The baby is about 5 inches long according to the email I get every week from babycenter. The size of 2 lemons put together???? Where do they come up with this? Other than that, not alot. I have a midwife appointment tomorrow then week after next I think we’ll be able to do the anatomy ultrasound. Yay!
I decided that I really need to start blogging my pregnancy because I am not a journal person and need to remember all this stuff, especially to be able to look back on everything and compare next time! Sorry but there may be too much info, and alot of boring baby-related musings but what can I say, I don’t have much else going on right now.
Symptoms
Not very many. From the beginning I was tired, I am still tired and can spend more time than usual in bed but it is so much better than a few months ago I can’t even compare. I had a slight bit of nausea every morning for about 10 weeks but then it tapered off. We are both still kind of shocked that I never once threw up. I am usually quite the barfer.
Heading into my 5th month I feel totally fine most of the time. I am not one of those people that are going to go on and on about the joys of pregnancy but I really can’t complain compared to most. I still get these awful sinus headaches and without the assistance of advil its not pretty but I’m dealing. I’ve been working and traveling alot and ended up with swollen ankles a few weeks back but after a day or 2 they were back to normal.
I think my biggest issue these days is the ridiculous amount of time spent in the bathroom. The only time I do not have to pee is when I am peeing. Its like one minute I’m totally fine, the next minute IHAVETOGOSOBADWATCHOUT!! It would be great if that can stop anytime soon but I fear its only going to get worse. Also, I miss pooping.
Oh and yes, I am finally starting to get a little belly. The hard bulge (aka Baby) seems to have moved from my lower right abdomen to right smack in the middle and now I can’t button my pants. So there’s that. And no, you may certainly not have a picture.
Cravings
Salty salt licks with salt on it please. No, seriously. Salt. pickles, cheese, pretzels, chips, anything salty. I have also been eating a ton of red meat (well a ton for me) Matthew is super excited to think that maybe the baby loves meat! Can it be??
So would you prefer a boy or girl?
I don’t care, as long as it likes hamburgers
Other (?)
We have to move. We always knew this as our lease is up July 1 and we were never planning on renewing. We think we can probably find a better deal, plus we’d really like to be settled by May. More to come on that.
We started looking into what we will need to buy for Cupcake and it’s making me a bit crazy. I just want to know what kind we are getting so I can go out and get everything already! Like yesterday! We already have a crib and decided we won’t buy much more than a rug, dresser/changing table combo (hopefully a secondhand dresser that we can put a changing pad on) and a billy bookcase from ikea. Since we are moving in the spring and have no idea how big the room is going to be (i’m sure tiny) I am not holding out on room for a chair but I am scouring craigslist for something basic just to have in there.
Luckily Adam and Christine are letting us borrow a bunch of stuff they bought for Maddie so that will definitely save us some cash. Matthew picked up a box that barely fit in the back of our truck last week. They are so generous in allowing us to store things for them until they need it again! But seriously, we need so many things every single thing we can borrow instead of buy means so much – so please let me know!
Strollers are probably the thing I’m the most obsessed with since I will be the one at home by myself for a while and will have to get around. We live in such a walkable area and so close to the park that I want something sturdy that will last for a while on the uneven NYC streets and other rough terrain. We also travel alot and have that to think about too. I might have to do a whole post on my research because it is too long to go into here. And research I have done.
Because the neighborhood we live in was just chosen as one of the “Top 10 dreamiest places to live” by HGTV
Park Slope, Brooklyn, New York
This neighborhood’s historic charm, top-notch restaurants and shopping, and proximity to Prospect Park make it an attractive alternative to Manhattan for families and professionals. Seventh and Fifth avenues are Park Slope’s main commercial areas, while other streets are occupied by renovated brownstones, which can sell for millions of dollars.
It has spent the last month at my side while I’ve been on 3 separate trips. Matthew’s sister Theresa gave this to me about a year ago and I am obsessed with it. Must have it on the plane and I even started bringing it in the car with me sometimes cause I missed its warm and snugliness. Thanks Treese!
#2
Oh Battlestar Galactica, how I have missed you.
Mostly you Starbuck.
PS-Your hair looks really pretty this season.
#3
While we were in Dublin I picked up one of my favorite hand/body creams at Lush. I have loved Lush for years and I used to have to stop in while we were in Vancouver but now they have them in NYC so its become less urgent. Sympathy for the Skin smells very faintly like vanilla, banana and almond and its all natural. I can’t resist it and even paid for this stuff in Euro just to get some in my hands. I have been finding my skin really dry these days and when I have a cream I love, I am definitely more eager to put it on.
#4
Winter=tea so starbucks=earl gray misto. Not fancy, its earl gray tea with steamed milk, basically a tea latte. Whoopie doo right…but I LOVE IT. Completely obsessed. I haven’t stopped drinking coffee or anything but I have definitely been trying to cut back to 1 caffeinated drink per day. Earl gray misto it is!
Right after we got back from Ireland I went to San Francisco for 8 days on a show. The show went great and I just love being back in one of my favorite cities in the world. The weather was unseasonably warm at 75 while the weather in NYC was unseasonably cold at, oh 5 degrees so that alone was thrilling.
I have a bunch of friends to visit with in SF, a few that were on the show with me so it really was a great trip. Add on that we were done by 6 or 7 every night and were able to leave the hotel every night which is such a huge treat.
Unfortunately I forgot my camera (shock, I know!) and was really angry about it the entire time. The last night there we took the cable car to fisherman’s wharf to go to the only In-n-Out burger in San Francisco because we are all crazy In-n-out freaks and couldn’t not go. Someone snapped this mediochre photo of me on the cable car but LOOK! I was in San Francisco!
Right after this I got to go straight to the airport for my redeye home. I rarely take redeyes but since I had to fly to Florida Saturday morning I didn’t want to waste all of Friday on a plane. I took Virgin America which I loved, definitely recommend it.
Well Hello! I know its been a while but I have been out of town…like a lot. Christmas Day we flew to Dublin so I’ll start there…
We spent a week driving around Ireland, it was exactly like you imagine it! Gorgeous green rolling hills, tons of sheep, little seaside towns, completely adorable. We went with Michelle and Gary and had an amazing time. We spent 2 days in Dublin, 1 in Galway, 1 in a small town on the west coast and 2 in Cork.
Throughout the whole trip we were a little bit shocked at the quality and taste of the food. We happened upon more than 1 fabulous meal and my new obsession, the carvery. The first night we were there we walked past a pub that had a number of signs proclaiming it ‘Best dining Pub 2007″ also 2006. 2005, 2004, etc etc. Since it was only a 2 block walk from our hotel we decided to have dinner there on our first night. The carvery is basically like a buffet of carved meats – you choose what you want (Roast Beef for me!) and then you choose from about 10 different sides, 4 of which were potato, no joke. When I said I only wanted mashed potatoes to go with my peas and cabbage the cute Irish guy behind the counter was sort of offended and said “only ONE kind of potato???” That is apparently unheard of in those parts.
The drive from Dublin to Galway was great, Matthew just about mastered driving on the wrong side of the road by saying “Keep Left!” to himself every time he turned. He was such a great driver! It was a beautiful, sunny day which was quite unexpected and took us about 2 hours.
We explored Galway and had a bite to eat for lunch. It was there that I discovered the veg soup. Pureed vegetables, a bit of cream and spices. It was delicious and perfect on the cold wintery day, and every single day after. Seriously, every restaurant had a veg soup. There was definitely a day I had it twice. Galway was cute and we were very close to the adorable cobble stoned shopping district that every city in Ireland has. We learned in Dublin just to follow the Christmas decorations hanging above and you will find shopping. In the evening we decided to go to a movie just because.
The next day was the day I was most excited about – we were driving to the Cliffs of Moher, a really amazing sight and something I was most looking forward to. On the way there we randomly passed a castle on the side of the road. It was just gorgeous.
Another beautiful, sunny day but the cliffs were FREEZING. I’m not sure what we expected 200+ meters above the ocean but wow, we couldn’t handle it for long. Unfortunately the position of the sun wasn’t the best for photo ops but they DID have a number of funny signs. And I really love funny signs.
After the experience at the cliffs we drove to a tiny town called Doolin and went into the only restaurant open on a sunday afternoon, the pub. From the second we got out of the car it just smelled good. I got the veg soup, everyone else got fish and chips. The second I saw the fish and chips i regretted my decision, they were the freshest, lightest fillets and besides chips there was a real, honest to goodness salad on the plate! Everyone gave me a taste of theirs to hold me over from ordering my own but it was the most surprisingly delicous meal in all of Ireland.
That night we stayed sort of in the middle of nowhere at my favorite hotel of the trip. It was really modern and clean, free internet, free breakfast and only 99 euro.
The next day (day 4 if you are counting) we drove down to Cork - about an hour or so south. On the way there Matthew let Gary drive and well…
Maybe that was a mistake. Everyone was fine and besides the 2 pregos in our car, the other car involved had 3 small children in it! We had insurance through the rental car company so after a bit of form filling off we went. With Matthew driving of course!
On the way into Cork we stopped at Blarney Castle, home of the Blarney Stone. It was enough for me to go to the top of a castle, there was no way I was leaning over backwards to kiss the stupid thing once we got up there. Its not just like sitting on the side of the road – you have to climb to the top of this castle and do gymnastics to earn the gift of eloquence. I passed.
Matthew kissing the Blarney Stone
Blarney Stone from below
Cork was great, definitely my favorite town in Ireland. It was really beautiful, there were tons of interesting people and shopping, and it happens to be the culinary capitol of Ireland. Yum!
They have a great shopping district and a farmers market called English Market that has food stalls and cooked food and chocolates and lots of other stuff. We walked over (5 minutes from the hotel) on our second day there and stopped in for lunch.
Matthew and Gary had sausages
The last day there we drove back to Dublin, the longest drive of the trip - about 3 hours or so. On the way back we stopped at the Rock of Cashel, a cathedral and priory built around 1100. It was a pretty amazing place.
That’s pretty much it. We got back to Dublin for New Years Eve, had Indian food for dinner (sooo sick of pub food) then packed up and got ready for our 6am trip to the airport. We waited for the stroke of midnight and watched the fireworks in London and Scotland on TV before passing out.
