Chicken Soup

Well, we've got a major sickie over here.   The mister has a horrible cold and he is so miserable, it is hard to watch.  The mister is one of those people who doesn't usually get sick and if he does start to get sick he denies all sickness until it goes away.  But so far this year, he has been sick three times!  And it's still January.  When he does get sick, like anyone, he needs some serious TLC, so I have been doing my best, especially since he has taken care of me pretty much nonstop for the last nine months.  I even made homemade chicken soup today.  I don't think I have had homemade chicken soup since my mom used to make it for us growing up. Luckily, I seem to have some renewed energy the past few days.  Maybe my nesting instinct is finally kicking in!  Maybe that means the baby is coming soon.  I'm 37 weeks today, so officially full term, but this baby can't come until the mister is 100% healthy, so let's hope the little guy is still comfy in there (yes, I know the baby probably won't come for at least another three weeks.  stop reminding me.)  Week 38, here we come, there is so much going on, it should be an interesting one to say the least!  Let's hope the mister wakes up feeling better tomorrow!
xo,
C

Ice Cream

I came home and ate half a pint of ice cream tonight.  So that's good.  Feeling pretty beat up at this point.  Can't wait for the weekend.   Actually, I might as well just throw it out there that I was feeling sort of weird today. I guess it's nothing more than some new aches and pains but it did lead me to google "what does labor feel like?"  I suppose when it happens I'll know, or so I've heard.
xo,
C

36.5 Weeks

Hi Cuties,
Wow, I looked at these pictures tonight and was shocked at how big I am getting!  I'm definitely on my way to becoming "that pregnant girl" that you see on the subway or elevator every morning and think "that poor giant girl must be due any day now" and then three weeks later you see her again and think "geez, she's still pregnant!??" I don't want to be that girl. Sunday I will officially be 37 weeks, full term.  I think it's time to pack the bag.  And finish reading my pregnancy books.  Hmm, and a few other things.  
xo,
C

Map Attack

Hi Cuties,
Check out our newest addition!  No, it's not a baby.  But hopefully it is something that will give us happiness for a long time.  It's a giant map.  The mister had it framed and we ordered a bunch of different colored tacks so we can mark off the places we've been, one color for me, one color for the mister and one color for all the places we've been together.  Soon we'll add a new color for baby!
I bought this map for Erik as a first anniversary present since the traditional first anniversary gift is paper.  Pretty clever I thought, but I've come to realize that maybe I am a crappy gift giver.   Basically, I ordered the map.  It didn't get here in time for our anniversary so instead of having a wrapped present, I just had to tell Erik about it. Then when it arrived it sat in the corner of our bedroom for a good four months before Erik found a place that could make a custom frame and special ordered the frame and carted it home on the subway by himself.   When I came to the sad conclusion that I guess I should have followed through since it was my gift he said, "don't worry, it was a gift for both of us!"  As if that makes it better that my anniversary gift to him was actually for me too.
Oh well, I guess that's why we make a great team ;)  And I know what you're thinking, once the baby comes, we won't go anywhere anymore.  Well it's not true!  We are looking forward to filling up that map with lots of family tacks!
xo,
C

Hi Cuties,
We are up to our eyeballs in baby preparation over here.  From daycare visits, to nursery setup, to lamaze classes, I'm starting to feel like this is really happening! 


We had our lamaze classes this weekend on Saturday and Sunday.   I thought the class was pretty helpful as far as getting us in the right mindset, but I'm scared now!  Labor sounds totally scary and it's happening people, it's happening soon.  The girls in the class seemed most concerned with getting enough to eat before the big event goes down, and I have to tell you, that is not my concern.   Not after hearing about some of the things that happen during nature's miracle.  After class we took a hospital tour, and yikes, those rooms are small (even the private rooms for over $300 a night are small.)  But without a private room, your partner can't stay with you which sounds scary too.  Did you know that they just give you the baby right away and you're on your own??  It's pretty much like, hello, you just popped out a baby, and now you need to take care of it and change it's diaper and feed it breast milk.  One girl asked what happens if you don't want to take care of the baby (it wasn't me!)  The instructor just looked at her.   Exciting times, my friends!
xo,
C

Thursday

Hi Cuties,
So, today everyone was telling me how hugely pregnant I look!  I think it might have something to do with this shirt.  It is really non- flattering on my non-pregnant body and I don't think it's doing it for pregnant me either.  
Tonight we went out to dinner in the neighborhood.  I have been so hungry this week!  I hope this kid isn't on his way to being an 11 pounder!
xo,
C

Bump Day

Hi Cuties,
Feeling pretty happy to be over the hump this week!  The mister and I have our marathon lamaze class this weekend, five hours on Saturday and then again on Sunday.  Should be brutal.  Definitely wishing we signed up for something weekly like most normal people do, instead of procrastinating until it is almost too late and having to cram the whole thing into one weekend when I've clearly reached the "uncomfortable" stage of pregnancy. And our nursery furniture is coming this weekend!  Don't ask how it will be delivered when we're not here (that's what sisters are for, I hope, I hope.)
Today, I dug into Erik's side of the closet again.  Alyssa got him this shirt for Christmas, but today, it's mine. The mister has about 50 variations of this kind of shirt so I could really get a ninth month pregnancy uniform going if I so desired, and not repeat once!  
xo,
C

Torpedo Belly

Cuties,
Last night, the mister told me my belly is starting to look like a torpedo.  At first I didn't get it (what's a torpedo, right?) but I tried to take some pics tonight to give you an idea of what he means.  I guess I kind of get it.  My stomach is just propelling forward, and NOTHING CAN STOP IT, mwah hah ha.  It's kind of scary, considering I still have over a month left.  I really was feeling strongly that I would go into labor early a few weeks ago but the past week, not so much.  I think I may have been delusional.  
Anyway, if you can't tell by the awesome hallway pics I took of myself, the mister is out tonight having fun, and I'm chilling here having a major snack attack and watching The Bachelor by myself (yes, it is sad watching it without the mister, but when I checked with him first he said he didn't mind. huumph.)  I'm up to the part where Ben takes Casey B. to an old theater and surprises her with home videos of herself growing up.  A little weird, no?  Like can you imagine how creepy it would be if a guy did that on a first date for real?  Yikes.  And now he's crying - on a first date!  Bachelor Ben, you are kind of a hot mess!  Girls, don't try this at home!
xo,
C

Baby Rap

Ha, Erik is playing this Jay-Z song for me that is all over the internet.  I'm not sure if he's kidding or not but I hope Erik writes a song for our baby when he's born, specifically, a rap.  It better not take too long though - I have a feeling I'm kind of going to need his help here.  
Sorry for the absence.  I've been having, you guessed it, nose issues!  I've had nose packing in the last three days which managed to cover a span of time including my shower and and a bunch of work meetings.  So basically everyone I know has seen me at my least cute.  Oh well, it will be worth it in the end!
PS.  I realize there is something kind of Rave-like about this shirt.  I almost ditched it pre-pregnancy but I had a hunch the shirt might be bumptastic and I think I was right.
xo,
C

Wednesday

We finally pulled the trigger and ordered some furniture for the nursery.  Lyss and the mister painted the nursery this weekend so within a few weeks we should be in pretty good shape (with the nursery that is.)

Mad dash to the finish line!

xo,

C

Work Day

Well, cuties, I did it.  I went to work today.  I wore one of my new maternity shirts from Old Navy. Until now, I've been pretty successful at digging into my current wardrobe but my stomach is actually getting rather large.  I think I'm pretty much at the stage where I need to be prepared to give up my old clothes to stretchage if I still want to wear them.  
It was a little bit nice to be back today.  Nice to be distracted from all pregnancy, all the time.  Although the first thing my boss asked me is if I accomplished the most important baby task over the last two weeks, finding a daycare.  Nope, not so much.  Hope everyone is excited for me to bring baby to work every day! Luckily, since my new philosophy is "no stress" I'm not worried about it AT ALL!
Early to bed tonight.   My poor mister had the worst stomach virus ever last night and we are both exhausted. Really hoping it's not contagious!   Stay tuned.


xo,
C


P.S. I tried to give mister a break from taking pics since he's sick but after watching me awkwardly struggle to photograph myself for ten minutes, he finally took pity on me.

The Holidays are OVER

Well, cuties, the time has come.  Tomorrow is back to work and I have to be honest, I am nervous!  I left work abruptly two weeks ago after my epic back-to-back nosebleeds and haven't returned since.  A lot has happened since then.


1. I was really moving a mile a minute before this break.  Work was so crazy and busy and is set to pick up right where it left off.  And, while I did accomplish a lot of the things on my personal to-do list these past two weeks, I am definitely moving at a (much) slower pace.  In fact, I have been exhausted and have been taking lots of breaks to rest.  
2.  I think I am HUGE compared to what I was two weeks ago.  I haven't gained that much weight but my stomach is definitely way bigger and I think my face is too.  I think I might even have pregnancy jowls.  (I learned about pregnancy jowls on Tori & Dean this week when Tori's gay best friend told her she was already getting jowls at three months pregnant.  Is that really something your best friend should say to you? Just sayin'...)
3.  I've been feeling just a little bit... emotional... lately.  


I think the next few weeks require some sort of mantra.  Maybe just one teeny resolution, and that is to "stress less".  I think I've been wasting a lot of valuable energy on stress, it's not good for the baby, and let's face it, life is not getting any less stressful any time soon.  Also, nobody cares.  Like, really, nobody ever wants to hear about how stressed out you are.  Like at all. 


Tonight the mister and I are watching the season premiere of The Bachelor!  Thank goodness this show is back to carry me through my final weeks of pregnancy.  These girls are the worst!  But watching this show with the mister is the BEST.  He was so genuinely horrified by the whole limo parade, I had to switch between watching him and the TV because it was so entertaining.


Here are a few final pics from the last few days.   Welcome, 2012!  This should be quite a year!


xo,
C

We made it to the tree again this year!  Thank goodness!  Touristy fun!  NYC at it's finest!

We bought this baby pea coat for the baby.  He is going to be born in the winter so I guess he's going to need a little coat, right?

We spent New Year's with our good friends on Long Island.  Doesn't the mister look so cute and excited for 2012?

Baby has his own hat.  Don't we look like leprechauns?