Portland Baby Shower

This past Sunday, my best friend from high school hosted a baby shower in honor of the Bean back in Portland for my family and friends. Here we are below. Unfortunately, the photo is a little too dark to see us clearly, but we're in front of her adorable dining table set-up featuring mini spinach and fontina quiches, Greek yogurt parfaits, prosciutto wrapped pears, mini cornbread muffins, a delicious cheese plate, and, of course, chocolate cupcakes.

I had so much fun catching up with family and friends, and of course opening a few goodies for our Jelly Bean. This kid is now officially has a better wardrobe than either of his parents. (At least for the first 6 months of life, after which it may be downhill...) Featured below: adorable Texas ranger PJs.

(With my sister-in-law, mom, and sister)

Four of my best girlfriends from Seattle made the drive down to Portland for the shower, which was a huge treat. I hadn't seen them since last Christmas, and two of them have since welcomed their own little guys into the world. I can't wait to introduce my own baby boy into the mix, and know that the three of them will have lots of fun growing up together over the years. It was such a fun day, and I am so grateful for great friends who went out of their way to make it a special event for me.

Week 33

December 9, 2011

Best Moment: We returned home from our Florida vaca during week 33 and then I spent most of the rest of the week stressing out about the fact that January is suddenly near and we don't have anything ready for our impending bundle of joy other than a freshly painted room, a crib, and a lot of frozen meals. After much hand wringing and brow furling, I made some progress on our ever present baby to-do list, including finalizing our pediatrician choice, ordering a set of shelving for his closet, and selecting a glider that my wonderful mother-in-law and sister-in-law are generously giving us.

Meanwhile, we had a scare last Tuesday when my latest ultrasound revealed that our little guy's head size is in the 99th percentile (excellent... looking forward to that...), while his abdomen is currently only in the 27th percentile. Due to the fact that he has a two-vessel umbilical cord (one artery and one vein instead of two arteries and one vein), my doctor was concerned that perhaps his blood flow is being limited and that he might be suffering from growth restriction. After a battery of tests and a trip to the perinatologist for yet another ultrasound, we were reassured that all is well and he is just kinda skinny with a really big head. Seeing as I myself have a huge head and they run in my family, this wasn't too surprising, but it added an unnecessary layer of stress to an already hectic week. As a result, the highlight of the week was skipping town again on Friday to head back to Portland for my baby shower. Pictures of that to come!

Symptoms: I definitely started feeling quite a bit of anxiety during week 33, meaning that in addition to waking up for multiple bathroom breaks each night, now I'm sometimes having trouble falling back asleep as numerous thoughts and worries race through my head in the pre-dawn hours. I'm not really worried about the delivery (although maybe I should be...), but I'm just anxious about dealing with the inevitable sleepless nights and challenges of the first 12 weeks as a I figure out this whole mom gig. Talking to my own mom and some of my new-mom friends at my shower provided some reassurance. The consensus seems to be that yeah, it's tough, but it's also fantastic, everyone goes through it, and, like countless women before me, I'll manage to do what needs to be done and figure it out along the way.

Cravings/Aversions: My appetite actually seems to be slowing down these final weeks. I've reached the point where I just don't have a lot of room in my stomach to take in big meals, so I think I'm eating less. (I actually lost one pound during week 33.) I still love me some dessert, but not quite the abundance of it that I've been enjoying throughout the pregnancy so far.

What I Miss: Not too much. I would say a good night of sleep, but I know that the sleep I'm getting right now is actually probably as good as it's going to get for the next few years.

What I Can't Wait For: I'm looking forward to enjoying Christmas with my family (fingers crossed we get the doctor's green light to fly) and getting most of the final baby stuff wrapped in the next few weeks so that I can relax a little bit before D-day.

Milestones: According to Baby Center, he's about the size of a pineapple and weighs in at 4 pounds, but my most recent ultrasound has him closer to 5 pounds. He is rapidly plumping up with baby fat, and his skeleton is beginning to harden.

Florida Babymoon

Last week we took to the friendly skies to enjoy one last weekend getaway as a couple before the little one arrives. One of my good friends was getting married just outside of Naples, Florida, so we decided to stay a few extra days and explore the Gulf coast. We spent our first two nights on Sanibel Island, a little barrier island just off the coast of Fort Myers. We stayed at a cute historic inn and just enjoyed strolling on the beach, sleeping in, cruising around the island on bikes, and lots of fresh seafood.

Shout out to the Oregon Ducks!

Overall, we both really enjoyed Sanibel Island. It was really quaint and laid back-- just what we were looking for. It was also fairly geriatric (we were probably the youngest on the island by a good 25-30 years), but I think that probably had a lot to do with the fact that we were visiting at kind of an odd time between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I have a feeling the place fills up with lots of families during the spring high season.

After two days on the island, we headed back to the mainland and checked into the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point, just north of Naples. The wedding was held on the resort's beautiful grounds. The weather was gorgeous the whole time we were there-- sunny and low 80s. You wouldn't even know it was Christmas time, except for the hotel's decorations.

In addition to attending the wedding, we managed to squeeze in a rigorous schedule of laying by the pool (me), working out (J), and long naps (both of us). We also made one kayaking excursion around the mangroves and estuary surrounding the resort. Sadly no dolphin or alligator spottings, but we did see lots of tropical birds.

(Like the Florida shaped putting green floating in the pond??)

Overall, it was a great trip. It was super relaxing and forced me to just slow down, stop obsessing over my to-do list (for a few days anyway), and focus on enjoying my husband's company. It's hard to believe that in a few weeks we'll go from being a twosome to a threesome, but I think this last hurrah helped make me feel a little more mentally prepared to make the leap. We spent a lot of time just enjoying each other, but couldn't help but talk about our plans for our son and what it will be like the next time we take a vacation as a family. There are so many things that we're so excited to show him, teach him, and experience with him. Just a few more weeks to go!

Weeks 31 and 32

December 2, 2012

Best Moment: Weeks 31 and 32 were busy ones! In addition to cooking and hosting our first married Thanksgiving, we continued with the "baby MBA," completing a CPR and first aid class, and meeting with two pediatricians. We did a fair amount of nesting, including cooking and freezing four meals worth of turkey chili and chicken "not pie" (a great crust-less pot pie-like stew), 3 loaves of pumpkin bread, and countless cups of turkey stock (thank you, Thanksgiving leftovers.) I need to post a picture of the interior of my freezer soon... it's impressive. We also joined Costco (making us officially parents) and began stocking up on diapers and wipes. Then, on December 1st, we embarked on a babymoon to the gulf coast of Florida. More on that to come later!

Symptoms: Still tired. Still feeling some back and hip pain. It kind of comes and goes. Other than that, nothing new.

Cravings/Aversions: Thanksgiving weekend was a pregnant woman's delight. Our guests brought a green bean casserole, appetizers, and beverages, and we cooked turkey, pan jus gravy, sage stuffing, orange port cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie-- beginning with whole pumpkins that we roasted and then pureed. We wound up with so much extra pumpkin puree, that I had enough for the 3 aforementioned loaves of pumpkin bread, plus a pumpkin spice bundt cake that was promptly devoured.

What I Miss: Just my energy.

What I Can't Wait For: I'm getting excited to meet the little guy. I wonder who he'll look like and what his personality will be like. I can't wait to find out!

Milestones: As of last Friday, our little man weighs in around 4 pounds and is sporting fingernails, toenails, and hair.