It's all coming together... sort of

Lots of bumpies have been posting about their crib purchases and nursery progress. Ummm, yeah - I'm going to get right on that. ;)  Seriously though, I did order fabric samples from Javis Davis and they came in today. The anchor fabric that I loved is totally awesome in real life! Here's the nursery plan as it stands now.

The pillows are just to show you examples of the fabric. A super talented Portuguese woman is going to make the crib skirt, curtains, and accent pillows. JA and I are hosting our last hurrah at the end of October, so after that party it's all systems go on the nursery!

Breakfast - egg white and cheese on an everything bagel; baked home fries
Lunch - "chicken" patty with organic broccoli, peas, and corn
Snack - reduced fat Cheeze-Its; Kashi granola bar

Dinner - Amy's veggie burrito; garden salad; one mozzarella stick

Dessert - blueberry frozen fruit juice bar

What's in a name?

Now that we know that Baby A is a boy, we can officially continue discussing names. This is so hard! It took me about seven months to find a wedding dress, and this is following the same pattern. Thank goodness JA and I didn't have to agree on the dress because I think I'd still be looking. Here are names I like, and I haven't even thought of middle names yet:

• Benjamin
• Carter
• Liam
• Daniel
• Brendan
• Caleb

Here are the names John likes:

• James Thomas
• Charles Alexander
• Henry John
• John Joseph

So.... we are currently at a standstill.

Breakfast - two organic eggs and a slice of cheese on half a whole wheat pita; blueberry pomegranate juice
Lunch - garden salad (organic lettuce and tomato with light honey mustard dressing); twice slices of American with organic lettuce on half a whole wheat pita; pita chips and spinach dip; Hershey's miniature dark chocolate
Snack - unsweetened apple sauce; handful of caramel popcorn
Dinner - "chicken" patty on a bun with organic lettuce and spicy low fat mayo; assorted organic veggies (broccoli, corn, and peas); baked fries
Dessert - small piece of homemade cake (made by yours truly!); glass of skim milk

Nothing Much to Say...

Plus, I'm watching glee and I'm distracted. :)  It's Britney's episode!

Breakfast - Cap'n Crunch with organic low fat milk; egg white veggie and cheese sandwich (I was starving this morning!)
Lunch - garden salad (organic lettuce and tomato with light honey mustard dressing); penne vodka; unsweetened applesauce; Hershey's miniature (dark chocolate)
Snack - pita chips
Dinner - veggie burger on a bun
Dessert - small piece of homemade cake (yum!); glass of skim milk

I'm Seeing Red

Nope - I'm not angry. My front door is finished! It's going to rain all week, so I will post pictures once the sun comes back out. I think I like it though. :)

Tonight was my last yoga class at the studio far, far away. I called a place right down town that has a prenatal class. Hopefully I like it and Baby and I can be yen a lot closer to home. I'm also starting the prenatal water aerobics class in late October. Should be interesting...

Today was a pretty typical day - not much to report. I did feel our little guy a few times throughout the day, and broke out into a huge smile each time. People are going to start thinking something is wrong with me. I like to think Baby is smiling right along with me.

Breakfast - one organic egg and cheese on half a whole wheat pita; glass of chocolate soy milk
Snack - Kashi granola bar
Lunch - garden salad with organic lettuce and tomato with light honey mustard dressing; penne vodka; unsweetened apple sauce; pita chips
Snack - reduced fat Cheeze-Its; Hershey's miniature (dark chocolate)
Dinner - half a baked potato; slice of cheese pizza; garden salad with organic lettuce and tomato with light honey mustard dressing

21 Weeks

Baby is 21 weeks - the legal drinking age in the womb! ;)  I did read that he's busy drinking amniotic fluid and we even got to see him practicing his swallowing on the ultrasound. Here's what else is new...

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as his initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

You're probably feeling pretty comfortable these days. You're not too big yet, and the usual discomforts associated with early pregnancy are, for the most part, gone. If you're feeling good, relax and enjoy it while you can — the third trimester may bring with it a new crop of complaints.

Honestly, I can't imagine complaining, but I know everyone gets uncomfortable at the end. I'm going to enjoy this perfect pregnancy as long as I can! :)

• How far along? 21 weeks
• Total weight gain: +9 pounds total
• Sleep: This weekend I slept until 10 on Saturday and 9 on Sunday... so yeah - I'm still sleeping very well. :)
• Movement (adding this new category!): I feel our little guy move at least once a day. It's nothing too crazy yet, but just little nudges here and there to let me know he's doing all right.
• Best moment this week: Our 20-week appointment of course! JA, mom, and I got to see baby's limbs, organs, and adorable little face.
• Food cravings: Reading over my journal I found that fries were definitely prevalent this week, but I don't think that's a pregnancy thing.
• Gender: It's a boy!
• Maternity Clothes: Pants are a must now, but I can still wear regular tops.
• Belly Button in or out? In
• What I miss: Running... man, I never thought I'd ever say that, but I do miss my few mile jogs. I'm looking forward to getting back on that horse treadmill in the spring.
• What I am looking forward to: Fall! Bring on the cool days, mums, pumpkins, and Halloween!
• Weekly Wisdom: Dr. G. told us he went to birthing classes with his wife, so I guess we're signing up. The hospital does offer a few that aren't too intense and will help us prepare for our little guy.

I'm looking a little like Adam Richman after he completes a food challenge on MvF. :)

Breakfast - two organic eggs with a piece of Italian bread

Snack - organic apple

Lunch - slice of cheese pizza; small bowl of penne vodka

Snack - glass of chocolate soy milk

Dinner - spaghetti and meatless meatballs

Dessert - unsweetened apple sauce

Blue doors never die

Remember when I painted all of the interior doors a while back? Yeah, I'm not finished yet! The front door is the last blue door in the house. Both sides are painted blue. Dark blue. Yesterday I stopped at my trusty Home Depot to pick up some of Freshaire's No-VOC primer/sealer. Two coats later, here's what we have:

Tomorrow it's back to Home Depot to select the official front door color (I'm thinking red!) and pick up another can of their bright white for the back of the door and trim. Baby A greatly appreciates not having to inhale any fumes. He's too busy bopping around in there, which I am feeling with increasing frequency. :)

Breakfast - bowl of Cap'n Crunch with organic low fat milk
Snack - whole grain pretzels
Lunch - organic romaine lettuce and tomato with croutons and organic balsamic dressing; slice of French bread pizza
Snack - organic apple
Dinner - small bit of penne vodka; garden salad; slice of cheese pizza
Dessert - blueberry frozen fruit juice bar

There must be something in the water...

Tonight was another neighborhood Bunco game. We now have women expecting in November, January, February, March and April! Isn't that cool?? We need someone due in December to make the sequence complete. :)  There was obviously a lot  of baby talk going around tonight which was totally fun. I could talk babies for a good long while these days.

After school today I stopped at Babies R Us to officially start our registry. Kristi, Katie, and Abby will accompany me next Friday to complete it, but I think I got a decent start. My favorite item on there so far is this peacock. My Portuguese family knows why... :)

I'm not sure I had a pavão toy when I was little, but Baby A gets to have one!

Breakfast - DD veggie egg white on an English muffin; baked hash browns; OJ
Lunch - Subway veggie delight on 9-grain bread (lettuce, spinach, tomato, cucumber, pickles, banana peppers, and honey mustard); Baked Lays
Snack - low fat blueberry muffin
Dinner - kale and mango salad; tortelli salad; veggies wrapped in rice paper; celery and dip
Dessert - brownie bite; fruit kabob; chocolate chip cookie

Movement

Every so often, our baby boy makes himself known to me. These are my favorite moments of the day. I can feel him gently rolling around, or sometimes I get a fun little poke from the inside. It is at once the coolest and weirdest thing I've ever felt. Many people say I won't be liking those movements when he's jamming a foot in my ribs, but right now, I love it!

Baby and I went to yoga again tonight. The new studio is about a forty minute drive, which is way too long, but until I find something closer, it will have to do. I'm also going to explore the prenatal water aerobics class offered by the hospital. I have visions of old people when I think of water aerobics but we'll see...

I am pretty confident this man will not be in my prenatal class.

Breakfast - whole wheat everything bagel with light veggie cream cheese
Lunch - two slices of American on half a whole wheat pita with organic lettuce and tomato; whole grain pretzels; Greek pomegranate yogurt; unsweetened apple sauce
Snack - Kashi granola bar; apple; handful of almonds
Dinner - two mini baked egg rolls; veggie cheeseburger on a bun with ketchup, mustard, and pickles; baked fries

Back to School Night

So tonight was supposed to be the night I "came out" to parents. And wouldn't you know... not one of them said a word to me! I did wear a loose top, but I thought it was pretty obvious. Apparently I'm still in that stage where people aren't sure and unless I'm displaying signs of labor, no one is going to say anything. :) Anywho, I'm done worrying about it. When it happens, it happens. Until then, let's say hello to our little man.

Cute little profile

Arching his back

Mouth open - we actually saw him practicing swallowing!

Baby feet!! I'm obsessed. :)

The shot I can embarass our boy with for years to come. :) Can you spot it?

Breakfast - egg white and cheese on an everything bagel
Lunch - two slices of American on half a whole wheat pita with organic lettuce and tomato; pita chips and hummus, Greek blueberry yogurt; whole grain pretzels
Snack - unsweetened apple sauce
Dinner - garden salad (lettuce, tomato, red onion, croutons) with honey mustard dressing; a few waffle fries
Dessert - kiddie cup of peanut butter ice cream

The 100th Post - It's a BOY!!

We are on Team Blue - wahoo! We had an amazing anatomy scan today. Baby A has two arms, two legs, one beautiful face, and a body full of functioning organs.  He looked perfect on the screen and my mom and JA got to witness the entire thing as well. So amazing! I will scan some pictures tomorrow or Thursday... I have Back-to-School night tomorrow so I won't be home until later.

Breakfast - one organic egg on sandwich thin with ketchup; OJ
Snack - Kashi granola bar; handful of almonds
Lunch - two slices of American on a sandwich thin with tomato and mustard; Greek raspberry yogurt; POP chips
Snack - honey wheat pretzels; unsweetened apple sauce
Dinner - tomato basil soup; dinner roll; half a veggie burger on a bun with lettuce, tomato, and onion; a few fries

Coming Home

I haven't started the nursery, signed up for birthing classes, or pre-registered at the hospital... but I do know what Baby A will wear home! :)

Of course I ordered the onesie with long sleeves... and I'll probably get some pants.

"Hey, somebody put some pants on that kid!" - extra points if you can name that movie!

Breakfast - Kashi Go Lean Crunch with organic low fat milk

Snack - Greek strawberry yogurt; honey wheat pretzels

Lunch - American cheese on a sandwich thin with organic lettuce and tomato; POP chips; Kashi granola bar

Snack - apple; Amy's organic veggie burrito

Dinner - grilled cheese and a few fries (at least the rest of the day was good!)

On a sad note, many of you know that I visit the bump's message boards. Sadly, two women on the February 2011 board lost their babies this week. One had a miscarriage and the other discovered her baby had anacephaly at the 20-week ultrasound. Every day that I am pregnant is a blessing and one which I do not take for granted. My heart goes out to these women and their families. Tomorrow is our 20-week appointment and I am equally eager and nervous. I trust in God's plan and hope that we'll have fabulous news to report tomorrow. Say a little prayer for us please!



20 Weeks - Half Baked!

We are officially half way through this pregnancy! I continue to pray the last 20 weeks go as well as the first 20. This truly is "the golden child" as I've affectionately come to name him/her. My baby is so good to me! JA and I met up with some friends yesterday to celebrate some of the wonderful things happening in our lives. Michael is cancer-free, Katie and Kevin bought a new home, and Baby A is on the way. What a fun celebration! Many of the women there were moms and they were sharing some of their stories with me. As I listened to tales of swollen ankles and heartburn, I silently thanked this baby for being such a superstar. Here's hoping he/she is as cooperative outside the womb. :)

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.) He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

That meconium stuff sounds fun! ;)

This week my third graders were exploring the math tools we'll use this year. When I think of our baby being almost as long as their rulers I'm amazed! If the baby takes after JA, he'll definitely be sporting some long legs too. Speaking of my baby daddy, as I was getting ready for the party yesterday, JA got a good look at my belly. I think he was shocked to see how round it's getting. Twice he made comments and I think he said hello to it too. Very cute! I actually missed taking my 19-week belly pic last week, so I'm going to take the 20-week one right now!

Say hello to the belly baby!

To compare, here's the photo from May 28.

• How far along? 20 weeks
• Total weight gain/loss: +8 pounds
• Sleep: Still sleeping like a champ!
• Best moment this week: Seeing all of our friends yesterday
• Food cravings: Nothing in particular I noticed this week
• Gender: We have our educated guess, but we'll wait until the anatomy scan on Tuesday! to be more certain.
• Maternity Clothes: Pants are a must now, but I can still wear regular tops
• Belly Button in or out? In
• What I miss: My regular clothes; as the weather gets cooler I miss my fall clothing, but I think I've done a pretty good job with accumulating maternity clothing in styles I like.
• What I am looking forward to: My mom is coming down on Tuesday to accompany us to the anatomy scan. I cannot wait to see her and how much the baby has grown!
• Weekly Wisdom: Our friends who have gone through them said birthing classes were unnecessary. I'll ask the doctor on Tuesday, but if we can skip them, I'm all for it!

Saturday
Breakfast - egg and cheese on ciabatta bread; decaf latte
Snack - half a chocolate chip cookie
Lunch - half a pasta bread bowl with spinach and tomato
Snack - tortilla chips with veggie chili and cheese dip
Dinner - garden salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and pepper) with grilled "chicken;" pasta salad; baked potato with sour cream; fruit salad
Dessert - chocolate chip cookie

Sunday
Breakfast - plain bagel with light cream cheese; decaf latte
Snack - half a chocolate chip cookie
Lunch - cheese and corn lasagna; roasted sweet potatoes
Snack - tortilla chips and salsa
Dinner - tomato and basil soup; Asian Caesar salad (romaine, cheese, cashews, and wonton chips); asparagus

TGIF

So, Baby A and I officially made it through the first full week of school. Today my secretary looked up at me and said, "Wow! It's like all of a sudden you popped!" Yep... just in time to meet all the parents at Back to School night on Wednesday. ;)

Tonight my plans include baking banana bread, catching up on the DVR (yeah Vampire Diaries!), and getting to bed early. Ahhh... I am quite the social butterfly.

Breakfast - two eggs on a sandwich thin; OJ
Snack - handful of almonds
Lunch - veggie spring roll; mixed veggies (broccoli, celery, carrots) with brown rice; Vitamin Water
Snack - rice krispie treat
Dinner - garden salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, onion) and a slice of cheese pizza

Word Travels Quickly!

Last Wednesday I told my principal about Baby A. Last Friday I told two fourth grade teachers. Every day since then random people have come up to me at school to say congratulations! It's kind of fun, and I laugh every time wondering who told them. Good news travels quickly, I guess. :)

I'm starting to think more and more about the nursery. On Sunday, we'll officially be halfway through this pregnancy. How did that happen?? The BIG ultrasound is on Tuesday and if baby cooperates then we'll know if we're team pink or team blue. After that, I'd like to start really planning the baby's room. I know I have some time, but I also know I'll need it! I love decorating and renovating, but I'm slooowww. Here's what I need to do in the room:

• move out the existing furniture into another guest room
• store extra furniture in the attic
• remove existing window treatments
• paint the ceiling (white? blue? something else??)
• paint the trim
• deep clean the floors and walls with an eco-friendly cleaner
• install crib, dresser, glider, bookshelf, side tables, twin bed, and area rug
• consider wall decor (right now, I'm liking something with a monogram and/or alphabet cards)
• install dimmer switch

As a reminder, here's what the nursery looks like right now:

The only thing staying are those pretty, pale green walls.

That crazy long list doesn't overwhelm me... it just makes me more excited about the project! School has also kept me insanely busy, so I haven't even had time to become overwhelmed with it all... :)

Breakfast - two organic eggs and cheese on a sandwich thin; OJ
Snack - half a low fat blueberry muffin
Lunch - one slice of Sicilian cheese pizza; garden salad with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and onion with honey mustard dressing; pita chips and hummus
Snack - handful of almonds; rice krispie treat
Dinner - half a Domino's pasta primavera bread bowl (after calculating my caloric intake for the day, I knew I was OK to eat this) :)

College Roommates

My college roommate Meaghan is visiting tonight with her adorable daughter Grace. I don't want to be rude and spend the night typing, so tonight is a super quick post. Here's the beautiful Meaghan back in the day when I became Mrs. JA. :)

Breakfast - two organic eggs and cheese on a sandwich thin
Snack - granola bar
Lunch - veggie chili with organic tortilla chips; Spanish rice; handful of almonds
Snack - organic celery with natural peanut butter
Dinner - one and half slices of Sicilian pizza; garden salad with lettuce, tomato, carrots, and onions with honey mustard dressing
Dessert - chocolate peanut butter and jelly cookie (homemade by Meaghan and Grace) :)

Peugas

What's that word?  It's one of JA's favorite Portuguese words and it means socks... as in the cutest puppy socks ever! These were purchased here before the baby shopping embargo, just so you know. :)

These may or may not have made it into my order too...

I've always had a thing for baby feet.

Breakfast - egg white and cheese on an English muffin
Snack - organic granola bar
Lunch - two slices of American cheese on a sandwich thin with organic lettuce and tomato; pita chips and hummus; handful of almonds
Snack - half a low fat blueberry muffin
Dinner - vegetarian chili in a wheat tortilla with enchilada sauce and low fat cheese; Spanish rice

Snack - cup of chocolate soy milk

MNF

Another late night... this football season is killing me, but it was worth staying up a little late to watch the Jets lose. ;)

Sorry Sexy Rexy... all that hype over nothin'!

Breakfast - Kashi Go Lean Crunch with half a banana and organic low fat milk
Snack - handful of almonds
Lunch - American cheese on a sandwich thin with organic lettuce and tomato; pita chips and hummus; Greek vanilla yogurt with blueberries, blackberries and raspberries
Snack - organic celery with natural peanut butter
Dinner - apple; bowtie pasta with asparagus, spinach and sun-dried tomatoes; half a soft pretzel

19 Weeks

We are home again! After a fun-filled trip to MA (including a Pats win!) we are all settled in back home. Today I'm at 19 weeks... almost halfway there!

Your baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear your voice now, so don't be shy about reading aloud, talking to her, or singing a happy tune if the mood strikes you. Your baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. Her arms and legs are in the right proportions to each other and the rest of her body now. Her kidneys continue to make urine and the hair on her scalp is sprouting. A waxy protective coating called the vernix caseosa is forming on her skin to prevent it from pickling in the amniotic fluid.

• How far along? 19 weeks
• Total weight gain/loss: +7 pounds (up one from last week)
• Sleep: Still sleeping like a champ!
• Best moment this week: Spending time with family in MA/Meeting my new class
• Food cravings: Nothing in particular I noticed this week
• Gender: We have our educated guess, but we'll wait until the anatomy scan on September 21 to be more certain.
• Maternity Clothes: I wore my first maternity dress on Saturday.
• Belly Button in or out? In
• What I miss: the margaritas at the game today looked mighty delicious
• What I am looking forward to: Meaghan and Grace are visiting this week! (My college roommate and her three-year-old)
• Weekly Wisdom: My aunt told me this weekend that JA and I are going to be great parents... sounds good to me!

I am exhausted, so I'm off to bed. I'll try to take a 19-week pic before yoga tomorrow.

Saturday
Breakfast - organic honey nut cereal with organic milk; hashbrown; OJ
Lunch - garden salad; two slices margarita pizza
Dinner - favas; potatoes; chocolate chip cheesecake square; two peanut butter balls (family party - the good is too good to resist!)

Sunday
Breakfast - egg white and cheese on an everything bagel; OJ
Snack - raisin toast
Lunch - cheese sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onions, and peppers; salt and vinegar chips
Snack - fries (JA bought them... grrrr!)
Dinner - same as lunch - the rest of my sandwich and a few chips; Vitamin Water

Road Trip Part II

We are off to MA again this weekend. The Patriots home-opener is on Sunday and we're going to the game! I'm so excited to see crazy Bill Belichick again. Most importantly, Baby A needs to get some Pats gear. :)

Update on Miss Maggie: The old broad is hanging in there! Her heart does not seem to be failing, unlike what they previously thought. She might have a little fluid in her lungs so she's on some meds for that and an antibiotic to prevent pneumonia. She's such a trooper! And how can you resist that face??

Maggie says, "That Tom Brady is dreamy..."

Breakfast - plain bagel with light veggie cream cheese; OJ
Snack - Greek pomegranate yogurt
Lunch - veggie spring roll; mixed veggies (carrots, celery, broccoli, bok choi) with brown rice
Snack - garlic hummus and pita chips; organic apple
Dinner - half a veggie burrito

Day Off

Happy New Year to my Jewish friends! We are off from school today for Rosh Hashanah and I was a busy little bee. Here's what I accomplished:

• cleaned the first level of our house
• removed all non-maternity pants from my closet and packed them away
• did three loads of laundry
• ironed a few items
• ran a few errands

Go me! I also managed to do a little more baby gear research. I spent some time looking at baby carriers. I think I'm settled on the Ergo for when the baby is older:

I'm currently contemplating the differences between the Moby Wrap and the Baby K'Tan for when Baby A is still itty bitty. I have to confess that they both intimidate me. I think I'm going to feel like a mummy! But I've read such great things about them and how nice of a bonding experience it is. Good thing I have some time to decide...

Breakfast - two organic eggs and one slice of cheese on a sandwich thin; OJ

Lunch - "chicken" patty on a plain bagel with organic lettuce and tomato; baked fries
Snack - cup of Amy's organic veggie soup; handful of sour watermelon slices
Dinner - half a veggie burrito; hard veggie taco
Dessert - small piece of ice cream cake (so good!)

The Cat's Out of the Bag

So I finally told my principal today... and she was SOOO nice about it! I'm glad I stopped worrying yesterday because she really was sweet and genuinely happy for me. I still have to submit my official letter to the Board so we'll have to figure out my dates for leaving and returning. I'm just so relieved to have it out in the open. Now I just have to deal with the parents... ;) My mom's advice was to just start wearing "the most maternity-looking clothes" I can so they can just figure it out for themselves. I think this growing bump is going to spill the beans no matter what I'm wearing. Amy, Nicole, and I met up for drinks after school and I caught a glimpse of myself in the entry way mirror. I don't see how anyone wouldn't be able to tell, but maybe I'm more sensitive to it. Maybe I should just wear this to work on Friday?

Breakfast - plain bagel with light veggie cream cheese
Snack - organic celery with natural peanut butter
Lunch - a little baked ziti; garden salad with organic romaine and tomato with light honey mustard dressing; organic tortilla chips with guacamole
Snack - organic apple
Dinner - a few nachos and a cheese empanada

First Day of School

Ha ha... just kidding. I was actually very excited for today. So excited, in fact, that I had an awful night's sleep last night. My hands and feet were super itchy, I was hot, and I was awake until after midnight. Here's hoping tonight is better.

My class is too adorable... what a sweet bunch of children. I'm so excited to get to know them more as the weeks go on.

On a sadder note, we took Maggie to the vet today because she'd been having some breathing issues. Her heart murmur has been a concern for a bit and her enlarged heart is pushing on her trachea, making it difficult to breathe. The vet took x-rays and bloodwork and she's going in for an EKG tomorrow. If all goes well she'll be put on 2-3 different medications and should feel better. Maggie is 13, so I know her time is limited. The vet said that dogs similar to her will live an additional six months to four years with the medication. I really hope she makes it meet Baby A. She's such a sweet dog!

Tomorrow's the day I tell my principal, which is good because I think I got the side-eye from some colleagues in the lunch room today. They might suspect something...

Breakfast - plain bagel with light veggie cream cheese; Trop 50 OJ
Lunch - two slices of cheese, organic lettuce, and tomato on a sandwich thin with mustard; pita chips with hummus; Greek pomegranate yogurt
Snack - organic celery with natural peanut butter; apple
Dinner - baked ziti

18 Weeks

Welcome to Week 18! Here's what's new with Baby A this week:

Head to rump, your baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the length of a bell pepper) and he weighs almost 7 ounces. He's busy flexing his arms and legs — movements that you'll start noticing more and more in the weeks ahead. His blood vessels are visible through his thin skin, and his ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from his head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around his nerves, a process that will continue for a year after he's born. If you're having a girl, her uterus and fallopian tubes are formed and in place. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

JA and I go for the anatomy scan on September 21... let's hope our little one cooperates and isn't crossing his legs!

• How far along? 18 weeks, 1 day
• Total weight gain/loss: +5 pounds (up one pound from last week)
• Sleep: I've been having the craziest dreams lately... some are pretty scary and some are just WEIRD!
• Best moment this week: Watching JA buy his first little gift for our child.
• Food cravings: I've always loved french fries and I'm going to start really trying to abstain unless I'm baking them at home.
• Gender: We have our educated guess, but we'll wait until the anatomy scan on September 21 to be more certain.
• Maternity Clothes: A few pairs of pants here and there... regular dresses and tops are still fine.
• Belly Button in or out? In
• What I miss: iced tea... it's such a summer staple for me
• What I am looking forward to: Meeting my new class tomorrow!
• Weekly Wisdom: My mom offered some sage advice on maternity clothing... don't worry mom - I won't let you down!

I can't blame that bump on food... that's all baby. :)

Breakfast - two organic eggs with American cheese; blueberry pomegranate juice

Snack - nectarine

Lunch - "chicken" patty on a sandwich thin with tomatoes and dijon mustard; baked fries

Snack - organic celery and natural peanut butter

Dinner - baked ziti with organic sauce and low fat cheese; slice of garlic bread

Snack - lemon Italian ice

Labor Day

No, no... not that kind of labor. I still have 22 weeks before that. ;)  Happy Labor Day everyone! As a teacher, I actually look forward to this unofficial end of summer. It means I'm back to work and tomorrow I get to meet a new crop of eight-year-old cuties eager to learn in third grade. So many people have told me that this class is so sweet and I can't wait to meet them. I also have an aide in my classroom this year working with a little girl with some health issues. Cory (my aide) is so nice and she's a fellow vegetarian - it's a perfect match!

JA and I had a great weekend in Massachusetts. I got to see family and spend time with friends... Baby A also went to her first pool party. I did have to chuckle at myself wearing a one-piece bathing suit I hadn't worn since I was a camp counselor in 1998. Awesome. ;) We also did a tiny bit of baby shopping and Daddy bought his first official gift for Baby. Do these guys look familiar to you?

The food journal from the weekend has some good moments (fruits and veggies) and bad moments (pizza and fries). Another good thing about going back to school is getting into a healthier eating routine!

Saturday
Breakfast - Total cereal with skim milk; nectarine
Snack - pear; fries; Vitamin Water
Lunch - an assortment of crackers and cheese, bakery pizza, tortilla chips and salsa
Snack - salt and vinegar chips
Dinner - lima bean salad; mixed vegetables (peppers, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers) with fresh-baked croutons in a balsamic dressing
Dessert - slice of red velvet birthday cake

Sunday
Breakfast - whole wheat sandwich thin with natural peanut butter; malassada; apple juice
Lunch - garden salad; sweet potato fries
Snack - fresh fruit salad
Dinner - two slices cheese pizza; Snapple fruit punch

Earl

No, we're not considering this as a potential name for Baby A. It's actually the name of the latest hurricane to threaten the East Coast. JA and I drove up to MA this morning and only hit a bit of rain here and there... but it's coming. Flashlights, bottles of water, and snuggle puppies are ready to go. ;) Molly and Maggie don't really like the rain, but they do appreciate cuddling up on a cold, rainy day.

Maggie likes to be the big spoon. Molly doesn't seem to mind.

When I first saw my mom and dad they automatically wanted to see my baby belly. It's hard to miss now, but I have to manage to hide it for a few more days at work. I've decided that I'll tell my principal on Wednesday and my colleagues on Friday (if I get the OK from her first). It will be good to finally be "out". :)

Breakfast - homemade egg salad on a sandwich thin; blueberry pomegranate juice
Snack - handful of almonds; organic strawberries
Lunch - Caesar wrap (Romaine, croutons, cheese, dressing); salt and vinegar chips
Snack - slice of cheese pizza
Dinner - garden salad (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, croutons) with light balsamic dressing and a slice of garlic bread
Dessert - frozen fruit juice bar

Mobile blogging?

Not sure if this will work... It's my first attempt at blogging from my phone. We are sitting in Giants Stadium at Baby A's first NFL game. I hope she loves football as much as we do because she'll be at the Pats game next weekend too! Dad, I hope you're ready to buy something at Gillette because Baby A now owns a Giants T-shirt. Let's make sure we even that out next Sunday!

Baby A's shirt is like this one, but in Giants blue, of course. ;)

Breakfast - organic honey nut cereal with organic low fat milk
Snack - homemade egg salad on a sandwich thin
Lunch - wheat bun; wheat pasta salad; slice of watermelon
Snack - Greek vanilla yogurt with organic raspberries
Dinner - organic tortilla chips with beans, salsa, and low fat cheese
Snack - fries (at the stadium); SoBe Life Water; bite of M&M cookie

Last Hurrah

Tomorrow I go back to work for the abbreviated 2010-2011 school year. No kiddos yet... just a faculty and district-wide meeting, accompanied by a lovely picnic lunch provided by our PTA. (I'll be bringing extra snacks in case it's not veggie-friendly and in case Baby A gets hungry.) :)  So today my friend and fellow teacher Nicole and I spent the day at the beach. We laid out in the sun, we swam in the pool, we read our books (her - Eclipse, me - City of Ashes)... it was bliss. I'll have a bit of summer sun to carry me through the first few weeks of school and I'm as relaxed as can be tonight. It doesn't hurt that spending all day in the sun with help me sleep like a baby tonight. Don't you love that expression? I'm hoping Baby A inherits my sleep habits.

I also got to see my mother-in-law today. She's always been extremely kind and we've always gotten along well, but I think we are growing even closer since JA and I found out we're expecting. She's going to be such a great grandma, and between her and my mom, this baby could not be more loved by his grandmas! I spoke with my mom today too, and JA and I will be spending Labor Day weekend up with my parents in MA. It always feels so good to go "back home" again. :)

Breakfast - half an everything bagel with light veggie cream cheese
Snack - handful of almonds
Lunch - PB&J on a sandwich thin; half an apple (it was huge!)
Snack - Asian snack mix; Vitamin Water
Dinner - egg white and cheese on a multi-grain bagel; SoBe pina colada juice
Dessert - handful of organic raspberries