34 weeks

I'm 34 weeks today...which means we've got six weeks to go! (Do you like my delusion that I'll give birth to this baby on her due date, despite the fact that only 5% of babies are born on their actual due date? Yeah, me too.)

I've gotten a couple of comments on how big I look, so I trolled back through the photo archives to do a side-by-side comparison with my previous pregnancies. Of course, there is nothing from A's pregnancy, but I did find one with E.

Honestly, I feel like I'm slightly smaller than I was with E. And carrying a little lower. Which makes me feel marginally better. And I think we can all agree that my hair should never be cut in the 2004 style again.

We've made progress on getting ready for baby. Her room is coming together. I purchased an Ergo Baby Carrier from BabySteals yesterday for a bargain. And, this weekend, I'm headed to Babys-R-Us this weekend to trade in our old infant seat (which expired) and getting a new one.

It kind of cracks me up, because even though my kids aren't *that* old, but it seems like so much has changed! The car seat expired! The bottles are poison (BPA)! The crib is a death trap! I swear, it makes my head spin how different things are in just a few years!

kicking some you-know-what

We had one of those weekends where we kicked some @$$ and took some names, if you know what I mean.

First of all, it was the end of the 2nd quarter for E's school. She got an award this quarter, for Computation Queen. Although she won that award a couple of times last year, earlier this year she won the Top Wildcat Writer. So, with the mad writing AND math skills, I guess she's a Renaissance woman of sorts.


She also got her report card. Again, she did great! She even made some improvements in a couple of areas (including Listening...though you could've fooled me). But, the best part about it was the note from the teacher. It was quite possibly the best teacher's note ever.

E is progressing well academically this quarter. Way to go! E is energetic and loves participating in class. I could easily picture her as a movie star one day. For example, a while back, E was pulled out of the room for testing. When she came back, she opened the door and raised her hands to the air and said "I'm back!" She definitely has a big personality. Also, I wanted to share that E is very "word smart" and "math smart"!

John and I were cracking up at the image of E walking into the room like that. Totally her.

Secondly, the girls made their Valentines. After last year's Valentine's Day FAIL, I knew we needed to step it up a bit. So, we filled goodie bags and added a little tag to each. A gave her friends a bouncy ball and Hershey's kisses, with a tag that said "I have a ball with you!". E gave her friends a pencil and eraser with "You've got the 'write' stuff!" They turned out adorable, if I do say so myself!


Finally, this weekend, we made big progress on SlackerBaby's room (and the rest of the house)! On Saturday (after an exciting, barn-burner of a basketball game where E's team beat a previously undefeated team 22-20), we headed to IKEA. We got a new dresser and bookcase for A's room, so we could move the dresser/changing table and bookcase into the baby's room. (We also got some other furniture for the basement and living room. Part of me hates it that I'm in my mid-thirties and still shop at IKEA. And, yet, it's reasonbly priced, looks good, and if my kids take a Sharpie to it and ruin it, no bigs. IKEA, I just can't quit you!)

On Sunday, we got the furniture delivered and assembled it all, and moved the furniture into place in the baby's room. We also lined up the painters to come and do the girls' rooms this week. Then, we had a fantastic Valentine's Day dinner and dessert. Before we knew it, it was time for bed! And man, did we need it.

Being productive is hard work, yo!

it's (still) a girl

There are a couple of exciting baby updates round these parts!

• We put together the crib! Of course, we still need to get a new crib mattress and the crib currently holds bags of baby stuff that I've acquired this pregnancy...but still! A crib!
  
• My friend, Kelly, took some pictures of our family for an online photographer course she was taking. The theme was waiting...and we certainly fit the bill. Check out the photos here at her web site.
  
• I had a doctor's appointment yesterday. They performed an ultrasound to check the baby's size, and I made her confirm that she is, in fact, still a she. She is! And, a big one at that! She's measuring a week ahead, which isn't a concern. But the doctor did mention that having a 10-pounder isn't out of the realm of possibility.
  

Well, I'm off to E's second quarter Awards Ceremony. I'm not sure what she's getting, but she's 2 for 2 this year. Woo hoo!

now posting on a bi-weekly basis

Apparently, I can only muster up the energy to post every other week these days...just so you guys will lie through your teeth tell me how great I look in my belly shots. Truth of the matter is that I'm just so freaking tired of late. I swear, I feel like I've shot way past Advanced Maternal Age and am Advanced Geriatric Age at this point.

All in all, we're hanging in there. We had some snow storms in the last few weeks, which enabled me to enjoy The Commute from Hell. My normally 45 minute to an hour commute? Took me 6 hours. Awesome. E lost her third tooth on the bottom, but I'm convinced that she will be in braces before the year is out because the two adult teeth that are growing in the space where these 3 baby teeth were? Occupy about 90% of it. But, seeing as John had braces, and I single handedly funded at least one of my othodontist's Mercedes back in the day, I'm really not suprised.

Anyway, here is the growth progression of the belly. In a nutshell, I'm huge. I'm pretty sure I waddle now. Small objects, such as crumbs, cannot escape it's gravitational pull. And, for the first time ever, the OB told me I was measuring ahead. Which is a little off-putting, since I measured normal for both E and A...and they were 8 lb 12 oz and 9 lb 6 oz. If this one breaks the 10 lb mark, I'm going to be pissed.

 

 

On the bright side, I go on Tuesday for an ultrasound to determine size. I'm also hoping for one more confirmation of gender before we select paint colors and buy crib sheets. Because, yeah, we have 8 weeks to go and still haven't done anything! Ack!

updates and a question

The last week or two have been pretty crazy. I extended the long MLK Day weekend and headed out to San Jose to hang out with these two cuties:

Those are my nieces, AJ and Baby M. Aren't they cute? Baby M just turned 8-weeks-old, so it was my first chance meeting her. We got to bond a bit, but my main job was hanging out with AJ. It was so much fun, since last time I saw her, she kind of ignored me because her cousins were the main attraction.

In other news, I'm 30 weeks today! I was already quasi-freaking out because the weeks-to-go count will be soon be single digits...and then Sweet Pea Chef let me know that her friend just had a baby at 30 weeks (thankfully, everyone's doing great)! So, I really need to get organized and ready! For reals!

Here's what I look like these days:

Finally, as my due date draws nearer, I'm realizing answering questions that I didn't have to last time around. Specifically, E and A really want to know how the baby is getting *out* of my belly. And, I go to the hospital and the doctor helps get her out was not a sufficient answer. Anyone have any ideas on how to answer this to a 4- and 6-year-old?

28 weeks

I'm 28 weeks today, which means that I am in my third trimester! On the one hand, I feel like I've been pregnant forever. On the other hand, I can't believe I'm in the final stretch!

We have really done *nothing* to prepare for this baby. Luckily, we have most of the stuff we need for a baby...but still! So, I guess I should make that a New Year's Resolution or something.

So, here's the belly at 28 weeks. I realized that I actually had a picture of me from 20 weeks wearing the same sweater, so I did a side-by-side. Definitely growing! And, I'm sure it's ALL baby. No extra LBS from the holidays for sure!

 

the party's over...back to reality

We had a great Winter Break 'round these parts. We slept in, hung out in our jammies, caught up with friends, watched some movies, and generally had a great time. This week we are all back to work and school (BOO!)...I hope to update with my annual Christmas and 2010 in pictures recaps sometime before 2012. But, here's a teaser of my girls (and their friend Maggie in the middle) up on stage at a New Year's party singing "Single Ladies."

 

I know that those of you who know me IRL are totally amazed that such a shy, reserved wallflower like myself could produce such outgoing, limelight-seeking offspring. Crazy, isn't it?

happy holidays from our house to yours!

 

what we've been up to...

...also known as "Hey, look! I downloaded pictures from my camera!"

The past few weeks have been action-packed 'round these parts. Last weekend, we had A's Holiday Concert. And, the battery did not die this time around! Here she is singing with all of her classmates!

After the concert, we went and picked out a Christmas tree. And then, that night, we took the girls to a local performance of The Nutcracker. E was entranced the whole time; A was good for the first Act, but got antsy during the second act.

We also got together with some good friends for brunch! We had a table for 14...7 of those were kids. Mayhem, but fun.

On Thursday, we got our first snow. Nothing like last year, but school was cancelled on Friday for E. They had fun playing in the snow...except for when I had to get on a conference call, then they were hungry/thirsty/bored all at once! Ah, the joys of working from home!

This weekend, E had her first basketball game! It's a school league, and John is the coach. Don't they both look so cute?

They ended up tying 10-10...which is the best outcome for a game when all the kids played hard. E didn't score any baskets...but she was a defensive powerhouse.

The league is made up of 1st and 2nd graders. I think the other team was all 2nd graders because they were HUGE...especially the amazons girls. Seriously...my kid (red #15) is off-the-charts in height for her age, and look at how much taller the other #15 is!

John's parents were in also in town this weekend to celebrate Christmas. We had fun, including making gingerbread trees...

and opening presents!

This week should be fun and busy! We've got a half-week of school/work around here, so yay for that! And, the girls are super excited for Christmas!

24 weeks

Whoa nelly. I didn't intend on a such a long hiatus...but all of the sudden, it's been a few weeks since I posted.

We've been keeping ourselves pretty busy. We went to Kentucky for Thanksgiving. John and I have totally kicked ass on Christmas shopping -- we're almost totally done with everyone, but we are totally done with everything for the girls! Christmas cards have been ordered (though I must admit that I'm not nearly excited about them as I was in years past).

Anyway, I'm 24 weeks along now, so I figured I'd post some new belly shots. My oh my how I've grown!

 

It's been super cold here, which means I've encountered a slight wardrobe issue.

Anyway, this weekend we've got A's school holiday program and we are taking the girls to see The Nutcracker. Should be fun!

the big sibling reveal

SlackerBaby is...


And, lest you think they weren't all that excited with the news...here they are celebrating the news.

guess slackerbaby's gender

This morning, I had my 20 week ultrasound. Everything looked great! John and I also did something that we did not do with our first two babies...we found out the gender. I was very adamant about it with E and A...but John has always wanted to find out. Add to that two eager big sisters who are also *dying* to know if they are going to have a baby brother or sister, and well, we found out!

So...what do you think I'm having? Here's some information to help you make your decision.

• The heartbeat at the ultrasound today was 146. With E and A, it was in the 160s.
  
• According to the Chinese Gender calendar, it's a girl. It was correct with E and incorrect with A.
  
• I haven't had any food aversions. As for cravings, I have been craving bread and eggs. No cravings with either A or E.
  
• I didn't have any morning sickness. I didn't have morning sickness with A or E.
  
• Finally, here's what I looked like at approximately the same time with each pregnancy. From left to right: Pregnant with E (2004), with A (2006), with SlackerBaby (2010). [Side note: You can totally tell I started off my pregnancy with A about 10-15 pounds heavier than this one or with E. Whoa tree trunk arms!]

 

If there's another old wives' tale that you use to base your guess on, let me know and I'll answer. Except for what color Draino turns when I pee in it. Because, I'm not going to do that.

Also, I found this article on gender distribution fascinating. It totally debunks the if you have two of one gender, it's nearly impossible to have the other gender myth.

Happy guessing!

20 weeks

So, I'm halfway there! It's hard to believe.

I'm also in that phase with how pregnant I am is directly dependant on what I'm wearing. For example, the picture in the yellow sweater was taken yesterday; the picture in the gray sweater was taken today. I seriously hope I didn't get *that* much bigger overnight, or else I'll be enormous by March!

 

The girls wanted to get in on the belly photo action. But, the shadow then made my belly look square-shaped.

 

They are cute...though I must say it freaks me out that I'm about to embark on newborn-dom again when my children are old enough to be at least half as tall as me.

e's amazing week

E has been having one heck of a week 'round these parts. On Tuesday, she received an award at the first quarter awards assembly. She's apparently spreading the talent around...because instead of being crowned Computation Queen, she was deemed Wildcat Writer. Not as fancy-sounding but just as impressive.

Then, on Wednesday, she had a field trip to hike in a local park. She had so much fun. But the real excitement happened at bedtime when E (*finally*) lost her tooth! I had to take matters into my own hands, but at least it was out.

E and I had a bit of debate on Tooth Fairy Protocol. I insisted that the Tooth Fairy would have a hard time finding such an itsy bitsy tooth underneath a pillow, so she should use her tooth pillow that Grandmom had gotten her. E insisted that the Tooth Fairy would not think to look in the pocket of a tooth shaped pillow for her tooth. She finally relented after we let her write a note to the Tooth Fairy. Apparently, she thought that she could name her price for her tooth, asking for 6 quarters and a dollar. Since she lowballed the Tooth Fairy at $2.50, she apparently could...because that's what she got.

Finally, today was a school holiday. So the girls and I headed to the mall where they got their ears pierced. After changing their minds a gazillion times on which earrings they would choose, they settled on flowers. E went first and didn't even flinch. A had to be strongly convinced to get the second ear pierced. Note the difference in expression between A's before and after.

I'm not sure how tomorrow can top things...but I guess we can find out.

san jose pics

I finally got my pictures uploaded from our San Jose trip. I'm a little bummed that I didn't get more of them, and that the ones I did get weren't all that great. Photographing all three kiddos was definitely a challenge. Guess I have that to look forward to on a regular basis in a few months.

Just Hanging Out

Monterrey Bay Aquarium

Halloween

my achilles heel tooth

Motherhood is a pretty disgusting job. First of all, there are all of the changes your body goes through. And, then there's labor and recovery from that. But, all that's just the warm up for actually having children.

I've been peed on, pooped on, puked on, bled on, sneezed on, coughed on, and drooled on.

I've more wiped heinies and noses than I care to count.

I have stuck out my hand to catch the half-chewed pieces of food my children have determined they no longer care to eat. I've done this with puke, too.

I've become a pro at taking temperatures rectally.

I've done all of these things, in the name of motherhood. And, for the most part, it hasn't bothered me. But, we have entered a phase of motherhood that I do not have the stomach for. The mere thought of sends chills down my spine.

E's tooth is about to fall out.

After months of being on Loose Tooth watch, E's tooth is really loose. Like hanging by a thread loose. Perpendicular to her other teeth loose. And I get nauseous just looking at it.

To make matters worse, she keeps asking ME to pull it out. Which on the one hand, I would just to make it go away. On the other, GAH! It's so gross.

So, wise people of The Internet...how the hell do I get this tooth out of her mouth? I'd much rather see the gaping hole where a tooth was than what's there right now. Besides, I totally made JerseyBaby send me her tooth-fairy certificate to use with E...so I'm jazzed to use it!

common sight from this weekend

We are back from our trip to San Jose to visit Baby AJ and her parents. We all had a blast! I'll be posting more photos from the weekend, including some from trick-or-treating and our trip to the Monterrey Bay Aquarium.

But, here's one from my iPhone that captured the trip. E, AJ, and A all holding hands as they walked along. The cousins could not get enough of each other and it was *so* awesome.

 

It was not nearly as awesome when a jet-lagged E cried herself to sleep because she missed AJ so much...but well worth the visit!

dear fancy nancy

I cannot thank you enough for all that you do. Your books are some of our favorites. I can read them over and over over (and over) again without wanting to gouge my eyes out.

They were also some of the first books that E was able to read independently.

You've introduced very fancy vocabulary into our everyday conversations, such as dining al fresco.

But, most of all, for the second year in a row, you've come through in a pinch when A's needed a costume for her school's Halloween Parade. A trip down to the bin of dress-up clothes is all it takes, which especially nice when A's actual costume is waiting for her in California.

 

So, thank you, Fancy Nancy! Or, should I say Merci Beaucoup instead?

18 weeks

I'm 18 weeks today, which means that I'm 9/20ths of the way there! This week marked the first time when a total stranger asked me when I'm due. This always shocks me, since I'm a staunch follower of the Don't Mention Unless the Baby is Crowning rule. But then I look down and think, "I'm bigger than some chicks who are about to give birth." So it makes sense, I guess.

To add insult to injury, E hugged my belly last night and declared, "Your belly is so big! It's much bigger than your boobies now!" Thanks, kid, for the update.

 

Please pardon the Homeless Chic look I'm rocking in the picture. I'm doing laundry in anticipation of our trip to California tomorrow, and my entire maternity wardrobe is in the wash. I tried to make the picture more palatable with a snazzy setting on CameraBag...but there was no "Supermodel" setting.

rubbing off on each other

This weekend, as part of our jam-packed with stuff to do oh my god I just want to sit down and I'm a football widow to boot, the girls and I headed over to JerseyBaby's for a little Saturday morning waffle-fest. And, as she so astutely pointed out, my penchant for slack rubbed off on her as we neglected to create any photographic evidence of this all too rare get together.

But, don't think she's the only victim of undue influence this weekend. Oh no. In addition to seeing the gorgeous master bath redo in person, I also got to witness the greatest craft closet in the history of man. The shelves were filled with various crafting bins all neatly labeled with a label-maker. Y'all, she has a bin devoted solely to feathers and pom-poms people. Feathers! And! Pom-poms!

So, after waffles, the kiddos spent time creating Fun Fusion masterpieces. Haven taught E how to make a scarf using crafting loops. My kiddos were hooked. So, after we left, we went straight to Michael's to pick up our own crafts. (If by straight you mean after going to the mall, E's school's Fall Festival, and home to pack for a slumber party at Nonna and Pop-pop's house.)

The results were craftastic! E wove a pot holder and they both created masterpieces with Fun Fusion beads. And, on Sunday, the good times continued, when the girls successfully created the piece de resistance for their Halloween costumes -- butterfly antennae!

 

All in all, what a great weekend!