Pregnancy Brain

Have you all heard of pregnancy brain?  It was the subject of How I Met Your Mother tonight and coincidentally, I am suffering from a severe case.  I seriously don't know if I am coming or going half the time and it seems to be getting worse.  I can't think of words, I can't concentrate, I seriously get distracted mid-thought with no way of finding my way back.   Ugh, and I am so busy, it is beyond a mess. I seriously always thought this was a fake pregnancy symptom and I think I am being punished accordingly for my flippancy.  Oh well.
I've had some bouts of pregnancy rage lately as well, but I'll save that story for another day :)
xo,
C

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween, Cuties!  Hope everyone has special plans for the big day.   Luckily, the mister and I have a few scary shows we are watching on the regular now (hello American Horror Story,) so we are going to scare ourselves silly with the DVR.   And if that isn't scary enough, maybe I'll spend a little time in the closet with my arch nemesis, the furnace.   The furnace has been scaring me every damn day in this new apartment and I don't understand why it has to be in the closet off the kitchen where the trash can is and not in the basement like a normal furnace.  
I'll be dressed as a sexy pregnant lady if anyone was wondering.


In other news, we had another epic year of pumpkin carving this year.  Check out the fruits of our labor below:

the mister's work of art.  sometimes simple is best.

my winged cat.  calm down, everyone, it was from a stencil.

miss lyss took a new approach this year.  super cute.

josh wins the award for most creative!

Sister Gift

Hi Cuties,
Miss Lyss got me the cutest presents for my birthday.   She always knows the sweetest gifts that will make me happy.  

So happy it is Friday!  Another long week. Time for the weekend and a little TV time.  Planning to catch up on some Ringer this weekend.  Was losing interest in this CW Sarah Michelle Gellar wonder, until a certain Logan from Veronica Mars suddenly made an appearance.  Way too excited about this.  Hubba hubba.


xo,
C

Thursday Fridays

Hi Cuties,
Thursdays sure have been feeling like they should be Fridays lately, ya know what I mean?  It is cold here in NY - feels like Winter today and really made me realize how long that walk from the subway will be in February when it's really cold and I'm 9 months pregnant!
Work is shaping up to be super busy and stressful over the next few months and I wish that I was better at just letting stress roll off my shoulders.  I want my little guy to be very zen, not like his momma, but I'm definitely afraid my stress is seeping into the womb.
Can't wait for the weekend and to cross some non work-related items off my to-do list!
xo,
C

Birthday Whistle

my hands are getting chubbbby...

I might start sitting down for all my pictures now.  Yes, that's where we are.

Happy Birthday to meee!  Yesterday was my birthday.  Had to go to work but left a little early so that I could meet up with Lyss for mani/pedis and then we met up with the mister for dinner.  I got some great birthday presents this year (not that that's what it's all about).  My dad got me a distressed leather watch (see above) and the mister got me a whistle to wear around my neck "just in case I need anything from him."  I'm not sure if it was just a symbolic gesture but I'm taking it pretty seriously.  "tweeeet, time to come watch x factor with me"..."tweeet, time to take off my socks!"  Looks like it could be a long 4 months for both of us ;)


xo,
C

Lil' Pumpkin

Check out our little baby pumpkin.  So cute.

Family Weekend

We had a great weekend with several visitors.  On Saturday, my dad and Maggie came into the city to take me shopping and out to dinner for my birthday!   We had an awesome dinner at Ruth's Chris, which is still my favorite steakhouse in the city, even if it's a chain, so what.  Such special treatment for a thirty-something ;)
Today, Erik's sister, brother-in-law and nephew visited from Long Island with our friend Mikey and we hit up the Prospect Park Zoo.  Such a nice little zoo and not crowded, which is one of my top requirements in a zoo.  And we had the pleasure of enjoying the day with little miss cutie, Alyssa.  All in all, a fun weekend with the family.


xo,
C

Rules for Baby Naming

Guess what? I got this sweater at the Wildwood Delias sample sale too!  I'm a mess. 

Hi Cuties,
Mister E and I are making some serious name progress tonight.  We made it all the way through the baby book and now we are onto the short list!  I'm finding it rather challenging to find a good boy name.  I have a million girl names I like, but no boy names. 

Ten Rules for name picking:
1.  Remember, this is for life.  
2.  Make sure first name goes with last name and initials are not awkward for child, like P.M.S.
3.  You will say the name a million times so make sure it rolls off the tongue, is not hard to pronounce, or a name you will feel ridiculous saying.
4.  Name can not be the same as anyone you currently interact with on a daily basis unless you want them to think you named your baby after them.
5.  Name can not be the same as any exes or family members.
6.  Name can not be the same as any other kids you know, even if they are only children of acquaintances.
7.  Name can not be too trendy.  A la the suddenly uber trendy, Mason.  (This one is a bit tricky to predict.  What if Beyonce and I choose the same name? Probable.  Or worse, Hillary Duff?  Tragedy.)
8.  Do not name baby after somebody that someone else will probably want to name their kid after without asking.  
9.  Baby's parents must both love name.  Either parent has veto power over any name at any time.
10. Don't think the baby is trying to tell you something if he kicks when you read a certain name out loud from the baby book, like Ezekiel.  It probably doesn't mean anything.  Babies don't name themselves. 


Just counted up the shortlist and we are at 39, so we still have a long way to go!  This isn't easy - thank goodness we have 4 more months!
xo,
C

The Big Kick

Well, I'm starting to feel pretty pregnant, guys.   Last night was a big pregnancy milestone.  I've been feeling the baby kick for about a month now.  Every time he really gets going I grab Erik's hand with the hopes that he can feel it too. And he never can.  Usually the baby stops kicking the second Erik puts his hands on my stomach or he can't feel it even when the baby does kick. But last night, it worked.  The mister put his hand on my stomach and felt two big kicks.   Pretty exciting stuff.
xo,
C

(Non) Maternity Clothes

Heya Cuties,
Check out my new nail polish.  It actually looks a lot cuter in person.   I got this shirt at a Delias sample sale on the boardwalk at Wildwood.  Fancy, I know.  Now that I'm a grownup with a baby coming and all I (of course) would never even consider shopping at Delias, but there's no reason I can't get a little maternity wear out of this shirt.  In fact, my plan is to not buy any maternity clothing, but instead wear the clothes that I already have that I'm getting sick of.  Then, once I have the baby I won't want to wear any of my stretched out (non) maternity wear so I'll have to buy all new clothes, which I'll go shopping for at lunch.  See, I have it all planned out!


This week, people are starting to tell me I look pretty prego at work, but not on the subway, nope not on the subway, my friends.  I have a feeling getting a pregnancy seat might require initiating eye contact with a sitting stranger, which eleven years of living in the city has trained me never ever to do.  We'll see how desperate I get.


xo,
C

The Hunt for Roomy Shirts

Hi Cuties,
I'm starting to feel really happy that I kept some of my bigger shirts that I'm just "eh" about instead of purging them in the Great Move of 2011.   I got this shirt at Urban Outfitters and while I don't love it there is some major room for growth in this sucker.  It's a keeper!  
I'm trying not to shop.   Being confronted with my packed closet every day is helping, but it's hard!  I can wear about 10 percent of my wardrobe and I want to say it's forcing me to be creative but lazy might be a better word. My parents are coming into the city this weekend for my birthday and I may do just a little bit of shopping. Some for me and some for the baby!
xo,
C

Blump

Today I had two doctor appointments in one day.  I am way over these doctor appointments because they take FOREVER.  Lots of waiting around but it is all worth it to hear five seconds of baby heartbeat.  And, because I had to leave work early, I had to bring work home again.  I know I should be good at doing work at home by now, but I just find it impossible to concentrate with so many distractions.  I even did a load of laundry tonight.
This week, getting dressed has once again become a challenge.  I want to wear cute tight clothing to show off the bump, but the bump is so lumpy! It is a blump.  Nobody told me it would be like this (or maybe it is only like this for me? Hmm.)  The shirt in the pic above is just a non-maternity GAP tank top but it really needs a good pair of skinny jeans to go with it and some high heeled boots.  I just can't bring myself to spend $170 dollars on a pair of maternity designer jeans.   So instead I bought three pairs of non-designer jeans that are all just eh.  Obviously a well thought out solution.   I think the key to maternity fashion happiness is to try harder.  So maybe I'll do that, starting tomorrow.
PS. I know what you're thinking, my boobs are huge.  
xo,
C

Perfect Fall Weekend

Hi Cuties,
Had a great weekend with the family, visiting the pumpkin patch and carving pumpkins.  Considering the lack of kids in our family, we usually rely upon our close family friends to share in the day and supply some children to justify the weekend's activities.  We spend the day frolicking with kids and pumpkins and by the end of the night collapse on the couch, exhausted.  Well, by this time next year, we'll have a kid of our own.  Could it be that soon every day will end in exhaustion (actually, wait a second, every day already does end in exhaustion)?  Let me tell you, this weekend, everything really started feeling real.  We are excited and scared!
xo,
C

hot stuff

Mounted Stuffed Animal Heads

So...I'm thinking about mounting a stuffed animal head in the nursery.  Actually, I am absolutely doing it and I am pretty sure I can't be swayed.  Creepy or cute?
xo,
C

hippo.  would this scare a baby in the middle of the night?  from what I hear, babies wake up quite often.

classic teddy bear

wise old giraffe

no themes in this nursery!  but i am kind of loving elephants right now.

Chicken Pot Pie

Hi Cuties,
Today, I had a very busy day at work and the mister ended up not having to go into the office.  You know what happened when I got home?  I got a big hug and a chicken pot pie!  Now this a girl could get used to.
xo,
C