Matt and I had such a fun night last Saturday - we went with some friends to see "The Legwarmers" in concert down in Baltimore. The Legwarmers are an 80's tribute band, and for all of you who know me, I'm a HUGE fan of 80's music, and am secretly waiting for the day when rolled up/pegged pants and penny loafers come back in style :) Everyone who goes to these concerts is decked out in full 80's attire - jean skirts, leggings, off the shoulder tops, blue eye shadow, high hair, teased bangs, fingerless lace gloves. Just imagine any Madonna video and you've got the picture. Even the guys are wearing their heavy metal t-shirts, 'Members Only' jackets, or pencil-thin white ties (think Miami Vice). Even the band is decked out! Well, I found out at the last minute that I would be able to go (I was literally in the car driving Matt to meet our friends since he was going, when I got a call that my original plans were cancelled). So, a quick phone call later, a last minute online ticket, and BAM - I'm going to the concert! I was just sad that I didn't have the chance to deck myself out in 80's attire :( I guess there's always next time. And believe me, I would have been rockin' the high hair and bangs!
So, we met our friends, went to dinner at the Babalu Grill in downtown B'more, then off to the concert at Rams Head Live. It was AWESOME!! The set list was great, and we were all screaming, dancing and singing along like we were in high school again. Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, the Go-Go's, Huey Lewis, Bryan Adams, AC/DC, Poison, Journey, Madonna - all the good ones. And they played for 2 1/2 hrs! It was so much fun! I can't wait until we can go again :)
I guess this would qualify too as the tadpole's first concert - at least the first one that she could likely hear :) She was just a kidney bean when I went to see New Kids on the Block in March. Don't make fun - it was actually a good concert! Anyway, the baby's ears are fully developed, and she can hear noises outside my belly now, so she also rocked out to the Legwarmers on Saturday. I could even feel her moving around too - I guess it was a mini dance party in there :) But I can definitely say that since none of her movements were on the beat, she is definitely a 'white girl', cuz everyone knows that white girls can't dance. Her mommy is living proof of that!
Now the running joke with Matt and I is that after the fun of her first 80's concert, the tadpole will not be a baby that is soothed by calm lullabies as she's going to sleep at night. She'll be better at falling asleep to Def Leppard's "Pour Some Sugar on Me", Bon Jovi's "Livin on a Prayer" or Madonna's "Material Girl". Ahhh.... that's my girl :)
Monday, August 31, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
A wonderful shower!
THANK YOU to my mom and my sister for throwing me a wonderful baby shower last Saturday afternoon! I had a great time, and I really felt so special to have so many ladies, both friends and family, there to help welcome our tadpole with gifts and good wishes. It makes me so happy when there are so many people just as excited as we are for our little girl to arrive!
1. All the ladies at the shower
2. A sampling of our tadpole's gifts! 
3. The yummy cake!
4. My cousin Laura and her new baby Emma, me, my sister Kristin and my niece Kaelyn. (why didn't someone tell me that this was the least attractive position for me to sit in!) 
5. My niece Kaelyn and her daddy
My sister Kristin, brother-in-law Eric and niece Kaelyn were able to drive up from Georgia to be here, and it was so good to see them. It's tough that they live so far away - I really wish that we could see them more. On Saturday morning, I drove up early to spend some time with my mom, Kristin and Kaelyn (my dad, Eric, Matt and Matt's dad spent a guys-day-out together playing golf and hanging out with each other, minus the girls). Kaelyn is growing up so fast (she's almost 8 months old now!), and she was very excited to see her Aunt Kim! I think it was more that I was a new face that she could show off in front of, than her really recognizing me, but I'll take whatever I can get :) I was hoping to be able to take her for a walk, but nap time was a definite priority! We did manage to play and have fun though. My shower was in the afternoon, and there were likely 15-20 people who came to celebrate with us! It was wonderful! And the tadpole received some wonderful gifts - lots of cute new clothes, a swing, a pack and play, toys, play things. She's a lucky kid! Everyone was so very generous - thank you to you all! Matt and I really appreciate it!
I have to say though, that I played the most interesting shower game to date on Saturday. We played 'guess the baby food flavor'. Oh my goodness, was it a riot! It was the first time many of us had ever tasted baby food - and now we all understand why babies spit up baby food instead of eating it. A couple of the flavors were quite nasty, and completely undescribable. I think we collectively agreed that the 'chicken noodle' and the 'vegetable stew' were the most horrendous. But it certainly got alot of laughs! I just enjoyed looking around at all of the taste-testers, and seeing everyone's face when they tried each flavor :) We really needed video for that!
So, thank you to all of you who joined us on Saturday, and for braving the crazy weather! And to those who couldn't make it - we missed you!
1. All the ladies at the shower 2. A sampling of our tadpole's gifts!
3. The yummy cake!
4. My cousin Laura and her new baby Emma, me, my sister Kristin and my niece Kaelyn. (why didn't someone tell me that this was the least attractive position for me to sit in!)
5. My niece Kaelyn and her daddySunday, August 23, 2009
Bring on the Tastykakes!
Great news on Friday - I found out that I do not have gestational diabetes! Phew! So very happy - I was really worried about how I would handle things if I did. I know pregnant moms go through it all the time, but I'm just relieved that it's one less thing for me to worry about. The nurse said that my glucose test levels were low, and that there was no need for further testing. So I celebrated when I got home by eating two chocolate Tastykake cupcakes :)
Friday was also my Rhogam shot (since my blood type is A-), hence my trip to the doctor's office. I totally didn't know what to expect. So there I am, sitting in a chair in the nurses area, watching her prepare the shot, and expecting a shot in my upper arm or something. So the nurse looks at me strangely, and I look back like 'okay, I'm ready'. And then she realizes I have no idea. She calmly says, "Oh, honey - this shot is going to be in the butt. You'll have to stand up." What an idiot I am - but how would I have known!?!? I think that's the first time I've ever had a butt shot - and thankfully it wasn't bad at all.
So I was able to pop in to the doctor's office quickly on Friday morning since I was only seeing the nurse. My doctor's practice only schedules Friday morning appointments, and this is the day of the week typically reserved for appointments for newly pregnant couples. I got all excited and a little nostalgic when I walked into the waiting room and saw a couple there waiting for their appointment. They were so cute, and I remember when Matt and I were sitting in the same spot about 20 weeks ago - so nervous, and not knowing what to expect. It seems forever and a day ago. I so wanted to talk to them, and wish them luck, but I chickened out. What if they were there for another reason? Then I would have left the office with a shot in my butt, and a foot in my mouth. Oh well, I guess it wouldn't have been the first time...
Friday was also my Rhogam shot (since my blood type is A-), hence my trip to the doctor's office. I totally didn't know what to expect. So there I am, sitting in a chair in the nurses area, watching her prepare the shot, and expecting a shot in my upper arm or something. So the nurse looks at me strangely, and I look back like 'okay, I'm ready'. And then she realizes I have no idea. She calmly says, "Oh, honey - this shot is going to be in the butt. You'll have to stand up." What an idiot I am - but how would I have known!?!? I think that's the first time I've ever had a butt shot - and thankfully it wasn't bad at all.
So I was able to pop in to the doctor's office quickly on Friday morning since I was only seeing the nurse. My doctor's practice only schedules Friday morning appointments, and this is the day of the week typically reserved for appointments for newly pregnant couples. I got all excited and a little nostalgic when I walked into the waiting room and saw a couple there waiting for their appointment. They were so cute, and I remember when Matt and I were sitting in the same spot about 20 weeks ago - so nervous, and not knowing what to expect. It seems forever and a day ago. I so wanted to talk to them, and wish them luck, but I chickened out. What if they were there for another reason? Then I would have left the office with a shot in my butt, and a foot in my mouth. Oh well, I guess it wouldn't have been the first time...
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Third trimester!!!
WOW! This weekend we began the 3rd trimester!!
On Saturday, I was officially 28 weeks (7 months) pregnant. We're coming down the home stretch, with 12 weeks left to go :) I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. It kind of makes me anxious knowing that there are still a million things to do to get ready for her to arrive. Where has the time gone?? And even though we're excited for our tadpole to arrive, I know that I'm still at the point of "let's keep her in there as long as possible" - both for her sake and mine. But the good thing is that, after 28 weeks, if she did decide to make her debut sooner than later, she's pretty well developed and ready to survive on her own (with a little assistance from the hospital). So, that makes me breathe a little easier. She still has a good bit of growing to do, so we'll just let her hang out in there as long as she wants :)
It seems as if this year is a baby boom for alot of my friends. Between March and December, 10 friends/coworkers of mine have been due/will be due with new babies! All along I've been thinking "We've got time, we're due way after so-and-so is due." But 4 have delivered, one is delivering tomorrow, and then there are 3 more to go before me (2 in Sept, 1 in Oct). At least we will have plenty of playmates for our tadpole!
Overall, it's been a pretty busy weekend for us. We had a wonderful lunch out with friends on Saturday, then took a shopping trip to Golf Galaxy for Matt, and to Babies R Us for me ;) Thankfully, we decided on a crib and dresser set, and will be ordering it this week! Phew - the baby will have a bed! We then spent the evening at home hanging out playing Wii bowling and tennis :) Today we went to church, bought the nursery paint at Lowes (it's Lavish Lavendar - I'm not making that up!) , and I went grocery shopping while Matt watched the NASCAR race. Oh, and we got snowballs too somewhere in the midst of it all :) A lime snowball on a hot day - perfect! And the tadpole agreed :) After dinner tonight, we had thought about doing a bit of priming/painting in the nursery, but I think chilling on the couch and an early bed time sounds like a better option :)
So, I tried playing a fun game with the tadpole this week that completely cracked me up! Mind you - it doesn't take much. Anyway, we played hide-and-seek, which means I was laying in bed and gently poking around my belly trying to feel her. I'm pretty sure I felt her head, and maybe an arm or leg or foot. And it was kind of cool, knowing that I was 'touching' our baby, with only an inch of skin between us. But as I poked (gently, that is), she started moving more, swirled around a bit, gave me some light pokes back here and there - it cracked me up. All of a sudden though I must have pushed her too far and one poke totally put her over the edge - she gave me her hardest kick yet! Okay - I get it - game over. It still cracked me up - she's a fiesty one! But I guess I would have done the same if someone was tormenting me :)
And I have a new picture to post! My belly has definitely grown in the past 5 weeks, though my pop-up timer (a.k.a. my belly button) still hasn't gone off yet :) I have started to notice though in the past week that I don't have a good sense of belly-awareness anymore. Sneaking through tight spots, and reaching across the grocery cart (things that were definitely possible before) are not quite as possible now. At least I haven't started the waddle yet... we'll give that another month or so :)
1. 28 weeks! (btw - thanks Laura (or Mary or Kristin) for the blouse - I love it!)
2. The view from up here - the toes are barely peaking out!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
27 weeks and counting...
Happy 27 weeks to our tadpole!
I got an update from one of my weekly pregnancy emails about how our tadpole is growing right now, so I thought that I'd share with you! Her length is about 14-15 inches from head to toe, and she weighs 2-2.5 pounds. Her eyes are opening and closing, she is turning her head and practicing "looking" movements, and she's able to dream while sleeping. She is very active (no kidding!!!!),her lungs are also almost fully developed, and the convolutions and wrinkles on the surface of her brain are starting to appear. And in terms of food - our tadpole is the size of an eggplant!
I'm always finding this thing called pregnancy a fascinating thing - our baby is growing, and doing it all by itself! All I am is a modified oven for it to bake in! But after reading about what's happening now, what fascinates me most is that our baby is able to dream. What do you suppose she's dreaming about? When I think about my dreams, usually they're about things that are common in my life, or that I've heard about, or experienced. But what has our baby experienced yet? What could she know? Is she having a happy dream about that awesome taste she experienced last week and can't wait for mom to eat it again? Is my voice resonating in her dream as something kind and soothing? Or is she having a nightmare about those crazy stomach noises that are so loud inside? I don't know. But seriously, it's pretty fascinating to wonder what a baby could be dreaming about!
As for other things - Matt has been under the weather with some sort of flu thing for the past 2 days, so I've been steering clear of him lately, which has been tough. On my end, I have a huge deadline at work next week, so science and numbers have been hurting my brain and keeping me very busy at work. But other than that, things are okay. Just busy with normal life things, and also getting ready for baby. Accomplishment of the weekend was that we installed the nursery ceiling fan, and Matt primed half of the walls. We're recruiting anyone who wants the fun job of trimming out the cathedral ceilings :) Okay - don't all volunteer at once :) I hear the faint sound of crickets chirping...
I got an update from one of my weekly pregnancy emails about how our tadpole is growing right now, so I thought that I'd share with you! Her length is about 14-15 inches from head to toe, and she weighs 2-2.5 pounds. Her eyes are opening and closing, she is turning her head and practicing "looking" movements, and she's able to dream while sleeping. She is very active (no kidding!!!!),her lungs are also almost fully developed, and the convolutions and wrinkles on the surface of her brain are starting to appear. And in terms of food - our tadpole is the size of an eggplant!
I'm always finding this thing called pregnancy a fascinating thing - our baby is growing, and doing it all by itself! All I am is a modified oven for it to bake in! But after reading about what's happening now, what fascinates me most is that our baby is able to dream. What do you suppose she's dreaming about? When I think about my dreams, usually they're about things that are common in my life, or that I've heard about, or experienced. But what has our baby experienced yet? What could she know? Is she having a happy dream about that awesome taste she experienced last week and can't wait for mom to eat it again? Is my voice resonating in her dream as something kind and soothing? Or is she having a nightmare about those crazy stomach noises that are so loud inside? I don't know. But seriously, it's pretty fascinating to wonder what a baby could be dreaming about!
As for other things - Matt has been under the weather with some sort of flu thing for the past 2 days, so I've been steering clear of him lately, which has been tough. On my end, I have a huge deadline at work next week, so science and numbers have been hurting my brain and keeping me very busy at work. But other than that, things are okay. Just busy with normal life things, and also getting ready for baby. Accomplishment of the weekend was that we installed the nursery ceiling fan, and Matt primed half of the walls. We're recruiting anyone who wants the fun job of trimming out the cathedral ceilings :) Okay - don't all volunteer at once :) I hear the faint sound of crickets chirping...
Monday, August 3, 2009
Beach belly and more...
Wow - I've been rather delinquent with this blog! Over two weeks, and no post! I really apologize to you all...
Just after my last post, Matt and I headed out for our first trip to the beach this summer. We typically go a couple of weekends in the summer and stay at Matt's parents condo in Ocean City, Md. I was really excited to go, and we left around noon on Friday. Of course the beach did not disappoint! We had beautiful weather, and both Saturday and Sunday, I just sat on the beach in my beach chair, enjoying the day, the relaxation, catching up on my journal, and also perusing a baby name book, and nursery decorating idea book :) This pretty much represents a normal beach day for me - except the reading was a little out of the ordinary (in a good way!), and also the fact that I looked not-my-normal-self in a bathing suit :) Luckily, my belly wasn't so big that my tankini from last year didn't fit, but there were a couple of times where I looked down and hadn't realized that the tank had ridden up and there was my belly saying hi to the world :) What a sight. But I have to admit, even after people-watching and seeing skinny girls and ladies in their bikinis, I was pretty proud to be standing right there along with them down at the water, with my prego belly in my bathing suit :) So all in all, our trip to the beach was fun - and I'm looking forward to going again soon, just not sure when. I love the beach - it really is my favorite place.
Other things... I had my 25 week doc appt last week. All is good - I'm measuring well, my weight is good, and the baby's heartbeat is still a strong 156 bpm. I did get all of my paperwork this time to go to the lab for bloodwork in the next couple of weeks. At week 28, I have to go and have an antibody screen and my glucose test. And then, since I have A- blood type, I'll be getting the first of my two Rhogam shots that week too. Phew - that's a lot of needle sticks for someone who's not fond of needles! Overall though - I'm just praying that my glucose test goes well. I can't even begin to think about how to handle gestational diabetes. I say this as I finish eating a piece of chocolate birthday cake with butter cream frosting :) Need I say more.
And yes - I had a birthday since I last posted :) I turned 35 on the 26th, and can now sadly say that I'm closer to 40 than to 30. Oh my. But I still feel pretty young, and that's what matters, right?
Nursery update - the room is cleared! What was once a guest room is now empty and ready for some much needed TLC. We decided to paint the room a soft lavender color, and we're going to try to do white wainscoating on the bottom half of the wall with a white chair rail. In both mine and Matt's head, the room is beautiful - let's just hope that we can bring the ideas in our head into reality! I can't wait to see how it turns out.
Last weekend, we rewarded our housework efforts with a really nice date night. We went to go see the new Harry Potter movie at the IMAX in White Marsh, and then went to dinner at PF Changs. The movie was awesome! We're huge Harry Potter fans, and it was the best movie so far. But rest assured - even though I pitched the idea to Matt earlier on, we won't be naming our daughter Hermione (one of the main characters - pronounced Her-my-o-nee for those that haven't seen the movies). It's such a cool name though - but really - she'd probably be teased mercilessly for having such dorks for parents. So anyway - movie and then dinner at PF Chang's. If you've never been, you have to go. Great chinese food! And I ate a ton. I don't know what happened, but something clicked in me as of Friday, and I have been really hungry all the time. I worked at home on Friday, and couldn't stop eating. I even snacked on raw carrots - and that is so NOT a normal snack for me! But, yes, I feasted at Chang's but managed to control myself a bit and bring leftovers home. Still, after appetizers, soup, entree and dessert - I felt a little out of control!
Well, it's getting a bit late, and I must be heading off to bed. I don't have any new pictures this time, but I hope to have some next time :) I'll spare you any shots of me in a bathing suit :) But I hope to be a little more prompt in my posting next time - for those of you following this - hold me to it!!
Just after my last post, Matt and I headed out for our first trip to the beach this summer. We typically go a couple of weekends in the summer and stay at Matt's parents condo in Ocean City, Md. I was really excited to go, and we left around noon on Friday. Of course the beach did not disappoint! We had beautiful weather, and both Saturday and Sunday, I just sat on the beach in my beach chair, enjoying the day, the relaxation, catching up on my journal, and also perusing a baby name book, and nursery decorating idea book :) This pretty much represents a normal beach day for me - except the reading was a little out of the ordinary (in a good way!), and also the fact that I looked not-my-normal-self in a bathing suit :) Luckily, my belly wasn't so big that my tankini from last year didn't fit, but there were a couple of times where I looked down and hadn't realized that the tank had ridden up and there was my belly saying hi to the world :) What a sight. But I have to admit, even after people-watching and seeing skinny girls and ladies in their bikinis, I was pretty proud to be standing right there along with them down at the water, with my prego belly in my bathing suit :) So all in all, our trip to the beach was fun - and I'm looking forward to going again soon, just not sure when. I love the beach - it really is my favorite place.
Other things... I had my 25 week doc appt last week. All is good - I'm measuring well, my weight is good, and the baby's heartbeat is still a strong 156 bpm. I did get all of my paperwork this time to go to the lab for bloodwork in the next couple of weeks. At week 28, I have to go and have an antibody screen and my glucose test. And then, since I have A- blood type, I'll be getting the first of my two Rhogam shots that week too. Phew - that's a lot of needle sticks for someone who's not fond of needles! Overall though - I'm just praying that my glucose test goes well. I can't even begin to think about how to handle gestational diabetes. I say this as I finish eating a piece of chocolate birthday cake with butter cream frosting :) Need I say more.
And yes - I had a birthday since I last posted :) I turned 35 on the 26th, and can now sadly say that I'm closer to 40 than to 30. Oh my. But I still feel pretty young, and that's what matters, right?
Nursery update - the room is cleared! What was once a guest room is now empty and ready for some much needed TLC. We decided to paint the room a soft lavender color, and we're going to try to do white wainscoating on the bottom half of the wall with a white chair rail. In both mine and Matt's head, the room is beautiful - let's just hope that we can bring the ideas in our head into reality! I can't wait to see how it turns out.
Last weekend, we rewarded our housework efforts with a really nice date night. We went to go see the new Harry Potter movie at the IMAX in White Marsh, and then went to dinner at PF Changs. The movie was awesome! We're huge Harry Potter fans, and it was the best movie so far. But rest assured - even though I pitched the idea to Matt earlier on, we won't be naming our daughter Hermione (one of the main characters - pronounced Her-my-o-nee for those that haven't seen the movies). It's such a cool name though - but really - she'd probably be teased mercilessly for having such dorks for parents. So anyway - movie and then dinner at PF Chang's. If you've never been, you have to go. Great chinese food! And I ate a ton. I don't know what happened, but something clicked in me as of Friday, and I have been really hungry all the time. I worked at home on Friday, and couldn't stop eating. I even snacked on raw carrots - and that is so NOT a normal snack for me! But, yes, I feasted at Chang's but managed to control myself a bit and bring leftovers home. Still, after appetizers, soup, entree and dessert - I felt a little out of control!
Well, it's getting a bit late, and I must be heading off to bed. I don't have any new pictures this time, but I hope to have some next time :) I'll spare you any shots of me in a bathing suit :) But I hope to be a little more prompt in my posting next time - for those of you following this - hold me to it!!
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