Come On Now.

I've been having more and more contractions... getting used to them now unfortunately. I thought I was heading into labor a few times this week, but the contractions have proven to be teasers.

I'm not sure what the deal is with my sleep habits, but it's been impossible for me to sleep at night. Friday I fell asleep at 7:30AM after a night filled with bathroom trips and contractions that almost made me buckle over. Since then they've been inconsistently coming. Hopefully they'll gain some rhythm soon, as I am ready to meet this little man of ours!

Jory has been very patient with me and my cranky moments, which seem to happen more often as time progresses. He is wonderful about making dinner, getting me beverages, helping me out of the bath and any other little request I have.

I have a few little-itty-bitty stretch marks but nothing like I thought I would have. My belly is completely stretch mark free, which I can thank my mother for since they say it's genetic. The other little ones will likely disappear after the baby is born and this weight starts to come off.

My due date is in 10 days and although I think he's going to be early, I really don't care when he comes as long as I can get a full night's sleep beforehand.

We are both getting very excited and can't wait to be parents. The last 9.5 months have been quite an experience for us and has brought us closer than I ever thought it could. Every day I feel thankful for the wonderful man in my life and how lucky we are to have each other. I can't wait to see Jory with his son as I know he is beyond excited and will be an amazing father.

Now... hurry up baby!

Staying Away from the Bad Stuff

I have about 3 months to go (I know!) and I've already gained a lot of weight with this pregnancy. Although the doctor didn't say I'm fat, she did suggest that I exercise more and watch my calorie intake.

I am trying my damnedest to eat healthy and stay away from the high calorie and no-no foods, such as white flours, high sugar foods and fried foods. I was eating very healthy last week but kept finding myself starving, even after a large meal. There was almost no fat in my diet. Tara suggested I have a little fat in my meals to make me feel full longer.

I decided to start off today with a frittata. I got up early on this beautiful Sunday and started cooking. It worked. I wasn't chomping-at-the-bit 20 minutes after I ate. I had a bunch of energy after eating, thus making it possible to have a productive day. And I made enough to have left-overs for breakfast the next few days.

My fritatta included eggs, chicken apple sausage, zucchini, scallions, a yellow onion, fresh spinach, sea salt, black pepper and a *little* bit of cheese on top.

Don't be a crappy friend.

Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I have the plague or that I'm no longer capable of hanging out and maintaining friendships. My level of existence didn't change. I may not be capable of hiking or power walking but I am still able to be a friend. And I still have feelings.

I think that when people have friends that are having children, they think their friends will no longer be interested in being human beings with social lives. This is not the case. I don't want to be left out because I'm pregnant. I don't want to stop being invited out.

I understand that there are some stages in pregnancy that ladies are less likely to be out and about. But that doesn't mean we want to be made to feel like there's something wrong with us. Don't drop out of our lives. Don't stop including us and inviting us. It's nice to be thought about, even if it is unlikely we are able to participate. A friend just invited me to her rollerskating party. She knew I wouldn't be skating. But you know what? It's pretty incredible that she was still thoughtful enough to think about me and include me in her birthday events.

And have some patience, please? For all the time I have listened to my friends talk about their love lives (or lack of), finances, animals, jobs and other random occurrences in their lives, I don't think it's too much to ask that a dear friend listen as I talk about the most important, substantial thing I have ever done in my life. Especially when it's pretty much... a miracle. Support would be appreciated. Don't feel like hearing it? Then you probably shouldn't be a part of my life. Because the most important thing in my life is no longer me.

My friend Stephanie sent me a link to a great article. If you have a friend that plans on having a child soon, it might be beneficial to read this:
Rocking Aunt and Uncle hood.

Quinoa!!

Let's keep it real here. It's not easy to eat your healthiest while you're pregnant. I will see something I know I shouldn't eat, but end up "needing" it. Like the Skittles I had at around 10:00AM (I must add, they were only a small Halloween fun size). I had barely any issues keeping my food decisions controlled before baby and hope that gift returns after Cooper is born.

One awesome thing about having a sister-in-law with a degree in dietetics, is that there's no shortage of influence when it comes to making amazing, healthy dishes. Even more awesome? Is having her live next door. Tara is one of the best cooks I know and I'm not just saying that because she's family. She constantly keeps me intrigued with food and helps give me new ideas when healthy just sounds... blah. I'm waiting for her to start a food blog. (Do it Tara. Do it.)

After one of our weekly work out groups about 6 months ago (I attended these regularly before becoming impregnated), Tara oh-so-effortlessly threw together a salad that I will never forget. I tried to mimic the salad tonight and although it wasn't as incredible as the original, it was pretty damn delicious. I changed it up a little, as there were a few ingredients I didn't have.

I made a pot of quinoa with fresh zucchini, diced shallots, garlic and onions. After the quinoa was done cooking, I threw in a can of black beans and some sea salt. Quinoa is one of my favorite foods and I can thank my dear friend Elayne for introducing me to it.




Then in a separate bowl I tossed a handful of baby spinach with a very small amount of the best salad dressing EVAR (Newman's Own Light Sun Dried Tomato Dressing). I added a large scoop of the quinoa and topped the heavenly concoction with some unsalted sliced almonds.

Even after 6.5 months, I'm still learning how to fulfill my pregnancy cravings for amazing food while keeping it healthy, so my baby gets as much nutrients as possible. More to come.

The Fury of a Thousand Ninjas

I'm quite disappointed in myself. These Converse All Star BOOTS have existed without me knowing it for a while now. I'm not sure how long they've been around, but I caught my first glimpse of them yesterday at Doumit on Park Street. I have to say, it was a jaw dropping experience. I couldn't believe how amazing they were and would have purchased them if all my money wasn't being hoarded away for my maternity leave. I have been wanting a pair of wrestling boots, but this far surpasses the amount of "Fucking-Awesome" that wrestling boots possess. AND they zip up the back. Gimme.

That is what has been on my fuzzy mind all morning and my mind has been beyond fuzzy today. We had a new experience last night. Usually I fall asleep with no issues but then end up waking multiple times in the night. Last night however, I was not able to fall asleep until about 1:30 AM.

Cooper was kicking with the fury of a thousand ninjas. I have never felt him as active as he was last night. It was non-stop, for hours on end. When I woke up to pee, I'd get an intense reminder that he was still there and not going anywhere fast. It was entertaining at first but then it just didn't stop. I'm quite happy to know that he is in there, having a good time, albeit his mother's comfort and sleep patterns are severely compromised. Today while at work there's been a pretty busy day in the uterus as well. It almost seems as if the little guy doesn't sleep. It used to be that I could only feel him while sitting at my desk or laying down. Now I can feel him while I'm standing. This kid is going to be a moose.

Such a Handsome Little Guy...

We had our 20-22 week ultrasound today and I am happy to report that Cooper is doing great! I was a little concerned this week after not feeling him for a few days, but he was in there moving like crazy and being as cute as he could be.

All of Cooper's major organs looked great. His heart, brain, kidneys, bladder and spine are all forming perfectly and he was drinking when we first started spying on him. We confirmed that he is indeed a boy (thank goodness). We were able to see his fuzzy hair as well, although he will probably lose most of it after he is born. Cooper has his dad's head and lips. We were able to see much more on the screen that we can in our printed photos.

While in the middle of the ultrasound, I started feeling very hot and eventually a huge wave of dizziness kicked in. Before I knew it, the mirror I was using to look at the monitor was shaking in my hand. I asked the sonographer to please take a break right before I started to gag and saw only black. I thought I was going to faint laying down. This is why they tell you not to lay on your back after 16 weeks. The weight of the baby and uterus rests on major veins that run from you heart to your legs, the aorta and vena cava. I knew it was important to avoid laying on the back, but I didn't realize it would cause such an intense reaction. The sonographer told us why I had lost all my color and had me lay on my left side as she put wet rags on my neck and head. Eventually the feeling that my world was caving in faded and we were able to continue on my side... while I flashed my unmentionables to my mother-in-law. I suppose she will have to get used to it if she will be in the delivery room :)

Here is our incredibly handsome little boy:

Liars.

I have been quite positive about my pregnancy but today I'm going to rant a little.

Who ever came up with the idea that the second trimester is a walk in the park was high as fuck and completely delusional. Perhaps it's just me and everyone else in their second trimester is shitting skittles and content with everything... but this is no breeze and I do not appreciate the false hope.

Granted, the first trimester was worse, but where's the energy I was supposed to get back? Why the hell is the nausea still lurking around every corner? Constant back pain? And what the fuck is up with not being able to sleep at ALL? And the agonizing leg cramps that pop up at all hours of the night. I thought this stuff was reserved for the last trimester, when I became a hippo.

And the whole "walk 30 minutes a day" thing? Screw you. If I could walk more than a mile without thinking I was going to collapse, I would.

I'm just about half way through the pregnancy and I know I've had it easier than many women. I get a second wind at about 6:00, but that's only if I am able to rest immediately after work. But the work day is brutal. At lunch I sit on my couch and wonder how the hell I'm going to complete the day. I do it, with a smile, but that doesn't mean it's easy.

That being said, I know that none of it will matter when I see my sweet baby boy. I know that I'd be more than willing to do it all again. But all those pregnancy book writers are full of shit.