24 Weeks and Happy Monica!

I am at 24 weeks and feeling good. I went to the Doctor today, and little Baby Girl Duffy's heart sounds great and mommy is gaining weight! The baby gained about 4 ounces last week, but I don't really think that counts for the frighteningly big number I saw on the scale today at the Doctor's office! I blame the melons on my chest.

Anyway, baby Duffy is almost a foot long, about the size of an ear of corn! I definitely have a belly now, and the kicks are becoming more powerful instead of a flutter like popcorn popping.

I am in general feeling really good. I have a very weird skin irritation on my scalp which has been going on since this whole thing started...I need to get myself to a dermatologist stat! Back to yoga this week as the last few weeks have been busy with traveling and visitors.

Tim and I are almost finished picking out nursery stuff, still going back and forth on a crib. All decisions and orders will be placed by mid-July!

I hope I can keep this good feeling going on for a while!!!

Boston, Marty and two boys

After my business trip to NYC, I decided to take the train up to Boston to visit my good friend from college Marty and her little boys (Cam and Brody). It was such a great weekend hanging with her and the boys and quite a good experience for me on what it takes to be a mom to two kids, including a 3 and 5 year old. Marty is an amazing mom!!!! And it was really a joy to spend time with little people running around and playing...I missed them when they were gone!

Boston is a great city and I forget how much I enjoy visiting there. On Friday, we took the boys on the Duck Tour of Boston - one of those vehicles that go from land to water. We enjoyed a gorgeous day exploring the city with dinner in the North End and a carousel ride before heading back on the ferry. Marty and I had a great Saturday shopping on Newberry Street (yes, I bought more clothes....I have a problem...but all stuff I can wear post baby too). I got to see Sharen Santoski - a friend and coworker who also lives in Boston. And we had a fabo dinner at Marina Bay.

I am cherishing these opportunities to visit friends and family before the little baby comes! But I look forward even more to the opportunity to bring Baby Girl Duffy to visit these awesome people and cities!

BTW, can I say awesome one more time???

Next up, Chicago, Denver, Mexico and St. Louis!!!!

***On a side note, the shot of Marty and I looks a little funky with my dress. It is this super cute, comfy little dress that happens to billow quite a bit on top...I am really not that big yet.

NYC State of Mind

I headed to NYC last week for a work event and I was dreading the trip. First of all, a five hour flight was not something I was looking forward to especially in coach. And running around NYC during the hot, humid weather they were having at almost 6 months pregnant was a bit daunting. But the trip turned out to be awesome, from getting upgraded on my flight from LAX to JFK (never happens) to seeing some great friends who were all in NYC for various reasons. Liz - pictured with me here - is a recent NYC transplant from LA. She is due on September 2 (my bday) and looks amazing! We both opted for the typical black to wear to the media event we were at...My chest looks like there are two mini babies in there!

Anyway, I had a great time in NYC and forget how much I love visiting that city! The vibe is outstanding and even being pregnant, I managed to enjoy every minute of it including a late night dinner at the Breslin and walking around the city in 90 plus weather! I am still feeling pretty good at 24 weeks and cross my fingers this keeps up for the next few months!

Give Pregnant Women Some Love

Ok, let me start by saying that I was raised with manners. Especially when flying. There are certain rules of thumb when flying - one of them is you let the people sitting in front of you get off before you! Unless they are sitting down and clearly waiting for everyone to get off! This is something most people know and abide by.

But today, on my flight from LAX to JFK, there was no such activity! I was sitting in Business - my upgrade came through which was fantastic for this long flight - and when we were all standing to get off the plane, I go to get my suitcase out of the bin. But it is stuck. The nice women next to me, who knew I was pregnant - was trying to help me get it out. The flight attendants were no where to be found. I am clearly struggling to get it down and people behind me start pushing me aside so they can get off the plane. Literally, they are barreling into me as I struggle with my bag. Even a man at over 6 feet who could have easily helped me, pushes me aside to get off. Then a lady asked me to move the bag out of the way, and I lose it. I turn around and say something to the affect of "I am pregnant, and I am trying to get my bag down, maybe you could offer to help." Her and the other two ladies pushing me were stunned. I was stunned that there was such rude people on this plane that a. could not wait one second for me to get my bag down and b. could not offer to help!

Who are these people and who raised them???? I was so inflamed! Blame my pregnancy hormones and my upbringing for being so in awe of rude people. Especially towards a pregnant lady. And the flight attendants could have at least tried to help given the damn bag was stuck. But nothing.

Please people, be nice and help a pregnant lady out in that kind of situation.

Next time, I will sit and wait for people to go by so I don't get pushed out of the way!

Rude!!!

Pregnant Ladies

Last week, Tim and I had dinner with Julie and Mark in Manhattan Beach. Always a fun time getting together with them.

Julie is due July 10th, and she looks fantastic. My belly is kind of cut off in the pix, but it is there!

23 Weeks and we are busy!

So, I am 23 weeks this week!!!! I am enjoying each week as a new milestone toward having this baby! As mentioned in previous blog posts, I have been keeping myself pretty busy during the week so I every week it is almost a surprise to find I am another week along in this pregnancy! Just 17 or so weeks to go. I can do this!

Baby Duffy is around 11 inches long and weighing in at over a pound (about the weight of a large mango)! I can tell she is getting bigger- she is moving and kicking quite a bit....dancing around in my belly like a little future star of "So You Think You Can Dance". In general, I am still feeling good, but have had some interesting developments over the past week!

One: I had to have an emergency root canal which was not fun! I was worried about the baby and the stress of the procedure, but it was relatively quick and I was numbed twice so I could not feel much. I would say it was over in about 30 minutes. I went in to my dentist because I had been in severe pain for about 4 days - I thought it was just pregnancy gum issues but it turned out to be a tooth that was in dire need of a root canal! Super Fun! I made it through and my Dtr. prescribed some Vicodin for the pain (which you can take while pregnant apparently.). I only took one and have managed to work with Extra Strength Tylenol to ease the discomfort. I have one more appointment though to close it up....even more fun! Either way, I will tell you this, the pain I was feeling before I had the procedure made me double over....I am assuming this was a trial run for birth just with my teeth instead.

Two: I had my first real Braxton Hicks contraction the other night. I say this is my first real one because it was the first one I really felt and I knew it was something different. I woke up around 5 AM to a tightness in my abdomen, running into my back. I was very uncomfortable, so much so that I was having trouble breathing. I would say there were about two of them within a five minute period, and then it stopped. But it was not fun...all is fine since then, but I am a little nervous if it happens again! Anyone else out there experience these during pregnancy???

I can go to a bar!

This past weekend I headed to Chicago for my sister-in-law to be's wedding shower and some personal things I had to do there. I spent a lot of time catching up with some friends there - so great to see everyone - which of course involved a few bars! I am happy to report that I successfully spent time at a few bars - Lindsay's Landing in Wauconda and Six Degrees in Bucktown - without drinking alcohol!

I have started drinking non-alcoholic beers but really cannot drink more than 2 given the after taste. My other new favorite mocktail that is great for summer is lemonade and club soda! Other than that, I drink water. On Saturday, I managed to stay at Six Degrees for 5 hours without one drop of alcohol. I was very proud of myself!

I know, I may sound crazy saying this, but before I was pregnant, going to a bar without having a drink just would never have worked for me. I mean honestly, what is the point??? But I can now do it and enjoy the experience! I feel very grown-up!!!

And I don't have to miss out on seeing some great people and great times just because I am not drinking!!!

Just 18 more weeks until I can really enjoy a drink!!!

Teeth Pain

I found out today I am having some major gum issues due to this pregnancy. I have Invisalign - thankfully I am just about done -but the trays seem to have helped create irritation around one of my teeth, which is causing some gum problems which in turn is causing major pain in the top and bottom part of my right teeth. I was given some mouthwash and told to massage toothpaste into my gums...I hope this works!

Good news is, I don't have to wear my trays during the day any more...WooHoo, I will take that!

Some people

Well, most of you may have read this on my Facebook page a while ago, but I recently had a neighbor make a pretty silly remark about me and my size. (Let me preface this by saying the guy is an idiot normally, so this should not have surprised me, but still). I tend to think most people are nice and good, but this guy just proved me wrong.

As I was walking Coco on the beach, my neighbor pops his head over his balcony and asks if I have changed my workout regimen? I was confused and asked him what he said. He repeated his question, throwing in that he had not seen me in a while. I immediately knew what he was referring to...I said, "I am pregnant". He goes, "I figured that or you had gotten lazy since getting married". I was floored! Who says this to a neighbor, friend, family member, anyone? What if I had not been pregnant? Just rude and obnoxious! Some times I wish had the guts to say something back to him!!!

Anyway, people are really ignorant sometimes! Who raises these people? Do they not have a filter???

And BTW, I was feeling pretty good that I was not gaining too much weight. I blame the boobs!

The voodoo doll is for him!

22 Weeks - Feeling Good!

All of the women and websites that told me I would feel good in my second trimester were right on! The past 4 weeks or so I have felt pretty much back to normal. I have energy, and I am happy and excited to be social and I am able to stay up until 11 PM. I still struggle sleeping at night due to my overactive mind thinking about this baby and what is coming. They are all good thoughts, they just like to come as I lay my head on the pillow!

The baby is weighing in at about a pound now (crazy) and is 11 inches - as long as a spaghetti squash. I still think I am not looking that big but I have a bump for sure and the little girl is kicking away. The kicks are fun when I can see my belly move.

Life has been busy with travel, work and social life and I would not have it any other way. Although today, I am pretty beat after going all weekend in Chicago. Rest is a must today!

Back to activity tomorrow!

Belly at 22 Weeks

This was taken this past Saturday, so I was about 21.6 days....I was at a wine festival in the Chicago suburbs....kind of funny, a pregnant lady at a wine festival! =)

Registering - can you hire someone for that?

That was the question Tim and I asked the lady at Right Start yesterday as we sat there looking like a deer in headlights wondering where to start with baby gear! Hello, of course you can....I wish we would have thought if that before we got started with all of this research!

But, thanks to the several friends and family out there who have helped, BabyCenter's October Club postings, the helpful sales woman at Right Start and the online guide at Babies R Us, I think we have a really good start! We have the basics listed at Babies R Us, and we are going to register for strollers and such at Right Start! We feel pretty good about where we are at and hope that yesterday's outing was the only one we have to do!

But boy, I would love to know what a baby consultant costs for the next time=)

Nursery Sparkler!!!

I am so excited - I have been struggling to come up with a concept for the nursery - see, I am not the most creatively inclined individual and interior design is really not my thing! Tim has a better eye then I do and I have usually hired my good friend Jen Hankee to help me with pulling together places (we are also in the process of redoing our condo's living room). But I have been spending a lot of time thinking and researching ideas, color schemes, sheet sets and more!

The good news, Tim and I are pretty set on keeping it a modern theme with a simple design - no real frilly decor, big paintings on the wall or fru fru stuff. That is not really us and we want the room to grow with the baby (or at least be a nice backdrop for the baby). So far, we have found a crib and changing table/dresser we both like and we are pretty in synch on a color theme. I have decided to take some vintage black and white photos from both of our families and frame them for a heritage wall! And we are on the hunt for a comfortable, sleek looking Glider (I just found out what a glider is btw - it is new version of the rocking chair). Honestly, I have found most of them to be rather unattractive, but I have my eye on a few of them out there.

Yesterday, we had a revelation occur in the nursery space! I am beyond excited about my find! About 3 years ago, I bought this beautiful chandelier that I had hoped to find a reason to use some day. For the last 3 years, it has sat in a box in my closet. This light just screamed my name - two tiers of sparkly crystals, shining light every where you look. I bought it at Buttercup in Culver City and I just loved it! And yesterday, we found the perfect place to put it - our nursery! I have been reading that babies like the light that shines from a chandelier and a lot of parents use them for that reason! This fixture is almost a mini-chandelier, not too big and perfect for the corner so the baby can see it but it does not take up too much space (we do not have high ceilings). This is going to be a great piece for the room and just enough sparkle and glitz without being too much to make it a nursery worthy for a pretty little girl but still keep its modern look and feel!

And the decorating begins!

Belly Shot - 20 Weeks - 5 Days

Here are a few shots taken late last week...it was pretty windy! More to come!

21 Weeks...Now we are getting somewhere!

Wow, the past week has flown by! I am feeling positive that this second half of my pregnancy is going to move pretty steadily going forward! This is probably the happiest I have been in my whole pregnancy, I feel like my old self again, energetic, happy, not sick! I still have my moments, but in general I can see why people say this is the best time during a pregnancy!

I am 21 weeks today, and the next few months are pretty full of travel and activity, so I think it is going to be a fun summer!

Baby girl Duffy is kicking away often! She is weighing in at 3/4 of a pound and should be around 10.5 inches long, about the length of a carrot! My sleep has been up and down....I have been struggling to fall asleep at night, my mind wandering, Coco unable to settle and Tim snoring away! It is hard to sleep when you are constantly thinking about this little one growing in your belly and all that is to come in the near future!

I am really excited!

Can you say sparkles, sequence and lots of fun clothes!

So, if you did not know already, Tim and I found out on Tuesday that we are having a GIRL! We are both very excited, although I think Tim is trying to figure out ways to keep the child in the house until she is 18 for fear of the teenage boys in her future! Oh, so much excitement ahead!

While I would have been happy boy or girl, I had a very strong instinct that it was a girl. This may sound cheesy to some people, but I think I could feel the feminine energy from the baby...call it mother's intuition. So we got the confirmation and now we are on hyperdrive to get plans in place for the nursery and registry. So much to do and I am not the most creatively inclined person when it comes to doing home design. And Tim and I have different views on certain things. While we agree the nursery will be modern, he likes things very simple - neutral walls and color accents....I would love to give a little color to the walls! We will see who comes out on top with this discussion.

One thing we seem to really agree on is the name. I am afraid to commit to the name as it seems too easy that we picked something we both like and seems to really work for this little girl....I will give it a little more time!

I broke down today and bought some clothes for her. If you are aware of Hautelook - it is one of those online sale sites where you have to become a member and then you get invited to great sales on contemporary designers. The sale today had one of my favorite lines - Joie - for me. I have learned I think the days of ordering clothes for myself are over until after the pregnancy as nothing seems to fit right unless I try it on. But another sale going on was Baby Nay, a local Cali designer who has the cutest stuff for girls. I bought the baby some clothes that won't even work until next year....but they were dirt cheap and super cute!!!

So, we are off and running....

20 Weeks and Gender Identification

Today is the day we find out what we are having. I can barely write anything as I am just too excited for the appointment today! Finding out the gender is definitely exciting of course, but I am also excited to just get this 20 week ultrasound. It will be nice to see how the baby has grown and if everything is going well. I am slightly nervous and excited at the same time.

I have hit the halfway mark - 20 weeks pregnant. Super exciting. All of a sudden, I feel a calm come over me as if I have made it over the hump and the rest of the ride is downhill from here. Now, I am not that uninformed to know that there is a lot more of this ride that will be rough - getting bigger, swollen, uncomfortable, basically just wanting it all over. But for me - a person who is driven by results - being on the other side of the halfway mark is very comforting for me, it calms me down and brings me to a place of relaxation and ease. We will see how long this lasts.

I have felt the baby moving every day since it first started last week. The popping keeps going on to the point of being ticklish. Very funny in a lot of ways.

Baby Duffy is weighing in at 10.5 ounces and 6.5 inches from head to rump, but about 10 inches from head to foot (the length of a banana). And my belly is growing every day - still not that "LOOK AT THAT PREGNANT LADY" belly, but definitely, "Geez, what is going on in her stomach" belly. I will post some pix this week!

And I will post the news on the sex later today!