16 Weeks

Here we are - week 16! It's true what they say about the second trimester. I feel great and my energy is back (so long as I get enough sleep)! I can't believe the summer is almost over... though I am looking forward to fall. Bring on the cooler temperatures and get rid of this humidity! Baby A seems to be growing well, as my belly seems just a smidge bigger each day. I used to wake up with a pretty flat tummy in the morning and it would be round by the end of the day. Now it's pretty round when I wake up! Here's what's new this week:

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks, your baby will double his weight and add inches to his length. Right now, he's about the size of an avocado: 4 1/2 inches long (head to rump) and 3 1/2 ounces. His legs are much more developed, his head is more erect than it has been, and his eyes have moved closer to the front of his head. His ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of his scalp has begun, though his locks aren't recognizable yet. He's even started growing toenails. And there's a lot happening inside as well. For example, his heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as your baby continues to develop. 

• How far along? 16 weeks
• Total weight gain/loss: +4 pounds (no change from last week)
• Sleep: I've been sleeping well (all through the night most nights). In these last two weeks leading up to school I'm going to get back on a bed by 11, up by 7 schedule.
• Best moment this week: Telling my neighborhood friends about the baby; I also learned my neighbor Jen is due a week before me!
• Food cravings: I've been liking sweets a little more than usual, but I'm not sure I would call it a craving.
• Gender: We have our educated guess, but we'll wait until the anatomy scan on September 21 to be more certain.
• Maternity Clothes: Not yet. Just when I think I'm ready for them, I try on some pants and they fall down.
• Belly Button in or out? In
• What I miss: iced tea (it's a staple in the summer)
• What I am looking forward to: Doctor's appointment on Wednesday - we'll get to hear the baby's heartbeat!
• Weekly Wisdom: Stop buying things for the baby!! ;)

Today was a weird eating day for me. I'm usually all about eating every 3-4 hours, but not today!

Breakfast - eggs and homefries; chocolate chip pancake; chocolate soy milk; cranberry juice
Snack - a few pieces of Aussie-style strawberry licorice
Dinner - "chicken" patty on a sandwich thin; rest of my homefries; broccoli

More Stroller News...

I realize that this post is going to get me into some trouble. My family has been reprimanding me any time I buy something for the baby. "You're having two showers!" they say. I know this... but it doesn't always help my ability to resist a great deal. Case in point: gilt had Maclaren strollers on sale this week. I knew that we'd most likely get a Maclaren as our umbrella stroller; you know, the lightweight one we keep in the car for trips to the mall (more shopping!) :)  The one that I liked was a bit pricey (of course). It normally retails for $350. However, with this super amazing sale, I could get it for under $200. You do the math - that's a great deal! So Baby Allen will be riding in style in this adorable Maclaren Spitfire Ryder Buggy. JA likes it... though the first words out of his mouth were, "Didn't people tell you to stop buying things?!" Hee hee hee...

Friday
Breakfast - egg white and cheese on an everything bagel; OJ
Snack - organic blackberries; banana bread; decaf latte
Lunch - PB&J on whole grain bread; terra chips; Ghirardelli square (dark mint chocolate)
Snack - Greek raspberry yogurt
Dinner - veggie stromboli; Spanish rice; spinach and tomato baked with fontina cheese; gingerale

Saturday
Breakfast - egg white and cheese on a whole grain bagel
Snack - cantaloupe
Lunch - steamed veggie dumplings with a side of broccoli; sun-dried tomato stromboli; Ghirardelli square (dark mint chocolate)
Dinner - the rest of my lunch

Angry Mommy

Ugh... I did not have a good experience this evening. I got kicked out of yoga! :(  My studio does not have an official prenatal class and the instructors do not feel comfortable having me in class. Oh well... guess I'm off to find a new studio!

To make myself feel better I went for a walk instead. Not the same, but better than stewing. I also talked to my mom... that always makes me feel better. :)

I also thought some retail therapy might be nice. How's this for a bringing-home-baby outfit?

Fun, right? Today was also a better food day, so I can feel better about that.

Breakfast - egg white and cheese on an English Muffin
Snack - piece of banana bread; cantaloupe
Lunch - sandwich thin with taboule salad; organic blackberries
Snack - nectarine; Greek blueberry yogurt
Dinner - steamed veggies with brown rice; steamed veggie dumplings
Dessert - cherry Italian ice

Angry Baby

Today I did something bad. Very bad. I wore pants. With a zipper. And a button! It seemed like a good idea at the time. Here's how it all went down...

This morning I woke up and decided I was going to wear pants. I was getting sick of wearing dresses because the teaching conference I'm at this week requires us to sit on the floor a lot, and I kept flashing my underthings to strangers. (Now that I'm going to be a mother, I've decided to stop doing that.) So I thought - today's the day I wear my first pair of maternity jeans. I put on a cute top and those elastic waist gifts from heaven. So far, so good. I proceed to walk downstairs, walk the dogs, and get my things together. About fifteen minutes have gone by and my pants are around my knees! Perhaps I'm not quite ready to wear maternity pants. Let me just put on my regular jeans. Which was all fine and dandy for about two hours. And then... oh my goodness do I wish I had those other jeans on! Baby Allen did not appreciate being squished. I managed to suffer through the rest of the day, but barely made it through the door before I stripped them off. Sweet relief.

Since the point of wearing pants was to avoid showing off my underthings,

I didn't think this was the way to go either.

Those jeans have since been washed and placed into the "going to wear next year" bin. Tomorrow I'll be wearing a dress. :)

Breakfast - slice of homemade banana bread; decaf soy latte
Snack - organic grapes and blackberries
Lunch - sandwich thin and taboule salad; organic tomatoes and cucumbers in honey mustard dressing
Snack - bbq chips and Vitamin Water
Dinner - soft pretzel; grilled cheese; a few fries

Well, the afternoon started off well... but the carb crave took over in the afternoon! I will work on that...

Yoga

After my 50 minute commute took two hours(!) this morning, I thought it might be a good time to go back to yoga. Now that I'm in the second trimester and feeling great, I'm really looking forward to class. I could use a sense of peace and tranquility after all that traffic. Baby Allen is moving around and kicking and stretching so I figured I would too. :)

Speaking of which, check out these cool videos about what's going on with our little one. I watched the first three last night but I'm waiting to watch the others until I'm that far along. It gves me something special to look forward to!

Breakfast - egg and cheese on a croissant; OJ
Snack - half a corn muffin; Vitamin water
Lunch - half a bagel sandwich with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and honey mustard; terra chips; fruit snacks
Snack - rest of my corn muffin; pear
Dinner - taboule with whole grain flat bread

15 Weeks

I'm back! And I have to say, I kinda missed this. Of course, we had such a great weekend down the shore with Wendy and Joe that I didn't have much time to think about blogging. Baby A had a lot of firsts this weekend - first shuffleboard game, first mini golf, and first time fist-pumping on the boardwalk. Good times. :)

We are at the 15 week mark - amazing! Here's what's happening with our little peanut:

Your growing baby now measures about 4 inches long, crown to rump, and weighs in at about 2 1/2 ounces (about the size of an apple). She's busy moving amniotic fluid through her nose and upper respiratory tract, which helps the primitive air sacs in her lungs begin to develop. Her legs are growing longer than her arms now, and she can move all of her joints and limbs. Although her eyelids are still fused shut, she can sense light. If you shine a flashlight at your tummy, for instance, she's likely to move away from the beam. There's not much for your baby to taste at this point, but she is forming taste buds.

I'm not going around shining a flashlight on my belly, but I thought that part was pretty cool. ;)

• How far along? 15 weeks, 1 day
• Total weight gain/loss: As of this afternoon, I am up 4 pounds. Aaaaannd, I think I have a little baby bump to show. I'm not sure you would notice if you didn't know me well, but I can definitely tell.
• Sleep: I've been sleeping well and have been able to stay up late when needed. Now that school is approaching, I'm going to try to get myself back on some sort of schedule.
• Best moment this week: Spending the weekend down the shore with family
• Food cravings: I've been loving potato chips lately.
• Gender: We have our educated guess, but we'll wait until the anatomy scan on September 21 to be more certain.
• Maternity Clothes: Not yet, though I think it won't be long now
• Belly Button in or out? In
• What I miss: Being able to sit for extended periods of time - I feel like I have to constantly shift around to get comfortable. I also miss wearing my rings - they all seem to leave some sort of rash/irritation on my fingers. I've taken to wearing my wedding band around my neck now.
• What I am looking forward to: Learning all sorts of new things at my reading conference in NYC this week
• Weekly Wisdom: JA has been encouraging me to eat more... gotta love that! ;)

During last week's painting extravaganza, I had to remove my usual belly pic mirror, but hope to replace it soon. In the meantime, what do you think? Do you see a little baby in there?

Breakfast - egg white and cheese on an everything bagel; decaf caramel latte

Snack - fruit snacks; half a Kashi protein bar; small black and white cookie

Lunch - PB&J; potato chips; V8 splash juice

Snack - cantaloupe; fruit snacks

Dinner - baked veggie egg roll and onion rings; cucumbers and tomatoes in honey mustard dressing

Where's David Bromstad when you need him?

Seriously... I need an HGTV Design Star here STAT! If I never look at another door, hinge, paintbrush, or roller again, it will be OK by me. Who am I kidding? I secretly love this stuff, but I am beat! Was it worth it? Totally. Our upper level has such a brighter, cohesive feeling now. And the updated hardware looks great too (I ended up finding a great deal on doorknobs at Home Depot). Here's the finished product... well, not exactly finished. As soon as I began admiring my bright white doors I noticed the trim was looking a little dingy... ugh, here we go again! ;)

Here's a reminder of the before shot...

And now...

Pay no attention to that dull white trim. I'll get to it. It only took me three years to paint the doors so...

Our friends Pat and Meghan came over tonight and Joe and Wendy are on their way down too... so excited to see them! I probably won't update this weekend, but I'll see y'all on Sunday.

Wednesday
Breakfast - Total cereal with organic skim milk
Snack - Terra chips and bowl of organic fruit (blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and red grapes)
Lunch - organic blue corn tortilla chips with bean dip, salsa, and low fat cheese and sour cream
Snack - Greek raspberry yogurt
Dinner - Spanish rice with chickpeas

Thursday
Breakfast - organic egg on whole grain toast with natural ketchup
Snack - organic grapes
Lunch - tomato and mozzarella panini with basil pesto sauce
Snack - granola bar
Dinner - 2 veggie egg rolls, 1mozzarella stick, 2 jalapeno poppers (all baked); garden salad
Dessert - slice of cantaloupe; mixed organic berries and grapes

How much?!?!

Today I got two quotes for some kitchen improvements. The first was to reface the cabinets and replace the countertops... all for just $10,000. What?? I could get a brand new IKEA kitchen (including appliances!) for that. The second was to paint the walls and cabinets and replace the hardware... for a much better cost (less than a tenth of the first quote). Since I painted the cabinets in our family room I know what a pain it is... very labor intensive. It will be nice to have someone else do the work this time around. My dad also volunteered to help me demo the backsplash and put up beadboard. (Remember that dad?) :)  With those things done, and an eventual countertop replacement it will be a brand new space! Here is the before (ick):

The top cabinets will be painted white and the bottom with be Martha Stewart's "Mourning Dove." The walls will be her "Fledgling". I think we'll wait until I go back to school so I'm away from the fumes. Speaking of paint, I am really loving the new white doors upstairs. The process is slow going and I'm trying to take breaks after every four coats or so. JA keeps reminding me to take care of the baby! I'm using Freshaire which is safe for pregnant women and won't off-gas into our home (so Baby A will be safe upon his arrival). I'm so excited that the nursery doors aren't blue anymore! :)

Breakfast - bowl of organic honey nut cereal with low fat milk
Snack - Kashi granola bar
Lunch - Amy's vegan burrito
Snack - Terra chips; organic pear
Dinner - salad (romaine, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, chick peas, nuts, honey mustard dressing)
Dessert - probiotic La Yogurt

A place for those cute little diapers

When my neighbor stopped by this morning with our mail and newspapers from last week she also had a box from Ruelala - my diaper bag! I'm not "out" to my neighbors yet so I didn't say anything about it but as soon as she left I opened it up to see this:

My new diaper bag by petunia pickle bottom!

I really like the fabric and the fact that it can be worn as a messenger bag or a backpack. It also has a great changing pad feature that unfolds right from the front of the bag:

Now we have a spot for all those adorable little diapers we picked up last week!

My painting is coming along nicely... despite my not getting started until late afternoon. I got tied up in baby gear research, which sucks you in like a black hole. The no-VOC paint is OK... thumbs up for the lack of fumes, but thumbs down for the coverage. I probably should have primed, but I've gotten used to The Home Depot's paint and primer in one... oh well! While there I checked out the door knobs and found some for the same price as eBay - score! So now not only will all our doors be white, they'll have shiny new satin nickel hardware as well. Stay tuned for pics...

Breakfast - one organic egg on whole grain toast with natural ketchup; OJ
Lunch - veggie burrito (a little rice, black beans, onions, peppers, corn, salsa, guacamole, and lettuce); Nantucket Nectars orange/pineapple/banana juice (I know it sounds like a weird combination, but at least it wasn't pickles and ice cream!)
Dinner - baked potato; green beans and broccoli
Dessert - cherry Italian ice

14 Weeks - Home Sweet Home

No matter how much I love being in MA, it always feels good to be back in your own home. This week I am determined to start AND finish a few DIY projects I've been wanting to do for a while. The interior doors upstairs in our home are all sorts of fun colors - blue, wood, and cream. Why?!?! My goal this week is to paint them all a nice, crisp coat of semi-gloss white (with no-VOC paint, of course). Tonight I will prep the doors (wash and sand as needed). I'll also remove the hardware. I'd like to replace the hinges and knobs but will probably order them on ebay since they have them for about half the price of Home Depot and Lowes... that will have to be a project for another day. I can't wait until we have a nice, cohesive look upstairs instead of this...

Who paints doors blue? Seriously?

In pregnancy related news, and let's face it, that's why you're all here, I am officially in the second trimester today! Baby A is growing up a storm in there and I think I'm looking a little rounder. This photo was taken after dinner, so it could be a combination baby/pizza belly. :)

12 weeks vs. 14 weeks

• How far along? 14 weeks

• Total weight gain/loss: After my weigh in this morning (August 9) I'm up 2.5 pounds from when I found out I was pregnant. I've been OBSESSED with baby bumps lately, looking at other people's blogs and wondering why they have pregnancy bellies and I don't. So I have to remind myself that everyone is different, and most people shouldn't really have a bump at 14 weeks. I'm just going to continue to watch what I'm eating and to exercise at least every other day.

• Sleep: I've been sleeping really well. Molly and Maggie, however, have been getting up before six lately. Not a fan of that!

• Best moment this week: Spending time with my family in MA and asking Wendy to be the baby's godmother!

• Food cravings: Nothing really... the meat cravings have stopped, though I do find myself looking for variety in my meals. I'll keep an eye out for new things at the grocery store.

• Gender: We have our educated guess, but we'll wait until the anatomy scan on September 21 to be more certain.  

• Maternity Clothes: not yet - I even wore a pair of regular jeans this past week (I may or may not have had to unbutton them in the car on the way home.)

• Belly Button in or out? in

• What I miss: martinis

• What I am looking forward to: Wendy and Joe's visit to the shore this weekend

• Weekly Wisdom: The women in this family were built to birth babies. You will have a great delivery! (From one of my aunts, a mother of 5!, at the wedding on Saturday. From her lips to God's ears!)

This week's big developments: Your baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck his thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, his facial muscles are getting a workout as his tiny features form one expression after another. His kidneys are producing urine, which he releases into the amniotic fluid around him — a process he'll keep up until birth. He can grasp, too, and if you're having an ultrasound now, you may even catch him sucking his thumb.

In other news: Your baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, he measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a lemon — and he weighs 1 1/2 ounces. His body's growing faster than his head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, his arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of his body. (His legs still have some lengthening to do.) He's starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over his body. Your baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and his spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though you can't feel his tiny punches and kicks yet, your little pugilist's hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.

Breakfast - egg and cheese on wheat toast with ketchup; one chocolate chip pancake; pomegranate and pear juice
Snack - trail mix
Lunch - organic blue corn chips with bean dip, low fat cheese, low fat sour cream, and salsa
Dinner - two slices of cheese pizza; broccoli and green beans

I need to go grocery shopping - it's on my to-do list for tomorrow, along with a trip to Home Depot.

Family Wedding

Tonight Baby A is attending her second wedding. What will she wear?!?! Love and best wishes to Tamarah and Chris and we can't wait to celebrate with them!

My Mom and I visited a baby specialty store in RI today. The service was pretty bad, and they didn't have any more of the newborn diapers in stock. Oh well... I did order the rest of them online (added the colors clementine and twilight) so we should be set with the newborn sizes. Apparently, like my stroller, the diapers are uber popular and many places are sold-out/backordered until the fall. Craziness!

Breakfast - hard boiled egg white; two slices of cinnamon raisin toast
Snack - peach
Lunch - roasted veggies; cheese ravioli
Dinner - dinner roll; black bean salad; corn and mango salad; plaintain in coconut milk sauce
Dessert - decaf coffee; one pizzelle; two bites of cake

Bum Genius

Isn't that name hysterical? It's actually the brand of cloth diapers JA and I bought today. A few people I know who have used cloth have mentioned that the ones they had didn't quite work for a newborn because they hadn't grown into them just yet. These are size XS and will fit a baby from 6-12 pounds. It sits below the belly button to protect the umbilical cord area. I've been wanting to use cloth for a while now and for a few different reaons. They are better for the environment and little one's bottom. Plus, the average family will spend $3000 on disposable diapers from birth to potty training. We plan to spend a few hundred on cloth, and if we decide to have another child, they can be used again. I can understand that it's not the choice for everyone, but we are committed to making it work for us. Plus, look how cute they are! We got yellow and green so far, but I think I'll add in some blue as well. I think those colors will work for a boy or girl, but JA wasn't crazy about a boy wearing pink diapers. I kind of agree. :)

After visiting the diaper store, we headed into Jamiaca Plain to the Sam Adams brewery. It was a free tour and JA got to sample five different kinds of beer. And I got a root beer - yum! Our third stop today was to visit our college friends. We had a blast catching up and spending time with Robbie and Madelyn (ages 3 and 8 months). On the way home John very sweetly said, "I can't wait until we have one of those to take home too." Awww....

Breakfast - egg and cheese on English muffin; Cinnamon Life with skim milk
Snack - trail mix; root beer
Lunch - avocado, lettuce, and tomato on whole grain bread; lemonade
Snack - spinach and artichoke dip with bread and crackers
Dinner - Caesar salad; parmesan risotto and asparagus

John, George, Henry, Benjamin, Catherine and Abigail

Today John and I toured a few historic sites in Quincy and Lexington and Concord. I'm constantly on the lookout for names and these were about the only ones I heard all day.  I like some of them... we'll see which one we end up choosing. ;)

A humble beginning for a future president. Baby A will grow up in a Colonial style home too. :)

It was very hot out and we did a good amount of walking but I held it together from about 9 this morning until 5 this afternoon. Yay for returning energy and feeling well! I made sure to stay hydrated and ate a few snacks throughout the day. Here's what I munched on today:

Breakfast - egg and cheese on a croissant
Snack - trail mix and LifeWater; Pirate's Booty
Lunch - Thai veggie wrap (cucumbers, red peppers, alfalfa sprouts, bean sprouts, cabbage, and carrots); Cape Cod salt and vinegar chips
Dinner - veggie burger; corn on the cob
Dessert - blueberry frozen fruit juice bar

On tomorrow's agenda: visits to The Diaper Lab, the Sam Adams brewery, and our friends Meg and Ryan from PC (which includes Meg's adorable guy Robbie and Ryan and Lynn's beautiful daughter Madelyn). I can't wait!

Vacation!

JA and I are in MA on a mini-vacation. We're staying with my mom and dad which is so nice for me... I love being in the home where I grew up and I hope our little one always feels as connected to our home. Last night I went to Black Eyed Peas with Wendy and six other girls - we had a blast! It was such an entertaining show. Baby A enjoyed it much more than DMB. :)  Fergie was so good... that girl has come a long way since her days on Kids Incorporated!

Tuesday

Breakfast - Kashi Go Lean Crunch with low fat organic milk

Snack - trail mix; Vitamin Water

Lunch - cheeseburger (no meat); small fry; lemonade

Snack - peanut butter granola bar

Dinner - Yesterday before the concert we went to The Greatest Bar and ordered a bunch of very tasty, yet very unhealthy, appetizers. Imagine an assortment of pizza, fries, nachos, and quesadillas. Yum!

Wednesday

Breakfast - one egg and a slice of zucchini bread (homemade by Wendy)

Snack - blueberries; wheat flat bread and veggie hummus

Lunch - slice of wheat pizza; pasta with peas in a light alfredo sauce

Dinner (Trio with Wendy and Joe) - bread (dipped in a yummy spicy oil and tomato sauce); walnut and apple salad; John's fries; several bites of delicious banana and chocolate desserts; decaf cappuccino

Thankful

Today JA and I found out two couples that we are friends with are splitting. It was such a terrible way to start the day and I can only imagine the pain they are going through right now. I am so thankful that I have such a wonderful husband and I can't imagine anyone else with whom I'd want to be on this journey. Love you John!

I finally got that massage I'd been wanting for a while tonight. Sooo good! Now I'm going to spend the rest of the evening cleaning and packing... not so good! ;)

Breakfast - bowl of Kashi Go Lean Crunch with organic low fat milk
Snack - Sobe Life Water
Lunch - tomato sandwich with balsamic dressing; pink lemonade
Snack - baked potato
Dinner - whole wheat fettuccine with veggies
Dessert - cherry Italian ice

Thirteen Weeks

Almost to the second trimester!! Actually, I've read it starts at 13 weeks, 13 weeks/3 days, and 14 weeks. I'm going with 14 weeks since it gets me that much closer to 40. :) Here's what's new with Baby Allen this week:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

• How far along? 13 weeks  
• Total weight gain/loss: +2 lbs.  
• Sleep: Still getting up once a night on most nights, but I don't usually have any trouble going right back to sleep.
• Best moment this week: Finishing Camp Invention! :)  
• Movement: too soon  
• Food cravings: I came incredibly close to eating half a buffalo chicken wrap on Thursday. I offered JA part of my pizza in exchange, but he refused to be part of my first taste of meat in over two years. He told me if I wanted to do it, I'd have to do it on my own so I wouldn't blame him. As if I'd do that... ;)
• Gender: We have our educated guess, but we'll wait until the anatomy scan on September 21 to be more certain.  
• Maternity Clothes: not yet  
• Belly Button in or out? in  
• What I miss: sleeping through the night - I should get used to this, right?
• What I am looking forward to: Going to MA on Tuesday!!
• Weekly Wisdom: If you're thinking about nursing, be totally committed to it. You'll never get through it if you do it half way. (From Sue, who quit after 6 weeks with her first son and nursed for a full year with her second.)

Rain ruined my beach day today. :(  Boo!  Let's hope it's nice in MA this week so I can get some pool/beach time in while we're up there.

Breakfast - scrambled eggs on a sandwich thin with cheese; OJ
Lunch - Amy's vegetarian burrito; two Twizzlers
Snack - peach
Dinner - edamame, vegetable tempura, avocado roll; a few waffle fries

Dinner with Friends and a Shore Weekend

Camp Chaos is OVER! :) Yesterday afternoon I came home, took a nap, went for a walk with my friend Amanda, and JA and I had dinner with our friends Kevin and Brian. They brought me the most beautiful bouquet of flowers and graciously paid for dinner. I can't wait for Baby A to meet her favorite gay uncles. :)

Today I ran some errands at WalMart. I bought a few storage containers to help me start cleaning out some closets. When I got home I moved JA's clothes out of the nursery and into another closet. I also packed away the clothes that were in the dresser in the nursery which I plan to list on Freecycle. It's time to de-clutter Casa de Allen!

Now we are down the shore to celebrate with John's family who is visiting from Minnesota. Tonight - dinner. Tomorrow - BEACH!

Friday
Breakfast - egg white and low fat cheese on an everything bagel
Snack - handful of almonds
Lunch - two slices of pizza; Greek peach yogurt; organic strawberries and blueberries
Snack - organic celery and peanut butter
Dinner - dinner roll; Caesar salad; linguine with assorted vegetables

Saturday
Breakfast - egg and cheese on a croissant; fruit smoothie (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, banana, and OJ)
Lunch - two slices cheese pizza; two Twizzlers
Snack - peach; Sun Chips; Vitamin Water
Dinner - two pieces of bread; Caesar salad; garden salad; two bites of birthday cake

Jersey Shore

I'm not sure how long one has to live here to be considered a "Jersey girl," but I've lived in the Garden State for five years and I haven't gone tanning or gotten fake nails yet. I do, however, love NJ reality television. Jersey Shore, Jerseylicious, Jersey Couture... bring it on. Tonight Tom and Stacy came over to watch the new season of Jersey Shore (which mysteriously takes place in Miami?) One thing is certain... JA and I will NOT be raising a Jersey girl (or boy). ;)

Breakfast - two organic eggs on whole grain toast with ketchup
Snack - organic banana; handful of almonds
Lunch - Amy's vegan burrito; organic strawberries and blueberries; half a brownie bite (the last of 'em - I shared with my friend)
Snack - organic plum; organic grape tomatoes with honey mustard dressing
Snack - pita chips and organic hummus
Dinner - two slices of cheese pizza; handful of potato chips

A new 'do

Today was my third day of Camp, which the custodians at school are affectionately calling "Camp Chaos" because of the mess we make! Over the past few days I've been covered in paint, bubbles, marker, tape, hot glue, and sweat. It's awesome. ;) Which is why it was so nice to go to the spa and get my hair done today. Nothing like resting back while someone massages your head with aromatic shampoo. Ahhhh... Speaking of massage, I think it's time to schedule a full body prenatal one for Friday. It will be a nice respite from the chaos.

Breakfast - two organic eggs on whole grain toast
Snack - Greek pomegranate yogurt
Lunch - multigrain bagel with light cream cheese; organic strawberries and grapes; celery and peanut butter
Snack - brownie bite
Dinner - bowl of Cinnamon Chex with organic lowfat milk
Dessert - cherry italian ice

I am still, apparently, all about the carbs. :)

Amazing!

I will let these videos speak for themselves...





I know I may be biased, but that is the cutest little baby I have ever seen! What an awesome experience today. Of course, the whole point of the ultrasound was to screen for genetic disorders, and the results could not have come back any better. Nothing is 100% guaranteed, but we feel really good that Baby A is growing into a perfect little one. The ultrasound technician did offer her guess as to the gender with 85% accuracy, but I think I'll keep that a secret for a little while... ;)  We'll make the big announcement at 20 weeks when we have the anatomy scan on September 21 (mark your calendars!) I am giddy over seeing our peanut again and I'm amazed at how much he's grown. She was dancing and waving her arms all over the place, especially after the techs made me eat a piece of candy to get her to move. He really seems to like cherry Jolly Ranchers!

Breakfast - egg white and cheese on an everything bagel
Snack - organic banana
Lunch - organic tortilla chips and bean dip; organic Romaine and tomato with honey mustard; organic strawberries, grapes, and blueberries; one brownie bite
Snack - the rest of my fruit; another brownie bite (I had already heard that sugar got the baby moving so this was my attempt to help) :)
Dinner - slice of bread; house salad; veggie tower and mashed potatoes

What was I thinking?!

Today was my first day teaching a science camp in my district. I remember being exhausted doing it last year... what was I thinking signing up for it in the first trimester?! The kids are adorable and we had a blast, but I literally fell asleep after lunch during my free period. This free period does not happen in my schedule tomorrow, so I better suck it up! ;)  I'm hoping the excitement over tomorrow's ultrasound will help keep me awake. Can't wait to see baby A again!

They really have a great curriculum... if only they'd incorporate nap time.

Breakfast - two organic eggs on a sandwich thin with ketchup
Snack - pita chips and organic hummus
Lunch - organic Romaine, tomato, and black beans with honey mustard dressing; organic strawberries, blueberries, and grapes; organic celery and natural peanut butter
Snack - Greek peach yogurt; Chex mix
Dinner - half a cheese quesadilla and sweet potato fries (the last of the batch - talk about huge restaurant portions - I've eaten these things for days!)
Dessert - half a brownie (I like to bake for the ladies at the ob's office. I told JA they are like the custodians and secretaries at school - you need them to like you!)

Twelve Weeks

Week 12! It's truly amazing how quickly the time has gone. Actually, some days it seems to pass so slowly, but when I think I'm at twelve weeks, I'm amazed! Our little peanut continues to grow each day and I can't wait to see him/her on Tuesday. I've also promised to take weekly pictures from this point on, so here goes.

May 28

July 25

• How far along? 12 weeks
• Total weight gain/loss:  +1 lb.
• Sleep: I've been getting up once a night just about every night... though I did manage to sleep from 10-5:30 last night. :)
• Best moment this week: Seeing my mom and dad!
• Movement: too soon
• Food cravings: The carb and meat cravings have subsided for the most part, but I've been all about sweet potato fries lately. I thought veggies were working again, but couldn't choke them down on Friday. The salads I've been making at home with my favorite dressing have been working well to get my veggies each day.
• Gender: too soon
• Labor Signs: waayyyy too soon ;)
• Belly Button in or out? in
• What I miss: frozen drinks (solved this with a virgin pina colada on Friday night)
• What I am looking forward to: Our NT screening test on Tuesday. John managed to get out of his work event early and his parents are coming too. :)
• Weekly Wisdom: We have plenty of time to set up the nursery. (This came from JA).

And here's what's happening with Baby A this week:

The most dramatic development this week: reflexes. Your baby's fingers will soon begin to open and close, his toes will curl, his eye muscles will clench, and his mouth will make sucking movements. In fact, if you prod your abdomen, your baby will squirm in response, although you won't be able to feel it. His intestines, which have grown so fast that they protrude into the umbilical cord, will start to move into his abdominal cavity about now, and his kidneys will begin excreting urine into his bladder.

Meanwhile, nerve cells are multiplying rapidly, and in your baby's brain, synapses are forming furiously. His face looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Breakfast - one organic egg on a sandwich thin with dijon mustard; organic grapes; OJ
Snack - Greek peach yogurt; pita chips and hummus
Lunch - one mozzarella stick; veggie burger with a side salad; one onion ring
Dinner - celery with peanut butter; bowl of organic strawberries, blueberries, and grapes

Lazy Days of Summer

There was a heat advisory in our area today. As a result, I neither changed out of my pajamas nor left the house today. Ahhhh... it felt pretty nice. I bonded with my computer and my television and even managed to get some curriculum work done. Molly and Maggie have been equally lazy with me. JA, however, was quite productive today and did tons of yard work this morning. What a trooper!

This was me today... minus the snacks (mostly). ;)

Breakfast - one egg on a sandwich thin with ketchup; organic grapes and blackberries
Snack - Greek blueberry yogurt
Lunch - garden salad (organic lettuce, tomato, and black beans with light honey mustard dressing); sweet potato fries (my new obsession!)
Snack - organic red delicious apple
Dinner - half a veggie wrap; rest of my fries
Snack - frozen fruit juice bar

Saying Goodbye

Today we buried John's grandma... the last of our grandparents in fact. It's quite sad that Baby A will not have a chance to meet any great-grandparents. Before she died, grandma left her Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls for the baby. We will treasure them always, just like the memories we have of all our grandparents.

My parents came down last night and attended the funeral with us. After, my mom and I went to that one store in the state that had the stroller I want in stock. Of course, they sold the floor model two days ago! This stroller is becoming like the lost city of Atlantis. Does it even exist?! We did at least choose red as the color to order.

We also got a good look at the Graco Snugride 35 infant car seat. I like this color to match. :)

I feel good that at least we have two major products chosen. My crib/dresser combo doesn't have my mom's complete support however. The other day I was so proud for choosing something safe and inexpensive. She thinks they look "cheap." ;)  My mom and I have a pretty good track record of shopping together and when we both agree on something we know it's the right choice. In fairness, she hasn't seen either furniture piece in person, so maybe when I head up to MA in a couple weeks we'll have a chance to shop a little more. Babies need a lot of stuff! I'm trying not to load our home with tons of baby stuff, but I'm thinking a crib and dresser/changing area are probably important.

Breakfast - Cinnamon Chex with half a banana and organic low fat milk

Lunch - slice of spinach and tomato pizza; pink lemonade

Snack - organic strawberries, grapes, and blackberries

Snack - egg on an everything bagel (half a sandwich); POM juice

Dinner - garden salad and grilled cheese

Breakfast - egg and cheese on a croissant

Snack - roll with butter

Lunch - a few bites of ziti, Caesar salad, and roasted potatoes; decaf hot tea (wasn't really feeling the lunch today)

Lunch #2 - spaghetti and meatless meatballs

Dinner - cheese quesadilla; sweet potato fries; virgin pina colada

Dessert - chocolate cherry gelato (JA's second birthday treat!)

Birthday Boy

Today is JA's birthday! I love birthdays and celebrating the day someone I love so much was born. He's going to be such a great father and I hope this baby realizes how lucky she is to have him for a daddy.

I toured a third day care center today and it was by far the priciest and the nicest. :)  I doubt it will be the one we go with however, because I couldn't take the baby out for the summer. Well, I could, I'd just still have to pay tuition. So I still feel good about the place I saw yesterday, but will continue to check around for a few places to see what will be the best fit for us. At least they keep getting better and better...

Also, could it be possible that I found a crib and dresser combination that will work? They are not a matching set, but what do you think?

They look a bit boring at the moment, but with the right bedding and accessories I think they could really work. I like the clean lines and dark color. And, contrary to what JA might think, I managed to find inexpensive pieces! Actually, his only concern was that I find safe, well-built pieces and he'll be happy to know that they meet all safety regulations and got excellent reviews in my Baby Bargains book. The crib is $160 and the dresser is $300. There are also a few other pieces that I might like for the room like a chest of drawers, bookshelf, nightstand, etc... All very reasonably priced as well. :)  They will make up for the upholstered rocker/glider/recliner that I want, which will probably cost about $700. I've set a nursery budget of $1500-$2000, and I think I'm on the right track.

I don't like this color, but man is that chair comfy! It comes in a bajillion other colors and fabrics so I could pick something a bit lighter that would coordinate with whatever bedding I decide to use. Decisions, decisions...

Breakfast - two organic eggs on a sandwich thin with dijon mustard; OJ

Snack - Kashi granola bar

Lunch - slice of cheese pizza; lemonade

Snack - bowl of organic strawberries, blackberries, and grapes with half a banana

Dinner - nachos; half veggie wrap and fries (went to Tashmoo for JA's birthday!!)

Snack - kiddie cone of bown cow peanut butter oreo ice cream (my reward for resisting birthday cake?) ;)

Second Time's the Charm

Today I toured my second day care center and the experience was much better than the first. I could actually picture leaving our child here during the day and felt comfortable with the environment. I still have a few places to check out this week... at least I'm comfortable with one facility right now.

I also went to The Birth Boutique today - what a great store! Of course, they still didn't have the other stroller I wanted to look at, but they had so many other great products. I didn't buy anything (hurrah for me!) but I did sign us up for a cloth diapering class at the end of August. Oh, the center today didn't really love my cloth diaper idea, but the director was willing to have me bring one in to show her. I figure by the time Baby A is six months old and ready for day care, I'll be an expert and will make it look so easy that she'll have to say yes. ;)

My final stop today was Crib World. They carry the Bonavita Peyton classic crib which I really like.

Of course, I don't care for the dresser. I like the case pieces with the Hudson collection, but I don't like the crib. Soooo... I will continue to search. I have decided to stick with dark wood rather than white no matter the baby's gender, so at least I've made that decision. When I'm in Massachusetts in August I hope to visit Baby Furniture Warehouse to see even more options.

I found another meat substitute today, which helped satisfy those cravings. The Birth Boutique has a great natural grocery store around the corner with a deli - yum!

Breakfast - Cinnamon Chex with half a banana and organic low fat milk
Snack - Kashi granola bar
Lunch - Impostor BLT (tempeh, lettuce, and tomato on whole grain bread with low fat mayo); all natural salt and vinegar chips; organic white peach tea (30 mg caffeine - 300 allowed per day)
Snack - organic strawberries, blackberries, and grapes; half a banana
Dinner - spaghetti and all natural meatless meatballs; side salad with organic Romaine and grape tomatoes with light honey mustard dressing

Eleven Weeks

It's been three weeks since we've seen Baby A in action and I'm very much looking forward to my next appointment next Tuesday. I'll be twelve weeks then, and just a week shy of that second trimester milestone! Very cool indeed...

Here's what's happening with our little one at eleven weeks:

Your baby, just over 1 1/2 inches long and about the size of a fig, is now almost fully formed. Her hands will soon open and close into fists, tiny tooth buds are beginning to appear under her gums, and some of her bones are beginning to harden.

She's already busy kicking and stretching, and her tiny movements are so effortless they look like water ballet. These movements will become more frequent as her body grows and becomes more developed and functional. You won't feel your baby's acrobatics for another month or two — nor will you notice the hiccupping that may be happening now that her diaphragm is forming.

Hiccupps?? Who'd have thought that was already possible? I've also decided to start a weekly update here and will try to post belly pictures to accompany them. Here's the first:

• How far along? 11 weeks, 1 day
• Total weight gain/loss: 0 lbs.
• Sleep: Because of the concert and being down the shore this weekend, I was a bit sleep-deprived. But I went back to sleep when we got home around 7 this morning until 10:30, so I'm feeling much more rested. I'm getting up once to use the bathroom about 3-4 times per week.
• Best moment this week: I'm feeling better this week and I ate a salad with enjoyment!
• Movement: too soon
• Food cravings: I'm still interested in cheeseburgers and meatballs, but I haven't given in to any meat cravings (yet).
• Gender: too soon
• Labor Signs: waayyyy too soon ;)
• Belly Button in or out? in
• What I miss: iced lattes; iced tea
• What I am looking forward to: Our NT screening test next week. Word on the street is that the ultrasound involves a bunch of measurements, so we get to see Baby A for a good 15-20 minutes!
• Weekly Wisdom: Stay positive that everything is going well and baby is growing beautifully.

Breakfast - two eggs on a sandwich thin with spicy mustard
Snack - Kashi granola bar
Lunch - organic romaine, organic grape tomatoes, organic black beans, croutons, almonds, and honey mustard dressing
Snack - pita chips and organic hummus
Dinner - spaghetti and organic sauce with all natural vegetarian meatballs (not the real thing, but it hit the spot!)
Snack - frozen fruit juice bar

Growing Old

We are heading down the shore today to visit John's parents. His grandmother is very ill, and they aren't sure she's going to survive the night. Facing mortality is something we have to do more and more as we get older, and it's sad to realize that Baby A will most likely not know any of his/her great-grandparents. I am comforted, however, in the knowledge that they will all be smiling down on our child and his/her grandparents will more than make up for their absence with love.

Yesterday Baby A attended her second concert - Dave Matthews Band. I hadn't seen Dave play in 10 years, and yesterday's show was rather disappointing. He played so much new stuff and only about 5 songs that I was able to sing along too. Bummer... On the bright side, we spent a fun evening with friends on a beautiful (but hot!) summer night. And we got lost walking back to the car, so I got in an extra mile of walking. :)

I prefer the younger, thinner version of Dave.

And the one who plays songs I know.

Saturday (not a great eating day, but Sunday will be much better)
Breakfast - two eggs on an English muffin; half a slice of French toast; OJ
Snack - trail mix; 3 garlic knots
Lunch - cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles on a roll with oil and vinegar
Dinner - soft pretzel (at the concert); cherry Italian ice; Kashi granola bar
Snack - Wendy's french fries (I'm not proud, but I was starving!)

Sunday
Breakfast - one pancake with syrup; sliced organic strawberries
Lunch - Amy's vegetarian enchiladas; zucchini; nectarine
Snack - Wheat Thins; three Twizzlers
Dinner - broccoli, carrots, and bok choy in a spicy sauce with brown rice
Snack - one mini chocolate donut

Day Care and Strollers

Well, I toured my first day care center today. I'm not sure how I'm going to do this! The place was fine, though I ultimately don't think it's the place for us. But seeing those tiny babies actually made me quite sad! I have a few appointments scheduled next week, so maybe I'll see something I like better.

On a brighter note, I think I've found a couple of strollers I'd like to "test drive." Meet the Baby Jogger City Mini and City Elite! Aren't they adorable??

Apparently the rest of the world is also loving these strollers and some are backordered until October! There's a store about 30 minutes from here that has both in stock to try out, but is sold out for orders. At least we'll get to see if we like them. Here's a link to videos where you can see them in action. Can't you just picture Baby A riding around in style? My friend Kristi was teasing me because the website mentions something about navigating the "urban jungle" with them... you know how it is on the crazy streets of Mo-town!

Breakfast - egg white and cheese on an everything bagel
Snack - Kashi granola bar; Greek pomegranate yogurt
Lunch - organic tortilla chips with black beans, salsa, and low fat cheese (my fancy homemade nachos - and a good way to get in some veggies)
Snack - baked curly fries
Dinner - an apple (was full from my fries!)

And the BEST part of today?? John comes home!! :)

The Belly

So many girls on the pregnancy message boards I visit have been saying how they can't wait for their baby bellies to show. Some of them who are in their second or third pregnancies already have a little baby bump. Nothing for me yet... which according to everything I've read is the way it's supposed to be. Even though I have a pretty short torso, I don't expect to show until 16-18 weeks. And even then, most strangers shouldn't be able to tell until 20-22 weeks. Here's our progress so far. I took the last picture this morning, and realized that morning light is much better for picture taking. I won't be quitting my day job any time soon to become a professional photographer. ;)

Breakfast - Greek strawberry yogurt; slice of whole grain bread with natural peanut butter

Snack - pita chips and hummus; Chex mix

Lunch - half a veggie wrap; half a baked potato

Snack - Kashi granola bar; nectarine; Vitamin Water

Dinner - cheese ravioli; garlic bread; garden salad (dinner with Kristi and Avery!)

Dessert - one teaspoonful of chocolate peanut butter ice cream

Lonely

JA left for Chicago for a few days this morning. When we first got married, it was no big deal to spend time away from each other. We lived in different states until the wedding, so we were used to being apart from each other. Now however, it's really lonely here! Thankfully he'll be home on Friday night.



In the meantime, you may have noticed that my blog got a facelift! I had some time on my hands today so I thought I'd make it look a little prettier. What do you think?

Breakfast - egg and cheese on ciabatta
Snack - Kashi granola bar
Lunch - garden vegetable soup; half sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, pepper, and hummus
Snack - Chex mix
Dinner - half a veggie wrap; half a baked potato
Dessert - crumb cake; glass of milk

Nuchal Translucency Screening

Being pregnant certainly improves my vocabulary. Today I had to prick my finger for the bloodwork portion of the nuchal translucency screening. Basically it's a first trimester test that screens for disorders like Down Syndrome and Trisomy 18. The results are about 93% accurate when combined with an ultrasound (which I will go for on July 27th). Pricking my finger gave me a much greater appreciation for my poor dad who tests his blood sugar for his diabetes. My poor little finger! Here's what my test looked like... my aim was not so good, but it's hard to control a drop of blood, especially on your less-dominant hand. They only included boring bandaids in the kit, so I had to improvise. The phlebotomist at the lab usually gives me Garfield ones. :)

 

Breakfast - Kashi Go Lean Crunch, Greek blueberry yogurt
Lunch - summer salad (mixed greens, strawberries, raisins, and walnuts); baked potato
Snack - cheese, lettuce, and tomato on a whole wheat everything bagel (OK, that's more like lunch #2, but I was driving past my favorite bagel shop and had to stop)
Dinner - nachos (met Nicole and Amy for dinner at Tashmoo!)

Maternity Fashion?

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not very fashion forward. I don't think I'm a contender for What Not to Wear or anything, but I've never cared all that much about clothing. Maybe it's because I wore a uniform until I was 18... who knows? I have decided, however, to be very conscious about what I wear when I start showing. Maternity clothing has come a long way, and I think I'll be able to make it work. A great tip I got was to purchase regular tops in long sizes to help cover your belly. That way you're not stuck with specific maternity clothing and you can still look cute. I'll keep you posted with how it goes with some pictures... and I know I need to take another belly pic soon. We are officially past the 10 week mark. Here's what's new with Baby A. She has officially graduated from embryo to fetus!

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

He's swallowing fluid and kicking up a storm. Vital organs — including his kidneys, intestines, brain, and liver (now making red blood cells in place of the disappearing yolk sac) — are in place and starting to function, though they'll continue to develop throughout your pregnancy.

If you could take a peek inside your womb, you'd spot minute details, like tiny nails forming on fingers and toes (no more webbing) and peach-fuzz hair beginning to grow on tender skin.

In other developments: Your baby's limbs can bend now. His hands are flexed at the wrist and meet over his heart, and his feet may be long enough to meet in front of his body. The outline of his spine is clearly visible through translucent skin, and spinal nerves are beginning to stretch out from his spinal cord. Your baby's forehead temporarily bulges with his developing brain and sits very high on his head, which measures half the length of his body. From crown to rump, he's about 1 1/4 inches long. In the coming weeks, your baby will again double in size — to nearly 3 inches.

Pretty cool right? And for those with a touch of morbid curiosity, here's what she looks like in utero. It's like high school health class all over again--unless you went to Catholic school like me. ;)

Breakfast - Special K Red Berries; piece of crumb cake; OJ

Lunch - mixed greens salad with strawberries, raisins, and walnuts; sweet potato fries

Snack - Kashi granola bar; Chex mix; decaf iced latte

Dinner - PB&J; blueberry POM juice

Weekend with Friends

After work on Saturday, JA and I drove down the shore to Chris and Kristi's house. We got to share our news with John and Abby and Matt and Lara, which was very fun. Abby is a NICU nurse, so she is all about the babies. :)  I promised myself that I would stay up until at least 11 on Saturday night. I made it until 1! But I paid the price when Maggie wanted to wake up at 4 to hang out...not cool Maggie... not cool at all.

Today has, therefore, been a napping kind of day. We came to the in-laws house on the way back up. I slept in the car for about an hour and then again when I got here for about two hours. And I plan to go to bed right after my favorite summer show... True Blood!! A great way to spend a Sunday night...

Saturday
Breakfast - one egg on whole grain toast; OJ
Snack - pop chips; Vitamin Water
Lunch - veggie chili and organic tortilla chips; apple; slice of cheese pizza
Snack - Greek peach yogurt; pita chip and hummus
Dinner - veggie burger
Snack - cheese and crackers; watermelon

Sunday
Breakfast - bagel with veggie cream cheese
Lunch - tomato and cheese on whole grain bread; three Twizzlers
Snack - bowl of cereal
Dinner - spaghetti with roasted zucchini and tomatoes; spaghetti squash
Dessert - two chocolate chip cookies

Accomplished

Today was such a productive day! I repaired our vacuum (cleaned it out and replaced the belt), wrote a curriculum document for my school district, baked a crumb cake, and did 4 loads of laundry. Rock on! My productivity did come to an end when I came across a marathon of The City on MTV.  That Olivia is so mean!

Look out for that one on the left...

Breakfast - Kellogg's Cinnamon Corn Flakes; slice of bread with natural peanut butter; OJ
Snack - a few Pop chips
Lunch - organic tortilla chips with veggie chili and low fat cheese; natural apple sauce
Snack - homemade crumb cake (I'm a baking superstar); glass of milk
Dinner - organic/natural mac and cheese (last night's leftovers)
Dessert - fruit and veggie smoothie (broccoli, carrots, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, Greek strawberry yogurt, almonds, Trop 50 blueberry/pom juice)

I've decided that so long as veggies still make me a little queasy I should make my smoothies to make sure I'm getting them into my diet. Other ideas are soups and V8 Splash... we'll see.

Day Care, Diapers, and Decor

Today was one of those days when I found myself thinking, "I'm going to have a baby!"  And I thought this about every five minutes! For whatever reason I was in complete baby mode today and made some progress in day care (called a few places), diapers (researched and finally know the difference between all the cloth styles), and decor (planned the location of furniture in the nursery). Busy little bee! Here's what I'm thinking for the nursery. Now the colors are obviously undecided until the anatomy scan at the end of September. These are the default colors from the room arranger on the Better Homes and Gardens website. Don't ask me why they show a crib as a gay pride bed. :)

I'll obviously add area rugs and other decor as appropriate.

Baby A will be sleeping in style!

As far as diapers go, I never imagined there were so many options! I am totally committed to cloth diapering and I'm so proud because I know it's better for baby's bottom and our bottom line. Not to mention - the average disposable diaper sits in a landfill for 500 years! Yikes!

Finally, I started thinking about day care options. If all goes well, I will stay home through the end of the school year and through the summer. That means Baby A starts day care at 6 months. I haven't gotten exact pricing yet, but I believe most reputable places around here will run about $1500/month. Gotta love New Jersey... we are in save-save-save mode!

Here's today food journal:

Breakfast - two eggs on whole grain bread; blueberries

Snack - Greek blueberry yogurt

Lunch - Jersey tomato; baked potato (pretty random, but I went to the grocery store later today!)

Snack - handful of almonds; organic granola bar; handful of sour candies

Dinner - organic/natural mac and cheese (no butter)

Toy Story 3 - Baby's 2nd movie!

I hope Baby A is a movie buff like his/her mom. I just love movies - either watching them at home or at the theater. After a hot day spent by the pool (heaven!) a cool theater felt pretty good too. The movie was so cute... and of course, it made me cry! Even JA confessed that he was a bit choked up at parts. :)

I went to bed as soon as we got home, so this is what I ate on Wednesday:

Breakfast - veggie and fruit smoothie (broccoli, carrots, spinach, strawberries, blueberries, peaches, flax seed, walnuts, yogurt, grape juice, and POM juice)
Snack - half a sandwich thin with almond butter
Lunch - Amy's veggie burrito; peach; asian pear
Snack - pretzel bites and fruit snacks (the healthiest thing I could find at the movies!); Vitamin Water
Dinner - veggie burger (no bun); corn on the cob

Hot!

I have a few facebook friends who are pregnant right now and most of their posts today were not happy ones. Apparently being very pregnant and 100 degree temps are not a good match. I'm feeling pretty good, and in order to beat the heat, I came down to the shore today to head to the pool tomorrow.

I met with Alice and Ella today (and Will) and had a lovely lunch. I found myself looking at Ella and being amazed at how quickly babies grow. She's such a cutie and she was walking all over the house exploring all sorts of things. It was really fun to watch. I can't wait to see our little one grow like that... though I'll bet as a parent you wish they wouldn't grow so fast.

Today was the first day I felt nauseated in the morning. As I was driving to PA around 11, I started to feel sick. It got a little better throughout the day, but I was still exhausted all day. I woke up at 4:30 this morning too, so that probably didn't help matters too much. Alice, if I seemed out of it today, I'm sorry! :)  I did sleep when I got to the shore for a couple of hours, and I plan to go to bed early tonight. Big day at the pool tomorrow!

I'm still loving all things carb, but I'm also trying to make sure to get some fruits and veggies in too.

Breakfast - slice of toast with peanut butter; handful of almonds
Snack - handful of potato chips
Lunch - spinach salad with raspberries, oranges, and avocado; slice of bread
Snack - small fry and yogurt parfait
Dinner - vegetarian pita (lettuce, tomato, cheese, and pickles); a few fries

Fireworks!

Yesterday my parents and I took a boat out on New York Harbor and watched the fireworks. Ah-ma-zing! Such a fun time... and the best part is I didn't puke on the boat. :)  I knew I couldn't take my usual sick-sickness meds, so I used my Seabands instead and they did the trick beautifully. I got to enjoy this view without feeling queasy.

Yesterday's food journal is a little all over the place, and since it was a holiday, I'm gonna "forgetta 'bout it" (as we say in Jersey). Let's just say that pizza and Skittles were involved. :)  Here's what I ate today.

Breakfast - one slice French toast, organic syrup; one small breakfast potato

Snack - Italian ice

Lunch - half Caesar salad; half tomato and mozzarella panini

Snack - veggies and dip (broccoli, celery, cucumbers)

Dinner - baked beans; pasta salad; potato salad

We had dinner with our friends Chris and Kristi and finally got to share our news with them. Very exciting! Chris said that he was very happy to have someone in "the circle" with a baby too. :)  He'll just have to wait until February.

Happy 4th of July Weekend!

My mom and dad came down to visit this weekend! I had to work at the bridal shop, but my mom came to keep me company. Good thing too... we had two customers in seven hours! Everyone is on vacation, which is how it should be.

We also saw Eclipse... and I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm sort of over the whole Twilight phenomenon. I'm sure I'll still watch Breaking Dawn (both of them) but it just doesn't have the same appeal to me anymore.

I felt pretty good today... just really hungry at snack time!

Breakfast - slice of banana bread; egg on toast
Snack - pita chips and hummus; Greek peach yogurt; Asian trail mix
Lunch - half a veggie wrap; spinach salad with walnuts, strawberries, Craisins, and walnuts
Snack - organic granola bar
Dinner - Subway Veggie Delight; apple juice

Would my Portuguese family disown me if I got a cleaning lady?

I spent the entire day cleaning our house in preparation for a family visit this weekend. I don't mind cleaning so much, but I hate the harsh chemicals used in some cleaning products. I try to use natural products as much as possible, but haven't found ones that clean the bathroom to my standards. I might explore the cleaning lady option... even if it's just for the bathrooms.

This is my typical cleaning attire.

I also met with a family today for a tutoring job this summer. I'll be working with a little boy once or twice a week on his writing. I'm looking forward to it... it will give me a chance to keep my teaching skills sharp, but only for an hour or two. Beach times can still be scheduled in as well. :)

Today was a carb-tastic day for eating, but it helps me feel better, so I'm OK with it. Plus I worked hard cleaning! :)

Breakfast - one hard boiled egg; natural peanut butter on one slice of toast; slice of banana bread (homemade by yours truly!)
Snack - Jersey tomato; Terra chips
Lunch - organic tortilla chips with bean dip and guacamole; baked curly fries (totally random, I know)
Snack - Asian trail mix; organic iced tea (150mg of caffeine - half the amount they recommend for pregnancy)
Dinner - pizza (oh, how I'd missed you!)
Dessert - bowl of berries