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

Cloth Diapering Class/Fear Mongering

So, JA and I attended a cloth diapering class tonight. As you know, we were already committed to using cloth over disposables. Bottom line - less chemicals on baby's skin, less expensive, and better for the environment. The class we attended tonight spent the first 45 minutes detailing all the ways that disposable diapers would eventually harm our baby. They spent 45 minutes listing all the carcinogens and chemicals that would ultimately cause cancer, lower sperm counts, and affect hormone levels. OK... I get it. That's why we went - we knew that disposables weren't great. I could have done without the conspiracy theories. ;)  After, I did get the information for which we went, namely, what different types were available, how many of each to get, and what accessories we would need. We've already purchased our newborn set and when the time comes for the next size, we have a few options to consider. Alice also lent me Ella's cloth diapers so we could try them out to see if they work for us. Either way, I am confident that Baby A's bottom will be covered... literally. :)

Next on the to-do list... hang a clothesline. :)

Breakfast - organic honey nut cereal with organic low fat milk
Snack - organic tortilla chips and salsa
Lunch - homemade egg salad on a sandwich thin
Snack - all natural raspberry lemonade; Asian snack mix
Dinner - slice of cheese pizza; organic broccoli, peas, and corn
Dessert - decaf latte and a peanut butter cookie (we needed a treat after almost two hours in that class!)

Motivation

After experiencing some fall weather last week, we are back in the 90s here in NJ. I managed not to break too much of a sweat in my classroom today or at yoga tonight. I am about 90% done with set-up at school. To motivate myself to finish tomorrow, I'm treating myself to a mani/pedi and a beach/pool day on Wednesday if I get everything done. (In fairness, the mani/pedi was an end-of-year gift from a student so it's free!) Nothing like a little positive reinforcement to make me hustle. :)  Mrs. Z... are you up for a visit on Wednesday??

This is the actual bathing pavilion down the shore... don't worry Mom - I won't be jumping into the pool!

Breakfast - everything bagel with light veggie cream cheese
Snack - organic celery with natural peanut butter
Lunch - organic Romaine, cucumbers, and tomatoes with light honey mustard dressing; organic strawberries
Snack - Greek strawberry yogurt; Asian snack mix
Dinner - black beans and rice; a few pieces of plantain
Dessert - small piece of apple caramel cheesecake and chocolate cake

17 Weeks!

I swear it was just yesterday that I was writing the 16 week post... time is flying! Here's what's new this week for Baby A.

Your baby's skeleton is changing from soft cartilage to bone and fat is finally accumulating around it. The umbilical cord — her lifeline to the placenta — is growing stronger and thicker. Your baby weighs 5 ounces now (about as much as a turnip), and she's around 5 inches long from head to bottom. She can move her joints, her sweat glands are starting to develop, and those little fingers and toes now feature one-of-a-kind prints.

Baby better not be thinking of committing any crimes... she's got fingerprints now. ;)

• How far along? 17 weeks
• Total weight gain/loss: +4 pounds (no change from last week)
• Sleep: I'm still sleeping very well - thank you baby! :)  I'm also getting used to sleeping on my left side (rather than my back).
• Best moment this week: Celebrating the unofficial end of summer with family and friends.
• Food cravings: I'm still loving sweets much more than usual and will indulge maybe once a week or so.
• Gender: We have our educated guess, but we'll wait until the anatomy scan on September 21 to be more certain.
• Maternity Clothes: This week I started wearing a couple pairs of maternity jeans. They are still quite big, but they feel so much better than having my belly squished in my regular pants.
• Belly Button in or out? In
• What I miss: my regular pants (see above comment) :)
• What I am looking forward to: Figuring out what to wear to work this week... I'm not telling my principal until next week, but we have our big district meeting on Thursday. What do I have that can hide this little bump for a few more days?
• Weekly Wisdom: Commit yourself completely to what you want to do with the baby (whether it be nursing, cloth diapers, etc.) - great advice from Alice (who also gave me a bunch of great baby gear from Ella). Also, my friend Heather recommended I do the same, but not to beat myself up if what I had planned doesn't ultimately work for me or the baby. Thanks girls!

Friday
Breakfast - egg white and cheese on an English muffin
Lunch - Panera Bread with Alice! - half a Caesar salad and half a tomato and mozzarella panini; apple
Dinner - assorted Cuban appetizers (plantains, yucca, black beans); garden salad with light honey mustard dressing
Dessert - two oatmeal, Craisin, white chocolate chip cookies

Saturday
Breakfast - egg white and cheese on whole wheat toast; one chocolate chip pancake
Lunch - "chicken" patty on a sandwich thin with leftover Five Guys cajun fries
Snack - bbq POP chips; veggies and spinach dip; organic tortilla chips with guacamole
Dinner - veggie burger on a sandwich thin with pasta salad and potato salad
Dessert - small pieces of apple caramel cheesecake and chocolate fudge cake (soooo good!)

Sunday
Breakfast - everything bagel with light veggie cream cheese; OJ
Lunch - organic lettuce, tomato and cucumber with light honey mustard dressing; slice of cheese pizza
Dinner - veggie cheeseburger on a sandwich thin; baked onion rings
Snack - a few salt and vinegar chips and animal crackers; lemon Italian ice (I think I ate dinner too early because I was hungry!)

Prenatal Yoga

Tonight was my first prenatal yoga class. We all know yoga is supposed to be a time to relax and find your center. And that's how it usually is for me... except for tonight. First, when I came home, I discovered that our dog Maggie had the biggest accident ever. Seriously, I have no idea how such a little dog can pee that much! So I had to clean up that mess. Then I had to clean the house a bit since friends were coming over tonight to watch Jersey Shore. Finally, I realized that my class was starting very soon so I had to scramble to get changed... and this is where my problems really started. Apparently all of my yoga pants were in the laundry basket and the last pair was too long. But they would have to do... especially since I discovered all my sports bars were either too small or dirty. Grrrr! Now I'm late, but manage to get myself out the door. Halfway down the street, I realize my cell phone is at home, and it holds the address for the studio. So now it's back home where I proceed to run up and down the stairs searching for the phone. I finally find it behind the couch (?!?!?) and head out again. I eventually get to my destination according to GPS, but I cannot find the building. I finally arrive, 20 MINUTES LATE, and just join the class. At this point, I needed all the zen I could get. All in all, the studio is good, the class was good, and I got at least 40 minutes of practice. And I know where this place is for next time. And I going to buy some new bras. :) Phew...

So I just googled "prenatal yoga" and decided no one really wants to see those pictures! Instead, here's what I looked like trying to get ready today. Imagine when there's a baby in the mix!

At least this woman has her cell phone. :)

Breakfast - organic honey nut Os with organic low fat milk
Snack - Greek peach yogurt
Lunch - cheese ravioli in a red pepper alfredo sauce; red delicious apple
Snack - Five Guys cajun fries and lemonade (Ugh! This is what happens when you're STARVING and drive by Five Guys.)
Dinner - garden salad; slice of cheese pizza; Ghirardelli dark mint chocolate square

Houston, we have a heartbeat!

Today was our 16-week appointment and we heard the baby's heartbeat on the doppler. Amazing!! It really does sound like galloping horses. The appointment was very quick... everything is progressing well, my uterus is growing nicely ;), and I continue to remain relatively symptom-free. I do consider myself blessed that I'm not getting sick, am sleeping well, don't have heartburn, and can eat whichever foods I want. Thank God for all that! Oh, and I'm up one pound from my 12-week appointment - so far, so good!

Our next appointment is scheduled for September 21 and it's the BIG ultrasound. They do a comprehensive anatomy scan and we'll get to see the baby's adorable little arms and legs, his precious little face, and maybe even his boy or girl parts if he's not too shy. :)

Breakfast - egg white and cheese on an English muffin
Snack - organic strawberries
Lunch - "chicken" patty on a sandwich thin; baked sweet potato fries
Snack - smoothie (blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, banana, yogurt, and POM juice)
Dinner - edamame; sweet potato roll; vegetable Pad Thai (dinner with Amy and Nicole - our last hurrah before school)

It looks worse before it gets better

Today was Day 2 in my classroom and I'm convinced I always make a mess before I set up. Here's how I left the room this afternoon...

Looottttts of work still to do... but I enjoy it. Tonight I also took Baby Allen to her first jewelry party. She bought me these earrings. Isn't she sweet?! ;) They will be fun to wear on a night out. And since I can't wear rings because of that silly rash on my hands, I figured fun earrings were important.

Breakfast - Cinnamon life with organic low fat milk
Snack - banana bread
Lunch - half an avocado, lettuce, and tomato sandwich on seven-grain bread; 1/4 baked potato; Ghirardelli dark mint chocolate square
Snack - Greek peach yogurt
Dinner - cheese ravioli and garlic bread
Snack - cheese and crackers; grapes

Back to School

Today was my first day back setting up my classroom. The kids don't come in for two weeks, but it's always good to get a jump start on getting things together. I felt good today and made sure to take breaks as needed. I alternated between moving things around the room and sitting down to work at a table to rest. Baby A was a trooper. He will be spending a lot of time in that room so I hope he makes himself comfortable.

I also told the union rep at work about my pregnancy. She gave me the contact info for our district's rep so I could get all the official information on how to tell my principal. This is my tenure year, so her advice was to wait until after the first day of school (when I actually achieve tenure). I'm going to have to do some strategic dressing to avoid outing myself ahead of time... or like Kristi suggested, just let people think I ate a lot of boardwalk pizza this summer. ;)

Even famous people love Jersey Shore pizza... and by famous, I of course mean J-Woww, not Michael Cera. ;)

Breakfast - bowl of organic honey nut Os with organic skim milk

Snack - Greek strawberry yogurt

Lunch - "chicken" patty on a sandwich thin; taboule salad; Ghirardelli mint chocolate square

Snack - trail mix; Vitamin Water; terra chips

Dinner - Shirley Temple; a few nachos and two jalenpeno poppers; half an avocado, tomato, and lettuce sandwich on seven-grain brain; half a baked potato; two bites of JA's chocolate cake

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