Pregnancy Week 34 - 4.11.13

Written 4.11.13...

We are actually getting close now! Just 6ish weeks until he's here!  Early in my pregnancy 34 weeks was the one I considered getting really close, being here feels crazy. You know when you are a kid and you think you will be old when you are 16, 18, 25, etc? That's how I feel about 34 weeks.

With just about 6 weeks there is nothing really left to do until we get closer and can install the car seat, pack hospital bags etc. I of course will be doing this around the 4 week mark to just get it off my to do list. I have been staring at the same to do list for weeks without being able to check-off anything!  It's driving me crazy because I desperately want everything to be done but feel like it's too early to do it all. I also have a theory that part of when labor sets in is mental, it makes sense that your body is less likely to start the process if mentally you still feel like you have a lot to do. Since I wouldn't be opposed to meeting this baby a little early if he's ready, I want to get this stuff crossed off!

I have everything noted in my Google calendar at the first date that actually makes sense to do it.  I really want to check off things like making witch hazel padsicles and freezer meals but my fabulous husband keeps the freezer way to clean and organized to let something sit there for 6 weeks. The list of what we still have left includes:

• Padsicles
• Set-up Pack n' Play
• Install Car seat (tip: don't put the carrier in the car until you go to the hospital because if you get in an accident some of the safety mechanisms may deploy and you have to get a new one)
• Organize clothes/toys for 6 months and beyond
• Organize garage
• Finish packing hospital bags (baby bag is packed and good to go)
• Freezer meals
• Hang nursery art
• Hang nursery curtains
• Hang shelves
• Add legs to ottoman

So maybe there's more than I thought and some things we can actually get done now (YAY!!!)

I've been eating dates a lot, I read there is a chemical in them that prepares your body for labor by softening the cervix. You are supposed to eat 6 every day starting 6 wks from your due date. They are healthy and they curb any other sugar intake cravings so I'm all about it. I will take notes on whether I think it helped.

A wine craving? Well this may have something to do with the fact that we went with both sets of parents to Castello di Amorosa in Calistoga for a fabulous wine tasting and BBQ hosted for folks who purchased their wine futures. Almost a year ago to the day I was roped in to buying futures by my Dad and husband, unfortunately I didn't realize how expensive they were when I said yes. Found that one out a few months later when I couldn't figure out why the alcohol/bar portion of our mint.com spend was so high but that's another story. Oh how things changed in a year.  It's very unfair to take a pregnant lady wine tasting btw, don't do it. I know she can be your sober driver but don't make her do it unless you plan to bring her lots of food and other things to keep her occupied while you spend 5 hours tasting wine.  I did end up taking the teeniest tastes of 3 of the most special old wines because (1) I knew I would never get the opportunity to taste this special wine again (2) my tastes were so small there was literally nothing to swallow after I let it sit on my tongue for a few seconds and (3) I wanted it and at this point I'm so far along that the teensy taste described above will not hurt the baby especially since this wine which is all organic, sans sulfates, etc. That said, it will probably be the end of wine for 6 more weeks unless I go past the 40 week mark and face getting induced, all the mom's I've talked to who were late said their doctors told them a glass of wine/champagne and step up and down on a curbside until exhaustion sets in, sounds excellent right? More than 10 moms with different doctors told me this and they all went in to labor the next day, coincidence maybe? Will i try it? If my doctor says its okay and I am facing an induction, you betcha!

Cravings:
Dark chocolate, wine (weird), smoothies, protein

Weight:
147.2lbs gain of 24.1 lbs

Pregnancy Week 33 - 4.2.13

Written 4.2.13...

How did this happen so fast??

(Super unflattering picture but at least you can see there is a bump! Well, sort of...)

The pregnancy has completely flown by! Partially because you are always waiting for the next thing, at first you wait to hit 13 wks and 1 day, then you wait to find out the gender, then the 20 wk appt to hear if everything is okay, then the milestones you've set up in your head as being important, like the first kicks, 24 wks because your baby will most likely survive outside the womb, and some that you've set up in your own mind like "wow I can't wait to have a big bump at 2X weeks. Then of course there is the birth at ~40wks. It really can be just a waiting game if you don't take the time to enjoy it.

Ever since I passed in to the third trimester I have tried to focus on cherishing every moment of this pregnancy, even the challenging ones. I am enjoying carrying my little boy with me where ever I go, his baby kicks, the (sometimes painful) rolls, the cravings, even the hours upon hours late at night where he is moving so intensely I cannot sleep. It really is incredible and I truly am beyond blessed to experience this. I would not trade it for anything.

We have just 7ish weeks until Baby K's debut and we cannot wait to meet this little one. I feel like I already know some things about him and I can't wait to see if his habits in the womb will be the same outside. I am full of theory's about pregnancy and childbirth and am sure I will gather hypotheses as we move through all the phases ahead...infants, toddlers, adolescents, teenagers (eek!), etc. I can't wait to learn whether the childbirth and infant ones are true.  Although if I'm right this kid will be a late night party animal and I'm perfectly okay being wrong on that front.

Eating: 
Dark chocolate, tea, avocado, protein, smoothies

Weight: 
145.8 gain of 22.7lbs

Ciao for now!

{The Obligatory} 30 Before 30

I almost feel like I have to write this since it seems everyone talks about it, writes it down, posts it on instagram but as I've started I've realized a birthday is a really nice time to not only think about goals for the next year(s) but to think about accomplishments as well. We are always moving forward and focusing on what's next. It almost feels indulgent to take some time and reflect about where we've come from but it shouldn't. After all, don't you need to know where you come from to know where you are going? What's the point of doing all of this with out appreciating the exciting moments and turning points.

It's fun to look back to a year or more ago and see how much things have or have not change, where your head was back then and how some of the goals seem down right ridiculous 

1. Move to a new home...
We bought our first home almost 5 years ago and had hoped by 30 we would be able to save enough for our next home. Thankfully, given many, many situations completely out of our control, the opportunity was thrust upon us and all the signs pointed to yes (despite it seeming like and insane challenge since the idea was planted 2 days before our first baby was due). 
2. Have a second baby....
Maybe more my husbands goal than something i really articulated but the more he talked about how we'll have a second by his 30th birthday the more i realized it's something i wanted too. I'll just miss this by 3 months but close enough for me!
3. Meet some specific and personal career goals...
This happened in the fall and for the moment I feel satisfied and complete with this slice of my life. I have always been driven towards having a career. That said who knows what the next phase of life with a second (and hopefully more) children will mean. I am feeling the beginning of a quiet urge to do something more meaningful to me but the what/how/when have not revealed themselves. 
4. Go to Africa...                                                                                                                                            This one didn't quite happen but the Hubs and i agreed this will hopefully be a 10 year anniversary trip.
5. Be a healthier version of myself...                                                                                                                    I can't really cross this one out because this is a constant goal and some days are better/easier than others. Lately it's been harder, some because my pregnancy/toddler brain can't think of what I used to eat in my pre-mom days. Where I could definitely do better is getting more daily activity in to my life-even finding 25 minutes to do something when I first wake-up would go a long way towards this goal buuutttt I'm just so darn tired and 25 extra minutes of sleep is really nice
6. Eat Oysters at Tomales Bay...
Double check because I'll be doing this the day before my birthday to celebrate another friends birthday
7. Bake sandwich bread regularly...
8. Spend more time in Lake Tahoe...
Thankfully my family bought a partial ownership up there making this an easy one!!
9. Have a vegetable garden...
This was part of the moving to a new home that thankfully has the perfect spot for one. The sweet hubs built me some vegetable boxes and last year was the first planting. After some decent success I'm ready to take what i have learned to be make an even more productive garden this year.
10. Start a blog...
11. Be a better friend by taking the time to check-in and stay in contact more frequently
12. Prioritize to dos and let go of the things I really don't have to do                                                                        I like lists and honestly by the time I find myself with a free moment I can't remember anything without having one around (thank you iphone notes). I do get carried away though and add "nice to have", "someday", idealistic items that stress me our more than make me feel accomplished. Learning to let go of these things is an ever evolving task as changes in life make me re-prioritize but I've made strides I feel pretty good about. I know for me this is something that will be a constant goal probably throughout the rest of my life.                                                                                                                                                                                                 

I don't know what's next but I have strong faith in His plan and know for now this is where I am meant to be. This season of life is about learning to balance a few plates and let go of the things that don't matter. In this next year I look forward to learning more about how I can better apply my strengths and use them for His greater purpose.

Pregnancy Week 32 - 3.25.13

Written 3.25.13...

Also known as the week I realized..."Wait I won't be pregnant forever?"

Happy, and scared, and excited, and worried, and thrilled really sums up this week although my husband might call it the week of the grumpies. We have had a lot going on with back to back baby shower weekends, my sister in laws wedding, crazy work schedules, realizing that I won't be pregnant forever (wait I won't?) and just general life occurrences.  We got in to major nesting mode, washing and hanging baby clothes, requesting delivery of furniture ASAP, cleaning everything top to bottom and sitting in the baby room imagining what it will look like when complete. It was stressful and emotional having the realization that I think hits most pregnant women, "HOLY MOLY I won't be pregnant forever? This isn't the new normal? We are having a baby, how are WE having a baby?".  Of course we are beyond thrilled but would be lying if we said we weren't nervous, in fact I think that's normal and if you never felt that and truly aren't kidding yourself then congratulations I think you are 1 in a million (probably more) and I admire your confidence :)   If you are feeling nervous talk to your partner, friends, parents, mom-in-law, other mothers or anyone else. It's not a comfortable or easy thing to say, no pregnant person wants to openly state they are nervous, unsure, don't know how they'll handle this life changing moment. As with anything this significant and incredible it is also scary and IT'S OKAY TO FEEL THAT WAY!!!! I was feeling guilty,  a terrible person for feeling this and I felt much better after the Hubs and I talked about it.  It almost relieved all of those feelings and who knew he was feeling the EXACT same way :). Now we can talk about how we have no idea what to do with a child without the stress and guilt of being terrible parents before we are actually parents.

Anyhow, by the end of the week the grumpies decreased and I was back to my normal self. Addressing the urgent need for chocolate frosting probably helped!  The weekend brought a fabulous 24 hours with my best girl friends and their husbands which also always warms my heart and reminds me that no matter what we'll always have an incredible group of people supporting and rooting for us. This is going to be one well loved baby!

I have been wondering when people will notice I'm pregnant, and the answer? I had to reach 32 weeks and 1 day before I was offered a seat on the train. I will spend the next few weeks working from home so there will only be a few more opportunities to take advantage of pregnancy perks before the little guy joins the world.

Cravings: Chocolate frosting and animal crackers.  Like homemade dunkaroos - legit. 

Sugar for some reason, maybe because it's Easter and I can't resist a cadbury egg, or two or lets be honest, 11 of them over the past 2 weeks which if you know me is way to much of a candy binge pregnant or not but I loved every single minute. I  have now had my annual fill and  am no longer eating a cadbury egg a day.

Aversions: Meat

Weight:  145lbs, gain of  21.9lbs