More winning for me!

What an awesome way to start Christmas week. There's nothing better than getting free stuff specially when you don't really expect it. Y'all know that I was on a winning spree at one point about a month ago. Well it looks like it's happening again.

A couple of weeks ago Debbie from Mommies with Style emailed me to let me know that I won the "My Baby Loves" giveaway. Of course I picked the 80's cd. This morning, Colleen from Classy Mommy sent me an email to let me know that I won the $200 Best Buy gift card giveaway. Depending on what J got me for Christmas, this might be used towards a dslr but if he was generous enough and he already got me one, we are definitely using this on a bigger flat screen that he's been wanting to get.

Kayla met Santa last night

...and I hope the she put in a good word for her mommy and daddy. I already know what Santa got her so I don't think he needed to know what she really wants :)

J and I were both on the fence if we wanted to take her or not. H1N1, flu, and sick kids don't really sit well with us. We were afraid Kayla would catch something but we can't really let her miss out on meeting Santa for the first time on her very first Christmas.

We stood in line for about an hour and then it was her turn. J was in charged of making her smile which he didn't do a very good job with. But at least our little girl was not crying in the picture nor did she cry the moment Santa held her. For a first-timer, she didn't do too bad. She did cry in the end after she realized that she is not sitting mommy nor daddy's laps.

She looks pretty adorable in her polka dot black and white dress with her cute white bow and black tights :) I sure went shopping for her outfit last minute. We decided on Friday we were taking her Saturday morning but mastitis (again for the second time) got in the way of our plans.

Baby Girl is 5 Months Old!

I can't believe that Kayla is already 5 months old. Time is flying by and next thing you know she will be blowing out the candle on her first birthday cake! Kayla is definitely this little person now. We know when she's happy and we definitely know when she is not. I think that she is still mommy's girl - it brings me so much joy when I walk into the door after a long day at work and she is squealing and kicking her legs around from shear excitement.

No doctor's appointment this month but she weighted 17 lbs and 10 oz and measured 24.75 in about 2.5 weeks ago. She's still in the 97th percentile for weight and 50th for height. Her doctor also gave us the go ahead at that appointment to start her on rice cereal but I waited 'til yesterday. She did great with the rice cereal - no gagging or yacking here. I think that she's still trying to figure out the whole spoon thing since it's something so new to her. We plan on feeding her rice cereal for a week or so until she gets the hang of eating solids until we introduce a new type of food.


So what else is our baby girl up to lately?

• wearing 6-9 month clothing
• wearing size 2 diapers but we're about to start using the 3's soon
  
• she has a bottom tooth coming out - there might be another one but not so sure yet
• still a good sleeper although there are some nights when she would wake up around midnight to eat
• still loves bath time
• she's doing very well with sitting on her own but she still falls after a while - i say a couple more weeks and she'll be good on her own

Our household has been pretty busy lately. Kayla is growing so fast and so quick. We can't wait for our first Christmas together as a family!

Sophie bandwagon

...the giraffe that is. I've seen this all over the 'net and have read numerous articles and blog posts about it. Of course, being the rookie mom that I am, I jump on bandwagons easily. I mean how can the internet give me the wrong information, right? Ha!

I saw Sophie go on BabyEarth's hourly special on Friday. It went down to as low as $10-something but with shipping it really came out to be around $17. Still cheaper than most online retailers but my frugal self couldn't justify it. I visit this site regularly to see what deals they have on an hourly basis 'cause I always feel that Kayla needs something. Of course I missed out on the deal 'cause I waited too long. This is probably the 5th item I've missed out on 'cause I wait for the price to go down further.



[image from BabyEarth]

Anyway, I caved and bought Sophie on Amazon yesterday. I signed up for the Amazon Prime 30-day free trial and I received 2-day shipping for free. I still paid the regular $18 but I guess that's okay. How can one really resist the cute pictures of all these babies gnawing on cute little Sophie?? I already know that Kayla will enjoy Sophie - I mean she only tries to put everything her little hands can get to in her mouth and every review I've read about Sophie has been great.

Am I the only one who jumps on baby-related bandwagons or any bandwagon for that matter?

Day off and shopping

Since my weekend was cut short, I took off today. It was much needed. J and I are both off and have been hanging out all day. I went out for a bit this morning with Kayla to go shopping for some work clothes while he went out to get a much needed haircut.

I used my Old Navy coupon on a couple of sweaters and tanks. The shawl cardigan looks really nice on and I can wear it to work and during the weekends. I wanted to get the grey one also but they only have an XS left. I didn't try the other cardi on and I hope it fits. I also got Kayla two pairs of pants and two cute onesies.







Jay called me while I was out to let me know that the Bumbo seat arrived! I was so excited to get home and put Kayla in it. I think she likes it. I've already used it a couple of times today. I sat her on top of the kitchen counter while I prepped the veggies for our dinner tonight.


Three more working days before the weekend! J is of course working all weekend long so we are on our own. I plan to do a little more shopping with Gap's Give and Get sale and I hope to hit up Macy's for more baby winter clothes.

I love winning!

Monday was this and now this!

I love finding bargains and I love it even more when I get to win things. I've been following "Deal"ectible Mommies for a while now and I received an email from her this morning that I won one of the coupons for Old Navy! This is perfect timing since I'm in need of new work clothes pretty bad. I've lost all my baby weight and then some so most of my clothes do not fit right anymore.

Now it's just a matter of finding the time to actually go out and shop. My mom gave me a bunch of Macy's coupons yesterday so I'm going to use those to buy Kayla some winter clothes and maybe a pair of shoes (or two) for me.

Online Shopping Madness

I love the internet. I use it everyday. It makes for a dangerous and very easy way to spend money and buy anything.



I bought my momAgenda yesterday and it's being delivered today. If that's not quick shipping, then I don't know what is! I can't wait to go home and start writing in it.

This morning, I came to work, turned my pc on, and went to town on Borders' website and bought Kayla some books (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Funny thing is I'm doing this in the middle of a very busy work week. I can only imagine what's going to happen when it starts to get slow here during the holidays.

Happy 4 Months, Kayla!

Yup, your are now 4 months old! I can't believe how fast time is flying and how quickly you're growing. Just this past month we had a couple of firsts...first Halloween and first birthday party. You were quite the adorable little bee and you were such a little angel at the party. You were napping in your car seat half the time but when you finally wore up - you definitely flashed everyone your toothless smiles when they came over to say hello. Everyone at the party were so amazed at how big you are for your age and how much hair you have.



You are still a wonderful sleeper but such an awful napper. I'm not complaining since your dad and I are very appreciative of the 8+ hours of sleep that you give us every night but you can be such a little terror during the day. It's very rare that you would nap when we are home but you nap pretty well when the grandma's are watching you during the day. I like to think that you just love it so much when mommy and daddy are home that you like to stay awake a lot - and I mean a lot.

You're a great little shopper, too! We can spend hours at the mall and you sit very content in your car seat not making a peep. This makes for a very easy and fun time at the mall specially when mommy's bored at home with nothing to do.

Bath time is fun for you. You are starting to splish and splash in your baby tub and you never ever cry. It makes me wonder though why you are not very happy when bath time is over. I know you're not cold since I bundle you up like a little burrito. Maybe you're just sad since you just love the water and bath time is over.

You truly are the most wonderful present that we could ever ask for. I know that I'm thankful everyday for having you in my life and can't imagine it without you.

I'm a winner!

Yay! Amanda from Pink Cashmere Cardigan just emailed me to tell me that I won her Bumbo Seat giveaway! I'm so excited. I never win anything and I've been wanting to buy this seat for Kayla.



I also won the BINGO game at work this past Friday. I think I'm on a winning roll here. Does this mean I'm going to win the lottery tomorrow, too?

A Year Ago Today

...we found out that we were pregnant with Kayla. I clearly remember how the morning went but I want to start with the night before.

We were at a friend's house for a little Halloween get-together and to give candy out. I remember how after all the trick or treaters were gone, everyone sat around the dining table - drinking, eating, and getting mad at each other while playing Cranium. I was 3 days late then and I went to the bathroom for what seems like every 30 minutes that night - I blamed the beer.

Jay and I both had the weekend off and we slept in the next morning. When we got up I went to the grocery store to get stuff for breakfast and I stopped by CVS to get a pregnancy test just to see. I came home and J started cooking breakfast. I went straight to the bathroom to pee on the stick. He didn't know I got the pregnancy test. I didn't want to tell him and I wanted to surprise him with the result - whatever it may be. I remember sitting the stick on the bathroom counter and not even 5 seconds later I saw two lines - one was very defined and the other one was a little on the pale side. But a line is a line. I walked over to the kitchen and told J the news. I think my choice of words were "I think we're kinda pregnant". He told me to STFU. We both could not believe it. I took two more pregnancy tests that day and two more two days later. I wanted to make sure it was real - that I was really pregnant. We also went to Target that evening to get me some pre-natal vitamins.

That morning changed our lives forever. Today he made breakfast while I held Kayla. We are now a family. I can't believe it's been a year since that day.

Custom Bow Holder

Having a daughter makes a mom go crazy with buying clothes, shoes, and accessories. I didn't think I was going to be that mom who would put a bow on her daughter's hair every chance she got - but that's me! Etsy is my source for bows and headbands for Kayla.

Having acquired a number of bows since she was born, I needed a holder/organizer. I've been searching all over the place to buy one but didn't find one 'til this weekend. Nancy, from i wanted to wonder, is so awesome! She has tons of cute ideas on her website and she even creates wall art. I ordered on Sunday and by last night she had already finished Kayla's bow holder. It even matches her PBK sadie bedding!

Ammature Mom

Yup, that's me! I waited and waited to buy Kayla's Halloween costume because I thought I was going to catch the Tom Arma elephant costume on sale. Obviously, I didn't. I just don't think I can swallow paying $60 for something she's gonna wear for picture purposes. I even scoured ebay and no still no luck.

This weekend, I bought her a backup PBK pumpkin costume while I cross my fingers and toes that the costume I really want comes in the mail. I really hope that Nordstrom can pull through for me and she can be a bumble bee for the day.

Edit: I got my tracking from Nordstrom last night and the costume will be here on Friday. Yay!

My sleeping-through-the-night baby!

This came as a total surprise and quite unexpected. We thought this day would never come but it finally did! I contemplated even saying it out loud nor thinking about it too much because I was afraid of jinxing it. Ha!

Kayla started sleeping in her crib on the 6th and she pretty much transitioned from the bassinnett of her pack and play straight to there. No in between here. She was still waking up once in the middle of the night for a bottle until this past Friday. She just kept on sleeping and sleeping. She didn't get up until almost 7am. J and I were both very shocked but thought it was a fluke.

She did it again on Sunday.

First Year Wedding Anniversay

This past Sunday marked our first wedding anniversary. Time goes by so much faster when you're pregnant for a good portion of it. It's amazing to me that we went from being newly married to being a family all in a blink of an eye. We like to think that baby girl was conceived on the night of our wedding. According to this little calculator - she was! Ha!

My anniversary present came early - Friday early. I came home from work and was going about my business when I decided to call J since he left work before I did and yet was nowhere to be found. I picked up my cellphone (the Blackberry that I've been hating on for months) only to see a SIM error. Of course I couldn't dial out. J showed up a little bit after my attempt to call him and I was whining as soon as he walked in the door about how my phone wasn't working. Not even two seconds later he plops down a shiny new iPhone on the bed for me. It was my anniversary present. What a sweet husband!

I've been pleading with him to get me this phone but he thought the phone was stupid. He even hated the "there's an app for that" commercials. I told him that this phone is perfect for me now that we have Kayla. I can take her pictures when I don't have the digital camera on me and I can take quick videos of her. I wasn't up for my upgrade yet (and I planned on waiting 'til December to buy it myself) but I guess he sweet-talked the AT&T man and he got a discount for getting my upgrade done a little earlier rather than paying full-retail price.

We also went out on a date on Sunday - lunch and a movie. My mom came over to watch Kayla while we went out. We even did a little bit of shopping for more baby clothes. It was definitely nice to go out and spend some alone time together.

Even Kayla got in on the present-giving thing. She slept through the night - I'm talking 9pm to 7am - for the first time on Saturday! It was definitely a great present from her. J and I sure appreciate this new schedule she's on but that's a whole 'nother post to come.

3 Month Check-Up

J and I went in to her doctor's office with guesses of what she'd weight in at - I said at least 17 and Jay said 18. Boy, we were both wrong! She only weighted 15 lbs. 9 oz. but still well above the 90th percentile and she now measures 23.65 inches. She is growing so fast! She had two shots and she took it like a champ! She cried for a little bit but I think her hunger and tiredness played a big part in it too.

- still in size 2 diapers
- 6 months sized clothes
- sleeping through the night :)
- still no formula
- coo-ing like crazy
- rolling over to her belly when she wants to

She's sleeping in her crib - finally!

Baby girl slept in her crib last night! I was getting scared that her pretty crib will never be put to use aside from when she's playing with her animal friends (aka her crib mobile). This is really exciting for us since watching TV on mute is getting old. It's kinda hard trying to make out what people are saying. I was also beginning to wonder if we were all waking each other up.

We are using a sleep positioner that she eventually kicks off to the bottom of the crib. It probably only does its purpose for the first couple of hours until she gets into her kicking fit. Either way, I'm just happy that she's in her room. I loved having her in ours since it was so convenient to have her right there but I knew that she would have to move out one of these days. J also moved her pack and play downstairs this morning before he left for work. This will now be used for her naps during the day.

I really hope that her transition to her own room will make her a better sleeper. She still wakes up once during the night to feed which is totally fine. When did your baby stop eating in the middle of the night?

O-M-G!

My child is 3 months old and I totally forgot about her birthday. I woke up on Monday thinking I needed to take her picture after work in her crib. J quickly burst that bubble informing me that Monday was the 5th and not the 4th. Oops. I guess working on the weekends kinda messed my days up. Of course I didn't take her picture yesterday. She's been a little handful with her sleeping patterns the past couple of days and I'm beyond exhausted.

It started Sunday night and I thought that was a fluke. She refused to sleep in her pack and play that J took her downstairs to sleep in her swing. That went from midnight 'til 2-ish. After her feeding, I put her in her crib and she slept in there 'til about 6-ish. Of course she was still fussy during the day yesterday. J's mom said she didn't want to be put down and wanted to be held a lot and refused to nap. We fought between 830pm 'til about 1030pm last night when J finally gave up and brought the swing upstairs. She slept there 'til around 330 and in the pack and play she went 'til almost 6.

I really hope this is a just a phase. We can't function like normal people with lack of sleep. I don't really know what's going on. I'd like to think that she's teething (although it could be a bit early) hence the craziness during night time. She was such a good sleeper for the most part until Sunday.

It makes me wonder what it would be like if I was home with her. Is it possible that there are 4 different people, including myself, that watch her on daily basis and our ways of taking care of her are all different? Does she even know the difference between all of us? I sure hope so! I want to think that my baby girl know I'm her momma and that I give her the best care when I'm home with her.

How do we fix this? How can I get her on a good routine?

13 Weeks Ago...

I was holding Kayla in my arms for the first time. I can't believe how fast time has been going. She will be 3 months old come Monday. Being a parent is truly the most rewarding experience I have experienced so far. Her coos and smiles make all the sleepless nights all worthwhile.

Working full time again has had its ups and downs. It is still hard leaving her behind every morning but the end of my day is always rewarded with her smiling face when I come home. Work is still very busy that I'm able to go all day without feeling sad that I'm not home with her. Even my weekends are cut short due to groups that I have to check in on. I cherish every second that I get to spend at home with her. She is growing up and developing so quickly and I'm always afraid that I will miss something.

We are still going strong with breastfeeding. There is so much milk in our freezer and I'm still pumping while at work. I even get up in the middle of the night to pump while J feeds her with a bottle. The way I see it is that this is the best thing I can give her right now. It's great holding her while she looks up at me while she eats. It's our bonding time and I hope that we can go past 6 months. Pumping is a pain at work but I plan to keep it up.

First!

Kayla giggled for the first time on Thursday, 9/24! We followed J upstairs when he got home from work. He was making silly sounds and playing with her and next thing you she was giggling up a storm. She was giggling so much that her body was shaking. Who knew her first giggles would make me so emotional?

I'm so glad that we were both home when she first giggled. I hope that we continue to get more firsts from her. It feels so rewarding seeing her grow up right before our eyes.

Working Mom

I came back to work September 8th and it wasn't as bad as I thought. Work is so busy for me right now that I hardly have time to be upset that I'm at work at not at home. Don't get me wrong, it's very hard to leave her every morning but I just think about her smiling-chubby face welcoming me everyday. I'm very proud of myself for not crying at work that day. I guess I over-cried the night before and I was all out of tears. I didn't even go home for lunch to see her 'til today!

I'm still trying to get myself into a routine so that I'm able to feed her before I leave work, pump while at work, come home and spend time with my family and do it all over again the next day. It's tough and I give tons of credit to working parents who have more than one child. I try to get myself ready waaay before I know she's going to be up so I can focus my time on her instead of me. I truly treasure each and every minute I get to spend with Kayla. I'm not so lucky to be able to stay at home and either work or not work. I miss her every second of the day and I look forward to going home. Maybe J and I will get lucky, sooner rather than later, so that I can be a stay at home mom or even a work at home mom.

My 2 month old

I can't believe that Kayla turned 2 months last Friday. This update is a bit late but I wanted to wait 'til we saw her doctor.

She is growing sooo fast! She weighed in at 13 lbs 9 oz and 22.25 inches long. She's off the charts on her weight and I'm glad that she's getting long, too. Our pediatrician is very happy with her growth progress. She even thinks that my 10-week old baby is cutting her first tooth. Yup, that's right, a tooth! This is apparently normal but very rare which explains her droolyness a whole lot now. She also got her first shot while we were there. She took it like a big girl. I think she was more mad about the nurse stretching her leg than the actual needle. Of course I'm the sissy one and I couldn't look. J missed this appointment so my mom was with us. I was told to give her Tylenol when we got home but she was gagging during the process and projectiles right after. I don't think she's a fan of sweets. Oh well.

So what has our little princess been up to lately?

• still in size 1 diapers
• 3 months size clothes are getting a bit tight
• sleeping at least 4 hour stretches at night (6.5 hours one time)
• still guzzling down breast milk
• coo's a lot and likes to "talk" to us and her toys
• adores her activity mat friends and crib mobile monkeys
• stares at lights and ceiling fans
• still hates being on her tummy
• loves bath time until I have to wash her hair

J and I are really enjoying being parents. Kayla never fails to put a smile on our face! She is the silliest baby and we just can't get enough of her. We are looking forward to the fall and the holiday season - first everything is coming up for all of us as a family - Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas! Our household will be full of laughter and joy thanks to our not-so-little bundle!

Nighttime Sleeping and Schedule - 2 months later

Kayla has been sleeping really well at night. Still not through the night but a whole lot better. She slept 5 straight hours the night before last and 6.5 last night! Needless to say, J and I are ecstatic.

She's not the greatest napper in the world but we take what we can get. This sleeping thing is a bit tough but I know it will get better. It's very rare that she'll take a nap between 5pm and 9pm. 10-ish is usually her bed time which isn't that bad. She's not really on a schedule yet because I feed her when she's hungry and not every certain number of hours - she naps (kinda) when she's tired - her bath days are every other day - and she goes to sleep at night when she's ready.

Trying not to freak out

I've decided to go back to work a week earlier than I had planned. It's inevitable so why put it off, right? I know what week I'm going back but have yet to decide on the exact date. I chose the week that my mom is going on vacation with nothing to do so that it will be an easier transition for me. I still have to get in touch with my boss and HR director to see if there's any way that I can work a modified schedule instead of being there all day.

It's very hard just thinking about it and I can only imagine what will happen when I'm actually there. I have about 3 more weeks and I hope these are the slowest weeks of my life. I want to spend as much time with Kayla as much as possible. I know that once I'm back at work I will hardly spend any waking moment with her aside from the weekends. This makes me very sad. I'm afraid that I'll miss out on her developmental milestones and that she'll forget I'm her mommy. I probably sound a bit crazy and I'm sure I'm not the first one to think these thoughts but I've been so attached to this child for the past 6.5 weeks and it's a bit hard not to.

Despite the lack of sleep and attending to her every need almost 24/7, I wouldn't trade being a mom for anything. I wish I can get paid staying home and trying to be the best mother to Kayla but I guess there's no such thing. I should really convince J to take on another full time job so I can stay home. Ha!

Kayla's 1 Month Update

Kayla is getting big! I can't believe that she'll be a month old tomorrow. We had her check-up today and everything was great. She is already 9 lbs 15 oz (she was 7 lbs 12.5 oz on 7/15) and 20.625 which translates to 75th percentile for weight and 10th percentile for height. J likes to round up so we're going with 10 lbs and 21 in. It looks like we have a petite chunk-a-lunk baby.

We go back on Thursday for a follow-up on breast feeding. She was never able to latch at the hospital so I've been pumping all this time. She's been able to breast feed since Friday but I'm still using a shield which I'd rather not. Our pediatrician is going to help us out during the appointment so I can potentially get rid of the shield and pump less and breast feed more.

What else has my baby been up to?

• she's going to start wearing size 1 diapers as soon as our newborn ones are gone (we've had blowouts recently and it has gone all the way up her back)
• feeding 4 oz (still no formula)
• she's up a lot during the day now and eats every 2 to 3 hours and every 4 hours - sometimes longer at night (finally! and we love it)
• wearing 3 month sized clothing

Show us Your Life: Wedding Party and Flowers

Our wedding was very small and was planned in about 4 months. We had been engaged for almost a year and couldn't really decide what we wanted to do as far as the wedding. We didn't want anything big and we thought about going away with just our immediate family and really close friends. That somehow changed and we decided to invite less than 60 people to a very intimate (and very last minute) wedding.

I love the internet. I'm in front of a computer all day long at work so I did everything on the 'net. My crazy self tried to do a lot of DIY 'cause I was so inspired by Weddingbee and all sorts of blogs that I found after J and I got engaged. I thought about doing our own flowers but thank goodness I didn't! I originally found the florist online and I was originally going to buy just the flowers and have my mom and myself arrange them. Since we didn't have a wedding party, we didn't need much but the florist gave me an awesome deal that I couldn't refuse.

I wanted nothing but white/ivory and green for the flower arrangements. My only specific request is to have hydrangeas. I just loved them so much! Everything else I left up to the florist. I sent her some pictures of what I liked and that was it. She did an amazing job on my bouquet and all the arrangements. I had a bouquet of roses and freesias, the two corsages were freesia and hydrangea, J's dad and grandpa had a single rose for their boutonniere, and J had a freesia for his. She came to the farm and arranged all our ceremony flowers of hydrangeas and roses on planters that I provided which we also used for centerpieces at the reception.

[ Photo credit: Jason Keefer Photography ]

I don't like and can't do pain

Aside from the last few weeks, I had a very easy time being pregnant. Labor and delivery was the exact same way --- it was very easy in the beginning and quite painful in the end. Active labor, when I was actually pushing, was only an hour and twenty minutes (yes, I timed it) and I was probably in pain for only twenty minutes. The pain during those twenty minutes was very very painful.

My doctor scheduled to induce me on my due date. She didn't like how my pressure was towards the end and didn't want to wait it out. I was relieved to have an induction date set since the waiting game was getting old. J and I drove each other crazy towards the last couple of weeks. We talked about going into labor everyday! We made bets on when we thought it was going to happen and where.

I didn't expect to deliver Kayla earlier than my due date. I never really experienced braxton hicks and I had only dilated between 1 and 2 cm for three weeks. It was quite a surprise that I went into labor on July 3rd. What's even more unexpected is that she's a 4th of July baby!
The day before Kayla's birth and her birthday were quite a blur. I distinctly remember some parts of it but I don't remember everything about it. I'm almost over the pain. Sure, I still remember that labor was a very painful ordeal but I'm just glad that I didn't get a c-section. I'm sure that would have been hell.

Show us Your Life: Wedding Dress

I know - weird, right? I'm joining in on the fun over at Kelly's Korner. Every Friday Kelly hosts a Show Us Your Life post and this week is dedicated to your wedding dress. I happen to be in love with mine so I thought why not show it? You know how they say that when you know it's the one, you just know? Well, I did! I fell in love with the dress soo much! It reminded me of this Monique Lhuillier dress that I drooled over for so long that I knew from the get-go I will never be able to afford.

My dress is not really a bridal dress. It was meant to be a bridesmaid's dress but I liked it so much and has been dreaming of this exact same style only it was longer...just like what Kelly posted on her blog. There were so minor changes that were done to the dress before it came to be what it was on our wedding day.

I found an awesome lady to do my alterations and I paid more for alterations than what I paid for purchasing the dress. I tried the dress on at local boutique but purchased it online from Victoria's Bridal Couture.

Getting real close but not close enough

I am officially on maternity leave. My doctor pulled me out of work today due to my blood pressure. She's got me doing a 24-hour urine sampling that I have to bring in to the clinic tomorrow and she also ordered some blood work when I came in to see her today. She thinks that I have preeclampsia. If my blood work and urine tests come back positive she wants to induce me this weekend but if not I've got one scheduled for my due date (7/8/9) at 7am. If I don't go into labor before Monday I go back in then and I get an ultrasound that I'm excited about! I haven't had one since we found out the sex of the baby.

Here's the brightest orange container that I was given today to collect my samples in. Must it be this bright? The color reminds of the traffic cones you see when there's construction!

It was wonderful going back into work after my appointment this morning to let them know that I had to leave again and this time I won't be coming back for a while. I'm kinda hoping that she makes her appearance before my due date. I don't think I can handle being home by myself with nothing to do for a whole week. It's not like I can go out and do stuff. My doctor told me to just lounge around and to not do anything. Good thing is I have to go out tomorrow to drop off the big jug of urine (gross) and my mom is off so she's coming over to bring us home cooked meals.

I can't believe that it's finally here. J and I have been impatiently waiting to meet her and the longest we have to wait is about a week. I know our lives are going to change and I can't wait!

(Im)Patiently Waiting

I didn't think these last couple of weeks would be the longest part of the pregnancy. J asks me everyday if I'm having contractions and if I need to go to the doctor/hospital. He is so anxious for our baby's arrival. I know that he will be a wonderful father to our little girl. He tells me often that he'll probably cry like a baby when the baby comes out. I really can't wait 'til we can both meet her!

We are more than ready at this point! We had the car cleaned and the car seat installed on Monday. The hospital bag is completely packed and ready to go. He literally vacuums on a daily basis. He said that he wants it clean around here just in case I go into labor we can come home to a clean house with the baby.

I seriously have a wonderful husband! He's done so much for me since I got pregnant and since we moved. I can't wait to see him interact with our little girl. It brings a smile to my face when I think about it.

Busy Weekend and Busy Week

We did some damage at BRU yesterday. I thought J was only kidding when he said let's go buy some baby stuff. We walked out of there with a huge shopping bag of the most random things that we need but somehow had put off 'til now. We got bottles, pacis, breastfeeding necessities, and more onesies. It was fun until we got to the register. We did get a good deal on the bottles that we picked that will hopefully work for the baby. The entire MilkBank product line is 40% off. We got a single bottle to try out and decided to get a couple of 3-packs of bottles and extra nipples just in case the baby likes this brand. We figured that if the baby doesn't like this one we can always return/exchange later on. We also got one Playtex nurser to try out.


Clearly, the BRU shopping wasn't enough so I went to Target this morning and got a Boppy pillow. It was on sale and I had a gift card so I figured might as well.


We're just now getting home from the Broad Appetit food festival. They had a lot of vendors and the food was good and cheap. It was a lot of walking since we parked so far from where the festival was. It was good exercise though and it wasn't too hot.

This weekend went by so quickly and my work week is going to be long. I have my last huge convention for the summer before the baby comes and I can't wait 'til it's over. I knew going into it that after this last event that I don't have much time left 'til the baby comes. J's aunt is also coming into town from California and we're going out to dinner with her when she gets into town on Tuesday. Wednesday is our meeting with the pediatrician and Thursday is the labor and delivery tour at the hospital where I'm delivering. Needless to say, I can't wait for the upcoming weekend to be over. I just have to get through this week and it should slow down from there.

Sucky eating habits

My doctor would not be very happy if she finds out what I've been eating all week long. The only decent meal I had all week (so far) is the grilled chicken salad I had when a client came in for lunch. My breakfast is usually either a bagel or toast and either orange or apple juice. For some reason it goes down the drain after that. Let me give you a rundown here of my lunch and dinner escapades:

• Monday - grilled chicken salad for lunch and Mexican take-out for dinner
• Tuesday - pad Thai for lunch and pizza for dinner
• Wednesday - burrito from Chipotle for lunch and half a slice of pizza and an Oreo Blizzard from Dairy Queen
• Thursday - burrito from Chipotle (again!) and a bacon cheeseburger and yummy fries from Five Guys followed by a Dilly bar from Dairy Queen
• Friday - fried chicken, mac&cheese, and rice for lunch and hopefully a healthy dinner with no Dairy Queen this time

I'm almost 36 weeks and this is seriously the first time that I've indulged in food not unless you count my one week stint of eating a cookie after dinner. I need to be better. The last thing I need is for my doctor to tell me next Friday that I've gained 5 pounds in two weeks! That would really suck and she'll probably put me on a diet.

Where did the time go???

I remember thinking to myself back in November that this was going to be the longest and slowest 9 months of my life. Turns out that I'm wrong. It seriously feels like time is on fast forward. Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to meet our little one but it just makes me very nervous when I think about labor pains. I know that the drugs will make the pain go away but then again I'm not really sure what will happen once I'm in labor and I'm contracting. I guess I won't really know 'til I'm there.

J started coming with me again to my appointments. He likes to ask my doctor questions. He was very involved in the beginning until there were no more ultrasounds. He started coming again recently since we're on the home stretch and my doctor said something about my not normal for me blood pressure. We go back every week starting next Friday and she mentioned that this is when starts checking if I'm dilating or not. I'm definitely not looking forward to it.

I started packing the hospital bag and washing the baby's clothes. I also started looking at birth announcements from Etsy and my head is starting to spin. There are sooo many to choose from! I have to sit down with J so we can narrow it down or choose one before the baby gets here.

I mean how adorable is this? You can't go wrong with anything monogrammed!

[ Source: lukecommasara ]

The color combination on this is just so adorable!

[ Source: KMThomasDesigns ]

My To-Do List!

It's easier for me to remember what I need to do/buy when I have a list to look at. I have approximately 44 days to check everything off which is not even that much!

• buy car seat, breast pump, nursing bras
• get car seat installed at the local fire department
• have HR change my address and my wrong middle initial
• buy drapes for baby's room
• complete the baby registry
• tour labor and delivery
• get J's car deep cleaned
• pack hospital bag
• read "Happiest Baby on the Block"
• buy baby book
• start looking into birth announcements
• find a photographer to do infant photos of baby girl

We've Moved and Baby's Room is Semi-Done!

We're almost done with the move. We just have to go back to the old place later on today to grab little things here and there that we neglected to take with us on Friday. It really wasn't too bad but it felt like my arms and legs were going to fall off by the end of the night. I guess being 30-something weeks pregnant didn't really help.

Despite being so tired from the move on Friday we still managed to get up to the outlets on Saturday. We got the baby's bathroom stuff and some other odds and ends for the townhouse. There are still little things that we want to get for both the baby's room and the house but we want to wait a bit since we are pretty much done spending money.

The highlight of the weekend aside from the move is being able to start getting the baby's room ready. Jordan and Amy came over yesterday so he can help J with the crib and the glider. I love her room so much! I'm still on the lookout for the Sadie drapes from PBK but it's pretty much sold out and ebay is probably the only place I can get them from. If that doesn't work I always have my mom who can make it for me. I also want to get a small round black table that I can put beside the glider.

I still have a long list of things to do before she gets here but at least her room is more than half-way done!

Appointment Update and Hell-ish Weekend to Come!

So my appointment went well for the most part. I've gained two more freaking pounds! My doctor said it's great so I'm not going to stress about it. My pressure is up a little than my normal but it's not really high. I guess it's high for me. She said that she'll check it again the next time I come back and I'm hoping that it's back to normal then. I'm not really sure why my pressure was high-ish though. I don't think I'm stressing about anything. I wonder if lack of sleep is affecting it. I'm not getting much sleep these days. I'm awake for an hour or two every night and it's really making my days at work quite difficult. I'm dragging by 3pm and I don't get out 'til 5.

I've had to baby shower's (ish) this past week. I had a not-so baby shower at work on Monday and the baby got some awesome presents. There was another one this past Saturday but due to poor planning there weren't that many people there. I still had fun though. It's nice to know that people do care and are excited for our baby. We already have all the big stuff but I'm sure that we have to make a BRU run before my due date to make sure we've got everything we could possibly need.

We're also making another outlet trip this weekend since daddy-to-be wants to go to the PBK outlet. I was very surprised when he mentioned this to me last night. I thought he just wanted to go to Ikea but I'm not complaining...I love PBK! I hope they have good deals on things we need for her. We still need to buy her hamper, bathroom stuff, and some organizational stuff.

It's going to be one hell-ish weekend of a move. I know J doesn't want me to do anything so he's recruited his little cousin to come over on Friday. We are going up to Northern Virginia the next day to do some shopping. We don't go back to work 'til Wednesday and I hope that we're fully settled by then.

55 More Days to Go

I have less than 8 weeks to go! I see my doctor again tomorrow for my bi-weekly appointment. Hopefully I didn't gain another two pounds.

My to-do and to-buy list is growing. I keep on finding other stuff that we need for baby girl and I keep on coming up with things to do before she gets here. We move next Friday and that weekend will be spent unpacking, getting settled, and preparing the baby's room. I've been waiting for months to finally get her crib together! I'll post pictures of her room progress once we get started.

My Late 30th Week Update

I've gained a total of 23 pounds and it's apparently good according to my doctor. She got a bit confused when I came in on Friday. She had no clue who I was before walking in the room since I changed my name to my married last name. Haha! She did tell me that my belly is measuring right on target and the baby is head first but she doesn't really keep track 'til the 37th week or so.

Labor Basic Class

So J and I had the Labor Basic Class this past Saturday. I wanted to throw something at this chick who thought she was at a Pregnancy 101 class instead. It was really annoying. And don't get me started on this couple who had a translator with them who was translating while the class instructor was speaking too! Did I mention that they were right in front of us?? I just don't understand why they couldn't have taken the Spanish version of the class that was being offered. I thought it was rude!

Anyways, the class was okay. They really need to change the videos they were using. They were seriously from the 80's! Some parts grossed me out and some parts freaked me out. I can't decided which bothers me less - vaginal birth or c-section.

I have no tolerance for any kind of pain whatsoever. I've never been admitted to the hospital and I know labor is going to freak me out the closer I get to my due date. The only thing that's keeping me quite calm is knowing that I get to meet and see this little one that's been kicking me for months now. I hope that I get to be one of the lucky ones also when it comes to labor. This pregnancy has been so easy and wonderful that there's really nothing else that I can ask for except for a healthy baby and an easy labor.

77 days to go!

Today is officially my 29th week. Yikes. 11 more to go. This also means that starting next week, I get to see my doctor every 2 weeks instead of the usual 4 week interval. I know that it will go down to weekly visits but I'm not quite sure when that happens.

My appointment last Friday was pretty quick aside from the 1 hour wait to get my blood drawn. I gained 21 pounds at that point which seems a lot but I guess not since my doctor didn't say anything about it. It's been a pain everytime I have to get blood work done. My veins are apparently too deep so the lab techs are always having issues. Needles freak me out as it is so getting poked twice in one day since the other arm wasn't that great was seriously terrifying for me. I'm also sporting a 5-day old bruise due to this. Luckily, that is it for blood work unless something comes up.

I already found out the results of my glucola test this past Monday and I passed! That syrup was so gross. It's comparable to extra sweet super flat orange soda. Yuck! The nurse that called me also mentioned that I'm anemic so I'm now on iron supplements.

We spent the weekend buying baby things here and there. We have settled on a car seat and also a stroller. Chicco was my first choice before looking at the Easy Walker stroller (that we're going to wait on buying until the baby outgrows her infant car seat). We're going to settle for a Snap 'n Go for now.

I hope that the next 77 days go really smooth and very quick but slow enough to where I'm able to accomplish everything that I'm supposed to do.

28th Week Update

I'm 28 weeks today and I can't quite figure out how I got here so quickly. I can't even describe how excited I am that I only have 12 weeks to go 'til J and I get to meet our little angel. I get anxiety attacks here and there when I realize how quickly time is flying and how unprepared we are.

We are slowly getting everything together though. I bought her dresser yesterday on a random trip to Babies "R" Us during my lunch break. It was on clearance since it's being discontinued and I got an extra discount since it's the floor model. I think J and his dad are picking it up either this weekend or next weekend. We are going shopping for more baby stuff on Saturday and we're also going to find a new couch and a dining set.

Friday is my 28-week appointment. I really hope that I pass that stupid diabetes screening! My doctor told me to bring a book or magazine since I have to wait an hour after I take the syrup to get my blood drawn. Thank goodness for Borders coupons I'm going to pick up The Happiest Baby on the Block tomorrow. I've read great reviews about this book and how it was so helpful with newborns that I've been wanting to read it.

27 Weeks Down - 13 To Go

I'm officially in the last trimester of my pregnancy! It was 27 weeks yesterday and according to Alpha Mom's website - - - my baby is now the size of a 15 inch teddy bear weighing about 2 pounds.

This has to be the fastest going pregnancy on record not unless this last trimester goes very slow. It's going to be very busy for us from here on out...
- third tri screening next week
- we move Memorial weekend
- take Labor Class at the hospital
- my bff's wedding is in June
- tour labor and delivery facility at the hospital
- shop for the baby

I'm really looking forward to our move and taking off for 11 weeks once the baby is here. It's going to be a fun and exciting summer for me and J.

Crib Bedding - Done!

Almost. I want to buy a couple more sheets but I have the major stuff. I want to get a white changing pad cover and sheet with black polka dots to coordinate with what I have so far.

J and I went to the PB outlet last week in hopes of finding a great deal on a crib set. We came home with 2 super-soft pink sheets and that was it. I figured I'd go the ebay route but couldn't really find anything.

We narrowed it down to Kayla and Katie. Both are pink and very cute until I went to Short Pump yesterday. They had the Sadie skirt in pink marked down from $59 to $19! I had to buy it. The sales lady also helped me locate the bumper that was originally $99 marked down to $29. What a freaking steal! The bumper is coming from a store in MD and it should be here later on this week. I have been stalking the Sadie set online since they've been on sale for a while but the prices are bit higher on the website that the store. I'm all about buying nice things but I refuse to pay retail for anything!

[ Kayla ]

[ Katie ]

[ Sadie ]

I'm so excited to get her crib assembled and put her bedding together. Gotta wait 'til May 22 though 'cause we're moving. Now I just need to find a dresser that we can use as a changing table and as storage for all her cute clothes that we've been buying.

24 Weeks Today

This pregnancy is seriously flying by! I can't believe that I'm 6 months today. We have been doing a lot of research lately on what we need/want to purchase for the baby. Next up is the stroller, car seat, and dresser. Everything else should be easy like the bedding and cute clothes. We have registered for most of our necessities so we're going to wait 'til after the shower to see what we don't get.

We have finally agreed on a name! This is a huge milestone since I changed my mind a lot with the different names that J and I came up with. Her initials will be KMH. We're not telling everyone as of yet what her name will be although a couple of people already know.

She has been moving around like crazy lately. This has been the best part of the pregnancy so far but I've been waking up around 3am for an hour and a half or so this past week while she kicks and dances in there. I thought the trick was if I was laying on my side she wouldn't be able to kick as much but apparently not. I think she's getting bigger and stronger so she's able to kick whenever she feels like regardless of my position.

My Baby Needs This!

[Bumbleride Flyer]

Ok, maybe not need. But I want it! I would go for a brighter color but I think that would be a little much for J when he's with her by himself. We've played with this stroller at Rattle & Roll and J really liked the red color but we'll see. We're not really sold on the price right now. We were/are thinking about getting a travel system and the price is the same. We would probably have to spend an extra $150-$200 depending on which car seat we get if we go with this stroller. We'll see...I'm pretty good at not paying retail price so this might actually work.

We wanted to go to check-out Weebsworld yesterday where they have tons of strollers but they're not open on Sundays. There was another baby store we wanted to go to as also but of course they were closed as well!

It's a GIRL!

We had our big appointment this past Tuesday and found out that we are having a girl! We are officially calling the baby a she. I have gained 7 pounds so far which is apparently really good. I always get very nervous that the nurse will tell me that I've gained too much followed by my OB's lecture to watch what I'm eating.

Finding out the sex of the baby has definitely made this pregnancy even more real now. I started feeling her move with tiny flutters about a week or two ago but she definitely made her presence known the night before our appointment. Jay finally got to feel her kick the afternoon of the appointment as well. It's still a little weird when she kicks but I'm loving it! She's very active in the early afternoon time specially after I've had lunch.

We already purchased her crib. We bought it the same day we found out we are having a girl. J and I had lunch and stopped by Short Pump to see what Pottery Barn Kids had. They were having this huge sale on their furniture and we scored a Thomas Crib in Sun Valley Black for nearly 60% off retail! We have the crib and the conversion kit as well. J and his dad are picking up the crib today. I'm really hoping that they discount the dresser as much as they did the crib. If not, I already have my eye on an Ikea dresser that will work.

I'm still debating if I like the bedding pictured with the crib. It's on clearance right now on the website and it also comes in pink! I want to have a little bit of black on the bedding since the crib is black and J loves everything pink right now for our little girl.

17 Weeks and 2 Pounds Later

I am starting show and this is what I look like nowadays. I'm still not in maternity clothes since I can get by with longer shirts and my pre-pregnancy jeans with a Bella Band. It's a whole 'nother story with work clothes so I caved and bought some maternity pants from Gap Maternity.

Almost 17 Weeks and Counting

It has been a very uneventful pregnancy so far. No morning sickness and no crazy cravings. I had my 16 week check-up on Friday and I've only gained 2 pounds! JUST 2 pounds!!! I'm really ecstatic about that. My doctor wasn't concerned on my lack of weight gain so I'm not going to sweat it.

We are scheduled to go back on February 24 for our big ultrasound :) J is still in denial that he wants a girl and I don't really mind either way as long as the baby is healthy. I can't believe that I'm this far along. It seems just like yesterday when I peed on that pregnancy test. We are both very excited and can hardly wait for the baby to come.

This is going to be an awesome year! The baby will be around by the time we celebrate our first wedding anniversary and the holidays will be even better.

Let the countdown begin!

At this point most of our family and close friends already know the news that J and I are expecting our first baby this coming summer! The last 6 months of 2008 was very busy and hectic. We started planning our wedding in the summer of 2008 and got married this past October. Three weeks after the wedding, we found out that we are pregnant!

We are very quick to say the least.

Hopefully, this blog will keep our family and friends updated with what's going on in our lives while we prepare for the birth of our baby.