Apparently I'm Not Dressed For the Part

So the little dude is into EVERYTHING, as is customary for a 10.5 mos old. If he's not supposed to have it, he wants it....the remote control, the cord to my computer, my glass of wine, a piece of loose chokable carpet, antique books, the cats food...all items are fair game. And why should he not want these things? He doesn't understand the concept of danger yet, let alone the concept of "off limits." So DG & I do our best to just re-direct him at this point. We feel if you say "No" all day long, it loses it's value...Mind you he certainly knows "NO" is a serious thing, but he's still to young to understand why he can pull his books down off of the low shelf in his room, but not the ones from our giant book case in the living room. This of course leads me to baby proofing.... 

We live in a pretty small condo, which sounds easy in theory, but we're sorely lacking in storage space. We've put locks on all of the cabinets in the kitchen, sans the tupperware one, as it's a temporary distraction while trying to do the dishes or cook. Charlie LOVES pulling everything out and clanking it all around....or simply chewing on it.

Little Stinker

We did recently purchase a Munchkin brand plastic sliding baby gate, which we LOVE. It's super easy to use and remove, plus it's the perfect height for us midgetly inclined peeps. Yes, I just said midgetly. Moving on...

Now the gate we have is great for keeping the little dude from roaming down the hallway while we're in the living room & moving around into different doorways as needed. However, it doesn't come close to fitting the space that divides off the kitchen from the living room. He is obsessed with the storage area below the oven (where you keep extra pots & pans.) Plus he's so curious about the cat food & has taken an interest in our pub-style chairs. All this said, we need to invest in another gate. They seem pretty expensive at Babies R Us and even on Target.com....but luckily a Mommy (on a Mommy page I belong to) posted about being in search of an extra wide one as well, and quite a few Mom's recommended Walmart.com. Here in So Cal, Walmart is kind of a joke...most of us are Target people, but I'm fully willing to admit we purchased our glider from Walmart,  as well as my current work desk. Both of which arrived super fast and were exactly as described. Plus, you truly couldn't beat the price.

So off I went to check out baby gates on Walmart.com.....

*Please excuse the picture of my computer screen...I couldn't save the pics or figure how to take a screen shot of just the photo in particular. I'm lame, I know.

Anyhoo, this was the first I came across, but it was too short....and um...

Is it 1990? Or is that how Moms dress? Umm if that's the case....apparently I'm not dressed for the part.

YIKES

Then I found one more like the one we already have....nope, still needed a longer one...

Kids are smart, see how she's pointing!

Little does Mommy know, Rover just had the runs..... 

all over her lilly white duvet.

Oops.

Then I narrowed down my search, for EXTRA LONG gates...and this is what popped up:

Pssst...don't tell little Billy that he could ride his trike on the grass, 

AROUND the gate.

Then this one came up...it's not extra long and it's for use with stairs, so not going to work...sigh...

Kate Gosselin wants her hair back.

And then folks, I think I found it, the holy grail of gates, but low and behold it was out of stock. 

Fabulous.

Till next time!

XOXO J

One of THOSE Moms

So I wanted to start a new blog, I guess because I felt this one hadn't been touched in so long. I kept wondering what I'd call it, and I came up with "One of THOSE Moms"...I thought it was pretty genius, and I planned to talk about all the shit I said I'd never do, that I'm currently doing. But then I googled it, and some bitch stole my thunder. Fabulous. Admittedly, her blog is pretty kick ass, and I was immediately jealous. Such is life.

So much time has passed since I last posted. It's amazing how life passes by so quickly when you have a tiny human. The days are a blur....a beautiful & crazy blur.

...says me, a lot.

Seriously though, C is 10 mos old! Where did time go!? I know all parents say that, but geeeez. The first couple of months were pretty rough on me, but I'm 99% sure I was suffering from PPD.  It's a whole different post for another day, but I got through it, on my own. This is in no way to say that women can generally get through it on their own....without talk therapy or meds, but I'm stubborn, and I did. However today, I feel whole again, And despite the solid food poops (which are soooo foul,) the crazy clingyness & the bipolar ways of a 10 mos old, I'm loving every second of this ride.

I mean, how could you NOT love this mischievous little face?!? Ok, I might be biased.

xoxo J

I Swallowed A Basketball.

34 WEEKS

Yup, it's all in front, just like I swallowed a basketball.

It's interesting the theories people have...some say if you're all in front that it's a boy & that if it's more around the sides, it's a girl. BUT I beg to differ. I hear the ideology the other way around as well, but not as often. I have also had people guess based on how low or high my belly is. Everyone seems to have an opinion. I however, think it's all a bunch of hubalub...and yes, I just used that word.  I was carrying super low up until about 6.5 mos. Now it's in the middle. Anyways, everyone thinks it's a boy, from my family (including DG) to friends & even random strangers. My Dad is the only one who thinks it's a girl. My Mom claims to not have a feeling, but she always used to tell me my first would be a boy. 

Doctors & books will tell you that the way you carry has to do with your body type & uterus shape/position. This makes a whole heck of a lot more sense to me. I have always had a SUPER flat stomach...

About 12 weeks.

.... & a pretty defined waist line, plus I'm super short, so it would only make sense that the baby has nowhere to go but out. In case anyone thinks I'm bragging about my pre-pregnancy stomach, I have a totally flat ass, bowed legs & big arms for a girl, so there. We all have our "things."

Baby G very well could be a boy, but I swear I'd carry this way if it was a girl....I could be wrong, but I  highly doubt it.

Thoughts? Opinions? Do you agree that it's a bunch of crap?

PS Random side note, my boobs haven't gotten bigger. Just a hair, but they were on the smaller side of my norm before I got pregnant...anyone else's not get any bigger? Everything I read says they're supposed to blow up...and I think DG was sort of looking fwd to it. I guess it won't happen till my milk comes in....

XOXO J

I'm Lame. That's All.

Seriously, it's been over 2 months since I have posted! I promised myself I'd use this place as a vessel to vent, to celebrate, to oogle & obsess. I'm so lame.  Oh well, I guess the lack of wine in my daily diet has thrown a curve ball at my creativity...plus frankly, my energy hasn't been the greatest, nor has my patience.

That being said, here I sit, 33 weeks pregnant & about embark on a crazy journey. I have wanted to be a Mom for as far back as I can remember, though it's funny how when it's actually about to happen, you start second guessing your ability to even be a Mom. May sound weird, but I guess it's just anxiety...the thought that I am responsible for this human being for the next 18+  years, 30+ if you live in California and can't afford to move out :) Nonetheless, it's very strange mix of feelings.

Oh, and I can barely see my toes.

My view.

So why have I chosen today to post here? Not for any particular reason...maybe boredom, annoyance? Let's see, my work email is down, I can send them but not receive....and they are intermittently jack-hammering outside of my office window. Fabulous.

On a positive note, I'll only be working out of this office for the next 3 weeks! Am I going on early maternity leave? NOPE! We're going to be working from home! Sweeeeeeet. Yup, my boss decided she was sick of this office after 16 years & was ready for a change. The company is just the two of us plus an accounting lady, & though we stay busy, it's not what it used to be before the economy crashed, so essentially there is no need for the extra space.  Plus, 95% of our correspondence with clients is done via email. Aside from site inspections & nights where we have events, we can do everything from home. My boss has a full office in her home & she works from there most of the Summer anyways, as her 2 kids are in and out of camps. This isn't to stay we'd never explore the option of getting a smaller office, but she figured we'd give the home thing a shot. Oh, and I'm taking the full 12 weeks off for maternity leave starting Oct 1st (unless Baby G comes earlier than that.)  I may cut the 2nd 6 weeks of leave short & do some part time work from home (in which case she'll pay me hourly)...I really couldn't ask for a better situation, especially considering I was so upset at the prospect of leaving a 12 week old to come back in the office 5 days a week/8hrs a day.  Of course this won't come without it's challenges, but fortunately DG is off 2 days during the week & my Mom can watch the baby when I need to give certain things my utmost concentration & he's at work. I figure it will be easier in the beginning when the baby is mostly eating & sleeping... but I'll progressively need more help the older the baby gets and more interaction they require (i.e. crawling, walking etc..) But again, it's a much better scenario than being away 40+ hours a week.

Has anyone else worked from home with a baby? I welcome ALL advice.

Till next time...

And the jack-hammering just started again. FML.

XOXO J

Pregnancy Is Kind Of Hilarious. Installment #1

I realize this notion of mine all depends upon what you find hilarious. I have never been very "normal," so let's just roll with it. 

It's amazing the comments from strangers or acquantainces that go hand in hand with pregnancy...I find myself internally laughing my ass off at most of them.

Upon leaving my office this afternoon to take a quick little shopping trip, I ran into a girl I briefly used to work with. This girl & I were never close, just more or less acquaintances. However she works in the same industry as I do now so I see her ocassionally. Anyways, no sooner than we'd said our "Hello's," she looks straight down at my stomach and says, "Are you pregnant?? Please God say you are."

"Yes, I am." I smiled and she seemed to breath a sigh of relief, to which I find hilarious. She has balls, I don't.  I say, why put yourself in that position? What if I had a tumor? What if I'd gained a little bit of weight and it all just went to my lower stomach?! 

Ok fine, I don't look like this:

Thanks goodness.

Nor do I looks like this:

*Shudders*

But still. I guess I just wouldn't risk asking on the very off chance I was wrong. I have heard women say that if someone has always had a flat stomach and all of a sudden they are sporting a very obvious pooch, and haven't gained weight anywhere else, then it's safe to ask. But what if it was a tumor?! LOL I can see it now...."No, I'm not pregnant, I have a tumor, stomach cancer in fact." Wouldn't you feel awful?!

That's why I say don't ask.  

Ok maybe if you look like this.....

But we all don't have Alessandra's body.

For reference, here's my bump today @ 22 weeks.

It could be a tumor.

A tumor that kicks ;)

Thoughts?

XOXO J

You Know You're Pregnant When...

...the thought of leaving your newborn to come back to work has you in a mess of tears....and you're only 5 mos pregnant. Ugh.

My boss has been asking me what my plans were & if I wanted to start maternity leave before my due date, or just work up until, etc etc. Obviously she has to plan a substitute in my place while I'm gone... She doesn't know the laws verbatim...she's the President of the company, not an HR Manager. That said, she had me look up some info online today & I was sad to find that VERY small businesses  (aka, my office) can only take 6 weeks off according to the Paid Family Leave Act in CA.  There are a couple of other options to get more time off, but both require you to have more employees. The only other option I have is to take some PTO, but I don't have a ton since I used it for my honeymoon/wedding back in September.

I'm not trying to be negative nelly, I'm certainly blessed to have my Mom & Dad very close by, as well as a husband who doesn't work the same exact schedule, so we'll make it work once I come back from mat leave, but the thought of leaving a 6-7 week old just kills me.  I have no idea how women do it...the ones that have no other choice than to put a newborn in childcare.  Sniff.

I'm pretty sure my boss will allow me to take a week or more extra off, as she's always been super accommodating, but until she says those words....Plus, we're super slow in Nov/Dec anyways.

*Update: I haven't even finished this post & she's already emailed me to say she thinks I can take 10 weeks.* We'll see....

On a positive note, I definitely popped these last two weeks. When I thought I was showing in the beginning, I wasn't. Well maybe I was just a bit, but to most people it looked like nothing. I have always had a super flat stomach, so any bit of pooch was showing to me.  Here are some belly shot comparisons. And I know, I'm only going to get bigger. EEEEEK!

13 - ish weeks

15 - ish weeks

20 weeks & 4 days, aka TODAY.

Hoping these will be fun to look back on.  Keep ya posted on the maternity leave.

XOXO J

Pregnancy: The Good & The WTF?!

Boy it's been awhile since I have posted over here.  I have had the urge to post about random pregnancy stuff, but somehow it felt criminal considering my last few posts (quite some time ago) were about alcohol & crass subjects. But hey, why change just because I'm pregnant. I wouldn't be the real me if I created a fluffy pregnancy blog, decorated with pretty birds & light-hearted posts, would I? Nah.

Today I'm 18 weeks & 4 days pregnant. According to BabyCenter.com, my little dude or dudette is the length of medium bell pepper. WOW. Even though I'm almost half way through, it's still hard to believe I'm pregnant.

I chose red, cause green bell peppers are not my thing these days.

I have wanted to be pregnant as far back as I can remember, & I always LOVED newborns.  I've always been fascinated with the whole process & felt the urge to be a Mom very early on. Clearly I wasn't dumb enough to get knocked up at 15, or 18....I knew/dreamed it would happen one day when I was happily married...which I am.  I've been with DG for 7.5 years. We just got married on 9/30/11 & pregnant the 1st week of January. Who knew it could happen on the first go round'. LOL. Well it did, and we feel extremely fortunate that it happened so fast. We may have been a bit in shock, but soon the shock turned to excitement.

That said, I think I will keep posting preggo stuff on this blog, mixed in with the normal random ramblings.  But to kick off the first preggo post, I thought I'd do one of those nifty surveys I have seen other Moms-to-be do:

How far along?  18 weeks, 4 days aka in my Fifth Month or 4.5 months...however you wanna figure it.
Total weight gain/loss?  Gain so far, I believe 6 lbs.
Maternity clothes?  Yes, the jeans have been a must since about 13 weeks.  I have wide hips, so I wasn't able to sling my regular jeans below my belly, because if I lowered them they didn't fit around my hip region...I have an hourglass figure..which is great, but doesn't work for slipping jeans lower.  I'm now realizing I may need to buy some tops since my regular ones are getting too stretched at the bottom.
Stretch marks? None, thank goodness.
Sleep?  Eh. I have always been a side sleeper, but inevitably roll to my back in the middle of the night.  I have been conscious of trying not to roll on my back...which wakes me up a lot, as does my need to pee. SO ANNOYING.
Best moment last week? THINKING I felt a kick. But haven't felt it again...some random flutters, but could have been gas. My Doc said probably closer to 20-22 weeks for first pregnancy.
Movement?  See last question.
Food cravings?  Tomato soup, tuna, spicy/salty foods. Also crave something sweet at night.
Gender? Our big ultrasound is this Thursday, but we aren't finding out. DG is really really wanting it to be a surprise. I alway swore I wanted to wait too, but man it's going to be hard!
Labor signs? None!
Belly button in/out? Still pretty deep. Always been a deep inny.
What I miss: Drinking wine after work.
What I am looking forward to: My Wed cervix check & my Thurs ultrasound...I'm a ball of nerves right now...Praying all is ok with baby.
Milestones: None this week. 

And a few other random things...

Annoying symptoms:

~Constantly growling, gurgling stomach. It doesn't stop after I eat because then it makes noise while it's digesting. So uncomfortable to always have that bottomless pit feeling. Ugh.

~I'm out of breath a lot...after talking, walking up stairs. 

~On a positive note, I have never thrown up, only had mild nausea for a few weeks in the beginning...and yucky food aversions.

Think I'll post some belly progression pics next time around...Until then ;)

XOXO J