Week 30 of Pregnancy

TEN more weeks to go!  This number is very welcomed in our book!  It seems so far along 3-0 weeks!

Our Baby:

This week isn’t too exciting with new growth.  Our baby is about 3 pounds and still the same length as last week (~17 inches).  The only big difference (which is quite a big difference) is that our baby’s brain is beginning to form folds for more surface area.  The baby is kicking and doing back flips like no one’s business but I can tell when I need to take it a lot slower because the baby will starts to slow down a little… that is my sign to just lay down and catch up on some rest.. 

How I am feeling:

I was feeling pretty dang good during the first part of this week but then one day I had a really horrible stomach ache and I felt extremely lousy.  I finally put two and two together and discovered that I am becoming either lactose intolerant or sensitive.  Surprisingly, this is quite common during pregnancy.  Your body is so focused on growing a baby and supplying all the hormones that the pregnancy needs that it stops wanting to do some things… like digest lactose.   I don’t know about you, but I have never heard of a pregnant woman not being able to eat ice cream by the pint or gallon-full.  Luckily, Mike ran out and got me some coconut milk “ice cream” which eased my craving. 

Water works can be turned on in seconds flat… that is all I will say about that. 

Physical changes:

I’m noticing that my feet are getting a lot more swollen through the day.  My hips have started to put the hormone, relaxin, to use and they have been quite sore from spreading.  I look at my profile and I hardly recognize the body that I have now.  I’m starting to embrace my growing belly more and more… especially when I see it move and jive during the day but my hips, butt, and thighs are a whole different story… they can go bye-bye!

Braxton Hicks’ contractions have started and they keep me on my toes.  Sometimes they hurt and sometimes they are just really uncomfortable. 

What I am eating:

I didn’t write about this last week but these were cravings from then.  I had a huge craving for powdered donuts.  Mike and I polished off a box of them in a day (It was my reward for passing my glucose test!).  I also had a sample of Malt Vinegar and sea salt chips from Costco… I couldn’t stop thinking about them so we got a bag.  I skillfully polished those off in two days flat.  Carbs are my best friend and I only eat chicken and fish because I have to. 

Odds and Ends:

We finished our childbirth class.  I was probably the worst student in there.  Mike tried to make me participate in “practice” exercises but I just do not believe that practicing on how I should breath will make a difference come labor.  I’ve never been a fan of synchronized breathing and I don’t think I will even think about it when I’m doubled over in pain with a contraction. I did discover that I liked the rebozo (a labor tool which is really just a large scarf or pashmina used to take pressure off of your back) and the birthing ball.  We also learned some labor positions that will hopefully help.  So, I guess it wasn't all a waste.

Mike has been great and he knows exactly what I want during the birth process.  There was an exercise in class where we were given 15 or so cards with two outcomes and he chose all the right outcomes really quickly.  I was looking around the room and most of the other guys looked clueless and I saw the women just grab the cards from them and place them how they wanted them.  I think he will do great come D-day!

Here’s to 30 weeks with 10 or so more to go! 

Week 25 of Pregnancy

Our Baby

This week our baby is as big as an eggplant!  Weighing in at about 1 ½ lb!  The lungs are almost fully developed and the nostrils are starting to open up which allows for some practice breaths before birth.

  

How I am feeling:

I am feeling pretty great!  I seriously do not have anything to complain about this week! 

Mike and I went swimming for the first time this summer and it felt great!  I did get a little ligament pain afterwards but I think it helped get my energy level up again.  I’ll most likely be buying a pool pass for the summer. 

The baby is kicking on a very regular basis already and seems to have a schedule set!  Kicks early in the morning to wake me up, then stops after I eat breakfast, starts again around 2 or 3, then stops for a nap around 4, tells me to eat around 7, then stops after dinner, then starts up around 8-9, and I think it sleeps throughout the night… hopeful thinking?

Physical changes:

I don’t know if I am overanalyzing things or what… my belly seems to growing at a constant pace but I feel like my hips and butt have once again doubled in size! 

My weight gain for this week was 1.9 lbs for a total of +15.7 lbs!

Things I am craving:

I’m still craving Eggo waffles and cranberry juice.  Not too much news on this front!  

Some things you don’t really know before getting pregnant:

1. You get back fat and love handles… I’ve heard moms talk about this but I never thought it would happen to me L

2. You get cellulite… I am hoping this goes away after the baby is born!  Not to sound condescending but, I never knew I valued my body so much. 

3. Once your bump starts getting large enough to tell you are pregnant… you join a secret community of pregnant moms.  You notice every single one and they notice you. 

  

Garden Update No. 1

Last week, we finally got to plant our veggies!  

We are a wee bit late but better late than never.  Here is a list of what we planted:

~Black Krim Tomatoes

~Cherry Tomatoes

~Early Treat Tomatoes

~Carrots

~Ceasar’s Lettuce blend

~Baby Red Lettuce blend

~Poblano peppers

~Anaheim peppers

~Tomatillos

~Eggplant

~Serrano peppers

~Bell Peppers

~Habanero peppers

~Cucumbers

~Summer Squash

~Zucchini

~Watermelon

~Peas

~Cantaloupe

~Pumpkins

~Fennel

~Okra

Wow!  I didn’t realize how much we actually planted until I wrote it down!  Our raspberries are coming in nicely and I am starting to think that we need to plant a different strawberry plant next year, as we only have a few plants with fruit (but squirrels or rabbits always eat them before I get to them anyways). 

No sprouts from the seeds yet but I’m hoping to see some in the next 4-5 days.  Our seedlings are acclimating well. 

I wish we had put in a watering system but maybe that will be next year’s project for the garden. 

Our peonies have popped and instead of having them fall to the ground outside, I cut a few stems and made an arrangement for our kitchen! 

I also noticed this amazing rainbow while I was trying to get some pictures of the newly planted veggies.  The pictures really do not do this rainbow justice; I'm pretty sure this was the most amazing one I have ever seen.  It was almost turning into a quadruple rainbow.

We have ONE whole peach growing on our peach tree!  I’m actually pretty surprised we have the one due to that May 1^st snow storm.  I was noticing a lot of ants crawling around that tree about 2 weeks ago but when we got home from our trip, I found all these little ladybugs instead… and no more ants!

 

I love being outside but with the temps soaring so early this year, I'm not quite sure how much I will be able to soak up the sun.  At least there are early mornings and late nights that I can appreciate!

Happy Gardening!

Half Way There - Week 20 of Pregnancy

We have reached the halfway mark!  20ish more weeks and we get to meet our little monkey.  

Our baby is now as big as a small cantaloupe and as long as a banana; weighing in at 9-10 oz and measuring 10 inches from head to their little toes.  This week marks the time when the baby is measured from head to toe rather than head to rump.  

 I can really tell that this little one is on the move during the morning… no more sleeping in for this lady once he/she is born. 

How I am feeling

I think round ligament pain is here to stay for a while.  Other than that, I don’t really have any complaints.  I’m sleeping pretty well, but I’m not sure if it is a good deep sleep ever.  My emotions are still wacky too.

Physical changes

My belly is starting to pop out even more.  Yesterday, I got the first, “When are you due?”  I was a little taken back and speechless for a minute but it felt good to know that I’m not in that awkward phase anymore.  It was actually a pretty funny encounter, she had just found out that she was a getting a nephew and she was on the biggest high and could have talked about it for hours with us.  Babies bring out the best in almost everyone!

Another change occurring, my boobs are again growing… and this time it hurts!

I am up a 1/2 pound since last week, which makes my weight gain at +8.5 pounds.

What I’ve been craving

Stone fruits.  Our grocery store finally got in their “first of the season” summer fruits.  I think I was dancing around once I got home eating the first peach of the year.  I guess I know where our grocery budget will be hit this summer.  I’ve also eaten almost an entire watermelon this week.

Fun Facts
-My wedding ring still fits but I can feel it getting snug late in the day

-I’ve never liked the smell of garlic but I think its about 10x as worse pregnant

-I crave a Ginger Ale at lunchtime everyday

-We have two names picked out (one for a boy and one for a girl)

-Mike loves my pregnant belly and smiles and laughs a little every time he notices it

Previous Pregnancy updates

Weeks 4-15

Week 16

Week 17

Week 18

Week 19

Week 19 of Pregnancy

Sorry for the delay in an update! It has been a busy few days and I have been exhausted most of those days.  

This week the baby has grown to the size of a Mango; weighing in at approximately 8.5 oz and measuring 6 inches.  Somehow, I think though, this baby is much bigger than the mango I found at the store; it just seems like there has been a huge growth spurt this last week. 

The baby’s senses are now developing at a crazy speed and he/she is now able to hear my voice.  Hair is sprouting and the baby is now able to control facial expressions and movements more consciously including yawns, smiles, and frowns!

How I am feeling

Not too bad.  My hormones have finally caught up with me and I cry almost everyday over nothing really.  I’m also starting to feel the round ligament pain that all the pregnancy websites warn about… it started out not too bad but it ended up making me extremely uncomfortable during the end of the week.  I am extremely tired around 1 or 2, and can’t seem to keep my eyes open for longer than five minutes if I sit down on the couch. 

Physical changes

The only change here is my weight.  I made up for last week and gained 3 pounds this week.  I am now up 8 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  It was a big surprise that I gained so much so fast and it left me in tears one day… gotta love those emotions! I do finally feel like I look pregnant though!  I’m feeling more flutters as the days go by but they aren’t constant yet and still feel like little bubbles in my stomach.

What I’ve been craving

I haven’t had any “gotta have it” type cravings like earlier in the pregnancy.  I’m kind of sick of eating every 2 hours so food is kind of mundane to me this week. I actually have to think really hard to find something that sounds good to me, which has been hard.  I did really want French toast at the end of this week and made some on two occasions.

Odds and Ends

During the weekend, we went garage sale-ing and I found some maternity jeans… Not just any maternity jeans, 7 For All Mankind maternity jeans for…. $2.  Crazy good deal and they look brand new.  Of course they are a little to long for me and will only fit my belly for another few weeks but what a find! 

Hoping my energy springs back before our trip to Seattle or I might be falling asleep in some pretty strange places…

Our 20 weeks ultrasound is next Tuesday!  Excited to see the little critter grooving and jiving! 

Happy Tuesday!  

Monthiversaries and Love

The first of every month is a day I always look forward to.  Mike and I officially began our relationship on April 1^st 2010 (yes, April Fools Day)!  Mike wanted to take me out on our one month anniversary and ever since, that day has just stuck for us to celebrate our relationship.  Today marks our 37^th month anniversary, or how we like to refer to it, monthiversary.  We have a few ground rules for monthiversaries:

1) We go to a restaurant that we have never eaten at on a monthiversary.  This allows us to try new and different restaurants every month.  That’s it… that’s actually the only ground rule.  And actually we have broken this rule since I became pregnant because of cravings and food aversions.

We have found some pretty amazing restaurants in the past 36 months and I wish I had started this blog a long time ago so that I could have shared with all of you the ones that we have tried.  I do remember a few of the really exceptional ones though…

On our first monthiversary, Mike took me to a local restaurant called, The Saucy Noodle.  This is a great family owned and family centered restaurant.  My family actually fell in love with this place after I recommended we go there.  They even catered my college graduation party.  The baked polenta is probably my favorite dish on their menu along with their breadsticks and Spumoni Ice Cream for dessert!

Another really good restaurant we have been to is Potager, which fittingly means "kitchen garden."  This is a locally owned restaurant with seasonally fresh foods.  Actually, if you go to a farmer’s market around town, you can expect to find some of the vendors that the restaurant uses for their fresh ingredients (listed right on their menu).  Their menu changes monthly and they always have 3 or 4 different specials every night.  The two menu items that really stuck out to me were the pumpkin ravioli with browned butter and buttery Parmesan cheese and the Ginger pear cake with chocolate ganache.  Both items paired their (very original) ingredients very well and each dish melted in your mouth.  I keep trying to get the recipe for that ginger pear cake but haven’t succeeded.

D Bar Desserts is another awesome place for a date night.  We had actually gone to Wahoo’s Fish Tacos this monthiversary and decided to go out to dessert afterwards.  This place is famous for their original desserts but they also have a dinner menu, which I’ve heard is also pretty good.  The owner is a chef from FoodNetwork and he was actually there the day we went.  We ordered three desserts and every one of them were to-die-for!  They also have a rotating menu based on fresh ingredients but they always have a few staples that stay along for the ride.  I ordered the “Cake and Shake” which was a very rich “old fashioned” chocolate cake with a rich dark chocolate ganache.  It also came with a tiny-sized chocolate shake with little malt balls in it!  I also ordered a seasonal dessert (which I can’t remember the name of).  This was by far my favorite.  Even though I loved chocolate at that time, this dessert was so light and summery and hit the spot.  It had just enough tartness to go with the light and fluffy cake (almost cornbread type cake) with a peach sorbet that made you go “WOW”!  Mike orderd the MC², which was a trio of milk chocolate desserts.  I only had a small taste of his but he finished it all up.  We didn't really say a word during our eating of desserts except, "mmmm", "wow", "oooh"...We both have quite the sweet tooth! 

Mike is working today and since he doesn’t get home until 7:30-8 we will have to postpone our dinner until tomorrow night.  We have to go with the flow and I’m sure that flow will get a lot more bumpy once the little one is here! 

Even though a relationship needs to be nurtured everyday, this type of ritual is important for us.  We look forward to this day all month and its fun to see the months fly by.  We do yearly anniversaries but these monthiversaries help with keeping the celebration of "us" alive!  I also think it will be good way to connect once the baby is here and will give us one-on-one time along with some baby-grandparent time… wink wink! 

I think we had a couple of glasses of wine on this occasion!

Happy May 1^st!   

And, Happy 37 months, Michael! I love you

Look out for my 37 monthiversary restaurant review soon!

Building Garden Boxes and Weekend Update

We had some amazing, beautiful weather this weekend in Colorado.  It almost seems like we skipped spring altogether and jumped right into summer.  The thermometer on our back porch registered 88° at one point; amazing considering snow was still melting in some parts of town.

We spent a good part of our weekend outside and finally got to build the garden boxes I keep talking about.  I obtained the plans for these boxes through a friend from school who found them on “Sunset” magazine’s website.  They were really thorough but we changed a few things.  Here is what we did…

We got a really good deal at a local lumber yard on the wood!  

Supplies for one 4’ x 8’ box:

(12) 2’ x 4’ x 8’ untreated cedar planks

(1) 4’ x 4’ x 8’ cedar post

(64) 3 ½ inch outdoor screws

Circular saw - recommended

A very powerful drill – recommended

Cut four (4) 2’ x 4’ x 8’ in half to obtain the 4 foot sides (this should leave you with (8) 4’ planks).  The other 8 planks should not have to be cut unless there is a big discrepancy in the length of the plank.  Cut the 4 x 4 x 8 post into 2’ sections.

Build bed upside down. Set a 2 x 4 x 8 on its thin edge on pavement, and place a 2-foot post at one end. Secure post with two 3½-inch screws. Repeat at other end of board. Repeat with other short board. Join short sides with an 8-foot board; and secure with two screws. Add other long side. Add additional layers of planks to each side.

These boxes are pretty easy to build as long as you have the right tools.  Mike learned from the first one to first drill a hole where the screw was going, just to make the screw go in a lot easier.  That was the biggest dilemma with the first box, we ruined a few screws and bits.  But the second box went a lot faster and easier.  Plus, we only had to make a trip to the hardware store once that day!

Mike did the majority of the work but I helped drill a few screws and measured all of the boards. And I ended up weeding yet again... they just will not go away!  

The end product looks great and I can’t wait to grow our veggies in them.  Almost all of the seeds have sprouted!  Just waiting on some Anaheim peppers.  

We both forgot to put sunscreen on so we both got burnt that day.  I hardly ever get burnt but with pregnancy I guess my skin is a little more sensitive to the sun… I thought I might have skipped that symptom… shucks!  I joked that we didn't get burnt while on a tropical island for 8 days but a few hours on a SPRING day in Colorado did us in.

I was pretty out of it after all that building, sun, and heat, so we stayed in the rest of the day and made a BBQ for dinner!  Teriyaki chicken (mine with cheese!), baked potato, and zucchini! 

Yummy, gooey cheese!

Sunday was a pretty relaxing day.  We ended up doing a few chores around the house in the morning.  Then we tried to find a few garage sales in the afternoon…which didn’t go so well.  Then we went downtown to see if H&M had any good maternity wear (which they didn’t) and walked around for awhile.  It was another hot day so we went  home and I took a short nap.  It was another BBQ for dinner.  Lemon pepper tilapia, grilled potatoes, and green beans!  Mike was also really excited to have me watch Star Trek (the new one).  I’ve been hesitant to watch it but it wasn’t too bad.  

That is about it for our weekend update.  We are expecting another freeze and possible snowstorm on Wednesday so I'm hoping that the peach blossoms that just got discovered will be okay through it.  I'm really, really wanting some delicious homegrown peaches this year!

Week 18 of Pregnancy

Baby (I really have to come up with a nickname soon) is the size of a…. Bell Pepper! It weighs around 5-5.5 ounces and is about 5.5-6 inches in length!  Grow, baby grow!

I think I legitimately felt the baby kick early this morning.  Little thumps here and there.  Such an amazing feeling! 

I thought I'd try a new layout to these weekly updates.  They feel a little more organized!

How I’m feeling:
Nausea has revisited me, and it isn’t a very welcomed guest.  I get nauseous around 4pm and it doesn’t go away until around 7pm.  It’s not from not eating, because I am eating a bunch.  However, food just doesn’t sound good to me this week.  I have to force myself to think of something that sounds appetizing… not fun especially with nausea.  

My back is still hurting whenever I do too much moving around, so today is a rest day from doing anything around the house.  Just walking the doggie kids around the neighborhood.  The weather has finally begun to warm up so that makes me very happy.

My energy level is good and I get spurts of energy in the mornings.  Sleeping, however, has been hard lately.  I fall asleep great but wake up around 3am and can’t get back to bed until 6:30 and that’s with forcing myself to stay in bed.  Today, I actually got two extra hours of sleep so that helped a bunch.

Physical changes:

I think my belly grew a little bit this week.  I’ve wanted to get a tape measure to measure it every week but I keep forgetting!

I think I saw a really faint Linea Nigra (black line) on my belly this morning!  Kind of like that first pregnancy test with the really faint second pink line.

I have had no new weight gain this week.  I’m still up 5 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. 

What I’ve been craving:

I’m still on an avocado kick and eat at least half of one everyday.  Almost-burnt cheese is something I can’t get enough of and I find myself making quesadillas and pushing the cheese out of them while they are cooking so that it burns a little.  Lemonade is also a big one.  I have to have at least a glass a day!  Again, with the nausea, not much food sounds good this week.

Something fun: 

Since we aren’t finding out the sex of the baby, I thought it would be fun to look up some Old Wives’ Tales about gender.  They range from Chinese numerology to putting your wedding ring over your belly.  So here is a breakdown of what we have done so far.

Old Wives’ Tale	How to tell	Our baby’s gender
Ring over belly	Ring spins in circles=Boy Ring goes swings side-to side=Girl	GIRL
Linea Nigra	Line stops at belly button=Girl Line stops at rib cage=Boy	BOY
Carrying	High=Girl Low=Boy	BOY
Heart rate	150 and above=Girl Below 150=Boy (143bpm)	BOY
Hair Growth	Little or no change to growth=Girl Fast hair growth=Boy	BOY
Chinese Numerology	Not sure how this works but I put in my birth date and baby’s EDD	BOY
Skin	More pimples than usual=Girl No change to skin=Boy	GIRL
How I look	More Beauty=Boy Less Beauty=Girl (she steals your beauty!)  I think I look a little more dull and tired	GIRL

GIRL: 3 BOY: 5

Of course there are many more tales out there but we will stick to these 8 for now. 

22 more weeks and Mike and I will become parents.  P.S. I think it just finally hit me that I am going to be a mother shortly!