21 (and a half) Weeks!

Yesterday we had our "real" ultrasound. The one where it actually has a purpose besides being curious about your little one in there.  Unfortunately baby wasn't in a super cooperative mood, was a little too comfortable, and wouldn't face up. It even had its legs crossed ;)  They sent me for a walk and had me go up and down some stairs a few times in hopes that baby would do a flip. Nope. They were able to see everything else but the proper angle they needed for the heart  (to see all of its workings properly).  Now we'll have to go back in a few few weeks and hopefully get a better angle. The tech said I'm measuring about 22 weeks, which is pretty accurate I think. Doesn't look like my due date has changed yet!

This weekend we are off to Punta Cana where Ill be Maid of Honor in my friends wedding.  Hope the dress still fits when I get there ;)  I am super looking forward to the warmth and the sun. Even though we have been incredibly lucky with this winter being so nice, it is winter nonetheless.  When we get back it will be March and psychologically that makes it seem so much closer to spring.  Sadly, no all inclusive alcohol for me, I keep telling people i'll just be stuffing my face to make up for it. here's hoping I don't gain my monthly weight gain average in a week! Yikes.


 How far along?   21 Weeks (and a half)

Total weight gain? 10 lbs

Maternity clothes? I can still squeeze myself into some tops that are flowier or have an empire waist or are stretchy

Stretch marks?  No

Sleep?  Not terrible but not great. I get up 1-2 times a night and have to shift around a lot due to the ever present back and hip pain

Best moment this week? The husband feeling the baby move more and more.  He thought he felt it before but said this week it was "official". I can also sometimes see my belly bounce from the outside from the kicks :)

Miss anything?  Still wine, going up a flight of stairs without getting out of breath

Movement? So much at night that it sometimes keeps me up! I can now feel it sometimes in two places at once, my guess the baby's feet and hands! 

Food cravings? Burgers, Popcorn

Food aversions? Still the Omega 3 foods, although i made a great discovery!  I got some children's Omega 3 gummies at Costco called Iron Kids and they are awesome!  I kinda look forward to eating them, as they have no detectable fishy taste.  The adult dose is just eating three times as many. Yay me!

Labor signs? Nope

Symptoms? The only new thing is a lot more pressure from baby growing and pressing on different parts of my belly

Belly button in or out? In, starting to think that this pregnant lady wont get an outie....

Wedding rings on or off? On

Looking forward to?  Sunday's trip!

Random week happenings....

I have been recently informed by the husband that since I've been pregnant, I have been "getting a bit weird"...... like I have been "trying to save the world". When I thought of the examples i thought, my god, he might be right...

- Carpooling to work the other day, there is me, yelling through the window at a lady that was dragging her poor extension cord, still plugged into her car. It made me happy to see her pull over in the rearview mirror and save that poor cord from it's misery.
- Same car trip ironically, I am informing the husband how he should be treating dumb people who don't know how to use the roundabouts.  He will just go ahead and drive through, if they are sitting there like idiots. I was telling him to use his horn to tell them to go when its their turn, otherwise they won't learn.
-Came home angry the other day because I witnessed some girl getting into someones unlocked car and stealing things. I tried to park right by her and have her notice me watching her, but she was oblivious.  Calling the cops would have done nothing, she would have been gone by the time they got there.  I was so frustrated that there was nothing I could do. It bothered me all night. However, now isn't the time to be a vigilante, being pregnant.
-The other day, was driving past a woman and her kid and noticed the woman dropped a bag she was carrying.  I tried, like a crazy person yelling out to her "You dropped your bag!" like a crazy woman several times, but she didn't hear.  Finally had to do a U turn and chase her down to let her know.


I have come to the realization that my organs are migrating. I hope they know where they are headed.  I felt what should have been something like intestinal pain the other day, maybe bloat.... except it seemed to me in my back.  Hmmmm.  No wonder pregnant women get scared over every little ache and pain. Our organs aren't where they should be anymore, so every little thing we feel is so damn confusing!  Thankfully my good friend Karen lent me her nursing text book on Maternity (this being after I learned i was pregnant and was convinced that there wouldn't be enough room for everything in there. "But where will it all go!?, I asked her.  Now I have a good reference since I am at that stage where my stomach is headed for my esophagus.


The husband felt the baby move "officially" for the first time the other night.  So many times i would say, "Quick!  put your hand here!" and he would, and it would stop.  Finally he gets to share a new kind of joy with me and I think for a father, this is when it starts becoming real.


I think my husband is trying to hide my favorite measuring cup on me again.  Well maybe not exactly hide..... but I think he is putting it inconveniently out of reach in the cupboard. He did this once before, and I think it's happening again.  You see, it is made of plastic. My husband is convinced that by using it I am going to become poisoned with harmful plastics that will leech out into whatever I am using it for.  Okay, now I know the bad rap that plastic gets in many cases. Now, for example, I would be very selective to which bottles I chose, I also try my best to avoid heating things up in the microwave in their plastic containers......   but my measuring cup? Don't all kinds of things come in plastic from the grocery store such as juice? I love it because its so light, convenient, and not heavy and cumbersome like the glass one.  Anyway, maybe seems silly, but just leave my measuring cup alone.


Today I made banana pancakes for Bfast. This tip came from one of my husbands good friends.  Mash up a banana and add to any pancake recipe. You may have to alter the rest of the ingredients slightly  based on the consistency, but they are so soft and yummy!  I decided to add extra bananas on top. Using real maple syrup is a must!

The 21 week post to follow soon!

Cribs and Crab legs

So a few good things happened this week!
First, we decided on some of our nursery furniture!  I don't know why, but this caused a certain amount of stress for me for awhile. A few friends will know what I mean. I felt a bit like a crazy person.  I think it is all just very overwhelming. Every time I thought I had made up my mind on something, there was something in the way, such as our favorite set being a little out of price range. I also knew i wanted a natural wood finish for most of the furniture (as there will already be a fair amount of white present in things such a doors, curtains, a built in shelving unit. I actually didn't realize the amount of white already there until i started to really take notice of the room.)  Well, It finally happened, the coveted set went on sale!  Thank you Babies R Us for decreasing my stress load.  Here is a picture of the set, although we only purchased the crib and 6 drawer dresser, that will double as a changing table. I really like the color of the walls in this picture, we're thinking of going with a similar color.

Second good thing, It was Valentines day! and I finally made Crab legs with butter, and also some delicious Scallops with leeks, cream and fried capers. So yummy!  I was in pregnant lady heaven.

Here's how i made them (measurements are not exact!)  First I made sure the scallops were patted quite dry. Then I pre seared them in a cast iron skillet with a good amount of oil. Skillet has to be hot, as the scallops give out alot of liquid, and I did them in a few batches.  If your pan isn't hot enough, they wont sear properly and will just kind of boil in their own liquid, and overcook.  I seared them approximately 30-45 seconds each side (depends on the size of your scallops)  They were still a little under done, and I set them aside. Heat up a small pan with enough oil to coat bottom of pan, on medium high heat, and fry the capers in small batches. Make sure they are patted dry as they will splatter if too wet. Fry for about 30 seconds and drain on paper towel.  If they are not slightly crispy, you can put then back in the oil for 15 more seconds or so. Set aside. For the sauce, I used a little less than one leek, cut in half and cleaned. There is a lot of mud that gets into leeks so make sure you cut the stalk in half and run under water to clean well. Use only the intact stalk and throw away the part where it starts to separate and is darker green. I cut the pieces in small half moon slices.  Heat up a pan on medium heat, add a bit of olive oil, about a tablespoon of butter, the leeks, a clove of garlic chopped. Sautee until the leeks soften, then add about 4 tablespoons (or more!) of white wine. reduce slightly. Add Juice of a quarter lemon.  Then stir in about a quarter cup heavy cream.  Season with salt and pepper. Once the cream is in, reduce temperature. You can adjust the seasonings here, or add more cream if its too thick. Add the scallops and toss to coat and to bring back up to temperature. This is where they finish cooking. Turn off heat and serve immediately,  as scallops do tend to get overcooked easily. Sprinkle with capers to garnish. Enjoy!

For the King crab legs, (they were frozen, sadly the best I could get at the store that day, but they were still delicious and satisfied my craving.... For now..... )  I steamed them for about 8 mins.

20 Weeks!

Its been a pretty busy week, so it has been nice to just enjoy a relaxing weekend.
Monday I tried a chiropractor recommended to me by my OB. I was very leery of this but since I was told that this guy deals with a lot of pregnant women, i was willing to give it a try. I was hoping to get some relief from some of the hip, back, and sciatica pain I had been having.  It seemed to go ok, and I should have gone back for my second appointment on Friday, but I got stuck at work with a client that took me much longer than anticipated.  By the end, I realized that I had been standing for basically 8 hours straight. Not only was I ridiculously exhausted, I felt like I had completely trashed my back, and feel like I am probably back to square 1 with any kind of treatment the chiro did.  Up until then I felt not too bad standing at work, and most of the pain I would experience would be leaning over to shampoo clients.  Well I have now realized that I am not a machine and clearly some jobs are just getting a bit much!  Tomorrow Is my rescheduled appointment and hopefully will be able to get back on track!

At Wednesday's yoga class, I had a very familiar thing that happened to me again. I started to crave a cinnamon bun.  I can't explain this strange phenomenon. It just happens. I apologize to anyone who teaches me yoga.  Most of the time i really am trying to be mindful, however my mind often drifts, and it often drifts to delicious cinnamon buns, and sometimes donuts.  Sweet foods aren't even normally "my thing".  So, naturally I decided to pay a visit to the Tall Grass Bakery.  The fact that these cinnamon buns are whole wheat make me feel a little less guilty.  Oh, and by the way, i managed to wait a whole day and a half before I gave into this craving.

Last night we attended my good friend Joel's wedding.  The bride was beautiful, and the whole wedding was really nice. They even had the ceremony at a theatre. A really nice touch. The wedding favors were super cute too, but sadly I will be saving the unpasteurized honey until after the baby is born. Sigh. I had to keep reminding myself though, that when I went up to the bar, I was just getting water or soft drinks.  I managed to last until after 12 and was quite proud of myself.  I was determined to not be one of those lame couples that leave right after dinner.  It was also my first time on a dance floor since being quite pregnant. You definitely become a lot more aware of your body, and start getting the sense that some of your equilibrium is off.  

This morning I had a nice sleep in (t'ill 11:30! don't know the last time that happened!)  had a visit from my sister in law and her son, went for a walk and saw the movie The Vow.  It was really sweet actually, and I have a love for most movies that have Rachel McAdams in them.  She just seems like a person that  would be really nice in real life. 

Here's the 20 week quiz!

How far along? 20 Weeks

Total weight gain? 9 lbs

Maternity clothes? All pants, some tops

Stretch marks? No but I noticed a small certain little line developing

on my belly!

Sleep? Not too bad If I am able to get myself positioned right

Best moment this week? Eating above cinnamon bun and attending my good friends wedding

Miss anything? A glass of wine

Movement? Lots

Food cravings?Cinnamon buns (of course) Still burgers

Food aversions? Foods where I can taste Omega 3 added. Today I could detect the fishyness in my toast!

Labor signs? Nope

Symptoms? More of the same, starting to feel heaviness in the abdomen sometimes.

Belly button in or out? In

Wedding rings on or off? On

Looking forward to? Finding clothes that fit me for our upcoming trip, and attending out first prenatal class tomorrow :)

19 Weeks

How far along? 19 Weeks

Total weight gain? 9 lbs

Maternity clothes?  All bottoms, some tops

Stretch marks? Nope

Sleep? Still interrupted, feeling like a rotisserie chicken turning all the time

Best moment this week? Realizing that it was okay to wear a bra without an underwire   

Miss anything? A nice glass of wine

Movement? Quite a bit, especially right now!

Food cravings? Cheeseburgers and french fries

Food aversions? Not really

Labor signs? No

Symptoms? Itchy belly, back pain, hip pain

Belly button in or out? in, but have started to notice it getting slightly shallower.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Looking forward to?  The husband being able to feel the baby kick from the outside and next week being halfway there!                                                   

This last week has been really uncomfortable and mostly because i am sooooo itchy!   Being a hairstylist, I am used to finding hair everywhere in my clothes. Sometimes i'll wash them and they are still there. The worst however, are the hairs that poke at me from my bras (those never come out, even in the wash, unless I manually take them out of use a sticky roller) and the ones that are rubbing against my belly.  It is bad enough that the skin is already itchy from stretching, and sensitive, but this has been excruciating!  I am going through so may of those sticky rollers and by the end of the day I am ready to rip everything off.  I told the husband that if i could wear sweatpants and no bra for the rest of the pregnancy i would.  It may turn some people off, not to mention clients, but I am seriously considering it!

19 Weeks

19 Weeks

Homeland not Heartland

So last week, the husband and I were on Netflix, looking for a new show to get into. We come across a show called Heartland. I say "Oh I think this is the one that just won some awards on the Golden Globes this year"  So we decide to give it a go.  It was set in Alberta, and it was about horses. There were a lot of cowboy hats. After it was over we both looked at each other thinking, something doesn't seem right.  A show set in Alberta, about horses, winning awards?  I really tried my best to like it, but it was pretty bad.  I have nothing against horses. I actually do like riding them....... just not watching shows about them.  I said, "Isn't this show supposed to involve the CIA?"  We soon figured out that the Hollywood Foreign press had not gone crazy, and that the show we were actually looking for was called Homeland.  Well, at least I got part of the word right.  Just a warning to not make the same mistake we did, and save yourselves an hour of your lives to do something more productive, like making cheese fries.

Second OB appointment today!
Got to hear the heartbeat again!  The Dr. told me my blood test results came back all "normal and boring"  She has a quirky sense of humor. She also told me that the pre-screening tests for genetic abnormalities came back at 1 in 19000  which she said is an excellent number (she said 1 in 200 would be considered not good).  She even recommends a chiropractor for the hip pain I have been having. I am a little nervous about chiropractic work in general and being cracked. If my OB recommends it, I may be inclined to give it a try. Anything to relieve the pain I have been having sleeping on my side.

These are old pictures from ultrasounds taken at 8 weeks and at 14 weeks.  I decided I would post then since I won't have new ones for another 3 weeks.

our little blob at 8 weeks

14 weeks