dandelion paperweight

Happy 2012 and I've Moved!

2012-01-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

New Year? New Blog! I've put this off for a while because I was scared to lose readers, so please prove me wrong, ok? Update your reader and follow me over at...

www.dandelionpaperweight.com

I look forward to seeing you there!

Happy New Year's Eve!

2011-12-31T12:05:00.000-08:00

I hope you all have a safe and fun night tonight! My husband made reservations for dinner at a fancy restaurant, but won't tell me where. I'm excited for us to have some one-on-one time and enjoy our last NYE baby-free!

via

What are your plans for ringing in the new year?

Check back tomorrow for some exciting news!

26 weeks

2011-12-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

This week was one of the most fun ones of my pregnancy thus far. It was Christmas! I always wanted to be pregnant at Christmas and it was really special. We got tons of adorable baby stuff and had fun showing off the progress of the nursery to family and friends.

My third trimester starts next week! Holy cow, where did the second one go? Time is flying and it's starting to freak me out a little bit. I've been watching that show called One Born Every Minute and it's becoming a lot more real that in just a few short months, I'll be delivering a baby. I'll admit, I'm pretty scared, but I'm trying to take things one step at a time and not get ahead of myself. I can't control how everything will go, so there's no sense trying.

We have finally chosen a name, though it's one we've liked for years. We just told family over the holiday and I'll blog it soon.

My outfit in the photos is new (again - I feel like I'm always wearing a new outfit in these photos, but I swear I don't buy myself clothes all the time), but the jeans were free! I responded to a tweet from Old Navy a few weeks ago and they emailed me saying they'd be sending me a prize in the mail. What I got was a card good for a free pair of jeans! I went there yesterday and got my first over the belly, full panel maternity jeans. My other low rise ones still fit fine, but these are much more comfortable. Since I was getting free jeans, I thought I might as well buy a new shirt (and sunglasses and earrings)... that's how they get you!

I also got new bras and underwear with a Victoria's Secret gift card I got for Christmas. I've worn thong underwear since high school (I was a dancer and they always worked best under tights and leotards), but I've just started to notice that they are no longer comfortable. I got five pairs of these underwear (I think I'm going to get five more) and two of these bras in sizes I never imagined I'd fit into. They're pretty granny-ish, but so comfortable, so I don't care. Plus, my husband still thinks I look cute in them, so that's all that matters, right?

I felt some baby hiccups this week too! My husband was even able to hear them!! Pretty cool. So much moving lately, which I love. Every morning when we're laying in bed, my husband asks me if the baby is awake yet and then we snuggle and he tries to feel some kicks before getting up to start his day. I'm going to miss that!

Christmas 2011

2011-12-29T05:00:00.000-08:00

I hope you had a lovely holiday weekend! We had a very nice Christmas and I'm enjoying my time off more than ever before. I've been enjoying it so much that I sort of neglected the blog. Today I realized that I had better recap Christmas before the New Year begins on Sunday!

On Christmas Eve, we had my husband's parents, grandma, sister, nieces, aunt, and cousins over as well as my mom and brother. Here is my mother-in-law with our niece.

And with our other niece.

The kids' table!

Everyone eating. I made lasagna (recipe on the box of no boil noodles from Trader Joe's - it was amazing and everyone loved it, so go try it), caesar salad, and garlic bread. Simple and delicious!

My in-laws looking through the book we made them as their gift. It was a win! She cried!!

Our adorable little niece dragging her present to her aunt to open.

Cuties!

My husband and out niece, the tiny dancer.

She was a cookie monster that day! I didn't make any other desserts because I knew my mother-in-law would bring enough cookies for everyone to have their fill of sweets.

Saying hello to the dogs.

That night we went to church and had dinner at my parents' house before heading out to my in-laws ranch for some relaxation time.

On Christmas, we opened presents (I LOVE these!!),

kept Jackson from licking his wound from his neuter,

and napped. I'm so glad my husband took this picture so we'll always remember how I looked sleeping (not).

The next day, we drove home and relaxed some more before my husband had to go back to work on Tuesday. Yesterday I went to Ikea to return a couple of things (both my mom and my husband got me, er the baby this adorable rocking moose, so one had to go back) and pick up some stuff for the nursery. Today I ran errands, including a trip to Michael's to get supplies for the crib mobile I'm making. I'll do an update on the nursery soon!

Twas the day before Christmas

2011-12-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

And all through the house...

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care (one for me, my husband, the dogs, and the baby), in hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of sugarplums danced in their heads (that line always reminded me of the nutcracker because of the sugarplum fairy).

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap.

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash, tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below.
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but a miniature sleigh, and eight tinny reindeer.

With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, and he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name!

"Now Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! on, on Donner and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly, when they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky. So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, with the sleigh full of Toys, and St Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof the prancing and pawing of each little hoof. As I drew in my head, and was turning around, down the chimney St Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, and his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot. A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back, and he looked like a peddler, just opening his pack.

His eyes-how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow.

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath.
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowlful of jelly!

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself!
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread.

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk.
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose!

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘ere he drove out of sight,

Happy Christmas to all and to all a good night!

PS
See my husband in the window? He's wearing the union suit pajamas I got him last year for Christmas and his lumberjack hat. What a cutie.

25 weeks

2011-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

This was my first week of winter break and oh has it been sweet! I've slept in every day - well, I actually wake up when my husband gets up for work, but I stay in bed playing on my phone until he leaves. Then, I fall asleep for a bit longer and get up whenever I feel like it. I know that I have to soak this in and appreciate the leisure time while I've got it because in a few short months, I'll be happy to get any sleep at all.

My friend Jessica had her baby today!!! I saw a new post from her in my reader this morning and knew it was almost time, so I texted her asking to be put on her husband's text list for updates. I got just one, then a few hours later, an adorable picture of her baby boy! It was extra exciting because they decided not to find out the sex of the baby ahead of time. Also, they planned a home birth with a midwife and I can't wait to hear/read her birth story. What an amazing Christmas they'll have this year!

While I don't think I'm technically six months pregnant yet, I keep telling everyone that I am. I don't know why, but six months seems really officially pregnant to me. I also think this might be the last month I feel cute. I'm pretty scared of getting much bigger, but I know it's coming.

My dress in the photos is from Old Navy Maternity - I bought it online, which is something I rarely do for clothes, but it worked out! I plan on wearing this on Christmas Eve for our family lunch and to church. On Christmas, I'm going to wear my red and grey striped shirt from this post because we'll just be lounging at my in-laws all day and I want to wear something comfortable, but festive.

The baby room walls are painted and all the trim is up! The last thing to be done is to paint the crown molding and it's ready for furniture!! I am SO excited and ready to start decorating.

We got our stroller yesterday! I put it together by myself (it was so easy) and we have it set up next to the tree like a present. My husband's grandma is coming over on Saturday (she's the one who bought it for us), so it will be nice for her to see it all put together.

Yesterday morning, I woke up with terrible leg pain. After tweeting about it, Bee said it could be sciatica, which makes a lot of sense. Many times, pregnant women have back pain and think it's sciatica, but really, it's not. Sciatica isn't usually felt in the back, it's felt in the legs. I definitely have some lower back pain every once in a while, but this was totally different. It felt like I had run a marathon in my sleep! It went away after I laid in bed for a while and it didn't happen today, so I hope it was just that one time. I do think I need to get one of those maternity body pillows, though, so I stay in the best position all night.

Have you been reading my posts over on Hellobee? Most of them are repeats, for now, but I'm going to get some new stuff up there very soon.

The Flood

2011-12-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

If you know me IRL or have been following for a while, you remember Teddy. If you're new, click here to catch up.

For some reason, we didn't get our dog Jackson fixed, or neutered, early like we should have. My husband felt bad for him and I was lazy to make the appointment, so we kept putting it off until it just never happened. He's a year and a half now, and most dogs can be neutered as soon as their balls drop at around 4-6 months old.

Ruby is fixed, so we wouldn't have to worry about puppies with a boy dog that wasn't, but it is a bit awkward going to the dog park with his huge balls dangling down for the world to see. Also, Jackson is a serious marker (as in he pees on every single tree on walks and at the park and if we go somewhere new, he'll usually mark something there). Over Thanksgiving weekend, someone started talking about a male dog they had who used to mark the baby. The dog would PEE on the BABY. All the time. As soon as I heard this, I looked at my husband and told him it was time for the big snip. I called that Monday and made the appointment for today.

When we first got Jackson, just a couple of months after Teddy died, I took him to a new vet because I couldn't bear going back to the same place where I had to put Teddy down. However, this new place was very expensive. The other place was much more reasonable, plus they come highly recommended from several rescues in the area. So, for Jackson's neuter, I made the appointment at the old vet figuring it would be fine since it had been a year and a half since I went through one of the most difficult experiences of my life there.

Well, on the way this morning, the memories flooded back and I started crying. I kept thinking about Teddy and worrying that something bad would happen to Jackson. When we got there (we meaning Jackson and I), I pulled myself together and took him in. However, once I had to sign the papers that said that if something happened the doctor had permission to resuscitate him, I lost it again. I explained to the techs that I had to put a dog down there a year and a half earlier, so I was very emotional about being back and they were so nice. They reassured me that they would take good care of him and sent me on my way.

I cried the whole way home, but was ok when I was able to snuggle Ruby. I took a nice long nap (it was amazing) because I felt so drained from the whole experience. I can't imagine how I'll handle my own kids getting hurt or going through any medical procedures.

Jackson is home now and doing well. He's a bit drugged and groggy, but doesn't seem to be in any pain and I can tell he wants to run around and play.

Photo by Michelle York

Before I had dogs, I never understood why people would get so emotional over their animals. Now I understand that, for some, pets become part of the family. I can't imagine life without our dogs. It would be so boring! They are such a source of comfort and love to me and I know we'll always have dogs as part of our family.

If you have pet, are they a part of your family? If not, do you ever plan to get any in the future?

Holiday Cards 2011

2011-12-20T05:00:00.000-08:00

These went out much later than usual this year, but I had way too much on my plate and I feel lucky they went out at all!

Without further ado...

Front -photography by Michelle
Message reads: And I think to myself what a wonderful world.

Inside - yes, the dogs make the card every year.

Back - ultra sound picture with a little announcement! I hope people actually look at the back...

Front of the envelope

Back of the envelope

Since we got our 50 cards for free from Shutterfly, I decided to splurge on red envelopes. I make the wrap around labels myself using full page label paper and my paper cutter. We could have used more than 50 cards, but when I was ordering my husband said not to, so I didn't. I won't be listening to him next year!

I'm really happy with how they turned out!

Oh, and as a side note, even though we celebrate Christmas, I always like our cards to say Happy Holidays because we send them to a few people who aren't Christian and I know I would feel kind of weird getting a Hanukkah or Kwanzaa card in the mail.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2011-12-19T05:00:00.000-08:00

I love you so much and hope you have a wonderful day!

My mom with Santa - in the 60s, obviously.

Doesn't this picture remind you of that movie A Christmas Story??

24 weeks

2011-12-17T16:35:00.000-08:00

Sorry I'm late with this post. This week was totally nuts. I'm glad it's over, but I can't believe there only one more week until Christmas. I need another month!

I've been getting a lot more comments from strangers lately, which is cool. It's nice to know that I look pregnant and not just fat. Many people also guess that it's a boy just by looking at me. I'm not sure how they know that (I think they're just lucky guessers), but it's always fun to tell them they're right.

The nursery is really moving along. My husband is putting up the third coat of primer right this minute, then hopefully he and his dad will paint tomorrow. After careful consideration (an so much flip flopping on my part) we decided to go with Benjamin Moore's Polar Ice. It wasn't one of the two choices we had originally thought we liked, but after it dried, it was our favorite. We still like Summer Shower, but it has those cool green tones in it and our artist friend Jackie pointed out that Polar Ice is a warmer color. Also, when I held up both paint chips to the living room walls (Benjamin Moore Vintage Charm), Polar Ice was much more complimentary. After the paint is done, my husband is going to put up crown molding and trim around the closet. Then, we'll paint the frame of the closet white (it's a goldish color now), and then we can start putting furniture in! I'm so happy things are moving along.

My husband's grandma sent us the money for the stroller yesterday, so I went ahead and ordered it right away. It said it would ship on Monday, but I got an email this morning saying it shipped today! She's coming over for Christmas Eve, so she'll be able to see what her money went towards. I'm so excited, I can't wait to get it set up!!

I have been doing the majority of my Christmas shopping online this year because I just can't bear the crowds and lines. I have everything done except for a couple of photo books that I still need to work on. Shutterfly says if you order by 4pm pacific on 12/18, you'll get it by the 24th (standard shipping). I'm really hoping they're right, because it would not be cool if they were late. The reason I've waited so long to do those is that most of our pictures are on our desk top in the office and it's currently inaccessible. Tonight, we should be able to put some of that stuff in the nursery closet and the rest in the garage so we can have that room back. I also need to get it back to normal because my cousin Cameron is coming for a quick visit on Monday. As of now, we can't see the bed that's in there, but hopefully it will be ready for guests in a couple of days.

I'm been feeling pretty good lately, my only complaint is the lower back pain. If I'm standing too long or doing any sort of repeated bending, it hurts pretty badly. I'm going to get back to yoga now that I have some time off and hopefully that will help.

Oh, I almost forgot! The shirt in my photos this week is from Shade Maternity (they have regular clothes, too), a store I heard about from Mandy (the OMG mom). She tweeted a 40% off discount code, so I bought this shirt because I thought it would be cute for the holidays. I love it! I actually took the belt off after the photos, changed into my favorite pair of brown boots, and put a big slouchy cardigan on over it.

Don't forget to check in at Hellobee every once in a while! My baby shower inspiration post went up yesterday and many more are coming. Stop by and say hello!

I'm a BEE!

2011-12-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

The first blog I ever read (well, as least the first one I can ever remember reading that I actually knew was a blog) was Weddingbee. It's an amazing site where all different women, and even a couple men, blog about planning their weddings. When I was planning my wedding, I used to keep the site open as a tab on my browser and refresh it any time I had a free minute to look at new posts. It is an incredible resource for any bride, but I especially loved it because so many women had amazing DIY ideas and inspiration that I totally stole... ahem... borrowed for my own wedding.
After our wedding, I started reading the personal blogs of ladies whose weddings I followed and through comments and twitter, became sort of online friends with some of them. It has been amazing to have this new support system over the last couple of years and I'm so grateful for the community that Wedingbee creates between it's bloggers and readers. The only bee I've met in real life is Cathy, aka Mrs. Penquin, who is now WB's editor in chief! She's an absolute doll and we had such a great time at waterbar in San Francisco this summer. She was actually the first person to see us after we became pregnant, though we didn't know it yet.

I had always wondered if the creator of Weddingbee, Bee Kim, or Mrs. Bee, was going to start a parenting site. People were always buzzing about it on the WB boards and twitter and I anxiously awaited the day when she would launch one. Well, that day has come and I am SO incredibly excited to be a part of the first generation of Mama Bees to blog for Hellobee!

I am Mrs. Tic Tac Toe!

Read my very first post on Hellobee here!

Paint! Finally!

2011-12-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

After many weekends of work, my husband finally finished flattening the walls in the baby room. He also installed new insulation in the attic, which is accessed through the baby room closet, so our house will be toasty warm (and nice and cool in the summer) just in time for baby's arrival.

So... colors. About a month ago, we went down to a local paint shop that carries Benjamin Moore paint. I like their selection of colors the best, but their prices are quite high, so we just wanted to get swatches there and then take them to Home Depot to be color matched.

After debating and consulting friends, we settled on Glass Slipper, Polar Ice, Summer Shower, and Lily White (from House Beautiful Magazine) all by Benjamin Moore. Then, I headed to Home Depot to get some little $3 sample jars so we could paint swatches on the wall.

The room isn't primed yet, and it will take several coats of primer and paint because the plaster used to skim the walls sucks up the paint like a sponge, but here's an idea of what the colors would look like on the walls.

I wore a heavy duty mask, so as not to inhale paint fumes. Sexy, huh?

We painted little abbreviations of the colors under each swatch so we'd remember which was which.

Watch out!

Ok, so here they are. From left: Summer Shower, Lily White, Glass Slipper, and Polar Ice.

And the verdict? We ruled out Glass Slipper right away because it was much too gray. Polar Ice was next to go because it was too dark. Now, we're left with Summer Shower and Lily White. We both keep going back and forth between those two. They're very different, but we like something about both of them. We have to decide soon, though, because we're hoping to get it painted before Christmas (oh please oh please).

So, what do you think?

Here a picture of just those two without flash.

Wow, you can barely see Lily White in this one... maybe that's a sign?

Tell me what you think. And we don't have time to go get more samples, so it has to be one of these.

#WEverb11: Favor

2011-12-12T05:00:00.000-08:00

For #WEverb11, I've decided to only write about the prompts that really strike a chord with me, to alleviate a bit of pressure. Today's prompt is:

What was your favorite month of 2011? Why did it beat out all 11 other months?

This one is tough, but really forced me to think carefully and that's why I like it. So many amazing things happened this year, but my favorite month was probably May.

In May, I did my first round of clomid and we got our BFP! I'll never forget that morning when I screamed and made my husband get out of bed to come see. He thought I had seen a spider in the bathroom and was annoyed at first, until he realized why I was freaking out.

That weekend, I was in my good friend Laura's wedding.

The next day, my husband and I celebrated our second anniversary at a really fancy restaurant.

We talked about our baby and just had an amazing night. We were so happy and in love. I'll treasure that memory forever.

Why would I consider May my favorite month if it's also the same month we lost our first pregnancy? Because we made it though stronger than ever. When it happened, we both called in sick, I cried for an hour, and then we went out to breakfast. I didn't sink into severe depression, I held my head up and leaned on my husband and we found strength in each other. These are the things that bind us together. These are the experiences that shape us as human beings.

This is the month I also nailed my demo lesson for my new job. The school I applied to is one I've wanted to teach at since I was in high school, but I never thought I'd be good enough. Once I realized that I wowed them in the demo lesson, I found a confidence I never knew I had. It was empowering and a little scary. And as you know, I got the job!

My favorite month isn't the month where everything went my way, but it's the month where I believe I grew the most this year. I'll never forget the things that happened that month and I'm glad about that. I don't want to forget the hard times, I want to remember, learn, and grow.

Cupcakes Giveaway Winner!

2011-12-10T05:00:00.000-08:00

I completely forgot to select a winner for a dozen mini cupcakes from Crumbs! Please forgive me and my pregnancy brain!!

The winner is...

JEN from Living a Brighter Life!

Congratulations to her and thanks to all of you for your sweet comments.

Since I hate leaving a post without a picture, here's the new tiny stockings I got at Crate and Barrel. Two for the dogs, and one for the baby!

Cute, right?

Happy Weekend!

23 weeks

2011-12-09T05:00:00.000-08:00

My phone just died, so let's see if I can remember my notes on what to blog about this week...

My friend Jessica is going to have her baby really soon. She's planning a home birth with a midwife and doesn't know the sex of the baby. I'm so excited!! Waiting on pins and needles for more news...

I finally realized that I feel a million times better about myself when I "do" my hair. With dry shampoo, I only have to wash it like twice a week (please don't think I'm gross - I promise it doesn't smell bad or look greasy because I have such thick hair), so keeping it "done" is really easy. With all the changes happening to my body and feeling so huge, I find that putting a little extra effort into my hair and makeup makes a big difference in how I feel about myself.

The heartburn has officially set in. I've been feeling it about once a day, but a tums does the trick. Today, however, I left my baggy of tums and tylenol in a different purse and had a killer episode after chowing down on some dorritos. I texted my husband just to complain and he told me to eat yogurt or drink milk. The yogurt worked! I was so impressed with his tip!

Our heater broke last weekend and we just got it fixed last night. While it doesn't get too cold here, it was definitely quite chilly for a few days (50 degrees inside the house is pretty darn cold, right?). So cold, in fact, that I was early for work three days in a row because I was so eager to get out of the house and into my heated classroom. Today, however, I was late. A warm house is so much nicer to snooze in than a cold one.

I've been loving regular coke or pepsi lately. Every time we go out, I order one. I try to just have one, but if the server refills my drink, I can't help but take a second. I don't go for a third, though. That's pushing it. And I don't keep it in the house. I do keep caffeine free diet dr. pepper in the house, though. I can't live without it.

Baby's movements are getting bigger and bigger lately and I'm just starting to be able to see little bumps from the outside of my belly. What's cool about feeling him move is that I have built in entertainment at all hours of the day. If I'm bored while my husband is watching sports or something, the baby will start kicking and I'm instantly happy. I'm going to yearn for this feeling when I'm no longer pregnant.

While it's hard to adjust to all the changes my body is going through (hello fat in places I didn't know fat could go), looking down at this everyday is pretty darn cool. I wanted this for so long and I'm so thankful each day that I'm able to experience it.

Only 4 more months! Holy moly!!

Holiday Photoshoot

2011-12-08T05:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, my good friend Michelle took some pictures of us for our Christmas card. It was really chilly and our dogs were crazy, but she did an awesome job making us look good (if I do say so myself). Here are a few of my favorites, some of which will appear on our cards and I'll share those as soon as I mail them out.

I'm so glad to have a friend who loves photography and is willing to practice on us! I can't wait to have her take pictures of the baby...

I miss my friends

2011-12-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

My online friends, that is.

When I started blogging about our struggles TTC, so many women reached out to me who were also facing similar challenges. I bonded with these women over the internet and still follow their stories, as documented online. A few of them are now pregnant, but many are not and my heart aches to think about the pain they must be feeling.

Now that I'm pregnant, I know many of them no longer read my blog. How could I blame them? I remember I didn't unsubscribe from any blogs of pregnant women during my year + of TTC and I hated myself for it. Every time I'd see a post by yet another pregnant woman, so many emotions would flood through me: longing, anger, jealousy, despair. This goes for social media, as well. I even wrote a post about how hard it was to see status updates about the aches and pains or even the joys of pregnancy. I always thought I'd be different when I was pregnant - I wouldn't be like them. Haha... well, I'm sure you see what I've turned into...

I do try to be mindful about things I write in posts and status updates, but this is my life! It's impossible to censor everything while still being honest. Plus, I want to document this time in my life so I can look back years down the line and remember how it felt to be pregnant for the first time. Also, I have every right to experience the joys of pregnancy, just as all women do. I have to remind myself of that everyday: it's ok to enjoy this. It's ok to feel so happy inside I might burst. And it's ok to write about those feelings.

Right?

While I'm sad that I no longer have these connections with other women who are still struggling with infertility, I am happy that I've made new ones with other pregnant women and even moms. And I know one day my old friends will join me on this new journey.

Our Registry: Gear

2011-12-05T05:00:00.000-08:00

While I'm not a mom (yet), I have done many hours of research on the best items to have on a baby registry. I thought I'd share what's on ours (and what's not), in case any of you need some help getting yours together one day. We are registered at Babies "R" Us and Amazon.com.

Let's start with the most researched baby registry items: Gear!

The First Years Wave Stroller

I've blogged about this before, but it's worth repeating. Every time I think I might like another stroller better, I find another awesome review of this one and my choice is confirmed. I was actually registered of the black one with the red sunshade, but I realized this one with the patterned interior is $100 cheaper, so I immediately switched the color. My husband's grandmother has already told us we're getting this for Christmas!! I can't wait.

The First Years Via Infant Car Seat

I don't NEED a car seat that matches the stroller, but it gets great reviews and it isn't too expensive, so why not? I've also registered for an extra base so we can easily go from car to car without re-installing.

The First Years True Fit Convertible Car Seat

I know some people say to skip the infant car seat and just get one of these, but I know how convenient it is to transfer a sleeping baby from car to stroller to house with the infant one (I have a 10 year old brother, remember?), so I want both. This one we'll save for when he grows out of the infant seat - by they way, when does that happen? Six months? A year? I can't remember. I originally registered for this car seat in all black, but it's no longer available, so grey it is.

Inglesina Fast Table Chair

We already have the Ikea Antilop highchair, but I saw this on MODG and thought it would be nice to have for traveling. I like the dark, neutral color and compact design.

Graco Pack 'n Play Playard

A mommy friend told me to get a pack 'n play with bassinet attachment to use right after the baby is born instead of a separate bassinet. I'm all about saving money and space, so I think it's going to work great for us. It also matches our bedroom perfectly!

Skip Hop Duo Deluxe Diaper Bag

Designer diaper bags aren't my thing. I want something that's going to last forever, hold all I need it to, and something my husband won't feel uncomfortable carrying. I like messenger style bags to keep my hands free and the skip hop ones all come with cool stroller attachments.

BABYBJORN Baby Carrier

I was registered for this popular baby carrier until my sister in law gave us the exact same one! She rarely used it, so it's in great condition and I'm so happy we get to try it out! I do need a tutorial on how to wear it, though...

Moby Wrap Baby Carrier

I can't wait to try this sucker out. Jenna from That Wife did a great how-to video on this and I'm excited to use it with our little guy. It seems like the easiest way to go shopping with a cart, travel, or anything else where you need two hands. Plus, I've read that babies who are carried in slings like this cry less.

What do you think of our gear choices? Anything we forgot?

Next: Feeding

#WEverb11: One Word

2011-12-02T17:48:00.000-08:00

I attempted #reverb10 last year, but didn't finish and it made me sad. This year, my online buddy Kimberly Michelle decided to create #WEverb11 for this year since reverb isn't coming back. Since I can't commit to posts every day and it gives me anxiety, I love that a whole week's work of posts go up at once so I can participate without feeling like a failure if I fall behind.

Prompt #1: One Word

Encapsulate the year 2011 in one word. Explain why. Imagine it’s one year from today, what would you like the word to be that captures 2012 for you?

This was the same prompt for reverb's first day last year. It was fun to look back at what I wrote. Last year my word was "rollercoaster" (I cheated and made two words into one) and I wanted this year's word to be "peace".

I wouldn't say that "peace" encapsulates 2011 for me, but it's close. I'd say the best word for this year is:

Exciting

So many exciting thing have happened this year. We were on Secrets from a Stylist with Emily Henderson and our living room went from this:

to this:

photo by Laure Joliet

We started fertility medication and got pregnant on the first try:

and celebrated our second wedding anniversary:

Unfortunately, we lost the pregnancy soon after, but we made it through together. We had an incredible mini vacation to Big Sur and San Francisco:

and conceived again:

I started a new job at my dream school and adjusted to a whole new world of teaching.

We heard our baby's heartbeat for the first time:

saw it's little face on an ultrasound:

and found out it's a boy!

It doesn't get more exciting than that, right?

For next year, I know my word will be "love". So much love is coming our way...

22 weeks

2011-12-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

Looking and feeling HUGE. Maybe it's the stripes? Ick. Oh well, can't win them all.

This week has been super fun. Sharing the gender with family, friends, students, coworkers, and you guys has made everything a lot more real. I can now refer to the baby as "he" and that's just crazy. I had mostly finished our registries a while ago, but now that we know it's a boy, I've been making some additions and adjustments. It's so fun!!

While I'm not quite the clean freak I hoped I'd be, nesting has definitely kicked in. I'm having a really hard time with the room not being ready to paint and decorate. I'm so anxious to start moving furniture in and getting everything ready, but I have to wait until my husband finishes the walls (one wall needs one more skim coat, then everything needs to be primed) and gets our new insulation in the attic (the entrance to the attic is in the nursery closet). I think the hardest part for me is that I can't help. I feel bad nagging my husband, but I'm just so ready! Today, while checking a student's homework, visions of baby stuff popped into my head out of nowhere. It's definitely all I can think about lately.

I've started a post on hand-me-downs. We've gotten some great stuff from very kind people!

Why on earth did I wear those shoes today? I haven't worn them in a long time and now I know why. Lots of blisters. My pregnancy books say my feet should start widening and while I haven't noticed a difference in my shoes, they do feel really fat in the mornings. I just know I'm going to have the worst swelling towards the end.

My husband put up lights on the house on Sunday and we got our tree! It only has lights on it for now, but we'll get the ornaments on it very soon. This is the Christmas I wanted last year (pregnant, know the gender, showing), but I'm so happy it all happened this way.

I just found this photo today. I took it early on in my pregnancy, but before I started taking official weekly photos.

Look at that little pouch! It was all bloat, but I remember feeling like it was really sticking out at the time. This was my first official day at my new job for professional development meetings. Now we're nearing the end of the first semester. Wow how time flies!

Gender Reveal

2011-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Did you hear? It's a BOY! We are so excited. I've been having a hard time working the past couple of days because all I want to do is look at baby boy clothes and toys. Read all about how we told our families here.

There are some things I learned from our little gender reveal weekend that I'd love to share with you all, in case you'd like to do something similar one day.

1. If baking isn't your specialty, leave it to the pros. I had a great experience with Crumbs, but I'm sure other bakeries would accommodate similar requests.

2. Skip the cupcake flags or any other decoration that might accidentally reveal the filling early. Cute it theory, but not practical.

3.Choose dark colored frosting. I wanted chocolate and vanilla cupcakes and frosting so people had a choice, but the white frosting didn't hide the blue filling that well. I'd do all chocolate if I could go back in time.

4. If possible, get both sides of the family together for the reveal. It was fun to be able to do it twice, but it was hard to keep the secret for the side of the family that had to go second (and friends who were dying to know). It would have been so much fun to have both families find out together - the more, the merrier, right?

5. Enjoy yourself! Any time I plan something like this, I have a hard time relaxing and enjoying the moment once it arrives. If you're anything like me, try to take a deep breath and remember what's important - celebrating with family and friends!

Would you ever do a gender reveal party or gathering?

It's a...

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-08:00

If you remember, my husband's 30th birthday was on Thanksgiving this year. We thought we might open our card the night before, but we were so exhausted from going to a friendsgiving dinner, that we decided to wait until the next morning when we would be fresh. All night both of us had multiple dreams about opening the card and for both of us, every time we opened the card in our dreams it was a boy.

Well...

Our dreams came true!! Right after we opened the card (which also had an ultrasound picture of the genitals that I've decided to keep private), I gave my husband his other birthday present.

He's a huge Raider fan and I ordered this onsie thinking it could work for a boy or a girl, but it REALLY works for a boy.

As for our reactions? I didn't cry right away. I think my husband did, but he'd probably deny it. Later, though, when I went to pick up the cupcakes and to Starbucks, I was crying every five minutes. I would see something that made me think of our little boy and cry. It was quite overwhelming.

After picking up the cupcakes, we decided to try some to make sure the filling was the correct color.

They got it right! Crumbs was just great about this whole thing. I definitely recommend them for your custom cupcake needs.

I just know our little boy will grow up to be as handsome and kind as this guy. I can only hope he will be as silly :)

Then, we headed to my parents' house for some cupcakes and champagne, followed by Thanksgiving dinner.

Here's our plate of cupcakes with my little question mark flags. They were super cute, but not super practical. Nobody wants to bite into a cupcake with a toothpick in it, so you have to take it out first, but with the surprise filling, you run the risk of seeing the color on the toothpick before the big bite. It was a nice idea, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I love this picture! They haven't even seen the color yet, but they're so excited!

Can you see my brother doing the fist pump YES! ? He was super excited, as were my mom and stepdad.

After some more cooking and football watching, it was time for dinner. My parents make the BEST turkey ever. The breast is so moist and flavorful, even the next day out of the microwave.

After dinner we played games and had underdone pumpkin pie (that I made - whoops) while watching Christmas movies.

The next day, we headed to my husband's parents' house for our second reveal and third thanksgiving. However, we wanted to wait until my husband's sister, nieces, and friends arrived the next day, so we had to hold in our news. It was so hard and I think my husband slipped once, but he tried to cover it.

Finally, everyone (well, almost) arrived and we got another plate of cupcakes ready.

This time, only a couple of flags in the middle.

From left, Molly (sister-in-law), Ann (mother-in-law), Gwen (niece), Stella (adorable baby), and Caren (our sweet friend). My husband's dad and our other niece Ava are just out of the frame of the picture.

Yay! It was so funny to see if people would bite into the cupcake or rip it in half to see the color.

This will be their first grandson (they have two granddaughters), so they are so excited.

Our friends Paul and Jackie arrived a little late, but we saved cupcakes for them!

Jackie lost a bet on this one!

Then, it was time for dinner. My husband worked hard carving out 12 mini pumpkins for a delicious butternut squash soup that Ann made from squash from her garden.

Adorable and delicious!

I wasn't quite sick of turkey yet, but this meal might have put me over the turkey dinner edge. Delicious!

More games, toddler play time, and lots of talking about our future baby boy and it was time for bed. What a weekend!

The majority of you guessed that it would be a boy in my poll, so as a reward to all of you, even those who guessed wrong, I'm going to have a little giveaway! One lucky winner will receive 12 delicious mini cupcakes from Crumbs! They are not sponsoring this post, I'm paying for them out of my own money because I love you. Leave a comment on this post to enter and be sure you are signed in with your email address or leave it in the comment! Comment by Friday at 11:59pm.

Get ready for lots of nursery inspiration, baby boy clothes, and more fun baby related posts!!

21 weeks

2011-11-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

Big week! We know the sex of the baby! Eeeek!

Another big milestone this week was that I got my first "when are you due?" from a total stranger! It was the cashier at Starbucks and when I told her she was the first stranger to say something, she said the decaf coffee gave it away for her, in addition to my bump. She also has a five month old, so she knows what to look for. I've always thought it would be hilarious to deny it when a stranger asks, but I'm not that mean or quick-thinking. It did make me feel happy all day, though. I would shout it from the rooftops if it wasn't highly inappropriate.

Each week, I think my skin is getting better and then I get another zit. It's definitely not as bad as it was right before I got pregnant, but it's not as good as it was when I was on the pill. I'm a picker, so I have a hard time letting my blemishes heal and they usually stick around a lot longer than they should. Shame on me.

I'm wearing my new favorite outfit in my photos this week. The top and pants are both from Old Navy (the sleeves on the shirt are the same length, one was just pushed up in the photo) and it's so cute and comfy. I can wear it with boots or flats (I chose flats for the photo because I wore boots last week, but it was raining today so I changed into boots after) and I think this top will even be cute post baby.

I had my first pee emergency at work the other day. I forgot to go to the bathroom at lunch, which means I had two hours of teaching until the end of the day. Then, during my last class of the day, I felt like I had to pee, but that I could hold it, until the baby started tap dancing on my bladder. Sometimes I'll be totally fine, just peed 10 minutes ago, and a couple kicks to my bladder will send me straight back to the bathroom. Well, it was so bad this time that I had to send a student to find a teacher who didn't have a class that period to come and watch my students while I went to the bathroom. The kids thought it was hilarious and it totally stressed me out. I can't let that happen again!

Hungry hungry hungry! Always! I'm trying to be good about what I eat, but it's hard. Oreos are yummy. So is In n Out.

I hope you had a very happy Thanksgiving!!

What do YOU think?

2011-11-23T05:00:00.001-08:00

Can you believe we haven't peeked inside our envelope yet? In a short 24 hours, we will know whether our little nugget is a boy or a girl and I CAN'T WAIT!!! I might have to go out and buy something for him or her right away...

Unfortunately, I can't share the sex of the baby online until Monday because my husband's parents won't find out until Saturday. My Friday bump post is going to be tough to write because I will know, but I won't be able to share quite yet.

Care to take a guess, though? Vote in my little poll below and we'll see what the majority has to say!

*Please click through to the blog (if you're reading in google reader or something) to view the poll*

Must Have Thanksgiving Food

2011-11-22T11:17:00.000-08:00

I'm hungry all the time lately, so it's natural that I'm really looking forward to pigging out on Thanksgiving this year. Here are the things I must have on my plate each year:

Brined turkey. Do it. Start like now.

Mashed potatoes made with real potatoes, lots of butter, and heavy cream. Throw in some fresh roasted garlic for good measure. Use this recipe from Martha or this one from my stepdad.

Cranberry sauce made with real cranberries. I like the canned version to spread on sandwiches for leftovers (dude: use hawaiin rolls, mayo, canned cranberry sauce, turkey, lettuce, and stuffing - omg yum - thank you Ann for introducing me to that), but the real stuff is delicious for the actual meal.

Something green. I have this weird thing where I have to have something green on my plate or I feel like I'm not getting a balanced meal. For Thanksgiving, I like green beans or brussels sprouts. I'm making this recipe for a friend's potluck Wednesday night.

Stuffing without any fruit in it. Fruit in savory dishes is not ok with me.

This is the only thing that I think is better not homemade. I have to have my flaky layers biscuits. I offered to bring them this year because I want to make sure we have the right ones (one year my mom got crescents and I was super disappointed).

Pumpkin pie. This has to be my favorite dessert EVER. I'm making it for the first time this year and I really hope I don't have to run to the store for a replacement only to find that they're sold out. Here's the recipe I'm using (with premade dough).

I like gravy and yams, but those are not on my must have list. Actually, gravy is pretty necessary, but I have no clue how to make it, so I leave it to the pros.

What's on your must have Thanksgiving dinner list?