All is well with the Pumpkin...

We had the fetal echo today, and the specialist confirmed that all was fine with Xander's little heart. Apparently the term the other doc had used was a mild "prominence" not "pronation" (whoops) of the left artery and it turns out to be nothing. The doc said it is a normal'"variance" and nothing to worry about. He checked the various parts of the heart and listened to various parts and watched blood flow in and out and said it was perfect. Yay! Such a relief.

He also said X was weighing 1 lb, 9 oz (he's grown so much) and measuring perfectly. He apparently has long legs too -- guess he's his daddy's son. :)

Anyway, this made for a very good start to the weekend. Now if I just didn't have another hour of work to do and then housecleaning for tomorrow's BBQ. Blah to work and cleaning -- yay to having friends over for a BBQ! :)

xoxo
V

Xander's Nursery

Well, after a hectic, cluttered 2 weeks, the contractors are ALMOST done with the house and are done with Xander's room. The timing was a bit of a disaster because his furniture came early and was delivered on Thursday. Despite knowing for 1 week the deadline of Wed. night, the guys didn't finish the room until Friday. So while they were able to set up the crib in the middle of the room, we had to "store" his dresser and the glider in our room until yesterday. Mike and I spent yesterday moving things into the room and organizing the items we already have...I think I'm loving it. ;)

Some pics:
from the door

glider and ottoman and Mr. Elephant

Crocodile nightstand with lamp and some books

from the far side of the room next to the glider

Mr. Hippo on the crib

Bench and canvas bins from Lamds End that's missing the cushion...going to have a cover made for the cushion in the striped bedding fabric

glider again

closet system with new bi-fold doors...closet system from Container Store

view from the glider of the changing table/dresser and the hamper


Elephant hamper from Home Decorators Collection

Changing Table and closet

Next is to narrow down our ideas for the walls. We did already order one canvas picture and a rug...so stay tuned for more updates. :)

21 Weeks

Wow. 21 weeks! As many of you know, today was our anatomy ultrasound. Normally, this is the "big" one where you find out the gender; however, since we already knew about our little boy I just asked the woman to tell me if it turned out to be a girl. ;) Thankfully, after sometime, Xander revealed himself and proved himself to be all boy. Good. Things looks good (accding to the tech) but we need the doc's sign off on Saturday at our next appt. So I'll keep you all informed. But it was awesome to take such a close look at his brain and heart, etc.

A pic for you:

So, who does he look like?

This week:

"Chances are good you're feeling someone performing a round-off back handspring in your uterus by now. Is there any other feeling this cool? Other highlights this week:

By now your baby looks like a mini-version of what she'll look like when she's born. All her facial features are formed and hair is growing on her head. She's even acting like a baby and will occasionally suck her thumb or yawn. Aww ...

Baby's heartbeat is getting stronger and can be heard using a good old-fashioned stethoscope. [XANDER'S WAS 148BPM THIS MORNING] Ask for a listen at your next prenatal visit! By 21 weeks, fetal bone marrow starts making blood cells—previously done by the liver and spleen. This may not sound that exciting, but it's good news.

The amniotic fluid that has been cushioning your little bean now serves another purpose: Your baby uses it to "practice" chowing down. [WE SAW SOME IN HIS BELLY AND BLADDER -- ALL FUNCTIONING] Yes, it sounds gross (as many aspects of pregnancy do), but it's an important step for your baby toward being able to chow down in the real world. Your baby has been swallowing amniotic fluid for a while now, but now the intestines are finally developed enough that she's absorbing small amounts of sugars from it. And let's face it, being able to effectively digest sugar is important at every stage of life.

Your baby now weighs between 10 and 11 ounces [XANDER IS WEIGHING IN AT 15OZ] and is approximately 7 inches long—the size of a delicious, cold, frothy bottle of root beer. Float anyone?"

*3D Pregnancy

1/2 Way Done! 20 Weeks...

I don't want anyone to think that my tardiness in completing this post at all reflects how I felt about hitting our 1/2 way point in this pregnancy. Because I was (and am) ECSTATIC! :) I can't believe we will meet Xander in just about 20 weeks. Amazing! It seems both so quick and so long from now. I still try to imagine what it is going to be like when Mike and I have a little one. I can only imagine it is going to be terribly exciting and fun and exhausting all at the same time. And so much love...I already love this little guy more than I thought possible and I imagine that it will only increase once I get to hold him in my arms and kiss him. I wonder what he's going to look like and who he's going to be...I have so much hope for him already. And I can't wait to see Mike as a dad. I think he is going to be an amazing father, and I feel completely blessed to be able to have this child with him and start our family.

This week was so busy both because of my new job and the stuff going on around the house in preparation for Xander. Our contractor started on Tuesday and the house has been in shambles ever since. He says he'll be done by Wed of this week coming up. I'm not convinced, but I suppose it's possible. He already has Xander's room painted and just needs to put the molding and window frames back up, put in the closet organizer and replace all of the doors with the 6-panel doors we'll be using throughout the entire house. I hope he finishes by Wed because Xander's furniture is in (early!) and they're supposed to deliver it on Thursday. I can't wait!

I'm going to talk about the Army Ball in a separate post, but I have to mention it here because I want everyone to know that I absolutely felt our little boy kicking (or marching) last night and it made me giggle (literally). I don't know if it was the big slice of chocolate cake and a resulting sugar high or if it was the loud medley of American-themed music being sung and played on the loud speakers, but Xander definitely made his presence known. Mike thinks he is just already a very patriotic little guy who was loving the music. Perhaps. ;) I just thought it was wonderful that I finally am 100% certain that it was Xander I could feel moving in my belly and not just gas. ha ha!

So what else is/was supposedly going on in my belly over the last week? Well...

"Your baby has established sleep patterns akin to a newborn now. Many babies even have a favorite sleep position already. Some snooze with their chins resting on their chests, while others nap with their head flung back. Many babies at this age fall into noticeable cycles of sleep and activity, so you may know before she arrives whether you have a night owl or an early bird.

If your baby is a boy, the testes have begun descending from the pelvis into the scrotum. If it's a girl, her uterus is completely formed and the rest of her "parts" are in development. (Is that TMI?)

From this point forward, your baby will put most of her energy into gaining weight and, not coincidentally, so will you! Right now your baby weighs approximately 10½ ounces and is about 6½ inches long, about the size of a can of Red Bull (which has way too much caffeine for a pregnant woman to be drinking)."

*3D Pregnancy

Time is flying...

Where do the days go? The last couple of weeks seem to have just disappeared. It's both refreshing and very odd. We got Oscar 1.5 weeks ago, Mike was awarded the Bronze Star last Friday, we had another doc appt the same day and I started a new job on Monday. Busy, busy.

So this will be an update on all of those things...

Oscar is doing so much better. He's still addicted to Mike in a possibly unhealthy way, but he's getting better. He is now staying outside when home alone, and it seems to be working for him (Yes, yes...he has shelter, plenty of shade and water. We also have a doggie door that will be installed once he's a bit better so that he can have access to the den and the backyard). That being said, it could be working because there aren't any more screens for him to take out in an attempt to get back in. All window screens and the big sliding screen door were casualties of Oscar's first week at our home. Oh well! He had his first comprehensive exam at the vet yesterday, and he did very well with all the poking and prodding. He disliked the ear cleaning more than the temp taking or blood draw. Odd dog. But so cute.

Mike was awarded the Bronze Star last Friday at the Pentagon. It was a nice ceremony, and I am very proudof him. Our DC family and many of Mike's SPA and Navy/Army colleagues were able to attend. Pics below:







Xander is doing very well. Heartbeat was in the 150s when we went on Friday and the midwife said he seemed to be growing at the right pace (based on my uterus position). Um, okay. I was told to "make sure [I] eat"...ha ha. I assured her I have no problems eating right now. But apparently I only gained 1 pound in the last 4 weeks, so she was a bit worried. Let's just ignore the fact that I've gained more than average over the whole pregnancy. :p

My new job started on Monday. I don't have to go back until Thurs and Fri this week, so I've had the last 2 days off. Nice to have the break in the middle of the week. My first day was uneventful...just a bunch of training. I really like all of my colleagues though, so I'm excited about the job. Fingers crossed for a good conversation about Xander tomorrow.

xoxo
V

Baby H is ALL BOY!

There's no denying it! :) We officially confirmed that the little one joining our family come October will be Michael Alexander "Xander" Husband. We were able to get a couple of decent "money shots" (see below) even though the lil' guy seems to like to keep his legs crossed at his ankles. He also has great boxer technique and makes sure to always keep his face protected with his little fists. Must have learned that one from me since we have been going to boxing classes a couple times per week. ;)

We're super excited! And I'm even more excited to be able to (i) be confident in the nursery design and (ii) go buy a couple of lil' boy specific items tomorrow. Yay!

MONEY SHOT



DADDY's LONG LEGS!! :)

BIG SMILE! :)

Finally a Belly Pic and another Baby Purchase

Alright, alright ...so I have decided to start the process of weekly belly pics even though I still have more of a beer belly rather than a baby belly. :) From now on I'll do it with my weekly fun facts, but this one is a bit late. This pic is from today at 16 weeks, 2 days. I will say that while I know I just barely look like something may be growing in my belly, I am completely out of my normal jeans and these are my Seven maternity jeans that I LOVE!!



ALSO...and this is very exciting...a new baby purchase. Well, really two new purchases, but only one is terribly exciting. Ignore the boxes from my Dechert office in the background, but this new giraffe will be taking up permanent residence in the nursery as soon as we are able to decorate it. I found him at a shop down the street (Purple Goose) and couldn't resist. Sitting next to the still-nameless giraffe is the leather crocodile-embossed coffee table in espresso that will be next to the glider. I thought the crocodile was also sufficiently safari for the nursery. :)

15 Weeks...

Although many women don't start feeling the baby move until the 17th week (or later), your baby has been having his own party in the amniotic sac he calls home. If you feel a little flutter in your belly this week, don't discount it as gas or hunger. It could be your babe banging around. Here's more to look forward to:

Baby's head is now resting on his well-formed neck instead of directly on his shoulders like Igor. He's beginning to grow eyebrows and eyelashes this week. (All the better to give you that "Mom, you're crazy" look when he's a teenager.) The hair on the head also begins to grow and, with some creative styling, you'll be able to turn those locks into a Maddox Jolie-Pitt faux-hawk some day.

Although baby's eyes are sealed shut, he's now able to sense light. His eyes and ears finally look like real baby features now. As your baby practices sucking and swallowing actions, he may actually hiccup. You'll know he's had one too many shots of amniotic fluid by the steady thump-thump you feel.

Over the next month, baby will grow faster than ever, so make sure you load up on enough nutritious food and fluids to support his growth. Your baby now measures nearly 4 inches, about the size of a Kit Kat "finger" (regular-size, not the Big one you get at the movies), and weighs almost 2 ounces.

*3D Pregnancy

Baby Bedding...

So I've mentioned this a couple of times and for some reason keep forgetting to post it. Perhaps I'm scared we jumped too soon, Pumpkin will end up being a girl and we'll have to find new bedding and a new theme for the room. Or perhaps I'm just a procrastinator...whatever! ;)

This bedding had been on my fave list for several weeks prior to our NT Scan at 11 weeks, was on a serious sale (almost 50%) and I was so nervous it was going to sell out before we knew if we were having a li'l boy or a lil' girl. Even the small possibility that Pumpkin is actually a lil' boy was enough to push me over the edge and cause my to buy it! So I did. :) And I love it!

"Charlie" by Serena & Lily.


I've seen it done as a circus theme, but due to Mike's dislike of the circus and fear of clowns, we've decided to go with an untraditional (because of the color) safari theme. Blue walls, white vinyl decals of a large umbrella tree "shading" the crib and animals to match the bedding, red vinyl birds, a giraffe rocking horse (yes, I know it will be awhile before Baby H can use it :)) and a couple of other pics for over the changing table and the glider that will play up the "world travel" and the "animal" theme with a bit more color. I can't wait to start getting it all together. I am waiting to buy any more items until we CONFIRM we're having a boy. ;)

Oh, but I did buy two small stuffed animals. An elephant and a hippo. Both in shades of blue. This is "Piper the Elephant" from JellyCat. He's 15" tall and you can't tell by this pic, but his colors match the bedding and the glider colors PERFECTLY! In fact his navy edging is also microsuede like the chair. So cute!

Great Beginnings...

is an awesome baby store in MD. We went today to look at the furniture, gliders and strollers. What an amazing selection! I'd been dreading the drive there but they're the only store in the area with the stoller that I am still considering (discussed in an earlier post), so we decided to make the trek just for the fun of it. And for the glider! We went this early because we'd heard delivery could take as long as 12 weeks for the furniture and gliders, and as it turns out it could be 10-14 weeks. So we ordered everything today. I'd like the nursery to be done by 30 weeks so I'm not trying to do any of the major stuff once I'm nice and big. :)

I know I wrote a whole post several weeks ago now about Young America and the 4 Seasons crib we had liked on our first furniture outing, but we opted away from it after reading some reviews. Despite being one of the largest furniture retailers of children's furniture in the US, it gets some questionable reviews and ratings as you do research. Quality is apparently hit or miss and like so many brands out there, they use particle board in a good part of their construction. After much research, we decided on a brand called Romina out of Romania that does beautiful, high quality work. All forest friendly, 100% Beech solid wood construction, no chemical odors or formaldehides and totally baby safe with every precautionary mechanism you can imagine. Just awesome. We decided fairly quickly on the Karisma line, and we ended up just ordering the convertible crib and the 6 drawer dresser (which will be used as the changing table). Initially we purchased it in Bruno Antico, which was a medium brown/honey color but after some thought I called and changed our order the Espresso (color shown). I'm so excited! Mike typically doesn't like dark woods, but this is just gorgeous and you can see the grain of the wood in it.
This is the crib.
This isn't exactly our 6 drawer dresser, but it's the same heighth and width. Just has two columns of three drawers insead of the center drawers and two cabinets.

We also bought our glider today. After testing out the three brands considered the best on the market (Dutailier, Little Castle and Best Chairs), we very quickly narrowed it down to one of two...a Little Castle and a Best Chair. All of these chairs were upholstered, cushioned gliders/recliners. The two we were choosing between also swiveled. In the end we opted for the Little Castle because it was more comfortable and also has a slightly better quality (accding to the sales lady) than the Best Chair. I have to admit I'd gone in there initially thinking we'd end up with a Dutailier (considered the best of the best), but it just wasn't for us...I guess that proves the point that you really do need to "test drive" everything for yourself before buying it rather than just reading reviews, etc. online. We also bought an ottoman (for when the chair is in the normal gliding position). The ottoman glides too. This is the chair:

Now the fun part...picking out the fabrics. I knew I wanted a contrasting color piping for the chair. Initially I was thinking a dark blue chair with white piping, but somehow we ended up with something just a bit different. Navy microsuede with a sky blue piping. The colors are just beautiful and, upon further inspection when we got home, coordinate with and complement our bedding perfectly. I can't wait for everything to arrive. :)
Navy
Sky

Have I even discussed the bedding in this blog yet? Hmm...I need to check that out. If not, that'll be my next post. All about the bedding, untraditional safari theme and the more than adorable elephant and hippo that I've already purchased (the hippo today) for the baby's room. So soft!

It's late, I'm tired and we have church tomorrow. We spent the afternoon at our friend Scott's BBQ. He just landscaped his backyard, and it's gorgeous! And so relaxing! But, thankfully, we got home just in time because the thunderstorms started as soon as we walked in the house. Yikes!

xoxo
V

Happy 2nd trimester to me! :)

Yay! Well, we're here...13 weeks, 3 days. I thought it would take forever to get here, but it seems to have gone quite fast. And I have a feeling 2nd trimester is going to go very fast, as well, because of visitors (Mike's grandparents and my mom in May) and travel plans (going to Alaska in July with the Husband family and my mom). So...time to get serious about getting ready for baby. :)

In an effort to be proactive, I did go yesterday and volunteer at a consignment sale called "Just Between Friends". It's a sale held nationally for maternity, baby and children's clothes and products. So much stuff! For volunteering for 4 hours, I get an early pre-sale pass to shop before the masses. It was fun, but I don't think I'm going back today to shop. First, it's 45 minutes minimum each way (took just over an hour getting home yesterday in rush hour), and I'd have to be near Dulles at 6pm, which for those of you who don't live in the area would be HORRIBLE due to rush hour traffic. Second, I don't think I want to buy used items for Pumpkin. Does that make me a snob!?! ;) I looked and looked yesterday at all the items in hopes of finding something wonderful (steered away from even looking at things like cribs, strollers, car seats, etc (anything that I think seems just safer to buy new)and clothes (because mom and Tia Carmen think it's not going to be necessary)), but I just wasn't able to find anything worth a minimum 45 minute drive (each way). Even the well-loved and taken care of items were just not what I was wanting for our baby. I think I need shiny and new. Is that wrong? I don't think so. :) So...yesterday was fun, but I'm back to looking online for the best prices and sales on NEW items for this little one. I'm absolutley keeping this sale in mind down the road though for both selling and buying items. They have the sale twice a year.

We're shopping this weekend for Baby H. Time to buy the crib, dresser/changing table and glider. It can take as long as 12 weeks (accding to the woman at the store) for the furniture to arrive, which would have it arriving around 25-26 weeks. Since I want to have the whole nursery done by 30 weeks, just in case, it's perfect timing. :) We're also looking at more strollers this weekend since it turns out we're not as settled as I thought on the Stokke. Need to test drive it ourselves after hearing a few iffy reviews. We'll see.

Great news...NT Scan results

We got the call from the midwife this afternoon, and thankfully, all is well. Our Down's Syndrome risk is 1 in 9,441, and the trisonomy 18 and 23(?) risk is 1 in 16,461. Yay!

This feels like one more hurdle crossed for this pregnancy.

13 Weeks, 1 day...

Well, the exciting thing is that by Friday we'll be out of the 1st trimester and into the 2nd. Woot! I've been waiting for this week for the past 10 weeks! And look at the little 3D baby diagram...he looks like a baby instead of a seahorse! Amazing! :)

So, what's baby up to this week:

Your baby can make a fist and even suck his or her thumb this week—both skills that are über-cute during infancy ... and not so much at the age of 9. If you're really lucky, you might catch a glimpse of baby's thumb sucking on an ultrasound photo. That's a framer! Other exciting developments include:

Your baby's eyelids are fused shut to protect his eyes as they develop. His bones and skull are solidifying and soon itsy-bitsy ribs may appear. (Baby ribs! How cute is that?!) Baby's intestines are finally right where you want them—in his or her belly instead of poking out into the umbilical cord (so happy about this because the idea of them in the cord was REALLY FREAKY!). Baby's tooth sockets are all loaded and ready to pop out baby teeth six or seven months after baby is born (causing baby a lot of pain and you a lot of lost sleep)(I just heard of a girl on the board I'm on whose baby was born with one tooth already out! Makes breastfeeding sound scary! :)).

Who's that singing? Elton John? Could be your baby: His vocal cords and larynx are completed now. He won't be able to make any sound yet, however, because sound waves travel through air and baby is submerged in fluid.

Your baby-to-be now weighs about 20 grams (.75 ounces) and is nearly 3 inches long, or about the size of a Nutter Butter, covered in chocolate. OK, it doesn't have to be covered in chocolate, but isn't everything better that way? I've also heard the size of a PEACH...sounds much yummier! And healthier too! :)

*3D Pregnancy

12 Weeks...

Baby's face is looking more human as his eyes have moved to the front of his head and his ears are in place. Hooray! Other amazing fetal highlights this week:

Your baby is able to swallow this week and practices on the amniotic fluid he or she floats in. (And you thought baby food was kind of nasty!) And in case you're wondering how your kid can breathe in all that fluid, here's your answer: Fetuses get oxygen from the blood pumped into their bodies by the placenta and don't breathe with their lungs. Mystery solved!

This is kind of gross, albeit fascinating, so feel free to skip ahead: Your baby's intestines are well under way, but they aren't all where you'd expect them to be. Instead of all being locked away in the body cavity, some are dangling on the outside, in the umbilical cord. They begin to move into their proper place this week.

Don't forget to put a baby nail file on your registry—your little nugget's finger- and toenails are forming this week. The chin and nose are also becoming more defined.

Junior has doubled in size over the past two weeks and now weighs almost ½ ounce. He's also now around 2 ½ inches long, about the length of your pinky finger or a Vienna sausage, which, in a few months, will be indistinguishable from one another. (I've also read a large plum, which I think is way nicer sounding then a vienna sausage).

*3D Pregnancy

Oh boy! That was AWESOME!

So we had our NT Scan yesterday, which is part of the 1st Trimester Screening (testing the probability for Down's and two other chromosomal abnormalities). The total exam consists of a blood test (not bad, just a pin prick on the finger and then filling up 5 lil' dots on the paper with blood -- apparently I'm a "very good bleeder" -- nice!) and then the ultrasound! Our ultrasound tech, Kelly, was so friendly and really patient with showing us everything rather than just rushing through with her measurements (we were with her for an hour!). Apparently the two main things they're looking for during this exam, other than the normal stuff, are the amount of fluid behind the baby's neck and the existence of the nasal bone. We have to wait til the midwife gives us our results at the end of next week, but Kelly seemed to think all looked very good.

Baby H is still measuring right on track at 11w, 3d, just about 2 inches CRL (crown to rump length) and the lil' heartbeat was at 169bpm. It's so nice to know that all is going well in there!

Mike and I both really enjoyed the experience. He kept asking questions ("is that normal?" "what's that?" "um, why's the baby facing a different direction now -- are there TWO!?!"), which would set me into laughter and mess up the pic on the screen. Whoops! But, in the end, we got some great pics. We started with the normal 2d u/s and then switched over to the 3d and 4d u/s. 4d is actually real time video and is absolutely amazing. Baby H spent most of his time lounging back with his lil' ankles crossed but then started moving his little legs and stretching out. So cute!

A BIG surprise: you really aren't supposed to be able to tell the baby's sex until much later (about 16 weeks) even though by the end of the 11th week (from what I've read) the genitals are developed. We went in fully thinking there was no way we'd even get an educated guess at Baby H's gender (Mike had even asked me earlier that morning if we'd be able to, and I assured him he'd have to wait at least another month before we knew anything). Anyway, as we started looking at the 3d u/s things became much clearer (obviously), and Mike with his questions had to ask what a certain lil' something was on the baby. Kelly started laughing and said she was fairly certain that was a penis and scrotum. I was shocked! Not because I've been certain Baby H was a girl (so much for mother's intuition), but because she was even willing to make such a guess so early. After much doubtful questioning from me, she conceded that it is early but if the baby is well developed that they can occasionally tell early on with the new 3d/4d ultrasound equipment (that being said, she was so impressed by Baby H that she mentioned showing the pics to her co-workers for evidence of penis and scrotum between 11 and 12 weeks -- ha ha!). Anyway, she went on to start showing it to us and said she was actually pretty certain when she was looking at the 2d u/s that Baby H was a boy (she went back and showed us a couple of those pics and what she was showing us made sense). So long story short, we think Baby H is a boy; however, even Kelly said we should hold off telling people (yay right-- try keeping Mike quiet after 3 Jack and Cokes at the HH we went to last night!) and not buy any blue until the confirmation in about a month (absolutely!). But it's kind of exciting! As most of you know, Mike has been holding out hope for a little boy even though (so cliche) we both just really want a happy and healthy baby. So I'm happy that he's so happy! Ecstatic is more the word, and quite proud of the development (so far) of his lil' boy's boy parts...now let's hope Baby H doesn't turn out to be a girl. Ha ha!

I mentioned pics...She was more than generous and gave us 10! Awesome, right! I won't bore you with all of them, but here's quite a few. Enjoy!






xoxo-
Vicky

3rd Doctor's Appointment

Our 3rd doctor's appt was today. We met with one of the hospital midwives (Patrice Valle) who was awesome. She's part mexican, spanish and italian, and as she mentioned, looked a lot like me. She came in to the exam room with such a positive energy and fun personality, I couldn't help but enjoy myself. We just went over very basic things, such as my symptoms (minimal), concerns (this non-strenuous work out thing sucks) and determined that I've officially gained 6lb in my first tri. Not bad for someone with an increased appetite, no morning sickness and inability to workout for real.

The highlight: Baby H's heartbeat was heard loud and clear on the doppler at 174-179bpm. Very good and healthy for this point in the pregnancy. I guess the baby's heartbeat gets really fast until about 11 weeks when it starts to decrease and then eventually level out somewhere between 120-160bpm. Yay, Pumpkin! You're doing good.

We scheduled our next doc appt for May 2nd, which is a Saturday. I'll be 14 weeks, 4 days (so out of 1st trimester)!

Next big milestone: NT Scan on Friday. I'll be sure to post pics of our u/s as soon as I have them. And speaking of pics...we finally got the mattress company to send us $160 to replace the camera the delivery people stole. So hopefully I can buy it soon and get on track with taking my weekly belly pics with the nice, new camera. Now to just get the belly. Hmm...

xoxo -
V

Baby Bargains...or not

Baby items can be seriously expensive!

Being the planner and bargain shopper that I am, I have obviously already started looking at everything from nursery items to cloth diapers and comparing and contrasting based on quality, aesthetics, price, etc. Admittedly, I had already started to do this with some things before we even became pregnant, but the search has only increased in recent weeks. I am proud of the fact that I am being quite reasonable with my expectations of what we can afford for Baby H (especially given the current job situation). My goal for all items is safety first, super cute, functional, educational (as applicable) and non-budget breaking. That being said, I think everyone has their vices, and mine is the blessed stroller.



The Stokke Xplory -- truly cutting edge, and I fell in love with it over a year ago. It's wonderful in every way. It is a complete travel system that will grow with Baby H from newborn - 3 years of age. I could rave about it for awhile, but it's easier to just paste text from the Stokke website.

The Height Advantage
The extra seat height and angled design of the Stokke Xplory provides these benefits:

*Your child has a better perspective on his or her surroundings
*You do not need to bend over as much to touch or pick them up
*When dining out or stopping at a café, the XPLORY® doubles as a highchair
*A closer physical connection while strolling

Make no mistake, the XPLORY® is a completely new take on walking strollers. Beyond its eye-catching ergonomic design, the STOKKE® XPLORY® is elegantly simple. It's set up in such a way that you can maintain a close connection with your son or daughter without losing a step.




For the tall Husband (and, by this, I mean Mike):

The height and angle of the XPLORY®'s handle is fully adjustable, meaning that this stroller is excellent for parents of any stature. Thanks to the wide wheelbase, the XPLORY® is very stable and accommodating of taller parents who take long strides. There is also a footbrake for parking

XPLORY® Seating is Safe, Soft, and Secure

The XPLORY® Complete comes with both the standard seat and the bassinet. The standard seat of the XPLORY® is high, reversible, and offers both an adjustable footrest and different recline settings. It also has a retractable sun canopy. These qualities keep your child closer to you while you stroll, promote eye contact, and allow you to tailor their comfort perfectly.

Ideal for infants, the XPLORY® bassinet has a thick padded mattress and a retractable sun canopy.



Your STOKKE® stroller is also a travel system. We carry two car seat adaptors for the XPLORY®, one for Graco infant carseats and another for the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP.

Anyway...I LOVE this stroller! And just had to share it. :)

2nd Appointment...

and apparently still not my first official maternity appt. I'm so confused! Okay, so I guess this is strictly speaking for insurance purposes, but I find it a bit annoying...with maternity benefits, I just pay one $20 copay at my first appt and then no more until the hospital stay, which is $200/night. These last two appts have each been considered gyno appts and had a $30 copay. And I still have the $20/copay at my next appt. Boo!

This appt was fairly quick with another pelvic exam and more labs. This time they took 4 vials of blood. Nice! Have I ever told you that I have fainted before at the sight of blood? So I look away with my eyes shut the whole time. :) The doctor gave Mike and I a bunch of literature to read over before the next appt (cord blood banking, labor options, prenatal yoga, infant classes, etc) and discussed genetic testing options with us. Because I'm under 35 with no family history of genetic disorders, we'll just be doing the NT Scan (1st Trimester Screening) and then won't have to do the CVS or Amnio unless something comes back abnormal or risky from the NT Scan. I am so happy about this since the NT Scan is simply a blood test and ultrasound and does not include the same risks to baby (of miscarriage) as the CVS or Amnio.

Our next appt is not going to be until Monday, April 6th (just over 4 weeks from now) since Mike will be in Korea for 12 days at the end of March for work. The doc tries to see you every 3-4 weeks until the 26th week (and then it becomes every 2 weeks and then every week until delivery). I think Mike's trip is officially March 26th - April 5th (yes, he's getting back on my birthday). I am so excited for him (I'd love to go to Korea!), but I think much of his trip will be on a naval ship. So maybe not so fun...I don't know.

Other than the next doc appt, we're scheduling the NT Scan (ultrasound) for Friday, April 10th (11 weeks, 3 days). The test has to be done between 11 and 13 weeks, and it's recommended to do it on the early side in case you need a CVS which has to be done in the 13th week. I love the idea of Friday, April 10th because it's 2 days before Easter. We're hoping to tell family and friends (other than those who already know) about Pumpkin on Easter. So hopefully all will be well and we'll see him/her on Friday (with a strong lil' heartbeat), and then be able to spill the beans on Sunday since we'll be so close to being out of 1st tri! I can't wait!

I think we're officially out of first tri on April 24th (13 weeks, 3 days).

Off to eat some ice cream! Happy Saturday!

xoxo
V

Baby's 1st Outfit

My mom is too much...in a good way! During a long 4 hour walk on Thurs. into and around Old Town for exercise, and what turned out to be a bit of shopping, we managed to find pumpkin's 1st outfit. And it's perfect! My mom bought it for us at this awesome little "Pink & Brown" organic children's boutique, and I think it may just have to be the perfect outfit for bringing home our October baby from the hospital.

Now that being said, it still makes me a bit nervous to be buying things for our lil' pumpkin. In fact, I'm not buying anything for now. Maybe after the 1st tri? Hmm... But how can I tell my mom "no"? :) We're all so excited!

It was so nice to be able to share this early excitement with my mom here in DC. Having her here this week has been such a blessing! She was able to just hang out with me, help me box up my offices and also talk about pregnancy (she even went with me to get my second blood draw done today (we'll find out the beta # before Tuesday hopefully)). I learned so much from her this week about her own pregnancy experiences. E.g. she had a natural childbirth with me with no pain medicine or intervention. I never knew that! I think that's awesome. I totally plan on trying to do that during this pregnancy. That's a discussion for another day, but basically, I've already started looking up information for Bradley method classes and Hypnobirthing.

It's Friday night at 10:30pm and this pregnant lady is tired and off to bed!

xoxo
V

So much going on between baby and job (or the lack thereof)!

So I was 5 weeks yesterday. Yay! We heard back from the doc that my beta for 17DPO (last Friday) was 500mIU/ml. This is high (avg is 132mIU/ml and the range is something 17-429mIU/ml), but the doc still wants me to come in this Friday for another set of tests to make sure everything is doubling every 48 hours the way it's supposed to. So fingers crossed, prayer prayed.

I decided not to take pics until I'm actually showing (or maybe I'll start at 8 weeks or something), but I did take one last week at 4weeks, 0days just for comparison purposes. Figured I'd get it out of the way before the bloat starts. So...this pic is from 4 weeks, 0 days. I know you love the outfit! This is the type of sexy outfit Mike is able to see me lounge around in on a nightly basis. ;)

I've just started getting what I would call real symptoms. I've had the weird twinges and pulling feeling for about a week, but I'm now plagued by headaches, really sore boobs (thankfully, the "really" sore part is mostly at night) and nausea. No vomiting yet unless throwing up in your mouth counts (yes, gross, I know!), so hopefully I can get away with just a bit of quesiness. But who knows...it's still early. My mom apparently had very bad m/s with me and my brother. Fun times!

Finishing cleaning out my Dechert office today. I cleaned out the Lawyer's Committee office on Monday and most of Dechert yesterday, so just a couple of more drawers and two pro bono memos (to pass the cases to the next "lucky" associate). I also sent my resume to two people this morning who think they can help me out with the job search...so let the fun begin!

xoxo,
V