Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Our babies so smart, he skipped six days.

Hello folks!
We went for our anatomy ultrasound today and it was wonderfully fun! We got our official confirmation that the little Z-man is, in fact, a male. :) (Though, really, there was no doubting him last time.) But, better yet, we also got to measure the little one.

He is 7 oz, putting him just a bit bigger than we were expecting. Way to grow Z-baby! The sonogram tech labeled him as "normal" in every category and I was ecstatic. Though next time, I think I would prefer "extraordinary" or "remarkable". I wonder if I can make that request...

Lets see if there are some stats on this report that you all would like to hear about. His arm bones are all wonderfully "normal" and around 2cm from shoulder to elbow and another 2cm from elbow to wrist. His head is notable. He has a head in the 97th percentile - its 15 cm around! I know that I have an enormous head, so its definitely my baby. He also has a large cerebrum - 1.9cm- what a genius baby we have. He will be making Baby Einstein videos as soon as he can learn to handle a camcorder. (Both of these things are large on the normal scale not large on the holy moley! scale.)

So, despite the fact that I have known since day one that I gain a week each Tuesday, they had tried to convince me I was undershooting my due date by six days. Amateurs! Well, they officially agree with me on this report. I hit 18 weeks this Tuesday and the due date printed here is March 28. For those that don't know, that's my grandma's birthday. What a miracle that would be!

Sunday, October 24, 2010

"TaTa is having a baby!"

I just spent one heck of a week with two of my favorite people. Well, I suppose four. Four of my favorite people. (Sorry Liz and Adam, but the kiddoes are the stars of the show, though I do relish those still hours after they go to bed and we get to be "grown-ups" together.)

I've never known anyone with the comedic timing, relelntless ability to snuggle, and wide-eyed creativity of my "niece" and "nephew". Technically, we are first cousins once-removed but the title feels so barren that I simply refuse to accept it. I have to say that I have never been more excited to be pregnant than I was this week. I love these kids with an intensity that makes the soft part of my palms tingle when they smile at me and they are not even mine. It baffles me and makes me hopeful about just how happy a person can be.

I broke the news to the little ones on my first night and their beaming faces just looked back at me eager but pretty much unimpressed. Then, they immediately asked if I wanted to watch a show. They grew more comfortable with the idea as the week went by and started inquiring as to the baby, "Is the baby helping you stir the muffins?" "Does the baby like Dr Pepper?" "Did the baby catch a cold, too?" And each one said a sad goodbye to my belly as I left for the airport this morning.

We didn't do anything remarkable this week, and I left with a horrendous cold the likes of which only a six year old can transport, but I get blissfully weepy just thinking about our week together. (That is how I know I am healthfully hormone-ally pregnant.) We played with magic tiles - ridiculously superior to lincoln logs, entertained an infant together, cozied up to watch Scooby Do long past bed-time, make spiced apple chocolate chip muffins, sang the Michigain fight song (GiGi would be so proud), read cookbooks at bed time (my type of little lady!),cleaned the basement and stayed in our pajamas ALL DAY on Saturday. And that felt like an ideal way to spend ~7 days in DC. Oh! And I taught the three year old trgionometry. Technically, I taught him the word "trigonometry" but now, he goes up to people and tells them that TaTa taught him trigonometry. Awesome.

Another fantastic fun-point from this weekend was raiding the massive toy closet my cousins have so meticulously organized to find things for the little Z-ster. I got TWO elephant toys - woot woot!- and a host of other things, the cutest of which is documented below. I filled a dufflebag with hidden treasures to start the process of setting up the nursery.


I can't wait to go back and will insist that the Mammenator comes along. I want to go when my belly is bigger and the kiddoes can see a Z-kick from the outside. I have also decided that I simply must teach them to Skype. This pregnancy is going to (eventually) tether me to the house and I will simply need to get my fill from time to time.

So, it's Sunday nearing evening and I am on a plane home to Sam. After the week I've had, and the weeks I know are to come, I am joyful.




** Actually, let me just comment on my schedule now so as not to confuse you all as we barrel through these late fall months. I have four happy, hopefully lazy days of work and reconnecting with my husband, who I am sure is desperately missing me right about now. (Hint!) On Thursday, my newly-fianced best friend (Ella-Bell!) arrives and we intend to go so totally girl-crazy with talks of weddings and babies and diamonds, oh my! We are heading to Houston for Halloween and then my mom and I are off to Mexico for a conference on the Cruising Industry (Nov 1-6). FOr those that don't know, in our free time, we've opted to start a travel agency that specializes in cruise vacations - woot woot! (The Saleem blood pumps strong and the running really never stops.) I get back from that and am going to try my darndest to work about 64 hours in three days - no, not going to happen but we'll see what I can do. See the comment about Saleem blood; you might just be amazed. That takes us to early November (the 11th?) when Sam and I are heading to Oklahoma City to spend Veterans Day weekend at a ranch with a group of friends. I am flying from there to Minneapolis for my final Travel Agent Training and will be home by the 18th of November. Then, I will start to focus on being pregnant and on being a gratefully employed gallavanting entrepreneur. :) I know some of you might be feeling whiplash from that little explosion of flights and intentions but just know that I do my best work when I have no choice but to DO IT RIGHT NOW. I'm sure this schedule will instigate a few bouts of crying in the car about the simpler decisions in my life but then we'll have something to talk about. ***

Thursday, October 21, 2010

17 Weeks! Hootie Hooo!

Hola folks! I am still writing from DC to document my entry into the 17 week club. Woot woot!

As far as the nausea goes, it seems better but not great. I could stand a little "great" but am contently settling on "better".

What's new with the Z-man this week?
  • The little one has grown to the size an onion and is developing BODY FAT! (Just like me, if we're being honest.)
  • The babies cartilage is turning to rock hard Mammen bones. Sam has never had a broken bone and I am hoping the baby takes after him.
  • The Mammenito can suck! If I know anything about this baby, I bet its mastered thumb sucking and we're only two days into the week.
  • The baby is hungry.
What's up with me, you ask?
  • I'm hungry. What to Expect uses the phrase "appetite of a truck driver" which I don't think is quite applicable but I was the first person to finish my sandwich at lunch on Tuesday.
  • My bump is bigger but when I tell people I am pregnant they still seem skeptical... I can still wear most of my pants but am excited for the real thing to pop out anytime now.
  • On that topic, I have noticed that if I eat a deliciously filling meal, I feel like the real estate in my belly gets really cramped. There isn't enough room to digest my food, let the baby play, and breathe. Shallow breaths are fine but getting enough room for my lungs to really expand is tricky/impossible.
  • I'm eating lots of cheese. But that isn't strikingly different from any given Thursday.
  • I'm starting to realize that this baby might need something more than six cloth diapers and a designer diaper bag to put them in ...
  • I only get up once a night to pee. :) This is a nice relief and allows for so much more REM sleep.
  • I still can't feel the little man but I certainly lay in bed at night trying!
Alright, if you didn't get the hint by now, I can't help you.
Leave hugs.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Anxiety: 0, Momma: 2

By Momma, I mean my delightful mother. I am not yet conquering the anxiety but she seems to be great at it. :)

So, I have been a raving lunatic eagerly anticipating the Outlet Sale at Petunia Pickle Bottoms. Anyone that doesn't have a little one probably thinks I am insane but check out the link - cutest diaper bags (and accessories ever). The sale started today at 9am PST and I was ready with phone in hand to get my shop on. There was no preview so I had no idea what would be for sale but I was psyched. Joshua and Chris (my co-workers I travelled up here with) had to listen to talk of removable changing pads, a matching wipes pouch, and the debate between two versus four bottle pockets.

So, at noon local, I logged in and went directly to Society Satchels. And found the love of my life (sorry Sam-I-Am), the Pistachio Layer Cake. You must click the link - I can't get the pic to upload. You MUST! It was 12:04. The bag was to die but I just wasn't sure how I felt about putting a semi-considerable amount of money into something that baby can puke on. So, I thought about it and texted Ella for five minutes. Then I decided to bite the bullet and treat myself. :) It was 12:09. The bag was sold out. And I was bereft of the hope of ever having a Pistachio Layer Cake to call my own. So sad. Foiled by my unwillingness to make a decision. Two days in a row. Who would have guessed. 12:09. The guys had to listen to me weep my way through a delicious Panang Curry during lunch. (Not real weeping but a weeping of the heart so to speak.)

I called my mom after work to tell her the terribly sad story. She didn't seem to be quite getting it, so I had her visit the website so she could visualize my loss. And she immediately
fell for the Pistachio Layer Cake (I hadn't even told her the name). She is my mother and quite the genius. But for some reason, she could add one to her cart. And she did. And I screamed with glee. My mother can apparently fix any problem. Things that are sold out for me are completely available to my momma. I am going to have to learn this trick before April comes.

But for now, I am waiting until my birthday to see and touch and smell the real life version of the bag. Yay mom!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Alice and a Wall of Doors

I don't think there is an allegory about Alice in Wonderland and her needing to decide between a wall of options, but I feel there should have been to help me with this post. I can very clearly imagine her struggling with a tempting/torturing/impossible decision. So, hopefully, you can craft a similar image.

Anyway, today I was Alice and my life was nothing but doors. Many of you might be familiar with some of my completely normal neuroses that can cause me great angst - the first to come to mind is my overwhelming anxiety whenever I have to drive a car with boys/guys/men in it. Then, there are sillier things that can cripple me for no reason at all. I had a phase in college where I was completely convinced that my license plate was going to fall off my car. I used to pull over occasionally to make sure it was still attached to my back bumper. I think that was related to senior year stressors but knowing it was crazy didn't make me able to push the crazy down into a neat little box and keep on driving.

I would say that, on a daily basis, I get more anxiety about simple things than most people but overall, my life works perfectly with the little extra push that worry can give you. I would say I have benefited from my anxiety in a number of ways. I am usually on time with tasks for fear of the consequences. I usually do things right the first time. I have avoided breaking laws and have an overly appreciative respect for rules and order.

Throughout the pregnancy and especially lately I seem to be afflicted with inordinate amounts of anxiety. Anxiety that occasionally is just crippling. Today was just one of those days. I am in DC and am so excited to get to spend time with my family and friends. After work, I simply had to decide whether to visit with my lady Erin (one of my most favorite people) or head back to Bethesda and hang out with the kiddos (my favorite little faces). Simple. Pick A or B. Both would bring me nothing but joy. Even as I struggled to properly weigh all of the consequences, what would be better for me long term, what would be more fun for the evening, who would be more hurt, how many hours exist before I need to be asleep and how to maximize the little precious time that exists in the span between getting out of work and tomorrow, I knew that essentially the decision was very simple. What I can't understand is why the knowledge that the pain of anxiety is neither actual nor purposeful doesn't help me shed the anxiety. SO, I sat in my car. For thirty minutes. And cried about...

I am not sure what I cried about. I cried about the fact that I was crying. I am sure about that. I cried because the energy it was taking to settle on a solution and reveal this decision to others was overwhelming. The energy bubbled up in a frenzy inside of me that just consumed me till I had no choice but to let it out. In the end, I think I was probably better off crying about it than keeping it fissioning inside of me. And now I feel fine. (Thanks mom!) But I wish I didn't have to make it through the trauma to get to the easy place where you accept (not only realize) that decision making isn't that hard.

I know that the pregnancy hormones are on the fritz, the vomiting reminds me of that every few days, and that these hormones cause "weepiness" and "anxiety". But I think what I have is maybe just a step beyond normal but still manageable and controllable. So, my first means of controlling the beast of anxiety is typing it up and sending it out to you. After that, I have mastered an interesting breathing technique that I did successfully employ last week and didn't end in tears. (Though maybe it just festered to wait until today, that part I can't be sure about.) So I guess I don't have a super uplifting bit to end on. But if you saw me now, you would know there were no lasting effects from the mental collapse I suffered earlier. And I am going to figure it out.

Any other worry warts out there have advice?

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Is someone following me?

Hola folks,
Just a quick note before I get ready for some football. (Watching not playing.)
I know a lot of you have become followers, Fantastique! But you were expecting that by becoming followers you would be receiving emails when I updated the site. Apparently, we were mistaken. You blogger dashboard gets updated when I post but I presume that many of you don't have the fuzziest clue where your dashboard is located.
There is a gadget which should allow you to sign up for email notification, but it seems to be broken. It is the large orange button on my right. I will figure out how to fix this, attach a new gadget, and then we will do some testing.
Enjoy your Sunday.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Preggers Pants

So! My first pair of maternity pants has arrived!

Most people are laughing at me; they can't fathom why I would need maternity pants when I don't have too much to "show" for this pregnancy. I argue that while my belly looks pretty diminutive for four months, after a meal I resemble a six monther. My body's ability to bloat right now could possibly get me in the Guinness Book. When I wake up my normal jeans fit, by lunchtime, I need my one-size-up pants and by three pm I'd be lucky to get my sweatpants up around my bump.
So, enter the maternity pants. I shopped around online on Gap and Ann Taylor and had a dream that I was in an awesome Banana Republic maternity store (sadly, these do not exist). It seemed like risky business to order an $80 pair of jeans that I can't go to a store to try on. Most of the maternity lines are available online only - bummer. So, I went to eBay and found a pair of Gap City fit for a VERY reasonable price. I figured if i like them, it would be a win, I could place my Gap order. And if I hate them, they cost me very little. No harm, no foul!

I ordered a size up, telling myself the entire time that I shouldn't, that maternity pants must take into account your maternity but just thought the idea of not being able to get IN my maternity pants might stretch my hormonal self a little too far. Now I am very comfortably enjoying a pair of maternity pants that are a size too big but comfy as heck. So, I haven't really solved the mystery of which pants to buy, but at least I am comfortable while online shopping.

All of this aside, I have discovered the true beauty of maternity pants. (Well, the beauty of wearing maternity jeans when you don't have a real baby belly.) Most of you probably know that pregnant women pee like its going out of style. And its never like, "Oh, I should use the restroom." For me, it's more along the lines of a national emergency. I haven't yet figured out what happens when my restroom demands aren't met but I intend to never get that far. So, the beauty of maternity pants... Its that when you have to RUN to the restroom for fear of disaster, there is no zipper to fuss with. :) This has been my happiest discovery, that the pants don't fight me when I've got my game face on.

Alrighty, we are going to eat Mac and Cheese and see a comedy show. Wish me the power to stay awake past 9pm. :)

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Speaking of Avocados!

I found a website I am in love with! I even love the name: Baby Love.
The website is based on a new Baby/Toddler Cookbook of the same name. I read the review online and fell head over heels immediately.
Its no use to me yet but I thought some of my mommy friends might enjoy it.

Baby Guacamole

YIELD: 4 Servings
8 MONTHS PLUS
A 120-SECOND RECIPE

Ingredients:
1 each avocado, nice and ripe but not all brown
1/3 each lime
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped well
1 tablespoon red or yellow onion, minced

Directions:
• Remove the pit from the avocado and scoop out the flesh from the peel.
• Place on a cutting board and squeeze the juice from the lime onto the avocado.
• Sprinkle avocado with cilantro and onion.
• Mash with the back of a fork until completely smooth and creamy.

16 weeks! Woot woot!

We hit magical Week 16 yesterday. What? You didn't notice the nation-wide firework display?

It hit with a vengeance though, I would say. While trying not to lose my lunch at work today, I was reminded that just one short week ago I told the office, "Listen up folks, next Tuesday is Week 16 and I have decided that I will feel AWESOME come week 16. If one of you brings in a tiara to celebrate, it would be a completely appropriate way to mark the occasion." I really thought I could mind over matter this puking thing but it turns out my mind hasn't quite been meeting expectations. While dry heaving in my car on the side of the highway today I silently cursed every book that said, "Most women feel better by Week 16." And remembered that What to Expect also warned, "For some women, morning sickness is just beginning." I have noticed a dramatic increase in my vomitousness since Week 14 but am attributing this to a "it gets worse before it gets better" phenomenon...so keep those tiaras ready.

So what's changed for the little Z-ster in the past week:
  • The little one has grown to the size of a large avocado! (How very San Antonio, of it! I can't wait till its breakfast taco sized!)
  • S/he can frown - so sad right? I am anxious for the smiling phase.
  • Eyelashes! Baby Z has eyelashes. Especially with the lashes going on in our two families, I'm pretty sure these are the best in-womb lashes in a 100 mile radius.
  • Baby Z has tastebuds and hopefully is enjoying the pineapple jalapeno pizza we're enjoying.
According to the books, here's what 's up with me (followed by my comments certifying accuracy):
  • Week 16ers often have bizarre dreams. (I am not sure about you all, but I entered an art school in the penthouse of a hotel last night and became famous for using julienned cucumber as a medium when everyone else was using paint.)
  • I should be peeing less. (Hmmmm, maybe that goes when the morning sickness disappears.)
  • Some (rare) women can feel their baby moving. (I never lay down *awake* long enough to notice anything. I have to fall asleep quickly to make it to art class in time.)
Leave hugs (aka comments).

Monday, October 11, 2010

First Baby Purchase!

So, I just made my first baby purchase today. Yay! It was exhilarating and it almost seemed brazen of me. After such a rough first trimester, and Doctor Frankenstein (see previous post), I'm just happy to wake up pregnant everyday. I have been making plans but hadn't taken the real step of saying, "I'm having a baby! I have this token to prove it!" So, I was blissfully happy as I paid for my purchase.

I had a $50 gift card (thank you, Groupon) for a cute little environmentally friendly store in the Quarry. So, I headed in and discovered BABY STUFF! Cute little knitted booties, those exceptionally soft organic cotton baby wrap things that hold the baby on your chest, teensy tiny onesies and (hold your breath) CLOTH DIAPERS (CD). (Ha ha ha - I can feel your excitement.) This makes one of three locations in San Antonio to carry CDing supplies, or so my internet research leads me to believe.

And I bought...
My first pack of cloth diapers - woo hoo! This set comes with two fitted covers and six organic washable inserts. (If anyone is actually interested in how the Flip CD system works you can watch this YouTube review.) But now for the adorable pictures. Here is the diaper on its smallest settings.


Ah! So adorable! It makes my toes tingle. Its gets much bigger but not any cuter...

So, that's just about it. One of the most exciting things about this system is that I can buy a disposable insert system so when the little one ends up in nanny care, the nanny won't hate me! It'll be almost like regular diapers but without the plastic and way less trash per poop. I'm psyched.

If anyone is wondering what the organic inserts for this guy look like, it really isn't very complicated.

I realize that almost no one I know cloth diapers but it is something that I am committed to doing and Sam was convinced when I told him it was cheaper. :) I figure if I am going to recycle like a fiend, I might as well be green in every way I can. And there are really so many modern options for CDing these days. Just a little research has taught me a lot. Also, Sam and I are attending a CD class this Thursday so that should definitely help, as well.

And in case you are trying to guess the baby's gender, the blanket is from many years ago and the diaper is celery - how gender neutral can I be?

Doctordom/Doctordumb

**Slightly controversial topic - ah! now you are intrigued**

Let's start by saying that I have been thinking about the birthing process for a long time. Unnaturally long, really. It and its place in medical society have interested me probably since I went to Bryn Mawr. In my first Russian class, I sat next to a certified 18 yr old Doula. (See below for a definition.) I had never heard the term and thus began my curiosity into the field of labor and delivery. At this point, I would like to assure you that most doulas are not 18 years old. I think this was just one of the rare and "special" things that come with the Mawr.

I am sure that lots of people never sat and thought (about birthing), "but if I DON'T want to be in a hospital, what are my other choices," but I have. When we moved to San Antonio, I promptly looked up midwives and birthing centers in the area, much more than a year ago. I am not sure exactly what prompted me to do so, but I figured I didn't want to be pregnant and THEN trying to decide where to deliver said little one into the world.

So I officially start this entry with, here I am second trimester and all, interviewing doctors, midwives, and birth centers. Not where I wanted to be but the first trimester slowed me down a bit.

Rewind:
When we found out we were pregnant, my regular doctor set me up with the head of Obstetrics in a local well-respected hospital. (I don't want to speak too openly about those people who have let me down, so I am leaving this purposefully vague.) I was just 5 weeks along and already having a host of issues stemming from what was recently diagnosed as a Sub-Chorionic Hematoma (SCH). I figured that this wasn't quite the time to spout off my birthing philosophy and request something a little less clinical. :) Don't fret friends, all of these issues went away with the transition from first to second trimester and I am now just like any other healthy pregnant lady - a little irritable, hungry, and sleepy.

Anyway, the doctor was extremely medically capable, efficient, and had the bed-side manner of Rasputin. Here are some of my favorites,
  • While prescribing me a medication to help with the SCH, "Well, I'll just give you seven pills because who knows how long this pregnancy will last."
  • After a particularly harrowing trip to the ER somewhere around week 7, we showed up in her office at her next available appointment (6 days later) and she walked in, "Hey guys! How's it going?!? So, you're 8 weeks! What can I do for you?" We explained/reminded her that we were in for a checkup after our ordeal in OB/GYN triage and emergency care. She seemed to have no idea. Maybe that is why it took them 6 days to get us an appointment.
  • At that same appointment she said she would refill the medicine I had been taking. I dutifully picked it up and continued to take it over the weekend. About three days into the course, I realized it was 1/4 of the strength I had been taking previously. Whoops, mistake. "Sorry guys." I'm not exactly sure how I knew the prescription was wrong. I thought the weight of it felt weird but it looked exactly the same. I, however, am certain that no matter how skilled I am at mathematics, there is no way I can discern 100mg from 400mg in the palm of my hand. So, I guess that I didn't trust her from the jump.
  • I once asked how many patients she had and she said there was really no way of knowing. I rephrased, "Well, how many that are due soon?" She explained that there were 15 doctors on staff and each had a full load and that they attended only those births for which they were scheduled, paying no mind to who's patient is who's. I heard: "You will meet the person (possibly a man!) who will be delivering your baby once you are in active labor."
  • When she was meant to refill my prescription at 12 weeks, somehow they forgot. I called the office, and they had no record of me taking that particular medication. It felt like they must not have a computer system to store such data. I imagined the nurses with an old-school file, reading scraps of paper about me and Baby Z. After FIVE phone calls - each with someone of increasing importance but none with my doctor - they said it had been called in. When I went to pick it up, they hadn't called it in. The pharmacist and I rolled our eyes.

There are some things that I am grateful for during those first three months. Despite being brisk, brash, and insensitive, my doctor loved to run tests. I got an ultrasound every Tuesday and they could check on the baby and let us hear its little heart beat. Those images (see Sonogram Slideshow) made it worth putting up with Dr Jekyll. Besides that, the sonogram tech was one of the most pleasant, nurturing medical people I've met during these last 16 weeks.

I am sure tons of women go to a doctor, like her, and forge a very special 9+ month relationship. I was distrusting of Obstetricians in the first place and couldn't have met a worse match. I shouldn't say distrusting of OBs. I should say distrusting of the idea that they are the best qualified people to help healthy mothers and healthy babies during labor and delivery. I think OBs are the only people qualified to perform C-Sections and thank goodness they exist. I am, however, definitely distrusting of hospitals and insurance companies. And strangers, in general.

So, now that we have overcome all of the SCH horrors, we are on the every four week sonogram/appointment schedule and that means its time for the doc to go. Without her sonogram machine, she means nothing to me.

I will write more later about the San Antonio Birth Center - which I fell in love with and Sam ran screaming from, a different local hospital the offers both midwives and OBs - maybe a Goldilocks meets Little Bears porridge situation, and a hospital downtown that I *might* check out though it has no midwives.


Footnotes:
And to all my lovely doctor friends. I love you dearly and think being a doctor is a wonderful contribution to society.

doula [ˈduːlə]
n
(Medicine / Gynaecology & Obstetrics) a woman who is trained to provide support to women and their families during pregnancy, childbirth, and the period of time following the birth

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Planning the Nurzery

We are supposed to spend much of this three day weekend planning baby Z's nurzery.

"Exciting!" you say. Hmmm, we will have to see.

First things first, the color palette. So, while wasting the night away (with Oprah) I have discovered Colour Lovers. Yay! Its a website that I believe is intended to help web designers create and choose color palettes but I am using it to design a nursery.

Creating a gender neutral room feels nearly impossible at first. But, for me, its important for many reasons, the least of which is that our 1925 Cottage doesn't have too many rooms to spare.

The website is wonderfully fun. You can make your own colors. I've chosen names like: Just Plummy, Z-Foam Green, Nothin but Blue Skies, etc. I've designed a palette that I called Baby Z is On the Way and I think it has a nice mix of funk, traditionally baby-boy hues, and poseys.
I can't post it here for some reason so the link will have to do.

While messing around with the functionality of the site, I discovered a pattern maker. Check out Hootie Who? We won't actually use this pattern, but ain't it cute!?! (The elephant contingent would surely petition such a Holder-esque animal. Ha!)

So, now we (hopefully) have a starting place. Sam is out with Tim for his birthday, so I have done this all alone. We'll have to wait for his comments to see what he says... (Cross your fingers Hootie Who? supporters.)

Once we've nailed this down, Sam and I are going
1) to Home Depot for wall and furniture paint
2) to take my 1940's children's furniture to the antique re-finishers
(a Georgetown Fleamarket find many years ago)
3) to Etsy to shop for custom crib linens in our NEW palette!
I'm digging either the SusieCues shop or Aunt Bucky shop.

Thoughts? Let me know if you mess around on Colour Lovers!

The Sonogram Slideshow

Or Zonogram Zideshow?
I was torn, honestly.

So, here we go. I am coming out of the gate with the good stuff: baby pictures!

We start at Week 6 with what looks like a little blob of cells. Its baby Z's first picture!


I know, not much to see. But it gets better. Coming up: Arm buds! Below, we see Week 9.

See! What a cutie! Payal tells me that is a very busy thyroid gland glowing white in the babies neck. Apparently, the endocrine system in little baby Z works like a charm.

At ten weeks, we get a pretty similar picture.

Next up, we get the baby looking right at us at 10 weeks. It seems this might be where those weird green alien heads came from...

Especially on screen, its hard to see what is going on there. And, I'll admit, its not exactly what El and I would call a "doll face" but I know it will get there. I also got pictures of little Z's little bladder and kidneys and heart. But, believe me, those are even harder to make out.

The next series is my FAVORITE! What a cutie we've made. Just try not to smile... as (s)he kicks about! Baby Z is 12 weeks along here.

Kicking it's mommy! (S)he's a dancing machine. My goodness what a wild child!

Last (for now), but not least, the real alien face at 13 weeks.
Ha ha ha! I find this one hysterical. But what an adorable round belly!

So, that's it for now folks! There will be more to come and a gender reveal pretty soon! Woot woot!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Catching Some Z - the intro!

Hello folks!
Its my first post on the new blog! You may remember the Bollywood Bridesmaid, which chronicled my journey (read: whirlwind) into marital bliss! Here we are, 17 months later, jumping feet first into the next stage of life: BABYDOM!

Sam and I are having a baby, and we're due, hold your breath, April Fools Day 2011. Now, its up to you to decide whether this is an extremely elaborate early April Fools Joke... (For proof, check the adorable (!) Sonogram Slideshow below, I probably wouldn't go quite THAT far with an April Fool's joke.)

Anyway, the name of the blog has been the biggest stressor keeping me from this blog for about two months now. (I'm 15 weeks along at this point.) I dabbled with a variety of titles, those abouts babies, those about Mammens (admittedly trickier), for a while I toyed with puns about Sesame Seeds, Chick Peas, and Eskimos. Then, two nights it came to me: Catching Some Z! Though we haven't quite nailed down baby names, we know that we want to have a whole fleet of kiddos whose names start with "Z". It's close to "S" (Sam, Sally, Sonia) but a little funkier! So, catching some Z: I presume we will do lots of catching of little baby Z. The first trimester was all about sleeping for me, so that works too. And I am pretty sure that we will be starving for some proverbial ZZZZs come April 2nd, making it duly appropriate.

Here's ideas for posts to come and a preview of all the baby-like stuff running through my brain:
Sonogram Slideshow
Cloth Diapering (Shock - she's a REAL hippy)
Adventures in Doctordom/Doctordumb
Baby Monikers (A much better word for name!)
The Nursery
Gender Reveal
Me the Medical Oddity
Belly Descriptions though maybe not actual photos

Send me comments about things you want to hear about!