Daily Note: July 30th 2009

Well, I'm feeling just the tiniest bit guilty about how dramatic I was in my post yesterday. If I'm being totally honest, we did go buy a one-room, window a/c unit last week for the bedroom. BUT! It's actually SO hot right now that it merely brings the room to a tolerable temperature, so while the rest of the house is about 98 degrees, I feel that the bedroom is a mild 80 (despite being set to 67). Regardless, it's better than those without a/c units are getting. But most of those other people aren't already enormously pregnant and struggling with insomnia and hourly trips to pee. Anyways, it got up to 102 here yesterday and will supposedly get to be 99 today. Normally heat makes me real angry, but this was so extreme that it just sort of beat me down. Heat 2, Jill 0. Word is that tomorrow it's supposed to cool down to a breezy 88. God.

Jeff's been documenting my various attempts to stay cool during this horrible heat wave and I keep meaning to get them uploaded, but it is way too hot in the home office to sit at the computer, so you'll have to wait to see pictures of me with my feet in the bathtub filled with ice water, and pictures of me laying cold, wet dish towels on the cat like a cape. Thankfully there has been no documentation of my most successful method - drawing a cool bath and laying in it for hours at a time with my book. After getting out of the cold bath, I particularly like to run into the bedroom and turn on the a/c unit and stand in front of it still wet until I feel chilly.

Tomorrow we're headed up to Bellingham for a baby shower that my Aunt Laura is throwing me for family and family friends up north. I've been looking forward to the party, but am now feeling guilty that she's going to be setting up and cooking for us in this heat. While I'm showered with gifts, Jeff plans to take the car seat (and car) to an expert for an installation and safety inspection. Then we'll visit his sister Kathleen and husband Javi to see their new (undoubtedly toasty) house and I think have dinner with his aunt. THEN - I think we're headed to Orcas for the weekend! I'm very excited about this because I just had my regular OB appointment this morning and was given permission for this one last trip, despite being told earlier that I wasn't allowed to go anywhere after August 1st. But she said that my condition is good and I'm not showing any signs of early labor so this one last trip is permitted. Orcas will be great for the following reasons:
1. It will be our only trip this summer just the two of us.
2. It will hopefully be cooler up there on the water than in Seattle.
3. This will be our last trip without a baby for quite some time.

Daily Note: July 29, 2009

Today is supposed to be the hottest day in Seattle EVER. Like OF ALL TIME. No joke. I am miserable.

Daily Note: July 24, 2009

I think some sort of switch flipped inside me last night and I woke up DONE being pregnant. I started to write this post and had just finished a vivid description of how badly my hips hurt and was moving on to the host of other issues that are currently causing me discomfort. But then I paused for a moment to reread what I’d written and I liked myself a little less after reading it. Suffice it to say, today is not my best day.

Tomorrow is our all day birth class extravaganza. This is good timing because my mind has been pretty focused on the whole birthing process since our hospital tour last weekend. Thinking about labor is still a bit terrifying, but I think it will also help to take my focus off how uncomfortable my pregnancy is these days and will make it easier to shift my thinking to the next step. If I can just keep my eyes on the prize, I can get through this last stretch. My doctor told me at one point that it’s good to be frustrated with pregnancy because she thinks you need a little anger in you to really get through the pushing phase of labor. We shall see.

Non-sequitur, but have you ever seen that show on TLC called “I didn’t know I was pregnant”? I always wondered about those people, but it’s at this stage in my pregnancy that I’m ready to pass judgment on them – they are retarded. How could you NOT KNOW!? The baby is moving around so strongly these days that she literally feels like having an active puppy inside you. And you just didn’t notice? REALLY?

I spent an hour or two in the nursery last night, really getting some things organized for the first time. It felt incredibly productive. The weather has been too hot for motivation lately, but last night was cooler than usual and I was able to vacuum, dust, and unpack all sorts of things. I assembled the Diaper Genie and wipes warmer that I got at my shower (thanks Linda and Christy!), I sorted all the clothes into piles for 0-3 months, 3-6 and so on, dumped all the newborn clothes, sheets and blankets in the wash and made a list of things we still need to buy. I still need to hem the curtains and the crib bedding is hopefully arriving today, but for the first time, things are starting to feel a bit more settled in there. Perhaps we’ll even have a few photos to share after this weekend.

Daily Note: July 22, 2009

The living room/kitchen wall is progressing nicely, due to my live-in carpenter. A few pics of the progress for your viewing pleasure:

I think this last picture was taken on Sunday, so a few things have been done since then. We're mere moments away from spackling nail holes and starting to paint. I think just one or two small pieces of trim need to be installed on the bottom and the columns above finished. The only tricky part will be the cavities on either end, which Jeff is determined to make into either drawers or cabinets. I keep telling him that we could just make them shelves like the center sections and use baskets on them to hide toys in, but he's determined to make this harder for himself - sort of a signature Jeff move. The idea is to put all our books in the 3 center sections, then use the outside sections for closed in storage like toys and throw blankets.

Also for your viewing pleasure is this picture taken of Maurice in his very own rocking chair. This chair was a gift from Darrah at my shower, but Maurice seems to like it for his own.

Daily Note: July 21, 2009

Season 5 of Entourage is out on DVD! We watched the entire first disc last night.

Daily Note: July 20, 2009

I love so much that Jeff and I can frequently read each other’s minds. Last night during our hospital tour was one such time. There were probably 4 or 5 other couples in attendance and I knew we were both assessing and judging them all. No real contenders for new friends, but I could tell we were both secretly hating on the super intense woman who kept taking dramatic deep breaths and rubbing her belly in large circular motions, then started asking aggressive questions about vaccines and breastfeeding within minutes of birth. Too bad too, because her husband looked cool. Also, I knew without making eye contact that we were both vaguely annoyed with the tour guide. I suppose she gave a fine tour and it WAS incredibly helpful, if hugely surreal to realize that the next time we saw the inside of that birthing suite would be when I was actually BIRTHING, but I couldn’t help but stifle giggles over how concerned she seemed to be about Dads wanting to run around naked during the birth process. Who knew?? Multiple times she reminded us that if the Dad wanted to get in the Jacuzzi tub with Mom, they would need to wear swim trunks. She also stressed heavily that while it was okay for Moms and babies to be naked, as they were patients, Dads really needed to bring “jammy pants” and a swim suit. The image of my incredibly modest husband even thinking of stripping naked in front of our doctor totally cracked me up. But this tour guide seemed pretty serious.

One time a few years ago we were talking about kids with Jeff’s parents and how much they like running around naked when they’re little. I asked Jeff’s parents if Jeff liked to run around naked much when he was a baby (because I was having a hard time reconciling that with the modest version of him I know now) and his Dad replied, “Um, no. Jeff was born wearing a dress shirt and khakis.” I actually believe that this could be true. In contrast, I feel like there are pictures of me as a child well past the appropriate age to be naked, still running around in the back yard with no clothes on.


In other pregnancy land news, I’m apparently gaining in girth every day. Mondays are my least favorite day for two reasons now. One – going back to work and Two – anticipating the assessing looks and comments from all coworkers all day about how much I grew over the weekend. Annoying much? I AM by the way still a person of my own with thoughts and interests beyond my belly and baby. At least for another month or so. And while I’m on my Negative Nancy tirade – why does the weather have to be so fucking hot!? Yesterday was so pleasant after that god awful stretch of 90 degree weather but someone just told me that it’s supposed to get up in to the mid 90s this weekend? Just kill me now. Or buy me an air conditioner. Or check me into a hotel.

Daily Note: July 18, 2009

Me: Is this shirt ugly or cute? (holding up maternity shirt given to me by someone else)

Jeff: Weeell, it's NOT cute.

Daily Note: July 17, 2009

Well, yesterday afternoon was my office baby shower, which was filled with cupcakes and other treats. Everyone chipped in and bought us the Ergo baby carrier (like a Bjorn) that we'd registered for. One more expensive purchase that we don't have to make ourselves! After stuffing myself with 2 cupcakes, ice cream and plenty of cheese and crackers, I headed straight to the doctors to be weighed in. Ooops.

Aside from the usual good news of hearing the baby's heartbeat sounding strong, I got the added bonus of being told that the doctor thinks it's highly unlikely I'll have a big baby! Jeff was a chunky monkey at 10 pounds,

but I was a little runtier coming in under 7 pounds,

so I've been curious which way this baby might lean. She seemed pretty sure that I was having a healthy, but smallish baby. She said she'd be able to say more definitively at my next appointment and more accurately in mid August. For now, she was able to tell that the baby had gotten herself into a very unique (read: uncomfortable (for me)) position, where she lays completely diagonal. Her head is still down, but the rest of her is splayed all over the place - which the doctor said wouldn't be possible if she was a giant baby. She also said that the mother's birth weight is the strongest determining factor for guessing the baby's weight. She said the father's birth weight was more accurately represented by the size of the placenta, which I thought was interesting.

I'll be delivering at Swedish hospital on First Hill and we have our facility tour this Sunday night. Since neither of us have been to this hospital before, I think seeing everything will make it much more real.

Daily Note: July 16, 2009

How many days in a row can I wear my black, jersey knit skirt to work without being mocked? Answer – 3.

How fat can I let my fingers get and still cram my wedding rings on every day? Answer – no fatter. I officially need to retire the rings and rock the I’m-having-a-child-out-of-wedlock look. Whatevs.

How many peaches and blueberries can I eat per day without making myself sick? Answer – as yet undiscovered. I’ve eaten at least 3 servings of blueberries and 2 peaches per day for the last 2 weeks and the craving shows no sign of letting up soon.

How long before I need a support bar installed in the house to pull myself out of bed? Answer- not much longer.

How many more days til my due date? Answer – 46. This is simultaneously not very many days and a lot of days. 46 days is not very long to wait for a giant life change to take place, nor is it very many days to put off the pain of labor. BUT it is many days to be (increasingly) uncomfortable. It is also many days to stare obsessively in the mirror waiting for stretch marks to make their appearance.

Daily Note: July 15, 2009

A few extra pictures (compliments of Katherine) from my shower this weekend.

The girls made 18 different cards, one for each of Edie's birthdays from 1-18 and passed them out (we conveniently had 18 guests I think?) and everyone wrote a birthday card relevant to that age (filled with *nothing* but sage words of wisdom no doubt). This is one table with their cards:

I call this series "Hats":

Teeny tiny pink pumas from my friends with mad street credit, Maggie and Heidi:

Everyone pretending to be entertained while I open the 500th present:

Me with the lovely hosts:

Daily Note: July 13, 2009

My girlfriends threw me a baby shower this weekend. It was perfect. Amy made the invitations at her letterpress class:

Me all dressed up and ready to go (also giving you a sneak peak into the unfinished nursery):

And for those of you dying for a profile version of week 32:

My giant loot pile (also referred to as the "gift table" by some):

Me partaking in the buffet, which as promised by the invite, consisted of a "tiny feast": mini BLTs on mini croissants, little egg salad sandwiches, baby quiches, little cups of tomato soup with teeny grilled cheese sandwiches, miniature fruit skewers, and small cups of pasta salad.

The favors (jars of honey and scones) interspersed with baby pictures of Jeff and me:

And yes, that's an adorable custom label on the the honey that says "Edie Bee Honey - made from the sweetest stuff on earth". For serious. Also for serious is Kristin, serving this tray of miniature rootbeer floats:

...and my plate of desserts - rootbeer float, mini lemon cupcake and lemon bar:

The party:

And last (but certainly not least), me and my Mom:

Daily Note: July 10, 2009

The closet in the nursery is finished! As promised - before, during and after photos are below. I'm so impressed with Jeff's skills. Aren't you?

Ta Daaaa!!

And now for a peak at the very latest construction project. A tiny army of Culvers came down on Wednesday and Jeff and his Dad spent the entire day ripping a giant hole in one of our walls (while Jeff's Mom slaved away in my yard). So while I was at work, the wall between our kitchen and living room received a major makeover. This has been a dream of mine for years. I love having people over for dinner parties, but then I always end up stuck alone in the kitchen while everyone else hangs out in the living room. This way, when I'm working in the kitchen, I can still be a part of the conversation! Despite how long I'd envisioned this change, I have to say that coming home from work and finding this wall:

Looking like this:

Was a shocker. There is still much work to be done, but already, the house is filled with so much more light. And last night when I wanted to refill my water in the kitchen without missing a moment of The Deadliest Catch (don't ask) in the living room, I could scamper to the kitchen and watch the show from the kitchen while cracking ice and refilling my glass. Next, Jeff is going to make built-in bookshelves all along this living room side so that our massive piles (and piles) of books (finally) have a home. Once the shelves are built, he can trim out this hole to make it look less like 2x4s and more like a window or doorway with fancy support columns. Of course, even further down the road is our plan to gut the kitchen and have a do-over in there, but until then, the view of our mediocre kitchen will just have to do.

Daily Note: July 9, 2009

Dear Maurice,

Why do you have to be such a dick sometimes? We love you more than any owner loves their cat, but you still persist on breaking into our neighbor’s house and terrorizing their stupid little white cat in the middle of the night, bringing shame on us. I know that white cats are silly and eating her food is like taking candy from a baby. But think about it Mo - only dicks take candy from babies! And the bringing of dead animals into the house has GOT TO STOP. I know that it’s possible you brought us that dead rat last night to apologize for picking a fight with that cat in our backyard yesterday, but SERIOUSLY. You can leave the rat on our front porch and we will be just as grateful for the “gift”. In fact, more grateful. Because the truth is, while you might enjoy the gift of a dead rat, we, in fact, do not. Particularly at 2:30am.

Love,
Your owners

Daily Note: July 7, 2009

My weekend in photos:

The first thing you should know about this weekend is that it was HOT. Too hot. Here is a picture of Maurice and I, lounging on the bed with the fan strategically blowing on us at max power. If I could lay on my back like Maurice is, I would have. This is how we spent most of Friday the 3rd:

The only exception to this sloth like behavior is when I got it in my head to bake a blueberry pie. This was a good idea because pie is delicious, but a bad idea because all that work and turning the oven on made me more hot. That said, I was still pumped to partake in my pie that night.

On the 4th, I got smart and spent most of the day reading my book at the Northgate Barnes and Noble where they have the best air conditioning ever. That evening we headed to Eastlake where our friends with a roof deck were throwing a party. Here is me and my belly enjoying the burger buffet:

If you can't tell by my cranky face, it was HOT on the roof deck. So we went inside where I resumed one of my favorite positions:

Once the sun started to set and the temperature dropped, we headed back up:

Truthfully, I was also lured by the mention of Trophy cupcakes on the roof:

On Sunday I did more or less nothing, which was exactly what I was interested in doing. Except I did find one burst of motivation to make a giant batch of pesto for freezing:

Thankfully, on Sunday night some crazy winds blew in and the temperature dropped from 90 to 70 overnight. 32 weeks pregnant plus 70 degrees is a much better combo. Unfortunately, the cooler weather has proven that my feet are indeed growing and it wasn't just the heat making them swell. Pretty sure it's flip flops from here on out. My main struggles at this stage in my pregnancy seem to be getting a good night's sleep and my intensifying hip pain, particularly in the left hip. Otherwise, I think things are moving along as they should. The nursery is finally starting to come together. We're in the process of shifting furniture around to see what works best and toying with different art for the walls. Hopefully we'll have pictures to share towards the end of the month.

Daily Note: July 6, 2009

Until we get our 4th of July pics downloaded, here's one of me and my giant gut to tide you over:

Daily Note: July 2, 2009

Today marked another successful doctor's appointment, which is always nice. She was actually able to feel the position of the baby from the outside, which was cool. I guess her head has moved down so that she's upside down, which is good. Her legs appear to be on my right side, which is why so much of the movement I feel is on that side. When we see the big glidey movements from the outside, it's likely her switching the side her butt is on because her head is mostly going to stay in the down position from here on out. If it's a big bump, it's her butt, if it's a small lump, it's probably her knees. It's nice to be able to better picture how she's positioned and interpret her movements. Doctor's appointments are getting a little routine these days; wave my "OB e-z pass", proceed to bathroom, pee in cup, place cup in cupboard, follow nurse to the dreaded scale, get weighed measured, ask embarrassing questions about bodily functions aaaaannnd DONE! Two more appts this month and then I shift to once a week in August.

Daily Note: July 2, 2009

Better late than never, here are some more pictures from the bridal shower we threw recently. Hopefully they aren't showing up as dark on your screen as they are on mine...

The tables set with potted herbs, flowers and tiny jars of candy:


The basket of favors (assorted vegetables tied with ribbons) plus some framed photos of the betrothed:

The beverage table:

The spread:

Daily Note: July 1, 2009

Dear Asshole that broke into my car while I was at work yesterday and stole my stereo,

I hope the $20 you get for selling my shitty stereo buys you some crappy drugs that cause you to overdose and be rushed to the hospital where you need very expensive medical treatment that you can't afford. Or that you piss your drug dealer off and they break your legs. Or something. Because while you were breaking my locks and jacking my stereo I was making an HONEST LIVING.

Sincerely,
Jill