Monthly Archives: July 2012

36 Weeks:Getting Ready for D-Day

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This pregnancy is coming to an end, I can physically feel it. Walking and getting around is becoming more challenging. I also feel like the baby may have dropped a little bit. I feel movement near my ribs as well as in my pelvic (hip) area. I have about a week until the baby’s considered full-term and 4 more weeks until my due date.

When I started reading all the baby books, they told me to make a list of things I wanted to get done before the baby came. The only thing at the top of my list was to finish start our wedding album. I knew that if it didn’t get done before Baby C arrived, that it would probably never happen. We would be much too busy being those crazy paparazzi parents, taking pictures of our child’s every living moment. In true procrastination fashion, I finished it this weekend :-) Nothing like waiting until the last minute. I used MyPublisher to put the album together and I can’t wait to see the finished product.

Another big thing that we’ve done recently was installing the carseat and bases. We returned one of our 3 pack n plays and exchanged it for an extra base for LC’s car. If everything goes as planned, we will be taking my car to the hospital so the carseat’s in there now, ready go.

Something I’ve been putting together slowly but surely is my hospital bag. I really have no idea on what to bring with me. I know that at some point I will want to wear my own clothes. Right now I have the basics:

  • 2 night gowns
  • 2 nursing tanks & bras
  • a pair of undies (I plan on wearing the hospital ones while I’m there)
  • Camcorder w/extra batteries/Camera laptop
  • Bringing baby home outfit for the babes as well as some onsies and a swaddler
  • Lanolin and nursing pads
  • snacks
  • shower shoes
  • basic toiletries/makeup
  • comfy shorts
  • a light zip up sweater. I go & forth on whether or not I really need this b/c I get to control the temperature in my room

Moms out there…Anything else you can suggest that I might be missing?

This week Baby’s 36 weeks and is as big as a crenshaw melon. Baby weighs about 6 pounds (I feel like it’s more) and is about 18.5 inches long. Baby’s busy putting on weight (about an ounce a day!) Baby C will officially be full-term this Thursday, the day my doctor returns from vacation!

For the past two weeks, I’ve had some pretty uncomfortable contractions. Nothing regular or too serious, so my doctor wasn’t concerned at all. At my last appointment this past Friday, she was pretty confident that I’d still be pregnant by the time she got back from vacation. Fingers crossed. She also suggested that I have a birth plan. Not so much on how I want my birth to go, but more so preferences that I have while in L&D. Some things to note: asking me to rate my pain on a scale from 1-10 (she suggested I do without this; contractions hurt. period.), when we want the cord to be cut, if it’s a boy whether or not he will be circumcised, whether or not we want to wait for the eye ointment until after we’ve had time to bond with the baby etc.

Other than the uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions and the interrupted sleep at night, I’m feeling pretty good. We got our glider this weekend, so baby’s nursery is almost done! I’m just finishing up some last minute DIY projects :-) Onto week 37!! We’re ready for you Baby :-)

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a chance to win a free Bar Method DVD! Giveaway ends Thursday August 2nd at 11:59pm CST. Good luck!

Take me to the Bar {A Giveaway!}

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I was first introduced to Bar Method by a co-worker of mine in Chicago.  I was looking for ways to change up my workout routine and get toned up for my wedding.  As tough as the first class was (even with 2 & 3 lb weights), I soon became addicted to this workout.  I quickly dropped my monthly gym membership and traded it in for a monthly Bar Method membership.  When I wanted a little bit of cardio, I either ran outside or hopped on the elliptical in our apartment gym.

After a few short weeks of going to class about 4 times a week, I began to notice changes in my body that no other workout has ever been able to give me.  My jeans fit better and my arms were quickly toning up.  In four months of going to class consistently, I dropped 10 pounds and lost a little over 6 inches from my body.  The biggest change came in my legs where I lost 2.25 inches from thighs.

Besides losing weight and inches, going to Bar Method also helped with the patella femoral syndrome that I had suffered from in my left knee.  All the core work and thigh work helped strengthen the muscles in my legs and hips and soon I was able to run pain free.

When I found out I was pregnant in December, I was determined to keep up with it as much as I could.  But after my first class of fighting through morning sickness, I decided to take a break from classes until I was feeling better and stick to the prenatal DVD at home.

The DVD did a great job of modifying the class.  Everything’s pretty much the same except they take out pushups {which I’ve continued to do up until the third trimester}, the abs portion involves propping yourself up with pillows, and the last bit of seat workout is done either standing or kneeling instead of lying down on your back.  Doing the pregnancy DVD on a regular basis has definitely helped with the lower back pain that I started to feel later on in pregnancy.  After a week of doing the workout just 3 times, my lower back & hip pain was completely gone and I started sleeping better (until the bathroom thing became an issue).  It’s also helped keep my arms and legs toned as my middle section continues to grow :-) And I’m hoping that all the core work will help with a quickly and easy delivery.  Not only has this workout helped me stay in shape through my pregnancy, but holding static movements and “staying in it” has helped me mentally prepare for dealing with contractions.  When you’re doing the thigh portion of the DVD, your legs shake uncontrollably and it takes everything in my willpower to not just stop and stretch them out.  I feel like if I can get through that, it will help make dealing with contractions a little easier (mentally at least).

Unfortunately, there are no Bar Method studios in the Milwaukee area.  There’s not even a barre style workout anywhere close, so I’ve become reliant on the DVDs.  They are all really challenging and comparable to taking an actual studio class.  But I do miss the personal style training that the teachers give you and the motivation that you get from going to the studio.  The teachers give you a lot of one on one attention to make sure that you’re doing the movements correctly and that you get the most out of your workout.  I miss the studio so much that a few weeks ago, I had debated on driving to Highland Park, IL to take a class.  Instead I stuck to the DVD.

What is The Bar Method? 

It integrates the fat burning format of interval training, the muscle shaping technique of isometrics, the elongating principles of dance conditioning, and the science of physical therapy to create a revolutionary new workout that quickly and safely reshapes your entire body. (source)

Want a chance to try this workout?  Visit the Bar Method website DVD section *Here* and find a DVD that interests you.  Then, leave a comment below telling me your favorite way to tone up and what DVD you’d like to try out.

Giveaway closes on Thursday, August 2nd at 11:59pm CST.  The winner will be announced Saturday morning.

Good luck!!!!

*Please note that The Bar Method in no way sponsored this post.  All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own :-)

35 Weeks-Random Thoughts

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Let me just start out by saying that since I’m in the later phase of pregnancy, cooking is really not appealing to me at the moment.  Hence lack of recipes on the blog lately :-(  However, this has allowed LC to stretch his culinary wings and amaze me.  Case in point:  Basil rubbed grilled pork  chop served with grilled nectarines stuffed with blue cheese, pine nuts and drizzled with honey.

 

Heaven in my mouth.  This was tonight’s dinner and it was delicious.  Something he can definitely make again…{hint hint if you’re reading babe}

-I’m 35 weeks into this pregnancy.  Baby’s measuring over 18 inches and about 5 1/4 pounds.  About the size of a honeydew melon.

-I’d like people to know that I’m pregnant, not handicapped.  The other day I was taking a large bowl of potato salad out of the refrigerator at work when someone told me that I shouldn’t be lifting something so heavy, so he came over and helped me.  Nice gesture but completely unnecessary.

-The baby likes to stretch its little legs and feet into my right rib cage (baby’s head down!!).  It’s rather uncomfortable and I try to put pressure against my right side with my hand to help the baby move.  Apparently baby doesn’t like that because the other day I felt the biggest kick ever right through my ribs.  I asked my mom, “What if the baby breaks one of my ribs?!” While I know this could never happen, I can’t help but think of pregnant Bella in Breaking Dawn part 1.

-When going “team green” people like to guess what you’re having based on how you’re carrying.  I’ve heard reasons on why I’m having a girl and reasons on why people think I’m having a boy.  I don’t mind it so much, I expect it.  But please don’t sit and argue with me and tell me for a matter of fact that I am without a doubt having a boy or girl.  I was getting my brows waxed when the esthetician says to me “You’re having a boy”.  To which I respond, “Lots of people say that.  We’ll see pretty soon!”  She says back, “No you’re having a boy, I can tell.”

-Never go to the grocery store hungry.  You should never do this, but being pregnant just makes it worse.  If you do, make sure you have a snack on hand.  Today at Whole Foods I approached the check out lane and was pretty hungry.  I saw Carol’s Cookies sitting there: peanut butter and chocolate chip (why didn’t I ever think of this combo for cookies?). They were calling out to me so I grabbed one.  Without me saying anything, the checkout girl rang it up and set it aside.  Meanwhile another girl was bagging the groceries.  When she got the end she asked if I could hand her the cookie so that she could put it in my bag.  I said, “No, I’m actually going to be eating this right now.” The girl who was ringing up the groceries said, “I thought so, that’s why I set it aside”. HA!

-Sleeping is becoming really uncomfortable.  It’s times like this I’m really thankful LC works 3rd shift because I get the whole bed to myself most nights.  Early this morning he was up at 4am (sleep schedules get screwed up here during the weekend) and he woke up and gave me a back massage.  A 4am back massage because he couldn’t sleep? I’m one of the lucky ones :-)

-I’ve watched so many movies and read so many books that I’m completely ready and not at all nervous for this delivery.  I keep telling myself that but yesterday I freaked out when I was having a really strong braxton hicks contraction at the movies.  It went away after walking around for a bit.  I think I freaked out mostly because it’s still too early for Baby C to come into the world, but I’m definitely ready to meet the little guy or gal :-)

-I have no idea how the 9 month pregnant lady ran/walked the Chicago marathon last year.  I walked 2.75 miles on Sunday and I felt like I accomplished something incredibly awesome.  There were a few times I had to move at a snail like walk because the baby has definitely dropped and things were getting a bit uncomfortable.

-I will feel more at peace once the baby’s out, healthy and we’re all home safe and sound.  I pray to God every night that I have the patience to be a good and loving mom.  I have been extremely blessed with a very easy/problem free pregnancy and I pray that this carries over into labor and delivery.

2 weeks until baby is considered full-term & 5 more weeks until the due date!

Summertime, Please slow down.

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Happy Monday!  My weekend went by way too quickly as it usually does.  This past week, I’ve been super busy getting stuff ready for the baby and finishing up other things I wanted to get done before the baby comes…like finishing our wedding album. So I took a little break from blogging this past week to focus on that.  It’s almost done.

On Friday, I celebrated my mom’s birthday by going taking her to Lululemon and buying her her first Lulu top, dining at Via on Downer, and finishing up with some frozen yogurt at My Oh My.

We started our meal off with the Crostino Milano appetizer with gluten-free bread.  On top of the bread was spinach infused with olive oil, garlic, basil, tomatoes and goat cheese.  It was very good and just what I needed.  I’ve been skimping on veggies the past few weeks because they just haven’t appealed to me in the raw sense, but this was very satisfying.

For dinner I went with the pizza.  They have some of the best gluten-free pizza I’ve tasted.  LC and I visited their sister restaurant a few months ago, and enjoyed it so I knew this place would not disappoint.    I went with the La Bella pizza and added chicken and goat cheese.  The last time I was at Via, I had a pizza with their garlic sauce and it won my heart so I ordered another garlic sauce based pizza.  My heartburn hasn’t been too bad this pregnancy, but I wanted to err on the side of caution and forgo a tomato based sauce.  The pizza originally came with artichokes, cheese, and onions.

After dinner, we headed to a new frozen yogurt place in Milwaukee.  In the land of ice cream and frozen custard, I’m so happy to see a frozen yogurt shop.  There were tons of them in Chicago and I’ve now seen two pop up in Milwaukee.

I loved the way this place is set up.  We walked in and a girl offered us little sampling cups so that we could try whatever yogurt we wanted before we decided.  It’s self serve and their flavors change daily.  I decided on 1/2 dolce de leche and 1/2 NY cheesecake.  I topped it with some strawberries and was on my way.  You can also top your frozen yogurt with whipped cream at the cashier’s station.  The yogurt was very good and I would decide to have this over ice cream any day.  Lately, ice cream and I haven’t really meshed well.  Last time we went to Culver’s for frozen custard, I opted for a lemon Italian ice instead.  Baby really prefers fruity and cold :-)  My mom said it was the perfect ending to her birthday :-)

On Saturday I went into work for a little bit and then came home and cleaned the house.  I finally understand this “nesting” stuff.  I’m constantly cleaning up our house every chance I get and I’m starting to drive my husband crazy.  After my cleaning frenzy, we went to El Fuego for dinner and headed down to the lakefront to watch the Festa Italiana fireworks.  It was the first fireworks show that I’ve seen all year.  We missed the 4th of July fireworks due to the drought/dry grass this year.

On Sunday, I had my girlfriends over for a girls brunch and some pool time.  It was nice catching up with everyone and getting together just for fun without it revolving around a baby shower, wedding shower etc.

For brunch I made a crustless quiche and overnight baked french toast.  A friend of mine also brought over a fresh fruit salad to share.  After brunch we headed over to the pool to sit in the sun and swim around.  It was the perfect afternoon with my girls and will probably be the last time I see some of them before the baby arrives.  We all agreed that we don’t get together often enough, but when we do we pick up right where we left off.  As we get older, life gets in the way.  I’ve been extremely blessed to have the same group of girlfriends since middle school (16 or so years?).  Two of them are also pregnant and due in December.  They both recently found out that they’re expecting girls, which makes me even more anxious to find out what we’re having.  EVERYONE keeps telling me that I’m having a boy (my sister is sticking to her guns and saying girl).  And last night I had a dream that I gave birth to a boy. In the beginning, I had dreams that I was having a girl and I’ve also had a few dreams that it was a boy.  Maybe that’s because it’s what everyone is guessing that I’m having?  Who knows, but we’ll know soon enough :-)

I’m off to the craft store for a DIY project for the baby’s room and I’ll be back later with a pregnancy update!

Something to talk about: In my opinion, summer goes by way too quickly as an adult.  What’s your all-time favorite memory of summer as a child? My grandma was a teacher’s aid, so I remember spending a lot of time with her in the summer.  We’d spend time baking, going to the library, movies, and the little wading pool in our neighborhood.  I also remember making homemade GAK with her :-)

 

34 Weeks-Staying Active while Pregnant

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tank from fortwofitness.com

When I first found out I was pregnant, I was determined to keep up my fitness routine for as long as I could. I’ve done a pretty good job of remaining active throughout my pregnancy, but at 34 weeks pregnant, things have definitely slowed way down over here.

In the first trimester, things pretty much stayed the same. Yes, I was nauseous and extremely exhausted, but exercise was the only thing that gave me energy. I continued to run, ride at Flywheel, shake it at Zumba, and participate in Bar Method classes as often as I could. I did tons of planks and worked my core every chance that I got when I learned that it is your core muscles that help with the pushing part of labor.

In the second trimester there was a lot more walking and a little less running, more Bar Method in studio classes in Chicago, and more Zumba. To keep from getting bored, I did a lot of interval/incline walking on the treadmill and downloaded lots of podcasts to listen to. My energy was back to normal, so much so that I even added in a EZ 30 minute Turbo fire DVD from time to time.

And then there’s the third trimester. The final stretch. Running has become a distant memory. Walks with intervals/inclines have been replaced with a more leisurely pace. Weight training, Zumba (1/2 classes) and Bar Method pre-natal DVD still remain in rotation.

Last Thursday, I Stormed the Bastille with my mom and a group of women here in Milwaukee. It’s a 5k run/2 mile walk that’s held in downtown Milwaukee on Thursday night before the Bastille Days festival kicks off for the weekend. I was really excited to do it because participating in a race is on my summer 2012 bucket list AND because it was my first ever night time race.

While we were walking around waiting for the race to start, I got lots of looks from strangers. Some were friendly and encouraging while other glances were the exact opposite. I had one guy say to me, “I know you’re not running this race, are you?” To which I responded, “No, I’m walking.” But what I wanted to say was “YES! And my goal is to win 1st place!” As I walked past an older woman standing around with her friends I overheard, “That’s the fourth pregnant women I’ve seen here. What’s with all these pregnant women thinking they can run?”

If you were active before you were pregnant, there’s no reason (unless your doctor tells you) to stop exercising. Pregnancy is not a time to be lazy and become out of shape. You’re carrying around a lot of extra weight and growing another human being, so this is the time when you should really try to be your healthiest. Not only do I mentally feel better after a good workout, but my body feels less sore, I sleep better at night and I feel somewhat normal in this new body shape. Even in pregnancy, I still have those days where I feel fat or “skinny” and working out helps with those “fat” days.

Besides feeling and looking good for yourself, exercise benefits baby too! Studies have shown that women who participated in a walking program vs. women who led a very sedentary lifestyle had lower blood pressure and lower cases of pre-eclampsia during pregnancy.

Other benefits to baby?

  • Lower your risk of gestational diabetes by 27%
  • You may boost your child’s athletic potential
  • Smarter children
  • Can improve your baby’s ability to handle the stress of labor and delivery
  • Fewer complications during labor and delivery

    • I plan on working out as long as baby let’s me. With 6 weeks left until my due date, I’m feeling really good for the most part.

    How’s baby doing? baby’s grown to the size of an average cantaloupe. Baby weighs on average about 4 3/4 pounds and is about 18 inches long. Fat layers are filling out and the central nervous system is maturing. I feel like we are finally in a safe zone. Babies born between 34-37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. Or course we’d like baby to stay in a little bit longer, but it gives me some piece of mind knowing in the event of preterm labor, we’d hopefully be okay.

    How am I doing? getting very anxious to meet our little one and to find out if it’s a boy or girl! By next month, our lives will forever be changed for the better and I’m so grateful that I’ve had such a good pregnancy so far. As much as I’ve enjoyed feeling this little one squirm around, the hot summer days are getting to me and I’m ready for the baby. I’ve also been a lot more tired than usual. I can’t remember the last time I had 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep. I’ve been napping a lot more and taking it easy, listening to my body. I commend pregnant women who have other little ones to take care of!

    I’ll be back later this week with a little giveaway!

    Only 3 more weeks until baby is full term :-) CRAZY!!

My Version of the Perfect Tri

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Today I decided to shake things up a bit in the workout department.  Instead of the usual (walking, zumba,bar method or gym) I decided to give prenatal yoga a try.  My roommate from college talked about how she enjoyed taking it in California and thought that the classes help you with learning different coping techniques for labor, so I thought I’d give it a try.  It felt really good to stretch and it was nice to learn how to modify different poses (like tree pose), but I miss hot, sweaty yoga.  I miss chatarungas and downward facing dog.  It felt good, but it just wasn’t the yoga that I’m used to.  And at $20 a class, I think I’ll hold out for the Bikram yoga that’s located across the street.  My prenatal bar method DVD helps me plenty in holding certain poses until muscle fatigue which I think will come in handy on delivery day.  Just like the instructor has said in class, “Don’t give up when it gets too hard, you can’t give up on contractions!” True story.
Speaking of Bar Method, yesterday was a 3 workout kind of day.  I just had that much energy in me, so why waste it?  I don’t think it’s the “nesting” energy you get before you go into labor.  I think my energy came from the good night’s sleep I had gotten the night before.
I started off with a walk early afternoon/ late morning.  I wanted to redeem myself after the Summerfest fiasco and make sure that I was ready for my Bastille Days walk on Thursday.  I do so much better walking in tennis shoes at a fast pace than I do walking in flat sandals at a slow leisurely pace.  After my 2.5 mile walk outdoors, I came home snacked on some watermelon and popped in prenatal Bar Method.  Always a favorite of mine.  After I was nice and sweaty, I decided that a dip in the pool was a necessity.  It was nothing too crazy: I swam a few laps, treaded some water and did some handstands in the pool.  That’s right!  This 8 month prego was doing handstands in the water.  Let me explain my crazy behavior.  At my last doctor’s appointment the doctor she informed me that Baby C is in a breech position.  While she’s not worried now (I was only 32 weeks), she suggested that I do some exercises that might help baby get into a head down position while baby still has some room.  Handstands in the water was one of the things I read on the website :-)  
After meeting up with my girlfriends to see Magic Mike and my 3 a day workout, I slept like a baby.  It’s amazing what some exercise does for the pregnant body! My lower back pain last night was pretty much non-existent.  So walking, Bar Method, and swimming makes up my “perfect for me right now” triathlon.  I’d like to one day complete a real triathlon, but this will have to do for right now.  The only thing that makes me nervous about completing one is the swim.  The run and biking I have down, but it’s been a really long time since I’ve done any type of distance swimming.
Question: Have you ever participated in a triathlon? If so, what training program did you use?  If you could choose any sport/activity to make up your own triathlon, what would they be?  

33 week update-Choosing to be “Team Green”

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Before I even got pregnant, I always knew that I wanted to wait until delivery time to find out the sex of the baby.  I feel it’s one of the few real surprises left in life, why ruin that for yourself?  I’m notorious for ruining surprises for myself.  One Christmas when I was in 4th grade(!), I was able to peel back the wrapping paper just enough to find out what I was getting-sorry mom.  And when it comes time for hubs to give me gifts (Holidays, birthdays etc…) I’m always on him to tell me what he got me and most times he caves in to which I reply, “You’re not supposed to tell me!” And his response, “Well you keep bothering me about it!”  haha! So this was one surprise that I couldn’t ruin for myself.  Convincing my husband was a different story.  When we first found out we were pregnant, we went back and forth on this topic.  He tried negotiating everything he could and I just kept shutting him down.  Needless to say I won and neither of us know the sex of the baby.

One of the most common questions I get from people, “How do you not want to know?”  Oh believe me, I WANNA KNOW! Especially as time gets closer, the anticipation is killing me.  Not a day goes by that I don’t look down at my tummy and I ask are you a boy or girl?  As of right now, the only thing on our birth plan is for LC to be the one to announce the sex of the baby.  Not the doctors, not the nurses.  I feel because he went along with not knowing, he deserves that honor.  I’d much rather hear it from him than the blah, not so nice ultrasound tech we had at our 20 week appointment.

Second thing people ask me most, “How are you going to prepare/how do people know what to get you?”  This was another reason I didn’t want to find out.  I didn’t want to be that person that gets a ton of clothes at their shower and nothing from their registry.  I know a couple of people that this happened to.  At our baby showers, we got pretty much everything we asked for on our baby registry.  If people went off the registry, they got us stuff that we’ll actually use like diapers, bath stuff, face wipes, etc.  We did get a few outfits, but nothing that was an outrageous amount.

As far as the baby’s nursery goes, we kept it very gender neutral and are going with different shades of greens, blues, and grays.  I knew that if I were having a girl, I would not go wild with pink.  And if we were having a boy I wouldn’t want the typical sports theme that I’ve seen in so many nurseries.  I wanted to keep it as middle ground as I could and I think we did a pretty good job with it (As soon as it’s complete, I’ll be posting more pictures).

One thing I did know is that I wanted to bring the baby home in a really cute outfit and anyone who’s ever shopped gender neutral knows how tough this can be.  So, I set out to Babies R Us and picked myself up a little girl outfit and a little boy outfit.  Based on how big I was and LC was when he was born, I figure our child will be in the 8 lb range, so I settled on 0-3 month size outfits.  I will be bringing a newborn outfit with just incase  these don’t fit.  I don’t see it as a waste of money because I know so many woman having babies this year, I’ll definitely be able to give the one away that we don’t end up using. One of my BFFs is expecting a baby girl in the beginning of September, so if end up not using the dress she could definitely have it and still get use out of it.

People ask me all the time, “What do you feel that it is?” In the beginning I had a strong gut feeling we were having a girl, but as time goes on I feel like it’s a boy so I really don’t know or care for that matter.  Of course I would love to have a girl to dress up and do girly stuff with, but I would also love a have a little man in my life and to give my husband a son.  Both of our families are overtaken by women so a little boy would be lots of fun to add to the mix.  What matters most to us is that the baby’s healthy and everything comes out fine.

This week, baby’s grown into a little pineapple.  Baby weighs a little over 4 lbs and has passed the 17 in mark.  Baby’s losing its wrinkly skin (getting chubbier) and its skeleton is starting to harden.  The bones in the skull though are not fusing together just yet, so that baby can pass through the birth canal a little more easier.  The bones in the baby’s skull don’t actually fuse together until early adulthood!

How I’m feeling? Ready for this little baby!  It’s been pretty warm here in Wisconsin and all I have to say is that I’m thankful for having a pool and air conditioning.  Luckily I haven’t had any crazy swelling with the heat.  I told hubs last night, that in reality this baby really can decide to come at anytime.  The only thing we really have left to do is install the car seats.  Everything else in the nursery that needs to get done is decoration related.  I keep hoping that I go a few weeks early (38 weeks sounds good), so more than likely I will end up going over my due date (August 25th) which will make August the longest month of my life!  LC thinks he or she will come the second week in August.  Regardless of when the baby comes we are ready and over the moon excited!!!!!

Question: Expecting moms/parents, did you find out the sex of your baby or did you decide to wait?  Non-pregnant women, if you plan on having children could wait or would you find out?

 I’m off to get a workout in and run some errands.  Tonight’s girls night at the movies and guess what we’re going to see?!? You guessed it! Magic Mike :-) Have a great day.

Weekend Recap-Summer in Milwaukee

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Like Chasin Mason said last night, “There’s nothing like it.”  The last four summers I’ve spent the majority of my time in Chicago.  Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the Windy City, especially in the summer, but nothing beats a summer in Milwaukee.  This weekend was the epitome of  what a perfect Milwaukee summer is.

On Friday, my mom and I took my sister out to dinner at Ryan Braun‘s new restaurant, Graffito.  We took her out because she’s leaving us for 3 weeks and venturing to the East Coast for some military training.

I’ve been wanting to check this place out since it opened and I’m so happy that my sister suggested it.  Everything is made from scratch and bought locally.  They also have many gluten-free options available for my madre and myself :-)  All of their pastas can be made gluten-free with the exception of their ravioli.  I decided to roll with the shrimp scampi and added mushrooms and goat cheese.

Verdict?  I thought it was good.  Nothing that was “out of this world outstanding” but good.  The sauce was a little watery for my taste and I would’ve liked it if the shrimp weren’t so small.  If I ever get back there again, I would try something else.  My mom had the pasta primavera (gluten-free) and she said the same thing about the sauce.  Maybe it’s the gluten free pasta?  Not sure.  But the service was excellent and the freshly squeezed lemonade was very refreshing, especially on a hot summer night.

On Saturday, I met the same ladies (mom and sister) at the Original Pancake house in Brookfield for a morning of breakfast and shopping at Babies R Us.  I had some gift cards to use and some things that still needed to be purchased.  I’m so happy that my mom came along with.  She had some great advice about baby products and offered some helpful solutions as to what bottles to use.  Besides stuff for baby, I also picked up a few nursing tank tops for myself.  Time is getting so close!

After I got back and washed all of the baby’s clothes, LC and I decided to venture down to Summerfest by the lakefront.  Summerfest is the world’s largest music festival that’s put on every year by Milwaukee’s lakefront.

You pay to get in but there are tons of stages of free music and then one main headliner that plays at the Marcus Amphitheater, which you have to pay for.  Last night, Chasin Mason, Phil Vassar, Cake, Common, Anthony Hamilton and Chevelle (just to name a few) were playing.  Hubs and I walked around, he drank some beer while I ate, and we just enjoyed each other’s company and had fun people watching.  I really wanted to stay to see Cake, but my feet were killing me and I was so tired.  Even though it was beautiful weather outside, all I wanted to do was go home, lay home and put my feet up on the couch.  When we got the car, I started crying…I felt so bad for leaving the party early but at the same time I couldn’t handle anymore.  I also felt bad that I made hubs go home on such a beautiful night.  Gotta love third trimester hormones!

Today, I spent a few hours at Target :-) and then we took little Oliver to the dog park.  Because it’s been unusually hot here, he’s been getting gipped on his walks so we took him out for some much needed exercise.  We played his favorite game fetch.  It was still pretty warm out today, so he was pretty tired at the end of play time.

After the dog park, we came back and threw some chicken on the grill while I stayed inside and whipped up some risotto.  To top off it all off, we finished our night off with a tasty treat:

Because what’s a Milwaukee summer without a little frozen custard?

Summerfest and frozen custard are two things that come to mind when I think of Milwaukee in the summer time.

What festivals/things are your city known for?

See you tomorrow with a 33 week prego update!

Fun Photo Friday-a collage of pics

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Happy Friday! Is it me or did having a holiday in the middle of the week (and then having to return to work) make the week seem longer? I swear it felt like the beginning of the week yesterday. So nice to see you weekend :-) Anyone have any fun plans? Tonight, I’m doing dinner with my mom & sis. Tomorrow, hubs and I are going to Summerfest-the world’s largest music festival held at the lakefront in Milwaukee. It’s been a few years since we’ve gone, so I’m looking forward to it.

It’s also been a few weeks since I’ve done a fun photo Friday post. Instead of just focusing on one picture, I decided to put a few together into a fun little collage.20120706-124351.jpg

The first picture at the top left corner is of my friend and me. She’s expecting a baby girl in the middle of September, so we are only a few weeks apart. It’s been fun having someone so close to you going through the same things as you. It’s also been helpful to call her up and say, “This is happening to me. You too? Ok good it must be normal!” apparently Motherhood Maternity must only have one cute bathing suit because she showed up at my house on wednesday with the same exact swim suit as me. This was not planned and she even bought hers online while I got mine in the store. Great minds DO think alike :-)

The second picture is of some pre-anniversary dinner snackage. LC and I spent some time at the pool, came back and had some snacks while he filled us up two delicious steaks and asparagus. The only thing I was responsible for was the baked sweet potato and snacks. We got the spreadable cheese from door county. It’s cheddar with port wine and cherry…very good! The strawberries were left behind from my mom who stayed at our place to watch Oliver.

The beautiful sunset picture was taken on our last night in Door County. We ate a restaurant by the water and this was our view. It was breathtaking. Hubs said he could retire up there…definitely a change of pace from Chicago, which is where he was planning a few months ago ;-)

The big salad at the bottom was taken at today’s lunch. Some of the girls and I went out to lunch today at Sven’s Cafe in Bayview. This was my first time here and I loved it! Any lunch place that offers gluten free bread options is a friend of mine. My salad had goat cheese, walnuts, tomatoes, grilled chicken, craisins, and grapes. Perfect summertime lunch.

So far, this year’s summer has been pretty great. We’ve been pretty busy but it’s all been so fun. It’s flying by though which makes me realize that baby will be here before we know it…the perfect ending to our summer :-)

Enjoy your weekend!!

32 Weeks and a Babymoon

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8 months pregnant…really?? I know this is cliche, but where does the time go?  It’s hard to believe that in about 6 weeks or so, we’ll have a little one here :-) I’m definitely ready to meet this little person who’s been summersaulting in my stomach.

LC and I just spent a wonderful weekend in Door County, Wisconsin.  We celebrated our first year of marriage/babymoon and stayed in Sturgeon Bay at the Black Walnut Guesthouse bed and breakfast.

I would highly recommend this B&B to anyone with a gluten allergy.  The owner was VERY good in making sure that I had a lot of gluten-free treats.  From GF & vegan cookies to GF muffins and granola for breakfast.  Everything was truly amazing.  The breakfasts were very “light”, which I appreciated in the hot summertime heat.  The first morning we had muffins, fresh fruit, and fruit parfaits.  The second morning we had made to order omelets, fruit and GF toast.  The breakfast was brought to our room every morning which I really liked.  One thing that worried me about going to a B&B was having to sit with total strangers in the morning and eat breakfast.  That was not the case here.

When we arrived in Door County on Saturday, we grabbed a snack at a local cafe and went to a fish boil for dinner.  LC’s never been to one so that was on our list of things to do.  We also spent the day walking around Egg Harbor, checking out the local shops.

Hubs got to sample some of the local brew.

While I go to taste different types of olive oil.  Things got CRAZY people :-)

After we enjoyed our Door County fish boil, we headed across town to the outdoor movie theater for a double feature of Disney Pixar’s Brave & Avengers.  Brave was a really cute movie and I stayed awake for maybe 10 minutes of Avengers.  When I was younger and my mom used to take my sister and I to the drive-in, I could never hang long enough for the second movie.  I guess some things never change :-)

Our second day there was spend doing more shopping, walking, and driving.  It was relaxing and perfect.  Even though we enjoyed our B&B experience, we decided if we go back again in the summer time, we’d like to stay somewhere closer to the beach and enjoy some water sports like jet skiing.

Even though it was only two days, it was a nice change of scenery.  It was also a nice getaway before the baby gets here.  It gave us a chance to just enjoy each other, talk about what we’re excited about and what we’re both a little nervous about.

This week, Baby C the size of a large jimaca (just learned what that was today!) Baby is nearing 4 lbs and is about 16.7 inches.  Baby’s main job right now is gaining fat to survive outside the womb.  All major developments are pretty much complete.

How am I feeling? HOT! I would be pregnant during one of the hottest summers on record.  I prayed for a cool summer and got the complete opposite.  My fingers have also started to ache randomly throughout the day.  I do a lot of work at my computer, so I try to step away every hour and go for a little walk.  This seems to help.  I’ve also had a few Braxton Hicks contractions.  I started feeling them toward the end of the second trimester. Then, it felt like my whole stomach got really hard and tight.  Now, they are kind of uncomfortable and feel like very mild period cramps.  They aren’t regular and go away after I’ve had a snack, water, or changed up my activity.  In 5 weeks I will be considered “full-term” which means the baby can come out at anytime.  I know there are health benefits for the baby to stay in there past 37 weeks, but physically, I am ready.  I LOVE watching my stomach move around like crazy, but I’m getting anxious now.  Anxious to have my body back to myself, to find out whether this little one is a boy or girl, and anxious to start a new chapter in my life.  It’s been a blessing and a wonderful journey, but we’re ready for our outside baby.  We just have a few more loose ends to tie up (like finishing the nursery).  Big pregnancy craving right now? WATERMELON!!!! I can’t get enough.  We just bought our 4th one for the season.

I hope everyone has a happy and safe 4th of July!  I’m off to get a workout in and prep for a little BBQ we’re having here :-)