Showered With Love

My baby shower was on Saturday. It was a beautiful day and nice and cool in the shade. All of the decorations turned out awesome. I'm not too crazy about shower games so I picked out a simple purse scavenger hunt to find items busy moms would accumulate. Art's mom had the most busy mom points. Then we played gift bingo by having everyone fill out their own bingo card with what they thought I would get then they crossed them off as I opened presents. I got lots of baby girl clothes and a few key items such as my stroller and car seat.

Here are some pictures...




Thanks Mom, Lauren, Tracy, Kylie, Brent, Vivian, and Robyn for your help in preparing for, setting up, entertaining, and taking down everything for the shower. Thank you Ann for letting us use her gorgeous yard. And thank you to everyone who came to celebrate with me and for your wonderful gifts. With all the gifts in my house now the reality has really set in that I'm having a baby soon!

34 weeks

A Puffy Day

Today was the first day that my feet got so swollen that I couldn't fit them in my shoes. I attempted to wear normal shoes to work then I had to call Baby Cakes to bring me some flip flops because my feet wouldn't even slide into my shoes far enough to wear them. I'm thinking that all the running around and standing I did this weekend must have caused additional swelling. I'm certainly hoping that the swelling goes down because it feels like I'm walking in someone else's feet. They feel big and cumbersome instead of normal and useful.

Mom and I drove back to Modesto today to re-try the 3D ultrasound. We had dim hopes of getting any pictures, but much to our surprise, she removed her face from my placenta just enough to get a glimpse of her. She is positioned so low that we couldn't get a head on angle of her, so all of the pictures are angled from her chin up. It made her face look kind of pudgy. I guess she was having a puffy day too. The pictures are not very clear at all and mostly distorted, but I'll take distorted pictures over no pictures at all any day of the week.

Here is my obstinate baby at 34 weeks.




I know I still need to post about my baby shower, but it is way past my bed time. You will just have to hold on to your underwear.

Part II

This could definitely be considered High Hopes and Low Expectations- Part II. I have discovered that where I had previously held out high hopes, I was disappointed, and where I had lowered my expectations, I was pleasantly surprised. Allow me to elaborate...

I drove all the way to Modesto last night with my mom and husband to have a 3D ultrasound done in an attempt to see Baby's face. She was bouncing off the walls all the way there and, just as I expected, fell fast asleep the moment we arrived. Then, try as we may, we could not get any pictures whatsoever of anything that resembled a baby. As it turns out, I am carrying her so low and her face was so burrowed in my placenta that we couldn't see her at all save a few fingers. I really thought that we would be able to get at least one good face shot and I was crushed when we left empty handed. They offer a chance to come back a second time for free but it would take a significant change in position to see her and the chance of that happening this far along is very slim. I haven't decided if it's worth driving out there again for a re-do. I am hoping that Baby's prenatal obstinacy is not indicative of how she will behave outside the womb or else I am in big trouble.

On the brighter side, I seriously thought that I would be lucky to get even a card from my husband for our anniversary and he really surprised me. I had been giving him a hard time all day about the fact that I had his present bought and wrapped a week ago and he hadn't gotten me anything. We went out to dinner and when we were done eating he said, "Can I have the car keys- I need to go to the bathroom." That statement raised a lot of questions in my mind as you could easily imagine, but I reluctantly handed over the car keys. He came back in holding a bag from a jewelry store and a card. I was all teary eyed as I read the card and he even wrote something in the bottom like I taught him to do. Then I opened up the jewelry box to find a gorgeous, huge, squared white opal necklace pendant with a pink zircon stone on top- both of October's birthstones. It has a beautiful gold setting that is unlike any I have ever seen. He did an awesome job picking it out all on his own. Perhaps it's true that I didn't marry him for his strong romantic streak, but it may be that I was impressed with his ability to save his rump at the last minute.

Lastly, I would like to propose a moment of silence for those lost in the tragedy of September 11, 2001. It's hard to believe 7 years have passed already.

High Hopes and Low Expectations

I had an ultrasound today to see how Baby is measuring and from what I could tell, she is just about right. Her head is about a week ahead, which is to be expected from my side of the family, and her leg is about a week behind, which is to be expected from Art's side of the family. We had high hopes for some good images from this ultrasound since Baby is much bigger than the last one at 19 weeks and we both ended up very disappointed. We got stuck with the same ultrasound technician as last time, who happens to be a kin to the Wicked Witch of the West, and she just breezed through the whole thing, showed us practically nothing of interest, and only printed out one picture with hardly any detail whatsoever.

I completely understand that 20 years ago women were lucky to have any ultrasounds at all, but knowing the technology we have these days and how accessible it is I just can't help but be disappointed with the image I got today. Art really wanted to see her face and get a better idea of what she looks like and I want to do everything I can to foster his interest in the baby since his interest has been especially lacking throughout this pregnancy. So, I gave in and made an appointment at a 3D ultrasound place for this Wednesday evening. I'll call it an anniversary present to myself. The prices in Fresno were double what they are in Modesto, so we will be driving to Modesto. I will be extremely disappointed- dare I say pissed- if I don't get any good images after driving 4 hours and paying 95 dollars so pray that it doesn't come to that.

It's still kind of early in the third trimester to be complaining, but this pregnancy is starting to kick my butt. I feel like I'm turning into a fire breathing dragon in more ways than one. First, there are the mood swings, and then there is the constant stomach acid. It seems like no matter what I eat and no matter what I take, my stomach is on fire around the clock. Which brings me to my next complaint which is waking up every hour or two all night, either to pee or because my stomach is on fire. Dairy products seem to help a little bit and I have set a personal record for milk consumption. I drank a whole gallon of milk by myself far before it expired. Normally we won't use up a half gallon between the two of us before it goes bad. My last complaint for now is that Baby has decided to take up residence in the right half of my rib cage. She has wedged her butt up in there and it seems to suit her just fine, but makes for some serious discomfort for me. I'm sure her encroachment into my upper abdomen has made significant contributions to my stomach issues. Oh, the joys of pregnancy. Just 7 weeks to go...

Though this weekend was disgustingly hot, it ended up being more or less productive. My mom, Lauren, and I worked on some things for the shower. We bought red gerbera daisies for the centerpieces and wrapped the bottoms in red mylar sheets and tied them with black and white polka dot ribbon. They are SO cute. I am definitely pleased with how well they turned out. Now we just have to keep Mom's cats from eating the flowers and make sure Lauren doesn't kill them before the end of the week like she did to the beautiful hydrangeas I bought for Mom when she was in the hospital.

Tomorrow is my 2 year anniversary and I am quite confident that my husband has not bought me a present or even a card. Try as I may, I can't understand why he developed the belief that anniversaries are not noteworthy or important. I don't think anyone should break the bank for an anniversary, but I certainly think that acknowledgment of some official kind is necessary. He had offered to make all the plans for our anniversary then a week ago I asked him what we're doing and he had forgotten he even said he was making the plans. Let's just say I'm keeping my expectations really low so that I might be pleasantly surprised. It definitely wasn't his romantic streak that won me over... must have been his dashing good looks.

I'm still ME.

I knew the time would eventually come where my pregnancy hormones caught up with me. If you ask Art, he would probably say that happened a long time ago, but in my opinion it wasn't until the past week or so. I have had many hormonal outbursts, but I'd like to think I'm justified in being upset about this one...

I am very frustrated with the constant criticism and unwanted advice that seems to pour from the mouths of my co-workers. Every time we have some kind of firm gathering, it quickly becomes a "let's talk about Krysta" fest no matter the occasion. We got together this week to have a birthday cake for one of the attorneys and our paralegal started in with, "Wow! Your belly is GIGANTIC!" Yes, she said gigantic to a pregnant woman. I wanted to slap her. Instead I thanked her for her kind choice of words. Then of course Tubby is always ready with her obnoxious comments, "Krysta needs a BIG piece, because she is pregnant!" So they cut me this big ol' honkin' piece of cake, which was way too sweet and in my opinion undesirable, then Tubby says, "Oh, baby doesn't like the cake???" I said, "NO... I don't like the cake." I HATE when people act like I have a tube that goes directly from my mouth to the baby's taste buds without passing GO and collecting $200. The baby gets fed through her belly button for heaven's sake! And it's nutrients mixed in BLOOD, not pureed cake! Just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I don't have my own taste buds any more! Then my firm manager makes a loud remark about how much I have "popped" lately. Usually when everyone gets done picking on me, they talk about him and the baby he and his "partner" just adopted which bothers me on many levels in and of itself, but when it comes down to it I just don't have any patience for a gay man who thinks his situation is anything like mine. I couldn't bite my tongue any more and had already let a couple rude comments fly during the gathering, so I quietly excused myself to my desk where I sat angrily for the remainder of the day.

Sometimes I just want to tell people, "Yes, I'm pregnant. Yes, I have a belly. Now LEAVE ME ALONE." I just don't understand how being pregnant dissolves people's verbal restraint. I just want to BE, because I'm still ME. My friend Robyn had given me a letter "K" necklace for my birthday and mentioned she bought it for ME because everyone was kind of focused on the baby. At the time, I didn't value it's purpose, but after that day I went to work armed with my letter "K" and felt much better about life in general. We'll see how long that lasts. Probably until my next firm gathering.

On a happier note, my baby shower invitations went out this week. I'm quite pleased with them.

I have also been making some progress painting my crib and dresser with some help from Lauren, Art, and my mom's next door neighbor. I was really stressed one day about the lack of progress I'd made because of the heat and wind and, in a fit of desperation, dragged Art out to paint as the last remnants of sunshine faded away. I kept thinking, If only I had one of those shop lights, I could paint out here at night when the wind dies down and it's not so hot. I had suspicions that my mom's neighbor had one because he is always tinkering around outside, but I didn't have the courage to ask him since I don't know him except in passing. God must have heard my silent prayer, because the neighbor came outside and offered us his shop light. I definitely believe that God takes care of us through our friends. Since then, we have made a lot more progress. Now everything is primed and the black is about half done. Hopefully we can get it finished up this weekend.

Lately I feel like I'm racing the clock trying to get things done before the baby comes, or before I'm not capable of doing them any more. The reality that my due date is only 9 weeks away is certainly setting in along with the realization that I only have 5 more weeks of work before I can go on leave. And with the strange bladder issues I'm having (blood in my urine but no infection) which are causing me to contract more than normal, there is no telling if I will have to go on bed rest at any given time. I also have to pass 2 real estate tests ASAP so that I can finalize my sales license and not let all the money I've invested in my real estate education go down the drain by not finishing it in the 18 month window. Then to top it all off, all the room I have for the baby is a corner of my bedroom which isn't even cleared out yet. I really wish we could afford to move into a bigger place, but I have no idea when that day will come. I'm just trying to take everything one day at a time and do the best I can with what I have.

You may have noticed off to the right, a countdown to my 2 year wedding anniversary which is fast approaching. It's on a Tuesday this year, which is no fun, but Art would have to specifically request a weekend off if it was on the weekend. He has a much easier time requesting weekdays off because they aren't so busy. We haven't made any grand or adventurous plans due to our lack of funds and ambition, but we're talking about going out to dinner at Cool Hand Luke's or something. I thought it would be appropriate to buy him a gift of some sort so I ordered him an Adidas logo T-Shirt because he has been looking for one for a long time. I think I will also get him a bottle of Victoria's Secret Very Sexy cologne since he has been talking about that lately. I guess it's a good thing he doesn't read my blog. I can talk about him all I want! I have been obviously hinting at some opal jewelry for my anniversary present and even pointed some out in the Mervyn's ad. I thought it would be fun to have something opal since that is the October birthstone. He didn't write it down though, so I'm not sure if he will remember come September 9th. Actually, If I didn't point it out to him I'm sure he wouldn't even remember September 9th at all. That's ok though. I love him despite his mental limitations.

Bad Bunny

It's no secret that Bunny can't resist a banana chip. Whenever he gets let out of his cage, he immediately demands a banana chip before he goes about his business. We keep a bucket of them close to his cage just for this purpose but we are running low. Whenever we get down to the smaller crumbs in the bottom, we just put the bucket on the floor for him to pick a couple pieces out then we take the bucket away.

Well, this morning Art was in the living room with the sliding glass door wide open- screen and all- to enjoy the cool morning air and this meant Bunny couldn't come out to play for fear that he would form an escape plan off the patio. I saw Bunny looking all sad that he couldn't come out to play, so I lowered the banana chip bucket into his cage so he could at least have his morning treat. He took one and ate it, then took another so I reached down to take the bucket away and that little glutton dropped what he was eating, and with lightning speed lunged at the bucket and dove into it with his front feet- intentionally dumping the remaining chips into his cage. He then stood in the middle of the pile and tried to defend them with all his bunny might. Bunny discipline is Art's inherent responsibility, so I made him scoot Bunny away and re-claim his mountain of banana chips. I should have known by how territorial he is in his cage that if I gave him an inch, he would take the whole bucket!

This is how Bunny demands a treat.

On another note, I saw the most disturbing thing I have ever seen in my entire life and just have to share it with you so you can be disturbed too. Half Man Half Tree

On a much less disturbing note, my baby shower plans are coming along nicely. Since my mom is still recovering from her 2 week hospital stay, I decided to find somewhere else to have the shower so she wouldn't have to stress about getting her house ready. I remembered that my grandpa's next door neighbor landscaped her backyard beautifully and occasionally uses it for events so we asked her if we could have the shower there and she was happy to help. I have been ordering some party supplies online and have been very pleased with my purchases thus far. I bought these small ladybug balloons to make centerpieces of some sort, these ladybug favor bags, this adorable ladybug frame for one of the prizes, these paper plates, and a few other things too. I even bought a new dress to wear to the shower on sale at NY&CO.

It's going to be on September 13th, which is the week after my 2 year anniversary, at 2:00. If you are female and a friend of mine, you are invited so make sure I have your address. It should be a fun party! Meanwhile I am impatiently waiting for Walmart to restock my ladybug crib bedding online or else I'm going to have to pick a replacement! This would make me very unhappy because I already have the rug and wallpaper border that go with the one at Walmart. Stupid Walmart. That ladybug bedding is the only reason why I created a registry at that zoo of a store.

Wax On Wax Off

It's time to say goodbye to the second trimester and bring on the third. I have been trying to harness my second trimester energy to get things done before I am completely huge and miserable. So, Art and I spent the better part of Sunday washing and waxing our car to restore its beauty after Art's Woodward Park off-road adventure. I was quite impressed with how shiny it looked, especially with our new "chrome" hubcaps, so I said we should take pictures of it. Then I remembered that people have been nagging me for pictures of me where I actually look pregnant and it occurred to me that I could kill two birds with one stone and take pictures of my pregnant self in front of the shiny car. What better way to commemorate my transition into the third trimester than with my very own photo shoot with professional photographer Art "Baby Cakes" Martinez?

Art quickly realized why I never became a model- I am horrible at posing and facial expressions. Try as he may, he couldn't get me to make that "thoughtful" expression or that "fierce" look, but in the end I think we came out with a few decent pictures despite my lack of modeling talent. I modified the background to get rid of the Hostess store sign. Here I am at 27 weeks...

Here is a quick recapitulation of the second trimester:

> Gaining 20+ pounds does feel as heavy on my feet as I thought it would and it is possible to put on 4+ pounds of water in one day. I am now the heaviest I have ever been in my life at 127 pounds.

> I have "small animal dreams" almost every night. It usually involves the appearance or unusual involvement of a cat, dog, or more frequently a bunny.

> Strangers can now tell that I am pregnant, but I still get surprised when people ask how far along I am. I think, "How did they know..." Then I look down and at my belly and realize it's quite obvious.

> Art can hear the baby's heartbeat through my belly and likes to talk to her saying, "Baby!!! It's your daddy!" He also makes random noises to freak her out.

> I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to have a baby in less than 3 months and I try not to think to hard about it because I have small panic attacks. Not that I'm not happy about it, I just get worked up about the whole thing.

Lastly, I have a new hero. Keira Knightley has refused to allow the producers of her new movie, The Duchess, to digitally enhance her breasts in publicity photos for the film. Way to go, Keira! It's nice to have another representative for the A-Cup Crew. She's an inspiration. Heck, maybe I will even name my daughter after her.