Happy One Week Birthday!!

Today, our little peanut is one week old!!! It is still one day till our original due date (February 27th), but I'm so glad Zoey decided to arrive when she did. It has been a crazy, emotional, stressful, wonderful week for our little family. We are still trying to find our rhythm, and feeding has been a huge source of drama, but our girl is healthy and we couldn't be happier! I mean, how could this face not make you the happiest momma on the planet?!

Scout inspecting Baby Tuna in the bouncer before she gets strapped in. 

As I type this, Zoey is sacked out in her bouncer, no doubt waiting for me to start eating my dinner so that she can wake up and want hers. The Hubs and I spend most of our time staring at her, laughing at her facial expressions and trying to figure out which features she got from each of us. I see her daddy's mouth and my long fingers. We're not sure where she picked up that mohawk though!

I'm guessing this is the arm I felt for all those months.

We're not sure that she loves being swaddled, although we love the look of our baby burrito. She's always sticking her right arm out so it can rest near her face. I'm sure that's a habit she picked up while she was squished in my belly, and it's so super cute!

This first week has flown by! And I'm looking forward to seeing how Zoey changes and grows in her second week. I'm also looking forward to maybe getting a little more sleep, getting this feeding issue figured out, and taking Zoey for her first walk with Scout. Thanks to everyone for all of the kind comments about our baby girl. We think she's pretty perfect!

Pregnancy Must Haves

Sure, the needs of a preggo change from trimester to trimester (even day to day), but there are some things that a pregnant lady will latch on to for the duration of her pregnancy. Here are a few of mine...

1. Tervis Tumbler: The Hubs calls this my "sippy cup," and it is never more than a few feet from me at all times. Because you have to drink about 9 gallons of water a day, it's nice having a cup or mug or whatever that keeps ice and water cold for a long time. Tervis tumblers are especially nice because there are a zillion designs (I am partial to the Gator patch, of course) and they are easy to find.

2. Edy's Strawberry Fruit Bars: Of course, in my third trimester, my obsession with strawberries has been no secret, but in my first trimester, these fruit bars were pretty much my only source of fruit. They're nice and sweet and have big chunks of strawberries. So if you are on an all bread diet in your first trimester, these are a refreshing, kinda healthy (and non-pukey) treat.

3. Burt's Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter: This stuff is the shit! For those of us who are worried about stretch marks but are also grossed out by the scent of cocoa butter, this is the best alternative. It has shea butter and vitamin e and makes your belly so soft. The best part, no fragrance (well, the BEST part is that my belly is stretch mark free). And if you'd prefer to spend your money on cute outfits for your little darling, it's also more affordable than Mustella lotions (which have been highly recommended by a friend of mine).

4. Breathe Right: If you suffer from allergies, or get that pregnancy congestion, this is a life saver! I use one every night, which isn't cute (and leaves a slight red mark on my nose when I take it off), but I can breathe. . . and that's all that matters!

5. Honey Nut and Chocolate Cheerios: OB-sessed! I usually eat both every day, one for breakfast and one for a snack.

6. Life Savers Pep-o-Mints: Another flavor obsession for my entire pregnancy has been peppermint. For me, these really helped with my nausea in the first four months, but have continued to be a favorite. I keep a stash in my purse at all times.

7. Gap Sweatpants: Most of my maternity clothes have come from the Gap and Old Navy (always a great sale going on!!), but these sweatpants are my uniform! They are not maternity, but are low rise, so they fit nicely under the belly. They also come in lots of colors and are super comfy!

8. Body Shop Tea Tree products: When I found out I was expecting, my doctor asked me to stop using Proactiv because of the benzoyl peroxide it contains. I was crushed, cuz that stuff saved my skin after I went off birth control and turned into a pizza face. I went back to using these products from the Body Shop and have been pleased with the results. I still get the occasional pregnancy pimple, but overall, my skin has looked great.

One more Must Have that didn't make it in the collage above is this DVD: 10 Minute Solution: Prenatal Pilates. I love it! There are six or seven different 10 minute segments, so you can work out for 10 minutes, or put three together for a 30 minute workout. The instructor is something like 35 weeks pregnant herself, so you know it is gentle. If you've done pilates before, you will enjoy!

38 Weeks

How far along? 38 weeks 1 day

Total weight gain: 39 lbs and I feel every ounce of that in my poor hips.

How big is baby? The size of a pumpkin. . . somewhere between 7 and 8 lbs (according to doctor’s estimates) and most likely about 20 inches long.

Maternity clothes? um, ya.  

Stretch marks? None so far. . . I LOVE my Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter! 

Sleep? Sleeping pretty well (not counting the potty breaks), probably because I’m so exhausted from lugging this pumpkin belly around everywhere!

Best moment this week? Is it wrong if I say donuts? Last Sunday while my mom was visiting, the Hubs popped out to the Jupiter Donut Factory and brought home a dozen, including red velvets and a s’mores donut. They were a-maz-ing!  If you are ever in the area, you’ve gotta visit that place!

How are you feeling? Pretty good but pretty tired, too. Waiting for that burst of energy everybody talks about so I can give this place once last clean and organize.   

Miss anything? Mostly just being comfortable. I know that I will miss my baby belly when this is all over, and getting to feel Baby Tuna squirming around inside. 

Movement? All the time! And I’ve finally started feeling the hiccups, which I was so bummed about never feeling. Now she gets them at least once a day and they always make me laugh. My whole torso bounces up and down. Also, the other night, during our Newborn Care class, I looked down and saw that my belly was totally distorted. The little booger was pushing her back out of the right side of my belly giving it a strange triangular shape. I’d love to know what goes on inside there!  

Food cravings? Fresh strawberries!!! Can’t get enough! Thank goodness they’re in season right now. I'm also craving all the junk food that I passed on for the first eight months in an effort to be healthy. . . Cheetos, Chex Mix, cookies, candy, and the previously mentioned donuts. Haven't indulged too much, but I may have to run out for a big bag of Cheetos tomorrow. Also, God help me, the Hubs' spicy jerk turkey deli meat smells so damn good. . . part of me would love to chow down on the whole bag. (Now this is a problem for two reasons. #1: Deli meat is off limits when you're pregnant, and #2: I've been a vegetarian for 21 years and the actual thought of eating said deli meat is pretty disgusting. It just SMELLS. SO. GOOD!)

Aversions? Nothing new.    

Anything make you queasy or sick? Nope.

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Any names picked out? Yep. . . and wouldn’t you like to know! Some people have been guessing, but all have been way off the mark. 

Labor signs? Dilating slowly, but other than that. . .nada.    

Belly button in or out? It kinda sticks out a little around the edges, but is still classified as an inny.

Wedding rings on or off? I think my wedding band still fits, but I don’t bother putting it on anymore since my fingers just feel swollen all the time.

Mood? Pretty good most of the time.  

Looking forward to: Meeting Baby Tuna. . .but not for at least another week. Ten days would be better. :0)

37 Weeks - Full Term!!!

How far along? 37 weeks and 2 days

Total weight gain: 38 lbs and holding.  Haven’t gained anything this week, despite the overabundance of cheese, chocolate Cheerios, and frozen yogurt in my diet.

How big is baby? Well, according to our ultrasound Wednesday, Baby Tuna weighs somewhere between 6lbs 15 oz and 7lbs 5 oz, which means I will definitely NOT be giving birth to a giant whale baby. Hallelujah! No clue as to how long this little peanut is, but judging from the fact that her feet were in her face throughout the ultrasound (the reason why we couldn’t get a good picture from it), she’s probably 9 feet long.

Maternity clothes? You betcha! Wearing my leggings and maxi dresses a lot lately.  Since the belly dropped, pants of all kinds are no longer my friends.  

Stretch marks? None so far. . . I LOVE my Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter! 

Sleep? Meh. It’s good when I’m asleep and when I don’t’ have that Will I Am song stuck in my head all night (. . . you are now rocking with, Will I Am and Britney bitch!).  And rolling over from one side to the other makes it abundantly clear that I have almost 40 lbs of baby and whatever else crushing my insides.  

Best moment this week? Obviously seeing the little one (yes, LITTLE one!) at our ultrasound. Her little heart is beating strong, we got to see her little mouth “drinking”, and she is definitely still a girl. So, no surprises there on delivery day!

How are you feeling? Other than feeling uncomfortable, like, 22 hours a day. . . I feel pretty good. Things could always be worse.  

Miss anything? Comfort and hands, feet, and ankles that actually look like they belong to my body.

Movement? YES!  

Food cravings? Still with the strawberries and sweet tarts, but not at the same time. Strawberry toaster strudels are another one.  The Hubs also made these A-MAZ-ING mozzarella grilled cheese Panini sandwiches on sour dough. . . I could probably eat them every night for dinner with tater tots.

Aversions? Nothing new.    

Anything make you queasy or sick? Not this week.

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Any names picked out? We have a first and middle name ready for debut upon baby girl’s arrival. 

Labor signs? None. Is that normal?   

Belly button in or out? It kinda sticks out a little around the edges, but is still classified as an inny.

Wedding rings on or off? I think my wedding band still fits, but I don’t bother putting it on anymore since my fingers just feel swollen all the time.

Mood? Totally freaking out. Baby Tuna could arrive any. minute. So excited to meet her and see who she will look like, but totally anxious about the big fat question mark that is labor and delivery.

Looking forward to: Meeting Baby Tuna. . . but not for at least two more weeks! 

The Baby Shower

During the MLK holiday weekend, my mom's lovely friend Carolyn opened her home to friends and family for our baby shower. We had a delicious lunch followed by CAKE!! and more gifts than I could have ever expected. I feel so blessed to have so many kind and generous women in my life.

Since we haven't lived in Melbourne for almost two years, I was seriously not expecting so many of my girls to be there. But I am soooo happy that they were!!! I knew I missed them all, and why wouldn't I? They are all awesome! I can't wait to bring Baby Tuna back to Melbourne in a couple of months so they can all meet her!

I have more than just the next two pictures of the day, but have been so busy, I haven't had a second to edit them all. But here are two of my favorite things from that wonderful day: 

Publix cake!! I'm pretty sure that I ate at least half of this cake and most of the icing flowers along the side!!

How seriously cute is this diaper motorcycle?! It broke my heart when I had to finally dismantle it. 

36 Weeks

36 weeks! The official start of the ninth month. Holy. Crap. I'm already on my once-a-week doctor visits, and everything is checking out right on track. Baby girl is head down, but looks like she is happy to stay right where she is for the next couple of weeks. This according to my internal exam, but I'll spare you all the details. 

We still have so much to do around here (does it ever feel done?!), but after this week, we should be in pretty good shape. We drove up to Port St. Lucie to Babies R Us to grab what we could from the last of the registry items, and my mom will be here this weekend with her sewing machine to help out with the nursery curtains. And the last of the DIY projects should be done by the end of the week, including the elephant mobile, crib skirt, and some digital typography that I am making. I can't wait to have it all done so I can take some pictures to show you guys! It's looking so cute!! A posting of the baby shower will also happen this week (I've just been such a slacker!). 

How far along? 36 weeks and 2 days

Total weight gain: According to the doctor’s scale yesterday morning, 38 lbs – 30 in the belly and the rest in my face.

How big is baby? About as big as a watermelon. (“I carried a watermelon,” suddenly comes into my mind . . . yes, a Dirty Dancing reference!)  It certainly feels like there is a watermelon in there!  

Maternity clothes? According to everyone who sees me, I am all belly. Only a few things still cover it, so I probably won’t be leaving the house much for fear of looking a little too white trashy.

Stretch marks? None so far. . . I LOVE my Burt’s Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter! 

Sleep? Sleeping well, when the windows are open. Thank God for this cool weather!

Best moment this week? Finally washing, organizing, and putting away a zillion baby clothes and blankets. And yet, I'm still tempted to buy more clothes!! Gotta have something for St. Pat's Day, Easter, and my cousin's wedding in April! 

How are you feeling? Feeling ok. Apparently the belly has begun the drop, but no one told my lungs. Not only do I now have horrible discomfort in my hip joints and pelvis, but I still can’t breathe!  And thanks to the hip issues, heavy watermelon belly, and swollen feet, I am in full waddle mode.  “Lightening”, my ass! Everything just feels heavier.  I get lots of stares as Scout and I waddle our way around the neighborhood.

Miss anything? Thanks to the Publix deli guy, I am now jonesing for spicy tuna rolls again. He told us about a great local sushi joint that we will be trying as soon as humanly possible following Baby Tuna’s birth.  I wonder if they do take out?

Movement? All the time! We can even feel her stick out her little toushie from time to time.

Food cravings? Fresh strawberries, either with vanilla frozen yogurt and magic shell topping, or in a parfait with vanilla yogurt, granola, and agave. Looking forward to our neighborhood green market this Sunday so I can visit the strawberry lady. She always has the best berries!! I could also go for a bag of Sweet Tart Hearts. Or two.

Aversions? Nothing new.    

Anything make you queasy or sick? Not this week.

Gender: IT’S A GIRL!!!

Any names picked out? We have a first and middle name ready for debut upon baby girl’s arrival. 

Labor signs? I may or may not have had my first Braxton Hicks contraction the other night. I’m just not sure since it didn’t really feel the way it was described it would. 

Belly button in or out? Mostly an inny, but definitely looking weird.

Wedding rings on or off? Most days, the wedding band is still on, but I’ve had to retire the engagement ring.

Mood? Happy, nervous . . .February used to feel like it was soooo far in the future. Holy crap!!!

Looking forward to: Our last ultrasound next week!! And finishing the nursery (for real this time!). And we still have to pack our bags for the hospital (thanks for all the suggestions!).