Looking Back at 2011

It seems like every single year around this time we all go “wow, I can’t believe it’s the end of the year already!’ Since this is a requirement for everyone to utter at least once before New Years, here goes…

“I can’t believe it’s the end of the year already!”

Quota filled.

Check.

Looking back on 2011, Neal and I had a really momentous, life-changing year. Honestly, 2011 was one of the best years of my life. It definitely had it’s challenges, and it’s bad and frustrating moments… but all in all it was one of those banner years that really defined Neal and I as a couple, and helped define me as an actual grown-up, responsible adult woman (gasp! Grown up?? Me???)

Here is a look back at what 2011 held for the Glynn Family:

January

We started off the year in the most anxiety-ridden way ever… buying our first house! After months of searching and dozens of tours of ramshackle houses that were “in our price range” we decided a townhouse was our best bet to start our journey as home owners. Brand new, move-in ready and cool upgrades like stainless and granite!

We celebrated getting the “they accepted your offer call!” with mimosas! Because this is what true responsible adults do when they make a big purchase. They drink to lessen the pain of all that money being drained from their account…

February

It happened. I turned 30. Oh, how I had mixed feelings about seeing that number pop up in my life! Thankfully, a night of 80’s dancing and a wonderful surprise party organized by Neal made me feel loved, young at heart and like the best is yet to come!

March

Who said buying a home was fun??? I blame that darn House Hunters show… Months of bank appointments, paperwork, crunching numbers, worrying and basically signing away our life, we FINALLY got the keys to our townhouse and got to move in! Painting, decorating and nesting… oh my!

April

Neal and I celebrated 3 years of being in each other’s lives by going back to The Buffalo Gap.. the saloon/bar where we had our first date! We even sat at the same exact table, played a game of pool for remembrance’s sake (I kicked his butt on our first date… not so much this time!) and thanked our lucky stars fate brought us together… because really, who else but Neal would be willing to put up with me for so long???

May

I officially got “Baby Fever”… spurred on by one of my besties Valerie having her second son. His sweet little face made me start to ache for a baby… little did I know that I was already 2 weeks pregnant as I sat rocking him in the hospital! I barely had time to really suffer from Baby Fever and start nagging Neal about wanting a baby..

June

That unknown little miracle inside my body made itself known on June 2^nd! I told Neal in the most romantic way ever that we were going to be parents… you can read that story by clicking here… and a little stick (ok, ok, more like 4 little sticks because I kept not believing the positive result) that I peed on turned our whole world upside down.

July

Feeling the need to get away and have some fun while it is still just the two of us, Neal and I joined a group of our friends out at McKenzie’s family’s cabin in McCall, Idaho for the 4^th of July! Beautiful little resort town on the lake, gorgeous weather, amazing hikes and views, and yummy ice cream (this is very important in choosing a vacation spot, after all)… we can’t wait to make this trip an annual thing and head there every summer with babies and kids in tow!

August

Our relaxing summer continued with Neal playing lots of baseball, me eating lots of Taco Bell and popsicles, and Henry soaking up lots of sun out in our little yard! I think Heaven is a sunny backyard with a good book, a blanket, a cold drink and a fluffy puppy. Also in August Neal’s sister Lori got engaged to her boyfriend Richard… giving us a wedding to look forward to in 2012 (and me motivation to lose the baby weight so I can look good in my bridesmaid dress)!

September

This was a big month for us... Neal started teaching at Silverton High School again (after 2 years at the middle school amongst moody, angst-ridden hormonal 12 year olds. He was so ready to get out of there and back to the high school… I have no idea why… I mean girls crying over some boy who held hands with some other girl is such a fulfilling way to spend one’s day, isn’t it???) 


We celebrated 1 year of marriage with a fantastic trip to Astoria, Oregon for the weekend… and we found out that little Bambino kicking around inside me was our future all-star little BOY!

  

October

Life continued on smoothly... I won the costume contest at work with my Magic 8 Ball costume and Neal channeled a really good hippie!

November
We celebrated Neal's 29th birthday (and I got no pictures of that event- bad me!!!!) with a night out with friends along with family celebrations... I spent my first Thanksgiving with Neal's side of the family... and Henry got a whole weekend with his buddy Jackson when Amanda made a surprise trip into town and stayed with us!

December
Our first Holidays in our new house!! We also had our first two baby showers (Bambino is spoiled already!) and started really preparing for the little guy's arrival as we start counting down the weeks!

Dear Hubby- you know how I said "don't worry, this picture won't go on the blog?" Well, I lied..  :-)

So that was our 2011!! In a lot of ways it was an uneventful and relaxing year... but in so many ways it was monumental and life-changing. Without a doubt though, it was a very blessed and happy year for us, and I give thanks everyday for all the great moments this year brought our way, and for the humility and strength that got us through the bad moments (trust me, there were bad moments too.. we wouldn't be human without those!)


Without a doubt 2012 will be the most intense year Neal and I have had yet, but it will be one of the most joyous too. I feel ready for the challenges, knowing that I have an amazing network of love and support surrounding me. 


So welcome 2012!!! Let's do this!!!

The 2 Pound Challenge- Update!!!

I thought I’d give you all an update on how I did on my 2 lb. challenge.

Remember? I was in danger of becoming a beached whale and gaining way more weight (like 70-80lbs) than what was good for me and Bambino if I continued on the path I was on?

That was two weeks ago and my Doctor “challenged” me to make some dietary changes so that by my next appointment (which was yesterday) I would only have a 2lb. gain. Two pounds every two weeks is what you are supposed to gain… that’s all baby growth. My thighs apparently felt left out though and wanted to gain right alongside Bambino.

Selfish, needy thighs!!!

Anyways, I took that challenge and I kicked it’s butt!

I almost didn’t want to look on the scale yesterday… all I could think about was Christmas dinner last weekend… chocolate peppermint pie, Mom’s amazing gingerbread cookies, a painful hip that didn’t let me walk or workout for a few days…

But the heavens opened up and shined golden light down upon me as I stood on that scale in the Dr’s office..

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhh-leeeeeeee-luuuuuuuu-yaaaaaaaaaaaa”

I LOST ONE POUND FROM MY APPOINTMENT TWO WEEKS AGO!

That’s right! Despite the holidays, the cookies, and the lack of exercise, I managed to conquer my Dr’s challenge and even lose a teeny bit!! Don’t worry; losing a bit of weight is not a bad thing. Bambino is still growing how he should; it just means that my body is not putting on additional weight.

Here is how I tweaked my diet.. and I’m amazed at the changes!

Old “Pre-Breakfast”- eaten on my way to work:

-16oz chocolate almond milk

-2 pieces of toast w/ almond butter or peanut butter

Total carbs= 90+

New “Pre-Breakfast”-

-large spoonful of peanut butter

-12oz of skim milk

-apple or tangerines

Total carbs= 12

Old morning snack-

-2 Fruit Leathers and 1 Tillamook yogurt with Grape Nuts

Total carbs= 74

New morning snack-

-Greek yogurt with handful of lowfat nutty granola

Or

-1 serving of lowfat cottage cheese with tomatoes and cucumbers

-handful of almonds

Total carbs= 25

Old lunch-

-any leftovers, or a beans/rice bowl, or sometimes bean burritos

Total carbs= quite a bit.. probably around 40

New lunch-

-chicken curry salad… shredded chicken, celery, dried cherries, cashews

Total carbs= I have no idea, but probably less than 20

I’m still peppering my diet with fresh fruit, fresh veggies and the occasional cookie or piece of chocolate (hey, I’m human after all!) but I feel better about the little splurges since I’ve very easily cut out over 100 grams of carbs from my daily diet that I honestly didn’t even know I was consuming. Neal and I also are looking to more “low carb” dinners like avocado turkey burgers with no buns, or if we do have carbs like pasta, we make sure they are whole wheat.

And what’s crazy… is that it was easy. I don’t feel hungry or deprived with constant thoughts of “oh man, I can’t eat that and I really wannnnnttttt to!!!!!!!” I was just obviously not a good label reader so I had no idea that what I thought was good and healthy was loaded with carbs and sugar. I got a big lesson in label reading from this experience.

Nutrition labels.

They actually have a purpose.

Who’d have thunk??

The Great Bambino- Week 33

Bambino’s Size: A honeydew melon… he’s almost 5 lbs (he’s going to surpass Henry in size soon!) and about 18” long… I have nothing to prove this other than a *gut* feeling.. but I think he’s bigger than this… I just really think I’m going to have a hefty baby.

Food Loves: Well, everything I WANT to eat I can’t really. I’m still jonesing for Dairy Queen soft serve, but I won’t let myself have it. I also have developed a craving for really awful greasy cheeseburgers. Again, I’m not going to eat one, but the fast food commercials make me moan with longing a bit. So instead of all the “good” stuff in life (ha!) I’ve been filling up on Greek yogurt, oatmeal with almonds and apples, curry chicken salad (no bread-all protein), veggies, eggs and skim milk. Sadly, I still think I gained more than 2lbs since my last Dr. appointment two weeks ago, so I’m dreading my appointment on Wednesday a bit.. I’m sure I’ll leave feeling like a fat failure again.

Food that’s Gagging me: The usual. Pork and shrimp.

Sleep: has become hard. Real hard. The heartburn is back with a vengeance… even taking the Dr’s advice and popping a Zantac before I go to sleep didn’t prevent me from waking up with acid in my throat so bad I actually threw up (sorry, TMI… ). This happened at my parent’s house over the weekend and I went to go sleep on the living room couch after that just for a change of scenery and surprised my Dad the next morning when he got up and came out into the living room. J Thankfully, Bambino sleeps when I sleep at night so I’m never kept awake by his movements…. He’s pretty awesome that way!

Best Moment of the Week: Two words- Compression Socks. Best known as the tight-fitting, not-so-attractive long stockings one must wear in the hospital after surgery, or when one moves down to Florida to retire… these babies have become the new Love of My Life!!! My legs and ankles were swelling so badly, even with my new motorized desk; that they felt stiff and uncomfortable constantly and I was totally miserable. So I gave in. Neal bought me the stockings. And helped me put them on. And then told me they were like the socks old people wear with shorts and sandals. Then I glared at him. Then I vowed never to take them off because Holy Guacamole! I can see my ankles again! Like, my actual ankle bones! OMG!!!

Worst Moment of the Week:  My weight struggles. Ok, and this sounds bad.. but I had a pre-conceived notion in my head about what I’d be like as a pregnant woman. I figured because I was tall, had a long torso and was relatively slim, I’d be one of those amazingly cute “just a basketball belly and 25 lbs gained” types of preggos. Well, my reality is far exceeding my fantasy… by about 20lbs at least. Over the weekend I had six people within a 24-hour period tell me the following things: “you are so huge! Look how big you are! You have SIX WEEKS TO GO??? Oh honey, there is no way you’re gonna make it, you are HOW far along? You look so much bigger than that! You are about ready to pop, aren’t you???” Um. Ya. THANKS everyone… NOT!!!!!!! As much as I’m trying my damndest, I am just gaining, gaining, gaining weight like a mad-woman, and I’m still swelling, and still growing in the belly region. Where is the cute tummy of my fantasies???? And because I’ve always carried my belly down low, it looks like I’ve “dropped” so apparently that just gives the strangers of the world free reign to comment on how huge I am and how about to pop I am. At this rate I’m going to be a 50-60lb gainer for this pregnancy, and that has been hard on me to accept and not feel like a total failure about.
What’s Up with My Body: Pain. That is what is up. You know how I had an easy breezy 1^st Trimester? No sickness, no troubles, hardly any symptoms…while my pregnant friends couldn’t tear their heads away from the toilet? Well ladies, redemption has arrived!!!! While you are breezing through your 3^rd trimesters, I am in constant pain. Not to be a major whiner, but I’ve gone from “oh look- how funny! Jessica is hobbling a bit like an old lady because her hips are sore!” to a pain in my left hip that leaves me gasping, holding onto counters and walls, limping, and crying. Like the “I can’t-put-weight-on-my-left-leg-at-all-let-alone-be-mobile” kind of pain. I absolutely cannot walk normally, or on my own without holding on to something or someone (thank you Neal for getting up at 4am with me to help me walk to the bathroom!). So, what did we learn? Oh yeah. KARMA IS A BITCH. Lesson learned. I think next time I’ll take a few weeks of the puking instead.

Da Bump: Sorry, no pic this week! Refer to a few paragraphs up. I’m huge and “about to pop”… The End.

The Glynn Family Tree Trimming Extravaganza!!!

I have been thinking a lot about traditions lately, probably spurred on by the fact that Neal and I are soon going to become a family and that’s when most people start new traditions.

Some of my tradition-pondering has also been spurred by all the other blogs I read, and all the posts lately of what traditions these girls have within they families and within their marriages… and I realized I was envious of all the traditions floating around out there that revolve around Christmas.

I had certain Christmas traditions growing up…. My family always celebrated on Christmas Eve with a huge buffet of appetizers and drinks and opening presents, and there was the making and delivering of dozens of cookies each year, and the anticipation of our Advent Calendars so we could get that piece of candy each day.

I want to make sure Bambino’s childhood not only honors my (and Neal’s) family’s set traditions, but is filled new traditions Neal and I start that will be unique and special to our little family.

I am so determined to do this I literally sent Neal an email outlining my plans to kick off some “Glynn Family Traditions.”

Hey, I’m organized. I can’t help it.

And maybe a bit anal.

But don’t judge. It’s the holidays.

Thank goodness he loves me…

Anyways…

One of the traditions I want to start is making a big event out of getting and decorating our Christmas Tree. I LOVE Christmas trees… the smell, the lights, how they make a room look magical when they are all lit up.. so that was my first thought when I started scheming on traditions we could start.

So I’m proud to introduce… the 1^st Annual Glynn Family Trim-the-Tree Extravaganza!!!

<drumroll……>

Ok, first off.. we had to get a tree! That’s usually a pretty important piece to the puzzle. If you don’t have a tree, you are stuck with our pathetic version of a “tree” from last year:

uh, yeah. It's just down-right sad, isn't it?? 

So this year, for the real deal, we ventured out one Sunday with McKenzie and her lil’ family to find the perfect one:

Hunting for something just right... and small enough.. and cheap enough...

 Conquering it, slaying it, and showing it who's boss...

Then we got down to the business of decorating! We made a fun dinner, put on a Christmas movie, and got down to decking the tree out! I can't wait until next year when Bambino can "help" us with the tree decorating!


Behold!


(ooohh fancy fish-eye lens on new camera!) 


**disclaimer- a fancy new camera does not a photographer make.. as you can very well see! Be nice.. I'm learning still and I'm lucky I remembered to take the lens cap off**

And a quick tour of the rest of our Christmas decor (because I have been waiting to decorate my first real house for Christmas ever since we moved in last March!)


The birdhouse from our wedding even got decked out with a holiday wreath...

The mantle... (just ask Neal about my obsession with the mantle... I begged and begged for the TV to NOT go above our fireplace, despite how "totally sick it would be" just so I could have a mantle to decorate for the holidays... the hubby gave in on that one!)

The banister.... (thanks to my Momma for the awesome light up garland!) This is where the fur children's stockings went.. including a teeny one for Bambino!

So how's that for some holiday cheer around the Glynn casa?? 


I hope everyone has a jolly, cozy, wonderful holiday!! Blog at ya next week after some major holiday food eating, movie watching, game playing and lounging around!


Merry Christmas!!

The Great Bambino- Week 32

Wow. 32 weeks have come and gone. I never thought I’d say “this pregnancy went by fast” because parts of it dragged… but I’m in shock we are less than 8 weeks away from a baby!


Bambino’s Size: A pineapple… 4 lbs heavy and over 17 inches long. So weird to think something that big is inside me.

Food Loves: Well, because of my 2 lb Challenge, my food intake had to change a bit. I still really like milk so I’ve been drinking skim. My cravings haven’t changed, I still want fruit, sweets (but I am not giving in very much!!! One tiny square of chocolate, and that’s about it), Mexican and Italian foods. Neal and I are really trying to eat more protein so I stop turning to carb-filled snacks. Our dinners this week will include avocado turkey burgers (no buns), lean meatloaf and veggies, etc..  Wish me luck this weekend as I face Christmas with a “limit your carbs and sugar” monkey on my back.

Food that’s Gagging me: The usual. Pork and shrimp.

Sleep: Pretty much the same. I wake up every time I need to change positions, and usually just once to use the bathroom. In between the little awake moments I’ve been sleeping really deep. Neal has been waking up with me… I think his body is prepping him for late-night baby demands too!

Best Moment of the Week: The movements. I first felt Bambino move at about 17 weeks along. I will admit, I didn’t really like the movements in those earlier weeks.. they felt weird, they were twitchy and they were CONSTANT! I kid you not, that kiddo did not rest more than about 15 mins every hour. My insides were constantly being thumped. So… I wasn’t one of those women who was cherishing the movements. Now though, the movements are so much different. Less thumping, and now it’s pushing;  I can feel limbs and body parts. I’m pretty sure he pushes his butt out a lot, and I love being able to touch it.. knowing that I’m actually touching HIM. I feel a lot more connected now that I can actually feel him. I find myself sitting with my hands on my tummy all the time, waiting for the next push.

Worst Moment of the Week: My Dr. weigh in.. duh…. It was not fun finding out I’ve been gaining almost 5lbs a week. I felt like a failure (how had I not been eating better???) and a big chubbo who couldn’t fight the urge to eat a cookie. So pretty harsh self-esteem blow for a few days.

I also seem to be getting my cold sore back.. it just really really does not want to leave me alone in this pregnancy! I think it’s sensing my lower immune system and just having a grand ol’ time going berserk on my lip. I guess I should be glad that is the worst of it and I haven’t succumbed to the flu or colds or sinus infections yet… *knock on wood!*

What’s Up with My Body: Oh, I’m just swell….ING, that is! I think part of my major “weight gain” last week was due to my legs swelling to twice their normal size. I can’t squat normally, sitting is hard since my legs don’t bend right, and my feet don’t fit into any shoes. I’m sure a lot of this is due to my desk job, but I know lots of Moms who worked desk jobs in their pregnancy and didn’t swell as bad as I am… maybe it’s the long legs? I’ve always had poor circulation, so maybe my blood is just super sluggish now in getting around the whole length of my leg. Either way, it’s horrible and no amount of propping my feet under my desk helps. So my work finally had pity on me and gave me a motorized desk insert that raises and lowers, so I can stand as often as I want! I hope this helps keep my circulation going. I’ll be the weirdo doing calf raises and squats as she types away… haha!

My heartburn has lightened up a lot, so that’s been awesome! My Tums are probably wondering why I don’t love them anymore… well, tough Tums! Get used to being ignored!!!


Da Bump: Bumpiddy bump bump, bumpiddy bump bump.. look at baby grow! (sung to the tune of “Frosty the Snowman” this makes sense..) J

Oh hi!!!

The 2 Pound Challenge

I could have easily just not mentioned this and I don’t think anyone would have ever known…..

But since I’m using this blog as a record of what went down while I’m in pregnancy town, I felt compelled to share.

I have become the Girl With the Absurd Weight Gain.

No relation to the much cooler Girl With the Dragon Tattoo… other than we both have issues.

The target amount of weight they want you to gain during pregnancy is 35lbs. That is basically all baby-fetus, fluid, placenta, blood (your blood volume doubles in pregnancy!), larger boobs, etc.

Anything more than that, is just plain old fat.

While I’m being honest here, I’m still a lady at heart… so I’m not going to say how much I’ve gained exactly.

I’ll just say it’s MORE than the total 35lbs you should gain for your entire pregnancy.

Remember- I am 32 weeks pregnant. That means 8 more weeks of growing baby and growing Momma… and already I’ve exceeded the max weight limit.

See the issue here?

I know most people won’t believe me because you all claim that I “look great!” and that I’m “carrying so well! it’s all tummy!” Yeah, yeah, yeah.. whatevs.

Optical illusions aside, the weight is piling on, and piling on FAST.

If I continue gaining weight at the rate I have been, I will seriously be at risk of gaining 70-80lbs total for this pregnancy.

And to that I say “oh HELLLLLLL NO!”

So after a bit of a lecture from my Dr. about hidden calories and carbs, I went home (feeling like a failure and mad at myself) and starting looking through the fridge.

A-ha! I found three very sneaky culprits-

Culprit #1- Chocolate Almond milk

This has been a staple through my entire pregnancy thus far. I have a big to-go cup size glass while I drive to work EVERY morning.

While being delicious and full of calcium, this bad boy packs in 36 grams of carbs per serving, and 32 grams of sugar. I was easily drinking 2 servings a morning.

This will no longer be consumed. My calcium will come from skim milk.

Culprit #2- Yogurt

I was on a real yogurt kick there for weeks.. eating at least (sometimes 2) a day. It’s calcium, it’s healthy bacteria, it’s all good, right?

WRONG!  36 grams of carbs!!! In yogurt!!!!!!!!! Obviously I don’t read labels as much as I should.

Out with the yogurt. No mas…. Which isn’t a big deal since I was losing my craving for it anyways.

Culprit #3- Fruit Leathers

Sigh. And I just bought a huge Costco sized box of these things too. I was eating up to 3 a day… hey, they equaled one serving of fruit, they were yummy and they were sweet! Nom nom nom… all day long.

Yeah.. all at the price of 12 grams of carbs per strip! Good lord. Fruit can be vicious!

So those are out.. anyone want a huge Costco box of these?

So by eliminating those three things from my diet, I will cut out 144 grams of carbs from my daily diet. Holy buckets! I might as well have just gone mad in a bagel shop!

My Dr. wants me to get in protein, protein and more protein… and cut out all the hidden carbs I obviously didn’t know I was consuming. He gave me a challenge to only gain 2lbs by my next appointment, which is in 2 weeks on Dec. 28th.

This is a challenge I’ve absolutely got to rise up against. It’s not good for me or for Bambino for me to keep gaining weight as quickly as I have been.

So… new plan started today! No almond milk, no more yogurt, down with Fruit Leathers!

Oh, and the gym after work. Bleh and grumble and groan… but it must be done! My legs have gotten almost twice their normal size in the last week... with much more cellulite than I had before. I have a feeling this is where a lot of my weight has been collecting.

I plan on walking more... getting up every hour from my desk job to walk around, hit the gym 3 nights a week after work, and dragging Neal along on long walks (2 miles or more) every weekend.

Wish me luck in my 2lb challenge! I will keep you all updated!

Let's Hear it for the Boy!!!

Reasons my Husband is Awesome

Yeah, yeah… I know.. super mushy-gushy…. Grab a barf bag if you feel like you’re gonna need one….

But I feel like he deserves a little shout-out of “hey you are GREAT!!!” from me because of all the little ways he’s been just plain stupendous during my pregnancy.

So Nealo… this is all about you!

-He ALWAYS helps around the house.

Chores have never been anything Neal and I fight or bicker on. Because of the nature of his teaching job, coupled with coaching and after-school activities he’s committed too… yeah, I’ll admit. I do most of the housework. But no matter what, even after he’s had a long day, he’ll still tell me to stop unloading the dishwasher because I need to sit and relax a bit, and that he’ll take care of that. I absolutely love that about him. I know once the baby is here he'll be the best little maid ever!

-He’s my biggest cheerleader

Every single day during this pregnancy he has told me in some way how beautiful I am, how great I look, how appreciative he is that I’m “cooking” our son so well or how I’m handling the aches, pains, and annoyances of pregnancy with ease. Even when I’m feeling like this:

He makes me feel like this:

**well... he at least tries to make me feel less like a whale. But I'm stubborn. and I don't believe him all most of the time... but thanks for the effort babe!** 

-He humors all my pregnancy quirks

I wake him up at night with my grumbles about heartburn…. I drag him upstairs to share a “vision” I had about decorating the nursery…. I ask him to go get me a glass of water after we’ve settled comfortably in bed… I fret and stress about upcoming parenting responsibilities and finances…I tear his attention away from Sunday night NFL to show him baby shower gifts I’ve received…I really really want a cookie (or three) and fret over eating junk… and his reactions? Hugs. Massages. Cold glasses of ice water. Kisses. Enthusiasm. Excitement. Reassurance. Demands that I eat those cookies. And lots and lots of love.

-He stands by my side through the tough times.

When I was scared about Bambino’s CPC’s, Neal really took control and handled all the phone calls to the Dr, the scheduling of follow-up appointments, the consoling of a scared first-time Mom… all so I didn’t have that added burden on me. Bambino’s CPC’s turned out to be nothing to worry about, but I got a good glimpse of how awesome he’s going to be in times of stress and worry.

-He doesn’t laugh at my clumsiness

Ok.. at least not all the time.. but who wouldn’t laugh at a rotund preggo girl hopping around, twisting strangely and grunting all in order to put on a sock??? I know I would! But bless his heart, he’ll chuckle… and then offer to put my sock on for me.

-He is hands-on, 110% involved

My heart goes out to all women who go through pregnancy without a supportive partner, because I’m telling ya… it rocks to have a partner who wants to go to Dr. appointments with you, is all geared up and ready (and EXCITED!) to give the baby baths and change diapers, and can’t wait to be an involved Dad. Granted, he might need a gas mask to get through some diaper changes, but the fact that he wants to be so involved is just plain awesome.

So here’s to you Neal! If I could drink, I’d raise a beer up and toast the best man I’ve ever known!

XOXO (times infinity!!!)

-your whale of a... uh, em... I mean your glowing and radiant knocked-up wifey!

The Great Bambino- Week 31

Weekly update time! 31 weeks down… 9 more to go! We are in single-digits in the countdown!


Bambino’s Size: A jicima!! He’s about 3.75 lbs (wow) and almost 17 inches long.. which would explain why he’s pushing around inside me.. he’s running out of room!

Food Loves: I’m still on a big milk kick. I’m actually drinking big glasses of milk randomly, which is something I never did pre-pregnancy. I’m also craving cereal a lot (another food that I never really loved) because I want the milk. But, I didn’t have Dairy Queen once last week! Proud of me??? Yeah! I know there is a bit of “oh, you are pregnancy, eat what you want” mentality that I should just give into… but I’m really trying to fight my sweet tooth urges now that I’m in the last few weeks of this journey and I’m going to do nothing but pack on pounds.
I still love apples, and my newest craze is Fruit Leathers. I bought a huge box at Costco and eat at least 3 a day. I’ve hogged the whole box and Neal hasn’t gotten a single Leather I don’t think. Well, you snooze, you lose buddy!
As for other food, I get really excited about anything Mexican or Italian still… we are making French Bread pizzas for dinner tonight and I could not be more stoked!

Food that’s Gagging me: The usual. Pork and shrimp. I have a feeling it’s going to take me awhile to warm up to shrimp again too… I LOVED shrimp pre-pregnancy but even the sight or smell of it lately has me thinking “gag me with a spoon.” Something about the texture and that tail thing… ick!

Sleep: I’m still sleeping pretty good… but I still wake up on my back A LOT. I really thought my body would have stopped doing that by now, because whenever I wake up on my back and go to turn to my side, I get shooting pain through my lower pelvic/sacrum area. I really need to sleep only my sides at this point, but I’m turning on my back unconsciously in my sleep and no amount of pillows wedged into me have been able to keep me on my sides. I’m not sure how to prevent myself from doing something I’m not aware I’m doing while I sleep… so I’ll be bringing this up with my Dr. at my appt. Wednesday. Needless to say.. I wake up a lot to change positions during the night now, and usually end up going “Oh god, oh ow, oh crap, oh sh** oh god” as I try and move onto my side with my painful hips. (note to self, work on upper body strength in the future so I don’t have to try and heft my body around on my pathetic T-rex like arms). Sorry Nealo for waking you up with my bitchin’ and moaning!!!

Best Moment of the Week: Bambino reacted to us for the first time! I was sitting in a meeting at work resting my hand on my very convenient shelf of a tummy… when suddenly he pushed and made the left side of my tummy hard and bulged out, and then… “boop!” A round, hard, little nubbin of some limb of his popped out right where my hand was! I pushed on it and “foomp!” back down it went. (like the sound effects?? Really added to the visual, eh??) So he reacted to me pushing on his little foot/hand/knee/whatever that was pushing against me. It was such a weird feeling. He seems to be all limbs because I feel them moving and pushing against me all the time now.
A few days later Neal had his head down at my tummy talking to Bambino and he reacted to Neal’s voice, for what in my recollection was the first time! He started squirming around when Neal was asking him how it was going in there… “oh fine Daddy, just got done jumping on Mommy’s bladder, now I think this ovary looks pretty good… think I’m going to give that a hard punch then maybe roll around a bit more after that…”

Worst Moment of the Week: Probably just being a bit moody and overwhelmed. The holidays are kind of a hard time to be in your 3^rd trimester. All I want to do after work is go home and relax and nest, and it seems like I have constant errands, running around, and commitments to attend to. Holiday dinners, parties, events at work that require Secret Santa gifts purchased, treats cooked up, etc… and I’m feeling a bit stretched. I want to keep up my social life as much as I can, but I’m finding myself longing for pajamas and the couch at night...not traffic, malls, grocery stores and restaurants. I mean seriously.. this was my Day Planner for last week. Just a wee bit crazy. No wonder my feet were swollen almost every night last week!

I also feel like the next 8 weeks are going to fly by and I’m not as prepared as I want to be, so I had a little meltdown about what we still need to do, buy, prep, etc to get ready to actually care for a baby. Deep breaths, lots of lists, and trying to get one thing done at a time.

What’s Up with My Body: I’m getting Braxton-Hicks regularly now..or least I can feel them now, since my body has (supposedly) been having them almost my entire pregnancy. Everything seizes up and tightens for about 30 seconds and then relaxes. Pretty bizarre, but I’m glad my body is “prepping” itself for labor.

My feet are swelling more often now… I’m fine on the weekends when I’m running around, walking a ton, cleaning the house, etc.. but sitting for 8 hours a day at work is not good for the circulation. So I’m trying to take more walking breaks at work. If that doesn’t work I might have to invest in some very fashionable and oh-so-sexy support knee socks. Oh, I know.. the thought of those just got me all hot and bothered too! haha.

Still no stretch marks, so I’m knocking on wood and thanking the lotion/oil gods for that!!!


Da Bump: Looking big and tired. That about sums up my life lately!

Dear Friday Letters- Pouting, Clean Tushies and Plane Propellers

Dear Henry,

When we say “go get in your bed” at night we mean- Go get in your bed. Not jump up on the pile of blankets sitting in the armchair and then turn your face to the wall and pretend you don’t hear us. You are not a teenager, so quit acting like one.

Don't pout just cuz you have to go to bed...

Dear Costco,

Your astronomical proportions never cease to amaze me! Behold what 1,120 baby wipes looks like. And all for less than $.02 a wipe! Bambino is going to have one squeaky clean tushy.

Ridiculously cute shoe added for size reference... :-)

Dear Mom and Dad,

Thank you for purchasing above wipes for us. You do know that this means I’m going to “let” you change him whenever you’re around him… right??? I mean, I’ve got let you “enjoy” your purchase! J

Dear Hair,

I am LOVING your current pregnancy-induced thickness and fullness. I know it’s only temporary, but please please please don’t fall out in clumps post-partum! I have a freakishly small head and need all my hair just to look proportionate!

Dear Hubby,

You look so stinking cute practice-pushing our baby stroller around the house I just want to jump on you and make more babies! But, seeing as my womb is pretty cramped right now… that will have to wait for a bit. 

And in Celebrity Buzz...

Dear Model who walked into the spinning plane propeller,

OMG girl! How does that even HAPPEN???? I mean, seriously... how????  Good lord, that is silly action movie type stuff!!!! I am glad you are alive and on your way to walking and talking again. I think I'll stick to a car to go around and look at Christmas lights and skip the private plane.

via

The Wise Old Wives

I love Old Wives Tales.

I don’t know who these Old Wives were, or where they came up with their information, but anytime or any situation there can be an Old Wives Tale whipped out and considered, I’m all about it.

Pregnancy is LOADED with these.

Apparently these Old Wives spent a good amount of time talking ‘bout them babies… when they weren’t busy cookin’ for them darn menfolk, I suppose.

Ok, that was my Old Wives impression… I’ll stop now.

Anyways… being pregnant you hear tons of these OWT’s regarding your baby’s gender… because this is the funnest guessing game ever invented.

I always felt deep down, that I was pregnant with a boy. I just felt it, I knew it, I dreamed it… so I wasn’t surprised one bit when the Ultrasound Tech found Bambino’s little penis on the scan.

Did you miss out seeing it? Well here ya go… here is my son’s penis!!!

Love how the arrow points out the obvious!

But before it was confirmed Bambino was a male, all the OWT’s pointed in that direction. They actually rang true for me almost 100%..

Tale #1

You will carry lower and more compact (basketball under your shirt kinda belly) with male babies.

Check.

Back in Week 20, right before we found out the sex.. and definitely a "ball" under my shirt!

Tale #2

Male babies will make you crave salty foods, not sweets.

In the early weeks of my pregnancy, I wanted absolutely nothing to do with sweets. I wanted Taco Bell, enchilada sauce, marinara sauce, pizza, tomato soup with salty parmesan cheese melted in it, veggies with ranch dip, hummus, spaghetti, anything Italian... definitely all salty cravings.

Tale #3

Craving Mexican food means you are having a boy.

Uh… see answer above. Yo quiro Taco Bell!!!

Tale #4

No morning sickness means you are having a boy.

I did not throw up once. I didn’t even get close to throwing up once. I had a few days of feeling “off” but absolutely no sickness.

Tale #5

If the husband gains no weight, the wife is having a boy.

Yup. Neal is just as fit and trim as he always was… being dwarfed by his expanding wife…

Tale #6

The Mother’s age plus the year of conception can determine gender. If they are both even or both odd, it’s a girl. If you have one even, and one odd, it’s a boy.

Even- my age of 30. Odd- the conception year 2011.

Tale #7

Hold a wedding ring tied to a string over the belly. A back-n-forth pendulum motion is a boy.

We had a very distinct, strong pendulum motion when we did this.

Out of all my perusing of OWT’s, I only came across two that weren’t true for me….

Untrue Tale #1

If you break out in acne, it means you are having a girl.

I was soooo broken out in my 1^st Trimester…  zits in my hair, on my arms, on my neck…but see penis picture above. Not a girl.

Untrue Tale #2

A faster heartbeat (over 140 bpm) usually means the baby is a girl.

Bambino’s first heartbeat at 8 weeks was a whopping 175! It’s been up in the 150’s since. Again, please refer to penis picture above. Not a girl.

Bambino's first photo shoot... Week 8. It was "heart-racing" in more ways than one!



I'm anxious to know if the truth behind the OWT saying that if you have heartburn in your pregnancy, it means your baby will have a full head of hair... because as you all know... I'VE HAD MAJOR STUPID LAME FRICKIN FRACKIN HEARTBURN FOR WEEKS!

I'm not annoyed with it or anything...

But I better get a full head of hair I can style and play with and gel-up into faux-hawks and such out of this whole deal.

Ta-Ta for now all!!!