for me. I was given hope by my supervisor that anything could happen and she'd do whatever she could to keep me in my current position or help me get another job on campus.

I love my job. I like the people I work with, I like the programs I get to plan and I like feeling like I've made some great connections on campus. I could not lose my job. Oh, and the fact that I'm growing a little life inside me made it all that more scary that I could be unemployed.

Anyway, after months of being positive but asking my boss for daily updates on my status, I was told that good things were in play, but still I was left to wait....so I did.

On June 16th, my boss came running to my office and exclaimed "your letter is ready". I gave her a blank stare to which she replied, "the letter rescinding your layoff is ready for you". I was safe. I was staying in my job. No lay off. No packing up my stuff and saying goodbye to wonderful people.

I am very thankful that everything worked out. My life in the last year and a half just continues to amaze me. I am so thankful for all that has come to me and all that is yet to come.

PS. I've been feeling the little man moving inside me and it's the most amazing feeling. :)

Nautical Baby Shower

2010-06-25T14:49:00.000-07:00

How stinkin cute is this? And very Delta Gamma, without the girliness. :)

Can it be true? A nautical themed shower for a baby boy! Oh man, the fun that could be had with this.

CUTEST IDEA EVER! I'm just sayin...

More cute ideas for nautical baby showers...

http://overcocktails.blogspot.com/2010/01/nautical-shower-for-baby-oliver.html

"Little Boys Love Their Mommies"

2010-06-25T14:33:00.000-07:00

From the very beginning (of time) Joe and I decided we definitely wanted to know the gender of our babies before I gave birth. We are both major planners and wanted to make sure we had everything all ready to go. By this I mean, registering for "boy like" or "girl like" items. I know some people think this is wrong, viewing it at stereotyping or labeling our child even before it's born, but I just want thing to be in place, you know. I know some of you are with me. Plus, I don't like surprises. I don't like knowing something is out there that I could possibly have or know about but it's being withheld. I'm just not that patient. :)

Anyway, now that we know it's a boy, I'm on a mission. A mission to find the cutest nursery bedding, the most stylish clothes and accessories and of course, it all being appropriate for a little man.

While I realize that keeping it neutral is the best bet especially since we want to have more kids, i just cant help myself when it comes to certain items. In terms of the big stuff, we'll be keeping things pretty neutral, all the while knowing that I'm a sucker for new things so I'm sure when #2 comes along, there will be cooler, more fun thing to purchase and replace the stuff we get for this baby.

Here is my list of must haves for little man, Brody.

His baby bedding. Alligators!

Bananafish Nantucket Bedding

Because his daddy loves golf

Trumpette Golf Socks

"I'm told I like Golf" onesie

Because he's going to be one stylin dude

Infant Newsie Cap

Necktie Onesie

Just because he's a boy doesn't mean he cant love anchors as much as his Mommy does...

"First Mate" tee

Anchor blanket

I'm sure this list is going to keep on growing, and growing, and growing. :)

It's a Boy!

2010-06-25T13:45:00.000-07:00

And we're naming him Brody. :)

Although it took two ultrasound techs to confirm it and we never actually got to see his "parts" we're told we're having a little boy!

Here he is:

I cant wait to meet this little man!

I'm so sad...

2010-05-23T16:46:00.000-07:00

I'm sad that it's all coming to an end.

I'm sad that by the time the 9pm episode starts for me, the east coast peeps will already have all the answers.

I'm sad that I don't get to watch the end of the best series ever, with my favorite Lost watching partner, KP.

Counting down the hours until the beginning of the end.

We're Having A Baby!

2010-05-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

Although this is not really news at this point, I'm finally getting around to blogging about it.

I found out that I was pregnant on March 4th, which is basically the earliest day that I could find out. I had just had a conversation with Joe about how I wanted to surprise him in a fun way when I found out the good news. I had all these fun ideas of how I could announce the good news and was so excited to do so. However, I didn't really get to do anything because when I took the test that morning, I was unsure if I was actually seeing two lines or not! I read the directions again very carefully and it said if you see two lines, even if one is very faint, then, yes you are pregnant. I still wasn't sure. Was I imagining the line on the left? I had to get a second opinion. I went back in the bedroom to ask Joe. I woke him up, with the stick in his face, saying "do you see two lines?" He said yes, but it didn't seem to click. Then he opened his eyes and said "two lines!" We both inspected it again and although we both thought we saw two lines, we decided I would test again in a few days.

Here's the first test:

Well, "a few days" turned into the next morning, where I got a line just a tad darker than the day before. I was still pretty positive that it was...well positive, but decided to take a digital test, since they're a little less difficult to misinterpret.

That afternoon, I took the digital test and got this result:

Yay! We were so excited. I highly recommend using the digital test the first time, even if they are more expensive.

Anyway, I called the doctor the next week and made an appointment for April 7th. It seemed to take forever for that day to get here. But it came, and we had so much fun getting all the info that we needed and also getting to see our little peanut on the ultrasound with it's little heartbeat fluttering away! Here he/she is at 8 1/2 weeks of pregnancy.

I'm now 15 weeks, officially in my second trimester and feeling great. I've actually felt great the whole time so far with the exception of being extremely tired in the first two months or so.

At my last appointment I heard the heartbeat and hope to do so again at my appointment next week. We'll find out the sex of the baby on June 21st. We are literally counting down the days. :)

We're so excited to be starting our own little family! Joe's brother and his wife are having a little boy in mid August, so there will be two little ones in the family around for the holidays and they can play together growing up!

Oh and how cool is this: Our obgyn is the same doctor who not only delivered both of my nephews and niece, but one of my good friends kids and both boys that I used to nanny for. She must be good! :)

Did I mention that we're excited? :)

More to come on this topic, I'm sure....

Anchors Away...

2010-03-23T10:29:00.000-07:00

I love anything with anchors on it. This obviously stems from the love of my Delta Gamma-ness, but you have to admit that anchors are just fun! Anything nautical usually grabs my attention, though there's really nothing like a good 'ol anchor that gets my heart all a flutter. Here are just a few things that I think are fabulous...

How cute with this look with a pair of white capri pants and a navy tank?

LLBean

Another to add to my collection.

Tiffany & Co.

This tote is made from recycled sails...very green.

Seabags

Oh yes, I would totally put this on my child. :)

Babies to Kids Boutique

for my husband...

J.Crew

A classic, but how can you go wrong with these?

J.Crew

How can you not love anchors?

Things I'm excited about today...

2010-03-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

It's FRIDAY! While it's not a furlough Friday, it's friday nontheless (is that a/one word?), which ultimately means that the weekend starts tomorrow, or this afternoon!

I have nothing on my calendar today except lunch with Lupe- which I love. We will actually leave campus, for quite possibly more than an hour, to chat it up and enjoy some good food.

The weather is awesome! Like over 70 degrees. Hello, flip flops! I have flip flops in my work bag, so I can put them on for my lunch outting, just because I can. I love flips flops? Did you know that? Love them.

In exactly one week from today, Joe and I will be on a plane to Maryland to see my bestie, Erin and her family. I am so excited to see her and finally meet my godson, Jack! It's going to be an awesome visit, I cant wait. We have so many fun things planned! Addy's 3rd birthday party, Jack's baptism, moving day for the Johnsons, chik fil a, girl talks, watching New Moon, the cherry blossom festival in DC, rides in the swaggerwagon.... too many things to count.

Mostly, I'm just beyond excited to see Erin! I haven't seen her since the wedding, and well, that just too long. :)

This is me and Erin in Vegas, 2008- yep, we're wearing fish hats.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T09:15:00.000-08:00

Exactly one year ago, Joe proposed to me and today we celebrate our first Valentine's Day as a married couple. :)

Enjoy your day, no matter how you celebrate it.

Just a few (or a lot) of my favorite foods

2010-02-12T10:59:00.001-08:00

One of my besties wrote this post today and it inspired me to write my own.

I have lived in many places and been to tons of restaurants. And while I am not very adventurous with my cuisine choices, I have found a lot of delicious foods. Basically what it comes down to is, I know what I like, I'm a creature of habit and if need be, I could survive on one or two of my favorite foods forever.

When I think about it, most of my favorite foods go hand in hand with great friendships, conversations and adventures. I will include those things with my list.

Here we go...

Get me going/Breakfast: A large Coffee, Sweet and Light (Dunkin Donuts, anywhere but CA) & Swedish Pancakes (Country Inn, multiple locations in CA)
I never truly appreciated DD until moving to Philadelphia, where I started getting my morning obsession at the train station with my good friends, Katie and Rebecca. I miss DD like no other, and always check to see if one will be close by before travelling. *In exactly 6 weeks, I can have DD in Maryland. :)
The Smiths Introduced me to the wonderful world of Country Inn and their Swedish Pancakes (crepes) and I have never been the same. We have breakfast (our family and theirs) every Christmas Eve morning and Joe and I go for breakfast whenever we get the chance.

Pizza: 2 or 3 (or 4) squares from Bobs' Pizza (Indiana, PA) would always make my day. With the slogan 'Atsa My Pizza, how can you go wrong. A favorite in both undergrad and grad school, as the squares were only about 55 cents a piece. A delicious bargain if you ask me!

Cheesesteak: Steak and Mushroom Cheese steak from Boston Style Pizza (Merion Station, PA) Leslie introduced me to this place when I first visited Philadelphia. I think there's a rule that if you like in Philly, you have to eat a lot of cheesesteaks. Good rule, huh? Well, Leslie and I did just that. We've tried both the famous Genos' and Pat's, but when it came down to it, we loved the 'steaks at Boston the best. Maybe it was just because the delivered. :)

Salad: Cesar Salad with Tuna from Boston (Merion Station, PA). Katie and I swore by these salads when we were roomies and would sometimes have them more than on time a week. It may sounds like an odd combo with the tuna on top, but trust me (and Katie) that these salads are amazing. They go great with an episode of Lost, too!

Sub/Hoagie: Turkey Diablo from Primo Hoagies (multiple locations in PA & NJ). There is nothing like a hoagie from the east coast and they really don't get much better than this place. With numerous locations in PA and NJ, I have been to 3. They're amazing. I credit Erin Johnson to introducing me to this wonderful hoagie. She and I share a great love for this place. I even got Katie to jump on the bandwagon while we were in her town of Cape May, NJ. * With any luck I will have a primo hoagie while visiting Erin in MD in 6 weeks.

Quickie snack/meal: Anything from Sheetz (Indiana, PA) Food from a gas station? Yes, please. Sheetz is amazing. If you've ever been, you understand. If you haven't been, go! They have everything. They carry all the normal things you'd find at a convenience store and much, much more. You can custom order everything from breakfast sandwiches to mac and cheese on their handy touch screens. I have spent many a late night (2am after the bars closed) to early mornings (before class) enjoying the wonder of Sheetz. Sheetz is a.maz.ing. If you live near one please go for me, since I cant. Oh, except for in 6 weeks, when I'm in Maryland. Have I mentioned this trip yet?

Soft Pretzel: Original Salted with cheese dip from Pretzel Boys (Philadelphia, PA). You can find pretzels everywhere in Philly. And you better believe I have tried them all (or just a lot). But this place is hands down the best soft pretzel I have ever had. I discovered this place while watching the food network's show Throwdown with Bobby Flay, which was taped at Drexel University, where I was currently working. I decided to give them a try and immediately fell in love. They are the perfect combo of crispy outside, with super soft innards. I passed this love on to Erin, who also loves them and make a pit stop to have one when driving from MD to PA.

Cupcake: Neapolitan Cupcake from The Icing on The Cake (Los Gatos, CA). This is where we got our wedding cupcakes from. They have the most amazing cupcakes, no matter the flavor. All I wanted from our wedding was for people to walk away talking about the cupcakes (is that sad?) and how amazing they were. It was a success. They are truly the best of the best. The Neapolitan cupcake is a yellow cake with a combo frosting being half chocolate and half strawberry. They're to.die.for. I cant wait to go back on our anniversary and have more. Though I'm sure we wont wait that long.

Comfort Food With a Twist: Lobster Mac and Cheese from Continental Midtown (Philadelphia, PA) This restaurant was of of Kelly Jones' restaurants when he worked for Starr Restaurants and it was by far my favorite. I have been for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and almost always with Leslie. We shared all the same favorite items, and there were many, but my ultimate was the lobster mac and cheese. It was melt-in-your-mouth amazing. The ambiance at this restaurant is just so fun and we always had the best time going. This will be a must go location the next time I'm in Philadelphia.

I will end with one more and although something many people can have whenever they want, I cant because we don't have them in northern California. Basically, when things are hands off, it makes them that much more delicious

Fast Food item: Chicken Sandwich from Chick-fil-A (Anywhere but Northern CA). Mmmm, I can taste it now. It's fast food perfection. A lightly breaded chicken breast on a bun with nothing but one or two pickle chips. All-you-need-goodness. We used to have one at the Sunnyvale Mall, but I had no desire to try their chicken. I was strictly a McDonald's nugget girl, so whenever Laura went to CFA, I went to Sbarro instead and turned up my nose. However, CFA left the Sunnyvale Mall, and it wasn't until my freshman year of college (at the Monroeville Mall) that I discovered the greatness. Now, i just have to wait for trips to Southern CA, Las Vegas or the east Coast to get my fix. Maybe if I'm lucky, I'll get to have some yummy Chick-Fil-A in 6 weeks when I'm in.....yep, you guessed it, Maryland!

And in case you were wondering, I'm not going to Maryland to ONLY eat, though I do plan on doing a lot of it. I need to introduce Joe to all of these wonders, especially Sheetz and Primo's.

I am however going to Maryland to meet and attend my new Godson, Jack's Christening. I'm so thrilled and honored to be a part of this special boys life.

**I will make sure I tell baby Jack all about the wonderful foods he will get to enjoy when he's old enough.**

A Barbie for Grace

2009-09-17T09:43:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday, Gracie!

My beautiful niece turned 4 yesterday! And what does every 4-year old need on her birthday? A Barbie, of course. I was obsessed with Barbies as a child so naturally, it was my calling to get what I think is her first one! She is totally into this one Barbie DVD, but I don't actually think she owns one of the dolls. Oh, however, she did get the big Barbie head last year- you know, the one you can put make up on and style her hair. I...oh I mean she thought that it was super cool. We had a great time getting Barbie's head all fancy.

Anyway...so last Saturday, I headed over to Toys 'R Us to get Grace a Barbie. Easy, right? Go in, check them out, pick one, off to the register. YEAH RIGHT! I wandered through aisles that appeared to be Barbies, but are actually Disney dolls that are similar to Barbies. Then I finally found the right section. OMG, have you seen the Barbie selection lately. It's out of control! What happened to Tropical Barbie and her friend, other Tropical Barbie (they were my faves)? I was so overwhelmed. I stood there, with my mouth open, just staring. Then I'd moves a few feet to the left and do the same thing. I walked back and forth. Barbie isn't just Barbie now. There are more than themes to these dolls. They have entourages, who have DVDs and Cd's and come with 1,000 pieces. Their skirts turn into butterflies and their feet do ballet moves with some magical key! It was all too much. So who do I call? My brother.

He didn't know either, sharing that if he was there, he would have called me! Of all people, you'd think I could handle this whole situation on my own, but apparently not so much. He suggested something princess-like. I hung up with him and took and breath and just though for a minute....ok, Grace likes this one DVD. Do they have the doll that goes with the DVD? Nope, not so much. Ok, maybe I'll get her another DVD. Yes, they have other DVDs and dolls that go with them- or at least I think they go together. The DVD was a something about 12 Dancing Princesses and the Barbie I got looked like the one on the cover, wearing pink and a crown. Close enough right? Geez, I hope so. Next time,I think I'll take grace with me next time and let her just pick. I'm happy with my purchase, I just hope Grace is too!

I'll let you know after her party on Sunday. :)

PS. I miss Tropical Barbie.

IWT- Flip Video Camcorder

2009-09-02T12:48:00.000-07:00

So, every once in a while, or maybe more often than not, I will share with you an IWT item. What does that mean you ask? I Want That! I always see things that I would like to have, but when it warrants a post, I will call it an IWT. Understand? Good. Here is my first item.

It's the Flip Video Camcorder. It's so cute, right? Oh, but it's more than cute, it takes videos that can easily be uploaded to your computer (see the litle usb arm?). They have all different colors and styles and certain models can even be designed to your preference.

They have different memory sizes, each with different recording times and there's even an HD version now. WHOA! The most expensive one available is $230 and the least expensive is $150.

It's about the size of a classic ipod or cell phone, so it fits nicely in your purse or your fiance's pocket. ;) The Mino version is even smaller.

Oh, and it comes in PINK! I'm sold. I have about a million reasons that I want one, but mostly I think it would be fun to take little videos throughout the getting ready process of the big day and even some little clips of our honeymoon in Hawaii....PG rated folks, behave!

I have seen a couple people blog about these little guys, saying how they want one too or that they have one and absolutely love it. It's a must have.

What's funny, is that my mom was way ahead of the times and bought one of these little guys a year or so ago and I believe I made fun of her. Ooops. Who would have thunk that Sue would be ahead of the game when it comes to technology. Go Mom!

Do you have one? Would you get one? Please share.

Halloween Wedding?

2009-08-31T15:04:00.000-07:00

I love the fall. I love watching the leaves change color. I love the sound of the leaves under my feet. I love that the evenings cool off. I love Halloween.

Even though I'm once again on the west coast and don't get to see the leave change color or rustle under my feet (until maybe December), I still love the fall. And I really love Halloween. I'm not so much about the costumes, but more of the stuff leading up to the holiday. I love any kind of autumnal decor and just generally love the energy surrounding Halloween.

It's really no surprise to anyone who knows me that I'll be getting married in the fall. It was a given. The fact that our wedding is the day before Halloween happened by chance. The date was available at our venue and we thought it would be fun.

I've struggled with incorporating Halloween into the wedding. People would mention that it might be fun to dress up- I disagree. I'm all about a nice theme, but I believe costumes take weddings to another level. I have definitelyseen some interesting Halloween themed weddings...

Not exactly my cup of tea. However, I thought it might be fun to have some elements of the holiday tied into the wedding celebration. There will be plenty of candy corn, pumpkins and other fall items integrated into the ceremony and receptions. Our main colors for the wedding are black and white, however most of the flowers and other details will be orange. I wanted to use orange, knowing that I'd be using pumpkins throughout. Here is what our ring bearer will be using as his ring pillow.

I found a smaller version on etsy and contacted the seller to see if it would work for a ring bearer pillow and she happily offered to make a bigger version. It's absolutely perfect! I think Ty will love it. I've been warned by Kerry that I shouldn't plan on keeping it, because Ty will want to. :)

My niece Grace, as the flower girl, will be carrying a pumpkin basket (similar to the one below- minus the cat!) to hold her rose petals. I have tossed (no pun intended) around the idea of using silk autumn leaves instead of roses petals for her to throw, but haven't decided on it yet.
The kids table will be full of fun Halloween activities, crafts and toys, to get them excited to trick or treating the next day.

I'm sure I'll come up with other ways to incorporate a little bit of Halloween without it being too much. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

My Ladies. My Maids. My PICs.

2009-08-28T09:06:00.000-07:00

I'd like to introduce to you my lovely bridal party. Well, at least the especially lovely side, being the girls. :) I have been told on more than one occasion that I have a very attractive bridal party and I certainly don't disagree.

Each and every one of these ladies hold a special place in my heart. They are all from different time periods in my life, that have remained a true friend. I am honored to have them by my side as I marry the man I love.

So here they are...

This is my beautiful Matron of Honor, Leslie. She is truly like a sister to me. We met on the first day of college, as she was in the dorm room right next to me. We were instantly buddies. We chose the same sorority, or rather I made her join the sorority and from there it was history. People thought we had know each other for years, when it had only been days. We have shared many secrets, cross country road trips and all out laughing sessions. She truly is my rock.

This beautiful bridesmaid is Erin. Erin and I also met in college, as we joined Delta Gamma at the same time. Erin came over to meet Leslie and I as we prepared for our first mixer with a fraternity. Erin is an amazing friend. We can talk for hours about anything. If I need someone to go to for advice on clothing, babies or just life, I call Erin. I am so proud to have Erin as a bridesmaid for so many reasons, but one of them is because she is pregnant with her second child, a baby boy. I think it's so cool that two big events in our lives will be crossed. She will look beautiful in every way.

This beautiful bridesmaid is Cari. This picture is from her rehearsal dinner, back in May when I was one of her bridesmaids. I met Cari during grad school in 2004. She was my study buddy, dinner pal and all out balance to the crazy life we led as grad students. I would never have made it, if it weren't for Cari. Cari kept me sane, entertained me and even moved the second year, so we wouldn't have to drive a dreaded 15 minutes to see each other. We were kind of attached at the hip. Cari is one of the most fun and creative people I know.

This beautiful bridesmaid is the one that I have known the longest- almost as long as I've known Joe. Laura and I met our freshmen year of high school and have been friends ever since. Laura and I have more inside jokes, funny stories and random adventures than I have with anyone else. Although we've been separated by many miles through the years, we have always remained the best of friends. Joe and Laura are also friends, as we all hung out together in high school. That's what makes it even more special to have Laura be part of our wedding day!

This beautiful bridesmaid is Katie. Katie and I also met in grad school and braved some tough terrain together. We were instant friends, who were given the title "beach club girls" because of our hair color and tans. We accepted the title and ran with it. We have spent a lot of time at the beach actually, as Katie's hometown is Cape May, NJ. Her family has so graciously hosted me numerous times. I was fortunate enough to be roommates with Katie when we lived in Philadelphia. There we became even closer while we bonded over Lost DVDs and ceasar salads.

And last but not least, this beautiful bridesmaid is Kerry. Kerry and I met through my brother back in 2001. Kerry and I hit it off right away bonding over coach purses and spa treatments. We were instant friends who spent a lot of time crafting and shopping. I immediately became attached to her son Tyson when he was born and spent every night at their house, feeding him a bottle and rocking him to sleep. Leaving that little boy to go to grad school killed me. We kept in touch and of course reconnected when I returned. Tyson will be our ring bearer and Kerry's husband is a groomsmen. We love the Smiths!

The following two lovely ladies are our flower girls. You met Grace in my last post, and now I can introduce you to Abby. She is Joe's niece, the daughter of his brother and sister in law. I totally stole her picture of her mom's facebook page.

Aren't they cute!?!

Gracie, age 3 1/2

Abby, age 17 mos

Showered with Love!

2009-08-27T15:33:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, my wonderful bridesmaids (more on them later) threw me an amazing bridal shower and bachelorette party. It was seriously A-mazing. I have been to a number of bridal showers in my day and had hoped for something fun for my own, but these girls outdid themselves. I didn't want the traditional bachelorette party, but rather a fun evening with sleepover of sorts that was by no means mandatory! It was a weekend I'll never forget. I am truly blessed to have friends so wonderful.

Here are a few pictures to recap the day...

This is the restaurant where the shower was held (Tapestry, in Los Gatos), all dressed up by my 'maids. I love pink! So perfect. The theme of the shower was Cupcakes and Cocktails! :)

And here are the lovely ladies. Cari couldn't be with us since she's back in Connecticut working her butt off, but she was there in spirit for sure! She definitely contributed to the greatness of the day!!

**Left to right: Erin, Leslie (MOH), me, Laura, Katie and Kerry. Thank you ladies!

This my niece, Grace. She is one of our flower girls. I love this little girl.

And this is my Mom. Isn't she cute? A big thanks to her, since she paid for all the food and beverages at my fantastic shower!

Here are the yummy cupcakes from Jen's Cupcakes. The vanilla one was to die for. Leslie gifted me the cake stands as well. Aren't they awesome?

This is the hotel suite where the ladies went all out and decorated in all pink and black. Complete with feathers, boas, and undies hanging from the ceiling. I loved it! This was later in the evening, when we were all hanging out.

Thank you all for such an amazing, fun filled, unforgettable day!

What's a Blog?

2009-08-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Hmmm, now what? What do I write about? I guess we'll start here.

Up until about a year and a half ago, I had no idea what a blog was. Well, maybe I knew, but had no interest in reading any....until my friend, Cari introduced me to Weddingbee. Cari was recently engaged and had been reading this blog for wedding ideas, tips and just general entertainment. She shared it with me because....well, long story short, my ex boyfriends fiance (now wife) had just become a contributing blogger to the site. It floored her, of course, so she shared it with me. Anyway....

I became hooked on the site, reading about wedding plans, exciting DIY projects and incredible recaps of amazing weddings. I don't know that a day has gone by since (well maybe 1 or 2) that I haven't at least checked in on weddingbee. Obsessed? Yes.

So why am I blogging? No idea. Well, I guess I just figured I'd give it a go. Jump on that bandwagon and take a ride. I'm in an amazing place in my life. I am incredibly happy and marrying a man that makes me happier than I ever imagined I could be. Cliche? Yep. I'm ok with it. I have no shame letting people know that I am in engagement bliss!

Today marks exactly 64 days 'til our wedding. I'm not a big DIYer, but maybe I'll share with you some ideas I've stolen from other people or things that maybe I've thought of myself. We'll see how easily I open up and share- because honestly, it's a little scary!

Hang on, it could be fun. How bout now? Yes. :)