baby bump watch

Ok baby…it’s your due date…WHERE ARE YOU??? Oh fine – check out my 40-week baby bump!!!

by Courtney on July 17, 2011

Today is July 18, 2011…

Do you know why this date is significant, dear readers? Well, today is my baby’s DUE DATE!!! Today is the day I’m supposed to meet my baby girl…the love of my life, the apple of my eye – the doll that I get to dress up every day for at least the next 5 years…. But I don’t know, something tells me little one is getting cold feet. This little chica is turning out to be stubborn as hell! And she doesn’t get it from me!!! SO, because of her lack of urgency in joining this world, I now have an official INDUCTION DATE of July 25th. Yep, if my stage 5 clinger doesn’t come on her own in the next 7 days, she’s getting forced out!!

Oh why me? Why did I have to go and eat such horribly awesome things that taste so good throughout this pregnancy that baby doesn’t want to ever come out? Why would she give up pizza and daily Wendy’s Frosty’s for a bland milk diet? (I can’t say I blame her in that regard.) People try to make me feel better about my still being pregnant problem by saying I’ve created such comfortable living quarters in my belly that the baby just doesn’t want to come out. And then I feel comforted. But technically I know that has nothing to do with it. I just don’t get why some babies come 2 weeks early and some come a week late and have to be dragged out kicking and screaming (no pun intended!).

These days, I feel like a total masochist. I can’t wait to feel contractions – bring on the pain! (Sure, I say this now!) I learned in my birthing class that this is the only time in your life when pain equals a good thing because you have to feel it in order to get the baby out. Apparently, a contracting uterus is no walk in the park.  You know the saying: no pain no gain! But I’ve felt nothing – no contractions, at least I don’t think. I feel little aches and pains here and there, but nothing consistent, so I don’t know if they’re contractions or if last night’s bratwurst just isn’t agreeing with me.

My celebrity friends are rubbing their newborn babies in my face!!

Can I just tell you how jealous I am reading about all the celebrities popping out their babies in the last few weeks? As I’m sure every loyal reader of Us Weekly knows, about 90% of Hollywood has been preggo this year, including Kate Hudson, Pink, Jewel, Victoria Beckham, Alicia Silverstone, and Natalie Portman, to name a few. And one by one, I’m reading about them all dropping like flies and having their babies. And here I am…all alone on my pregnant island (no more celebrity friends :( ) and I’m dying of envy.

NEWS FLASH: I just read that even Ivanka Trump had her baby today. I thought for sure she was way behind me. HMPH!!

Ahhhh well, even though I feel like I’m going to be pregnant forever, there is definitely an end in sight – and it’s 7 days or less. Even though I think I’m ready, nothing can really prepare you for the responsibility of being a parent – especially of a newborn, because you don’t really know what the hell you’re doing! It’s an overwhelming thought and even now, days away, I still find it so surreal that it’s almost here…

My final baby bump watch pic – 40 weeks!

Forty freaking weeks pregnant! Ten months! Two months shy of a YEAR! I’ve been pregnant for so long, I literally can’t even imagine not being pregnant now! It’s become my identity! So anyway, this is my last baby bump watch picture. Even though I’m SO ready to not be pregnant anymore, it’s kind of bittersweet knowing this is my last weekly bump pic! It’s been an amazing journey to say the least.

Babycenter.com actually says this week: “It’s hard to say how big your baby is now…” HA! I’m just praying little girl doesn’t literally walk out of me a freaking teenager at this point! I actually gave little girl a pep talk today as I rubbed her extended little footsie poking at my side. I told her that it was ok to come out now, not to be scared! Mommy and daddy love her and are ready to meet her, so it was time to enter this world! I hope that eases her cold feet a bit…!

P.S. Does anyone think I look skinnier in my40 week bump watch pic than I did in my 37 week bump pic in the same dress and pose? It’s all that walking I’m doing I think! Just sayin’!

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Trading binge drinking for an ice cream binger – happy 4th of July! Plus, check out my 38-week baby bump!

by Courtney on July 4, 2011

Oh how life can change in the span of a year.

<——This time last year I was down in Hermosa Beach celebrating our nation’s b-day by binge drinking for 3 days straight. It was so fun. I’ll never forget that weekend because my hangover on the ride home officially ranks in my top 3 worst of all time. But you don’t get into those high ranks without it being a memorable time, so you gotta take the good with the bad! To read about my super fun binger, read this: “Happy B-day America, let’s binge drink!”

But this year, I’m trading in binge drinking for an ice cream binger – or food binger, whatever you wanna call it. Hey, I wanna have fun too! Instead of doing an all day “crib crawl” with friends starting at 9am like last year, tonight we had hot plans to go to the local family park and watch the fireworks show. We packed a cooler filled with 3 beers for Jeff and a Wendy’s Frosty for me. No joke. Fifteen minutes after we arrived, the fireworks show was over and we were on our way home! Now that was worth the 365 day wait!!! But what else are you supposed to do when you’re two weeks away from your baby’s due date and you’re praying to God that he’ll have mercy on you and send you into labor early? Too bad the fireworks didn’t scare the baby out – it probably scared her into staying safe and sound in the womb. DAMN! My plan backfired.

Finding “family friendly” ways to have fun

These days I think about all the new things Jeff and I will have to get into doing once the baby arrives. Like, going to family parks to watch fireworks on the 4th of July, or going to the farmer’s market and listening to some silly Frank Sinatra cover band. These are great family friendly activities. Basically, you have to think of new ways to have fun that don’t necessarily involve alcohol. Not that it has to be like that all the time, I know you can drink when you have kids. But binge drinking – not a good idea. So we’ll need to get creative. I’m totally making us sound like major lushes but we’re not. Well, Jeff is but I’m not. (Ha, let’s see if he reads my blog and comments about that one!) No really, we’re just like everybody else who likes to relax with a few cocktails on the weekends!

Anyway, I keep thinking about how fun our first family vacation is going to be. I picture us in some tropical locale with the baby in the water because we’ll have put her through Water Babies at this point, and she’ll be doing laps around us! Yesterday, Jeff and I went to the beach and there were TONS of families with babies and it made me excited for next summer when baby girl will be a year old and freaking adorable in a tiny bathing suit and likely walking and playing with a little shovel in the sand. A few years from now, I am SO excited to take her to Disneyland and see all the Disney characters. Maybe it’s something about experiencing the world through the eyes of a child again.

So ya, life is definitely changing pretty soon for Jeff and I, but I’m honestly looking forward to what’s to come and doing new things we haven’t done before. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when you’re married and just do the same things over and over again; so this will be a whole new set of activities for us to get into and I think it’ll be fun! And can I just say I haven’t missed drinking at all throughout this pregnancy, but with the weather being 100+ degrees these days, knowing an ice cold beer is literally in my future within the next few weeks is like the greatest thing on earth. Well, like waaaay behind having my baby that is…you know what I mean! :)

Baby bump watch continues –week 38!

According to Babycenter.com, the baby weighs almost 7 lbs and is about 19 ½ inches long. Her organs have fully matured and she’s ready for life outside of the womb. Man, I wish someone would remind her of that….hey little girl, there’s a whole new world out here just waiting for you to see it!!!

I would so love for this to be my last baby bump watch picture! It’s been fun to document this pregnancy for my friends and family and whoever else cares enough to follow, but I’m just so ready for it to be over. My aunt told me she’s going to miss these bump watch posts, but hey, I’ll be blogging about life with a newborn and that should be loads more interesting, right? Everything will be new again and I’ll have lots to say! In the beginning of pregnancy I had a ton to say about how things were progressing, but after a while it’s like; “yep, another week, more pounds, more back pain – nothing new!” Anyway, I’m officially on maternity leave now, so let the waiting game begin! Here’s to hoping for a 4th of July baby!!!!!!

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My birth plan: Give me the drugs. Plus, check out my 37-week baby bump!

by Courtney on June 26, 2011

With 3 weeks until my due date, I’ve taken my final class of pregnancy – childbirth preparation! From 9-4 this past Saturday, Jeff and I learned the various techniques of pain management, watched videos of women giving birth with and without an epidural, and learned all the many details I’ll need to know to help prepare me for this monumental event coming up. I’d be lying if I said I haven’t been experiencing anxiety about childbirth the closer I get to it, but thanks to this class, I feel a lot more prepared and a little less anxious. And one thing I’m positive about is that my birth plan is going to be pretty simple: gimme the drugs.

Lately, when thinking about childbirth, I have this feeling like I’m driving right into the eye of a tornado. I know I’ll make it through the storm, but I have no idea the extent of the damages I’ll endure to make it to the other side! And don’t say I’m being dramatic – have you seen movies? I mean, I know they dramatize childbirth, but it’s not like I’ve spent any time in my life watching real labor and birth, so all I know is what I have seen. I was even watching that new show on Lifetime, Born Every Minute, and that’s supposed to be real life, but of course they only show the drama, drama, drama. After my first childbirth nightmare from watching that show, I decided it was time to stop watching! To calm my nerves, I keep reminding myself that this is only one day of my life, and millions of women have gone through this before me and they are just fine. And hey, if I can do a 5-hour, 65 mile bike marathon (in which I wanted to literally amputate my own feet and ass afterward!), AND run a 13.1 mile half marathon nonstop in the same year – then I can do childbirth. It’s all about perserverance and not giving up. I can do this, I can do this – this is my mantra.

Slow dancing through labor

That being said; understanding the techniques of how to deal with labor can’t hurt. Of course Jeff was all; “Do we have to go to this? This NOT how I want to spend my Saturday.” But he needs to understand that this isn’t just my thing, this is our thing and he definitely has a role in getting us through this. Jeff thinks this kind of stuff is for hippies, so I was a little nervous when the instructor had us stand up and slow dance with each other as a way to stretch my hips and help release a hormone that is thought to move the reproductive process along. But to my surprise, a few minutes later Jeff asked for my notepad and pen and wrote down; “slow dance to release oxytocin.” Awww, so cute! You better believe that when I’m at home and experiencing the first stages of labor pain, we won’t forget to slow dance to get this show on the road!

While watching the video of a woman giving birth sans an epidural, I literally held my breath the whole time! Why oh why!!? I know every woman is different and each have their own reasons for wanting or not wanting pain management drugs, but when I see how miserable “natural birth” looks, I’m just like give. me. the. drugs. In fact, in a class of about 30 couples, only 2 ladies said they wanted to try a drug free birth, but even they didn’t seem sure! I wonder if they’d changed their minds by the end of the class!

And finally, we did a really cool exercise at the end where our partners poured a cup of ice in our hands and we were supposed to hold it for 90 seconds and breathe through the stinging cold pain – like we would through labor. The first time we did it we were supposed to have a focal point in the room, and the second time we did it we had to close our eyes and envision our happy place. When it’s over, whatever helped us get through and focus less on the pain is supposed to let us know what we’ll prefer during labor. For me, I definitely prefered eyes closed. I had a simple picture in my head of me floating in the pool with a salt-rimmed margarita, a good book, and a skinny body! I’ll say the pain was definitely less noticeable in my happy place!

To my surprise, Jeff told me that Saturday was probably the most memorable day of this pregnancy for him, and I think it’s because of the bonding we went through as we learned how to manage this tornado together, and he saw just how much I’m about to go through to bring our ’lil baby into this world!

Baby bump watch continues – week 37!

Well, baby is now considered full-term! I may have 3 weeks until my due date, but I could go into labor at any time. However, according to my doctor this past week, I’m still on track with my due date and as of Thursday, she didn’t see any signs that I’ll be going early, at least on that day! Babycenter.com estimates the baby weighs about 6 1/3 lbs and measures over 19 inches long.

One thing I learned in my childbirthing class was that right before you give birth you experience a strong “nesting” urge to prepare for baby. And boy have I had that! I enjoy nothing more than washing all the new baby clothes, folding them, and organizing them into draws or in the closet by size group! I chuckled to myself when I was reminded of this whole “nesting” thing as I was upstairs literally ironing tiny baby dresses! I HATE ironing — I barely iron my own clothes! When am ever going to be ironing baby clothes once the baby arrives? Probably NEVER! But even if little girl only gets to wear some of these newborn sized clothes once; at least they’ll be wrinkle free and picture perfect! Oh it’s been SO long since I’ve played “dress up” and I cannot wait to get started!! :)

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9 Months pregnant: A look back at this amazing journey! Plus, check out my 36-week baby bump!

by Courtney on June 21, 2011

On Saturday night, as my husband was putting together the new baby swing and I was organizing the baby’s dresser drawers by clothing size, my mind shot back to that fateful night in October when I read the word “Pregnant” across that little EPT stick. I was in New Orleans and, unfortunately, was nursing a wicked hangover! I just had this nagging feeling that I couldn’t remember the last time it was that time of the month, so I figured before I had another night of binge drinking, I better just make sure I wasn’t preggo. Annnnnnd I was.

If you remember reading that first pregnancy announcement post, you know that I wasn’t thrilled about it. I was freaked out! Selfishly, I thought about all the fun things I had planned on the horizon that didn’t include a baby! SO, as I was folding that teeny tiny onsie that says “Daddy’s Princess” on it this weekend, and I looked at my husband contently building this little swing, I chuckled at how life changes so quickly. And what I didn’t think I wanted yet because I had nothing but ME on the brain, suddenly became the most important thing in my life and the source of unparalleled happiness and fulfillment. Who knew?

Pregnancy has definitely been a roller coaster of emotions and physical changes to my body. Despite me frequently using my blog to complain about all my preggo “ailments”, it hasn’t all sucked. In fact, compared to some horror stories I’ve heard, I’ve had a really easy pregnancy. Sure, during that first trimester I complained incessantly about my non-descript weight gain, where I didn’t look pregnant, but none of my clothes fit anymore. Or how about my pregnancy acne, or mood swings, or sleepiness – shall I keep going? But then I hit my second trimester and it was like being on cloud nine; running around in fairy dust all day long. It was practically magical! I felt great, got my confidence and energy back, started growing a cute little baby bump and I found out I was having a little girl! It was a special time.

Fast forward to the third trimester and this is when the hard part starts. Back pain, frequent bathroom trips, and increased limitations to your physical abilities can really take its toll on you.  It gets to a point where there’s a marked difference in your physicality from one week to the next. Like, last week I took a 40 minute walk with my dog two days in a row, and this week I could definitely not walk for 40 minutes!

At 36 weeks, I’m now officially 9 months pregnant but I still technically have 4 weeks to go! I don’t understand why people say you’re pregnant for 9 months when it’s really 10! And I don’t know, I probably shouldn’t say this because I’ll jinx myself, but I feel like I’m going to go early. I don’t see me being preggers for another month. I don’t know why, I just have a feeling. Watch me still be blogging at 41 weeks preggo and begging the Lord to have mercy on me and get this baby out!!

Speaking of which, if the baby were to come tomorrow – I’d be ready. I feel the anxiety of childbirth and the overwhelming feeling of responsibility beginning to wash away and pure excitement is setting in. I think part of this feeling comes from being prepared at home with all the baby essentials I need and my hospital bag waiting by the door! We’ve taken the infant CPR class, the breastfeeding 101 course, and coming up this weekend – childbirth preparation! And I’ve read enough baby books and articles to earn a degree in pregnancy and infant care. We’re as ready as we’ll ever be for this new baby to come into our lives, so now we just wait for her…

Baby bump watch continues – week 36!

Did I mention that I’m ready to just have this baby already?! In my weekly Babycenter.com email, there’s really very little to say anymore about the baby’s progress. She’s fully cooked now. She weighs about 6 lbs. and is more than 18.5 inches long. By the end of this week she will be considered full-term. I’m happy to say that at my doctor appointment last week we did an ultrasound and saw that the baby is in the head down position, which is where she should be – so she’s ready to go too!

Let’s just hope baby girl doesn’t decide to camp out in her little home for too much longer because it’s definitely getting HOT outside and carrying around this big ‘ole basketball in my tummy is getting mucho difficult! You should see my feet and ankles swelling on hot days. I texted a scary pic of my feet to my parents and told them they looked like my Granny’s cankles minus 5o years of aging!! AHHHH!! NOTSEXY!!! GET THE BABY OUT!!

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Feeling like the baby is going to crawl out of me any minute!! Plus, check out my 35-week baby bump!

by Courtney on June 13, 2011

My husband thinks that my baby is about to crawl out of me any minute when he feels all her wiggly little movements that have intensified over the last several weeks. And I swear, if frequent movement from your baby means the baby is going to come early, then my baby is due any second! But of course, all this movement doesn’t mean the baby is almost here per se, we’re just getting down to the wire on pregnancy, so at 35 weeks, the living quarters for my little one have gotten quite cramped. And I feel every kick, summersault, elbow, and hiccup to the most intense level! Though I’ve been feeling the baby move since about 20 weeks or so, it gets weird when you literally feel like you can grab an elbow or a foot from the outside of your belly! FRRRREEEEAAKKKKKYYY!!!

If anything, it definitely makes the realization that a baby is in there and about to come out that much more real. Not that I haven’t grasped that concept yet (!!), but to some degree, in the early stages and for quite a while actually – at least for me – pregnancy is kind of a novelty. You get loads of attention from strangers, everyone is nicer to you than normal, you grow a cute baby bump, etc. The actual birth part seems like it’s light years in the future, because traditionally, 9 months seems like a really long time in the future. But it happens so fast it’s not even funny, and then here you are – 5 weeks before your baby is due and your reality is about to change forever. Or it could be in 3 weeks or 2 weeks if the baby really does decide to come early! O-M-G!

Preparing for baby

So to prepare for baby, I’ve been doing a couple things. Last night I purchased a bunch of travel sized toiletries that can go in my overnight bag for the hospital. I’ve got a list of things I need to put in a bag and have waiting by the door for when that fateful day comes! How I managed to spend $85 on travel sized toiletries at CVS, I’ll never know. I’ve got granola bars and Cheez-Its ready to stuff in my bag for snacking while I’m chillin’ at the hospital. I’ve got my reading material set aside and hmm…maybe a nice candle to make my labor and delivery room smell like home! I’ll also need to make a labor iPod playlist, and maybe bring my favorite DVD to pass the time – Twilight! Ha! I say all these things now, but I’m sure the experience won’t be as calm and serene as I’m imagining it to be. But a girl can only hope, right?

I’m also preparing for baby by organizing and washing the baby clothes I’ve received from my shower and hand-me-downs from my neighbor (which are practically brand new themselves!). I literally do not need another article of clothing for the baby, at least not for the next 6 months! The little chicki boom boom has more clothes than I do!! Her nursery looks like a cyclone hit it because I’ve got all her baby clothes in piles on the floor so I could count just how many items she has for each size group. And I seriously don’t think girlfriend needs 16 onesies to wear from 3-6 months. I mean, we have wash machines for a reason! Note to any friends or family who want to buy us a baby gift still – no more clothes please!! That is, unless they’re 6-9 months + and they’re weather appropriate for the time of year. One thing is for certain, Ms. Thang is going to be the most stylish baby around! Oh I cannot wait to dress her up in some of these ridiculous dresses I’ve received! Too cute for words!

Baby bump watch continues – week 35!

We’re getting to the point where I’m making Jeff take about 100 different pics of me until I land on the one I’ll use for the baby bump pic. I’m all; “Oh no, we need to take another one, I’m changing my outfit, that shirt made me look so huge.” As if it’s the shirts that make me look huge! I think it’s the ice cream. ANYWAY, according to Babycenter.com, the baby is over 18 inches long and weighs about 5 ¼ lbs! No wonder she doesn’t have much room to maneuver in the womb – she’s getting so big! Most of her basic physical development is complete; she’s just going to spend the next 5 weeks until birth turning into a chunky monkey.

As far as how I’m feeling; sleep has become like a chore to me now, as my sciatic nerve is making the nights almost unbearable. I cannot freaking wait to get passed this part. Lord have mercy, why does this nerve pain have to be centered squarely on my right butt cheek? I mean, when I ask my husband to massage the pain spot, he can’t take me seriously. So he ends up bringing on more pain by kneading the crap out of my butt (oops, no pun intended there!) and making me worse off than I was before his insensitivity “tried to help.” I told him the fact that he tries to give really crappy massages when I ask for his help — just so I won’t ask anymore — is really MESSED UP! Next time, he can carry the baby! Hmph!

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Six weeks until baby! It’s all about nesting and finding comfort now. Plus, check out my 34-week baby bump!

by Courtney on June 7, 2011

I cannot believe I have a mere 6 weeks to go before the baby comes – that is, if she comes on time and not early! I’ve got a single track mind these days – baby, baby, and more baby! I’ve let Jeff know that every weekend from here on  out is about making further progress on anything baby, whether it be the nursery, or pregnancy/baby prep classes, picking a pediatrician and daycare, etc. June is going to be a busy month for us!

I was thankful for rainy days this past weekend because we had nothing better to do then go baby nursery shopping. Jeff doesn’t understand why we need to go buy a bunch of stuff since we just had a baby shower. I had to explain to him that we’re having a girl, and that means people just can’t help themselves but go nuts on the cute little baby clothes! I get it! So now we have a closet full of pink little baby dresses and adorable onesies! But that means we still need to get the baby bathtub, changing bed, bottles, etc. Essentially, we need the essentials, the stuff that isn’t so fun to buy for a baby shower, but the stuff we still need to prepare for baby. On top of that, I’ve been on a desperate search to find a glider/ottoman set that will fit the small space we have remaining in our baby room for rocking the baby to sleep and nursing. Thankfully, Babies R Us had the perfect upholstered wood glider and ottoman that fit our space AND it was in stock! Whoohoo! So we got to take it home and Jeff set it up right away. Ahh….now my nursery is feeling almost done! That, and the bath tub and changing bed made me feel like we made real progress this weekend. Plus, we bought a couple boxes of diapers, and I’ll tell ya; nothing makes this whole baby thing seem more real than when you’re buying diapers for the first time! I intend to take pictures of the baby nursery when I feel it’s 100% done and ready for it’s bloggy debut!

Pregnancy comfort MUST DOs!

Aside from nesting and finishing off my baby room, I’ve desperately been seeking comfort for my lower back pain due to pressure on my sciatic nerve, among other aches and pains associated with pregnancy. So I decided last week to try prenatal yoga and man, it was great! I lucked out and ended up being the only attendee for the class that night, so I got a one on one session! I felt SO much better after the class and some of my back pain had already begun to subside. Turns out, a good stretching can really help clear up some pregnancy discomfort. And to continue seeking comfort, I got my first real prenatal massage the next day! Let me just say it was heaven on earth! I guess some of the frustrating pain I was having in my upper back was a buildup of galactic acid between my bones or muscles – whatever – and my masseuse definitely massaged it out! I HIGHLY recommend all pregnant girls start prenatal yoga, and much earlier in pregnancy too. And you HAVE TO GET a prenatal massage – more than once, obvy! Treat yourself, mama!

I’m thankful that I only have 3 more weeks of working in the office and then I work from home for a week and maternity leave officially starts July 1st through November 1st.  I’m just ready to stop working at this point. Hauling my butt around is exhausting – especially since I take public transportation!!

Baby bump watch continues – week 34!

According to Babycenter.com, the baby now weighs a little more than 4 ¾ lbs and is almost 18 inches long, or like the size of a cantaloupe. She’s continuing to fill out, her skin is smooth, and her central nervous system is maturing. Some good info to know is that if the baby is born anywhere from 34-37 weeks than they could still be ok, as long as they don’t have any other health issues.

Totally unrelated, but I had a new little exchange with that old and INSENSITIVE bus driver of mine that carts me from work to the train. Remember him from my previous blogs? He’s always making jokes about how freaking huge I am, and has been since about 7 months! He thinks he’s being funny and I just want to punch him in the face. Well last week as I’m climbing onto the bus he goes; “Hey Any Minute!” Then he laughs his ass off. Then he adds; “Whatchu havin’ twins or somethin’?” He dies laughing at himself again. Fed up, I say; “HEY! You’re starting to hurt my feelings, leave me the EFF alone you damn bus driver!!” Ok, so I didn’t really say that second part, but I wanted to. :)

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Feeling dead sexy at 8+ months pregnant (Ya, right!) Plus, check out my 33-week baby bump!

by Courtney on May 29, 2011

Having a baby in mid July is kind of an awkward time when it comes to finding clothes to wear in early summer, especially considering I’m now as big as a house and it’s hot as hell outside.  We’ve already discussed how wearing long maxi dresses may be comfortable, but my wicked thunder thighs rub up against each other as I walk and it drives me crazy. I’ve resorted to maternity Spanx to remedy this issue and I guess it works, except it’s a pain when you have to go the bathroom 80 times a day. I have to dance my preggo ass back into those damn Spanx every time I pull ‘em back up! And maternity shorts are a no go. My legs have totally failed me in the second half of pregnancy. What happened to them? Oh ya, they got fat too. Let’s not forget that my gym has a rockin’ pool scene in the summer and since I like a nice tan, you better believe I’ll be hitting up the pool for as long as possible. But then I’ve got to wear a bathing suit! Oh Lord, how much more of a beating can my self-esteem take?! I used to hear some women say they feel really sexy in pregnancy, but not me. I feel cute at times, yes, but dead sexy? HELLZ NO! In my Babycenter.com email this week it said that “many women still feel very sexy this far into pregnancy”, and I wanna know who these women are and what they’re eating.

Yesterday, I spent an hour in a dressing room at Motherhood Maternity trying on dress after dress and top after top looking for the one that’s going to make me look preggo skinny. None of them did. I just had to settle for the least depressing looks and call it a day. It’s so hard to find clothes that make you look and feel good when you’re 8+ months pregnant. On the one hand, you don’t really want to be buying clothes this close to your due date, but when the weather is totally going from mild 60s/70s to 80s/90s, you have no choice but to wear less, and that friends, is a challenge when all your exposed limbs are suddenly chunky and full of cellulite.

I remember last August going to dinner with one of my friends who was 6 months pregnant at the time and I asked her how it felt being pregnant. She surprised me with her response when she said; “You experience a lot of body image issues when you’re pregnant.” I thought that was so weird because I’d never heard of anyone saying that before. I just thought when you were pregnant you got a big belly and kind of full other places too and that was that – it was expected. But now I totally know what she meant, because clearly I have body image issues too. I mean, I’ve got nothing but love for my baby bump, but it’s all the other stuff that goes to shit that can play on your self-confidence! It sucks big time, not gonna lie! I said I’d keep it real for ya, so I am! But I know that things will improve after I give birth – especially if I breast feed, which I intend to do. But before it gets better, I have 7 weeks for it to get worse! OH MAMA MIA!!! Have mercy!

Baby bump watch continues – week 33!

According to Babycenter.com, the baby has passed the 17 inch mark and weighs over 4 lbs, or about the heft of a pineapple. The baby is rapidly losing that wrinkly alien look and filling out to her chubby little self, obviously causing my belly to get bigger. Babycenter says that by now I’m no longer “sashaying” around, but most likely waddling and bumping into chairs and counters when I walk passed things. Ummm…this has been happening since WAY before my 33rd week, Babycenter!! In early pregnancy I swore I’d never waddle, but damn, waddling just feels good. I mean, it’s the only way I can maneuver around these thunder thighs!

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How to have the Best. Baby. Shower. Ever! Plus, check out my 32-week baby bump!

by Courtney on May 24, 2011

I know I may sound biased, but I’ve just been to the Best. Baby. Shower. Ever – and it just so happened to be mine! I know what you’re thinking; but I really don’t think I’m biased – it’s true. So I figured I’d share all the ways to ensure your shower is not only fantabulous in your eyes – but your guests as well!

First, you’ll need the support of your friends or family to really take on the planning/hosting roll of it so all you have to do the day of is sit there and enjoy yourself. But, if you’re like me and you like to have *some* creative control, you should try to be involved in some of the planning aspects – like putting your two cents in on the major stuff – and then your hostesses can go execute most of it.

Have a reason to get your baby nursery done early. After my rather depressing blog post last week about being stressed due to my upcoming baby shower being at my house, thus my nursery needing to be done-zo in time, I was all set to tell you all to not make the same mistake I did: DON’T HAVE YOUR SHOWER AT YOUR HOUSE! But now I’ve changed my tune. I mean, yes, it was a tad bit stressful trying to get the nursery done because it was such an expense to buy all that crap to fill a room in such a short amount of time. And I know I didn’t really have to have the room done, but c’mon, you know that’s what peeps want to see so you’ve gotta deliver the goods! Much to my happiness, everybody loved the nursery! (I can tell they weren’t just being nice either!) *pats on back* The best part is I’m 32-weeks preggo and my nursery is pretty much done! I’m not saving the task until the last minute when all I want to do it veg on the couch – YAY ME! Having the shower at my house forced me to get that thing done and I’M GLAD.

Plan an additional event for out of town guests. My friend Erin who lives in Indiana loves to plan events, so she offered to put together a Napa Valley wine tasting event on the Friday before the shower for all the out of town guests. How freaking sweet is that? We lucked out big time on Friday with a blue sky, 75 degree day and our first wine tasting was outside in a private area with lunch following. It was so nice! We went to two other tastings and by the end of the day, as this preggo is driving everyone back to the hotel, the backseat shenanigans sounded a lot like this; “I looooove youuuuu maaaaaan….you’re my bessssttttt friennnnnnnnnd evveeeerrrrr. You’re just, AWESOMMMMMME. No. No.. you’re AWESOMMMMME!” And of course the tipsy ladies were already declaring this the Best. Baby. Shower. Ever. and we hadn’t even had the dang shower yet! HA!

Have your shower indoor AND outdoor. Despite speaking a little too soon, those winos were right – the shower was fantastic, if I do say so myself! It was just so comfortable and laidback, even with games! Usually I’m not a fan of baby shower games because they’re lame, but this was fun and just the right level of activity. Like Friday, we lucked out with perfect weather on Saturday so people could hang out both outside and inside. We had two tables set up outside so people could chill and eat, but also design their own onesies for the onesie decorating contest – which I think is such a fun little activity for guests. Plus, the mom-to-be gets a bunch of new onsies and what do newborns live in, especially in the summer – onsies. Despite having a house on the small side – hey, I live in Cali y’all! – by having the party both indoor and outdoor it never felt cramped and it was breezy and casual – just my style.

Include the ambiance elements you enjoy. I love fresh flowers, candles, good music, and CUPCAKES, so I wanted to make sure the shower included all that. Thankfully, my friend Victoria knows how to make killer floral arrangements, so she had handmade bouquets strategically placed throughout the shower and it was GORGEOUS! I attempted to make an iPad playlist for the shower but my stupes iPod was failing me so I just turned the TV station on Comcast’s Hottest Hits and that worked fine. Except it was a little weird at one point during the present opening when it got quiet for a second and Eminem was blasting in the background talking about needing a doctor coz he’s about to lose his mind!!

Well, that’s enough on shower stuff. I had a blast and it was such a memorable weekend. Thanks to all my friends and family that came and made it so special, especially my mom, Victoria, Melissa, and Erin for hosting and putting together the shower and Napa trip! You’re the best, muah!

Baby bump watch continues – week 32!

I can’t believe I’m 8 months pregnant! This has been such a journey so far, both wonderful and in recent times, uncomfortable! And I can’t believe I only have 8 weeks left of pregnancy – if I go full term! According to Babycenter.com, the baby is about 3.75 lbs by now and 16.7 inches long, or about the size of a large jicama (whatever that is!). I’m supposed to be gaining about a pound a week from now on and this means baby is packing on the weight in preparation for birth. She has toenails, fingernails and hair on her head (or at least peach fuzz)! She moves like crazy and she’s getting really distracting at work! I have to be careful in meetings when she moves in such a way that elicits a strange look on my face because someone might think I’m giving them the stink eye, when really I just got a foot or head butt to the ribs! Ouch!

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