Ninja Baby

Baby girl has officially started to kick up a storm.  Now that I've experienced that feeling, there is really no question what is happening. It literally feels like something is kicking or punching you from the inside.  The kicks aren't too forceful or startling yet, just little reminders that she is alive and - literally - kicking.

All that kicking must be using up a lot of calories, because I have been starving for the past two days.  My doctor told me to cut back on the junk food (deservedly), and now that I'm watching what I eat, I can't seem to eat enough to actually fill my belly.  Sigh.  I guess I'll go eat some post-lunch carrot sticks for dessert.

Baby Wardrobe

There isn't much question in anyone's mind that John is going to spoil our little girl.  I grew up the same way (spoiled by my dad), so I can't say I oppose the practice.  

I've already begun losing battles when we are out shopping about what John is allowed to buy her.  So far I have managed to restrain him to the items in this post, but I'm sure I will not be able to keep him to these items until the baby is born.  

Occasionally I can even steer him toward the sale rack - like for this after-Valentine's Day onesie.  This is one of the more practical items.

I didn't even know fancy girl dresses came with matching bloomers, but I am pretty thrilled they do.  What would be cuter?  (I'm sure these bloomers will never be covered in poop or pee!)

Janie and Jack is responsible for our more frivolous purchases.  It's pretty near impossible to go into that store  and walk out without buying an adorable outfit.  (Note:  These come with matching bloomers too.)

This outfit is obviously the practical one because it has pants instead of a dress.  HA!

While I know that these expensive clothes are entirely unpractical (and we won't need most of them for over a year), at least we are having some fun getting excited for the little one on the way.

20 Weeks 6 Days

I'm 21 weeks today, but snapped this photo of myself yesterday before I headed to work (when I was a mere 20 weeks 6 days pregnant).  The past few days I've been feeling pretty achy in my abdomen, which naturally freaked me out.  We had a regular check-up today and the heartbeat sounded fine.  The doctor said it was probably just one of the "POPs" - pains of pregnancy.  Not sure if this is something that will go away or just something I'll get used to (unlikely!).  Things are stretching and expanding down there, so I guess it's to be expected that my body isn't exactly loving it.  Any words of wisdom would be appreciated!

Looking forward to seeing the Hunger Games tomorrow and escaping from everything for awhile!

Nursery Furniture

All of the nursery furniture (save for the rocker) was delivered on Saturday, and thanks to John's valiant efforts in cleaning out the former guest room, we had somewhere to put it all.  We got all of this furniture from our favorite store, Room & Board.  The crib is actually El Graco, but they sell it at R&B.

I was too lazy to switch lenses to one where I could take a full picture, but we are in love with this little cubby.  It will be a great place to store dollies and bunny stuffed animals.

Harper 2 already has lots of cute outfits currently resting atop her dresser.  Now we just need a changing pad and it will be extra functional.

We love this bookcase which has an open back to show the pale green walls of the room.  Soon I imagine there will be more more than one book on the shelves.

This didn't actually arrive on Saturday - it's a book my mom gave us when she saw us last.  A parody of "Goodnight Moon" - my favorite book growing up - this one couldn't be more appropriate for my tech-loving husband.

Harper was very excited about the furniture delivery.

She was significantly less excited when I put her in the crib for a minute.  She had flashbacks to her days of crate training and wanted out immediately.  Hopefully our daughter will tolerate it better!

19 Week Belly

I snapped a photo of my belly before I went to John's surprise party last Saturday.  I promise I didn't have that weird look on my face at any other time during the evening.

The baby and I are doing well.  I might have felt some movement, but it's hard to be sure (not knowing what it's supposed to feel like when a baby moves inside you and all).  As the belly gets bigger I'm having a harder time sleeping and getting a bit more back pain, but nothing too serious yet.  We've been enjoying a lot of white cheddar popcorn lately (thanks a lot, Natalie) and ramen (not from the grocery store, but restaurants).  Most little girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, but mine is made of white cheddar popcorn and ramen.  Not sure what that means for her future.

19 Week Ultrasound

Last week we went in for our 19 week ultrasound --- this is the big one where the spend an hour measuring every tiny detail on the baby to make sure things are growing at the right speed.  The technician didn't tell us, but that butt looks about the right size. 

Our technician was the king of subtlety, and this is how he chose to show us it was a girl.  He said "See, leg here, leg here, and nothing in between.  Girl!"  hahaha.  Thanks for the keepsake. 

The coolest thing about ultrasounds is to see the baby move inside.  We got to see baby girl sucking her thumb, which I thought was adorable while John bemoaned her future braces expenses. 

We didn't get any shots with the whole baby in there - head, arms, and legs - though I assure you she does have two legs.   It's amazing how scrunched she seems in there already...she has no idea what tight quarters she is in for soon!

John's 40th Birthday

John's birthday was on Saturday, and it wasn't just any birthday, it was the big 4-0.

I think John thought I was just going to treat it like any old birthday, but what kind of wife does he take me for?  I gathered all of our friends at his favorite restaurant to surprise him on Saturday, and this is how it went down:

Me thinks he was surprised.

I was so happy everyone could make it and celebrate with us.  Who doesn't love a good surprise party?

One of the funnier parts of the evening was when one of the chefs asked if they could bring a wild boar through the room we were eating in to put in the spare fridge.  We didn't mind a bit, and John felt the need to step in the fridge for a picture.

opah

two types of pasta

pork belly, leg, and loin

We had a special 5-course meal (with about 8 different items total) served family style.  Everyone left fat and happy.

They brought out John's chocolate budino with a tiny candle on the edge of his plate.  We sung him a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" made all the more joyous by a few bottles of wine (none had by me of course).

John's budino came and went in about 45 seconds flat.  Safe to say, he enjoyed it.

One of John's friends brought him a gift that maybe even topped the whole party --- John's favorite thing in the world:  Coke Zero!

Happy birthday to the most wonderful husband in the world.  I'm so glad I could help surprise you and make some memories of your 40th.

Dog House

We had a doodle-filled house this weekend.  Four doodles to be exact.

Mochi was the mature one of the group at over two years old.

 The three little ones are quite the trio, following each other everywhere - including onto their favorite perch (aka the stairs).

Harper and Latte are all smiles when they are together.

Sorry for the blurry photos, but with four crazy doodles around, you don't have time for a real camera.  It was a busy weekend, and all the dogs were surprisingly well behaved.  We all had a great time together.

Five Things Getting Me Through Pregnancy

It seems impossible to really understand what pregnancy is like until you are in the midst of it.  Some things are better than I expected, and some things are worse.  And certainly, the way you feel one day may be the opposite of how you feel the next, so here is a list of five things currently getting me through pregnancy right now.

Prenatal yoga.  Videos, not classes.  There are a few prenatal yoga classes offered nearby, but I've been enjoying doing yoga in my pajamas before work with only Harper to see.  Sometimes I get pretty exhausted by some of the poses, so I can press pause feel free to sit down for a bit.  I had high hopes of jogging throughout my pregnancy, but that isn't going to happen.  I find myself getting pretty tired walking on the treadmill nowadays, so I congratulate myself every time I do any physical activity.

John's PJ pants - what a saving grace.  I started wearing these long before I had maternity clothes, and I'll probably keep wearing them to bed even though I now have maternity pants.  A drawstring waist is key, plus they are flannel and roomy.  He may never get them back even after I have the baby.

Tum tum tum tum tuuuuums.  My heartburn comes and goes - usually pretty closely tied to when I eat heavy, spicy foods (shocking, right?), and I've been popping plenty of tums to get me through.  I imagine I'm going to be using these a lot in the next few months.

My new favorite "healthy snack" to eat at work is organic yogurt with granola.  I'm not really a yogurt person, but if you add about half a cup of granola, it tastes great!  I'm trying very hard to get the right amount of calcium in my diet because my thin bones can't really handle the baby seeping any calcium out of them.  So if granola helps me get extra calcium, so be it.

I'm over halfway through Games of Thrones Book II - Clash of Kings.  I really love this series, and it's nice to take a break from all the pregnancy and baby ready and really get lost in another world.  (We've been watching a lot of Friday Night Lights too, so I told John the baby will be born with a love of high school football and medieval alternate universes.)

Hopefully I'll create another similar list in a month or so and fill you in on my new pregnancy-related loves.