Yet Another Appointment Update

I'm so tired of going to the doctor, I feel like it's becoming my second home! We were there for over 2 hours today. It was crazy!

He's down into the 30th %iles, which is a step back from last time. Everything else seemed ok. They'll most likely let him stay in until next Wednesday. Hope he comes sooner than that! I think I might actually cry if I have to come back to the office on Monday. This is one instance where it doesn't even feel good to be right - Charlie was convinced we'd have a July baby. With 9 1/2 hours left in the month, I don't think it's going to happen. That's ok, I don't like rubies anyway :)

Cheesecake was a Bust

I'm still here. I have a summer day today and nothing planned, but I'm finding it difficult to give myself permission to do nothing. I'm sure I'll get over it. I do intend to do some pilates, so at least there's something somewhat productive. I also have a study group scheduled for this evening but I don't know if I'm going to go or not. It's hard to get motivated to drive all the way downtown and sit around discussing Marx and Weber when all I can think of is how uncomfortable I am and when Baby Charlie will decide to join us.

Here are a few pictures of the Minion's 99% finished room.



The white bear on the bookshelf used to be Charlie's :)



Somewhat organized closet





Cloth diaper stash



We don't like the empty wall over the crib but we can't find anything that we like enough to stick up there.

I'm Still Here

The cheesecake has another 16 hours to work its magic. Even Einstein got in on the action last night, he decided to sit on the belly and try to hatch the Minion. Unfortunately for him, all he got were a few swift kicks to the butt.



There's an actual video of this, too, I'll have to upload it at some point.

Labor Cheesecake

I can't believe I forgot to mention this! The receptionist in our office is the wife of Jerry, from Jerry's Cheesecakes. How lucky are we?!?!

Anyway, apparently there's a raspberry/white chocolate cheesecake that they refer to as the "labor cheesecake." So far he's three for three, when a woman goes into labor within 24 hours of eating it. There's a slice with my name on it waiting for me in the fridge. Yum!

39 Week Appointment Update

My OB was concerned that I'm still measuring small, even after the u/s from 3 weeks ago, so she got me on the ultrasound machine and decided she was ok with my fluid levels, but she had me move my post-due-date tests (BPP, NST) that were scheduled for next Tuesday to this Thursday just to be on the safe side. She also stripped my membranes, so if he's really ready to go then hopefully it will work.

Cross your fingers for me!

39 Weeks and Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz

39 Week Picture (I don't think anything is changing, but just because):



I thought I was going to be one of the few so lucky ones who make it all the way through pregnancy without any of the more unpleasant side effects. I sadly discovered this week that it was not to be. I'll spare you the TMI details, but suffice it to say it's nothing enjoyable. Enough said.

I'm going to my friend Stephanie's bridal shower today. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to make it to either one of them - the fun friends shower is next Saturday, on my due date, and today is the family shower. Maybe that's what he's waiting for? Making sure I get to celebrate with Stephanie?

Anyway, this week I finally got my hands on the long-coveted Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz. It's so rare that it's hard to track down an accurate description, and since it's a Scoop Shop exclusive there are no pint graphics to share with you today. I was shocked to see that my very own picture shows up when you Google Image search for the flavor, and on the first page, too! Thankfully, I had the forethought to have Charlie snap a picture of the actual scoop itself.



Unfortunately, it's a little blurry, but the previews were about to start so you get what you get.

Coffee Ice Cream Made with Fair Trade Certified Coffee Extract, with Espresso Bean Fudge Chunks

No surprises here, this is still my absolute, all-time, number one favorite ice cream flavor ever. I only wish that I could give all of you a spoonful so you could experience just how awesome this one really is. No description or review could possible do it justice. The coffee ice cream flavor is perfect, not even the slightest hint of bitterness or burnt beans. There is a well thought out ratio of espresso bean fudge chunks to ice cream - you're virtually guaranteed to get a crunchy bite in every dip. It's cool and refreshing, creamy and rich, the most perfect combination of flavors and textures imaginable.

Find a scoop shop near you and check it out for yourself. You'll be glad you did. I have to wonder if the Minion will miss ice cream and iced lattes. Once he becomes an Outside Baby it will certainly be a long time before he's allowed to enjoy them again.

X-Files (no baby yet)

I did get my long-awaited Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz, but I'll keep with tradition and save the review for tomorrow. I keep telling the Minion that now that I've gotten to enjoy my favorite ice cream flavor he should feel free to come whenever he wants. It would be fitting to end my Ben & Jerry's journey with my all-time top pick. I took a loooooong walk last night, another one this morning, and I plan to go out again after the Yankees beat the red sox for a second day in a row when it's cooler out.

So the X-Files movie definitely won't go down in history as a great film. It probably won't even be remembered as a "good" film, and mediocre might be pushing it for the general viewing public. Yes, the movie definitely had its shortcomings, but if you look at it as "another X-Files movie" and go with low expectations it's an enjoyable 2 hours for a real fan of the characters. Charlie was disappointed because it didn't include any aliens, but that was ok with me because I was always a fan of the "monster of the week" episodes. Add to that the fact that David Duchovny has always been easy on the eyes and apparently ages very well (as does Gillian Anderson, but it was definitely odd to see her with long hair), and I wouldn't call it a waste of money. All the same, you'd probably be better off waiting for the rental.

I have a date...

With Ben & Jerry's and Fox Mulder. We're taking a half day today to go see the new X-Files movie, regardless of how bad the reviews were. As an added bonus, there's a Ben & Jerry's in the theater and they have Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz, so I will FINALLY get the actual ice cream flavor that I've been dying to have. It would be fitting if this one ended up being the last on my review list. Maybe that's what he's waiting for? It's either that or he's waiting until the Yankees sweep the red sux this weekend, which would put us in a tie for first place, depending on what the Devil Rays do. Oh, I'm sorry, it's just the Rays now. I wonder how many right-wing nut jobs will attribute their recent and incredibly surprising success to the fact that they took the "Devil" out of their name?

It would be nice to get one night of good sleep before he gets here, but I'm doubting that will happen at this point. I could sleep right now at my desk, but I have a feeling my employer wouldn't appreciate that too much. Good thing I made a Dunkin stop this morning.

I'm still here

Thankfully (?) I'm not bored at work today, only because of other people's problems. When I send you a list of analysis tables that will be included in my report on a Tuesday afternoon and you tell me it looks great, thanks for all the effort to get it done early (as a favor!), and that you won't be needing anything else from me on this job, I assume that means the report is finished. When you tell me it's done, it's done. So why did I come in to about a million emails asking me to add more tables and charts? Why are you having me re-run the analysis AGAIN, and why have you decided that 84 of the 100+ slides you demanded I create last week WON'T EVEN BE INCLUDED IN THE FINAL REPORT? Why?!?! To quote Cameron from Ferris Bueller: "Pardon my French, but you're an asshole."

I wish I had gone into labor last night just to piss him off.

When Cameron was in Egypt's land... let my Cameron go.

I am Officially Bored at Work

Last analysis on my desk goes out tomorrow morning, it's all done and ready. I've been helping out the poor project services girl who's completely swamped, but now even she's done with me. Could be a long two weeks! Too bad they probably aren't willing to pay me to take naps. One of the girls from the "other side" of the building comes over here every morning to see if I've had the baby yet.

We installed the carseat on Sunday, but I'm only driving around with the base right now. No need to have the entire contraption sitting in the backseat when there's no baby to go in it yet, but it's still somewhat jarring and exciting to see it strapped in back there when I turn around. I've been working on getting it in and out of the car and stroller without turning it upside-down. It's either trickier than it looks or I'm just a total moron missing something obvious.

So now we wait. Be prepared for loads of super boring posts from me in the days to come.

"Wow, you look really tired."

Thank you Captain Obvious. You think? I'm 38 freaking weeks pregnant, had heartburn from hell last night, and our area got slammed at 2am by a storm complete with 80MPH winds. Now I'm stuck in the office dealing with stupid people and their unreasonable requests.

Thanks for reminding me that I'm sleep deprived and have puffy eyes.

38 Week Appointment Update

Sparing you the graphic details - a "good" 2 centimeters and 50% effaced. Not a ton of progress from last time, but she said there's some, which is better than none. As she was leaving the room she said "so we'll see you..." and I jumped in with "next Monday," to which she replied "unless you have a baby before then!"

So I'm not getting my hopes up, I'm still planning for the worst in my head (which would mean another 19 days of discomfort), but it's a nice thought :)

38 Weeks and Cherry Garcia

38 Week Picture:



Don't you love what happens when I don't blow dry my hair? We went to the pool this morning so I could enjoy some weightlessness and cool relief from the 90+ weather we've been having. We got there early enough that everyone else was in church and we had the whole pool to ourselves. It was great. I've made it 38 weeks with no stretch marks and no major issues. I've repeatedly told the Minion that he's now welcome to join us whenever he's ready, but he's made no move to escape yet. Hopefully soon!

We went to see The Dark Knight on Friday. If you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend it. I found the last 15 minutes or so to drag a little bit, and I was kind of surprised that they took it in the direction that they did rather than making a second movie, but all in all it was an enjoyable way to spend 3 hours. It was 2 1/2 hours long after the previews.

I also managed to finish the Sex and the City series yesterday. Finally! It only took me 7 months! I wish I would have watched it sooner, no one told me David Duchovny shows up! Speaking of him, next Friday we'll be seeing the new X-Files movie, provided the Minion hasn't decided to come out to play. I can't wait!

This week's ice cream is Cherry Garcia.



Cherry Ice Cream with Cherries & Fudge Flakes

Our euphorically edible tribute to guitarist Jerry Garcia & Grateful Dead fans everywhere, it's the first ice cream named for a rock legend & the most famous of our family of Fan-Suggested flavors. Enjoy!

I know I've said before that I need to stick with chocolate based ice creams, and I probably should have just stuck with that idea instead of reaching for this flavor. I chose it because I've been dying for some cherries all season but I can't rationalize the ridiculous $8/pound prices that I'm seeing at our local markets. Don't get me wrong, this is a perfectly good ice cream - the ice cream itself has just the right amount of cherry flavor. It tastes like real, natural cherries, not like a mister misty or some other syrupy imitation. It's a good summer ice cream, nice and refreshing, creamy without being too heavy. The fudge flakes added a nice chocolate contrast to its fruity surroundings, but I'm definitely a chip/chunk girl at heart and this pint could have used a little more bite.

Summer Day #4

This may be the last summer day I have with nothing to do and nothing to be responsible for so I intend to fully enjoy it. How am I going to do that? I'm going to watch a few hours of Sex and the City, have a Thin Mint Blizzard for lunch, and then hopefully finish up the series. Yeah, I'd be jealous too, if I were you!

Belly by Ben (and Jerry)

As promised, here are the Ben & Jerry pictures taken by the wonderful Steph Carson. I threw in an extra picture just for the heck of it. I can't wait until she comes to photograph Baby Charlie!

The Cincinnati Shower

Three weeks later, here are some pictures of the shower. Probably not surprisingly, they're all of me.

Here I am with the Nesties who drove all the way down from Toledo to celebrate with me. Laurie, Bobbie, and Jen weren't able to make it, maybe I can photoshop their heads in one day and we can just pretend everyone was there.



Here I am with the Yankee shirt that the Nesties gave me, which was especially a sacrifice for Angi, who loves her Tribe.



This is the awesome cake that Angi made. She knows how much I love squares so she decorated appropriately :)



Me eating the rather large piece of cake that someone cut for me. I didn't finish it all that day, the rest of it was breakfast the next morning. You can see the baby clothes decorations that my mom put together - they spelled out "Welcome Baby Charlie" on the other side.



Me and all three very excited grandmothers



Me with my local friends Stephanie and Lynn. Jeni wasn't able to make it and lucky Kate is in Brussels! Stephanie is getting married next month - I'm going to be a bridesmaid and she was understanding enough to not make me wear the very cute strapless dress she picked out at only 2-3 weeks post baby. I <3 her!

My Fantastic Husband

Allow me to AW how great Charlie has been throughout this whole ordeal, because I don't think I do that often enough (AW is "Nest-Speak" for Attention Whore). Here are 10 reasons why I'm such a lucky lady.

1. I have gotten a foot rub every night for the last two weeks.

2. He still reminds me that he thinks I'm pretty, even though I feel like a beached whale at times

3. He doesn't complain that I'm back in my yoga pants and tank top within 5 minutes of coming in the door after work every day

4. He helps push me off the couch/out of the car/out of bed when I can't get up

5. He doesn't complain that I disturb his sleep when I'm tossing and turning and getting up every hour to pee

6. He makes sure my weekly pictures are taken in the same position next to the same spot on the wall

7. He doesn't complain about my early bedtime

8. He draws me belly art

9. He doesn't ask me to share my ice cream

10. He's very excited about the Minion and he's going to be an awesome father

Still Not Tear Free

So last night we watched the opening ceremony and a few innings of the All-Star Game. I DVRed the rest of it, got too late for me to stay awake. Good thing, too, as I see it was the longest game in All-Star history. I found myself getting all nostalgic and weepy for the Stadium that I love, knowing that I'll never get to be there in person again and sad that Baby C won't be able to experience the magic and mysticism of Yankee Stadium for himself. Leave it to Jeter to put the perfect words together:

"It seemed like the Stadium didn't want it to end. That's what we were talking about. It just wanted baseball to continue. I thought it was fitting."

It's silly, really - it's not like I play for the Yankees, or like I know anyone who does, or have any real connection to the team or sport, but I cried like a baby watching the old Yankee greats throw out the ceremonial first pitch to the new Yankee greats. I mean really, who doesn't love Yogi Berra? I can't wait to teach the Minion all about Yankee baseball. Who knows, maybe he'll end up the Billy Beane of the Bronx.

After finally drifting off to sleep my dreams were full of baseball and cloth diapers. What an odd combination. I have issues.

37 Week Appointment Update

I know it doesn't really mean anything, but I'm 2 centimeters dialated. I know women can walk around for weeks at 3+, so it's not like I'm deluding myself into thinking Baby C will get here early, but it's nice to know that the sporadic contractions I've been experiencing are actually doing something productive. I also didn't gain any weight since last week, which was a pleasant surprise, and the CNM actually mentioned how sorry she felt for me because the baby is "busting out on both ends," as she put it. He sticks his butt out one side and his feet out the other. Poor guy has nowhere to go!

Rough Night

Someone has their days and nights mixed up. There have only been a few uterus parties over the last 37 weeks but last night he was partying it up like it was going out of style. I don't know what was going on in there, but I am freaking exhausted! Between the kicks, rolls, and hiccups it was a very looooong night for me. I even broke my iced lattes only on Fridays and Saturdays rule and stopped at Dunkin this morning. A few more nights like that and I'll be begging him to get out.

37 Weeks and Cookie Dough

37 Week Picture (apparently I'm back to not smiling for the camera):



We are officially at full term as of yesterday! It doesn't really mean anything in terms of when he'll actually make an appearance, but it's still a nice landmark to pass. Charlie is still convinced we'll have a July baby but I'm mentally preparing myself for another 4 weeks of discomfort. At least that way if he comes early it's a nice surprise, rather than being disappointed as my due date comes and passes with no sign of the Minion. Everything is pretty much set to go, I need to get a few more cloth diapering supplies and install the carseat, but other than that all we're missing is the baby himself.

Charlie has discovered a new hidden talent - creating belly art. Here's the turtle that graced my belly earlier this week:



I have such a talented husband!

So about the ice cream. Since last week I enjoyed half of Half Baked this week I decided to try out the other half and see how well it handles things without the brownie quartet backing it up. I also decided that now was a good time to start cutting back on the amount of ice cream I eat, so I picked up one of the new single-servings for this week. Look how cute it is!



Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Vanilla Ice Cream with Gobs of Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

We knew we were onto something big when we made the world's first Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream in 1986. It took us a while to iron out the details, but in 1991 we finally rolled the world's first Dough - in pints - out the door & into ice cream history. Today it still reigns among our all time most popular flavors.

The single serving pack is actually pretty nice - you can eat the whole thing in one sitting and not feel the least bit guilty when you feel your spoon hit the bottom of the cup. I haven't had plain cookie dough ice cream in quite a while. I remember when this kind of flavor first appeared - it was the summer that I was 9 years old and playing softball. We used to stop at this ice cream place in Colonia every so often after getting our butts kicked in a miserable fashion, and that's the first time I can remember seeing or tasting cookie dough ice cream. I have to say, it was love at first bite (oh, how cheesy was that!). Ben & Jerry's Cookie Dough Chunk is the perfect cookie dough ice cream. There is an adequate amount of dough chunks, both small and large, and the vanilla ice cream is pleasant, if a little unexciting.

After trying this pint on its own I still consider myself to be a chocolate girl first and foremost. Don't get me wrong, there's something incredibly satisfying about biting into a huge chunk of cookie dough, but if forced to choose I'd go with something that involves a larger quantity of chocolate. To me, cookie dough is still best eaten off a spoon from a bowl, preferably with a glass of Riesling. Not that I've ever had that for dinner or anything when C was out of town....

Just for Giggles

It appears the old saying is right - You can take the girl out of Jersey but you can't take the Jersey out of the girl.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Northeast   Judging by how you talk you are probably from north Jersey, New York City, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Chances are, if you are from New York City (and not those other places) people would probably be able to tell if they actually heard you speak.
Philadelphia
The Inland North
The Midland
The South
Boston
The West
North Central
What American accent do you have?

I hope the Minion doesn't grow up with an Ohio accent, however one of those sounds. I hope we can keep him from adopting some of the midwest phrases and habits that offend my sensibilities, such as saying "please?" instead of "what?" and "pop" instead of "soda." 13 years later the pop thing grates on my nerves just as much as it did when I first came to this barren state. Don't even get me started on "cornhole," which has a very different meaning where I come from. For some reason the lackluster view I had from the plane in May when we were flying back into Ohio has been stuck in my head lately.



Don't get me wrong, there are definite positives to living out here, especially the reasonable cost of living and the ability to own our own home because the property taxes are manageable. However, there's nothing more that I'd like at this moment than to pack up the car and head for the Jersey Shore. Summer time always makes me nostalgic for the boardwalk, pizza and lemonade, and the smell of the ocean. On some hazy Saturday mornings I find myself squinting my eyes shut as I walk across the blacktop of Dunkin's parking lot, imagining just for a moment that we've loaded the car with beach towels and an umbrella and we're about to journey down the GSP for an afternoon in the sand. I find myself often wishing that we would be raising the Minion in or just outside of New York City. Sometimes I even think I have Charlie convinced.

Crappy Wednesday

The air conditioning in our office building is out. No word on when they're coming to fix it or how long it will take. As the resident 36 week pregnant woman at this location I'm considering organizing a walkout.

Sneak Peek of Maternity Pictures

Just two shots for now!

Appointment Update (again)

Ultrasound this morning looked fine, he's just a small baby. I guess I should be very thankful for that!

36 Week Appointment

This appointment marked the beginning of my "fun" appointments. (yeah, not so much) I have a "my uterus is measuring very small" ultrasound tomorrow morning "just to check on things" so I'll let you know what's going on then. I love my practice, but when the OB says that you need an ultrasound scheduled and to make sure to get in NOW, not next week, you can't help but freak out a little in your head.

36 Weeks and Chocolate Fudge Brownie

36 Week picture:



Gee, I look happy :)

We went to Babies R' Us for what I hope was the last time on Thursday and picked up the last remaining odds and ends that we needed for the Minion. I have a few things left on my list that I need for myself, but it's all coming together.

We tried to go out for a nice dinner on Saturday but it was a disaster. Charlie received a gift certificate for a supposedly "nice" restaurant as a reward for managing a great project at work. We had been looking forward to it for two weeks, got all dressed up and pretty, and arrived at the place to find it disturbingly empty for a Saturday night. We soon found out why, as we were lead through the out-of-date decor to our table, where we read through the incredibly uninteresting menu. We placed our order and dinner was served shortly after that. It. Was. Horrible. We ended up leaving and going to Fresh Market for some chicken and pasta salad. Definitely a disappointment. We're planning another dinner out, but haven't decided between Mesh (again, but we love it), Hugo, and Embers. Any other suggestions? But look how cute I was!



Today we had some maternity pictures taken by the incredibly talented Stephanie Carson. She did a great job making me feel pretty and I'm very excited to see how they turn out! We had her for our wedding photographer three years ago (!) and we LOVED our pictures. She's great to work with, so if you need engagement, wedding, maternity, or family photos taken I suggest you give her a call.

Other than the pictures and the awful dinner we had a very relaxing, incredibly uneventful holiday weekend. Three solid days of nothing.

On to the ice cream.



Chocolate Ice Cream with Fudge Brownies

This flavor combines our great ice cream with chunks of chewy, fudgy brownies. These brownies are baked by Greyston Bakery, which provides employment & training to economically disadvantaged residents of Yonkers, NY. We are glad to have Greyston as a business partner because we get great tasting brownies and we also get to support the good work they do to create economic opportunities in their community.

It was between this one and Cookie Dough Chunk, the only two pints left at our Kroger that I haven't had since I saw the two pink lines. Both of them were past favorites, but I always got them swirled together in Half Baked. I don't think I've ever had a pint of either on it's own. It's been a while since I've had a strictly chocolate ice cream without the distraction of other superfluous flavors. I almost forgot how great chocolate can be on it's own. Almost. Yes, compared to other creations from Ben & Jerry you might think that this one seems like a bland, perhaps even mudane flavor, but you would be wrong. This is truly the quintessential chocolate ice cream - perfectly creamy, pleasantly flavored, and a fair amount of brownie chunks, which I love dearly :)

36 week appointment coming tomorrow!

Finally - 35 Week Ice Cream - Karamel Sutra

I finally made it to the ice cream. I only had a little bit, though :)

I've been eyeing the shelf tag for Karamel Sutra for months now, but it's never actually in stock. I was beginning to think that it was all just a tease, having the space for it on the shelf but filling the row with peanut butter cup instead, leaving me to wonder about how great of a caramel flavor I was actually missing. I was pleasantly surprised at Kroger last week to see that not only were Ben & Jerry's pints on sale for a ridiculously good price, but that they had finally restocked the shelves. So here it is!



A Core of Soft Caramel Encircled by Chocolate & Caramel Ice Creams & Fudge Chips

We created this Core Concoction to help you find your way to the ultimate ice cream experience. Whether your primal urges lead you to scoop into the sweet core of caramel, soothe your passions through the serene ice cream streams, or play scoop-&-tickle with the fudge chips, you'll be in total control of your own ice cream destiny.

Oh. My. God. I think I'm in love with this ice cream. As an ice cream connoisseur, I've noticed that when companies claim that their ice cream is actually some obscure flavor, like caramel, it usually ends up being pretty much indistinguishable from vanilla. Not the case with this one, however, as the caramel ice cream tastes exactly as promised - like caramel! Caramel is one of my absolute all-time favorite flavors, candies, syrups, etc. My favorite candy ever is those dark chocolate reissens, the caramels covered in dark chocolate. Best combination ever, and this flavor does an excellent job at conjuring up that very same experience, but without the annoying side effect of having caramel stuck in your teeth for hours. The caramel center is totally enjoyable, the only problem being that you have the dilemma of what to eat first, whether to eat each of the three components separately or to get a little bit of each in every spoonful, which is generally the route I take. An excellent contribution to the ice cream world from my favorite Vermontians.

I'm slipping

It's Wednesday and I still haven't cracked open the new pint of ice cream. I also forgot it was donut day yesterday and completely missed out. That may have been for the best though - my office shower was yesterday and we had the most amazing chocolate opera creme torte.



It took me two hours to eat the slice I had, so I'm thinking that if I had eaten a donut for breakfast I wouldn't have been able to eat any cake at all.

Handmade Baby Gifts

I happen to know quite a few very talented ladies and two of them made me awesome baby presents that I know Baby C will enjoy very much.

Laurie made me this little turtle:



Certainly puts my knitting club skills to shame, considering I've been working on the same scarf for 7 months now :)

Bobbie sent me this baby blanket:



The fabric is so soft! I know Baby C will really enjoy hanging out and playing on it. Thanks guys, I know they took a lot of time and effort, and I truly appreciate them.