Time seems to be flying by with no opportunity to stop and smell the roses. A quick update in the meantime...

Xmas holidays were wonderful - thanks to all the family members who made it extra special. We had so much fun giving this season, lots of fun things people really wanted. Except for poor hubby who really wanted socks and got what he asked for - athletic and dress :)

We seemed to return back to Chitown faster than we left, and the big bonus was all the trecherous snow and ice melted while we were away. An xmas present in and of itself!

This was to be a quiet week of work but has turned into a busy time here too - good news is lots of projects and plans getting knocked out. Thankfully b/c I have a short week next week -- we are off to the Dominican Republic for a long weekend.

Not before we celebrate the New Year, visit WI, have another doctors appointment, take a class on breastfeeding at the hospital, and meet with the financial planner and accountant. I'm also trying to get baby-ready now that I can't use the holidays as an excuse anymore. I cleaned out the nursery, organized gifts received, am making invite list for shower.

Phew. No wonder I feel so busy. Lots going on.

Hope everyone has and continues to enjoy what is left of the holiday season this week. Relax and enjoy. That is what I plan to do next week!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful day, spent with family and friends.

We are home and enjoying a great visit, with more days ahead.

xo

Super Husband!

As I sit down to share this big news, I realize it is possible that I've not yet mentioned my biggest craving during the pregnancy. Anyone who has spoken to me live in the last four months would undoubtably be able to tell you in one guess, but somehow I've neglected a blog mention yet.

Peanut Buster Parfait.

Have you had one? It's a dessert from Dairy Queen (you know I work for the King and defer to him on most things but here the Queen has him beat), and I haven't had one in, um, say 15 years. But somehow I got the idea in my head about three months ago that I needed one.

Since then every craving starts with the PBP, but b/c I never actually get one, evolves into something else (cookies, cake, choc pudding, peanut m&ms). I'd guess not a day has gone by that I haven't mentioned it at least once.

So imagine my surprise when hubby came home with not one, but TWO yesterday! (Actually I may have said "don't come home without one" when he left, so it wasn't exactly a huge surprise, but I was still extraordinarily grateful). Obviously I ate one straight away (it was everything I thought it would be) and in his brilliance, I now have one saved in the freezer for a rainy (or snowy as it may be) day.

THANK YOU DEAR!!!

The funny part about this craving? I don't typically do sugar. My sis always makes fun of me b/c my xmas stocking candy is always still in my fridge in June. I'm a salty snack girl, and can always take a pass on dessert. But now, save the soul who gets in the way of my final course. I rarely leave the table without it.

And, in a second heroic feat, hubby also remedied a tense kitchen situation by bringing home xmas cookie cutters, after I unsuccessfully spent the day looking for them in my own house, at Dominicks and with friends in the neighborhood.

I'm SHOCKED, and frankly a little disappointed in myself, that I didn't own them and plan to soon call myself a MOTHER. What the heck?!? Anyway, I have a cookie exchange tomorrow and really wanted to make some festive cookies. It is way too cold to go specifically shopping for them and I was left to ponder hand-cutting or just using a bowl to make circles and decorate my way to reindeers (scary proposition for all involved).

And then, out of nowhere, he comes in from the blustery cold and drops off all different kinds of holiday shapes and sizes.

YIPPEE!!!

Is there anything better than nesting (and my super hero hubby)??

Let the baking begin :)

Oh glorious, lazy, pre-child, winter Sunday.

After braving the traffic, crowds and slush yesterday to check off the majority of my remaining holiday shopping, I'm thrilled to have done so. The thermometer on the porch is registering -5 degrees, without incorporating the blustering winds, estimated to drop the temp to somewhere south of -30. Yuck.

We knew it was coming and when I heard the wind this morning I just tucked in further under the covers. I read a little, went back to sleep. Basically just laid in bed a ridiculously long time. And it felt great.

I'm going to bundle up, run to the grocery for ingredients to make cookies, return to a toasty fire and hopefully not leave again today.

Enjoy the day, stay warm and stay inside!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Today is both my sister and my BIL's birthday - so here is wishing you both a big, happy day.

Hope it is everything you wished for, and that you're both celebrating with family, friends, and much alcohol :)

We'll be toasting one in your honor tonight.

Love you both!

Do you ever wonder what you would do if you were seriously hurt?

I had a weird injury this week - I ran on Monday morning and incorporated some additional pilates stretching afterward. It has been feeling so good, I thought I'd start doing some stretching work every day. Who knows what caused the problem. I still can't even isolate the pain. But sometime during Monday I started feeling really sore in my hip (as you may know I've had all kinds of complaints about my hips in recent months). By the end of the day, I couldn't walk on it or put any pressure on it.

Blah, blah, blah it is Wed and thankfully seems to slowly be getting better.

A few gals at work suggested it was caused by the ligaments loosening, as happens in pregnancy. Apparently it makes you more susceptible to injuries. I'm going to ask my doctor Friday b/c this is just one of many hip problems in the last few months, more to come.

But the whole thing got me thinking, what if I were seriously injured? Everything takes longer, is painful, and more challenging. It's just harder. It really gave me a renewed appreciation for people who've overcome adversity. Sometimes you don't give much thought to things when you're coasting through life, but a little hiccup reframes things a bit, you know?

A quick update - I think I'm over it. I can't guarantee that I won't continue to joke about it, but I think I'm mentally beyond the getting fat thing.

I can't really explain what brought it on or why it's no longer as troublesome. I think maybe I had a big growth spurt last week and it kind of freaked me out.

And I kinda liked the idea that it wasn't immediately evident that I was expecting - like a little secret I had and could share as I wished. But now my posture is changing. I have to work pretty hard to keep myself aligned and not carry all the baby weight incorrectly (per my glorious pilates instructors). And sleeping (or rather flipping over in my sleep) isn't as effortless as it once was. The best though is getting in and out of the car. Ha! The SUV is fine, I just spill out. But the sedan? Comical and needs to be surprisingly calculated to ensure I make it out with all my belongings in one try without straining something.

Anyway, the point is I get it. I knew it before but it is somehow more real now. It really isn't about me at all.

Just in time too - because once you try on a maternity bathing suit (we're going to the beach in Jan), there is really no looking back :)

And you know what? It's pretty cute.

OH, I get it! The posts went out in reverse order and I couldn't figure out until right now. Yesterday was Monday, not Sunday. Sorry for any confusion! 

Baby Moon, part I

This weekend we hit Sedona, AZ for a mini-babymoon.

Baby moons are all the rage these days, or rather I've become more attune to conversations surrounding babymoons. Though the name is a play off of the familiar honeymoon, I'd suggest there are a couple critical differences...

While I was the skinniest I've ever been in my life during the first few days of my honeymoon (God bless the south beach diet), I'm currently carrying around a volleyball in my jeans without much success of hiding it.

And of course I drank from sun up to sun down in glorious Tahiti, while Fresca (black cherry) is the most exciting thing on my drinking menu these days.

And on this trip, we weren't exactly alone like on our honeymoon. But we did greatly enjoy taking Baby S to the Grand Canyon, and on our other adventures. It is fun to have the additional company.

Food consumption for both trips is basically even. Post honeymoon I was thrilled to no longer starving myself (for the record my wedding was the only time in my life I've dieted and didn't really enjoy it) and therefore ate everything in sight; and one of the joys of pregnancy is the excuse that you have to eat every few hours. For the baby's sake of course.

But the weekend was really wonderful. It was extremely relaxing which was our primary goal. We did some great sight seeing, hiking, trips to the spa, shopping. Updates and pictures to follow this week.

The most wonderful thing about the trip?

I didn't take my laptop.

Yes, you read correctly.

I. Didn't. Take. My. Laptop.

And the world continued to rotate. Amazing. It is one of the most liberating things I've done in awhile (sadly). And I only missed it twice, and bounced back quickly. So outside of a few emails and a conference call, it really was a real vacation. A gift that happens when the worlds align perfectly. And thus, I'm refreshed and eager to dive into the holiday madness!

Not to overstate the obvious but the Grand Canyon is pretty, well, grand. In fact, it is so big I look relatively small in comparison!

As I mentioned, I flew in Friday morning to meet hubby who was working in Phoenix. We drove up to Sedona and checked out the town. The rocks are simply amazing. Driving north on 17 they simply appear out of nowhere and engulf the horizon. Sedona sits beneath a perimeter of ranges that come in all shapes and sizes, varying shades of red and are totally awe inspiring.

We got our bearings, eat a delicious 'tex mex' lunch and toured town. After hitting the spa we enjoyed a nice Italian dinner where our server treated us like we were her relatives in for the weekend. That, following the same from the lady working behind the counter at Walgreens, left us welcoming the slow, friendly pace of the southwest.

Saturday we hit the road early for a trip north to the Grand Canyon. It took about two hours as we took the scenic route on the way there. However after passing through Flagstaff there really isn't much more to see or do before hitting the Canyon. And at the southern rim, you can drive nearly right up to the edge, walk the remaining 50 feet and peer right over the edge. So close to the experience visitors are, it left us wondering how many people accidentally fall in each year.

We had lunch over looking the canyon (well in theory anyway) and then walked about a mile along the edge. In short, it is dizzying in its enormity. There is a lot more to say but really you should just get there yourself to experience it firsthand. It is one of the wonders of the world after all!

That night we had a delicious dinner at the Enchantment Lodge, quite a ways out of town but tucked into another beautiful mountain range. The stars were so bright that while we were there in the pitch black of night, they lit up the range to give us a peak at what we were missing.

Sunday we did a big hike, about 6 miles roundtrip in the West Fork area. The air was clean, crisp and piney. The views, amazing. Another nice thing about the trip overall was being there in the off season. It was especially apparent during our hike, reportedly a very popular one in the summer. We saw about a half dozen people all day and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Before heading out of town, we hit the spa once more and I must say, there is nothing as wonderful as a prenatal massage. All in all, a very relaxing weekend.

Enjoy the pictures!

Week 26

Do you think it is possible that I have an abnormally heavy placenta?

I ask because I've suddenly gained a lot of weight and frankly am in denial that it could be something like my ASS that is carrying all this poundage.

Sadly I was the largest belly in my pilates class last night, with the other gals all due within a week of me. One of whom was having her second (she should be much bigger than me based on the books).

Ugh.

And I think my ankles are starting to swell. Isn't that supposed to happen in the 36th week? Not the 26th week? I'm still working out. Shouldn't I be protected from all of this nonsense?

If you haven't surmised, the "glow" has officially faded to black, which incidentally is all anyone is going to see me in between now and next spring.

Hubby assured me last night that even if I do continue to grow at this rate and expand to three times this size when I deliver, that he will still recognize (and presumably love) me. I'm not so sure.

And yes, I know. My vanity is shocking to me too.

I'm creating life, carrying a miracle, facilitating God's plan. And I am grateful. Extraordinarily grateful. I love the baby. I love his kicks (he kicked Stella in the head last night and she shot up off my lap wondering where the heck that came from, hilarious).

But I gotta tell you, it is going to be a long 14 weeks.