Mmmmm Donuts

I think this baby girl has my sweet tooth because everytime I eat something sweet, she gets VERY active. Either that, or I'm giving her an outrageous sugar high and she's kicking me for it, haha! I just came back from lunch with Jessie (where we both ate sensible salads, thank you very much) and discovered a bevy of sugary delights in the cafe at work. Well, of course I couldn't pass up the custard-filled powdered sugar donut- that would just be. . . wrong.

So I scarfed it down and sat back at my desk waiting for the acrobatics to begin. She didn't disappoint. Sometimes I think I might subconsciously eat sugar JUST to feel her move and kick because I love it so much. Feeling her summersaults is a reminder that there are things far, far more important than work politics, deadlines and the constant (losing) battle to make everyone happy. I've always heard that having a baby gives you a new perspective on things, and it's already ringing true for me.

Baby bedding options

We originally chose some baby bedding from Pottery Barn Kids, but after reading some negative reviews and ratings about the quality and safety concerns, we decided to start our search over. This was disappointing, considering many of the bedding options for girls involve ladybugs, dragonflies, butterflies or flowers- none of which are really our thing. Also, we wanted to do green or blue walls, so that limited our choices even further. So after exhausting all the stores and the internet, we've narrowed down our options to the three collections below. Which do you like the best?

Love birds/colorful damask:


Nursery rhyme toile:


Pink and green damask:

Nursery Furniture

Ryan and I ventured to Manassas to check out the Baby 2 Teen store on Saturday. We had heard this store had a HUGE selection and we were not disappointed. When we walked in the door, the lady behind the front desk took one look at us and asked "First time here?" I guess the glazed deer-in-the-headlights look gave us away.

This store was amazing! There were so many options and the owner of the store herself personally walked us around to suggest furniture collections. She even talked us out of a more expensive crib because she didn't feel like you could attach the bumper properly (i.e. safely) and said she would be replacing the crib in the showroom with the new model.

By the end, we ordered the Munire Essex collection in white. We got the convertible crib, double 6-drawer low dresser (which will double as a changing table) and nightstand. The image below has the other dresser, but you get the picture.



This brand got a really good rating in the Baby Bargains book and we spent as much as we would have on the other set from Babies R Us, so I think we made the right choice. Now we just have to decide on bedding. . .

Bring on the PINK!

My and Josh's friend from work, Amanda, bought the baby an adorable little outfit- her first pink outfit actually! It will be perfect for those chilly fall evenings. When I saw the shoes at Target, I just couldn't pass them up. I can't wait to see her in this!

The good, the bad and the ugly

So, the good news is that we get to see our girl again in 4 short weeks! I'm really excited because I didn't think we'd have another ultrasound. So now the bad news (don't panic Mom, it's not that bad): the reason we're having another ultrasound is that they found a choroid plexus cyst in her brain during our last ultrasound and they want to monitor it. In addition, I'm at risk, albeit slight, for incompetent cervix, so they want to keep an eye on that as well. They're not very concerned about the cyst because they haven't found any other abnormalities and believe it's just part of her brain developing, but it's best to keep close watch.

And now for the ugly. It's official, I have sciatica. You might wonder why this is "ugly" but just ask Ryan. The positions I contort into and the expression on my face when that nerve gets compressed are certainly NOT prety. The excruciating shooting pain in my lower back was diagnosed this morning. Luckily, the stretches and yoga I've been doing have really helped and it's much better this week. It could hold off like this or it could come back with a vengence. Unfortunately, if it comes back, there's not much I can do but deal with the pain. So definitely no more heavy lifting or physical exertion for me. . . darn. ;o)

Halfway There!

We spent our Saturday registering at Buy Buy Baby and Babies R Us. We didn't really mean to. We were actually going to look at furniture, but when we didn't find what we were looking for, we figured "What the heck, we're here." I'm sure we missed some things, but at least it's a start. We still need to find furniture we like, so we'll be going out this week to see what's out there. We've pretty much decided we want to do white furniture and, after going back and forth, I don't think we're going to do convertible furniture. It's certainly nice to be able to go from a crib to a toddler bed to a full bed all in one piece of furniture, but I'm afraid a full size bed would take up so much space in the room, there won't be any room for toys. And that's just not a kids room. In the meantime, here are some updated bump pictures:

Blog Makeover

You might have noticed that things look a bit different on the blog. I gave it a girly makeover in honor of our little lady! Thanks to my stepmom for the great suggestion. This is definitely more fitting. :)

"Knock Knock Mommy, I'm Here!"

That's basically the message our little lady sent me this afternoon when I started to feel a strange knocking-like spasmy feeling coming from inside my belly. I've never felt anything quite like this before, so I'm pretty sure it's not your everyday run-of-mill stomach gurgles. It's the craziest feeling- pretty awesome, but also really weird. I mean, there's something moving in my abdomen. I had felt this little knocking before, but it was so quick and intermittent that I was never really sure of what I was feeling. Well I don't think there's much doubt after today. She was pretty riled up after lunchtime, and she let me know it.

So, I hear you baby girl and you just made my day! I mean, it's the least you can do for taking up residence on the nerve in my lower back, right? :)

It's a. . . .

GIRL!!! We're having a little baby girl! The ultrasound technician seemed pretty confident when she saw the 4 little dots (that and there was a distinct LACK of boy parts). One of the first things Ryan said was that she wouldn't be allowed to date- HA! He's already a protective daddy and she's not even here yet. We're both absolutely thrilled with this news, and we can't wait to welcome this little lady into our family!

Time to Prepare

"A winning effort begins with preparation."
- Joe Gibbs

The marketer in me decided that the best way to tackle (no pun intended based on the quote above) this whole baby registry business (i.e. figuring out exactly WHAT to register for) was to conduct a survey of new moms with children ages 2 and under and analyze the data to determine the optimal products based on user feedback. In other words, I asked a bunch (probably 10-12) of my friends with kids what specific brands they use, what was worth getting, what wasn't, etc.

What I learned was pretty interesting. Every single person recommended Pampers Swaddlers diapers—some even tried other brands and went back to these because they were the best (softest, no leaks, etc.) Most respondants who use a pump at work recommended the Medela Pump In Style. Nearly everyone said activity mats and jumperoos/exersaucers were worth getting but bouncers and swings weren't. (Incidentally, I scored a free bouncer from a friend during this process and will be borrowing a swing from another—a much better deal than paying $50 and $150 respectively for something the baby might not like.) One person recommended a monitor that another person had and said they would not recommend. Some people's children loved the Swaddle Me blankets and others hated them.

I was able to compile all of this information into a handy spreadsheet, including pricing and additional notes, that we can take with us when we go to register. Hopefully all this prep work will mean that I won't find myself crouched in the corner of Babies R Us breathing into a paper bag (you may laugh, but I've heard this is a real possibility)!

Baby Gear Heaven

This past Saturday, we ventured up to Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg to test out some strollers, car seats, etc. Most baby stores have, at most, 10 models out on the floor for you to mess with. This place probably had 50 different stroller models out- it was awesome! And we definitely learned just how important it really is to play with them before you decide. We went in with three models in mind and left having chosen something completely different. It's so helpful to see how heavy they are, how easily they fold, what the canopies are like, etc. It made all the difference.

We ended up choosing the Baby Jogger City Mini, the same stroller our friends Dori and Scott are getting (we'll get a different color). It's only 16 lbs, super easy to manuever, has a large canopy to protect baby from the sun, has a really easy standing fold (no laying on the ground), and a car seat adapter.

Between our scouting trip and all the research I've been doing, I think we're much more prepared to register now than we were a couple of weeks ago, which is a good thing since we'll be doing that in the next few weeks!

Cherry Blossoms and Easter

This past weekend, my mom came up to visit and we went downtown to see the Cherry Blossoms on Saturday. The day started out pretty chilly and I was cursing the weather man since I was wearing shorts, but it actually turned out to be a beautiful warm, sunny day. Then on Sunday, Ryan's parents also came up for Easter brunch. Josh claims he single-handedly put king crabs on the endangered species list that day, haha. Here are a few shots from the weekend:

Movin' on up!

Well hello there second trimester, so nice to meet you! Seriously. It's a huge relief to have made it safely to this milestone and finally (FINALLY!) have the big news out in the open. When we e-mailed our friends with the news, we got no less than 52 enthusiastic responses. . . right before they all started placing bets on which football team this kid is going to root for, haha. By the way, it's going to be the Redskins! :)

We know one thing for sure: this little guy or gal is already fitted out as a Future Duke (J-M-U DUUUUUKKKEEESSS!!!) thanks to Uncle Josh. He went to JMU for the day and brought back a tiny JMU onesie and the cutest little JMU socks I've ever seen (along with Chicken Souvlaki from Dave's Taverna for yours truly- does he know me or what?!). Now we just need something ODU for a fair and balanced household.

We have also kicked the baby research into high gear. The amount of stuff we're going to have to buy/register for is a bit overwhelming. And it's not like registering for your wedding where you just pick out the pretty place setting you like. You're choosing contraptions you are going to strap your tiny little fragile baby into, among other things. So the Baby Bargains book has been my nightly reading lately (thanks, Erin, for the recommendation!). This book has been a lifesaver.

14 weeks down, 26 to go!

Extra Extra!

Get your bump shots here! Yep, I have officially popped. The bump isn't big, but it's definitely there. The first picture was first thing this morning. The second picture was after our dinner at McCormick & Schmick's tonight (so it's part bump, part crab cakes, fried mac and cheese and raspberry cake).

It's an alien baby!

We went in for our 12 week appointment today and finally got to see our little guy/gal again! The pictures were amazing. I can't believe how much this baby has grown in just a few short weeks- it's incredible. Baby Breeden was showing off his/her acrobatic skills for the camera, so we got a lot of great shots. Here are a few of our favorites:

Mojitos anyone?

No, I'm not craving alcohol. Baby Breeden has now been upgraded to a lime (a little over 2 inches long from crown to rump)! So since I can't, please have a mojito (or a margarita if you prefer) in honor of this latest milestone.

Yesterday, I ventured out in the rain with Dori and Jessie to the Junior League of Washington's Children's Trunk Show in Crystal City. For $10, we gained entry to a secondhand sale of nothing but children and baby stuff, a raffle ticket and a free cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake (YUM)! Jessie definitely made out with the most stuff (but she already has a little girl, and she knows she's having a boy). Dori and I had a bit of a harder time finding gender-neutral things that we thought we'd be able to use. But for $5.50, I managed to get 4 onesies, a little hat (brand new with the tag still on) and a dishwasher basket for bottle parts. I also won one of the raffle prizes- a bag filled with Born Free baby bottles, a Lamaze toy and Lamaze baby clothes!! The bottles alone retail for $19, so I'd say I did pretty well! The clothes I won are for a boy, so if we end up with a girl, Jessie may be getting them as a gift, haha. Here's a look at my loot:

Started off the week right!

In my office, the only thing I can drink is water. I know this is what I should be drinking because it's healthy, blah blah blah. But water gets boring REALLY fast. We have soda, but the only kind I can have is Sprite and it's usually all out by 10 a.m. (on a good day). So imagine my elation today when I discovered that grape soda is caffeine-free! I walked out of the cafe cradling my wonderful can of soda with a big goofy grin on my face and nearly walked right into our CRO. Good job Amber. It's the little things in life, I tell ya. . .

Speaking of little things, Baby Kumquat has now officially been upgraded to Baby Fig. He or she is measuring roughly 1.5 to 2 inches long and no longer has a tail or webbed hands and feet. Yay, I'm not giving birth to Aquaman (or Aquawoman- that was for you Dad)!!

We go back to the doctor next Monday for another ultrasound, and we should be able to find out the gender the beginning of May. Until then, feel free to place your bets on pink or blue!

10 Weeks

Though he's barely the size of a kumquat — a little over an inch or so long, crown to bottom — and weighs less than a quarter of an ounce, your baby has now completed the most critical portion of his development. This is the beginning of the so-called fetal period, a time when the tissues and organs in his body rapidly grow and mature.

9 weeks!

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

First Ultrasound