Baby Shower in Seattle

JT and I went to the Westside the weekend of June 9th for a baby shower hosted by my friend Sarah. We headed over Friday so Saturday before the shower we could go to my favorite restaurant in my old neighborhood, check out a friend's consignment shop for more baby goods, make plans for date night out on the town and simply spend time together while it's just the two of us.

We hadn't been back together since the day we left in late Dec. 2008, with our car packed to the brim as we started our California adventure!

Seattle skyline from Kerry Park

Sailing class at Shilshoe Bay Marina. It looked terrifying. I won't be trying it soon...I have a big enough issue about large ocean animals, like whales that eat seals, as it is. 

The absolute best dish at El Camino in Fremont: quesadillas de camarones. El Camino...try it, love it. 

Coming in at a close second: plantain chips, guac & salsa

BT and me at Kerry Park

The theme for the shower was "Ready to Pop!" It was held in the EMP suite at the Alexis Hotel downtown. Sarah's bro works there and kindly gave her the hookup! JT and I even got to stay in the room that night -- it was pretty suite!

Sarah made all sorts of pop-themed treats:

 Fruit POPs

Cake POPs

Blow POPs and Ring POPs

And the ladies and I had a fun time snacking, chatting and finally seeing each other after a long, long time apart!

Noshin' time

The grandmas and me: Mom, me and Karen

College roommate and buddy Tara

The girls...Back: Sarah, Tara, Karen, Danielle, Season, Linsley. Front: me, mom. Popout: Marianne, Sarah's mom (she was playing photog)

Gtown, represent! Season, me and Linsley

Thanks, ladies, for a great day celebrating BT! I've been busy washing, hanging and putting away all of BT's new goods and can't wait to use my pedicure gift certificate!

Awww, look at my handsome husband! (And no, I'm not just saying that to distract you from my "storing up for winter" cheeks.) I'm feeling all lovey-dovey lately (hormone rush much?), and as such this pic made me feel like I'd like to take a moment to say how much I appreciate Justin. He's a hard worker, a provider, a believer, a builder, a lover, a comforter, a comedian, a protector, an encourager, one of the 100s in our strived-for 100-100 marriage (see the 3rd letter in this Pioneer Woman post for details), a mental sanity checker, a friend, a partner, a supporter, a listener, an adviser and much more. The guy even cleans the shower now that I can't bend over to reach the bottom of the tub! 

These are shots from the suite window...a beautiful night in Seattle!

Before we headed back Sunday to Spokane, we went to breakfast with our friends the Goulds and Justin's parents.

Then we spent 3 hours at Ikea. Yea. While there we got in a fight (who doesn't at Ikea -- they even made a 30 Rock episode about it), made up, found the perfect wardrobe for BT, found things we didn't really need but wanted anyway, identified our dream living room, discovered the warehouse didn't have the wardrobe doors we wanted, settled on different doors and then spent about 30 minutes rearranging the contents of our car to fit the wardrobe pieces. Thank goodness for blue Ikea rope and a back window on the car that opens so we could stick the box out the rear.

Whew! It was a jam-packed weekend, but we made it out of Ikea alive and back home in one piece, fueling up on Pita Pit in Ellensburg on the way.

Sweet Baby James

Justin took advantage of the time baby James was in town to test out his wiggly baby photography skillz. 

The following were snapped while Justin and dad entertained James between the time the babysitter left and when BT's baby shower ended. 

Not only did JT do a nice job getting James' attention for the camera, he captured a few of James' classic faces and a couple shots of James as he got the hang of crawling. 

"Oh! Hey there, Cousuncle Justin. What am I doing? I'm just sitting here, playing with my books and toys. What is that you have in your hand?"

"Well if you won't tell me, I'll just come over there. You see, I can crawl now. There's no stopping me!" 

"Humm...the contraption you're holding up to your face...it makes a fun 'click' sound."

"See how cute I am? May I see it?"



"Please?"

"Only when I'm bigger? Ok...so tomorrow is probably ok then, right? Yes! I can't wait for tomorrow!" 
(I think like to think this means James is super excited.)



"For now, I'll just read my book. But don't think I'll forget about tomorrow!"


-----------


And here are the two together:

Too cute!!

Week 33

How far along? 33 Weeks, 3 days.
Total weight gain: Last week I was up 25 lbs. I do not wish to nor will I weigh myself at home just to find out for this. I'll leave that blow for the Dr.'s office. 
Maternity clothes? Yep.
Stretch marks? Haven't seen one yet!
Sleep: I thought I was getting up a lot last week to use the bathroom...this week I'm up even more now. We're rolling (no pun intended) through the TP like crazy!
Best moment this week: Celebrating BT in Seattle at a shower with family and friends. (More on that later.) Justin and I also enjoyed a date day/night in Seattle before and after the shower. We went to El Camino in Fremont for the quesadilla de camarones (freaking amazing) and the plantains & guac, went to Shilshoe Bay to take pictures, drove by my old apartment in Fremont, pointed out old haunts and said "remember when...,"drove around Queen Anne, stopped at Kerry Park, walked along the pier, went to dinner at The Fisherman (The Crab Pot was our intention, but it was already 9 p.m., we weren't hungry enough for The Alaskan seafeast for two and the and the wait was suuuppper long), ate ice cream and just enjoyed spending time as just the two of us in the city where we spend our first few years in love.  
Miss Anything? My hips not aching in the morning. A full cup of coffee. A caffinated latte later in the day if I feel like it. Being able to walk through Ikea for hours without my feet running out of room in my shoes.
Movement: BT gets the hiccups more regularly now. Poor little thing. I hate getting the hiccups myself and can just imagine the little babe practically convulsing with each hiccup, not understanding what's going on. I can feel BT's hiccups on the inside and the outside when BT really gets going (which is cute, but I still feel bad for it). 
Food cravings: No, although I wrote about local (Bay Area)  halibut and white seabass for the newsletter that went out Wednesday. That night we had homemade fish tacos (so good!). One can only write about a topic for so long before one needs to eat said topic!
Anything making you queasy or sick: no, but suddenly our water has a weird taste...? I'm also really enjoying the chocolate frozen yogurt I picked up at the store.
Gender: Still going to be a surprise. Even the Old Wives' Tale test ended in a tie. 
Labor Signs: None (at least I don't think so).
Symptoms: People sure like to smile at pregnant people! I know I do it too; it's just strange being on the receiving end :) Does it continue once the kid is born or is it then that people become annoyed that there is a wee babe nearby? Also, BT keeps me quite toasty at night. I might be slightly chilly or at least comfortable, temperature-wise, most of the day, but once I lay down in bed I get super hot. Sometimes a sheet is even too much. This makes for an interesting night as Justin is usually the one that's overheated, not me...it doesn't help that I pile all the extra blankets on him during the night. 
Belly Button in or out? Still an in/out.
Wedding rings on or off? On. Though I don't put it on every day right now...I don't usually leave the house. Not that I have to leave the house to put on my rings, but I rarely even get out of my sweatpants...so...
Happy or Moody most of the time: Both, I suppose, though I don't have much to complain about and would like to think I'm happy most of the time.
Looking forward to: Justin being home this weekend! We're also going to pick up things on my "must have before BT comes" list. 

Baby Shower in Grandview

I can't believe it's been two weeks since Maggie, James and Aunt Kathy arrived for baby shower weekend...will the next few fly by at the same rate? AH!

I miss this sweet face - James is such a happy little guy! Also, no, that isn't a real spider. It's a rubber toy that James enjoyed throwing around and chasing...he really got good at crawling during his trip to WA!

The shower for BT was wonderful and filled with friends and family -- many I hadn't seen since moving back to Washington! 

I loved all the decorations, details, games and food. I even saved some of the decor to put in BT's room and baby book (I should get one of those, now that I think of it). 

 Delicious salads and desserts!

 I'm going to hang some of the tissue balls in BT's room!

Aunt Barbara's diaper wreath loaded with lots of goodies for BT.

 I LOVED the little owls everywhere! Some were standing, some were on the wall, others were hanging down -- every little detail was so cute!

BT loaded up on all sorts of goodies, from Bumbo seats and books to car seats, nail clippers and everything in between! 

A special thanks goes out to Aunt Barbara, Aunt Kathy and Maggie for hosting and putting the shower together, as well as Brianna, Carrie, Francie and all the little girls who helped with decorations, food and making sure everything came together for the celebration!

BT, who communicates through rolls and punches, sort of like the Morse code, told me it had a great time and can't wait to use all the fun toys, take baths, dry off, be read to and stay safe with all the goodies :) 

Nanny and me. She makes 92 look good! The arrival of BT will soon make this a four-generation photo.

That's an Old Wives' Tale!

Boy or girl? That is the question.

Maggie sent me a list of old wives' tales, which are said to indicate the gender of a baking babe...she did note, however, that the girl who did this originally showed results for a boy and she had a girl.

Either way, let's play for a verdict!

Old Wives' Tale Test #1: If you prefer sleeping on your right side, it’s a girl. If you prefer the left, you’re having a boy. This is a tough one...I've been mostly a lefty sleeper since JT and I wed, as he prefers the right side of the bed and I prefer facing out. However, whenever I flip to my right side I feel more comfortable than I do on the left...right side sleeping is short-lived though...so...inconclusive. 

Old Wives' Tale Test #2: Extreme nausea means you are having a girl. No nausea. Boy. 

Old Wives' Tale Test #3: If your hands are dry during pregnancy, expect a boy. If they are soft, you’re having a girl. Super dry. No lotion can keep the cracks from appearing on the backs of my hands. Boy.

Old Wives' Tale #4: If you’re craving citrus while pregnant, you’re having a girl. I like lemony things, but I do not crave citrus. Don't think I ever have...it has to do a bit with how difficult it is to access the fruit and that I don't care for any pith to be left on the segments. I'll take a banana over an orange any day. Boy. 

Old Wives' Tale #5: If altering hormones make your skin break out, expect a girl. Occasionally, yes. Girl. 

Old Wives' Tale #6: If you feel as if you’re gliding through the day, it’s a girl. Feel like you’re stumbling around and clumsy? It’s a boy. Broken glass count: 2. Fall count: 1. Near fall count: too many to count. Dropping things I believed I had a good grip on: at least twice daily. Boy. 

Old Wives' Tale #7: If your face gets fuller it means you’re having a girl. I think it is fuller. Anyone else thinking of Jeff Fuller right now? Girl.

Old Wives' Tale #8: Craving salt during pregnancy means a boy is on the way. Needing a little something sweet means it’s a girl. Do pickles count as salty? Cheese? Crackers? If we're taking "crave" literally, I haven't really craved anything. I don't always go for something sweet, nor do I always go for something salty or savory. So...inconclusive. 

Old Wives' Tale #9: If you’re experiencing pregnant mood swings, expect a girl to arrive soon. How moody does one have to be for it to be considered a swing? I've had days where TV commercials, amongst other things, make me weepy. I've had days where TV commercials, amongst other things, make me upset. My educated guess is Justin would say I'm moody, but not overly so. I can confidently say I'm definitely not in one type of mood all day long. This question is making my mood swing towards irritated, though ;) I can tell you that much. We'll go with moody. Girl. 

Old Wives' Tale #10: If you’re carrying the baby low it’s a boy. If your bump is high, it’s a girl. There isn't a lot of room here for anyone to tell if it's high or low. I mean, my ribs practically rub my hip bones as it is...no one has said, "you're carrying high," or "you're carrying low." Most people look at me and say, "it's hard to tell!" so...inconclusive.

Old Wives' Tale #11: If you’re carrying baby in front, it’s a boy. If the baby weight is spaced all around your middle, it’s a girl. Probably more front than middle or back, though I've tried to avoid looking at other areas or my rear reflection as much as possible...and I believe people are just being nice when they say, "you're all belly!" because I know my arms are beginning to look like ham-hocks. Now, I'd classify arms to be more of a front entity than a back, so...front (?). Boy.

Old Wives' Tale #12: Swing a pendulum around your middle. If it swings back and forth it’s a boy, if it circles it’s a girl. We did this around month 4-5 and at first the ring did nothing. Then it sort of went in a circle, then a line. The more we did it, the more circular it looked, though anyone in the room would say it did both. From my perspective, it did more of a circular jaunt around my middle. Girl. 

Old Wives' Tale #13: If someone asks to see your hands and you display them palm up, it’s a girl. If you show them palms down, it’s a boy. I'd probably do palm up. Girl. Unless they asked to see the nails on my hands, but that's very specific. We'll stick with girl. 

Old Wives' Tale #14: If a toddler boy shows interest in your belly, you’re having a girl. If he ignores you, it’s a boy. Can't say I've been around any toddler boys. James is too little to be a toddler, but he still showed no interest in the belly area. A little girl I was around a few weeks ago is past the toddler age, though she did have a hesitant pat or two of my belly once she saw a few others doing the same. We're going with inconclusive here. 

Old Wives' Tale #15: Eat garlic. If the scent seeps out of your pores it’s a boy. If you keep smelling sweet, it’s a girl. No one has ever said to me, with a scrunched look on their face, "Good golly, woman, it smells like you went to Olive Garden last night!" So...I suppose I keep smelling sweet (?). Girl. 

Old Wives' Tale #16: If you pick up a key by the round end your baby is a girl. If you pick it up by the long end expect a boy. I pick up mine by the key chain. Inconclusive . 

Old Wives' Tale #17: If your age and year of conception are both even or odd, it’s a girl. If one is odd and the other is even you’re having a boy. Age: 29. Year: 1982. Boy. 

Old Wives' Tale #18: If your baby’s heart beats more than 150 times per minute, it’s a girl. Less than 150 you’ll have a boy. At the last appointment, BT's heart rate was a healthy 140. Boy. 

Old Wives' Tale #19: A child tends to be the same sex as the parent who was less stressed at the time of conception. Uhhh... it's hard to say because it's...well...unknown. But ... Girl. 

Old Wives' Tale #20: If you dream about having a girl while pregnant you will end up with a boy, and vice versa. I've dreamt of babies, but they've all been quite conspicuous about their gender. I do not remember a dream about a baby being a boy or a girl so...inconclusive.  

Final Score:

Old Wives Votes for Boy: 7

Old Wives Votes for Girl: 7

Votes for inconclusive: 6

Final conclusion: Well...that's interesting. I went through them all again and got the same answers. I even spent a lot of time reconsidering answers to those I answered as inconclusive. 

What do you think?

Week 32

We had our 32 week appointment this morning. BT's heart rate is a healthy 140 and my blood pressure is still in a good range. After we went through my list of questions about this, that and the other, Dr. felt around to see if BT was possibly still breech or transverse. Dr. says it seems the kiddo may still be breech -- if it feels the same in a few weeks we may do another ultrasound to confirm. 

Everyone! Start sending BT messages to flip around!

After today we start in on appointments every two weeks until week 36 when I start going once a week. 

To me, August 1 sounds like a long time from now. Saying less than eight weeks sounds like even less time, but when you say 54 days it sounds like no time at all! The Today Show does an Olympics countdown every morning...as of today, Olympics Day #1 is 49 days away...July 27. I swear it was just last week they said the Olympics start in 100 days. 

We already have one vote in for July 27th being BT's arrival date...anyone else have a guess? Also, at the shower last weekend (details to come) the vote for BT being a girl won over the votes for a boy by one. Three were undecided. What do you think??

We're making progress on the nursery. The glider finally arrived and Justin and I put up some wall sticker decor last night. We hope to get a wardrobe this weekend and then I can start putting things away...I can't wait to have the room all put together!

Glider!

BT and me in the glider. BT either doesn't like rocking or loves it...I've rocked back and forth a few times and when I stop BT starts moving like crazy. It's either seasick or wants me to glide more...only time will tell!

Justin applying the final bird to the wall art...he called it the "fly away bird." I had the hymn I'll Fly Away in my head for more than an hour after we finished this project!

And now it's in my head again. I hope it's in yours too ;)

I saw the following list of Q&A on another pregnant lady's blog and decided to copy it...

How far along? 32 Weeks, 2 days

Total weight gain: Up 25 lbs. (give or take a few)
Maternity clothes? Definitely...my usual t-shirts probably only have a week's worth of wear room left too
Stretch marks? Haven't seen one yet!
Sleep: I get sleep, but the business of getting up and out of bed 2-3 times a night isn't as easy as it used to be. Neither is rolling over. I'm very thankful for my body pillow, which Justin fondly refers to as "the nest." If I lay in bed any longer than eight hours, my hips begin to ache...no fun.
Best moment this week: Celebrating BT at a shower in Grandview with family and friends! Also putting up nursery decor with the help of JT who is just as excited as I am to get the room done :)

Miss Anything? My pre-preg arms (I feel like they're entering ham-hock territory this week) and beer. 
Movement: Obviously, babies grow while in utero, but I love how I can tell the difference from week to week. The jabs have morphed into rolls and pushes, through there is still the occasional big kick that makes my tummy stretch out. BT is a mover and has a somewhat predictable schedule :) 
Food cravings: Nothing really...I haven't had much of a craving at any point, though I do prefer salty or savory over sweet. That doesn't mean I don't eat the sweets if they're an option!
Anything making you queasy or sick: nope
Gender: TBD!
Labor Signs: I've had a few Braxton-Hicks contractions over the past week accompanied by a bit of lower back pain...the Dr. says the two combined are normal as long as there isn't any real pain involved. Other than that, no signs.
Symptoms: I reach for the Tums about 4:30 every day; I need more than one if I had a pickle or banana peppers on a sandwich for lunch (when will I learn to leave the pickles in the fridge?!??!?!). I'm also finding myself more short of breath now that BT has moved into the lungs' zone.
Belly Button in or out? In, but my pre-existing hernia-type protrusion right next to my belly button is out so it looks like I have an outie.
Wedding rings on or off? On.
Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy & moody...I'm also getting anxious!
Looking forward to: The shower in Seattle this weekend with more family and friends. I'm also looking forward to getting the nursery set up, clothes washed and, of course, BT's due date!


On a final note, BT would like to ask for prayers for its friend baby Judah. Baby Judah arrived a few weeks early -- he's doing ok, but is still in the NICU to monitor his breathing. Mom and dad, Amanda and Matt, are home now but are spending lots of time in the NICU with Judah. Prayers for mom and dad, mom's recovery and baby Judah are very much appreciated!

31 weeks!

Eeeee 9 weeks and counting...until BT's due date, anyway. We'll see if baby decides to come right on time (like BT's cousin James), a few weeks early or a few weeks late.

Today marks exactly 2 months until August 1 :) I have a baby shower in Grandview this weekend and another next weekend in Seattle -- June will be here and gone before we know it! YEA!