Mr. Spaghetti Squash

So our little man has been busy growing in mommy's tummy! Seems like just yesterday he was a grape, and now look at him!!

Quite the growth spurt he's been on. And man oh man has he been squirmy! Supposedly he's sleeping 12-14 hours a day, but if that's true, he's a tosser and a turner. He's getting stronger and stronger every day and it's awesome to feel him moving. Every night after dinner mommy and I sit on the couch and just wait to feel him move.
As it becomes more and more real for us, I'm blown away at how strong, patient, loving and self-sacrificial my mom is and was. I can't even imagine having to experience something so exciting and scary as this "alone"... I've long admired her strength, but being in the midst of this has given me a new lens with which to appreciate her. She'll also be happy to know that I have yet to remove the "It's a boy" / "DaddyO" graffiti she left on my car (good excuse to not wash my ride).

We had quite the exciting week, as Wednesday we headed back in to visit our midwife and check the results of our ultrasound. Everything looks great and baby is right on track.

Took a little longer than usual to find baby's heartbeat, but that's just because he's SO busy in there. Tumbling and tumbling, squirming and squirming! Here's the video:

The lady had a bit of a close call while driving back from the store this week. Some knuckle head not paying attention ran his light and came within inches of hitting Ashley. Slammed brakes and a raised heart rate got baby moving around a bit, but everyone and everything is JUST fine. Told her I would be chauffeuring her or driving for her from now on, but then Friday night on our way to a lovely date night the same thing almost happened AGAIN when some crazy lady thought it was her turn to turn into a drive way, RIGHT in front of us!! Get with the program people, we've got a baby on board!!!!

That reminds me. Friday night was a wonderful impromptu date night. My lady got all dolled up to come to the 3 year anniversary celebration for one of my clients. When she arrived, the event was already winding down. So, we decided after making a round and saying hello to everyone to head out to Fashion Island for a nice dinner. We walked around the mall for a bit... checked out some nostalgic baby books in Barnes & Nobles (Golden Books, Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, etc.), and after making our way to True Foods we realized that they really didn't have much for us vegan folk anymore. So off to Benihana in Newport we went. It ended up being a lovely, romantic meal. <3

We also scored again this week when Grandma Bev and Auntie Cori dropped off some cool socks for our little man when he gets a little bigger. Monster socks and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle socks to be exact.

Tis the season... almost. We picked up our first Christmas tree Sunday which will be raised the day after Thanksgiving!!! That's our new tradition from now on (I was informed by Ashley today).

Oh. Confession time. And I broke the middle mirror of our 3 panel mirror bathroom vanity cabinet. Another unexpected daddy project! We headed to Home Depot this weekend to check for a replacement mirror and came close to getting kicked out for dancing in the mirrors in the mirror aisle. That's it for dad!

Here is Ashley's 22 week bump photo & update:

How far along? 22 weeks!!

Total weight gain:  ≈ 10.6  lbs! Eek!

Maternity clothes? Yup, and big stretchy versions of my "normal" clothes!

Stretch marks? No 

Sleep: Good
Best moment this week: Hearing that everything was good with baby at our pre-natal appointment. Our midwife went over the anatomy scan with us and we got to hear little guy's heartbeat (...eventually, he was moving so much that it was hard for her to find it. All we could hear at first were the woosh woosh sounds of him doing gymnastics in there!) After our appointment I headed over to Children's Orchard and used a coupon they had sent me to get 8 pairs of cute little pants for $3!! Hubby and I had a fun date night on Friday! Dressing up while pregnant is very interesting...I had ONE dress that fit over my bump and my tolerance for stilettos has significantly decreased!

Miss anything? Not gaining weight at the speed of lightning! It's fine....just alarming! Gaining 2.6 lbs in a week is pretty bizarre, but I haven't done anything differently so I'm not sure if it's just a growth spurt with baby or what. Also, still missing the ease of non-pregnant movement. I feel so silly when I am winded after climbing the stairs to our condo!

Movement: Yes!! So fun!
Food cravings: No really big (or weird) cravings, pretty much back to my normal eating style. I had been craving Benihana vegetable sushi rolls and we went there for a date night on Friday! So yum!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope!

Showing? Oh yeah! It's crazy how much this bump is growing every day, I feel like I am 30 weeks not 22!

Gender: Baby boy!!
Labor signs:  No
Symptoms: Same as last week....abdominal/ligament pain, itchy skin, easily winded, full belly!

Belly button in or out? Kind of in a weird halfway stage....but pretty much out!

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!

Looking forward to: Meeting up with Gen for a girl's day this week & Thanksgiving at Native Foods (okay so I have a couple more weeks to wait for that one!)

Baby’s size: Spaghetti squash (or papaya)!

21 Week Bump

 (Daddy's chalk art was a bit faint so I had to add the weeks in post-production!)

How far along? 21 weeks!!

Total weight gain:  ≈ 8  lbs!

Maternity clothes? Yes! I bought a tank top and a sweater at Old Navy this week because they sent me a 20% off coupon! I was hoping to get one more pair of jeans but they had limited options...looks like one pair of skinnys and my maxi skirts will be my new Fall/Winter/Spring wardrobe!

Stretch marks? No 

Sleep: Pretty good
Best moment this week: Still loving feeling baby move! I actually saw my belly move from the outside today!! I was sitting on our balcony studying for my psychopharm midterm (blah) and I looked down at my belly and could SEE him kicking or punching me (lovingly, of course)! Also,  on Tuesday I had a wonderful girls night with Grandma Lind and she offered to host our baby shower!! I am so excited! She has a GORGEOUS home and is a fabulous host!

Miss anything? The energy & stamina to do my workouts! Everything is so much harder!

Movement: YES!!
Food cravings: Chocolate! Can I really blame this on pregnancy? No...but I am definitely still on my homemade candy kick. I really need an intervention. We are going to juice tonight to  try to off-set my indulgences! I feel extra guilty anytime I eat junk food because I read that baby is now swallowing and tasting amniotic fluid and whatever I eat he will develop a taste for! I hope he remembers the kale more than the peanut butter cups!
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really, sometimes my stomach feels VERY full and that makes me feel sick. I think it depends on baby's position.

Showing? YES, seriously this bump gets bigger by the day, and judging by my weight I'd say I have had a bit of a growth spurt!

Gender: Baby boy!!
Labor signs:  No
Symptoms: Abdominal/ligament pain, ITCHY skin, easily winded, full belly!

Belly button in or out? It's an inny-outty

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Mostly happy, perhaps a bit sensitive! School is getting a bit more stressful these days with lots of exams, papers, and presentations so I am going to go ahead and blame any moodiness or bad behavior on that! :)

Looking forward to: Our next prenatal visit on November 6th to go over the anatomy scan with our midwife. Also, my bestie Gen said that her brother and sister-in-law have some hand-me-down baby boy clothes for us (score!), so I can't wait to see them!

Baby’s size: Pomegranate!

Halloween was pretty low key. We celebrated with Anthony, Maggie & Anabelle by going to a downtown "kids block party" and checking out all of the cute little costumes and games. Thankfully, now that one of us actually has a child we don't seem so strange at these events. I really wanted to pass out candy, but alas, there was not a trick-or-treater in site around our condo. I've already traded in my Halloween decor for some holiday-neutral Fall decorations and am starting to get super excited for Christmas! I made our Native Foods Thanksgiving reservations just as soon as they would let me and am already drooling just thinking about it. I love this time of year!!!

Baby's crib will just be in our room so we don't have a nursery "theme" per say, but I have picked out my colors. Baby's "corner" will be neutral (tan/cream/mocha) and a vintage-y greenish-blue (like seafoam/sage but these colors never look the same on any website or fabric). I cannot wait to see the blanket my mama is making with these colors!!

I have been scoring most of our baby gear second-hand, but I found a mobile that I am absolutely in love with that I am hoping to convince hubby to let me splurge on (hint, hint hubs!!). It is from restoration hardware and it is SO stinkin' cute (pic below)! Our crib is in our garage waiting to be assembled and it has been VERY hard for me to wait. I want to wash and hang all of baby's clothes and have his little area all set up for him, but my more rational half is insisting we wait! After endless research and hours spent online, I think I have my registry pretty much finished! It's pretty crazy how much stuff one little baby "needs." I am trying not to get sucked into the consumerism trap with the baby gear so I have done a lot of blog-reading to see what other mamas found to "absolutely essential!"Anyway, I guess we will wait until closer to the shower to set up the crib and clear out the front closet, but I definitely want to do it before baby stuff begins taking over our condo! I need to focus on finishing my thesis and remember that I have a couple months to nest AFTER I graduate...hard to get my priorities straight, baby is so much more fun!

Baby Banana Boy

For a banana, our SON sure is fidgety! (Sorry, still enjoying the fun gender-specific nouns!)

The little man has been a-movin' and a-shakin' quite a bit this last week! Really excited to know that he's only going to get busier and stronger. It's such an unreal experience to know that our child is growing in Ashley's belly. We talked earlier this week about how 'normal' it seemed when we found out others were pregnant... it is how babies are made after all. But once you're the one experiencing it, it is so surreal - awesome has begun to be the most accurate descriptor. I still find myself staring at her ever-growing tummy and giggling like a little kid on the playground. I'm so overwhelmed by the miraculous gift God has given us.

We're both making efforts to enjoy each day as it comes; we're both A-types, so our natural inclination is to plan and prepare. In our defense though, it is really difficult to not want him to be here already.

Highlight of the week for me was leaning over to kiss my lovely lady goodbye as I headed for work and laying my hand on our boy to say a little prayer, and wouldn't you know it, I got a big ol' kick! What an awe-inspiring and amazing way to start my day. Was tough to leave...

Had another fun surprise this week - my mom (though she still denies it was her) stopped by my work today and vandalized my car:

The driver's side window was also tagged in big blue letters "DADDY-O". I've had a bit of a leadfoot and a propensity to drive a little aggressive... this has dramatically reduced that urge; consequently, it has also led to a lot of funny looks from passersby.

We capitalized on our free Friday night by taking baby on a date night with us - Native Foods (yum) and Despicable Me 2 (for baby of course). Fun!

Chores on Saturday: recaulking the bathtub, cleaning our neglected patio and porch, sweeping and vacuuming - OH and we picked up the "Exersaucer" Ash had her eye on from someone who was selling it in Rancho Santa Margarita (future home location?).
Sunday: a lovely hike on our local hill and FOOTBALL (for baby of course). We also pulled out our garaged yoga ball so Ashley can start doing some exercises which are supposed to make labor easier. *Fingers crossed*

Here is Ashley's Pregnancy  Photo & Update....

How far along? 20 weeks!! Halfway there!!!!

Total weight gain:  ≈ 6.8  lbs

Maternity clothes? Yes I wore my new Jessica Simpson maternity jeans on Friday and they were super comfy! My wardrobe is getting smaller by the day, wearing a lot of maxi skirts!
Stretch marks? No 

Sleep: Sleeping well in between potty breaks!
Best moment this week: Feeling baby move! His moves are so distinctive now and I get lots of little kicks! I love that James can feel him too! On Friday I was so worried because he hadn't been moving throughout the day but around 1 am he started dancing and I had one of those moments where your heart is just so full that you can physically feel it in your chest...a feeling of overwhelming happiness that is almost painful because you know that kind of state can't last. Baby boy gives me lots of these moments lately, it's so crazy how much I already love him! We have quite the baby gear collection now! In addition to our thrift store/craigslist finds, baby is already getting spoiled by family members! Midweek I got a surprise pottery barn diaper bag and plush elephant from my sister, and a couple days later Grandma Bev dropped off a sweet-sleep-sheep from our registry (see pic below!) My mama is making baby a blanket and I got to pick out the fabrics this week! I LOVE handmade items and cannot wait to see it!!

Miss anything? Mmm, I guess having more clothing options!

Movement: YES!!
Food cravings: Nothing too crazy this week
Anything making you queasy or sick: Not really....Although yesterday James and I did a deep clean of our house, and even though I just used vinegar and other natural cleaning products, I think the fumes and the movement got to me because I felt really nauseous and dizzy afterward.

Showing? Oh yeah!

Gender: Baby boy!!
Labor signs:  No
Symptoms: Same kind of abdominal/ligament pain, easily winded!
Belly button in or out? My inny is hanging on by a thread...it'll be a full on outty any day now! 

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to: Our next prenatal visit on November 6th to go over the anatomy scan with our midwife.

Baby’s size: Banana!!

Diaper Bag & Plushie!

Sleep Sheep from Grandma Bev & Grandma Lind sent a picture of this adorable firetruck outfit she bought him!

MANgo Baby: 19 Weeks!

Will have to stop posting pics of hubby's skinny belly soon as it is giving me a complex ;)

 How far along? 19 weeks

Total weight gain:  I forgot to weigh myself this morning but based on a couple days ago I think it's probably ≈ 5  lbs

Maternity clothes? Sometimes! I can still do the hair tie trick with a couple pairs of jeans but I have a feeling those days are numbered!
Stretch marks? No 

Sleep: Pretty good, still easily tired & wanting to sneak in naps (so much for that sudden "burst of energy" everyone promises you in the 2nd trimester!)
Best moment this week: This week was AMAZING!!! Seriously, one of the best days of my life. Seeing baby BOY on the ultrasound was incredible and I feel so connected to him now! Love carrying my little guy around with me everywhere I go!

Miss anything? Not really missing anything this week

Movement: YES!! Now baby's movements are pretty obvious and even James got to feel him once! I don't feel him constantly but at least a couple times a day now!! So frickin' cool!
Food cravings: Um....I probably need to lay off the homemade peanut butter cups (as I lick the chocolate of my fingers...)
Anything making you queasy or sick: Nope, comes once in a blue moon but mostly feeling good!

Showing? Yes!!!!!!!! I have officially "popped." James and I were walking in downtown Orange today and as I passed the store windows I had to do a double take to find out who that very pregnant woman was! James was also taken aback as he took my picture today; he started laughing and said "you're so pregnant!!"

Gender: Our little baby boy!!!! We couldn't be more thrilled!
Labor signs:  No
Symptoms: Growing pains!! Lots of round ligament pain and obnoxiously itchy skin.
Belly button in or out? Oh my, barely in! I can't believe how fast I am losing this thing! I had to take out my belly button ring yesterday...goodbye youth! ;)  

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Very happy this week, the ultrasound experience put an extra pep in my step!
Looking forward to: Continuing to feel baby move more and more and our next prenatal appointment where we will review the anatomy ultrasound with our midwife.

Baby’s size: Mango!!

Today we had our 4th annual pumpkin carving extravaganza with Maggie & Anthony....

Hard at work!

I think hubs is excited!

Our Hillbilly pumpkin fest complete with a fort!

Sneaking in some snuggle time!

Finished products! From left to right: Anthony, Ashley, James, & Maggie

My Spooky witch!

A sweet baby boy!!!!!

WOW!! What a day! I am so overwhelmingly happy & feel so incredibly blessed! I don't know if I have stopped smiling since we left the ultrasound! Now that we know baby is a HE, things are beginning to feel much more real, and knowing baby is happy and healthy is such a good feeling!! I was so nervous for our appointment that I barely got any sleep last night, but our tech said everything looked great!  He is right on track for size and is just movin' and groovin' like you wouldn't believe. He didn't sit still for one moment during the entire hour!!

When we first went in to the appointment the ultrasound tech asked us how many weeks we were and when we told her 18.5 she said she didn't know if she would be able to tell us the gender because we weren't 20 weeks. I was so disappointed because our midwife said we could go anywhere from 18-21 weeks and that they should be able to give us all the info. Well, we needn't have worried because baby boy was listening to mommy's pleas to "show us his goodies," and when she found him on the screen he was spread eagle! She immediately pointed to something and said "do you know what that is?" We, of course, did not -- but she told us it was his little boy part and that he was "100%, definitely a boy!" Phew! I'm not sure I could have waited until his birth to find out! James and I were so unbelievably ecstatic!

She did a VERY detailed ultrasound of all his little body parts and said that everything looked perfect. We also found out that our baby is very well-behaved....he cooperated and showed the tech everything she needed to measure! We got to see him attempt to suck his little thumb and move his arms and legs all over. We saw a good shot of his sweet little face and, although it was hard for me to make out his features, our tech said he was "very good looking" and I believe her!

My measurements came back almost perfectly in line with my LP due date -- just three days earlier. So, baby's official due date is March 13th. We got a whole CD full of the ultrasound pictures & we commissioned some strangers in the parking lot to take our picture.....

Not bad for a parking lot photo shoot! :)


Unfortunately, the CD is full of crazy, weird files that I cannot even open so I have to call tomorrow and ask them what the deal is. Stay tuned for those baby shots...(*Update* smart hubby figured it out...pics at bottom of post!)







After our appointment I immediately went shopping at Children's Orchard! I eventually had to force myself to leave so that I didn't spend our mortgage $, but not without scoring some super-cute gear!

How cute is this bouncer! Half off of the original price!

I could not resist these sweet little outfits... baby and daddy have matching flannels!!

 To top off an already wonderful day I came home to find this gift on our doorstep from Auntie Cori!! Baby's first socks and an adorable pumpkin for mommy (all in a super cute bag with a very sweet card!) She is so thoughtful!! <3





Ultrasound photos!

They said no pictures but James managed to sneak one in!

Face & body!

Upside down, cute lil' booty in the air!

Woah! Lil' boy bits!!

Trying to suck his thumb!

Baby Sweet Potato... Boy or Girl?

OK... so I promise we're going to start exercising this week! But in our defense, we had a busy week... in a super fun way!

Midweek we got to hear baby again, and baby's heart wouldn't give any clues as to whether it's a boy or a girl (apparently the range is between 130-150; the slower the beat, the more likely it's a boy). Baby is hovering around 140.

We got to meet another midwife, Allison, who Ashley and I both really like. But she was hesitant to guess the gender :) BUT, we found out that we can schedule our requisite ultrasound at 18 weeks, so Wednesday, October 16th we get to find out for sure! I'M SO EXCITED - needless to say, Ashley is losing her mind :)

Sooooo - in the interim, we enlisted our Facebook friends' opinions and posted this:

Results:

Girl - 16

Boy - 11

HMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

Really liking our experience so far, we feel very calm and confident.

We also got to enjoy a lovely home-cooked meal Friday night, prepared by Ashley, to celebrate my sister's birthday. We had a lovely evening with my mom and Cori laughing ourselves to tears. It was a fun way to end the week.

Saturday, we headed to Tanaka farms in Irvine with Anthony, Maggie and Anabelle to soak in the pumpkin patch / Fall vibes. There was a corn maze, a tractor ride and other Fall activities. Can you say pumpkin cannon? Best part of the experience, aside of course from our fun photo opps!

 

THENNNNN, Sunday we got to visit with family at my cousin Tammy and her husband Mike's house. We got to visit their new baby boy Noel; what a laid back, handsome little dude. Anthony, Maggie and Anabelle came by too. Then my cousin Jessica and her little baby girl Sofia came over with my Uncle Robert and Aunt Marcie. OOOOOOWeeeeeeeeEeee, that's a lot of babies! Ashley was in heaven.

We capped the night off with a lovely sunset gondola cruise in Long Beach harbor with catered vegan cuisine for my HPRMA board retreat! What a super packed, super fun week. Baby, little baby and I had quite the adventures.

So baby is now the size of a sweet potato and we'll soon know if it's a boy tater or a girl tater!!!!! Stay Tuned!!!!!

Here is Ashley's Pregnancy Update & Photo!

How far along? 18 weeks

Total weight gain:  ≈ 4.2
Maternity clothes? Yes! I am wearing my new maternity leggings as I type (and in this picture!) They are super comfy!
Stretch marks? Nope
Sleep: Same, lots of tinkle breaks!
Best moment this week: Lots of fun moments this week!! Our prenatal appointment where we got our blood work results back (fabulous iron levels, yay vegan!); hearing baby's heart beat & movements; finding out we could schedule our anatomy scan anywhere from 18-21 weeks and IMMEDIATELY scheduling it for this coming Wednesday!!; having Bev & Cori over for dinner on Friday night; visiting the pumpkin patch with Maggie, Ant, & Anabelle; visiting Tammy, Mike, and teeny-tiny baby Noel (and getting to see more extended family while we were there...it was baby central!!)

Miss anything? Having jeans that button (and can stay buttoned when I sit down!) and I'm still craving coffee, especially when I'm feeling sleepy and hubby gets Starbucks!

Movement: It's still up in the air...gas? digestion? baby? Who knows!
Food cravings: Chocolate (although this is an all-the-time-pre-baby-craving) and I am still having random pickle cravings! I made homemade peanut butter cups this week and they were very, very decadent & delicious!
Anything making you queasy or sick: When I don't get enough sleep I am more prone to nausea, but for the most part I am feeling pretty good!

Showing? Yes!

Gender: We find out THIS WEDNESDAY!!! Baby better show us its goodies!!!! So excited!
Labor signs:  No
Symptoms: Pretty much the same: itchy skin, bigger appetite, and easily fatigued.
Belly button in or out? In, but will probably be out sooner than I imagined! 

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Mostly happy!
Looking forward to:  Anatomy ultrasound!! Getting to finally see baby and find out the gender!

Baby’s size: Sweet Potato!

We have a pear baby!

How far along? 17 weeks

Total weight gain:  ≈ 4.2 Er....I think you are only supposed to gain 1 lb per week - Woops!
Maternity clothes? Yes! Hubby and I went shopping today and I got a pair of black maternity leggings and Jessica Simpson maternity skinny jeans!!! As we were waiting to check out James said "aw, your first pair of mom jeans." HA!
Stretch marks? No, trying grapeseed oil lately.
Sleep: Pretty good, lots of switching sides and getting up to pee!
Best moment this week: Celebrating our 3rd wedding anniversary!!! Also, I attended a vegan potluck on Saturday which was super fun; I loved hanging out with a bunch of girls who wanted to talk about nothing but vegan diets and babies!! AND going shopping with hubby and picking out some super cute bags (see below for pics!)
Miss anything? Coffee sometimes....forbidden fruit and all. :)

Movement: I keep thinking that MAYBE I am feeling baby but it's often after I eat and I can't tell if it is me digesting...or gas bubbles??
Food cravings: Still loving my almond butter and jelly sandwiches!! We got amazing greasy pizza on our anniversary from this cute vegan restaurant called Free Soul Cafe and followed it up with a small thing of vegan Toffee Almond Fudge ice cream and a few minutes later all I wanted was a pickle, lol! So cliche, but I think its because I have been craving anything salty!
Anything making you queasy or sick: I feel a bit sick when it gets really hot (where is my fall weather?!) but other than that I have been feeling pretty darn good!

Showing? No stranger bump comments this week but my bump seems to get bigger by the day!

Gender: Ah, I can't wait to find out!!!!!!!! 3 week countdown!
Labor signs:  No
Symptoms: Itchy, itchy skin, round ligament pain (I think), and feeling constantly hungry (which explains the 2 extra lbs this week!)
Belly button in or out? In, although James insists it is already getting more shallow...

Wedding rings on or off? On
Happy or moody most of the time: Happy!
Looking forward to:  Same as last week.....our next prenatal, the gender reveal,  and feeling baby move!

Baby’s fruit size: A pear! Baby is about 5 inches long and weighs around 5 ounces!!

On Wednesday, hubby & I exchanged our anniversary gifts.....



He got me a super cute purse and an adorable handmade coupon good for a massage at Life Reflexology (in addition to my fabulous pumpkin!), and I got him a pair of shoes and a tie that I knew he would promptly return. He is notoriously difficult to shop for and I always have such anxiety when trying to find a present he will like! Although I loved the purse he picked out, I already have 3 black purses so we both decided to return our gifts and go shopping together (so fun!!!)

 After exchanging gifts we went to a romantic, casual dinner.....

We did our "gift-replacement-shopping" this weekend and I immediately found super cute replacements for my purse and (surprise, surprise) picky hubby came home with nothing. I made him promise to keep looking for something he likes and I am holding him to it! Here is what I got....

I was able to get two super cute purses (one from Urban Outfitters & one from TJ Maxx) for the price of the one hubby got me, and I got an adorable scarf at Zumies for only $10! In love! And to the right is a shot of my new "mom jeans".....


All in all, an awesome week! I am so blessed to have such an amazing, supportive husband! <3