34 Weeks

Baby Blaire,

You've been with me now for 34 weeks. Sometimes I feel as if the time has flown by. Other times I feel as if I've been pregnant forever. All I know for certain is that I cannot wait to meet you! 

We were given a beautiful shower this weekend. Everyone is already so in love with you and has spoiled you with lots of presents. You have a very full closet of precious clothes waiting to be worn - I sure hope you like to dress up, my girl!  You've got more dresses, rompers, bows, shoes, and hats than any little girl could ever need.

I think you've decided that it's getting boring hanging out in my tummy because you sure do quite a bit of wiggling, rolling, and moving. You're an active little one and your dad and I just love to watch you as you squirm around. I wish I could hold you in my arms so you had more room to move but I know you'll come when you're ready.  Hope you're comfortable in there, little one.

xoxo Your Momma

I know it's not a "bump picture" but I wanted to share my one maternity photo.  I decided against maternity pictures, but my friend (an amazing photographer) wanted to take a few pictures at my shower this weekend. This is what we got in before the rain started to pour down. She did just what I asked and disguised just how big I am these days. Thanks so much JP for hiding most of my jiggly bits & making me look so much better than  I do! 

Now on with the update.

How Far Along: 34 weeks

Gender: A girl! Blaire Harper

Size of baby: According to my BabyCenter emails, she's approximately four and three quarters pounds and 18 inches long. It boggles my mind that she's that big!

Total Weight Gained: I think it's time to stop answering this question. If you saw my post on the four cartons of ice cream in my freezer, you understand why.

Maternity Clothes: Oh yes, I've even started to outgrow some of them. That's quite a hit on the ego when a maternity item starts feeling snug. I swear some of that stuff is not meant for the 3rd trimester. At least, that's what I tell myself.

Movement: She's moving so much now and it feels so strange. One night I was quite certain she'd had enough and had decided to claw her way out through my belly button, Alien style. It was hilarious - and just a little bit creepy.

Sleep: Sleep is getting tough. I wake up many times a night to turn over and try to get comfortable.  More nights than not, I'll wake up for a couple hours in the middle of the night. I almost always get back to sleep after so it's not so bad. Certainly nothing compared to what lies ahead!

What I miss: I wouldn't trade a thing I'm missing for Baby B! But I do miss my face. It's buried under three chins and puffy cheeks. Looking forward to getting that back. :)

Cravings: I'm not consistently craving anything these days. Still love my cereal and ice cream. I'll miss having those every day when I get back on the WW bandwagon.

Aversions: With the exception of the swampy Florida heat, not a thing!

Symptoms: A sore lower back. Feet that puff up by the end of the day. Disappearing ankles. Unjustified, occasional crabbiness. Nesting.

Best Moment this Week: The amazing shower my family and friends hosted for us. It was so fun to spend time with everyone and see how much they love Blaire already.

Confession Session

I did a bad, bad thing at Target this weekend and for once, it has nothing to do with the amount of the bill on the way out. 

In this week's ad, Target has cartons of Edy's ice cream on sale for $2.99. They're usually about $5.00 at my grocery store.  Score - great deal on something I buy all the freakin' time. But even  better (worse?), if you buy five (FIVE!) cartons of ice cream, you get a $5 Target gift card. 

Knowing all this, the rational thing to do would have been to avoid the ice cream aisle altogether or, at worst, buy one carton of ice cream.

What did I do?  I bought five cartons of ice cream.  Of course.

Does it help at all that they are all light ice cream and that I gave one to my sister?  No? Yeah, I didn't think it would...

Need Your Two Cents

Help! My brain is going a mile a minute with baby related thoughts and questions. Things are getting down to the wire - or so it seems to this first time mom-to-be. The reality is that we have 45 days until baby girl's due date and LOTS still to be done.  Heaven help me if she decides to come early. Or late for that matter. I honestly can't decide which is scarier at this point.

Anyway, I need advice.  

I was given a beautiful baby shower this weekend (a post to come as soon as I get pictures from my amazingly talented friend Jenny, who photographed the shower).  We were given so many generous, beautiful gifts and I am beyond grateful. However, a few things remain which we have not yet purchased or been given. Problem is, I'm not sure which of those things are necessities and which I should wait to purchase to see whether I'll actually need them. I know there's no right or wrong answer but if you have any advice from your own experience, please share it. I'd be grateful for the opinions.

Things to buy (or not):

• Swing
• Nursing Cover
• Breast pump - Some say buy it and bring it to the hospital, others say wait and see how nursing goes. What's your advice?
• Nursing bras - How on earth do I know what size to buy?!?! I'm guessing they'll get bigger. (GAH!)Should I buy one or two to get started or wait?
• Diaper changing pad cover - I know it's a must but how many do I need?
• Crib sheets - I have two. How many more do I need?
• Toys - How early will she be entertained by toys hanging from her car seat or stroller? When will she need/want toys to grasp? How many do I need to start?

Is there anything you needed right away but didn't think of before hand? Babies R Us is right around the corner but I'd like to be as prepared as possible.

On a different note, what is your opinion on taking a childbirth class?  We've heard from some friends that it wasn't very helpful or informative and had decided to skip it. I've read lots of baby books and figure the doctors and nurses at the hospital will help us through the process.  But now I'm starting to feel like a loser parent. For $100 and a Saturday, maybe we should just suck it up and go on the off chance we learn something.  Did you go? Was it helpful?

I've been warned that being pregnant comes with lots of unsolicited advice, but in this case it is very much wanted. Please send your opinions & advice my way. Thanks for the help!

on the bright side

Things That Make Me Happy: Pregnancy Edition. (Other titles considered: Wherein I Take Some Crappy Blackberry Pictures and Call It a Post and Diary of a Lazy, Hungry Girl)

half-caf vanilla lattes

expectant mother parking

comfy flats

peanut m&ms

What's making you happy today?

Happy Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to all the dads! 

While Brian isn't a dad quite yet, I couldn't let the day go by without acknowledging his dad-to-be status. Brian is out of town this weekend, so I gave him his Father's day gift on Friday.

What was in the bag?  Well, you might remember that my husband has a fondness for a certain condiment.  More accurately, the man LOVES ketchup. 

His 30th birthday ketchup cake.

I thought that love might pass from father to daughter.  So, I ordered this onesie for Blaire as a little Dad's day joke/gift.

If you look closely, the label says "Blaire" and "11" - the year of her birth.

Brian loved his gift. I know there are so many things he can't wait to share with Blaire. I'm sure a love of ketchup is somewhere on that list. :)

32 Weeks

Holy moly, where has the time gone?!?! Today I'm 32 weeks pregnant with little miss Blaire. I can't believe she'll be here in just about eight weeks.

There's still so much to do!  Her crib and glider were ordered ages ago but won't arrive for a few more weeks. The crib bedding arrived on Tuesday but it was wrong and had to be sent back to be changed. We have to find a pediatrician, finish reading the baby books, and do about 100 other things I'd list if it didn't stress me so to see what I've already mentioned.

My stomach is growing and so is everything else. I hardly recognize the puffy face I see in the mirror. My lower back is in a constant state of achiness and it's getting harder and harder to hoist myself off the couch and out of bed.  I'm drinking lots of water to stay hydrated. Consequently, I spend half my days at the office walking to and from the bathroom. Some days my wedding rings fit, other days they feel tight so I leave them at home. My belly button is still an "innie."  This makes me happy, though I'm not sure why.  Overall, I feel so lucky to have had such an easy, uneventful pregnancy. I hope I can say the same about these last eight weeks.  

I'm incredibly excited.  I cannot wait to meet the sweet little girl who has been rolling around in my belly for the last 8 months. I'm so in love with her already and can't wait until she's in my arms. I know she still needs to cook a bit longer so I don't wish for her arrival just yet but I am counting down the days. 

Here's a little peek at Blaire and me this week.

Bathroom self-portrait strikes again. This one was taken at the hotel during our girls' staycation this weekend, which I should probably get to blogging about one of these days.

How Far Along: 32 weeks

Gender: A girl! Blaire Harper

Size of baby: According to my BabyCenter emails, she's approximately three and three quarters pounds and 16-17 inches long.

Total Weight Gained: At last check (four weeks ago) it was 24 pounds. There are still 8 weeks left so I'm scared to see how high that number will climb! Weight Watchers and I have a date for September.

Maternity Clothes: Definitely. I wear dresses almost exclusively, as they're just more comfortable. It is too hot in Florida to wear pants while 8 months pregnant!

Movement: She's quite the little mover! When we went in for an ultrasound at 30 weeks, she was breech. We went back in a week later and she had flipped to head down. In some of the ultrasound pictures she has her feet behind her head or in front of her face. She's always moving back and forth between my left and right sides. I'm sure eventually she'll run out of room to be so active but right now she's moving quite a bit.

Sleep: Hasn't been too bad lately. I wake up a few times a night but I'm sure that's about to become our new normal.

What I miss: I wouldn't trade a thing I'm missing for Baby B! That said, I miss my back not aching constantly. And a cold beer sounded so good on Memorial Day!

Cravings: I'm still a big fan of cereal but I haven't been craving anything specific lately.

Aversions: With the exception of the swampy Florida heat, not a thing!

Symptoms: A sore lower back.

Best Moment this Week: Seeing Blaire on the 3d ultrasound. So fun!

crabby pants

Crabby pants.

No, not those. Those are lobster pants. Totally different. And completely ridiculous. What would you do if you showed up for a first date and the guy was wearing those pants?  Can you imagine? I'd die laughing. (If your husband/boyfriend/brother/dad owns these pants, please don't hate me. Surely we can agree to disagree about the merits of lobster pants, yes?)

I'm talking about me. I've got a major case of crabby pants. I'm feeling like a big, fat grump. I know blogs are supposed to be happy and upbeat. It's usually all puppies and sparkles and rainbows.  And that's fine. I like that. No one wants to read about someone whining all the time. 

But today, I don't feel like talking about puppies or rainbows or sparkles. I'm thumbing my nose at convention and I'm going to complain. I feel like bitchin' so I'm going to do it! Nothing major or even particularly serious, because honestly - life is good. But who doesn't have a few things on their bitch list now and then? So, let's talk about what's chapping my ass today. 

*I ordered the bedding for Blaire's crib six weeks ago and have been eagerly awaiting its arrival. It came yesterday and it was wrong. Unfortunately, it was a custom order so they can't just send another immediately. I have to send it back and wait a few more weeks it to be fixed.

* I had a client ask me today "How much weight have you gained since you've been pregnant?"  (My vanity requires that I tell you that he asked me this over the phone, so luckily it wasn't my giant arse and puffy face that inspired the question. I might have cried had he asked in person.) But seriously, are you flippin' kidding me, mister?  How on earth is that your business?!?! When I told him I'd gained "an appropriate amount" in an attempt to end the questioning quickly, he acted insulted I hadn't offered up a number. And brought it up twice more before the conversation was over. Jackwad.

* Some people need a lesson in Bathroom Etiquette 101.  Particularly, the rule which shall henceforth be known as the "One Stall Buffer."  (Many thanks to my friend Shana for perfectly labeling this important issue of the day.)  As I am sure you are all aware because you are not weirdos, there is an unspoken rule that whenever possible, you do not select a bathroom stall directly next to an occupied stall.  Because that's just creepy.  In a full bathroom - sure. Take whatever stall is available. But when a person walks into a large bathroom and selects the stall directly next to the only other occupied stall in the restroom, they have issues. It's like getting on a nearly empty bus and choosing the seat next to the only other person on the bus. I'm considering posting a sign in my office bathroom explaning the One Stall Buffer rule to those few who clearly need the lesson.

*  I'm still bummed they cancelled Studio 60 - four years ago.

* Why do I see so much bad, bad baby clothing?  I swear some of this stuff looks like it's made for baby prostitutes. You know, if there was such a thing. Maybe I'm a prude, but some of these lacy romper things I'm seeing on Etsy and in baby photographs look like lingerie.  Throw in some leopard or zebra print and you've got a baby streetwalker. And I hate the onesies with the stereotypical sayings on them, like "Born to Shop" for a little girl or "Lock Up Your Daughters" for a boy. As if all girls are destined to be shopping ditzes and boys will become womanizing jerks. I know it's just a shirt so really not a big deal in the grand scheme of things but it just frustrates me how early gender roles and stereotypes are put upon kids. (Reading that last sentence sort of makes me hate myself. I sound like one of those jackasses who can't take a joke. Gah! But that's the way I feel, so there it is.)

* It's been approximately 912 degrees and 318% humidity for a solid week now. Florida and I are over - until November.

* I drove around for two weeks with the A/C in my car not working properly because I assumed it was "just me." I'd get in the car and crank up the air and wonder why the heck I was still sweating when I got home. I figured it was just taking me longer to cool down because I'm pregnant and, well, huge. This weekend, my sister rode in the car with me and confirmed it was not just me and that the air definitely wasn't working right. So I brought the car in and sure enough, a leaky valve and low coolant. Who knows how long I would have driven around sweating my butt off if someone else hadn't confirmed the A/C wasn't working.

* The word epic is chronically overused.

Okay, that's more than enough bitching. I do feel a smidge better getting some of that off my chest. Complaining about things of very little consequence is quite therapeutic.  Try it!  Leave me a comment and tell me what's bugging you today. We can all whine together!

If you found this post obnoxious, I don't blame you. My apologies. I'll be back in the morning with a better attitude.

Stationery Situation

Friends, I need your help. I need some etiquette advice and there's no time to write Miss Manners.  My question is related to stationery. Specifically, flat vs. folded note cards.  Here's my etiquette query:

Are flat note cards appropriate for thank you notes? 

I've seen some adorable flat note cards but I wonder when they'd be appropriate to use. Can you send a thank you note on a flat card or should they be reserved for more casual correspondence?  

How cute are these flat notes from Preppy Paper Girl?

Love these classic note cards from Minted

A second question, which I think calls for opinions rather than etiquette guidance, but maybe not...  I'm ordering thank you cards to send friends and family for all the sweet gifts we're receiving for baby Blaire.  I was considering putting her monogram on the thank you cards.  Is this appropriate? Strange? Can a baby have her own stationery?   

If you have any answers or advice for my stationery quandary, please help! 

Perplexed by paper,

Mel

Happy Feet

First, I just have to say a big "thank you!" for your sweet comments on Baby B's name.  I'm so glad so many of you love it as much as we do - or that you were sweet and polite enough to pretend that you do - even if you don't.  So thank you! 

We have a huge deal closing at work tomorrow and it's swallowing me whole right now, but I want to quickly share a few things that are making my feet very happy right now.  And at 31 weeks pregnant in 90+ degree weather, that's no small feat! (Terrible pun not intended.)

Essie's California Coral Polish

I love this coral shade for summer!  It's getting harder to see my feet but when I catch a glimpse, I remember how much I love this color. 

Tory Burch Eddie Flats

After lots of searching for a pair of versatile, comfortable flats to wear to the office, I finally caved and bought the pair I'd had my eye on all along. And I am so glad that I did.  These might be the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned. The leather is incredibly soft and the soles feel like you're wearing slippers. Worth every penny!  

Happy Hump Day!

B stands for...

To say that we thought long and hard about our daughter's name would be an understatement. Like many women, I've been thinking about what I'd name my future children for quite a while - long before we were ever contemplating a family. To be honest, long before I was ever married. Middle school, maybe? What girl hasn't engaged in a purely hypothetical round of "What would you name your future children?" with her girlfriends?  It was always fun to think about and seemed so easy to choose the perfect name.

Choosing a name for our non-hypothetical, very real baby was much harder! We wanted something we both loved and hopefully a name she would like too.  (We knew we'd never find a name everyone would love and that was just fine by us. We just wanted something the three of us would be happy with.)  We both like fairly traditional names but agreed we didn't want anything too common or trendy. However, we also didn't want to stick our daughter with an unusual name that would get her teased or constantly questioned about its origin or pronunciation. I never had the experience, but I imagine having to explain or pronounce your name on the first day of school every year (or later, at every job interview or cocktail party) grows tiresome.

We made lists of names and pored over them repeatedly. We'd take turns vetoing names suggested by the other for various reasons. Some of my favorite reasons given by my husband for disliking names I'd suggested: "Sounds like an old lady," "I had a drunk fraternity brother with that name. No way can I name my daughter that," and my favorite, "That's not a name, that's a beer." 

After months of discussion, we finally decided on our daughter's name. It should be pointed out that my husband knew what he wanted to name her and didn't so much require the lists and the discussion but indulged me anyway. Bless his sweet, patient heart. He never once complained about my list making and never pressured me to decide. He knew I'd get there eventually. And finally, I did. 

Our little girl has a name. 

Blaire Harper

We just love it. I think it's beautiful and I know she will be too.  We can't wait to meet Blaire in just about 9 weeks.

Menu Monday

I was hoping to get a post together announcing Baby B's name today but didn't get to it. Instead, you're stuck with my menu for the week. Sorry - I know that's no where near as fun as baby names.

I'll get my act together tonight and write the baby name post while I watch my Gator's women's softball team compete in the College World Series. (If you don't follow me on Twitter, you may not know that I've developed quite the obsession interest in college softball. Strange, I know. But these ladies are amazing. So talented. I love watching the games, even more so because my Gators have been playing so well and are now playing in the Championship Series against Arizona State.) Anyway, Go Gators! Name announcement to come tomorrow. 

 Without further ado...and by ado, I mean rambling, the menu for the week:

Monday:  Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato and Avocado Sandwiches and Ina's Tomato Feta Pasta Salad (minus the olives)

Tuesday:  Lemon Chicken with Rice Pilaf and Green Beans

Wednesday:  Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops with Goat Cheese Polenta (I'm combining two Cooking Light recipes for the chops and winging it on the polenta. I'll share recipes if it turns out.)

And that's it.  Thursday we'll do left overs because I'll be working late and I never cook on Fridays.

Yeah, I really just posted two recipes and called it a post.  Pathetic. But I just had to get something up - I felt bad about not getting the name announcement done. 

Hope you're all having a good Monday!

New York State of Mind

I can't get NYC off the brain. At a time when most people's vacation thoughts have turned to white sandy beaches, palm trees, and frozen tropical drinks, I'm yearning for the concrete jungle. Don't get me wrong, I love a resort pool and a cabana boy just as much as the next girl but living where I do, I can get that 9 months out of the year. It's been warm and sunny here since March. I've had lots of pool days. What I'm craving is an amazing meal, a Broadway show, a shoe department a city block long, and a day spent wandering the Met.

I'm dying to see The Book of Mormon.

I've heard fantastic things about this show and must see it.

And at the top of my list for amazing meals, I'm craving Angelo's Rigatoni with Vodka Sauce.

Forget what you think you know about pasta with vodka sauce. This is something entirely different and far superior to any dish I've ever had bearing that name. Next time you're in New York City, I insist you go to Little Italy and eat at Angelo's on Mulberry Street. And after dinner, go around the corner to Ferara's and get a cannoli.

Also on my NYC dream list, a cupcake from Crumbs...or two. 

Crumbs really needs to expand into Florida. They do ship their sinfully good cupcakes - unfortunately the shipping is twice as much as the cupcakes themselves.

Seeing as how I'm 7 1/2 months pregnant, I don't think my husband is going to agree to take me trekking through the streets of NYC but a girl can dream...

What vacation destination are you dreaming about?

Somewhat Random But Mostly Baby-Related Thoughts

Sorry if things are getting a little one-note around here, but the truth is that other than work, my thoughts tend to revolve around all things baby these days. I know this isn't of interest to some of you...but it probably won't change any time soon. In fact, I suspect it will only get more baby-centric around here once she arrives and I have pictures. You've been warned. :) 

* I may or may not be dressed like a pregnant skank today.  I thought I looked okay when I left the house this morning but upon arriving at the office I started to feel like my dress is a bit too short. Lesson learned: belly gets bigger = dress gets shorter. Add in a somewhat borderline-acceptable neckline (the bump isn't the only thing getting bigger) and, well, you have a pregnant skank.  And....I just got word I have to attend a business meeting tonight. Someone's going home to de-skankify at lunch.

* On Saturday, I'm taking my little sister, Jill, to see Taylor Swift for her birthday.  My "little" sister is 29. I'm 30. Judge if you must, but we are going and we are excited.

We may also be the only people there over age 18 not chaperoning tweens... With what we expect will be a largely teen audience and the occasional supervising parent, Jill is excited at the prospect of finally waiting less than 20 minutes for a beer at a concert. I can't say I blame her. 

* We had our 3D ultrasound yesterday. Most importantly to her daddy, we confirmed she is, in fact, a little girl. However, Little Miss B was a stinker and did not cooperate with having her picture taken. She is currently breech and the sonographer said that usually makes it very difficult to get good images. She kept her left arm over the left side of her face the entire time and would not move it. We think maybe she prefers to be photographed from her right side - such a diva. We never saw her left eye. (Perhaps our girl's a pirate? Or hiding a Mike Tyson, Hangover II inspired tattoo?) At other times, she had both hands and feet in front of her face. Silly girl! We did get a couple pictures of 2/3 of her face and we think she is just beautiful - of course! Luckily, my doctor's office said we could come back and try again to get a better picture of her entire face.

* I need a lesson in food photography. I have made some awesome dinners & desserts which I want to share with you but my pictures come out so terribly, I'm embarrassed to post them. I'm sure I can Google for some tips, but does anyone have a website, blog or other tutorial in food photography they recommend? 

* This is the latest delicious recipe I tried and failed to photograph with any success - Strawberry Summer Cake.  (If you want to see amazing food photography, follow the link and check out Smitten Kitchen's photographs. Unbelievable the difference between her picture of the cake and mine.) This cake was a breeze to make and so yummy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. It's the perfect dessert for a summer bbq.

* My list of "must have" etsy items is a mile long. There are some seriously adorable baby items out there. Maybe one of these days I'll put together a post of all the cute shops and things I've found.

* Maternity photos - yes or no?  I'm inclined to say no for the following reasons: a) I feel like a whale. b) what the heck do I do with them afterwards? I don't need a framed photo of my large self in my living room, thankyouverymuch. and c) I'm an awkward duck when it comes to having my picture taken. That said, one of my good friends is an amazing photographer and I'm confident she would take some very adorable, non-cheesy maternity photos. Will I regret it if I don't do them?  (You should know, I'm not super sentimental. Exhibit A, I sold my wedding dress. Without a second thought.)  Advice is appreciated.

Happy Thursday!**

**Though, for me, not quite as happy without Parks & Recreation, 30 Rock, and The Big Bang Theory. With very little new tv to watch, I need to get my summer reading list prepared.