My daughter, the future opera star?

We went to a party on Saturday night. Little b was a charmer all day, but she really let loose when she got to play with her friend G. It is so much fun now that she is interested in other babies!

Please sir, could I have some more?

B and I hadn't planned on giving the littlest b any real food until after the holidays, but she just seemed ready. Every time she saw us eat something ourselves, she was super interested, and it almost seemed like she was sad to not be getting to put more new stuff in her mouth too. Here is a quick little video of the second time we fed her rice cereal.

Swim or Crawl

OH MY GOODNESS!!! My little girl is getting so big so quickly.  She's even trying to crawl already!  Part of my loves seeing her learn new things and watching her as she develops her own little personality.  The other part of me wishes she would stay a tiny tiny baby forever (minus the sleep issues).

She's here!!!

Wow, this post is super late.  Our little girl (we'll call her the littlest b or little b) arrived on June 14th at 10:59am.  She weighed 7lbs 5 oz and was 21 inches long.  B and I are so excited to have her join us and have really enjoyed our last 6 weeks with her (WOW! 6 weeks already!!!).

Any guesses?

I think everyone knows that Batman is scheduled to join us on June 14th.  However, there are still a lot of things that no one knows: Name, birth time, weight, etc.  Does anyone care to take a few guesses?

Take a stab at guessing the following.  Also, since we don't have a name picked out yet any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

Name:
Time of birth:
Weight:
Length:
Eye color:
Hair color:

Uncomfortable in my own skin

I must admit, except for my first trimester migraines and my heart palpitations I have been fairly lucky during this pregnancy.  Up until the last few days, I was relatively comfortable the majority of the time.  Yes, I had basic pregnancy complaints (edema, swelling, constant trips to the bathroom, etc) plus my share of special to me discomforts (see above migraines and heart palpitations) but I was really doing fairly well.  For the last 4 weeks I've been walking between 4-8 miles almost every single day.  I've been cooking and eating healthier for the last 9 months than I have in a long long time.  Unfortunately, now that I am in the final stretch of this pregnancy (4 days to go!!) I am extremely uncomfortable all the time.  I won't bore myself by running through the my list of discomforts because I'm not alone, most women go through this.  But man oh man I just needed to take a moment to complain and say - I'm tired of being uncomfortable.

5 days to go

It's been a very very long time since I've updated this blog.  With 5 days to go until Batman makes her arrival, I'm not sure how much more I will update about the pregnancy.  I do plan to upload a few more pictures of the belly so you can see how much she's grown in the last few weeks... soon.   I swear!

The last few weeks have been pretty rough.  My body is no longer cooperating with me and I am very very uncomfortable all the time.  B's been pretty uncomfortable too, and no it's not couvade syndrome.  Rather, B has been doing the 100 push ups in 6 weeks program!  He was all set to complete the 6 week program before Batman arrived but between his getting both a stomach flu and a nasty cold in the last 5 weeks he probably won't get to 100 push ups before Monday.  Depending on whether or not he still participates in the program in the next two weeks I definitely think he will reach his goal by the end of June.  I'm crossing my fingers for him!  

Baby Bump - 37 weeks

Just a quick update with a picture of the belly at 37 weeks.  Where has the time gone?

All dressed up!

B and I went to a friends wedding.  We got all dressed up for the occasion.  The wedding was absolutely stunning.  Unfortunately, being 36 weeks pregnant left me a bit tired and I unfortunately had to leave before the night was over (I made it to 10pm!) Here are a few pictures from the day.

Baby Bump - 34 weeks

Oh my goodness!  When did this happen?  It's as if I exploded this week!  Looks like she is gaining weight now! (I am using lots of exclamation points today!!!)

Ignore the hair in the picture above.  It was very windy when I was walking home from work.

Wiggling Squirmy Girl

I mentioned the other day that I spend a lot of time watching my belly to see Batman wiggling around in there.  For those of you who are interested in seeing her move, go behind this cut to see two short videos of my belly.

Swedish lambs wool baby sack

B's mom sent us this beautiful lambswool baby sack which she used when B and his two siblings were babies.  I had never seen a baby sack like this before she sent it to us, but B and I are planning on using it for Batman once she is born.  The only problem is I'm not 100% sure how it can/should be used.  Is it like a moses basket?  Should it be used as a travel bed?  Can it be used in lieu of a bassinet?  Any advice on how exactly this baby sack should be used is much appreciated!

Isn't it beautiful?

The sack when it is open

The sack when it is closed

Baby Bump - 33 weeks

It's been so long since I've updated that I don't know where to start.  Is this picture enough?  They say a picture is worth a thousand words...

OK, so here is a brief update:  Next Friday is my last day at work before I start my maternity leave.  Assuming Batman cooperates, I'll have 5 weeks off from work before she is due so that I can take care of things like getting a crib, washing her clothes, picking up some diapers ... you know, the basics.  Plus, I'll be spending some of that time taking care of myself.  I have lunch with friends, yoga, acupuncture, a pedicure, and hopefully a massage on my agenda.

How about some stats:


How far along?: 33 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 23 pounds

Stretch marks?: Not yet, but we shall see.  The last week I've felt like my skin is about to pop.

Sleep: Pretty good.  I usually make it until about 5am before nature calls.  Some nights I get up 2 or three times, but that is not the norm.  Also, her movement doesn't wake me up in the night.

Best moment this week: After napping all day on Saturday Batman started to get wiggle crazy!  I love feeling her squirming around in there and watching my belly wiggle.  She is active enough these days that if a friend puts their hand on my belly they will get to feel her before too long.


Worst moment this week:  The back pain!  It was so bad yesterday I thought I was going to cry.  Luckily, I found a way to lie so that B could rub my back to make it feel better.

Movement: All the time.  So much more this week!

Belly button in or out?: Still in.  B thinks it will pop, but I think it's too deep for that to happen.  We will see.

What I miss: Sushi, Deli sandwiches, Beer, cold white wine when we are BBQing, being able to go up stairs/walk fast without being out of breath.


What I am looking forward to: Meeting our little Persson, my mom coming to town next weekend, the wonderful party my family and friends are planning to celebrate the arrival of our little Persson, starting maternity leave!

Baby Bump - 29 weeks

I'm 29 weeks pregnant and I think I definitely look pregnant now.  But don't take my word for it.  Here is a picture of me at 29 weeks.

Tea Party - Take Two

Tea was such a success last week that we decided to go all out and do a REAL tea party with the girls.  I woke up on Sunday at 6:30am to get myself up to the Bronx to meet the family.

This was a big day for the girls because it was their first time taking a subway in the city!  During our ride from the Bronx to 72nd street they got to witness two subway preachers and a flute player.  The girls gave him some change because they enjoyed the music.

Tea anyone?

B and I went up to the Bronx today to spend the day with my sister, my father, and my two nieces.  The day was off to a perfect start.  It was in the 70's and we met with the family at the Van Cortland Park to play Frisbee and to run around with the girls.  After that, we went back to T's apartment for a tea party!  The nieces decided the menu which included Tea, fruit punch (aka fruit punched by B), donuts (chocolate and powdered), fig newtons, marshmallows and ice-cream sundaes.

After tea, we retreated to T's bedroom and the nieces decided that we needed to put on a performance.  We got dressed up and did a little dance for Dad and B.  It was a lot of fun.  Thanks everyone for a great day!

Baby Bump - 27 weeks

I'm feeling pretty proud of myself right now!  B took this picture of me this morning and it's already up!  No two week delay for a change.

Now to compare.  Below is my belly at 19 weeks.

And my belly below is at 27 weeks.

Baby Bump - 25 weeks

OK, so I am 2 weeks behind again in posting pictures of my belly.  Here are two from week 25 (I am now week 27).

This is what I see when I look down at my tummy.  I feel like I'm huge, but I guess other people think I look like a normal 25 week pregnant woman.

Here I am how everyone else sees me.  Ignore the poor lighting.  B and I were in Jamaica and getting ready to go out for dinner.

And here is B.  He wants to show off his Belly too!

Eating for two

I have been making a huge effort to eat healthier for the last 27 weeks.  While I have been doing fairly well with this, it is sometimes not the easiest thing to do, particularly when I'm tired.  Tonight, B planned a lovely dinner for us.  We had herb breaded tilapia, oven baked sweet potatoes, and corn bread muffins.  It was all super tasty!  Thanks so much B for making me and our little batman a healthy dinner!

Mmmm, herb breaded tilapia!!! TASTY!

Which was even better because we ate it on the porch on this fine 68 degree evening!

And even though B isn't a huge fan of fish, he was also happy with his meal and the setting.

Strawberry onsie!

One of my co-workers gave us a super cute strawberry onsie today. Thank you Yvette!!

Interesting to me, maybe not to you.

I find it interesting that when I am very active the baby likes to settle very high in my belly.  However, when I am being super lazy or sedentary she sits real low.  I wonder why that is.  Is she like sugar in a cup of water that floats to the top when you stir it up and sinks to the bottom when you let is sit?

Reminder to self: Take care of yourself

The last few weeks have been horribly overwhelming rather hectic.  It is very very easy to be sucked into the pressure at work and to forget to take care of myself.  While for my own sanity I need to stick with my dramatic pronouncement yesterday that I am not making any social plans any time in the near future, I do need to start making my doctors appointments a priority again.  Unfortunately, this is easier said than done because I have gotten used to my reduced schedule of doctors appointments and because I no longer have a part-time schedule at work.  However, it is important enough to make it happen regardless of the discomfort it might cause in my work schedule.

To Do List:

1. Acupuncture for baby well being, my hearing, back pain and anxiety.
2. General practitioner - for annual check up and for my racing heart, dizziness, other general complaints.
3. Monthly OB/GYN appointment to check up on the baby
4. ENT to discuss and check my hearing, discuss my balance, determine how my changes in circumstances might affect my hearing and balance
5. Hearing aid dispensory - FIX MY BROKEN HEARING AID --- It has been broken for more than a month now and it sucks!
6. Find a way to start fitting exercise back into my schedule.  It was one of the things that helped my balance the most (aside from occupational therapy).

Now that I've just put my medical record out there on the internet ... lets see if I listen to myself.  I've already made my first acupuncture appointment for this week.

Drastic measures

OK, so this is going to sound overly dramatic... but I think that I am at the point where I need to stop making any social plans because odds are that I am going to have to cancel them anyways due to work anyways.  Yes, when I am able to get together with people as planned I have a great time, however, because of my current work situation from the moment someone asks me to make plans with them up until 30 minutes before we are supposed to get together I have HUGE amounts of anxiety because I'm not sure if I'm going to have to cancel. 

Some people feel comfortable just making plans and cancelling if they have to, but I'm not one of those people.  I agonize over whether I am going to have to cancel.  As a result, what is already a bad situation at work becomes unbearable when I have to cancel my personal plans.

I think that the only option I have at this point in order to keep my sanity is to just stop making any type of long term plan.  Please feel free to email/call/text to make plans for that same day, but I can make any plans ahead of time until I figure out  a way to deal with how I've been feeling.

Things just aren't working for me the way they are right now.

It's a Girl!!!!

 

B and I were very very happy/excited to find out that we are having a little girl!   Only 19 more weeks until she is born!

Baby Bump - 21 weeks

Since my last picture was so out of date I promised a picture update and here it is!  This is a picture from week 21.  I am officially past the half way point.  So excited!!  In other news, I can sometimes actually see the baby kick.  Prety cool!

Wow, my belly has grown quite a bit in the last two weeks!

Kicking

Last night was very exciting, B got to feel the baby kick for the first time!

Celebrity Math - Not so gaga about this

Inspired by JCrew Math over at the blog Pudding and the Post-Fab Princess, here is a little celebrity math for you today.

Marily Manson in that famous and creepy picture

plus

Blarg - not a good day

Today is not a good day.  I'm tired.  I'm feeling overwhelmed.  Its just not a good day today.  It makes me think of that book that I read when I was younger, "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day". 

Baby Bump at 19 weeks

I've gotten a lot of requests to post a picture of my belly so here I am at 19 weeks. 

This picture was taken two weeks ago (camera difficulties kept me from posting until now).  I'll update with a more recent picture soon.

20 weeks pregnant and Nesting already!

Image obtained here

My nesting instincts have almost kicked in.  I'm not currently doing anything about it, but my mind is racing and I WANT to do something about it, and I want to do it NOW!  I want to buy a bassinet, to pick paint colors (but that can wait until after we find out the gender), to turn the guest room into the nursery, to start getting rid of all the crap that is laying around the apartment, to clean clean clean, to move the extra chairs in the loft to where they belong, to start cooking and freezing meals.  Maybe the first logical step would be for me to let the list maker in me loose. 

On the bright side, we FINALLY got rid of our dead and shedding christmas tree on Wednesday night.  January 27th isn't too long to keep the christmas tree is it?

Emotional Rollercoaster

I'm a little embarassed to admit that I naively assumed at the beggining of my pregnancy that I'd be one of those women who did not get all emotional while pregnant.  I don't generally cry in sad sad movies (the scene in "My Girl" when Zelda breaks down didn't even get a sniffle from me) or where most other normal people normally cry.  In the past my tears have generally been reserved for times when I had been feeling overwhelmed and/or stressed out.  However, in the last week or two I have entered bizzaro world where I am getting wheepy over silly things, where things that would normally only make me a little upset or frustrated take me to the boiling point, and where a tiny bit of stress sends me over the edge.  The waterworks have turned into a daily thing for me.  In fact, I've had to switch to waterproof mascara recently, and that stuff is hard to wash off at night.

In other pregnacy related news, B and I will go on our "babymoon" in 4 weeks.  I must say, since we finally decided to take the vacation, the countdown has really taken the edge off the severity of my mood swings.  Now we just have to plan and book the trip.  I should be getting my renewed passport (with my new married name) in the mail any day now so our options won't be limited to domestic travel.

"Tay inna win" - Nell

It really creeps me out how when it is really windy in NYC, you can hear the high rises creaking as they sway in the wind. 

Speaking of swaying in the wind, this reminds me of the scene from the movie Nell where Nell, played by Jodie Foster, does her spinning dance while calling out "tay inna win'" (tree in the wind).  Thats how I feel right now, like I'm a tay inna win (I'm on the 34th floor of a NYC highrise).

Crazy Pregnant Woman

I'm now 19 weeks (almost 20) pregnant, and I thought that I was going to manage to make it through this pregnancy with minimal craziness.  Up until this point, I had managed to remain fairly sane and rational (with the exception of a few episodes while we had lots of company staying with us in November, December, and January) but I now think that I am officially suffering from pregnacy related crazy.

Despite the fact that I recently swore off starbucks because they raised the price of a venti tea from $2 to $3, I was there this morning for my fix.  The barista working the register inquired whether I found the new tea different (it is now loose leaf tea).  I told her no, and she informed me that some people found it to be stronger.  I told her that that isn't necessarily a good thing because some people choose tea over coffee so that they can have a beverage with less caffeine.  She smuggly informed me that this was a bad strategy because tea has more caffeine than coffee.  Now, normally a misleading statement like that would have just rolled off me.  Yes, pound for pound, tea has more caffeine than coffee, however, you use significantly less tea leaf to make a cup of tea than you use coffee bean to make a cup of coffee.  Therefore, a cup of tea has less caffeine in it than a cup of coffee.  Normally, this internal knowledge would have been enough and I would have just ignored the barista and walked away.  But no!  Pregnant me wanted to rip this womans head off.  I was barely able to contain myself as I told her why her statement was false, and had to stomp away before I made a scene.

Leaving Starbucks I immediately realized how unreasonable I was... but it didn't make me any less furious with the woman.  Yup, I've got the pregancy crazies!

Image taken from: http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t80/1kojax1/crazy-guy.jpg

http://www.myspace.com/princeofdaie

This pretty much sums it up

I am trying not to complain too much about how I'm feeling during this pregnancy (particularly now that the migraines and headaches have subsided a LOT), however, this cartoon pretty much sums up how I've been feeling lately.

Surprise, I'm Pregnant!

Yup, to the surprise of almost everyone we know, I am pregnant.  B and I are expecting our first child on June 15, 2010.  Needless to say, we are very excited!