Tuesday, November 27, 2012

15 Weeks - Orange

Oranges are another one of my favorite fruits, but man do I hate peeling them. I hate the way it gets all orange and waxy underneath your fingernails. Sometimes I can con others into peeling them for me :)




How far along: 15 weeks

Total weight gain: Two pounds, I think, between baby and thanksgiving.

Maternity clothes: Still trying to get through a few more weeks with the bella band and my own skirts. I'm not quite big enough for a lot of the borrowed pants, though one pair of khakis fits just perfectly so I'm wearing them today. I did also notice that my long-sleeved running shirt and beloved thumb-hole jacket don't really cover the belly anymore. It was just a tad drafty on my run this morning.

Stretch marks: Nope

Sleep: I forgot about the pregnancy dreams. Some of them have been downright terrifying. I don't like dreaming about vampires or pre-term labor.

Best moment of this week: Visiting with the family for thanksgiving and sharing the big news. Also, finally getting my paws on the limited batch of Ben & Jerry's Cannoli ice cream!

Miss anything: Being able to run all the way up the hill without feeling out of breath

Exercise: Still running, mixing in some P90X here and there.

Movement: 99% yes

Food cravings: Pizza rolls

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, I think that time has officially passed.

Have you started to show yet: Absolutely

Gender: Girl :)

Happy or moody most of the time: Getting better, slowly.
 
Looking forward to: The weekend! I love hanging with the family but I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation.

Monday, November 26, 2012

It's A...

I have to admit, finding out the sex of the baby this early feels just a little odd. Last time we had to wait until the anatomy scan ultrasound at 20 weeks. Technology does some amazing things!

I hosted a big chunk of my wonderful East Coast family for thanksgiving and it was so much fun to get to tell them in person. We also finally "came out" on Facebook, courtesy of Charlie drawing a picture of him playing with his sibling-to-be...


 
 
You might be able to see HER in the picture - SHE'S the smaller one drawn in brown marker next to the pink and blue self-portrait inked by Charlie.
 
Charlie is getting a baby SISTER! He was so excited when we told him - ecstatic, even. He asked for a baby sister last Christmas and has been continually hounding us ever since his BFF Alex got a second one over the summer. You would think that we did it just for him! He's been talking nonstop about his baby. It brings tears to my eyes.

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Opinions are Like...

Well, you know the rest. And now I'll be singing Salt-N-Pepa in my head all day.

But really.

So I've been running while pregnant. My OB said that it was fine to continue. Actually, BOTH OBs said that. And a midwife. Not just "fine" to continue, but "recommended." And so I keep putting one foot in front of the other. A little bit more slowly, and with the introduction of walk breaks every mile or so to keep my breathing relatively normal. No more pushing up the big, steep hills.

Not only have I been cleared to keep running, but I've been cleared to train for and run the Pig, should my body cooperate. Of course, no decisions have been made yet, but I went for 7 miles on Sunday and could have gone longer. It was a good run. Except for the tiny nagging voice that has now crept into my head, courtesy of someone saying "oh, I had a friend who ran while they were pregnant and her baby died."

Thanks for that. WHY would you say that to someone? That, right there, is quite possibly the worst thing that you could say to someone who suffers from an anxiety disorder.

Catching Up

So if you're really curious to go back through how the last 14 weeks have gone for me, then check out the posts I just imported under the Bean2.0 tag. I can't promise that they're interesting, but that's what I've been up to :)

Monday, November 19, 2012

30 Days of Thanks: Day 19

So I'm a week behind in my thankfulness, but that's not to say that I don't have something HUGE to be thankful for. This makes it Blog Official. Still not Facebook official, but that's coming later this week :)

I've been secretly blogging in another location, set up temporarily until I was ready to share with the rest of the world.

Well will you look at that...


For those of you unfamiliar with the world of cheap Wondfo test strips, those two lines mean that I'm expecting a new little Bean! I won't tell you how many of them I used, just to make sure. Plus a digital. Those things are awesome.

Estimated Due Date: May 21, 2013

The best part is that we've had a new kind of test done that came back all clear for a number of chromosomal abnormalities, and also allowed us to find out really early whether this will be a girl bean or a boy bean. Unfortunately, I can't share that piece of information until I've told the family, which will happen on Thursday when some of my nearest and dearest are assembled Chez Moi for thanksgiving dinner.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

13 Weeks - Peach Week!

I love peaches. They're probably my absolute favorite fruit in existence.








How far along: 13 weeks

Total weight gain: I think a pound. Again, it swings wildly day-to-day

Maternity clothes: Realized that all of the maternity clothes I have are stretched out from 9 month bellies, so I picked up two new ones at Target. Still in my own pants/skirts, with bella band

Stretch marks: Not at this point

Sleep: Difficult, probably due to stress. I wake up a lot at night

Best moment of this week: Completing a 6 mile run on Sunday! More to come about that in another post. I'm also headed back to DC on Thursday, so hoping to sneak in a cupcake or a trip to Ben and Jerry's

Miss anything: Running really fast

Exercise: Still kettlebells and running. I'm getting bored with kettlebells and will probably be revisiting P90X soon. Also about to start a team for this year's Undie Run!

Movement: Still not sold on what I've felt or not felt

Food cravings: Cheetos

Anything making you queasy or sick: Still a no on coffee and  yogurt

Have you started to show yet: Absolutely

Gender: My "feeling" varies wildly. I'm so impatient about waiting for test results. I just want to know that the chromosome count is correct, but I'm also dying to know if the u/s tech was right or not

Happy or moody most of the time: Bitchy and teary. I cried this morning on the way to work and now I can't even remember why. Some song, it's probably a good thing I can't remember
 
Looking forward to: Test results from MaterniT21! Waiting for those so that we can tell Charlie. I can't wait to tell him!

Sunday, November 11, 2012

30 Days of Thanks: Day 11

Very thankful for freakishly warm November days that allow for fingerprinting and long walks through the woods. Back in the 40s tomorrow :(


Saturday, November 10, 2012

30 Days of Thanks: Day 10

I'm thankful for a kitchen-creative husband who helped me perfect the homemade peppermint mocha. Also thankful that loves to cook and is actually really good at it, because if it were left up to me, we'd eat nothing but pasta.


Friday, November 9, 2012

NT Scan

We had our NT Scan done on Tuesday. The whole day was super stressful for me - voting in the morning, NT scan in the afternoon, the loooooooong wait for election results - but thankfully, we got good news on both counts. Our NT measurement was 1.1, anything under a 3 is considered good and low-risk. Baby Plum was bouncing around and waving. It looks so much different than it did 5 weeks ago. Human development is so cool. We did get a gender guess, but I've decided that I'm going to try to forget about it. It's very, very early, so it really could still go either way. I don't want to convince myself that it's something and then have to re-think everything if/when we find out it's the opposite. Either way, we should know before thanksgiving thanks to the MaternT21 test.




Supposedly, the results will be ready in 5-10 business days. I don't know how I'm going to wait that long.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

We Did It!

Four More Years!




I'm so thankful that women are finally standing up and making their voices heard and taking a more active role in politics. We added FIVE women to the Senate! That's pretty amazing. We still have a long way to go, but progress is progress. Not only that, but we've also elected our first openly-gay Senator. Way to go, Wisconsin! And as if it couldn't get any better? Maine, Maryland, and Washington State voted to legalize gay marriage. I'm so, so thrilled for so many of my friends who have been waiting years to be able to marry their partners. Hopefully this is just the beginning for equal rights under the law.

It was a great night, but I'm really paying for it today because I stayed up so late. I honestly thought it was going to be a nail-biter, even with Nate Silver's (now-proven to be statistically robust!) projections. I was prepared to go the distance and wait up watching until the wee hours of the morning, but there was no need.

Even today, I'm still jumping for joy inside. I hope that this is a sign that people are starting to recognize that treating each other equally and with respect really is a good goal to work toward.



Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

30 Days of Thanks: Day 7

Today I am thankful that we get Four More Years!




I'm also thankful that women are finally standing up and making their voices heard and taking a more active role in politics. We added FIVE women to the Senate! That's pretty amazing. We still have a long way to go, but progress is progress. Not only that, but we've also elected our first openly-gay Senator. Way to go, Wisconsin! And as if it couldn't get any better? Maine, Maryland, and Washington State voted to legalize gay marriage. I'm so, so thrilled for so many of my friends who have been waiting years to be able to marry their partners. Hopefully this is just the beginning for equal rights under the law.

It was a great night, but I'm really paying for it today because I stayed up so late. I honestly thought it was going to be a nail-biter, even with Nate Silver's (now-proven to be statistically robust!) projections. I was prepared to go the distance and wait up watching until the wee hours of the morning, but there was no need.

Even today, I'm still jumping for joy inside. I hope that this is a sign that people are starting to recognize that treating each other equally and with respect really is a good goal to work toward.



Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

12 Weeks - Plum

I want to like plums. I really do. I love the inside of them, but I can't get past the weird flavor of the peel. It's not really sour, I can't put my finger on exactly what the issue is, it just has a weird bite to it that I just don't like.





How far along: 12 weeks

Total weight gain: Maybe a pound? Not really sure. It swings wildly day-to-day

Maternity clothes: Got a ton of clothes from friends and co-workers! Yay for the maternity clothing swap cycle. Unfortunately, most of it is a little too big for me, still. I may be making a trip to target this week.

Stretch marks: Not at this point.

Sleep: Probably not a good question today, as I was up waaaaaaaaaay past my bedtime watching Obama win the election!

Best moment of this week: Peppermint Mochas and the NT Scan we had yesterday. More about that tomorrow!

Miss anything: Liquor, especially after the election stress of yesterday

Exercise: Kettlebells and running. Finally starting to get back into the swing of things. Went for an outdoor run yesterday morning just for a change of pace, and remembered that treadmill running doesn't equal sidewalk running. I thought I was going to die. I did, however, get the all clear from the OB to attempt marathon training.

Movement: Not sure. I think maybe, once, but I wouldn't swear to it.

Food cravings: I've moved to the real junk cereals this week - Cookie Crisp.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Slowly improving, but yogurt is still a no-go

Have you started to show yet: Yes, but not flaunting it yet

Gender: I have a "feeling," and we got a guess at the NT Scan yesterday. Either way, we'll know in about 10 days

Happy or moody most of the time: Still rather pissy and very weepy. I cried a lot yesterday, mostly about the election. Cried again in my car this morning while they talked about the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and how people lined up in the freezing cold and dark just to cast their votes

 
Looking forward to: Waiting impatiently for the results of the MateniT21 test. It's going to be a long 10 days.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Happy Election Day!

I'm coming to you from the swingiest of swing states. And I don't mean like THAT, I mean like Ohio - the land where they inundate you with campaign ads on TV, on the radio, lawn signs lining the road, mailboxes stuffed full of mailers - THAT kind of swing state.

I'm losing my ever-loving mind. There's so much at stake these days in terms of women's rights and basic human rights, in general. Keeping the government out of our uteri, and all that jazz. Four years ago I had a 12 week old baby. I dressed him up with an Obama sticker, took him to the polls, and dropped him off at daycare while I went to work to earn a paycheck, like so many millions of other women do. I came home that night and stayed up late to watch Jon Stewart and Colbert call the election. It was so exciting. Once it became clear that Obama was going to earn the 270 electoral votes that he needed to secure the Presidency, the phone calls started. I celebrated with friends and family members from all over the country. It was incredible - we had taken a huge step forward.



I hope that we can do it again, today. Sure, the economy is still not as robust as it was in 2007. But, we had a huge hole to climb out of, and we're slowly but surely working our way up. I sound idealistic and naive? Ok, but my husband was laid off as a result of the economic crash - so I'm not saying that from a place of untouchable privilege. We had to adjust to a different standard of living and figure out how to manage without that portion of our household income. But we did it - that's one of the reasons I've always been happy to be a working mom. I knew that there could come a time when I would need to support my family, and I wanted to make sure that I could do it. And to be fair, the husband sure made the most out of it. He started his own business, something that he had always wanted to do, and it has been largely successful. And I do recognize that not everyone has that option - not everyone has the knowledge, the expertise, the second income that makes it possible to live that kind of dream. But not everyone has the option to "borrow money from (their) parents," either, as one candidate suggested during a campaign event.

More importantly, I hope that we can recognize that women's rights are incredibly important and that the government has no business dicking around in our personal business. My contraceptive choice is my business, my reproductive choice is my business, and my hot-button issue has nothing to do with getting home early enough in the evening to make dinner for my family. Moms (women!) need support - we need supportive employment policies, allowances for time to pump breastmilk for our babies, affordable childcare and healthcare options. We need to be recognized as economic and intellectual equals - we need to be paid the same as a man doing the equivalent job. We need to not be penalized or "mommy-tracked" for producing the next generation of humanity. We need to stop the mommy wars, too - stay-at-home-moms and working moms need to come together to make sure that we are all treated fairly and that we all have access to the basic needs of our families. No one should have to choose between feeding their family and getting medical care, and it's a sad state of affairs that so many people do.

And so for those reasons, as well as so many others that I couldn't possibly find the time to blog about, I cast my vote for the Obama/Biden ticket. I want four more years of a party that will fight for what is right and what is just. Four more years of progress, four more years of fairness, and four more years of helping to protect and care for those who need it most. I'm so thankful that we're able to fully support our families, and I have no problem helping to support programs who help others in need.

Now I'm going to hibernate under the bed until the results start to roll in. Poke me when it's safe to come out!

Happy Election Day!

I'm coming to you from the swingiest of swing states. And I don't mean like THAT, I mean like Ohio - the land where they innundate you with campaign ads on TV, on the radio, lawn signs lining the road, mailboxes stuffed full of mailers - THAT kind of swing state.

I'm losing my ever-loving mind. There's so much at stake these days in terms of women's rights and basic human rights, in general. Keeping the government out of our uteri, and all that jazz. Four years ago I had a 12 week old baby. I dressed him up with an Obama sticker, took him to the polls, and dropped him off at daycare while I went to work to earn a paycheck, like so many millions of other women do. I came home that night and stayed up late to watch Jon Stewart and Colbert call the election. It was so exciting. Once it became clear that Obama was going to earn the 270 electoral votes that he needed to secure the Presidency, the phone calls started. I celebrated with friends and family members from all over the country. It was incredible - we had taken a huge step forward.



I hope that we can do it again, today. Sure, the economy is still not as robust as it was in 2007. But, we had a huge hole to climb out of, and we're slowly but surely working our way up. I sound idealistic and naive? Ok, but my husband was laid off as a result of the economic crash - so I'm not saying that from a place of untouchable privilege. We had to adjust to a different standard of living and figure out how to manage without that portion of our household income. But we did it - that's one of the reasons I've always been happy to be a working mom. I knew that there could come a time when I would need to support my family, and I wanted to make sure that I could do it. And to be fair, the husband sure made the most out of it. He started his own business, something that he had always wanted to do, and it has been largely successful. And I do recognize that not everyone has that option - not everyone has the knowledge, the expertise, the second income that makes it possible to live that kind of dream. But not everyone has the option to "borrow money from (their) parents," either, as one candidate suggested during a campaign event.

More importantly, I hope that we can recognize that women's rights are incredibly important and that the government has no business dicking around in our personal business. My contraceptive choice is my business, my reproductive choice is my business, and my hot-button issue has nothing to do with getting home early enough in the evening to make dinner for my family. Moms (women!) need support - we need supportive employment policies, allowances for time to pump breastmilk for our babies, affordable childcare and healthcare options. We need to be recognized as economic and intellectual equals - we need to be paid the same as a man doing the equivalent job. We need to not be penalized or "mommy-tracked" for producing the next generation of humanity. We need to stop the mommy wars, too - stay-at-home-moms and working moms need to come together to make sure that we are all treated fairly and that we all have access to the basic needs of our families. No one should have to choose between feeding their family and getting medical care, and it's a sad state of affairs that so many people do.

And so for those reasons, as well as so many others that I couldn't possibly find the time to blog about, I cast my vote for the Obama/Biden ticket. I want four more years of a party that will fight for what is right and what is just. Four more years of progress, four more years of fairness, and four more years of helping to protect and care for those who need it most. I'm so thankful that we're able to fully support our families, and I have no problem helping to support programs who help others in need.

Now I'm going to hibernate under the bed until the results start to roll in. Poke me when it's safe to come out!

Monday, November 5, 2012

30 Days of Thanks: Day 5

I'm thankful for leftover Halloween candy. Enough said.

Milk Duds and Snickers are my favorite. Please feel free to send me any extras.

Not sure how i feel about these new Milky Ways, though.


Sunday, November 4, 2012

30 Days of Thanks: Day 4

I'm incredibly thankful that the election is almost over. Living in one of the most important swing states is difficult - we're inundated with tv and radio ads, candidates are constantly stopping through, and my mailbox is regularly stuffed with propaganda from both sides. I'll be glad when it's over.

That said, I'm incredibly thankful that i live in a country where i can voice my opinion every November - I can vote on local issues, like the always-important school levies, state issues, like voting against  DOMA, and national issues - my vote helps to determine the president, and that's pretty cool. So thank you to all of the women who came before me, who fought to make sure that our voices speak just as loudly as mens'.

Finally, I'm thankful that, for the most part, my friends and family members don't let politics stand in the way of our relationships. I'm thankful that we're mature enough to respect that we view things differently and that we can hold intelligent, level-headed discussions on important issues. We're the single blue sign in a sea of red in this neighborhood, and I'm thankful that we're even allowed to speak our minds and stake our claims in the form of political lawn signs :)


Saturday, November 3, 2012

I Don't Even Know Me Anymore!

In the past 24 hours I've become a different person.

I had a luncheon meeting yesterday and the lunch was SO horrible. Just disgusting. Mayo-covered turkey sandwiches, limp veggies, and the worst cookies ever. Seriously. So I went home hungry. SO hungry. And thanks to my friend Rachel, I've been craving Sweet Tea. She swears that McDonald's has the best. So I sold my soul and hit up the drive-thru on the way home. I felt so dirty sitting in that line. I figured - while I'm already compromising my integrity, I may as well get fries, too! So I did. Unfortunately, the Sweet Tea did not live up to my expectations. Neither did the fries.

 
 
Second, I've been disloyal to my beloved Dunkin Donuts. I still can't drink regular coffee. Tried and failed last weekend. Tried and failed yesterday. So I've been visiting the dark side - the dreaded Starbucks. But not just ANY Starbucks coffee will do. Just the Salted Caramel Mocha, again something that I was peer pressured into by a friend :)
 
 
So last night Charlie had a sleepover with his grandma. The pickup location was originally Panera, but as I drove down the road I remembered that there was a Starbucks just a little farther up, and the Salted Caramel Mocha started calling my name. When I arrived, however, I was met with the sign-board annoucement that the PEPPERMINT MOCHAS had returned!! And this was the best news, ever. I LOVE Peppermint Mochas.



I feel dirty, but it was absolutely every bit as good as it looks. All $3.75 of it.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 3

30 Days of Thanks: Day 3

A lighter post for today!

I'm thankful that my mom loves having sleepovers with Charlie, because that means date night at our favorite Italian restaurant.

Even more thankful for the return of Peppermint Mochas at Starbucks! I enjoyed a nice, quiet hour to myself this morning while I waited for my mom to drop off the kid.


Friday, November 2, 2012

30 Days of Thanks: Day 2

30 Days of Thanks: Day 2

I'm thankful that my friends and family in the NY/NJ area came out of Hurricane Sandy relatively unscathed. With only one exception, they all still have houses standing. My great aunt and uncle, two of the neatest people I know, have a house on the coast and were completely flooded. But they're safe with relatives, which is all that matters. So many people lost more than just property, and I'm thankful that all of my favorite people are unharmed.

This is Point Pleasant Boardwalk, where I spent lots of summer weekends as a kid.



Seaside Heights - the roller coaster in the ocean was the Jet Star, my first roller coaster ever.


So much devastation. Keeping them all in my thoughts as they begin to rebuild.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Ban Me From the Grocery Store. Please.

In the past week, I've bought more random food at the grocery store than ever before. Aside from the Cap'N Crunch Berry binge, that is.

Last Thursday, I went to the Minneapolis Target in a (failed) bid for Holy Cannoli ice cream. They didn't have it, so I ended up with a single-serving of Ben & Jerry's Volun-Tiramisu (which wasn't very good), two mini bags of roasted almonds (also rather disappointing), a cup of grapefruit (lived up to my expectations) and a box of White Cheddar Wheat Thins (I swear, I didn't eat the whole box in 48 hours...). I was home late Saturday night and ran out to Target on Sunday to pick up the Ghostbusters DVD - have to raise the kids right. While I was there, I was lured into the cereal aisle. No Crunch Berries this time - Life Cereal, instead. Now, I couldn't tell you the last time I had Life cereal. It has to have been at least 10 years. But I ate the hell out of that cereal for breakfast and lunch until Tuesday, when I had to run to Whole Foods to get an onion for dinner. While I was there, I again made the mistake of walking through the cereal aisle, and I left with the WF version of Golden Grahams. And a piece of pizza. Again, lunch and dinner.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 1

I really need to get back into the habit of blogging. I have so much going on in my head, and plenty of things to say, but not enough time to do it. And I find that when I sit down and put fingers to keyboard, I just draw a blank. So here goes. Maybe if I can stick with 30 days of small posts it will be enough to kick my ass back into blogging shape. I have a lot of catching up to do, I hear I missed some really good posts from my Few Clowns Short friend.

I think I tried this last year, and it worked for a while, so here goes.

30 Days of Thanks: Day 1

I'm thankful for my job. Not only am I thankful to HAVE a job, but it's a job that I love. I always get to try new things, take on new tasks, and learn new skills. I work with awesome people, I have a great team, and we have a lot of fun while we're hard at work. I'm thankful that I don't dread going to work on Monday mornings. I remember how horrible it was at my last job, where a pit of anxiety would start setting in on Sunday afternoons. I didn't want to go - I hated the work, I hated leaving my kid, and I hated everything that it stood for. I don't miss that. Doing something that I find fulfilling makes me happy and proud to be a working mom.

I'm also thankful that I work for a very family-friendly place that allows me the flexibility to go and help with the trick-or-treat parade at Charlie's school. Parading around with 35 3-to-5-year olds was a lot like herding cats, but I'm so glad I was able to go. Not everyone is as lucky.

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