letters to my unborn baby – week 34

August 23rd, 2011 § 2 comments § permalink

dear baby,

so its been six weeks since we’ve last seen you on that fuzzy ultrasound screen, and finally this morning we were able to say hi and to hear your (definitely not “little”) heart beating like a racehorse.  i have to admit that i was getting very anxious because i haven’t seen or heard you in such a long time.  but the doctor says all is good and well.  you are about 4.75 lbs and your momma has gained 21 lbs so far.  the weeks are going by quickly now.  you should be in your momma and daddy’s arms in six weeks or so.  are we ready?  heck yeah, we’re ready.  i’m ready NOW.  this last part of pregnancy has been pretty tough!  my feet, my hands, my neck, my back and shoulders have all been aching like a mother thanks to all that weight that you’re gaining in there.  i know life will be hard also when you’re out of the womb, but really – i REALLY need my body back.

things have been busy at the home front.  your parents have been busy buying things for your big day – fun stuff like diapers and wipes and whatnot.  your nursery is coming along.  it’s just missing a certain “something” that your momma hasn’t quite put her finger on yet.  there has been lots of parties to attend lately – birthdays and 1-months and weddings in a few weeks and so on and so on.  so your parents have been keeping busy.  but things definitely are different now.  it feels like there’s been a huge shift in my universe now and my priorities are all very different.  “family” seems to actually mean something now.  and when i say “family” – i mean you and your daddy.  i guess the mommy instinct has finally kicked in.  all i care about lately is how you and your daddy is doing – everything else seems to take a backseat.  it’s strange.  but oddly very calming.  i guess it’s a lot easier just keeping track of two than it was trying to keep track of the ten thousand other so-called-priorities i had on my plate before you came along.  it’s nice.

either that or your momma’s just going crazy, which is a real possibility.  the other day your mom threw her wallet into the recycling bin and then fifteen minutes later, she tried to pay for her chicken bowl at flame broiler with some empty pepsi cans and old newspapers that were supposed to go into the bin instead.   oops.  they say pregnancy brain is real.  i hope so.  because if it’s not – then your mom is seriously just losing it.   so yea, you REALLY need to come out in six weeks or so because at this rate there might not be much left of your mom (physically or mentally) if you hang out in there much longer.

love,

your momma


 

letters to my unborn baby – week 32

August 11th, 2011 § 1 comment § permalink

Dear Baby,

Nesting is in full force!!  Last weekend I spent the entire weekend – morning to night and then morning to night (again) – tearing down the house and putting it all back together again.  And the really weird part is that I found it enjoyable.  That’s how I know it’s “nesting”.  Otherwise I’d just be crazy and need to be committed.  I cannot believe the amount of junk that is in the house.  I’ve moved a total of 5 times in my adult life and each time that I’ve moved, I think I’ve trashed like 50% of my stuff.  The hardest move I would have to say was when I moved out of my West Covina place.  I was most attached to all those things since that was the place I really felt was “home” to me.  So it was hard to just discard all the things that I THOUGHT was meaningful and valuable.  But guess what – it doesn’t take long for you to get over it.  Since then I’ve been of the attitude “if I don’t touch it in over a year, get rid of it.. it’s either trash or give it away so that somebody else get some enjoyment off of its use”.  Even sentimental things – they just seem like junk to me.  There are CERTAIN items – a few love letters, a few special cards and letters that I’ve received throughout the years, a few trinkets here and there – but all those old notes and letters that I exchanged with friends when I was in grade school or high school?  Suddenly they seem very silly and insignificant.  Why am I keeping them?  If anything – maybe I’ll scan them and keep digital files.  Otherwise – goodbye old letters.  Parting is such sweet sorrow but part we must!

The only room that looks clean right now is your room, baby.  And I’m sure you’re not going to waste any of your sweet time trashing it either.  You babies are dirty, what with your poopie diapers and your throw up and your drool all over the carpet, your clothes, your crib, your walls, your everything.  And then all the JUNK that you need!  Sheesh!  Diapers, bouncers, playpens, car seats, strollers.. and the list goes on and on.  You take up some serious real estate!  Seems a little strange to me too that you’re getting the neatest and nicest room in the house too!  Why does your momma love you so much already?!  You’re not even here yet!

This is not to say that your parental units aren’t getting upgrades themselves.  FINALLY after over 4 years of living with your daddy, I am getting the closet space that I’ve always wanted!  Oh rejoice!  The only price I had to pay was helping your dad put it together.  And the nasty gash that the closet door put on your momma’s big toe.  I thought I was going to faint from all the blood loss and the shock of the moment.  But I thought I was pretty brave.  I didn’t cuss, cry, or panic.. much, at least.  (I’m no baby!)   Although I did feel all the blood drain from my face as your daddy pressed down on the gash to try to stop the bleeding.  I probably should have gotten stitches but the thought of getting shots, and the stinging and the trouble of visiting the doctor just exhaust me.  It’s okay.  What’s another scar to add to my other two battle wounds?  Besides, it’s just on my foot and they’ve never been very pretty anyways.  (And your daddy was so sweet to send me flowers the next day because he felt so bad about the nasty cut he accidentally put on my piggies.)

Anyways we stayed up till 2am putting that darn wardrobe together Tuesday night but as of last night, it’s finally all done!!! (thanks to your daddy).  Your momma fell asleep watching him at around half past midnight.   And as I drifted off into sweet slumber, I was thinking about much I love your daddy and how its so sad that ever since I got pregnant, it seemed to be all about pregnancy and babies and all.  Don’t get me wrong, baby, we are ecstatic and so excited that you are coming into our lives.  But still, there is still a marriage and a relationship that should be happening here.  Hopefully that’s just on hold for now (all that romance and excitement of love) and that it’ll grow again in the near future.  I just want you to know, later on when you read this, that your mom and dad weren’t ALWAYS that old boring couple that never does anything and seems to bicker all the time.  Once upon a time, they were actually REALLY into each other.  I think you’ll probably get it once you get older.  Until then, you get most of our love and attention.  Better enjoy it while you can.  Because once you hit 12, you’re on your own.  Just kidding, just kidding.  (Your parents have a sick twisted sense of humor – my advice is to get used to it early and often).

Love,

your momma


 

Paper crafts

August 8th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

I’ve always had a thing for paper crafts.  I know that a lot of people think that they are a big waste of money – invites, stationary, tags, wrapping paper, calligraphy, typography and all that jazz.  But I don’t know what it is but I’m really drawn to all those pretty pretty paper things.  At home I have a huge box full of paper products that I’ve accumulated and been wanting to use for years and years but I’ve just never had the time to get to them.  Maybe once baby is here I can pull them out while she’s taking her naps (if I’m not too busy taking my own naps, that is).

Some of the prettier cards I got for the baby shower:


 

 

letters to my unborn baby – week 31 (baby shower post)

August 4th, 2011 § 2 comments § permalink

Your auntie threw you a wonderful baby shower over the weekend.  The turn out was great – lots of your aunties and uncles came to celebrate your coming debut.  The food was super cute, the dessert table was scrumptious, and the games were a lot of fun.  I think your auntie alice is going to love you to pieces (and i’m really glad!).  I already know that I’m going to need all the help I can get, and it’ll help A LOT if there were other people in your lives that will love you as much as I love you.  It’s a good thing that she lives so close-by nowadays too.  I’m secretly hoping that she’ll come by often to watch you for half an hour or so several times a week so that your momma can go sneak in a shower or run quick errands.  But we’ll see.  :)

Something I’ve learned since I’ve become pregnant – things rarely if ever go as planned so really, taking it day by day is key.  I used to hear people use that phrase all the time but not until now do I truly know what it means.  So when people ask me things like – are you going to get an epidural?  I’ll see.  Are you going to use the grandma’s as babysitters?  I’ll see.  Are you planning on breastfeeding?  I’ll see.  Are you planning on returning to work after so-and-so months?  I’ll see.  Are you going to have another?  HELLS FREAKING NO.  (ok fine, I’ll see.. grr)  Because who can answer any of these questions really?  I don’t know how I’ll feel when all these issues come up in the future.  “I’ll see” is as decisive as I get nowadays, which is really strange for me.  I’m definitely a planner, a short-term, mid-term, long term goal-setter type of personality.  But now, just making it through another day is an accomplishment all on it’s own.  Right now I’m seriously contemplating the possibility of NOT making it through today and just collapsing on the floor as I type.  But I guess “I’ll see” whether I do or do not.

Every time we throw a party or get-together, your daddy and I are really (pleasantly) surprised at the number of good friends that we’ve accumulated through the years.  And really – it bewilders us a little because your daddy is a really grouchy, anti-social kind of guy and your mom is moody, smart-ass-y, and has a tendency to say all the wrong things at very inappropriate times (she probably gets this from your grandmother).  And yet, there are some VERY VERY sweet supportive people in our lives.  Hopefully they won’t find us out, baby.  Because I really hope they stick around for a very long time.  I’ve read and heard that it’s hard to keep friends once babies come along and you start monopolizing all our free time, and I really hope it’s not true.  So please try to get along and play nice with our grown-up friends – okay?  If you could not cry and sleep whenever we take you out to dinners and parties – that would be AWESOME.  Or if you must cry – use your inside voice.  Try to work through the issues in your head.  Ask yourself  “why do I feel like crying and what can I do to make myself stop?”  Would you do that please babe?  A bright shiny new car is in your future if you have happy well-adjusted parents – just a little FYI in case you were interested in knowing.

Okay enough yapping from yr momma!  Pictures, pictures!

The decor:

 

The food:

the dessert table:

and finally – your family  :)

Pretty crazy huh baby?

..your uncle dart made the big block (it was painful for us to destroy it to get to the present inside – just knowing how much work he must have put into it to make that insane looking thing)

..your auntie ann made all the cute signs and the banners and she took all these great pictures too.  thank god because lord knows i’ll forget everything in 2 days without pictures to remind me of the going-ons!

..your auntie priscilla made that amazing cake for you.  it was 2 layers – red velvet and grand marnier.  we decided on the ladybug cake topper because well.. you’re a little lady.  :)

..your auntie kayli came over for bake day and we made all those dessert things together.  i think we made a total of 6 different things!  dangerous to keep around the house before the party!

..your auntie becky made all that awesome looking food.  even baked all the breads/buns from scratch.  incredibly impressive.

..your auntie heather did the clothesline, bought you all that cute clothes,  and was in charge of the baby picture game which was a lot of fun but surprisingly really hard!

..and lastly, your auntie alice did so much – the balloons, the flowers, the diaper cake, all the set-up, the games.  by the end of the day, i think she was baby showered out.  see how much she loves you already?  :)

We got a few gifts and lots and lots of gift cards.  I’m going to try not to spend all the target/amazon credit on things for momma but i can’t promise you anything okay?  Maybe just one pair of shoes?  No?  How about a cute outfit because your momma is feeling especially frumpy right now?  No again?!  Ok FINE, they’re all yours!  Sheesh.  A lifetime supply of diapers and butt paste it is then.  Happy?

*Grumbles!*


 

 

 



 

letters to my unborn baby – week 30

July 28th, 2011 § 3 comments § permalink

Dear baby,

So we’ve started working on your nursery.  You’re not even born yet and you’re already complicating things with people that were born before you (like your mom and your auntie).  Your mom just wants a nice at-home-office so that she doesn’t have to stay till 10pm every single night with her annoying co-workers from January to April every year.  And your auntie wants her own room to be her own room for the 10 days or so that she’s actually in the room.  Now both your mommy and your auntie lose – as neither of us is going to get our way – but you, however, win.  You’ve got your nursery.  They say as we grow old, we need to sacrifice for the little ones.  So 10 months of taking over my body, taking over my fun, taking over my social life, taking over my LIFE as I know it, isn’t enough apparently.  You want more, eh?  What about the 18 hours of hard labor?  Still not enough?  The possibility that you’ll change my body permanently with saggy parts and all that unsexy stuff?  Still not enough?  Okay fine.  Take my personal space too.  Take the office.  I guess that’s okay.  It’s just really 3-4 months out of the year that I have to do work in there (and out of those 3-4 months, it’s just nights and weekends anyways) – I guess I’ll learn to manage.  You win baby, you win.

Your auntie alice is also working herself into a tizzie planning a shower for you.  They say the shower is for the mothers, but I don’t see how.  Do I want to see all my friends when I am so big, feel unattractive, and can’t get myself prettied up?  Not really.  Do I want a swing, diapers, or a stroller?  Uh.. NO.  But I think YOU do.  Actually I take that back, I guess I do want some of those things too.  You probably could care less if you peed or pooed on the carpet, on your parents, all over the crib or on the walls.  So okay fine, the diapers are for me.  You probably don’t care if I swung you around all day until my arms falls off or if there’s a mechanical swing doing it for me.  So fine, the swing is probably for me too.  You probably could also care less if we go outside at all or stayed at home 24/7 like we’re prisoners in our own home so yeah, you’re right; the stroller is for me too.  So damnit, you’re right.  I guess the shower IS for me.  Why are you so smart-alecky and right all the time already?  You’re not even born yet!

Anyways baby, your momma’s dead tired and cranky and there’s a house that looks like a bomb has hit it waiting for her to tidy it all up.  Sigh.

Just remember all this later on when you’re older and offer to make your momma a stiff drink or two when she walks in the door after a hard day at work.  Thanks love.

Your momma

it’s my birthday!

July 20th, 2011 § 4 comments § permalink

another year well played (got myself married AND pregnant.. whew!), hopefully here’s to another 50+ happy years to come.   I’ve seen this on a few other blogs and thought I’d give it a whirl too.  it seems like such a long list!  and a year really isn’t all that long.  looks like I’ve got my work cut out for me.

34 before 34
1 host a fancy dinner party for a few friends
2 plant a hydrangea bush
3 bring cutyp to a dog park
4 learn how to use my driver
5 go on a golf vacation
6 catch up with a friend outside my usual hang out group
7 plan a big bear summer trip to bbq, mtn bike, and hang out by the lake
8 organize my pictures!
9 backup all my photos and personal files!
10 make a homemade card for a friends bday
11 string white lights in the backyard
12 participate in a 5k (post baby)
13 participate in a 10k (post baby)
14 learn to put on fake lashes
15 smile at a stranger
16 do something nice for a random person anonymously
17 paint my nails a color ive never used before (black? Green? Orange?)
18 make a souffle
19 lose all my pregnancy weight
20 cook a romantic dinner for the husband
21 try a new restaurant a month
22 complete the photo scavenger hunt at least once a month!
23 write somebody a handwritten letter and snail mail it
24 one photo a month of the baby (stolen from ann’s idea with rylan) :)
25 take (another) set of private tennis lessons
26 try out a new recipe a month
27 hike half dome
28 try out a new class at 24hr fitness that ive never tried
29 read a classic
30 go to the flower mart and make an arrangement just for the heck of it
31 bike to work
32 walk to work
33 grow a vegetable
34 update this blog at least once a month!

letters to my unborn baby – week 29

July 19th, 2011 § 2 comments § permalink

dear baby,

so things are going swimmingly – we are progressing slowly but surely.  had a prenatal appointment this morning.  test results show that you DO NOT have gestational diabetes (thank god!) so momma can stop worrying about having a 16 lb baby.  whew!  and thank goodness i don’t have to do the 3 hour test because the thought of sitting around in the waiting room for 3+ hours and getting stuck with needles 4 separate times is NOT my idea of a fun way to spend a morning.  even going to work sounds like more fun than that.  even sitting in traffic sounds better than that.  even knocking my head against a wall for an hour sounds better than that.  so good job in there throwing up all the sweet stuff and keeping up with the kickboxing classes baby.  go you!  so momma has gained 15 lbs according to the doctor, which the dr is very happy about and she said that so far you are like a textbook baby (which i assumed at the time is a good thing unless she means that you’re shaped like a book, boring, and not worth the money).  but anyways – you’ve already turned into the right position (head down) and you weigh about 3 lbs.  my hand weights weigh more than you!  but don’t you worry your little head off.  you can grow more when you’re outside of me.  while inside of me – feel free to stay as small as you like, really!  no complaints here!

we also finished the 2nd part of our birthing class last night so now your parents are experts in birthing.  experts, i tell you!  i will pop you out like i’m a hot toaster!  or not.  honestly i think the classes were really kind of useless.  i think it’s mostly just for the fathers – to expose them to what’s going to go down so that they don’t end up fainting at the hospital – thus stealing your and your momma’s thunder.  because lord knows they will have hell to pay then.  but mostly everything in class, i think moms already know.  guess that’s what happens when you spend all day long researching pregnancy and babies and births huh?  i think your dad on the other hand is on espn most of the day.  not much baby information on there last i checked.  the only REALLY good thing about birthing class though is that your momma gets to get lots of practice massages.  woot!  your father has told me that he’d give me back rubs for weeks now and i’ve yet to receive one until last night.  ahhhhhh.  so yes, birthing class is good for SOMETHING.  now if only he’d get started on your nursery, we’d really be on a roll.

so i’m sure you’re very curious about what you look like right now.  and you might have heard your daddy call you “scary” when we looked at the ultrasound together.  and that he hopes that “you don’t come out looking like that”.  tsk tsk.  he doesn’t mean it baby.  you’re perfect however you look.  all skeletor and all.

a cheat sheet if you don’t see it:


and the dr was kind enough to take a butt shot too.

cheat sheet version:

i know what you’re thinking.  something along the lines of “oh no you didn’t just post my butt on the internet for everybody to see” and the answer to that is.. why yes i totally did!  get used to us embarrassing you now baby because supposedly we’ll be doing it a lot for the next 50+ years of your life.

love,

your momma

letters to my unborn baby – week 28

July 14th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

i realize now that its a little funny when i tell people that i can’t wait for things to go back to “normal” once you arrive in 12 weeks or so.  because i think “normal” is the furthest that it’s going to be .. in like, FOREVER.  there will no longer be a “normal”!  life is going to change as i know it and the “normal” that i speak of, it’s just going to be something of the past.  things are going to CHANGE and not just for me, but for your daddy, for our friends, for our family, for our dog.. EVERYTHING.  for such a small little thing, you sure are going to make some major waves in this world baby girl!

and it also recently hit me what a crazy brave thing we are doing by choosing to bring you into this world.  you do know that we have no idea what we are doing right?  i mean, it doesn’t seem like that HUGE of a deal considering that humans have been having babies and successfully raising them since the beginning of humankind.  but it really IS a huge deal.  because it doesn’t matter if cave women had babies, it doesn’t matter that my  mother had me, it doesn’t matter that i have girlfriends who are already moms.. the thing is.. nobody has ever had YOU.  and i’m freaking having YOU.  and you are going to be so.. well, YOU.  unique, different, special, annoying, just so so YOU, and it’ll be the first time in history and the last time in history that this will EVER happen again.  EVER.  that’s pretty impressive baby.  you’re doing some crazy scary stuff for something that’s just chilling in momma’s stomach all day long.

anyways, you’re 28 weeks along now.  and to be honest, you’ve been pretty good to me considering the horror stories ive heard and the tidbits that i read regarding pregnancy symptoms.  but we’re on the home stretch now and i’m beginning to see that you still have some tricks up your sleeves.  for one, you are TIRING me the freak out.  secondly, you are growing SO freaking fast.  and thirdly, you are freaking HEAVY.   so lets just agree to get along okay?  we still have a bit of a way to go so i’d appreciate some cooperation on your part.  i think that’s fair considering i gave up alcohol and sushi for you right?  right.

good, glad we’re on the same page then.  now simmer down in there and think “light” thoughts (you friggn bowling ball you).

Letters to my unborn child: week 27

July 7th, 2011 § 2 comments § permalink

Dear Baby,

When your daddy and I first discovered that I was pregnant with you (after i went out and bought three different pregnancy tests because i didn’t believe i was really pregnant), like any other first time couple, we started reading up on EVERYTHING about pregnancy and babies.  What to expect when you’re expecting.  the mayo clinic pregnancy medical book.  your pregnancy week by week.  You name it – we ate it up.  I signed up for this website and that website and this subscription and that.  Everything was new and exciting and we read and read and read.  Then weeks passed by and things started getting really really boring, really really fast.  “Hey this week the baby is growing eyebrows” would be basically the highlight of the week.  Big whoopie doo.  Seriously?  You’re growing eyebrows?  I’m sorry, baby, no offense, but that’s not really big news.  Not your fault of course.  You’re confined in this little space inside mommy’s belly and don’t exactly have access to anything fun so I don’t blame you if your life is BORING and all.  So needless to say, before the first trimester even ended, your dada and I stopped with the updates and the reading.  But I still had email updates sent to my inbox every week.  I would glance at them briefly and then cut and paste out the good parts to email to your father so that he would remember that I’m pregnant.  (You will find out soon enough that boys are forgetful sometimes and needs to be reminded of this stuff.)

I’m 27 weeks now and I started to wonder if your dada even reads those emails.  But here’s what I sent out to him this past Monday.

=====

Your Baby This Coming Week

Your baby weighs more than 2 lbs (1000g), measures 9.6 inches from crown to rump (24cm) and its total length is about 15.3 inches (34cm). If your baby were born now, she would have about an 85% chance of surviving. Nonetheless, your baby still needs another 13 weeks of in utero development to be considered full term.

Your baby’s eyes, no longer fused shut, are now open.

Your baby looks almost like a full term baby, but is still much thinner and smaller than she will be at birth.

Your Body This Coming Week

The end of this week marks the end of your second trimester.

Regular weight gain will continue until about the 36th week of pregnancy. Your breasts may be sore and uncomfortably heavy since they have increased in size.

You can be susceptible to urinary tract infection from this stage onwards. Drinking plenty of water can help.

The second trimester is drawing to a close, but as your body gears up for the final lap, you may start noticing some new symptoms. Along with an aching back, for example, you may find that your leg muscles cramp up now and then. They’re carrying extra weight, after all, and your expanding uterus is putting pressure on the veins that return blood from your legs to your heart as well as on the nerves leading from your trunk to your legs.

You may also feel like you are dying.  This is normal.  Pregnancy sucks.

====

When your dad came home that night, he asked your mom in all seriousness with a straight face if she felt like she is dying.

….

Guess he is reading after all.

Well that settles that.

 

Scavenger Hunt Sunday – Week 3

July 5th, 2011 § 5 comments § permalink

Click this little guy (above) if you want to see what this is all about and to participate in next weeks hunt!

pop of color

crossing thresholds (archives)

xray

totally stumped on this one :(

toy (archives)

farm(ers) market (archives)



 

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