Waiting for Baby

(View from the Space Needle)

To any of you wondering, yup, still preggo. 

I fully understand now why pregnant women are READY to have their babies in the 9th month! Things have changed SO MUCH in the last couple of weeks (i.e. false contractions, cramps, pain when walking...) that I'm very ready to have my body back and to meet my little man! Seeing that Reese Witherspoon just had her baby made me super jealous this morning. ;)   Things I'm really looking forward to: being able to sit up in bed, take a brisk walk, tie my shoes without wheezing, sleep on my stomach!! 

However, I'm also thankful that I don't have to work right now. So many women work right up until their due dates, and I can't imagine how tiring and painful that would be (new found RESPECT)! Also, I'm still able to go swimming. I found a local pool that is kept a NICE warm temperature, and I've been going 2-3 times a week and swimming about 1 mile. Feels freaking awesome. 

Fun outing: The other day the hubby and I went on a date night to dine at the Space Needle. This was something I never thought I'd do, but a colleague of his had given us a gift card so we thought we should try to use it before baby was born.  It was actually pretty cool! The view was amaaaazing. And I didn't realize that the restaurant actually turns, so that you get to see all 360 views of Seattle and the Sound while dining. Sometimes I forget just how beautiful Seattle really is.

Well, please keep your fingers crossed that baby comes soon! Due date is this Sunday the 30th - also a full moon - hoping for some of that magic. :) 

September in Seattle

September in Seattle is so beautiful. I'm stealing one of my husband's photos here from his morning walk in our local park. 

Another week down until baby arrives! Which means another week of frantic nesting activities. The car seat is now installed and bag is packed. Doctor says she wouldn't be surprised if the little guy came a bit earlier than his due date (September 30th)! I wouldn't be surprised either with the changes I've been feeling. So I have slowed down my pace a bit. Last night we had some friends over for dinner and I chose the EASIEST dessert cake to make (okay, I'm feeling guilty that it includes 6 tbsp of vegetable oil), but it was dang tasty! 

I'm just so glad that we're back home from traveling to California right now. A couple of the advantages include: not having to prep every Sunday night to get on the airplane the next morning and being able to have LEFTOVERS! With jetting back and forth between Redmond and Winters we were always preparing food for just a day or two at a time. Now we can shop at and fully embrace one of our true loves: Costco!!  Currently I'm loving the Dave's Killer Bread, organic apples, and looking forward to making some dishes with a bag of their sprouted bean trio. Do you have any Costco food items that you love and recommend?

Have a great weekend everyone! :)

Hives and Nests

Check out this basketball sized wasp nest we discovered in our front yard yesterday!! Pretty awesome, now we're trying to brainstorm ways to destroy the little suckers ... ideas??

Now that we're back home in Seattle and in my ninth month of pregnancy the "nesting instinct" has kicked in BAD. I am obtaining immense pleasure from sorting through and organizing different rooms in our house.

I can also tell that I'm getting ready to have to this wonderful baby and to not be pregnant anymore. Being in the spotlight is fun... for awhile, but other moms' negative comments and "advice" are starting to wear on me. I've seriously pondered blogging about this before, and just haven't till now to keep things as "positive" as possible, but it's crazy how many people tell me in great detail about their excruciatingly horrible birth stories, how HARD it is, how I have NO IDEA what I'm in for, how PAINFUL breastfeeding is, etc etc.  "Just you wait" has been a common catch phrase.  Of course they always try to cap off the story with how much they love their kids, but by that time I'm usually standing with my jaw open in complete shock.  Thankfully, my hubby and close friends have been great at supporting and encouraging me, and there have been a handful of really beautiful birth stories that have been great to hear. 

One of my friends sent me this cute article yesterday which I thought was pretty refreshing about keeping things in perspective.  Loved the quote "When in doubt, ask yourself what a pioneer lady on a wagon train would think is important. Suddenly, organizing baby socks will fall off your to-do list and you'll feel a lot better about your day." 

California Countdown

(Sunflower field near Davis, CA)

The clock is ticking for the time I have left in California.  This week and next are the last weeks I'm allowed to fly during my pregnancy, then I'll be home the whole month of September until baby arrives! This is definitely time of excitement and joy, but also bittersweet. 

The past year has just been a really amazing time for my husband and I to be together and form an even stronger bond as husband and wife. We really are each other's "best buds" and I'm so grateful for this experience to travel together, enjoy some serious sunshine, cook, blog!, and fall in love with swimming all over again. Not to mention have the opportunity to grow a healthy, strong baby. 

Things I'm going to really miss: driving my husband to and from work every day, the hot air balloons overhead every morning, my naps on our comfy apartment couch, chatting with my coach Karen, and the friendly "hello's" from the grocery clerks at the local Nugget Market.  

(Said comfy couch)

We're both so excited to meet little Baby C, and yet at the same time I think we're savoring these last weeks as just the two of us. Not knowing what it's like to have another person to be responsible for, not having to plan ahead when going out for a date, trying to sleep as much as we can!

Anyone else experience similar feelings in the last weeks before their baby arrived? Any tips, advice, words of reassurance? :)

Morning Walks in Winters + Baby Update

This morning I went on a little walk to the Winters bridge when it was still a manageable 80 degrees out (it's hit about 110 every day this week!). I love that everyone is so friendly here, wherever you go people smile and say hello. 

Baby Update: 

Today my husband and I ventured over to A Little Insight to check out what Baby C is looking like these days. The last time we saw him was at 20 weeks, and now at 33 weeks he sure has plumped up!! I was surprised at how much he looks like a fully developed/ready to be born baby! It was hard to see too much, but we could tell that he has very full lips, a cute little nose, and lots of hair (red??). He also gave us a little baby bird, and grinned in his sleep - so cute!  

Measurements: 17-19 inches long and over 4.5 lbs

Mommy Changes: Definitely having a harder time keeping cool, and I'm sure the summer heat doesn't help! Waking up every couple of hours during the night, and having a harder time getting out of bed. 

Cool Stuff: The hubby and I really enjoy just sitting and watching baby move, and he moves a lot! We're getting better at deciphering what is what (i.e. bum, legs, feet, etc). 

Cravings: Ice cream! I was never really into ice cream before being pregnant, but I cannot tell you how many Ben and Jerry's we've gone through in the past 8 months! Did you know they have a  Red Velvet Cake flavor?? Amazing.

Crockpot Pulled Pork

So I must share this super easy recipe my friend Kate gave me: crockpot pulled pork! A delicious summer dinner.

Crockpot Pulled Pork

Directions:

Put pork loin (any size - I used 1.75lbs) in a crockpot and pour 1 can of root beer over.  Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 4 hours. Shred pulled pork and blend with your BBQ sauce of choice (Sweet Baby Rays at our house). Enjoy!!

Yup, it's that easy. :)

Nursery Progress

Today I wanted to share my recent progress on the baby room! This is all very exciting to me, since this has been "my project" for the past couple of months. My brother-in-law came over and replaced the trim and painted the baby room the colors we picked out: Benjamin Moore's "Milkyway" and "Sunrise". He also painted a changing table I bought off of Craigslist for $40. The paint and trim really freshened up the space!

Before:

After:

Once painting was complete I was able to assemble the crib, put the bedding together, and bring up the glider.  The glider is a Dutailier glider, which my friend Jen highly recommended, the crib a Babyletto Hudson, and the bedding and rug are sale items from  The Land of Nod, my favorite baby store at the moment. My husband and I were so thrilled with the results that we each took turns sitting in the glider and admiring the room.

Baby Update:

Week: 30

Baby Size: 17 inches long and 3 lbs

Changes for Mommy: 

• Walking a LOT slower in the airports, takes awhile to get my momentum going with the added weight.  
• Kicking during swim practice is more challenging, but feels good as it loosens up my tight hip muscles.  
• Get to feel baby kick almost ALL the time! He's quite a little mover, I think we're going to have our hands full! :)

This weekend we're taking our hospital's Childbirth Class, should be interesting! 

Have a great weekend everyone. :)

Shh...Enjoying the Quiet

Just read Susan Cain's Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking.  I highly recommend this book, especially to those other introverts out there! 

The author is a self-proclaimed introvert and after years of believing something was "wrong" with her she wrote this book to illustrate just how common and even beneficial introversion is.  For instance, introversion has been correlated with the ability to delay gratification, higher levels of persistence, and creativity. Susan discusses ways in which to optimize the workplace, parenting, and even teaching for introverts.  This book really helped me to better understand myself, my husband, and pretty much the rest of my family. And now I have some ideas on how to be a better parent in case Baby C turns out to be a little introvert too.  Check it out! :)

Side note: the hot air balloons are back! Each morning my husband and I go out to the car and hear a quiet "whoooshing" overhead as anywhere from 5 to 10 balloons take off overhead.  The launch site is only a couple blocks from our apartment, a beautiful sight to start the day here in Winters, CA!

Little Man

Here's a little "mini Todd" outfit that my best friend gave me last week. It's exactly like what my husband wears (minus the teddy bear on the front pocket). :) I can't wait to get a photo of the two of them matching! 

Life has been busy and fun the past couple of weeks. With my friend in town we went and saw the King Tut exhibit at the Pacific Science Center, very cool! The baby room just got painted, so now I'm super excited to decorate (future blog post about this to come), and Todd and I just spent the weekend in San Francisco where we got to see my brother and a good friend, enjoy some meals, and walk around the Embarcadero in the sunshine. If you're looking for a place to stay in the city, I would recommend the Hyatt Regency. It was very reasonably priced, and located right across from the Ferry Building overlooking the water. Nothing fancy, but easy for a quick weekend trip!

This week I'm really enjoying this song and this one.  Thinking of making either this dish or this.  Just finished reading The Paris Wife - great book!! 

We just watched the DVD "The Happiest Baby on the Block" which teaches parents how to perform the "5 S's" to calm their crying babies. The 5 S's are: Swaddling, Swinging, Shushing, Side Position, and Sucking. Really interesting video, and something I definitely intend to put to use with Baby C! Here's a sample video of someone doing the 5 S's - the baby's reaction blows my mind!! 

Summer Snaps

Here are some of the pictures we've taken thus far this summer: 

The hubby's birthday Manhattan at Restaurant Zoe. 

Nothing beats a cup of French press coffee with fresh cream.

Our woods in bloom! 

Chicken and vegetable pasta, yum.

The husband saw this chubby little bird and said, "Hey! This bird knows exactly how you're feeling!" - Thanks??

View of building during Seattle Art Walk.

Free outdoor dance class in Pioneer Square.

Have a great weekend everyone! :)

Let's Eat Cake!

Birthday cake, birthday cake... lyrics to one of my fave Rihanna songs of the moment, also what I baked the hubby for his birthday last weekend. I tried out Ina Garten's Birthday Cake with Butter Frosting recipe - and this thing was a BEAST! I had to offload it to anyone who would take some. Each slice was heaven, but packed with a punch of sugar so you only really wanted a thin slice. Great for a kids birthday party I think, a bit much for two people. 

On another note, Happy 4th of July everyone!! Looks like it's going to be a pretty day here in Seattle. Think we'll have some BBQ after my Masters swim practice this afternoon.  Yup, still hauling my preggo butt into the pool as often as I can these days. It's really the only way I can relieve my leg cramps and bring some peace of mind. Feel sorry for those who have to see me in my two piece though. ;-)     

Carb Cravings

This was my vision the other day when I grabbed a crate of strawberries at Costco:

No, not something healthy or simple, but a reason to bake a cake and buy Cool Whip! I made one of my favorites: Ina Garten's Honey Vanilla Pound Cake. Super simple and delicious with any kind of berry. Or even slap on some lemon icing, and BAM! Dessert.

Then today I thought about the hamburgers I'm going to make this weekend (yes, food on the brain 24/7), and decided that it'd be awesome to have homemade buns. I tried a new recipe from the blog "Alexandra's Kitchen" for Brioche Buns and here are the beautiful results:

I think my next food craving I need to satisfy is a big frosty root beer float. Mmm.. What foods are YOU craving right now? 

Huge and One Hundred

First of all, I want to thank those of you who contacted me personally last week following my last blog posting about the baby blues! It's so nice to know that I'm definitely not alone, and to also get some really cool ideas on how to connect with other mommies in my area. Several of you have recommended PEPS(Program for Early Parent Support), which is based in the Puget Sound area. You register when your baby is due and your zip code, and they form a group of around 12 people who also live close to you and are expecting around the same time to meet up weekly for parent questions/bonding/etc. Many of my friends have formed long lasting friendships with other mom and dads in their PEPS groups - pretty cool.


Thankfully my mood has lifted significantly this week, along with the temperatures here in Vacaville, CA. It's hit at least 100 every day this week - YIKES! As I get larger and larger and the days get hotter and hotter, this is going to get very interesting. For so long I wanted to really "show" a baby belly... um, be careful what you wish for!  


My lifesaver lately has been my latest purchase: the Leachco "Snoogle" maternity pillow.  I HIGHLY recommend this for anyone who is pregnant, and even if you're not, it's pretty awesome! My neck and back don't hurt hardly at all anymore! ... 

Wouldn't you love to be a maternity pillow model? ;-)

  

50 Shades of Pregnancy Hormones

Remember way back when, when I claimed that I wouldn't go overboard on the "baby talk" on this blog? Yeh, well I'm declaring right now, F THAT!  It's nearly impossible for me to come up with "stories about my life and travels" to share on this blog that DON'T involve the growing baby in my belly. Especially with no job and too much time on my hands, it has really been an all consuming experience.  Plus, I realize that it's pretty cool to read about other pregnant peoples' stories (like this one), so maybe other people will enjoy reading about my pregnancy too.  

I'd say that so far I've been really lucky on the pregnancy symptoms front: no morning sickness, just some mild food/smell aversions at first (raw meat, could smell the garbage from the other room). But I'd say the biggest thing I've been struggling with lately is the baby blues. I read the other day that depression is more common during pregnancy than postpartum (which really surprised me!). About 25% of pregnant women will experience this.  I think a lot of it personally stems from the loneliness of traveling each week, being by myself all day while my husband works, and not having a job to socialize and occupy my mind.  Don't get me wrong, I know I'm pretty lucky to be with my hubby all the time, to enjoy the California sunshine, and to be able to swim on a Masters swim team. But it's just not always a bucket of rainbows or something.


My hope is that I'll find some good "mommy groups" once our baby is born, which will help me find the social interaction and community I'm looking for. If anyone knows of good groups in the Redmond, WA area, please let me know! :)


In the meantime,  I'm trying to keep myself busy by doing such things as: planning the baby's nursery (stay tuned for future posts on this!), cooking, swimming, ... and reading "50 Shades of Grey". Oh that's right! "Mommy porn" as my friends call it. It's pretty cheesy and ridiculous so far, but what the hell! 

Baby Update + Homemade Chili Recipe

Yup, here's your token confusing 3D ultrasound picture. If you can make out a baby, you've probably gone through this yourself. ;-) Anyhoo, last week Todd and I found out that we've got a little MALE resident in my belly! It was really fun watching him move around. He loves putting his hands up by his face (as seen in photo), and he also was playing around grabbing his toes. I just can't wait to meet him face to face! 

Okay, enough baby talk. Tonight I decided to make some homemade chili using a recipe from one of my favorite Junior League of Seattle cookbooks "Simply Classic". So easy and smells delicious! 

1 lb lean ground beef

1 lb kielbasa sausage

1 tbsp olive oil

1 c onion chopped

1 c green pepper diced

2 gloves garlic minced

1 16 oz can kidney beans, drained

1 16 oz can stewed tomatoes

1 16 oz can tomato sauce

2 bay leaves

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp dried oregano

1/3 tsp white pepper

1/3 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp cayenne 

Saute beef in a large heavy skillet, drain, and set aside. Same with sliced sausage.  In the same pan, saute onions and green pepper in olive oil over medium heat until soft but not brown. Add garlic and saute 2 more minutes. Add beef and sausage back in, along with all remaining ingredients. Simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Serve with a garnish of sour cream and/or grated cheese. Enjoy! 

Keep Calm and Swim On

Happy Wednesday everyone! 


Today I'm going to share a cool meditation that my swim coach taught me, and which anyone can put to use! I found it so beneficial I thought others might too. :)

Coach Karen shared this meditation with me after watching me panicking each time I'd get a stomach cramp while swimming. I'd be clutching the wall, trying to breathe, hoping that my swimming wasn't putting undue stress on Baby C.  So she taught me to say these four words: "Sa, Ta, Na, Ma." With each word you touch the tip of each finger to the thumb tip. 


Thumb & first finger - SA
Thumb & second finger - TA
Thumb & third finger - NA
Thumb & fourth finger - MA


Coach said that she read studies showing that this meditation, called Kirtan Kriya, increases memory and cognitive function and decreases stress. I like the translation for each of the words too:


Sa = the beginning
Ta = life
Na = death
Ma = rebirth


In any case, my muscle cramps have greatly reduced since using this technique. I feel calmer with swimming while pregnant and trusting that the baby will be just fine.  In fact, I think I've got a little helper swimmer, this week Baby C has started moving and kicking around a LOT more!! 


Namaste!

East Coast Trip Part 3: Gettysburg, PA

Last but not least, our east coast trip ended with a trip to Gettysburg, PA to view the battlefields of the famous Civil War battle that took place July 1-3, 1863.  While the trip was pretty informational and many of the battlefield grounds scenic (see above), it definitely wasn't a town I'd recommend spending too much time in.  The hotels, restaurants, and activities were pretty lacking, which is surprising for how many tourists come through the town each year.  

We stayed in a relatively good B&B, but the place was PACKED with teddy bears and Christmas memorabilia. It even had its own Civil War/Christmas Shop in the back room - gotta love the spelling!

On the way back to the airport we stopped at George Washington's house, Mount Vernon. This is definitely a place I'd recommend to others. A beautiful home and grounds that you can easily tour, and on a bright summer day it was great! :)

East Coast Trip Part 2: Charlottesville, VA

From DC Todd and I ventured south to Charlottesville, VA where we toured Thomas Jefferson's house, Monticello.  Work began on this beautiful home in 1768, and it was amazing how much modern technology was used within. Jefferson had about 7 clocks in the home, along with skylights, and even cool levers that pulled wine bottles up through a secret passage from the wine cellar to the dining room. The gardens were also in excellent condition, and vegetables, fruit, and wine are still grown here today.  

In town, we stayed at the historic Dinsmore Inn B&B, built in 1817 by Jefferson's master builder.  Very cute place, and close to the University of Virginia. Here's a picture of the front of the inn. Highly recommend this place to any Charlottesville visitors!

East Coast Trip Part 1: Washington DC

Todd and I just got back from a trip to Washington DC. This picture was taken from the Jefferson Monument of the White House and Washington Monument. The monuments were definitely one of my favorite parts of the city, they are so large and stunning that it really makes you respect what or who is being honored. Also doesn't hurt that all the monuments and museums in town are FREE! Some other highlights included: walking through the cute neighborhoods and shops in Georgetown, dining at The Blue Duck Tavern and The Tabard Inn. 


We brought along our absolute FAVORITE guide book for this trip: Knopf Mapguides.  If you haven't heard of these before, I highly recommend them for travel. They're super tiny so they fit easily in a purse or pocket. They are divided into neighborhood sections with a corresponding foldout map along with condensed lists of the top: Places to See, Restaurants, Bars, and Shops.  And these recommendations are always top notch! I have yet to be disappointed by a restaurant recommendation from them. It's like they get fun local people to write each of these books (actually, they probably do). 

Parts 2 and 3 will follow the rest of our trip: Charlottesville, VA and Gettysburg, PA.

Vultures in Vacaville

Is it at all ironic that the last photo I took before my camera died was of this vulture - a bird of death?! There were three of these guys sitting in my husband's work parking lot, and they were huge! Today is also the day that my last pair of normal jeans "bit the dust" and I'm officially in maternity pants now - pretty sexy stuff.  Nothing says "hot" like full panel pants!  Oh yehh...