Junkfood for the Brain, Candy for the Eyes

Yep, I'm doing it. I can't help myself. Stories from Sam Seaborn about the Brat Pack days?  I simply can't resist.  Plus, it's nice to look at on my coffee table. 

Anyone else plan to read Rob Lowe's memoirs Stories I Only Tell My Friends? Anyone else wonder how much of the 80s he actually remembers? 

This better be good.

25 Weeks

Best we could do at 8am on our way out the door.

How Far Along:  25 weeks...105 days to go!

Gender: A girl!

Size of baby: According to my BabyCenter emails, she's approximately 13.5 inches long and weighs one and a half pounds.  

Total Weight Gained: 15 pounds - eek!  If you're keeping track, that was 13 pounds in 2 months. Whoops. My doctor told me to "lay off the beer."  If he's cracking jokes, hopefully I'm not in too much trouble. I've been trying to cut down on my cereal but it's hard! :)

Maternity Clothes: Almost exclusively now. I have a few non-maternity dresses that still fit over my growing belly.  I find the waistband on most maternity pants annoying so I'm wearing dresses almost exclusively. It's much cooler with all the heat we're having already, too. It's going to be a warm summer! 

Movement:  She's pretty active - she usually kicks most in the morning and at night. I was poking (gently) at my belly the other morning trying to figure out where she was and I felt her shift over to the other side - probably to get away from my prodding!  Poor girl, momma's driving her nuts already.

Sleep: Sleep is still okay. I've yet to invest in a pregnancy pillow because they seem like a waste of money and I don't want to bug Brian with a giant pillow in the bed. Any advice on whether they're worth it or not?

What I miss: Blending in. I'm finally showing to the point that it's obvious I'm pregnant and I feel like people look at me more now, bring up the pregnancy, etc. The extra attention is not my favorite. I'll be glad when little girl is here and I can deflect that attention to her.

Cravings: Still cereal. Can't get enough. And watermelon.

Aversions: Plastic is still stinky, though less than before. Other than that, nada. 

Symptoms: Nothing significant. I have noticed I now tend to groan or make noises while getting up off the couch. Classy, right?

Best Moment this Week: When one of the partners in my firm asked my due date. I told him and he said "Wow, you're going to be even bigger by then."  Thanks dude.  Okay, not really.  Probably picking a name for our little girl! We're still working on a middle name. I haven't decided yet whether to share the name on the blog and if so, when. Better check with the Mister on that one. ; )

Just Another Manic Monday

I had grand plans of writing a decent post tonight. An Easter weekend recap, maybe a baby update...who knows. Instead, I came home from work, ate dinner, turned on 30 Rock from last week, and promptly fell asleep. I was out cold for almost 3 hours. I probably could have slept through to morning but my husband likes to watch TV at a volume suitable for the hearing impaired. I woke up to the pope screaming on The Borgias. (My husband also likes to watch some strange TV. I do not get the appeal of The Borgias.)

Anyhow, the decent post didn't happen. (clearly) Hang in there with me and I'll try to post something better tomorrow.

Until then, how cute is this teeny little dress I got for Baby B? Can't believe she's going to be small enough to fit into it!

Goodnight!

*this is my first post from the iPad. Still getting the hang of it.

iPad Excitement and Other Random Tidbits

I've got nothing but random thoughts and useless information for you today. And I'm giving it to you in bullet points. Can you say L-A-Z-Y?  That's me.

Let the randomness begin.

* My iPad2 arrives TODAY!  B ordered it weeks ago for my birthday and I've been waiting rather impatiently for it to arrive. I am so excited. It feels like my birthday all over again. I can't wait to get my hands on it after work.  If you have any apps you recommend, please share them with me. I'd love your suggestions.

* Tangled is on my Netflix queue.  Apparently, I'm six.  

* I found this ring at Tarjay. I think it's fun.

And yes, my mouse pad says "That's what she said."  Very professional, I know. (Side note: Remember when The Office was funny?)

*  Product reviews for baby gear are not helpful.  One parent loves Stroller X, another hates it.  A product will be listed in two colors on the same website - the pink one has five stars but the green one only has two stars. Same product!  I also love the reviews that say "I got this at my baby shower. I haven't used it yet but it's super cute."  Thanks. So helpful.  And don't get me started on the people who post reviews but do not own the product!!!!  GAHHHH.  It's enough to make a pregnant woman nutty.

* While we're on the subject of baby gear, I have a question for the people who make the pack & plays, bouncy seats, swings, strollers and other necessary baby evils. Why oh why does it all have to be so ugly?!?! Can we please have one baby item that is subtle and simple without cartoon elephants or butterflies?  I understand some items should be bright and colorful to stimulate and entertain baby. Bring on the crazy patterns and colors for a play mat, exersaucer, etc. But for the love all that is good and holy, why does it have to be so hard to find baby items that aren't patterned and busy?  (Disclaimer: I promise I'm not the crazy lady from Pregnant in Heels who hated baby gear and wouldn't buy her baby anything. I'm not that crazy. And can we talk about Pregnant in Heels?  These people are NUTS! I wish I could stop watching but I can't.)

* Ocean Spray Diet Cranberry Grape juice is sooo good. I get tired of drinking just water but I hate to drink things with calories in them. And my doctor told me to limit how much aspartame I drink. Which means I can't mainline Diet Coke like I used to.  I love that this juice is made with Splenda, which my doctor told me was a-okay.

*  Did anyone watch the new show on ABC after Modern Family last week called Happy Endings?  B and I watched it and thought it was pretty funny.

That's all I've got today. Don't forget to tell me about your favorite apps! 

Gleek

I'm going to need to make a Target run this Tuesday. If you're curious, here's what you'll find next to the bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Eggs in my cart:



A Warblers only CD? Sold. 

And sure, I could just buy the CD on iTunes. But then how would I get my Reese's? 

Friday Happies

It's Friday - hallelujah!  But it's also Tax Day. Unfortunately, we're making a very generous contribution to the federal government today.  Insert sad face here. In an effort to focus on the positive (and because I have nothing else to say today) here are a few random happies:

*B and I made a Krispy Kreme run after dinner last night. Sinful? Yes. But also heavenly.

*B's favorite is the chocolate iced custard filled and mine is the chocolate iced glazed. We each got one for dessert last night and one for breakfast this morning.  And an extra glazed because you just have to get one of the warm, fresh donuts when the "hot" sign is flashing. It's a rule.

However, let me serve as a cautionary tale. Eating too much crap like donuts is how you end up looking like this.

No, that's not a pumpkin. That's my giant donut baby bump. Baby girl has really popped out lately and I'm feeling large and in charge.

*But back to my Friday happies... I'm loving Darren Criss' song "Not Alone," particularly this live performance. And oh my word is he a cutie!  That bow tie kills me.

*My night stand is full of good reading material. The library dropped a stack of great books on my doorstep and the April issue of Southern Living is waiting to be read. I need to spend some time by the pool or in the hammock this weekend so I can put a dent in my stack.

*Parks & Rec was hilarious last night! I loved the surprise wedding.

*And finally....I'm making some progress on baby girl's crib bedding. I've been searching high and low for the right bedding and have ordered a stack of fabric swatches. I have a few "maybes" and one set I'm very excited about but still waiting on the fabric swatch for that one to arrive. I'm hoping to have all my swatches in hand by next weekend so I can show them to my mom & sister and make a decision. I can't wait to get going with her nursery!

Hope you have a great Friday and a fun weekend!

Oh Happy Day!

This was installed in my office yesterday afternoon.

I might start working weekends.

A Festive Weekend

On Saturday, Brian and I went to the Great American Pie Festival in Celebration, Florida. There is a pie competition element of the Pie Fest but that's not what brought us out. Oh no, it was the all-you-can-eat pie buffet!  A pregnant woman's dream come true!

Unfortunately, it was about 900 degrees (okay, 91) on Saturday so I didn't get too many pictures. It's hard to juggle a piece of pie, a a bottle of water, and a camera while mopping sweat from your forehead.  (With mental pictures like that, who needs photos?)

Photo Source: Tasty Chomps Orlando Food Blog

This Key Lime Pie Bar from The Key West Key Lime Pie Co. was our favorite pie of the day. I don't usually like fruit and chocolate together but this was delish!

The festivities continued Saturday night when we attended Florida Music Festival to see our friends' band, Big 10-4, play. The show was great and it was nice to be out at a concert instead of in bed at 11pm. Reminded me I used to be fun.  : ) 

Funny story: When I showed the bouncer my ID to get into the concert, he questioned it! He looked at it for about 2 minutes and made me smile to compare to my ID picture like I was trying to sneak in!  I had to laugh. I mean, really buddy? Do underage pregnant girls often try to sneak into the bar with a 30 year old's ID?  {In case you're worried I was poisoning my baby in a smoky bar, it was an outdoor venue. Baby girl was just fine!}

After a long, fun day on Saturday, my Sunday consisted of less fest-ing and more resting. I made Arnold Palmers and Samma's famous pimento cheese for the Masters and spent the day flipping between episodes of Studio 60 on DVD and the Masters Tournament. I also spent hours online looking for the right bedding for baby girl's crib. I am really starting to stress about this nursery - but that's another post in itself.

Sunday night I made the Apple Streusel Cheesecake I told you about last week. Unfortunately, it was a bust. The cheesecake part of the recipe was no good and it never set properly. I'll try again someday with a new recipe.

Hope you all had a good weekend! Is it Friday yet?

Bump-dates

I haven't posted any bump pictures in a few weeks so here are a few from the past couple weeks to keep you up to date.

20 weeks

Side note on the bathroom picture - Utterly ridiculous I realize but the series of bathroom self-portraits I've got going sort of crack me up. I'm pretty sure the cheesy grin is mostly fear that a coworker will come in and find me snapping pictures of myself in the ladies room. "Hello, welcome to my photo shoot.  Would you mind holding the wind machine I rented for the occasion?"  Awkward. Anyhoo, I realize you can't even see the bump in the picture above because of my blousy top (from Anthro, which I love. Preggos, get you one!). But I couldn't resist posting another bathroom shot.

Look, I left the office restroom!

21 weeks

Whoa, not good. Too many chins. Let's back this picture up a little and attempt to hide the chins behind my hair.

A little better.

If you're still with me, I'm going to do a pregnancy update too. (I'm doing this is mostly for my own memories so no worries if you skip it.)

How Far Along: 22 weeks

Gender: A girl!

Size of baby: The baby books say she's about 11 inches long and almost one pound. At our last appointment, the doctor told us she was in the 45% percentile for size. That was surprising news to her momma! I was a fairly big baby (8lbs +) and just assumed I'd have a big baby. Momma likes to eat! :) Guess we'll see how things go - baby girl has plenty of time to grow!

Total Weight Gained: No clue. At our last appointment they weighed me right after they told us we were having a little girl. If you think I paid one bit of attention to the scale at that point you are mistaken! All I could think was "We're having a daughter!!!"  I do know I've put on some lbs. but I refuse to get on my scale at home. That would just lead to stress eating and that's a vicious circle. : )

Maternity Clothes: Yep, unfortunately. There is a serious drought of cute maternity clothes out there. I've found plenty of sundresses and maxi dresses to wear on weekends but the work clothes have been a bit tougher. Luckily, I don't have to wear a suit to the work but I've still had a hard time finding professional, stylish clothes to wear to the office. So, I've settled for good basics - lots of dresses, black slacks, and cardigans - and I've tried to dress them up with shoes and accessories.

Movement: Little girl is mostly still but every once in a while I feel her rolling around in there. She'll get going for a few minutes and I can feel her swimming and kicking, then she'll tire herself out and fall asleep. At least that's what I imagine she's up to - I really have no idea.  This week Brian was able to feel her move too! She was moving around for a bit so I told him to put his hand on my stomach and wait. She did not disappoint her daddy! She gave a little kick he could feel and he was beyond excited. Then he started talking to her and she squirmed around for a few more minutes. He says that he's already her favorite. :)

Sleep: Sleep hasn't been bad lately. I'm still having lots of strange dreams though.

What I miss: Wine. I'd really love a cold glass of sauvignon blanc on our patio with all the beautiful weather we've been having. But really, it's such a small thing to give up. I can wait.

Cravings: Cereal. Always cereal. I'm still loving MultiGrain Cheerios mixed with Honey Bunches of Oats.

Aversions: The smell of plastic, specifically tupperware. Seriously. It smells TERRIBLE to me. This has been going on for about a week now. Isn't that the strangest thing?

Symptoms: Nothing significant. Strange dreams and stinky plastic are about it right now.

Best Moment this week: When Brian felt her move. The smile on his face could not have been bigger. It's clear I am no longer the only girl in his world!

Feeling Nautical

Something about spring seems to call for the return of all things nautical. I love the crisp, classic look of navy and white stripes. With my rapidly expanding belly, I don't think I'll be sporting the horizontal stripes which typify the nautical trend this season. But, I have found some adorable nautical inspired accessories that I can work into my plain jane maternity wardrobe.

How great are these pumps? I think they'd be perfect to pair with my boring navy maternity dress.  

Peony Striped Pump from Ann Taylor

I love this striped tote. The rope handles are such a fun touch.  I tend to carry my life (and an extra pair of flip flops) in my purse so I love a big, roomy bag. And this one is a steal at $33!  It would make a great pool or beach bag too.

Sailor Tote Bag by Etsy Seller BayanHippo

This pouch would be perfect to keep your lip gloss, cell phone and cash together in your pool bag.

Nautical Zipper Bag by Etsy Seller bungalola

These earrings are made from vintage buttons. Love them.

Anchor Earrings from Etsy Seller Ivory and Orange

While I was shopping Etsy for accessories for myself, I came upon (and ordered) quite a few for baby girl. There are just so many precious things out there for little ones, I couldn't resist. But we'll save that for another post.

Back to the Kitchen

I haven't cooked a meal in nearly two weeks. Brian cooked once last week but other than that it's been mostly sandwiches, take-out and cereal around here.  Sadly, I don't think either us has missed the home-cooking. We've both been pretty happy with Chick-fil-A and Cheerios. Nevertheless, it's time we started eating healthier meals at home. So, today I planned a menu for the week and hit the grocery store.

Here's what we're eating this week:

Slow Cooker Carnitas Tacos with Avocado & Black Beans

Asian Turkey Meatballs with PW's Asian Noodle Salad (the dressing is to die for!)

Turkey Sausage & Spinach Stuffed Shells (inspired by Giada) with Salad

Pulled Pork Sandwiches (using leftover carnitas) with French Fries and Corn

Thai Basil Chicken and Rice

I also have an amazing dessert planned for this week - Apple Streusel Cheesecake. {drool!} If it turns out as good as I'm hoping it will, I'll share the recipe.

Are you cooking this week?