Cutest. Store. Ever.

Pink Olive

We discovered this store's newly opened 2nd store in Park Slope, Brooklyn. I believe their main/first store is in the East Village.

I want it all.

Yet another reason to see the movie JUNO...

..I mean, I already own it and have seen it atleast 10 times.

Yes, Most Fruitful Yuki is a made-up pregnant Japanese comic book hero - but aren't we all?

A must read.

My friend let me borrow this book - I must recommend it (and yet, I am not even finished with it yet). It's so honest and real - like a grown up Juno with baby.

THE END

THE 10 SAFEST STATES FOR KIDS

My mother-in-law gave us a subscription to PARENTS magazine (yes, she did TIME OUT NY KIDS, too...what?!? - we LOVE magazines in this family ^_^).

Anyway, a VERY interesting article on the safest states for children.

The top 10 are as follows:
1. Connecticut
2. Rhode Island
3. New Jersey
4. New York
5. California
6. Maine
7. Pennsylvania
8. Massachusetts
9. Maryland
10. Oregon

(I am biased..but let's hear it for the Northeastern states - Woooooo!).

To read the rest of the article or find out how your state ranks click HERE.
Pssssst.....Virginia (Jason's 'home' state is #18), the dirty South (you know me is #48 - whew, got outta there just in time, eh?).

UPDATE: Third Trimester (32.5 weeks)

It's definitely getting harder to walk - by the end of the day you can be guaranteed a shot of me waddling; however, waddling is bad, so I attempt to remind myself to stand up straight and walk slowly + correctly.

I pee like Sea Biscuit.

Definitely smaller meals - breakfast, snack, decent lunch (the biggest meal of the day), and small snacks from 2:00 pm and no later than 7:30 pm.

Heartburn + indigestion has decreased.

No stretch marks!

Swelling has begun at random times doing random things - there's no consistency; however, I balance it out by drinking plenty of water and, thankfully, never really enjoyed high sodium foods.

Fatigue...let's put it this way - I wake up tired.

No weight gain on my part for the past two weeks;however, the belly continues to thrive - so that's what matters.

The little lady normally sleeps through the night; however, last night she decided to wake me in my slumber from 1:00-3:00 with kicks and jabs. Guess she's catching up after all of the rest she's been getting during her growth spurt this week (she's been relatively quiet but it normally means she's growing..and I've been having stretching pains all week, too).

No particular cravings. Still enjoy lots of fruit, salads, chicken, and fish. Red meat once a week (normally in the form of a burger).

Newborn Care Class

We entered the room about 15 minutes early for our newborn care class which was supposed to last from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm. Let's just say that we left the class at 10:00 (luckily we only live about four blocks away) muttering to ourselves how awful the class was with a lack of organization and curriculum, how can they possibly believe that the time for the class was suitable for women in their third trimesters after a long day of work (let's face it - we all go to bed by btw 8:00-10:00), and damned that woman's VOICE (even after departing I could hear her falsetto tone speaking in the teacher's 'Waaa wa waaa waaa'-esque way from Charlie Brown).

We were better off with a book, a DVD, and our trusty ole Sock Monkey (aka: mock-Olivia) to show us the ins + outs.
Oh well, you win some - you lose some.

I just can't believe that we opted to take these classes in Hoboken because they beat the price from those in NYC. I wonder if there would have been any difference in things we would have potentially learned.
I still can't believe half the people in there were excited about the steak dinner they would receive (besides the discount from the already considerably cheap classes) just for delivering there.

Hopefully their pediatricians are better than than the maternity classes...

Twas a long week, indeed.

As of today we are officially into our 8th month.
And to those who have never been pregnant...what they don't tell you is technically you are pregnant for 10 months (which, yes, is practically a year) and, yes, you do forget what it's like to be non-pregnant (with a life short of suffering, sacrifice - martyrdom is not far from what you'd expect in the end - LOL).

Anyway, as mentioned earlier this week - the baby dropped and my bi-monthly appointment avec le docteur confirmed that little Olivia is NOT breech (that is, she IS head down and NOT sideways, foot first, or butt first - which can lead to complications or concerns for labor. He also confirmed that it is highly unlikely that she would attempt or move back to the upright position.). She hangs out on my left side which would confirm the kicks and foot jabs on the right side....more specifically, the right rib cage. She loves to push on my bladder as if she is doing handstands and sometimes, in the early evenings she likes to pinch my insides so I try to rub it out and can feel what resembles little fingers or toes!! Thankfully, she gives me a break and sleeps through the night but by day she is back to her baby pilates (which is fine by me since you should report loss of movement for longer than 6 hours to the doctor's office).

Otherwise, it is Easter...so HAPPY EASTER!!!
We just dropped Jason's mom off at LaGuardia Airport (and had a WONDERFUL visit) and are winding down after a stressful week for both of us (we both worked overtime all week). We're exhausted, paying some bills, and gearing up/praying for nothing too complicating next week outside of what is already scheduled for both of our jobs.

To all - a wonderful week!

xoxo
la maman

She's 'DROPPED' !!

I went to lunch with some girlfriends today and one of them clarified what I suspected (but didn't want to get excited about in case I was hallucinating) for the past couple of days! Little Olivia has began her descent and has 'dropped' (AKA: lightening, engagement, dropping).

Read below what www.babycenter.com says about it:

WHEN IS MY BABY LIKELY TO DROP?

Expert Answers
Ann Linden, certified nurse-midwife
It's impossible to say precisely when your baby will "drop" or descend into your pelvis, because every pregnancy is unique. If this is your first baby, this process, which is also called lightening, is likely to occur several weeks before labor begins, though it may happen later. For subsequent pregnancies, lightening often doesn't occur before labor starts.

You may find that you feel a little different after your baby has dropped. Some pregnancy complaints may get worse, while others may improve. On the one hand, your baby will be taking up more room in your pelvis, so you'll probably find that you have to urinate even more often than before. You may get an uncomfortable feeling of pressure deep in your pelvis, feel increasing discomfort when you walk, and even begin to waddle a bit.

On the other hand, with less pressure on your stomach, you'll be able to eat a little more without feeling uncomfortably full, and if you've been suffering from heartburn, you may get some relief. You'll probably find that breathing feels easier, too.

While lightening isn't a predictor of when labor will start, it is a sign that your body's getting ready. It's normal to feel lightening up to four weeks before your due date. If you feel an increase in pelvic pressure or the sensation that your baby is "pushing down" before then, call your healthcare provider so she can evaluate you for preterm labor.

Piece of cake.

A stroll + a toll at the Lincoln Tunnel, crosstown skip past Macy's + Empire State on 34th, board the FDR....VOILA!
15 minutes - on a good day.

Time to pack ye olde labor + delivery bag.

So, I have been drinking this tea...

After hearing about it from many a reliable source as well as reading about the positive effects (as well as those uneffected by its magical powers), I have taken up drinking raspberry leaf tea. The tea is known to strengthen the female reproductive system; namely, the uterus for pregnancy + birth (however, can and is often times taken whether pregnant or not). I drink one cup every other day this month, than will increase to 1-2 cups every day for the following month and a half (since supposedly, some midwives actually recommend it to induce labor as well).

Anyway, I was telling my friend about it - as he + his fiancee are also pregnant and he came upon a quote in one of the forums about the tea. I can't stop laughing about it and it just gets funnier when I see it typed out...

"i dont like hot tea but i drink alot of liptons rasberry ice tea. bcaus youcan get it at taco bell and i like taco bell !!! lol"

...and this person is bringing a child into the world and teaching him/her all the knowledge and goodness she has to offer.

The End

WE DID IT!!!

After months of decision-making and browsing for inspiration we have finally completed the nursery (ok, we still need some odds and ends that do not contribute to the general aesthetic and decor; however, the child will not be without colourful stimulation and lots to do and look at it!). It's AMAZING what you can do on a budget!

We are SO excited to have this portion of the baby-making completed + I can't stop walking in and just staring and daydreaming all the while rubbing Miss Thang.

Enjoy!

SORRY! Blogger is acting funky so I was only able to upload one image; however, you can see more by visiting us at
http://flickr.com/photos/melaniesposa!!

For those taking notes...

Today I had my 29th week appointment. Everything is looking good and, as always, got to hear la bebe's heartbeat! Ooooh, and I got approved to begin maternity leave two weeks prior to our due date by my doctor. You see, at my work, we get four months' paid maternity leave + any annual leave accrued/earned during and prior to the pregnancy. If I had not gotten approval from my doctor, my executive office would have made me begin leave a MONTH before the due date which would be deducted from my maternity leave (personally, I think is ridiculous because then I would be waiting around, waiting to hatch, with no baby to actually hold, feed, and take care of....).

My next appointment will be on Good Friday, or 21 March, that is. That will be cool since it is a holiday at work and Karen will be able to meet our doctor since she will be in town.

Another cool thing...I won tickets to the Time Out Family Finance 101 seminar we registered for; however, the city is supposed to get 4 inches of rain and it will be blustery cold so I think Jason and I will be passing on those festivities and replacing it with shopping via l'auto. We are going to pick up the crib mattress and playard and maybe look for some spring-y clothes for the belly. Also on the agenda will be finishing up the little ladies' fabric collage artwork for over her crib. THEN....I can finally be finished with nesting and, as I told my friend earlier this week, can utilize any spare twigs and spit for something a little more artsy. LOL.
Oh, and I got THE BUSINESS OF BEING BORN in our Netflix this week - so am looking forward to watching that while crafting on Sunday after mass.

Tonight...Jason (and myself, if baby/energy allows) will be going out with his coworkers for a farewell to one of his managers. Should be cool - I like those dudes he works with + Olivia loves bar n grill food (when I let her have some!).

We got our birth'a bag in the post yesterday...VERY COOL. See my entry on the winnings below. The creator also threw in some extra goodies and the bag and t-shirt are of AMAZING quality!

Later this month...a visit to Philly for the day to see two of 'Liv's godparents!

That's us in a nutshell.
Oh yea [note to self]...we need to work out all of our routes to the hospital...

Nursery Video

Much to my chagrin, Jason began using the camera on my Mac while I was showing him a couple of updates to a shelf we purchased and installed in Olivia's nursery today.

As you can see, we still have some boxes hidden in the crib whilst we wait to purchase the mattress. Jason's mom is also making us a colourful mobile for the crib and I am working on three fabric collages to place above the crib. Otherwise, the nursery is really coming out beautifully (with the exception of the unprepared - and still sick - la maman wearing Jason's t-shirt after a tiring day at the DMV and completing errands put on hold since I've been bedridden this past week).

Obviously, the video quality is VERY POOR. As I mentioned in my earlier posts, I will post pictures showing colours and fabric patterns better once the room is complete (I am projecting by Easter since that's the next time Jason's mom will be with us).

Enjoy the vid + continue to stay tuned......

UPDATE: Rockabye Baby Lullabies

I visited our local library catalogue online today and they have THE ENTIRE collection of these babies!

Wooooo!

I immediately signed up for the top four that we wanted below and will sign up for the others once I have completed uploading those to 'Liv's iPod (her iTunes is actually on my work computer....).

Hooray for saving money and savvy parents!