Pictures from California

Crib Time

Guess what? I've figured out Isabella's schedule enough that I can put her down in the crib and have some time to myself! Well, at least in the evenings. She crashes between 7:30 and 8:30 AND after a brief feeding at 9 she sleeps 4 to 5 hours straight! Of course this means I still don't get to sleep for 5 hours in a row but it's a start.
She also has begun reaching for things (her Whoozit mainly but also faces sometimes) and she can lift her head while on her belly. Next step - crawling. Well, maybe rolling over first.

Birthdays

Well, I am 27 now and Isabella is 2 months. We had a lovely birthday on the coast with John's family. Here are some pics of the baby.I love it when she sleeps like this.She reacts to her surroundings now. This is the attack of the kissy pig/frog.
Can you see her smiling? See her dimples!?

Do I have pictures of anything besides Isabella? No. My life is completely absorbed into her. I'm at the beach. It's beautiful. My first reaction is, "I wonder if Isabella can see that." Go figure. I'm hoping Michele posts some family pictures on her blog to make up for my negligence.

Final Days Dammit

Yes, I'm still pregnant. I don't really have a good excuse for not updating this blog, except that there hasn't been anything to say. I'm still mobile and walk as much as possible, though I'm getting slow with the waddle. My right leg sometimes hurts after sitting for any length of time and then trying to walk, like she's settled on a nerve or something. My back hasn't hurt hardly at all which I attribute entirely to walking regularly.
So, if I'm so boring, why am I bothering to write?

1 - I have pictures. Last weekend John and I actually bought furniture (well, a chair). It's a recliner/rocking chair. Thanks Mom!
And Holie left yesterday for NYC. To live! Without me! So John took a picture of us. I look horrible (I think I even have a double chin) but at least it's a picture of me not long before I pop.

2 - I'm due next week and so maybe people are wondering what's up. I mean, the first question out of everyone's mouth is "have you given birth yet?" Repeating myself can get kind of old. No offense.

3 - Starting Monday-ish I really began to feel my Braxton Hicks contractions. I thought they were sly little buggers and I'd go through the whole pregnancy not knowing what people were talking about. I never even knew I was having them unless I happened to touch my belly (or John did). Until now. Now it feels like my insides want to compress into a tiny point. It's a rather sickening feeling - something between a menstral cramp and a stomach ache. Lovely. So lovely, in fact, I was nearly convinced Tuesday morning (4am) that I was in labor. But the damn things are not regular, just frequent. Well, frequent sometimes. Tuesday was hellish. Having had no sleep, I had contractions all day on and off at work. But that night I slept fine (6 whole hours and I only had to get up to pee twice!) and the "fake" contractions have diminished (number not discomfort). And don't you worry now that the baby is suffering (all you bleeding hearts). She's all sorts of active right before and after the contraction. In fact, I was reading online that baby movement can cause the damn things. So it's her own fault.

So I feel, given this recent history, that I should go into labor soon. Really it would only be fair. It's one thing to live through a day or two of contractions. It's another thing entirely to have to live with it for weeks (even if they are less intense).
I go to the doctor tomorrow. She better say I'm due any day now or this blog will soon fill with angry, not-appropriate-for-children, words.

Body Malfunctioning

Being pregnant has interesting side “benefits” like nearly passing out. And before you panic (mom), I was in the safest possible place - the doctor’s office. I got my little examination and sat up to get ready to go and the blood just drained away. My lovely doctor Helen just laid me back down and rolled me onto my side, very calm and comforting, and continued to talk about… something. I was still trying so hard not to pass out (and make that buzzing sound in my head go away) that I missed most of her conversation. It must have showed on my face because she said something about me looking a little pale and told me to roll to the other side. Ahhh, there’s the blood. Lovely stuff. Silly baby cutting off my circulation.
Ooooh and now my feet are all swollen too! They look like deformed vegetables! I can't stop giggling. I wish I had my camera.

Belly Time

For those of you desparate to see my bulge/buddha/cage-of-the-tummy-rumbler:
You'll have to tilt your head. I'm too lazy to do this properly (and food is waiting!).
Not the most flattering pictures but, as you can see, I'm well and very much into comfort clothes. Get ready now! 6 more weeks!

Aye Matey! That thar's a baby shower! Rrr!

I should start off by saying that I've never been to a baby shower. Never-the-less I was really hesitant to go to one, particularly one in my honor because, you know, everyone stares at you and stuff. Besides, I think I've seen some on TV and they didn't look pleasant. There was a lot of pastel.
But I've got great friends. Friends like Holie, who hates girlie girls and pastel. And friends like Kristen, who is super creative. And, of course, I've got a husband who, when surrounded by his friends since middle school, becomes 12 and entertains us all.
My mom took most of these pictures. Holie and Kristen were amazing and pulled this together last minute so she could be there. It was a good, exhausting day.
The guys got into the spirit pretty quick:Baby pirate flag cake!Kristen made a pirate pinata! She took a quite a beating before giving up her treasures (notice the transition from small baton to bat?). I also have a great video but, sadly, I do not know how to upload videos on this blog. If you want to see John decapitate the boat, email me!Dan, Mike, Sabre, and Steve looking thrilled as I open gifts. Now, don't you wish you were there to see the house with most of the walls ripped out and exposed wires and caution tape?The Ben collective discussing something very piratey I'm sure.Um, a gay pirate?

#2

Common question: What's it feel like when the baby kicks?
Doesn't get any tougher than this one really. How to describe something when there's no equivalent? It's kind of like an upset stomach (you know, gassy) but more centralized and more persistant and more like someone is touching your organs from the inside. Clarifies things a bit, eh?

For those looking for a little more excitement in this blog, next time I'll talk about one of the following: work not paying me for overtime, recipes for a healthy pregnancy, or (if you're really lucky) the lovely smells the cats create in the bathroom. Oh yeah baby! Post your votes here!