Baby Shower

(Photos by DAD)

I want to extend a sincere thank you to all of my wonderful friends and family that came together this past weekend to make my baby shower so special. I got to see many of you that I haven't seen in awhile and it really made my weekend. We received some amazing gifts from people who were not able to attend as well, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It makes me feel so incredibly happy and blessed that you all took time out of your day to celebrate our little Aiden with us.

I Miss My Puppy!

I got to see my furry child this past weekend. I just wanted to share with everyone just how cute he is.......

Going to Arizona Today!

I am so excited to fly home this afternoon! This will be the last flight I will be taking during this pregnancy. Next time I fly to Arizona I will have Aiden with me! My mom and Margie are throwing me a baby shower tomorrow :) I am really looking forward to seeing everyone!

Today also marks one more week down! Jeff informed me this morning that I have developed quite the snoring habit. Sorry honey! I was worried when I found you on the couch this morning.....LOL.

Please take it up with the party responsible:

Aiden's Fun Facts

* Your baby's birthstone will be Yellow Topaz (Fidelity)

* Your baby's Astrological Sign will be Scorpio

* Your baby will be born in the Chinese Year of The Rat

* This time next year your baby will be 40 Weeks Old!


SCORPIO BABY: When a Scorpio baby enters the world, all eyes will focus on them. And that's exactly how it will be for a long time to come, as this baby must be the center of attention! To that end, this is quite the manipulative little tot, sucking up energy from everyone around. The Scorpio baby is also a bit mysterious, making it hard to figure out what's wrong when the crying starts. So often, it's something which is seething below the surface and will be very hard to draw out of this child. You must also consider power struggles when thinking of this child, as the Scorpio baby will expect that Mom, Dad, and everyone else will fit into their schedule and plans. Make no mistake, this is a powerful child! The flip side of this is that this baby is quite clear on what they want and can get that message across. One important note: Scorpio babes loathe lounging in dirty diapers, so change them often! Many times, this can be the simple source of their discomfort, although the malady may not always be so clear. For that reason, the Scorpio baby should be watched closely. Someone will generally be watching this child, though, as the Scorpio tot enjoys a crowd, especially one where it can lead. To sum up, the Scorpio baby is clever, wants things on their own terms, and will know how to get it.

God help us.....

I Passed!

Yesterday I had another routine doctors appointment as well as my 1 hour Glucose Test to check for Gestational Diabetes. Well this morning I found out that I passed, which is a good thing. I wasn't too worried, however, with craving all of these sweets it was a little nerve-wracking. If I wouldn't have passed I would have had to of gone back, drank more of that icky juice and stayed for 3 hours this time. Not to mention get poked by a needle 3 more times. One time is PLENTY for me.

Everything else looked fine. They were a little worried about my blood pressure being high, as I have been sporadically getting weird spots in my vision, but as usual my blood pressure was fine (tends to run on the lower end actually). Aiden's little heart was beating away at 144 BPM. At this point he is already head down so the doctor said that as long as he stays like that we won't have to worry about "flipping him". I wasn't too interested in what that would entail. So all in all, things are going great! I feel pretty good physically, obviously a little more tired and crammed on the inside but nothing out of the ordinary.

Happy Monday!

No real exciting news to report today. Jeff and I spent the weekend in the Bay Area. We needed to go down there to visit/take pictures of some of the new developments that Jeff's pieces were used on. Karen and Kirk were nice enough to let us stay with them at their beautiful house in Menlo Park. (thanks guys!) Plus, my cousin Meghan was there on vacation, spending some time before she starts her freshman year of college! The timing really worked out perfectly for everyone, we had such a nice weekend.

The Foamtec website is still undergoing some construction, but should be completed soon with pictures and all. I will post the link as soon as it is finished so you can forward it to ALL of your friends. Like the logo?

3rd Trimester!

Today already marks the beginning of my 3rd Trimester. Aiden has hiccups as I am typing this (I think). I keep getting this rythmnic twitching feeling. It is really the cutest thing!

"Baby's lungs and immune system are maturing this week as baby prepares for his grand entrance. If he were born today he would have an 85 percent chance of surviving as his lungs are capable of breathing air (with medical assistance, of course).

Baby's done a lot of growing over the past few months. His length has more than doubled in the past 15 weeks! And that's not the only thing growing—baby's brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace. His brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby. If baby is a he, his testes will have completely descended at this point. Your baby now weighs in at approximately 14½ inches and just over 2 pounds."

Where does it all go?

As you all may know, during a normal pregnancy (if you started at an average weight) you should gain at least 25 - 35 pounds. When I heard this I always thought that it seemed like a lot of weight to have to lose later, but if you are giving me permission, and it is in my baby's best interest then hey, why not, right?

WELL, at 5'3" that 25 - 35 pounds is MUCH more noticeable than on the average female of 5'5" or so. Ask my poor feet, some days if I have flat shoes on they hurt so bad after awhile that I just have to sit no matter where I am.

Anyway, I was looking online and found this chart that kind of tells you where the extra weight goes. I thought it was really interesting and wanted to share. Just with the extra blood, baby, placenta/womb and amniotic fluid, that is already 16 pounds right there. Where am I going with this? I don't know, but for once my work inbox is empty and I had some free time.....

* Side note: Oh, Jeff and Dad, I AM 5'3" thankyouverymuch.

Approximate breakdown of a weight gain of 29 pounds
Blood - 3 pounds
Breasts - 2 pounds
Womb - 2 pounds
Baby - 7.5 pounds
Placenta - 1.5 pounds
Amniotic fluid - 2 pounds
Fat, protein & other nutrients - 7 pounds
Retained water - 4 pounds

A New Day

So, as you probably noticed, yesterday was a bit taxing for me. However, it never ceases to amaze me how much of a difference a good nights sleep can do for me. Thank goodness there are always "tomorrows". Anyway, no other news today. I figured since I let you in on one of the down sides of pregnancy yesterday, I wanted to touch on one of the fun things (for me at least).

E-A-T-I-N-G!

It seems I have proved another pregnancy myth wrong: "If you're craving sweets, you're having a girl. If you're craving salt, you're having a boy." This is not the case at all with me. Before I was pregnant is was VERY rare that I would eat dessert or pick up a piece of candy. Nowadays, it's a different story all together. Here are my favorite things to consume lately:

* Chocolate Milk
* Poppy Seed Muffins
* McDonald's Vanilla Cones
* Doughnuts (yes, still)
* Reese's Peanut Butter Cups
* Snickers
* Gummi Bears
* Breyer's Ice Cream Bars
* Cheesecake - any kind I'm not picky
* ICEE's
* and oh yeah, I ate about 5 brownies at the company picnic the other day....YUM

Granted, I do not consume these everyday since it's not good for Aiden, but I certainly would if I could. Hope everyone has a good day!

Welcome to My (Our) World Today

Public Service Announcement: When women are pregnant their hormones bring about many changes, and one of these is mood swings. Sometimes we feel exhilarated, and the next second we feel deeply depressed. Other people are influenced as well since our mood can dampen their spirits as well. To deal with the outbursts of anger, sadness, and almost hyperactive activity, it takes considerable effort by all the people involved.

Much of what's happening to your wife is beyond her control, so you're going to have to be her lifeline to sanity. In addition to fear, anxiety, and body morphing, your wife will be subject to constant complex biochemical changes: sharp dips in blood sugar, hormonal fluctuations, and water retention. All of these things can cause her mood to shift in a nanosecond.

No further text.........

T.G.I.F.

So, one more week down, we are now at 26 weeks, and I am so glad that today is Friday! I had a really, really nice birthday yesterday. First, I got beautiful flowers and chocolates from Mr. Lemon delivered to my desk at work. Then Jeff took me to this resuarant in Roseville that I have been wanting to try forever. We had the BEST meal and of course followed it with dessert.




My only complaint for the night was that when I had asked our waitress to take a picture of us, she just grabbed the camera with one hand, pushed the button and handed it back to me. Needless to say the picture came out horrible and I was really quite upset about it. I know, sounds dumb and Jeff laughed at me for getting mad, but it's not everyday that we get dressed up and go out, PLUS I won't have this accesssory around my midsection forever and I would like to capture the moments when I can! Anyway, I was fine as soon as she brought my appetizer, but I never got a picture of both of us.

This weekend Jeff and I will be going to my company picnic on Saturday and then the Raging Waters water park with some friends and their kids on Sunday. In between we will try and work some more on the house of course. Oh, but tonight, I get to go to Best Buy to pick out my video camera that Jeff, my parents and my brother gave to me for my birthday. (Thanks guys!!) I'm so excited that I will be able to capture so many upcoming moments on video. No one is safe... :) Hope everyone has a good weekend!

Double Digits!

If you take a look at my ticker below you will notice that we only have 99 days left!!! Who knows maybe even less? As long as he is healthy I wouldn't mind him making an appearance a week early or so.

I actually had my first episode of Braxton Hicks contractions last night. No need to get excited, it doesn't mean he's on his way yet, just getting prepared. Here is a little blurb about Braxton Hicks for those of you who are unfamiliar with them, I know I was pretty uneducated until this morning.

What are Braxton Hicks contractions?
Braxton Hicks contractions can begin as early as the second trimester, however they are most common in the third trimester. The muscles of your uterus tighten for approximately 30 to 60 seconds or as long as 2 minutes. Braxton Hicks are also called “practice contractions” because they will prepare you for the real thing and you can practice the breathing exercises you are learning in your childbirth classes.

What causes Braxton Hicks contractions?
There are a few speculations for why women have these contractions. Some physicians and midwives think they may play a part in toning the uterine muscle and promoting the flow of blood to the placenta. They are not believed to have any connection with dilating the cervix, but may have some effect on the softening of the cervix. However, as Braxton Hicks contractions become more intense closer to the time of delivery, the contractions are considered false labor, which can help in the dilation and effacement process.

awwww....

Aren't these just the cutest little hats? I think the little ears are so funny! Grandpa Kevin and Paula sent the cutest little bonnet to Aiden the other day. I cannot wait to see it on him. Thanks guys!

Jeff and I are slowly but surely getting everything put in it's place at the new house. We are truly loving being there, it finally feels like we have a real home. We got our new bed delivered today so I will finally be able to use all of the beautiful bedding that we got as wedding gifts. Other than that no real news, just keeping very busy with everything. As soon as I get the house all decorated I will post some more pictures as it looks much better now. Hope everyone is having a good Wednesday!

Congratulations MC!

I just wanted to give a special congratulations to my very, very dear friend Megan. Megan and her boyfriend (now fiance), Joe just got engaged recently and I could not be happier for her. What a lucky guy! I had the oppurtunity to meet Joe for the first time in March and I must say he made a very good impression :) I know that they will live a long and happy life together.
Megan and I first met the beginning of our sophomore year at Arizona State. We started talking on a bus ride during a sorority rush event and were basically inseparable for the next 4 years. We raised our sons Corky and Oliver together and they were the best of friends. However, both dogs have currently been placed with their grandparents (ha ha). I was also lucky enough for Megan to be a bridesmaid in my wedding. I really couldn't ask for a better friend. Love you Meg!