name that bean!

Ever since we told everyone that the bean's name is under wraps until he makes his big debut there have been lots of guesses thrown out there as to what it will be.

So far the predictions we have include:

Nicholas
Jackson
Stephen
Noah
Benjamin
Daniel
David

What do you think??

Any guesses to throw in the ring?

I'm not willing to give any clues (sorry), but it's fun to hear all of your ideas!

Also, just so you know, Drew and I are 100% set on the name, so once the bean is born if your name is the chosen one you can believe you guessed right! We won't be changing it based on anyone's guess!

28 weeks

So far the third trimester is pretty agreeable to the bean.

We had a great check-up at the doctor yesterday! I got all of my questions answered and feel very reassured about the weird symptoms I've been having recently. It turns out there are lots of things that all pregnant women experience (growing belly, swollen ankles...) but equally as many things you might experience that very few other people have!

All of my various aches, heart palpatations, and more are normal for me. Good to know.

In some other really exciting news, the bean and I have our second baby shower this weekend! My lovely mother-in-law is throwing it for us. It will be a such a fun time to see our families and celebrate the bean!

Drew and I have been receiving some gifts in the mail already. Posts on them to come!

How far along: 28 weeks

Net weight gain/loss: up 12 lbs.

Maternity clothes: sure am!

Stretch marks: don't want to jinx it, but...{not yet}

Belly button: still an innie, but barely

Sleep: getting harder. My back is starting to rebel.

Baby movement: very strong, very adorable

Food cravings: apple crisp...yum

Food aversions: trying to force chicken for the lean protein, but I just can't do it.

What I miss: margaritas with the group at Los Habaneros!

Looking forward to: our shower this weekend!

Best moment this week: lots of reassurance at my OB appointment.

Milestones: made it to the 3rd trimester

chinese takeout

As I mentioned yesterday, the bean is 28 weeks!

That means we're starting our third trimester together. I find this both incredibly exciting and incredibly scary!

Drew has been mentioning a lot recently how much he can't wait for the baby to arrive. It makes me so grateful to have a partner who is looking forward to this little boy joining our family as much as I am!

Well, BabyCenter has done it again.

I don't know who is in charge of picking the fetal food comparisons, but they've managed to choose yet another vegetable that I rarely encounter.

This week, at 2.25 lbs and 15 inches long, the bean is a...Chinese cabbage!

Of course.

I'm sure these are delicous, but I can't say that I've ever had one myself. At any rate, the bean is still growing and that's all I need.

This week he can blink his eyes! I'm sure those little blinking eyelashes will be my complete and utter downfall. All willpower is crushed by those fluttering beauties.

I'm heading to my last monthly doctor's appointment this afternoon. From here on out we're meeting every 2 weeks!

For the first time, I'm coming with a whole list of things to discuss...I hope she's ready!

Choosing a pediatrician
Circumcision options
Weird pregnancy symptoms that have me worried
H1N1 vaccination

Just to name a few...

welcome third trimester!

Today I officially started my third trimester!

The bean and I are on our 28th week together. Only 12 more to go!

This afternoon I went shopping with my friend Karen and ended up looking for some cooler weather maternity clothes. Now that I'm wearing maternity shirts almost exclusively I've realize how few I own. It feels like I wear the same things all the time!

However, shopping made me realize just how few options there are! It seems like the 2 maternity stores in my mall have lots of long sleeve t-shirts, but little else. Fortunately, I can wear t-shirts to work --- but who wants to wear nothing but Ts all the time??

Having only 12 weeks to go has also made me really hesitant to spend money on new clothes.

Add this all together and you've got me wearing the same 5 long sleeve T-shirts all fall.

I've decided to be ok with that.

:o)

random friday funnies

Over the past few days, I've come across a few random things that were really funny and I wanted to share them with you all....

This morning I was listening to the radio on my way to work and they were doing a segment about "3 Free Things" to do in Cleveland over the weekend. One that they mentioned was "Mary Yoder Days" -- apparently this is a fall festival held at a restaurant/bakery in rural Ohio.

The part I found really funny is that the full name of the place is "Mary Yoder's Amish Kitchen" and in order to find more info on the event we were told to reference http://www.maryyodersamishkitchen.com That's right -- the Amish Kitchen restaurant has a website!

Amish people don't believe in being connected to the main electric lines, so they don't have electric lights...or computers. But, I guess in keeping with the times, they did find someone to make up a website.

I love it. :o)

Funny #2:

Also from the radio...while listening at work the other day, the station (different from the one above) played a clip from a caller who said that she just loved this station because she "doesn't ever have to worry about her kids hearing bad words in the songs."

The song they played immediately following her clip was, "Gives You Hell" by the All-American Rejects.

Ironic.

Still on the funny train:

Of course this one has to be baby related. Last night I got to bed a little later than usual, so this morning I was still sleeping pretty deeply when my alarm went off. Alarm clocks scare me to death, so I've conditioned myself to wake up before the alarm goes off every morning. It's purely set as a back-up.

Well, like I said, this morning was different and when my alarm clock started beeping I jumped a little and my heart took off down the racetrack. The bean did not enjoy being woken up so abruptly. He started kicking and twisting really hard -- I think my heartbeat startled him!

I felt bad for scaring him (if that's what happened) but at the same time it was pretty darn funny.

When I told Drew what happened, he suggested I work on "not being startled so easily," so I don't frighten our unborn child.

Awesome suggestion. Because I have total control over my startle reflex. I'm sure it's just a matter of not trying hard enough.

Maybe if I really focus I can grow another set of arms too. Or make my feet less narrow so normal shoes fit better.

I'll get right on that. Maybe as soon as I'm done growing a human.

You're a peach, buddy. I love ya!

Seriously though, if anyone has ideas on how to be startled less easily, I'd love to hear them. :o)

I love being able to laugh at the little things -- have a great weekend everyone!

daddy needs a wingman

I walked into the nursery the other day and saw this:

Apparently Drew is ready for a Steelers watching friend to arrive!

27 weeks

So far 27 weeks has been pretty exciting!




But not in a great way...

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers over the past few days. The bean and I seem pretty stable now. My doctor thinks that I was dehydrated and that's what led to the contractions I was having on Sunday.

Now I'm keeping a big glass of water nearby at all times!

It's so hard to feel like the baby's health is completely on my shoulders (or strapped to my hips). As a first time mom I have no idea what pains are "normal" pregnancy aches and what could indicate pre-term labor. While I don't want to be running to in to the doctor all the time, I'm going to do what I need to do to keep my little boy safe. If that means getting on a first name basis with the nurses and residents on every shift, then so be it!

Actually, all the sudden it seems like I'm systematically working my way through the list of pregnancy symptoms that "What to Expect" and Baby Center say you might experience. Last night it was...leg cramps!

Turns out that it's extremely uncomfortable to be awoken in the middle of the night by a giant charlie horse in the calf. I'm a little surprised (but glad) that my gasp didn't wake Drew up. He just kept snoring...thanks, honey.

Despite the theme of the previous few paragraphs, I really am trying not to complain too much. This pregnancy has been great so far and I'm so blessed to have a healthy bean in there!




Next week we start the 3rd trimester, wow! Only 13 weeks to go until I meet my little guy -- that sounds both really close and really far away.

How far along: 27 weeks
Net weight gain/loss: up 12 lbs.
Maternity clothes: definitely -- my belly has started to expand a lot more rapidly recently
Stretch marks: not yet
Belly button: still an innie, but pops out after dinner, then goes back in. Weird!
Sleep: good. Except for the leg cramps. And bathroom breaks. And hip pain. And kicks that wake me up. :o)
Baby movement: very strong, very frequent!!
Food cravings: pumpkin cookies
Food aversions: can't take the texture of chicken breasts
What I miss: nothing this week -- I love expecting the bean!
Looking forward to: actually starting his quilt some day....
Best moment this week: getting a clean bill of health after my impromptu L&D visit
Milestones: the baby can taste lots of flavors, so I need to eat all kinds of stuff for him!

contractions and cauliflower

This was quite the weekend for the bean (and his parents).

We all started out well enough on Saturday -- it was a beautiful day in Cleveland, so Drew and I took a drive to a shopping center about 45 minutes away where they were having a big maternity sale and just enjoyed being out and about. Then when we got home I made a batch of pumpkin cookies (yum, yum, yum) and watched a few new shows on the DVR (yay, fall tv!).

Then came Sunday...

I woke up feeling totally fine, got ready for church, and was just finishing my breakfast when the sharp pain shot across my belly and had me doubled over. This was very different from the round ligament pain and achiness I've felt every day, so I was a little concerned.

Drew and I went to church anyway, hoping that it would go away and it did for the most part. However, when I got home and started doing some things around the house it came back with a vengence. At this point, I called my Mom for advice and she recommended calling the doctor.

I had been hesitating on doing this so far because I really don't want to be one of those high-maintance pregnant women who rush to the hospital for every little thing. When I talked to the doctor on call she convinced me that it was worth getting checked out, so over to the hospital we went.

If you ever have to do this, let me give you some advice: eat lunch first.

They hooked me up to the fetal monitor for a couple hours and ran a bunch of tests for infections. All of the lab work came back negative (yay!) and my cervix is closed and stable, so despite the contractions that the monitor picked up they decided it was safe to send me home.

We came home with strict instructions to lay down for the rest of the day and come back if things flaired up again. So far, so good.

Drew was amazing at taking care of me and the bean last night. I know he was really worried, but kept his cool -- I appreciate his calm demeanor through the whole ordeal.

Hopefully this will be our last trip into L&D until our real D-Day!

In other news...the bean is a cauliflower!

He weighs about 2 lbs and is 14.5 inches long. The baby is still developing his lungs, but could survive (with some medical help) if he was born soon. He also has more taste buds now than he'll have during the rest of his life, so I'm suppose to eat a wide variety of foods to give him a little taste of everything.

Keep growing bean and just stay in there, for goodness sake. You scared us enough for 1 weekend, relax and enjoy the comfy home I'm trying to provide. Only 89 more days before we meet you -- I can wait, if you can.

favorite thing friday

Since I got pregnant my dietary needs have really changed.

It turns out that maintaining an adult body (me, pre-pregnancy) requires a very different diet than growing a new person from scratch (baby bean).

He needs a lot more protein to build, well, everything, than I tend to take in.

I've never been a big meat-eater, so being told to increase my protein load was a little intimidating. I bumped up both meat and beans, but still wasn't convinced that I was getting enough protein.

Then I found these little beauties...

Special K Protein Shakes!

Now, before I start getting concerned comments and emails, please realize that these are NOT diet shakes. I know that drinking diet shakes (or dieting in general) while pregnant is a terrible idea.

These are designed to be a snack, so at 180 calories each, I don't feel like I'm packing on the mama bear fat for hibernation either.

Just get them super cold and it's delicous! Not exactly like a milkshake, but they are really creamy and satisfying.

And with 10g of protein to boot!

i heart eBay

I love getting a good deal!

But I also insist on having high quality. I don't mind buying used items, but they need to be in good shape. There's nothing more frustrating to me than buying something, having it fall apart, and needing to replace it quickly.

eBay is an awesome source for high-quality, inexpensive stuff!

I've bought a few things in the past, both new and used, and found them all to be exactly as described by the seller. Buying stuff on eBay scared me a little at first, but then I realized how valuable the consumer comments are. No one will buy from someone with negative comments, so the sellers are very careful to be honest. It's worked out well for me!

Since I realized how much stuff the bean needs (or I want for him!) I've turned to eBay a couple times to buy special items. The great thing about buying baby things on eBay is that most people don't use them for long, so they are all practically new!

My first great find was a Bebe Au Lait nursing cover. These retail for $35 and I got mine (used once) for less than $15!

Assuming the bean and I are able to get this nursing thing figured out, I'm going to get a ton of use out of this cover. Yay!

Next came these amazing stroller hooks. I have a stroller with split handles and needed a way to attach my diaper bag. Most hooks just swing from the crossbar, but since I don't have one I needed something strong that would stay on a vertical bar.

These Think King mighty stroller hooks are awesome! I ended up buying them new on eBay, but didn't have to pay any shipping. After shopping around a lot, this was by far the best deal. They came the other day and work perfectly!

I'll post a photo of the diaper bag on the hooks when I get one taken.

My most recent baby purchase on eBay is by far my favorite -- my Vera Bradley diaper bag!

I saw this bag in a store around town and fell in love. It's a great size and a really fun print. Unfortunately, it was also really expensive (like $97). Sure, I'll be using it all the time and if I couldn't find a better price I probably would have paid it.

However...

eBay came through! I found a brand new bag in the print I wanted, bid on it, and won! It cost me $35 less than buying it in the store.

So exciting!!

It just came yesterday and is in perfect condition. I certainly can't tell any difference between it and the one from the store.

My latest find is a baby carrier. I'm currently bidding on a Beco Baby Carrier -- these are really expensive too and I'm trying to avoid paying full price at all cost {no pun intended}. Wish me luck!

biggest loser

Last night started a new season of the Biggest Loser!

I always feel so encouraged watching people trying to turn their lives around for the better. So many of the contestants this year have heart-wrenching stories -- I'm rooting for them!

Another fun benefit of this show is the fact that I love sitting on my couch while eating snacks and watching other people work out.

Usually this causes me a (small) amount of guilt, but now that I'm pregnant I can't work out that hard (just ask my doctor) and feel no guilt whatsoever.

I'm sure once the baby is here and the pregnancy pounds need to come off I'll hate this show and despise Jillian, but in the meantime, Go Losers!

26 weeks

The bean and I are now in our 26th week together!

He's such a little sweetie in there, giving me lots of kicks and nudges throughout the day.

I can tell that he hears my voice, which is really special. This morning my alarm went off and I was laying in bed gathering the motivation to get up. I said my first words of the day by asking him if he was ready to get up. No sooner had I started talking than he gave me a kick. He heard me and responded to my voice, I'm convinced!

In other big news, I told my boss yesterday that I'm not planning to come back to work after the baby is born. I was so nervous that he would be upset (I'm his only assistant in the lab, so my leaving is pretty disruptive) but he was very supportive and seems anxious to help me get all the maternity leave that I can from the company. I wasn't expecting that at all and it was a great surprise!

We'll talk more about my post-baby plans later, but for now I'll just say that I'm excited and feel really blessed to be able to stay home with little bean once he arrives!!

How far along: 26 weeks

Net weight gain/loss: up 11 lbs.

Maternity clothes: yes and I'm started to realize how limited my new wardrobe is

Stretch marks: no, yay!

Belly button: still an innie, but transforming quickly.

Sleep: pretty good, but my hip is starting to hurt from only sleeping on my left side

Baby movement: yes and I love it!

Food cravings: anything. everything.

Food aversions: nothing -- bring on the food (see above)

What I miss: mimosas with breakfast-for-dinner night!

Looking forward to: making the bean a onesie with his name on it

Best moment this week: having the first stranger comment on my pregnancy

Milestones: the bean is practicing his breathing and will be completely viable in a few weeks

vegetarian delight

Over the past few weeks I've gotten really behind on baby bean's veggie references!

Let's see where we've been....

24 weeks - ear of corn

This is perfect because it happened while we were at the beach eating delicious Jersey sweet corn. The bean enjoyed it greatly.

25 weeks - rutabaga

What? What? I've never had one of these...or even seen one. This reference doesn't help me much, so we're going to move right along.

The bean is now 26 weeks. Time for a yummy English cucumber!

We're now in the weight gaining part of things. The bean is now almost 2 pounds and increasing rapidly. He is also about 14 inches long.

I think the most exciting thing to happen this week is that bean's eyes are able to open! They have been fused shut while the retinas formed so far, but this week they open up.

We did a little test last night to see if this had happened yet. Did you know that if you shine a flashlight at your belly the baby will move away from it? He did! It was really neat, but also felt potentially mean, so I won't be doing it often.

In other news, the bean is diligently practicing his breathing and will be already to make his appearance in another 13 weeks!

babymoon part 3: the conclusion

So, I just have a few more things to share from our trip down the shore!

The boys had a lot of fun playing game after game of Baggo...

For those of you mid-westerners, that's Cornhole!

One afternoon Drew and I took a ride down to the boardwalk. It was a pretty cloudy day, but perfect for walking around and eating lots of bad-for-you, but delicious foods!

Drew treated me to a piece of boardwalk pizza -- the best!

As we were walking along we saw this place

which I knew my nephew Owen would love! Next time he has to come along with us and take a ride on the Monster Truck!

It really was a great trip. We're so grateful for the chance to see Drew's family and spend some relaxing time on the beach!

Next year, the bean makes 3!

pregnancy path of destruction

This is completely unrelated to the post-at-hand, so I want to mention it first...

has anyone else noticed that I now have fewer than 100 days left?!! That's right, we have 99 days to go as of today. Oh, my.
---------------------------------------------------

Ok, on to business.

There's this little thing I've experienced over the past few months that Drew refers to as my:

Pregnancy Path of Destruction

Basically this phrase refers to all of the stuff I've broken, scratched, or otherwise ruined since getting pregnant.

At first (actually, still) this was a really frustrating development, I'm not normally clumsy! Typically dusting the house or doing dishes are non-events -- but not anymore.

Just when I was really starting to feel bad about my recent fumbling ways, I was reading "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and came across an article all about how pregnant women legitimately become more clumsy.

As it turns out our joints loosen and we don't have the same grip that we used to.

It's medical! It's real! I won't always be this way!

As reassuring as that information is, the path of destruction remains.

Let's go for a walk...

It all started before I even knew I was pregnant (but was!). I can list on 1 hand the number of car "incidents" I've been in. The most recent involved my car and the garage. See that discolored area -- yeah, that's where I hit the garage.



That's right, I cut the corner too close and scraped the garage. How in the world did I get THIS FAR over? No ones knows for sure, but I blame the bean (sorry, buddy).

I'm not allowed to pull directly into the garage anymore. It's a 2-point turn for me now.

Moving right along...this is kind of like Candy Land, isn't it?

What a lovely bowl set from Crate&Barrel. I use these all the time and love them.



Except that there used to be 5 in the set. The first one died in a tragic accident years ago, but most recently another friend went to the recycle bin via my hands.

I'm not allowed to wash precious dishes anymore.

Then, my saddest tragedy, the great Candlestick Smash of '09.



What's missing from this picture...oh yeah, the 3rd candlestick from the right-hand set.



I'm not allowed to dust and talk on the phone at the same time anymore.

Then we come to this remote control. Looks perfectly fine, right? That's because it's brand new. I broke its predecessor in some unknown way.



I'm not allowed to use the remote for more than a few minutes at a time anymore. I avoid it entirely when possible.

Finally, my alarm clock.



I was trying to make the bed the other day and my grip snapped off while pulling the sheet taut. My arm flew back (really quickly) and hit my alarm clock, throwing it across the room.

I found the battery, but the back cover must have disintegrated in the blast.

I'm not allowed to make the bed that vigorously anymore.

All I have to say is that my body has 99 days to get back in control or I won't trust myself to care for a newborn.

Anyone have a similar P.P.O.D.?

Please say yes.

his crib rocks -- our nursery

Baby bean's nursery is all set up!

The furniture arrived a few weeks ago and since then Drew and I have been getting the little accessories we needed to make it home for our little boy.

There are still a few things missing -- mostly practical items, like a diaper pail, that we're hoping to get at our shower in a few weeks. The other big missing item is his name! We're putting the name over his crib, but since that's a big secret you won't see it here. I promise to post a final photo after he arrives so you can see what we did. I already have the letters prepped, they just need to go up!

As you come in from the hallway...

The crib converts into a full-sized headboard, so barring any baby destruction, we're hoping that this crib will be with him for a very long time.

I just love the bedding -- even though it's technically marketed for girls I don't see any reason why boys can't like birds and trees. We picked bedding that might be a little girly, but tried to pair it with dark furniture and other more "masculine" details. There will be plenty of years for him to insist on trucks, trains, bugs, and other boy things, so I'm getting what I love for now! :o)

These dressers are perfect for all of his blankets, sheets, and clothes (so far!)

I actually first saw these hatching chick paintings on another blog and instantly fell in love. They were the first thing I bought for the baby after I found out I was pregnant and created the theme for the room.

Drew's grandparents gave us this glider rocker as a baby gift and we love it! Even without a baby to rock, I sit in it all the time to read and relax. It will definitely be one of those pieces that moves to another part of the house after the babies are grown.

One of my friends who is a social worker (thanks, Karen!) was telling me how important it is for young children to have easy access to books, so Drew and I decided to get these bins for them. This way little one can dig around for his favorites, dump them out, or whatever! I didn't have room for a bookshelf and I like that these are low so I don't have to worry about anything tipping over on him.

We went with the same theory for the toys. These bins don't have lids that can snap down on tiny fingers. Toy chests scare me to death, so this was a great alternative.

My parents gave us this quilt rack last Christmas and I'd been looking for the perfect use for it. I love it here!

Decorating the nursery has been so much fun -- I'm a little sad that it's all done! I hope my little boy has lots of sweet dreams and fun play time in his room.

mr amazing

Drew found this when we were shopping for baby clothes the other day.

And, yeah, baby boy sure is!

incredulous

I think it's funny (and ridiculous) that some one or several people in my lab treat the break room refrigerator like it's theirs at home.

I went to put my lunch bag in today and had to fight for room because someone had filled the fridge with....

1) an entire package of English muffins
2) a tub of butter
3) 2, 12 packs of Coke
4) a bag of 5 apples
5) beer (?!)
6) various jams and jellies
7) 5 yogurts

Is it just me or are you suppose to store your breakfast and lunch ingredients at home and then only bring enough for 1 day, every day?

I'm tempted to stay really late one day and make sure no one is living here.

25 weeks

This post is pretty close to the 24 week one since I didn't have internet last week, but the info and photos are really from the week it says...really!

So far 25 weeks is a good place to be! The bean is getting bigger (along with my midsection) and is moving and kicking a ton. The kicking doesn't keep me up at night yet, but I can definitely see how that would happen. He likes to wake me up in the morning with huge kicks gentle nudges. A morning baby already, fabulous!

We took these belly shots on our last day of vacation and I can guarantee this will be the only time I appear on the internet in a bikini. Breathe a sigh of relief, it's ok. :o) I figure this is the last time my baby-bearing body will be in a bikini period, so why not live it up a little.






How far along: 25 weeks
Net weight gain/loss: up 10lbs (too much boardwalk food!)
Maternity clothes: graduated to pants and shirts this week
Stretch marks: no, yay!
Belly button: still an innie
Sleep: switched sides of the bed with Drew so I can sleep on my left side -- it's wonderful, but disorienting when I get up in the middle of the night
Baby movement: oh my, yes
Food cravings: soft serve ice cream at the county fair, check
Food aversions: nothing -- bring on the food
What I miss: climbing stairs without sounding like the Big Bad Wolf
Looking forward to: starting the baby quilt (still...didn't get to it last week)
Best moment this week: being excited about taking the bean to the shore next year!
Milestones: baby boy is up to 1.5 lbs and his lungs are starting to mature

babymoon part 2 - down the shore

For those of you who aren't from the PA/NJ/NY region, this post might be full of a phrase that you're not familiar with -- namely, "down the shore."

We don't go to the beach or spend time at the ocean. We head "down the shore." Now, I wasn't raised right on the Jersey shore, so it's a little harder for me to leave out the "to" -- I always want to say "down to the shore." This isn't quite right, but I'm hoping everyone will let me slide.

Yesterday I left us in the driveway with Drew's bandaged finger. Well...9 hours of driving, 2 bathroom stops (not bad for a pregnant lady!), lots of tolls, a few angry words as we got through Philadelphia...and we were met with this

We made it down the shore!



It was so wonderful to arrive at the shore and be greeted by Drew's family. We hadn't been able to see them all in a long time, so this was a great opportunity to spend time together.



Drew has 3 brothers --- there were many board games and lots of frisbee.



Chris & Lisa making fajitas for dinner



me & Raegan



Jared, Matt & Alden



One of the best parts was seeing our twin nephews, Alden & Mercer! Drew and I hadn't seen them since last November and it was amazing how much they had changed. They're almost 2 now and have great personalities.



Vacationing with 2 year olds is not easy, so thanks Jared and Raegan for braving it and coming down from Maine!

Thanks, Mom and Dad for a wonderful vacation!



There were quite a few little adventures throughout the week...more to come.