29, 24, 6 and 5

Yesterday was my 29th birthday. It's a weird age to be. I'm on the cusp of letting go of my 20's...oh those glorious 20's and grasping on to my 30's.....Holy crap I'm going to be 30. I feel 29, which is weird. When people ask you "How does it feel to be _____?" I think many of us respond with...meh. However, I really feel 29. Maybe it's because I'm coming on to my 7th year as a teacher, 2nd year of marriage, and first child. Good Lord! I'm an adult. I also love looking at paint colors at Home Depot and spending too much time organizing my kitchen cabinets. Adult biz. I never thought I'd see the day.

Coconut Chocolate Cupcake from Sprinkles. OH MY!

Sonic also had a birthday this month. He is 5 years old. I don't want to count in dog years because that will make it a lot older. He is my puppy forever.

Puppy Cupcake from Sprinkles. Don't judge.

Yesterday also marked 24 weeks pregnant which is 6 whole months pregnant. Cra-zee.

How far along? 24 weeks, which is a whopping 6 months pregnant!

Total weight gain: 20 lbs. I am ashamed.

Maternity clothes? The stretchier the better. However, those elastic bands are starting to be a little more uncomfortable. I want to just be naked all the time but apparently there are laws against this?

Stretch marks? Nada

Sleep: Sleep is good. I wake up every morning with leg cramps but I am a ninja and I stop them before they get worse. The trick it to flex the foot and point the toes to the sky. Works like a ninja charm.

Best moment this week: Celebrating my birthday at the beach, stuffing my face with snacks. It was a great day!

Miss Anything? Sushi and being able to wear flip flops without dying of pain.

Movement: Baby is kicking, flipping, and hiccuping a lot still. 

Food cravings: Sweets. Cakes, cupcakes, pumpkin pie, ice cream....all those fat loading treats!

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing at the moment
Gender predictions: Still feeling like it's a girl.

Labor Signs: Not yet

Symptoms: More weight gain...booo. Water retention....hisss. Swollen feet...RAWR!! Those are angry sounds, by the way.

Belly Button in or out? It's almost out. It's kinda gross.

Wedding rings on or off? My wedding band is the only thing that barely fits. You think hubby will buy me a spare?

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy and excited!!

Looking forward to: More birthday celebrating this weekend!

My Pregnancy Must Haves!

Here are the top ten things that kept me sane for these past 5 months. Without these things, I'd be one grumpy preggo....I mean grumpier preggo.

#1-Sea-Bands (Target or any other drugstore): These not so fashionable bracelets kept my nausea at bay throughout my first trimester. Without these puppies I would be hurling all over my students during class time.

#2-What To Expect When You're Expecting (Amazon.com): The moment I got pregnant I wanted to buy a book and this was the first one that I KNEW I had to get. It's like the bible of pregnancy and I knew I wanted to know the truth. I read this week by week and it has kept me informed and it really does tell me what to expect.

#3-Bella-Bands (Target): During my first few weeks of pregnancy my belly was SO bloated. I thought I was showing already. It was embarrassing especially since I could no longer button my pants. This led to crying fits in my closet and jeans thrown violently throughout my bedroom. Thank GOD for these because I could still wear my regular pants comfortably.

#4-Vitamin C Candy (Target): Ok, I understand that these are not really "candy" but I popped them like they were skittles. These helped me keep my immune system strong and my nausea to a minimum. Something about citrus really calms the belly.

#5- Addidas Foam Flip Flops (TJ Maxx): As a true Californian, I live in flipflops most of the year. However, when you get pregnant, walking in flip flops is like walking with wooden planks glued to your feet. UNCOMFORTABLE! When I found these, I knew we would be best friends for life. Clouds for your feet. Really.

#6-Burt's Bee Belly Butter (Target): I use this religiously EVERY morning on my growing belly, breasts, hips, and if I have time, buh-dunka-dunk. I LOVE the feel and smell of this butter. It's great.

#7-Sierra Mist (Wherever drinks are sold): Another ally to help me with my nausea. I'm not a soda person, but the fizz really takes the edge off. So refreshing for a preggo that needs refreshing.

#8- Pregnancy Workout DVD (Target): You can't tell by my picture, but all four of these DVDs come in a pack for $14.99 at Target. It's so nice to have customized workouts for each stage of this journey. They are pretty low impact and easy on the already tired bodies of ours.

#9-Body Pillow (Target): I'm a back sleeper which is a big no- no when you're expecting. The best way to sleep is on your left side which was really hard for me at first. I really REALLY wanted a Snoogle, but at $70+ a pop, I was discouraged to buy it. I found that a regular body pillow worked well for me. I hug it to sleep and rarely roll over to my back.

#10- Belly Book (Amazon.com): This is such a cute book. It's a journal and album in one and documents cute things from your journey and pictures of your ever growing bump. This one fit my style.

Nursery Decorating

One of the many things I am uberexcited for during my pregnancy is decorating the nursery. Since we are not finding out the sex of our baby, everyone always asks, "How are you going to decorate the nursery? Oh, yellows and greens, huh?" First of all, green is not a neutral color in my book. That's straight BOY! Second of all, with amazing websites like Pinterest and Project Nursery, the possibilities are endless. I thought I would feel jipped not knowing the sex, but turns out I had the easiest time deciding how I want the nursery to be decorated!

Inspiration:
When I saw this nursery, I almost cried because it's just..that...perfect. The clean lines, the color palette, the calming ambiance...someone hold me.

Source: projectnursery.com via Joanna on Pinterest

I want to live in this room.

Source: projectnursery.com via Joanna on Pinterest

Source: projectnursery.com via Joanna on Pinterest

The creative genius behind this beautiful room is Rebecca and I want to hire her to decorate my whole life. Just check out her other nurseries! I know this is a little bit more boy than neutral, but my plan is to take bits and pieces...ok more like chunks and handfuls, of this room and make it as neutral as possible. I love love love the pops of yellow with the blue. ::swoon::

July Nursery Goals:
-Clean out Office
--We already started cleaning out most of our office space and we are on to moving furniture out this weekend. Hubby will get a good workout since his pregnant wife is pretty much useless.
-Paint (She used #1-Dolphin Fin #2-Banana Cream #3- Tide Pools)

-Find little knick knacks for the room.
--I purchased these four pictures for the wall off of Etsy. This seller has some amazing prints! Hurry! They are having a 50% off sale!

-Choose furniture
--Searching high and low for the perfect furniture for our small space.

I'll keep you all updated!

4th of July Treat: Sugar Cookie Fruit Pizza

I think all of us can agree that Pinterest is one of the greatest timesucks websites out there. I need a recipe for anything...scroll scroll pin...need fashion advice....scroll scroll pin....organizing tips...scroll scroll pin... 3 hours later you feel like a new person with new goals! I love it.

So in one of my scrolling trances I stumbled upon these adorable mini fruit tartlets. Anything miniature wins my heart because they are cuter than cute.

Source: bannerboutique.blogspot.com via Joanna on Pinterest

I made them for a beach trip and I was disappointed to discover that my miniature tart making skills are lacking. Maybe I used too much cookie for the little cup and they ended up looking like cookie muffins. Don't get me wrong, I still ate them. I am pregnant after all and I need to teach Baby V that sometimes mistakes happen.

I also taught Baby V that you gotta bounce back and roll with the punches. So, I made a cookie pizza-tart.

I busted out my tart pan, squished my store bought sugar cookie dough into it as the crust, shmeared a mix of Cool Whip and a small tub of cream cheese, and decorated it all purdy with berries.

How's that for an easy 4th of July treat? My mom also put me on baked beans duty. Anyone have any good recipes for that?

Have a great Fourth of July, friends! Eat lots, have fun, and God Bless America...seriously, God, we need it.

22 Weeks Pregnancy Update

Hi Blogger World! Yes, I am still alive and well. I guess you can say I'm double alive because of the second heartbeat growing inside of me. CRAZY! I still can't believe it. A lot has changed since my last post and I have been ichin' to write about it.

How far along? 22 weeks which is about 5-1/2 months

Total weight gain: ::sigh:: I am tipping the scales nowadays. I'm embarrassed to say that I've gained almost 15 pounds. Doctor says I need to slow it down for awhile. There will be no more ice cream binges for Mama. 

Maternity clothes? I'm pretty much rockin' maternity leggings and dresses since they are the least restricting for the summer. I am wearing comfy flip flops (These are a Godsend) because my feet are starting to swell. No bueno.

Stretch marks? No. My Burt's Bee Belly Butter is working like a charm. Highly recommended.
Sleep: Sleeping well. Only have to get up to pee once or twice.

Best moment this week: Hubby and I got to see Baby hiccuping a whole bunch in the ultrasound. Doctor also let us hear it. It was so cute. Ultrasound also showed us that Baby is healthy! So happy to hear that.

Miss Anything? Hot dogs! If Hubby is around, he will not let me touch them. Going to the Dodger game this week was no fun without a Dodger Dog.

Movement: Baby is kicking and hiccupping at all hours of the day and night. It's a beautiful feeling. Hubby can feel them now, too!

Food cravings: Ice cream, grapes (which I'm disappointed to hear that they are loaded with sugar), and Peanut Butter.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Nothing at the moment
Gender predictions: I'm still getting lots of predictions for both boy and girl. I guess I would have to say I feel like it's a girl. We will see.

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: Massive weight gain and swollen and aching feet. Thank God for Hubby's foot rubs!

Belly Button in or out? Half in and half out. It's a sight to be seen.

Wedding rings on or off? My wedding band still fits but my engagement ring will not go on anymore. Fatty Mcfatterson over here.

Happy or Moody most of the time: Very happy and calmmer now that summer is here.
Looking forward to: Decorating the nursery. We have officially started that project! Can't wait to show you guys our theme!

It's A.....

...DEBATE.

Yes, hubby and I are at odds. He doesn't want to know and my impatient buhdunk wants to find out. So, as of now, he we are NOT finding out. But, my anal retentive personality just can't be settled for 5 more months of NOT knowing. I'm a list person, so I made a list.  Pros vs. pros...wait a second that's not right...it makes sense in my head, promise.

PROs of not knowing

• It's a special surprise on the big day
• No one is doing this anymore. The novelty of being one of the few couples that wait is appealing.
• Doctors can say it's a girl and you prepare for a girl and BOOM... it comes out with a penis. Gender FAIL.
• Baby will still be cute in yellow ducky onsies. I mean, who the hell doesn't like duckies? That's what I'd like to know.
• ummmm ??

PROS of knowing

.via.

• Isn't the baby surprise enough on the big day?
• Everybody is doing it. Peer pressure. Lovely.
• You can prep the nursery
• I hear it's more a of a connection when you know. Talking to your "Baby boy" is a lot more special than talking to "Baby."
• Cute dresses for girls and cute whatever boys wear for boys.
• Better wardrobe for baby
• Easier for friends and family at the baby shower.

Well, either way I get a baby at the end of this game and all will be water under the bridge. I'm not stressing about it and you know what's fun? Using old wives' tales to find the sex of our baby. Who needs doctors when you got these...

Old Wives' Tales
1. Carrying high, it's a girl. Carrying low, it's a boy. High...girl
2. Heartbeat 140+bpm, baby girl. Heartbeat below 140 bpm, baby boy. 150...girl
3. Craving sweet, pink it is. Craving salty and sour, blue time. I'm craving mostly salty....boy
4. Chinese Calendar says Age of conception + Month of conception= Sex of the baby.
28+February=boy (That is more information than I'm sure you wanted to know)
5. Mayan calendar says if my age and the year of conception are both even or both odd, it's a girl and if it's one even and one odd it's a boy. 28 and 2012....girl


Still need to try:
-String with your wedding ring. If it swings back and forth blue and green chucks! If it swings in circles, dresses!
-Pee in a cup, add Drano. Green=girl, Blue= boy. This is totally bizarre. I have to try it.
-Toddler play. If a toddler shows interest in your belly, it's a girl. If not, boy.


You know what, all this silliness really makes it fun. Even though these are totally bonkers, I'm still going to test each one. I have 4 more months. Wowza Mahgowza.

18 weeks and counting

Lessons Learned in Trimester ONE

I am officially into my second trimester. I just opened my eyes from a blink and here I am... 16 weeks preggos. I have learned so many amazing and disturbing lessons thus far and I wanted to share them with you. I have so many friends that are going down this route, so here is what to expect (sorta) when you're expecting.

• When people offer to help you carry something or do something for you because you're carrying precious cargo...live it up. This isn't going to be forever.
• You will feel tired. I felt like I climbed a mountain everyday. Growing a baby is no joke.
• Hormones SUCK.
• Weeks vs. Months. I never understood this and I never wanted to admit this because I'm a woman and I figured I should've read this somewhere in my women's manual. When I used to ask women how far along they were, they would always answer in weeks instead of months. I would reply with a "Wow, how cute!" and walk away having to do the math in my head. Pregnancy is counted in weeks because the baby's development is so different from week to week!  And fyi- 36-40 weeks is full term aka when the baby makes it's debut.
• You can't eat for two. Remember one of the two is only the size of a small fruit. You really only need a few extra calories a day. This broke my heart.

• People say the most hurtful things. One of my co-workers, who I used to be quite fond of, wins the award for rudest comment. During the first few weeks of my pregnancy, I was extremely paranoid about miscarrying. I had anxiety about it, it was so bad. I told her this and she replied "Oh, I miscarried my first one, you probably will too. It happens." I avoid her at all costs now because I do NOT need that kind of negativity.
• Pregnancy isn't all fun and games. Acne, nausea, dark patches of skin, daily headaches, mood swings, food aversions, husband aversions, food cravings, husband cravings (rawr!), extra hair in weird places, slower hair growth in others, and that's only the tip of the iceberg.
• But it is the most amazing beginning. The best is yet to come.



How far along? 16 weeks

Total weight gain: About 6 pounds. But how accurate can an Ikea scale be?

Maternity clothes? I've officially given up on my pre-pregnancy pants. Hubby is taking me maternity pants/shorts/leggings shopping this weekend. This is the best gift for my fat butt.

Stretch marks? no
Sleep: Starting to lose sleep. Waking up in odd times of the night.

Best moment this week: Having people notice my little bump.

Miss Anything? Stella Rosa. I'm not even a big drinker.

Movement: I THINK I felt baby move yesterday... not sure.

Food cravings: Hot Cheetos, oranges, and BEEF! I am so pregnant.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Pho (Vietnamese noodle soup) and Chipotle BLAAAH. Even seeing the signs make me gag.
Gender predictions: More on this soon

Labor Signs: Nope

Symptoms: Headaches like a mofo and being SUPER uncomfortable and restless at night.

Belly Button in or out? In but it is starting to look different.

Wedding rings on or off? on

Happy or Moody most of the time: More happy nowadays I would say.
Looking forward to: Finding out the sex of the baby AND summer vacation in 2 days! Looking forward to that time to decorate the nursery.