Category Archives: pregnancy

Friday is Errand day

I have been a good housewife today. I woke up bright and early and started *well actually finished* the laundry. I folded clothes and put them away *a task I find torturous*. Every Friday I go to the grocery store and run my weekly errands *because Friday is when the new weekly magazines come out*. I went to my #1 store, Target to look for a closet rod for Olivia’s clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These curtain rods were all they carried so I’ll have to go to Home Depot because I want a wood rod. I had to buy something for the baby so I got these hangers. Now that I have them, I am thinking of finding cuter ones. I also browsed the baby aisle and caught a glimse of my future life

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had to get this adorable sewing kit. I needed a measuring tape and white thread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This really makes me want a sewing machine. I found this guy on Amazon but it may be too much for a beginner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has an embroidery feature that I would love to use to personalize all of Olivia’s sweaters. It’s supposed to rain this weekend and on Sunday I have a lunch date with Aimee so we may not paint. Maybe I can gather some helpers when we do decide to paint. I’m no longer in a hurry with painting the room because our tax refund hasn’t arrived and I most likely won’t be ordering furniture until late March. I gave Antz until the end of the month to try to find either a used or a better deal on the crib and dresser. He found the crib on craigslist for $490 but it was gone by the time we called. Lame! Last night was the delivery of Jim & Pam’s baby on The Office. It was awesome to see all the things that could go wrong *I will triple check for my ipod* and not be too know-it-all with the nurses. I was even more stoked when I saw the woman who shared a room with Pam had my Helen labor gown. My worst nightmare is if we have to share a room with another Mom because our hospital doesn’t allow any overnight guests if that happens. OMG! I would throw such a fit!!

Thursday night is date night

So Antz asked me out on a date 8th grade style and of course I accepted. He took me to a Thai restaurant close to his job that he went to on Tuesday and could not stop raving about how great the food was and how chic the place looked. It was pretty impressive and the waitress was super nice. The food wasn’t my absolute favorite but the shrimp pad thai was yummy and the chicken satay was so-so. I would try it again, take my Mom.  

After dinner I had a sudden and urgent craving for almond cookies. We walked along Brand Blvd stopping in chinese restaurants with no luck. I called my Mom and she said try Whole Foods or Gelsons, so we went to Silverlake Gelsons. Boohoo, they didn’t have them but I happily bumped into my new pals Joice and Hlynur *he’s Icelandic* and they suggested a Chinese place around the corner. Antz went to check while I used Gelson’s potty which is the nicest public restroom I’ve seen.

So when I finished tinkling, Antz had a small brown bag filled with goodness. They were 10 for $1.50, how could such yumminess be so cheap? As I am blogging I am munching my sweet cookies.

No major nursery updates, still waiting for my Sasquash poster to arrive. In baby shower news, I was having guest list issues, I was trying to keep it at 4 tables but one table had 14 guests and it only seats 12. So if I had to add a table, it doesn’t make sense to just seat 2 people so I added 4 more guests and I’m back to 5 tables and 48 guests. It’s actually better because I can invite my old friends and not feel guilty and my seating chart is perfect. Most of my favors, supplies and decorations come in packs of 48 so I won’t need to make any additional purchases. My budget has now increased by $250 but there’s plenty of time to figure it out. So sadly I am 3 weeks behind on my preggo portraits so I’ll have to get busy this weekend. I have been having a pain in my right rib and today while cleaning I felt faint so basically, I’m trying to come up with excuses for looking awful and not being in a photographic mood. I’ll have to endure some wardrobe changes but this weekend I’ll catch up on my weeks. Don’t tell Olivia her Mommy is lame!

Portrait of a Lady

I am debating on my pregnancy / newborn portrait options. I orginally wanted to use Ortiz Harpaz, a Pasadena photographer whose work I truly adore.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

She is just a tad too expensive at the present time. Her rates are $425 for pregnancy session and $825 for birth/newborn but it doesn’t include prints 🙁

I calculated close to $2000 for prints and that is not realistic for our budget. I would hate to miss black and white professional shots of Olivia’s birth. I also want someone to film the labor but besides Antz, noone else can be trusted with the camcorder. I can’t get those moments back. Some of the photographers I’ve found in a more reasonable price range are too serious and not candid enough. I dislike the posey wrapped up like Anne Geddes style. And while I’m on the topic of photos, I found a delivery gown in my size for $30 less than the dear johnnie’s one. I just worry that I may need a much bigger size in 3 months. I’ll most likely be as big a house.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Still have to pay a security deposit to confirm the photo booth and call Pico Party Rents and try to talk them down by $2 per chiavari chair. Endless things to do!

Two passengers set sail that day for a 2 hour tour…of the hospital!

Today was super fun! We went on our maternity ward tour at the hospital. We saw the L&D rooms *that’s Labor and Delivery to you laymen* which look straight out of a 1970’s Country Living magazine. Then we saw the sad little room we spend the following 2 days recovering in. It has a tiny cot for daddy and a private bath with a huge shower however the mattress is about 2 inches thick and the florescent lighting will make me look sickly in photos 🙁  Despite the shabby room conditions I am still stoked to be at this hospital. They have an awesome birthing policy that allows baby bonding immediately after birth. I am keeping my fingers crossed that I will be able to breastfeed right away. The nurses seem really nice and helpful and I will even get to have sushi brought in after delivery *cannot wait*. The best part about the tour was the nursery and seeing the newborns!! It made us think of how incredible it will feel to see our little Olivia in person. It also gave me a new list of things to do; complete paperwork, find a pediatrician and fit the car seat in our cars. It was a big turnout being that this is superbowl weekend *not that I care* close to 75 people, some who were due at the end of this month! I’m a bit concerned because our hospital only have 32 maternity suites and 6 are shared rooms. If they are at capacity and you get a shared room your spouse is not allowed to spend that night. How horrible! They also may not allow us to film the birth, mega bummer. I am registered for a flip camcorder so maybe we can film indiscreetly.

 

While at the hospital we took advantage of the lovely lobby and took this week’s photo.

 

Next month we are taking the birthing classes. At first I was gung ho about taking expensive birthing classes at swank boutiques but our hospital is offering the same classes for a fraction of the time and cost. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on much and I like getting familiar with my hospital. After the tour we went to Antz Mom’s house. She was able to feel Olivia kick which was really funny. We actually caught the end of the superbowl and to my surprise it was quite interesting. Our good friend Keith and his wife have a vacation house in New Orleans and they were there celebrating the Saints victory. Needless to say they were reporting bedlam on Bourbon Street. Eventually we’ll make it out to New Orleans for a visit but I’m not so fond of drunk people. I do love New Orleans architecture, music and the food sounds yummy. Yet another trip to covet! I seriously cannot wait for this month to be over. At the end of February we are having our tax appt and Antz is getting his annual bonus so I can start purchasing nursery furniture.

This morning Antz starting clearing out his office so we can prepare for popcorn removal and painting at the end of the month.

<——- evil popcorn!!

I’m luckily off-the-hook for any manual labor but I am concerned about the condition of our ceiling. Our house foundation is weak and we have several cracks in the ceiling. We may have to have a professional take a look at the ceiling before we *meaning Antz* attempts to remove it. I also need an electrician to repair the light in the closet. While I’m at it, we may as well rent a buffer and give the hardwood floors a good cleaning. The space looks so smaller with the furniture moved around, Antz stores his art supplies and tools in there and they are soon to be homeless unless we move them to our leaky garage or build a storage shed in the backyard. I am shocked at how many things we accumulate in this small house. Next weekend is St. Valentine’s day and Antz is participating in an art show on Saturday. His piece is really amazing and he’s priced it at a bargain of $350. Part of me wants him to sell it *for baby savings* but it’s such an extraordinary painting I would love to keep it. Tomorrow I am seeing my acupuncturist, it so bittersweet for me because I have been seeing her for years when we were trying to get pregnant and now she is retiring from being a doula and I need to convince her to be mine. She refered me to other doulas but noone can replace Gilli. I’ll keep pestering her, she has to help me with my labor!!

Oscars, it’s the most wonderful time of the year!

I should be jumping *not literally* for joy with my pregnancy happiness, shopping for adorable rompers for Olivia but sadly I’m sitting on the bummer couch. I had jury duty yesterday and it was torture. It took all day, my body is sore from sitting and waiting all day, I am sure I caught every disease from all those people and I had to cancel my weekly acupuncture appt. What a nightmare, I basically had to say I was going into labor to get the judge to excuse me. The cherry on my bullshit sundae is overall financial drama. My mortgage company made a huge boo-boo and deducted this month’s payment twice, still trying to straighten that out, meanwhile I’m trying to negotiate lower payments with my first mortgage and so far have only been successful in increasing our payments. I am tied up in medical billing hell due to a technical error and I can not get in touch with the billing dept to correct the mistake and my homeowner’s insurance somehow increased by $123 this year. Needless to say I am getting it from all sides and my usual juggling routine is not going so well. I would like to start shopping for nursery furniture but the powers that be are making that very difficult. The good news is I am feeling Olivia kick on a daily basis, as a matter of fact she feels like she will be a soccer player for sure. I have spent this morning dealing with all these companies and made absolutely no progress. My head is aching and I feel emotionally and phsyically drained. I still have the big decision of fixing our leaking garage or having my dream shower. To my friends and husband its a no-brainer, fix the garage and have a less expensive shower but to me, that’s like saying have no shower at all. I have economized all I could and there is nothing I could cut from the shower budget. Oh well, nothing I can do now, I’ll think about that tomorrow *as Scarlett O’ Hara says*

Now on to my good buddy Oscar.

I adore the Oscar’s, it’s the only time of year besides the Golden Globes *which is really a fancy keg party*

that you see old fashioned movie star glamour. Here are my picks for this year’s ceremony.

Best motion picture of the year *many contenders this year*

Precious *my pick*

Avatar *obvious choice I’ll be shocked if it doesn’t win*

Performance by an actor in a leading role

Jeff Bridges in “Crazy Heart” *he took it a the GG’s but I don’t understand the appeal*

George Clooney in “Up in the Air” *my pick*

Performance by an actress in a leading role

Gabourey Sidibe in Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire *would be nice but she’s a rookie*

Meryl Streep in Julie & Julia *she’ll take it, no question*

*Please tell me, why oh why is Sandra Bullock nominated???

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds *no doubt in my mind, he has got this!*

Performance by an actor in a supporting role

Mo’Nique in Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire *there is no competition*

Best animated feature film of the year

Fantastic Mr. Fox *my pick, this movie was incredibly well-written, smart and well cast*

Up  *it’s gonna win*

Achievement in art direction

Avatar *will take it*

Sherlock Holmes *I thought it was visually entertaining*

sidenote, we are seeing The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus tomorrow night so my vote may change

Achievement in cinematography

Avatar *hard to beat, Harry Potter usually owns this category*

Achievement in costume design

Coco before Chanel *although I haven’t seen it, noone will defeat the reigning Queen*

Achievement in directing

James Cameron *it’s his night*

Quentin Tarantino  *if I had it my way, I’d give it to QT*

Best documentary feature

Food, Inc *there has been so much buzz about this doc, I couldn’t see it or I would never eat meat again*

Best documentary short subject
China’s Unnatural Disaster: The Tears of Sichuan Province *I choose this only because I happened to see it on HBO, nothing brillant but it was touching*

Achievement in film editing

Avatar

Best foreign language film of the year

The White Ribbon Germany *this is still on my Netflix queue, no release date yet*

Achievement in makeup

The Young Victoria *it was between this and Star Trek, I go with the period film everytime*

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original score)

Fantastic Mr. Fox *I really enjoyed this score*

Avatar *will most likely take it but it annoyed me how Lion King this score felt*

Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song)

Take It All from Nine  *my pick*

The Weary Kind (Theme from Crazy Heart) from Crazy Heart  *not at all a fan but they won at GG’s and films based on musicians tend to win*

Adapted screenplay

District 9 * they were robbed at the Golden Globes, redemption!*

Original screenplay

Inglourious Basterds *fingers crossed*

The Hurt Locker *maybe?*

That’s my 2 cents, I hope next year I will be able to sit in the red carpet audience however I’ve been saying the same thing since I was 13! On the plus side of things, our house is being considered for a TV show *although I doubt we’ll be picked because our house is too small* and we went to Lowes this weekend to replace our sad dying houseplant and I picked up some home reno mags and this guy, makes me want a sewing machine.

20 Weeks today, halfway there

It’s Thursday, this week seems to be crawling by. Antz had jury duty today. I can’t believe I am half way through my pregnancy. To be quite honest apart from the sleepiness and ligament pain in my pelvis, I feel robbed of my preggo experience. Not that I was too keen on kneeling over the toilet and backaches but I feel like Antz and I are the only ones who know I am pregnant. I try to rub my belly and waddle when I walk but I just look like I finished a huge meal. My Mom introduced me to her friend and although I was constantly rubbing my tummy she had no idea I was pregnant. She tried to cover it with OMG you look too small to be 20 weeks! Umm, yeah small for a giant maybe, not convincing. So again I am playing the waiting game. It’s just as excruciating as the 2 week wait because I need to see an ultrasound. I had a hard time finding the bebe’s heartbeat yesterday with the headset. Eventually I did hear a faint pounding but why can’t I feel this bebe moving? Ok, I must admit, there is a great deal of fat layers to muffle through feeling, hmmph! I am eager beaver to get to each milestone. I am ready to know the sex, I am ready for the bebe to be able to recognize our voices and I am so ready for March *possible bebemoon*. So ever since our lovely brunch with the nephews we have been vigiliant about keeping the house *show ready*. Antz found a home for the freebie dresser in his closet and my Mom’s congas look great in the living room. Now that the house stays clean, it’s so obvious we need a new stove and fireplace set. They are such an eyesore for me. Speaking of homes, we have a new neighbor, she is a lovely hummingbird who has nested in our plum tree.

I am worried for her, she is in the lowest part of the tree and anyone who walks by on the sidewalk could accidently knock over her house. We aren’t sure but we think she may have bebes in there. I love watching her fly in and out of the nest.
Again I missed weekly yoga, grrr! I somehow fell asleep with Antz and missed the time. I will not miss next weeks class. This weekend no big plans, going to Paramount to see The Princess & the Frog. Maybe we’ll have a look-see at Crate & Barrel or Pottery Barn to check out candelabras for the fireplace. It seems like such a simple DIY, I don’t know why I haven’t done it years ago.

12 Days till Gender Ultrasound

Throughout this entire pregnancy I haven’t really considered having a girl. For some reason it’s embedded in my head we are having a boy, Parker. Today it dawned on me, I could have a girl, Olivia! Most of my friends and Antz co-workers are betting we are having a girl but my acupuncturist/doula, Gilli, said I look like I’m carrying a boy. This has made me re-think my current nursery plans. As gender neutral as it is, I have to throw in some girlie elements for Liv. I found the exact same bedding by Rosemary Hallgarten as the blue one I planned to get for Parker in pink and beige. Then I found a Friends With You Malfi in pink, and now I am obsessed with the Tazi Pouf in pink and also pink curtains which I still need to find in the perfect shade. So although I wanted to stay away from pastels, I think the brown and beige really bring the pink down to an Earth tone.

Whenever I walk into that room it seems more impossible to fit this many things in there. There is also a few of Antz paintings that I want to keep but they do not seem to coordinate well with the nursery design. We also have to make room in the living room for the movie posters he has in there now. I can not wait to find out what we are having. I also want to see the little guy/gal moving, the last ultrasound was November and I haven’t felt any movement yet which is driving me crazy. We are going to a birthday party for Antz cousin *no idea who he is, one of thousands* tomorrow and Sunday we are having brunch with his sister and her sons *both are recently married*. This month of Paramount movies sucks, the only 2 we are seeing are the Princess & the Frog and Nine. I really want to see the Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

18 Weeks, wow, that’s 4 months now!

I am fast approaching my midway mark. My Mom has been in town this week and she took me on my first official maternity shopping trip. I thought we wouldn’t find anything that was my style, everything looked too matronly or had too much print *similiar to ugly curtains*. We did manage to find a decent tunic shirt and a dress that didn’t make me look 45. I still have yet to feel the nugget kick 🙁

My Vans seem to be my most comfortable shoes *besides my Uggs* at the moment. I really am lusting after these mocassins. I am postive my size will sell out any second now. I was hoping they would go on sale after Christmas but they are still $88. That used to be chump change to me but with the nursery shopping right around the corner I actually have to *dare I say it* budget!

My-my-my-maternity!

I have gone nearly halfway through my pregnancy and have yet to purchase any maternity clothes. That can be perceived as a good thing *I haven’t gained enormous amounts of weight* or a bad thing *I was already the size of a 18 week preggo lady*. Oh well, the point is, soon I will be needing to shop for tents for me to wear. Here’s my wishlist

Want:  Cap-Sleeve Dress

Need : Nursing Pajamas

Want: Ruffled Jersey Dress

Need:  Nursing bras

Want: Børn ‘Sallie’ Mary Jane

Need: Crocs Malindi *$30!*
 

Want: Drop-Waist Jersey Dress
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Need: Jersey V-Neck Dress
 

 
 
 
 

Want: Silk-blend ruffle top *so sweet*
Need: Fleece Zip Hoodie

Want: Keyhole nursing dress

Need: Fold-Over Skirt

Must have at any cost!!! TOMS ‘Classic’ Glitter Slip-On

I have never been able to distinguish want vs need. I need everything but I do not want the $800 price tag that comes with it. Luckily I hope to find a great 25% coupon and snag free shipping. It really sucks that Gap does not have an maternity store I can shop at. I buy so many things that look great online, but when I get them they are too sheer or the size isn’t right. I think I kept the wardrobe pretty practical. I am choosing styles that don’t scream big pregnant lady and can be worn after the bebe is here. The worst thing is, everytime I get the list to perfection, something in my size sell out, grrr! The way things look, I won’t be able to buy anything until early March. After the bebe is born I would like to buy these Antz and myself

Of course with our little one’s pic in there, we are also getting one for the Grandmum’s. The best thing about these is you can wear them in the shower and they are the perfect gift. Speaking of gifts, this sounds like an appropriate push present don’t you think? It’s scheduled to come out in June.

I’m officially 4 months preggers

Well hello there, I am 18 weeks today yet I just took my week 17 photo, naughty girl! I had a busy week and I promise not to wait until the day before to take it again…see New Year’s promise in action. I ran tons of errands today despite the drizzling rain. I spent awhile in Target, my fave store and I bought a dry erase calendar which is all filled out and hanging on the fridge door *most viewed spot in our house*. I also bought a roll of adorable cabinet liner so I can pretty-fy the linen closet and make room for bebe’s toiletries and items. I would love to buy new towels as our old ones are frayed from being caught on my wedding ring 🙁 I did resist temptation and stuck to my budget. I am feeling a bit deprived at the moment because I am out of my fave soap however at $18 per bar I am making the sacrifice for bebe’s savings. I am using a grapefruit body gel I picked up and it does the job but my skin doesn’t feel as supple as the Bliss Lemon+Sage Soap Slab.

Hopefully one of my kindhearted pals will gift me with a Nordstrom or Sephora gift card so I can stock up.
So 17 weeks photo, not my favorite. I seem to be looking worse each week but I am much too tired from yoga to fix my hair up and put on makeup. I did a wardrobe change to show off my large tummy but I don’t think it shows it any clearer. Oh well, I will look dazzling in a few days 🙂

I can’t believe the little one is merely the size and weight of an onion! Sheesh. I honestly have only gained 8 pounds since August.
Changing the subject, my darling hubby has completed yet another masterpiece that I must share, I love how it’s inspired by the 1960’s Hanna Barbera look.
He says I’m the girl creature but I’ve never been short in my life, I will admit to a unibrow and large feet however. At least he is bestowing a cactus bouquet upon me. My bff, Aimee and her *now teenage* son is  coming by on New Years so that will be exciting. 🙂 Tomorrow we are finally seeing Avatar, not too keen on seeing it but I succomb to peer pressure, everyone I know raves about it.