Will She Ever Be Here???

I am STILL pregnant. I can't even believe it. Here I thought I was going to have a 3 week old baby by now and she is still baking away in my oven. I can't quite figure it out and to tell you the truth I am kind of tired of contemplating why she is still in there. Obviously she must be really comfortable but let's be honest, how comfortable can you really be standing on your head day in and day out.

There haven't been many changes. I am still all swelled up like a balloon and my belly couldn't possibly get much bigger without spliting right down the middle. At my doctor's appointment last week I was advised that my cervix hadn't changed much but the baby seemed to drop a bit more. Any farther and she may just drop right on out. She is so low now that sometimes I swear I can feel her move in the top of my thighs. Totally impossible I know but it is a serious case of phantom baby movement.

Last Saturday I lost my mucous plug. And yes, it is equally as disgusting as it sounds. I thought it was a promising sign and I instantly Googled what it meant. Not much really...I could go into labor within a day or within a few weeks. So, it really didn't get me anywhere. I have had lots of contractions throughout the course of each day but nothing close enough together and they always seem to stop after I get up and move around. So, the wait continues. I have a doctor appointment tomorrow evening and I am hoping some of these contractions have made progress on my dialation but I am not going to get my hopes up. Depending on how everything goes we will probably schedule me to be induced next week. But, it all depends on how far I have progressed because they would like to avoid giving me a C-section and frankly I would really like to avoid that too. So fingers are crossed and prayers are plentiful that any day she will come in her own time as God planned it.

And the Wait Continues...

I am now 37 weeks and 4 days and if I could give you hours I would...and still no baby (sigh). The suspense is killing me. Every day I wake up and ask myself... is today the day?...and then I go to bed each night and ask myself...is tonight the night? I can't stop thinking about how the whole scenario will play out. Will I be shopping at Target and have my water break? Or will I wake up to pee in the middle of the night and realize I am having contractions. My mind just won't stop wandering and it is really giving me a headache. Plus, to top it off my doc really short changed me two weeks back when she thought I was going to give birth that week. Everyone got so excited but now all it really did was get my panties in a bunch. I mean crap...can't they give you a better idea than that. It has been two LONG weeks and nothing has changed. I am really getting antsy and so is everyone else. I almost don't want to pick up the phone and call anyone anymore because the first thing they ask is if I am in labor. Sometimes I don't even get a hello...it is just straight to the point...Are you in labor? I reply no and you can hear the let down in their voice like they are thinking...well shoot, why did you call then.

Paul is even guilty of putting the pressure on. Last night he told me he is cramming all this stuff into each day because he never knows when he will be called away for the week. He reasssured me though that the computer will be coming home with him and he has a spare box of files to work through that are already loaded in the car so he has plenty to take care of while on paternity leave. I laughed on the inside and thought...buddy, you have no idea what you are in for. I didn't have the heart to tell him that between catering to me and London he will have plenty to do and in his "spare" time I can guarantee he will want to sleep...and that is about it.

So the days go by and the waiting continues. I am really enjoying this final stage of relaxation, naps, lunches out with friends and trips to the store sans baby. I know it will all be a distant memory in no time. I have a doctors appointment Thursday and am crossing my fingers that she will take a look at me and check my cervix and send me straight to the hospital. You hear about that happening and maybe...just maybe...it will happen to me.

How Are You Feeling?

This seems to be the most frequently asked question these days. For good reason of course but gosh am I sure sick of telling 20 people a day that I am feeling about as crappy as I was feeling the day before and the day before and the day before...you catch my drift. My girlfriend made a good point yesterday though when she said...you might as well enjoy everyone asking how YOU are doing for the next little bit because as soon as London arrives no one will ask how you are doing...only how she is doing. Good point I thought.

Anyway, my answer for today is...as you would expect...I am feeling about the same as yesterday. To paint a perfect picture and be a real complainer I have decided to start at the top of my head and run through every ailment on my body. Headaches...these are a new development. I get them daily now. Typically mid day and they last a few hours. Shoulder aches...as a result of the growing mammaries on my chest no doubt. Acid reflux...thanks to London rearranging my stomach and small intestine. Boob leakage...well that speaks for itself. Lower backache...as a result of London sitting ever so far down in my belly. The sensation that I could pee at any moment...again thanks to London resting her pretty little head on my bladder. Muscle strains in my lower abdomen...due in part to my ever expanding belly. Abdominal cramps...these are the early signs of labor according to my doc. Swollen legs, calves, ankles and feet...as if you can even differentiate my calf from my ankle from my foot. So there it is...the true joys of pregnancy this last month.

London is certainly getting crowded because her movements make my entire belly jump around like a firework just went off inside. It is a fun sensation and hilarious to watch and wonder what she might be doing in there. I know she is just baking away but I am ready for her to make an appearance any time now. I am ready to have my body back. I look forward to the simple things like eating without thinking I just regurgitated a ball of fire. I look forward to having my feet fit into shoes instead of the three pair of flip flops I have been forced to wear these past two months. I look forward to not being winded after making the bed and being able to fit comfortably in my car without the steering wheel resting a quarter inch from my belly. Just the little things...

So as the time rolls by and I approach 37 weeks on Friday I plan to begin the process of coaxing her out. Lots of stretching, yoga poses, walking, squats, spicy food and pressure point massage. We will see how it goes. And, in the event that she still is not ready to join us then my doctor has advised me that I can be induced at 39 weeks. I will keep my options open and just pray that she comes before then. So, keeping my fingers crossed and hoping she arrives real soon...please!

The Countdown is On!

Today I am 36 weeks pregnant. I can hardly believe the time has passed so quickly and our baby will be here in 28 days or less. There has been lots of physical changes this past week though so I know she is getting ready to make an appearance any time now.

The week started with a doctor's appointment on Tuesday. The usual procedures took place- urine test, weight, blood pressure and fetal heart beat check. Everything was good. Then the doc took my measurement and discovered I was only measuring at around 32 weeks. Next step, a cervical check. Sure thing, the baby had dropped even more and my cervix had thinned out some and was dialated 1cm. She advised me that she was really low in the birth canal and she would highly doubt that I could make it past July and she wouldn't even be surprised if I had her this week. Of course I was in a state of shock and I had a slight panic attack wondering if I was ready...like NOW. It was exciting and nerve racking and scary all at the same time. My Godmother who was with me was giddy and immediately commented that she better go home and take a nap then. Nap? I wish I could nap. I would be lucky to get any sleep going forward with all this excitement. It reminded me of that darling Disney commercial that aired a few years back when two kids who are leaving for Disneyland the next day get in trouble for being up too late and giggling in bed. When the parents come in to scold them they reply (in the cutest voice ever), "But we are too excited to sleep." Paul and I have stolen that line in the commercial and used it countless times. This would be one of those times. Instantly, I started processing everything that still needed to be done. Car seat needs installing, registry purchases need to be finished, laundry needs to be done, etc, etc.
I called Paul right away and he didn't have much to offer. I think he was caught off guard too and it took a few hours for him to process it before he called back to make sure we had really just had a conversation about possibly having a baby this week. Yes honey, that was the conversation I told him. And then he followed up by saying (and this is why I love him so much)...well are we still going to be able to go to Morton's on Friday to celebrate our 5th anniversary? My reply was...well as long as we aren't at the hospital or home with our newborn child then yes honey we will still be going.
By Tuesday night I noticed a drastic difference in my belly. It had dropped. The "girls" no longer rested so comfortably on my belly anymore. There was actually space between them now. Great progress! Especially now that it is ridiculously hot outside and the sweat that was developing from the friction of the two was getting a bit out of control. So my belly has dropped quite a bit and with that comes new challenges such as the fact that London is now resting her head on my bladder. Not a big deal most of the time but when she gets the hiccups (and she does 3-4 times a day) her little head repeatedly bumps my bladder and makes me feel like I could pee my pants at any time. I also am getting lower back pain now that she is so low and I get these wierd pulling sensations in my belly when I sit forward too fast. All sorts of fun things...and according to the doctor...all totally normal!
I think I still have a little ways to go before this munchkin is born though. I anticipate the end of next week. I am shooting for Thursday or Friday but I know she will come when she is ready. In the meantime, we are still going to Morton's to celebrate our 5 year anniversary tonight. My girlfriend put it best this morning. She said, 5 years ago you were getting married on this day and now 5 years later you are knocked up and having a baby. Amazing how times change!
This is almost the end of the journey- It is hard to believe. Since Tuesday I have managed to get all the details wrapped up. Car seat is installed, registry purchases are done and put away. Hospital bag is packed. All we need now is our beautiful new baby. I can hardly wait.

MOO-ve Over Milkman

I felt the title of this blog was so fitting for two reasons. First, I feel like I am the size of a hefty dairy cow as of late and second, I am producing liquid from my "utters" at a speed that would make the milkman proud.

Although I have always been shall we say "blessed in the chest" I had no idea what I was in for when I got pregnant. Big boobs run in the family on both sides so I really had no chance from the time I was concieved. In fact, one of my most favorite final memories with my mom happened at the hospital about 2 months ago. I was there visiting as I did everyday and so was my Godmother. My mom was in an especially spunky mood that day and she started harassing me about how big my belly had gotten and in addition, how large my boobs looked too. She then proceded to lift up her shirt and lament about her bare pancakes and how old and saggy they were. She wanted to compare hers to mine so she begged me to show her the girls in all their glory. I of course consented and lifted my top and bra to showcase my boobs...all the while the three of us are laughing hysterically. My mom flipped out over my boobs...oh my gosh...they are HUGE...aren't they heavy?...can I hold one? Sure I said, to which she replied by reaching out and palming by boob and giving it a few shakes. Then she said...wow those are really heavy you poor thing...and your milk hasn't even come in yet. Then my mom turned to my Godmother and said...okay, we showed you ours now you show us yours. She didn't go for it but it was still absolutely hilarious and we laughed about it for quite a while.

So as I said before, my boobs have grown quite a bit since I got pregnant. In fact, they have now grown so much that they actually rest on my belly and boy is it a sight to behold. In fact, the other day Paul actually expressed concern for them being too big and smothering our childs face at feedings. Gee, thanks honey. As if I have any control over their size. They also have started producing this fabulous pre-milk liquid called colostrum. Generally it is produced right after giving birth and it feeds the baby for a few days until the real milk comes in but some people such as myself get to experience the joy of producing it early and in turn we get an early lesson in boob leakage. The first time this happened was about a month and a half ago. I came home from a day out and about running errands and I started to prepare dinner. I ran my hands over my belly and hit a wet spot. Wierd I thought...what did I spill? I looked down and pulled my shirt away from my body and there was a large wet spot along with several dry spots in the boob region. By golly my boobs sprung a leak. And, they did so while I was out running errands. How embarassing. No wonder the kid at Nuggett had this funky look on his face at the checkout counter earlier. I probably scarred him for life. Immediately I dialed one of my best girlfriends/lactation consultant who informed me it was totally normal and some people just start producing early...and that meant I needed to get nursing pads and start using them. Oh joy!

So the next day, I bought the first of many boxes of nursing pads and tried them out. Not too bad actually. I also went out and bought a couple nursing bras a few days later because I quickly learned that the girls also need sufficient coverage at night in bed as well. All this after I woke up to dried spots on my sheets. The best part though is when I get out of the shower and have not yet dressed and it starts running down my belly because as I said, my boobs rest comfortably on my belly these days. I mean honestly...you really can't help but laugh about it. And I am sure when my milk finally does come in it will be an even greater sight to behold. But, these girls will be London's breakfast, lunch and dinner so I better get used to it. In fact, our Lamaze coach informed us that the baby will eat anywhere from 8-12 times a day in the beginning. So, they will be getting more action than ever before. And between feeding London and pumping on the side we should have a full fledged Ueckert Dairy being run right out of our home in no time. Mooooooo!

I left my HEART in San Francisco

My beautiful mother passed away eleven days ago. It was five months earlier than we expected but she held on for my dad's 64th birthday and my parents 38th wedding anniversary. The next morning on June 18th she passed away quick and peacefully. It has been devastating, shocking, sad, and bittersweet but we all knew her time with us was going to be short anyway and whether she lived 1 week, 1 month or 1 year it still would have been too soon. We are mostly thankful that the good Lord took her before she had to really suffer and be incapable of caring for herself. I will miss her everyday for the rest of my life and on days when the clouds are really gorgeous (and they have been a lot lately) I look up at the Heavens and know she has painted them that way for me.

Paul and I had planned a trip to San Francisco several months ago. We weren't sure if we were going to make it because of my mom but since she passed away we decided it would be especially important to get out of town for a few days to decompress and be together, just the two of us, one last time before London graces us with her presence.

I LOVE San Francisco. I always have and always will. And, what I realized this past weekend is that a piece of my heart has been left there just like Tony Bennett sang it way back in 1954. Paul and I took off last Thursday morning and other than stopping for a quick potty break :-) made great time into the city. We made our first stop at the Jewelry Center to have our wedding rings cleaned and checked. I also now have two beautiful new rings. One is a vintage platinum and diamond ring that was my grandmothers and the other is a yellow gold and diamond 20 year anniversary ring that was my mom's. Niether of them had seen a cleaner and polisher in years and my grandmothers ring had actually been cut off her finger so it had a gap in the back. Needless to say, I was looking forward to seeing both of the rings in all their glory again. After we dropped off the rings we headed over to the SF Ferry Building based on a recommendation by a good friend who recently visited. We loved it and had a great time shopping around, soaking up the usual SF quirkiness and having lunch. Then we checked into our hotel... we stayed at the W which was very funky and cool and they gave us a great room with a beautiful view of the city. After a nap we prepped for dinner at XYZ downstairs at our hotel. Following a yummy dinner we headed to the San Francisco Opera to see The Girl from the Golden West which we had won tickets to at a Weimaraner Gala we went to last November. The opera house was absolutley beautiful inside. If the chairs had not been so uncomfortable and I had not been 8+ months pregnant we would have stayed the whole time but after about an hour and a half we left at the first intermission. Which, by the way, there were two intermissions and in total the night would have been 4 hours long. Not really my thing but glad I did it anyway. We ended the the evening with a nightcap and dessert at the hotel bar. It was a great day.

The next morning on Friday I woke up early and cracked the shutters open in our room. I got back in bed and stared out the window at the cityscape. It had been one week since my moms passing. As I looked out the window though I thought about San Francisco and all the great memories I had there with my family over the past 28 years of my life. I remember fieldtrips to the Exploratorium and Natural History Museum when I was in elementary school. My mom always volunteered to be a parent driver for those fun trips and I loved it. I remember visiting Haight and Ashbury with my parents on multiple occassions because their friends daughter owned a funky hair salon there. We would get our hair done, do some people watching and usually go to dinner at this great restaurant in Ghiradelli Square that is no longer in business. It had a beautiful view of the wharf and they were famous for this fry bread rubbed in garlic that was out of this world. I also remember walking the Golden Gate Bridge with our Japanese foreign exchange students who stayed with us three summers while I was in elementary and middle school. I remember sailing on my parents friends sailboat in the bay on the fourth of July and watching the fireworks over the Golden Gate. And, I also remember an overnight girls trip we took a few years back with one of my best friends and her mom. We shopped and ate and shopped and ate and had a really wonderful time just bonding and being women. The last time I visited SF was with Paul and my parents back in October for my birthday. My mom and I have always had this interest in Egypt and the pyramids so when the King Tut exhibit came to the DeYoung Museum we got tickets and made it a birthday trip for me. It was a fabulous time topped off with a delicious dinner at Skates on the Bay in Berkley, a family fave. These are just some of the many wonderful memories I have of San Francisco. And, as I layed in bed reminiscing I couldn't help but smile and think of all the joyful times my mom and I had the opportunity to share. Everytime I vist SF I will think of her and those great memories and for that reason alone I know I have left a piece of my heart in San Francisco...and, she left a piece of hers there too.

Friday began with breakfast at this fabulous restaurant called The Grove right near our hotel. Afterwards, we headed over and picked up our rings at the Jewelry Center. They looked amazing. My mom and grandmothers rings looked especially gorgeous and I look forward to wearing them when the swelling in my hands goes away. From there we made the drive to Berkley and shopped on 4th Avenue and then followed that up with lunch at Skates on the Bay. We had a window seat overlooking the water and it was really wonderful. After lunch we headed back to our room so I could rest my weary feet. We took a nap, rented a movie and ate junk food in bed. It was perfect. For dinner we took the recommendation of our concierge and ate at a small neighborhood restuarant in SOMA. It was called La Bricciola and it was Italian. Good, authentic Italian where everything is made from scratch...even our waiter was Italian and spoke words of it in between his English. Our dinner was divine and the perfect ending to a wonderful weekend away.

On Saturday we woke up and headed out of the city. We had an absolutely fabulous trip. It was a good time to clear our heads, be together, remember my mom, and look forward to the new chapter in our lives that is about to begin.

Willy Wonka Comes to Town

I think my mom has been planning my baby shower from about the time I hit college. Not that she wanted me to get pregnant in college but the vision came to her then and has been thought about, discussed and tweaked many times over the years. Even my best girlfriends remember her talking about this shower at Paul and my engagement party...so needless to say my baby shower has been in the making since before London was even in the making.
In my eyes there is no greater movie than Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Made in 1971 well before I was born this movie was my all time favorite growing up and to this day whenever they play it on TBS I still can't resist the temptation to watch it. I probably have seen it close to 100 times...and each time it still makes me smile, laugh and imagine the possibilities of life. The movie also has a lot of great lessons to offer about greed, hard work, and family. I just love it and it makes me feel good. And surprisingly enough, my mom met Gene Wilder who plays Willy Wonka many years ago when the movie was coming out or had just come out. She was doing window displays for a store in the mall before they opened and he was there doing a promotional gig and he came and watched her through the window until she came out to meet him. At least that is how I remember her telling me the story...I should double check that so I can retell it to London one day.
In any event, when I found out I was pregnant my mom began the monumental task of planning my Willy Wonka baby shower and having always had the most amazing parties for me while I was growing up, I knew this one would be equally as awesome. As a sidenote, in honor of my mom and all the amazing parties she has thrown for me over the years I hereby promise to do the same for my kids when they are growing up. I definitely got the party planning/decorating gene from my mom and I love, love, love her for that. In fact I already have two birthday parties in the works in my brain for London. One will be a Mary Poppins party (which is my second favorite movie of all time) complete with umbrellas hanging from the ceiling, chalk drawings and kite making. The other an Alice in Wonderland Tea Party.
So back to the Willy Wonka Shower...it started with sending out invitations. We found these great cards with lollipops and candy printed on the bottom in fun colors. The card invited them to a Scrumdidilyumptuous Baby Shower at Danielle's Creperie in Sacramento. The restaurant has been a family favorite for years. When I was little they used to be located in Town and Country Village and we would walk over Sunday mornings for brunch. The best item on the menu is the spicy avocado crepe. Delish! Also, included in the invitation was a golden ticket. It was an exact replica of the one Charlie's Grandpa Joe reads out loud in the film with a little tweaking to adjust the date, time and location. Super cute though!
Saturday, June 12th was the big day. I hope I can do justice to the decorations so I will give it a shot. When you walk up to the restaurant there is a patio where the shower was held. Just outside the entrance was a giant pole wrapped in bright ribbon and hanging from it a giant sign that said Wonka in purple and white Wonka font. There was also another sign just beyond that which said Kindraville and was printed with fun colors and candies. At the main entrance a giant arch covered in bright colored pinwheels, candy garland made from tiny balloons covered in celophane and strung together and tons of bright colored giant lollipops 2-3 feet tall coming out of the ground. My mom made all the lollipops with circles of styrofoam, paint and poles wrapped in ribbon and they are out of this world cute. There were giant umbrellas covering most of the patio and from them were bands of brightly colored balloons and strands of ribbon. On the tables at each place setting was an old fashioned colored swirl lollipop tied with ribbon and a place card. All the place cards had a persons name colorfully printed in Willy Wonka font. There was also a white napkin held together by a candy napkin ring made from the candy dots that come on paper. Down the centers of the table were the centerpieces. Exquisitley made by my mom as well. They were clear buckets filled with different colored celophane and sticking out the tops were all of the Wonka candies...from Wonka bars to Nerds, to Gobbstoppers and so on. Candies were sprinkled down the tables like confetti and giant golden goose eggs found thier way into the mix as well. In the background we had the Willy Wonka soundtrack playing and on the dessert table were two tiered cupcake stands also wrapped in ribbon with swirled lollipops coming out the top. Lemon and Carrot Cake cupcakes filled the stands. All in all the sight was amazing. We had people from the surrounding shops stopping to stare and take pictures.
Everyone had the option of 4 crepes for brunch and we were also served a bowl of fruit and a croissant. We played three fun games...the first was finishing nursery rhymes, the second was guessing my circumference with yarn and the last was determining the type of attributes Paul and I would like for London. We gave fun gifts to the winners, a cookie cookbook, a cupcake mug and a candy dish. After we ate and finished games I opened a plethora of beautiful and thoughtful gifts. Of my favorites for sentimental reasons were London's first pink bible stamped with her name, a beautiful necklace for me that says Mom, and a cup and saucer that my Nana had purchased and that has been passed down through the family. There were many other wonderful things too and lots of practical gifts which are necessities.
All in all it was a great day. It was nice to be together and love each other and celebrate baby London. Everything pulled together just as my mom envisioned and she managed to make it the entire party which was extra special too. I am just so thankful she was there. I think everyone enjoyed themselves and had a nice time. I look forward to telling London all about it one day.

Nesting in the Nursery

From the time I found out I was pregnant I knew that if I were to have a little girl I would decorate her room in a bird theme. I have never been the type to really be into the super baby looking room decor. It is just not my style and it doesn't go with the rest of my house. I prefer to have a flow from room to room. It gives it a feeling of cohesion and I find it much more peaceful and calming than a jumbled mix of stuff. That's just me though! So, once we found out we were in fact having a little girl my brain instantly went into overdrive planning the layout and decor of the Bird Nursery room.

First off, my mom joined me in selecting and paying for the most darling bedding made by Dwell Studios. There are two contrasting prints- one which is white with tiny pink dots and the other is a beige with chocolate brown twigs and colored leaves and daisies in shades of pink, white and sage. It is simple and cute and feminine without barfing ribbons, bows and lace all over the place. It also looks beautiful against the chocolate brown crib we purchased along with a matching dresser and nightstand.

The next step...wall decor. I found the coolest zinc letters at one of my favorite clothing stores called Anthropologie. So, above the crib hanging from pink satin ribbon is London's name in all capital letters. It looks fabulous! And, to play off the bird theme I found these black wire bird nests at Pottery Barn. They came in two sizes and the petite one I filled with speckled beige eggs and placed on top of the "L" in London. Above the dresser on the other side of the room I used the same satin ribbon to hang 3 large magnetic zinc boards that I found online from a boutique in Texas. The boards will be great for pictures and cards and drawings along the way. And, of course, I made custom magnets with ribbon to match the room decor as well. In the corner between the crib and window we have the piece de resistance. Manzanita branches coming out of the wall like a tree is growing just on the other side. And from them, a pink birdcage is hanging. The branches look super cool but they didn't come without their share of trouble. In fact, two weeks ago Paul and I drove up to Placerville and took off down a side road where we pulled over and hiked up the hill to cut down a bunch of manzanita branches. My mom's idea actually and this is just one reason why I love her so much. She said the branches were crazy expensive to buy but we could get them for free at the cost of a 10 minute drive up the hill. Totally worth the trip!

This past weekend we cleaned the branches of all leaves and excess twigs and coated them in sealant. Then we started the arduous process of hanging them. We originally thought we could hang them by fishing line and thumb tacks but we quickly found out they were way too heavy. So we moved on to reinforced screws and fishing line and that worked well until Paul had to maneuver around the branches to tie the line to the screws. He had a really hard time and ended up falling off the top step on the ladder. Note to self: never stand barefoot on the top step of a ladder where it states in bold red letters DO NOT STAND ON TOP STEP. Luckily he was okay but the crib got a healthy ding. Hopefully London likes the branches because I doubt they will ever come down now. We also installed these fun metal book holders below the branches. They are London's height so she can put her books in them. The only thing left to hang is one of our maternity pictures right above the light switch when you walk in the door.

Otherwise, to finish off the room decor I put a second pink birdcage with a large metal nest inside right on top of the dresser. To the other side I placed two large metal birds and two galvanized pails with more manzanita branches growing out of them. Next to the dresser is our amazingly comfortable chenille sage green glider and ottoman. The glider also reclines which will be great for those nights when it is easier to just sleep in London's room...I am sure those nights will be plentiful. On the chair is a matching boudoir pillow that goes with the crib bedding. Last but not least we have a fun lamp on the nightstand which looks like a metal branch with leaves. I also have a zinc organizer next to it which I plan to use for changing supplies. On the ground, a small pink canvas trash can and on the other side of the crib just beneath the branches is a matching large canvas storage bin for London's toys. I doubt the toys will make it in the bin all that often but it's the thought that counts right?

All in all, the nursery is just about finished and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. It's like London's little nest and I just hope she likes it!

Lessons in Lamaze

This past Tuesday Paul and I had our first of five Lamaze classes. They actually no longer call it Lamaze they call it Prepared Childbirth which I think is kind of a crock because who really is ever prepared for childbirth..right? You may think you have it all put together but once you are going through the motions it probably never quite happens the way you expect it.

In any case, we showed up to class with about 12 or so other couples and it was fun to see all the different bellies in one room. Big bellies, little ones, high bellies and low ones. It was fun to size everyone up. We started with introductions and the teacher asked each of us to give our names, our due date, the gender of the baby, if we planned on having an epidural and what the best and worst part of being pregnant was. It was really fun to hear all the responses especially from the husbands who finally had the opportunity to complain about the most challenging part of their wives pregnancy. The class was pretty divided on boys vs. girls with a few who wanted a surprise. Same thing went for people who were planning on using drugs vs. not using them or being unsure. I would never kid myself and pretend that I could actually go without an epidural so that was easy to answer. I said that my most challenging part of pregnancy (especially lately) has been sleeping. Major hip aches and knee aches and discomfort in general. I also said that the best part has been decorating and shopping for all the fun little girl stuff. It is one of the best parts for sure, along with feeling her move but that had already been said a few times and you know me...had to say something different. The funniest part, at least for the class, was to hear Paul's response about the most challenging time for him with this pregnancy...keeping up with paying for my shopping for a little girl. Leave it to him to have some witty response and be the class clown.

After we finished intros the teacher went through a bunch of general information and then broke us in early with a birthing video. Keep in mind I had heard horror stories about these birthing videos. Specifically from a couple of my best girlfriends who delivered at Mercy. They had told me that they were pretty graphic and the women they used to video tape were not the most shall we call it well kept and good looking participants. That coupled with the fact that I saw one of my best friends deliver her daughter a year ago left me feeling relatively well prepared for what I was about to see. And, in all honesty I wasn't scared at all because the birth I witnessed a year ago was truly one of the most amazing miracles I have seen in my life. Never for a moment was I grossed out or disgusted or freaked out. It was actually quite a beautiful thing and I will cherish that as long as I live.

So back to the video...I knew the men in the class would be ill-prepared for what they were about to see. It really wasn't that bad in retrospect but there were some definite groans from the men and a few who looked away probably for fear of passing out in class. The men were actually way more entertaining than the video. Paul made it through like a champ but he did have this look on his face when it was over... like he just learned there is no Easter Bunny- kind of sad and shocked and trying to process it all. He shook it off though and was just fine by the time the class ended.

Following the video we layed out our pillows and blankets and did a relaxation exercise that was surprisingly quite relaxing. Maybe there is something to be said for this Lamaze stuff. I kind of thought it was a little corny but then again I also didn't believe in the power of acupuncture up until a year ago either. So, who knows...I will give it my best shot for the next four weeks of class. I am sure I will learn some valuable things and get plenty of laughs in the meantime but certainly I won't kid myself and pretend that I am going to be "prepared" for childbirth. Who really ever is?

Isn't that swell...?

One of the more common side effects in pregnancy is swelling. Especially if you have the pleasure (as I do) of giving birth anytime during the summer months- Gotta love all those June, July, August and September babies. Which by the way, August is the most common birth month and has been for years. So store that little trivia question in your brain for a rainy day. Anyway, as long as I can remember I would get swollen hands when I would go out for a long walk or hike. It was always kind of annoying but after I held my hands up above my head or ran them under cold water they would shrink back down to size and all was well. And, speaking of size, I should also just add that as a petite girl I also have petite hands and that equates to not a lot of room to expand in these types of "swell" situations. The same goes for my feet. Although I never had swollen feet before being pregnant, the size of my feet has always been the butt of many jokes. That includes my toes which at some point in time my mom decided should appropriately be named Lil Smokies...like the ones you buy at the grocery store for special occassions...or at least that was the case at our house. We always had them for Easter breakfast and Christmas breakfast when I was growing up. They are tiny little fat sausages that are maybe an inch long if that. They are delish! Anyway, my little chubbies soon took on the affectionate name Lil Smokies and Paul clung right to that. He thought it was absolutely hilarious and made sure to tell anyone who he overheard mention my inadequate feet and toes. Still to this day he brings it up in fact. And, the other night while I was lamenting about my swollen aching feet he jokingly asked if I actually thought they could get so swollen that they would pop. Just like the Lil Smokies do when they are cooked to perfection. Don't ya love it?

So lately we have been blessed with amazingly cool weather. Although there has been a few warm days here and there and on those days and especially today when it hit close to 80 degrees my little fingers and little feet and little toes begin to swell. There is no stopping them either. I can look down and see the skin begin to turn pink and my ankles slowly begin to turn into "cankles" so that there is no definition from my calf to my foot. It is pretty much all the same size. And then my toes swell to the point of total humiliation and there is no space left between them. It just looks like one giant heap of a toe. Then to top it off, if I have to walk it feels like I am stepping on tiny hot water ballons that are about to explode. My hands take on the shape of a rubber glove that has been blown up. Nice and puffy and rounded everywhere. It is quite a sight. Elevating my feet helps a bit but not much helps my hands. And it takes quite a while to get them to come back down to size again but they eventually do. And might I just add, I love my hands and feet just the size they are, as God intended and I hope London's look just like mine...because my hands sure look like my mom's and I love that even more now.

A Mother's Love

On Tuesday, May 4th my life changed forever. After a month long battle with a fractured T-12 vertebrae and lots of pain medication I rushed my mom to the emergency room to try and determine why the super strong pain medication she had been prescribed was not giving her comfort. After an exam and some testing we ultimately learned that not only had my mom fractured her T-12 vertebrae but the pain she had begun to experience in her abdomen was the result of a 7 centemeter cancerous tumor growing just below her esophagus. They did a biopsy and follow up testing and 2 weeks later the doctors confirmed the worse case scenario that was playing out right before our eyes. My mom has esophageal cancer that has metastasized to her abdomen, lungs, liver and intestines. There is no treatment because the spread is so massive and she has been given a life expectancy of 6 months. The news is more than devastating. It is catastrophically terrible.

It has been over a week since we found out and my mom is now out of the hospital after spending 18 days there. It has been a mix of emotions through all of this which I am sure is normal. Some days are okay...some days it is too much and you just wonder how you can take another step and go on. The travesty of it all has set in though and aside from being sad and shocked and in disbelief I also feel so much love. I feel love from all of my amazing friends who constantly check in and send cards and e-mails and text messages offering to bring dinner or take me to coffee or go for a walk. I feel love from our family who has rallied together to take care of my mom and my dad in this difficult time. Offering to help at the house in any way possible and sending flowers and cards to put a smile on our faces. Most importantly I feel love for my parents and that has made me realize how truly special a mother's love also is for her child. This whole experience has brought our little family closer than we have ever been before. We are each others crutch and support system. We have some laughs and lots of tears but through it all I find that I leave each visit feeling more love than I walked through the door with that day. And, what I also have discovered is that it makes me love my baby in a whole new way too. There is something about a mother's and daughter's love that is so unique and special that it is like nothing else. And, I feel so incredibly lucky to have a mom who has loved me unconditionally for the past 28years. Do I wish we had another 28 years to spend together?...every moment of every day...but I also know that God has a plan for my mom and she must be needed someplace else for more important things. Probably running the gardening commitee or decorating commitee in heaven. Am I okay with that?...not fully, but I am getting there. I watch the show 19 kids and counting on TLC and yesterday when I was watching the latest episode the wife Michelle said something that struck me. She said that when a family goes through a really tough time they will eventually come out on the other side and what happened to them can either make them bitter or better. So I trust in the Lord and his plan for our family and I know that out of this darkness there will be light and down the road whenever that may be I will be better. I will be a better friend, a better wife, a better mother and a better woman. Until then I will take life day by day and cherish all the time I have with my mom. And I will continue to pray that I can be as amazing of a mom to London as my mom has always been to me.

So with that said and because I know my mom would be really disappointed with me if I did not continue my blog I will resume the weekly/daily posts about baby London and me the mom-to-be. I am doing it for two reasons...first, because I love London and second, because I love my mom.

VOGUE...Maternity Style

Well, Saturday was London's first photo shoot...one of many I am sure...and although she isn't actually physically here I know she was saying "cheese" from within. Back in November, Paul and I bid on and won a photo session with a Sacramento photographer by the name of Eleakis & Elder. At that time I wasn't pregnant but knew right away that I would be saving that session for maternity photos. I have always loved maternity pictures of women with their big bellies totally bare and exposed. There is something so beautiful and so warm about them. I could hardly wait to get big enough (and let me just say I certainly foot the bill now) to have these precious pics taken.

So over the past week there was extensive preparation for the big photo op. There was wardrobe planning, a trial run on hair and makeup, a sunless spray tan (for Paul and I both)and the selection of props for the shoot. And might I just add- don't laugh...everyone looks better with a little "sun" on their skin, even if it is fake and even if you are a man...and if you are a woman- the "sun" hides cellulite like you won't believe. Finally, everything came together and we met the photographers Saturday morning to head over to William Land Park for the first leg of the journey. We took some really fun and really uncomfortable pictures. For example, they started by having me lie on my back on a concrete bench. Super cozy! Paul and I had some good laughs and most of the pictures were taken surrounding a giant duck pond that had its share of feathered friends who took part in the shoot from time to time. They took some great pictures of us interacting, rubbing our bellies together, and laying in the grass. Then we headed over to Fairy Tale Town for a couple pics of just myself with a darling book I brought along. It was one of my favorite books when I was little and it is a petite version of Jemima Puddle Duck, member of the Beatrix Potter series for those who don't know. We got some great shots of me reading it to my belly while perched up against a tree with Fairy Tale Town and Humpty Dumpty in the background. That turned out to be one of my favorite shots. It will certainly end up in London's room.

Afterward, we headed back to the studio for the nude photos, nude belly photos that is. I wore black leggings and a black and white scarf tied bandeau style around my chest...my belly of course was bare. We did some really fun pictures with a pink bow tied around my belly like a present and we did some other ones with a bird nest that came from London's room and a few of the classic maternity photos with Paul's arms around my belly and hands formed into a heart. Very sweet. Afterwards, they let us view the pictures right away and narrow down the ones that we liked. We are both so opinionated that it was quite easy to purge. Now we just need to settle on the few that we really love. All in all it was a fun morning and I know we will treasure these pictures forever. I know they are some of the final shots we will take as a family of two but I also know they will soon be much more exciting as a family of three.

Baby Registries 101

I have finally finished the daunting task of registering for baby London. Let me just say, if you aren't already overwhelmed by the whole aspect of having a baby, try registering for one and then you really feel like you have no idea what you are doing. It was the most time consuming and overwhelming task thus far. In fact, they should offer a class on it in college called Baby Registries 101 just so that you have a few years in between to let everything sink in. It honestly could take that long just to understand it all, get the hang of how stuff works and determine what you need to survive that first year with a newborn.

What cracks me up is all the gadgets and gizmos that are available to choose from these days. They never used to have all this stuff back when I was born and moms got by then so who's to say we need all this now. The answer is we probably don't but we feel better knowing it is there. It is kind of like a security blanket of baby accoutrements. If the swing isn't calming your kid, try the swaddling blanket...if that isn't working walk them in the stroller or jog them in the jogger or put them on the activity mat, or on the bouncer or in the exersaucer...I mean honestly...it is kind of ridiculous but there is this little devil in the back of your mind telling you to register for it all because when you are desperate for a solution to quiet your kid you want options.

So I started the registering process from home about a month ago because like my dad I am a shopper. I like to check out my options, read the reviews and find the best rated product for any particular item. I figured if I started on-line in the privacy of my home no one would harass me for spending as long as I knew it would take to decide what I wanted. Otherwise, I could have easily spent a week at Babies R Us and Goore's. Paul and I started with the bigger items because I knew he would want to have some input and then I began selecting all the small things. There are TONS of small things! From grooming supplies to medicines to burp cloths to bassinets and bathing supplies...and that is just the tip of the iceberg. You really have to consider so much and make so many decisions about what is best and what you like and what is reasonable...yada yada. Luckily I have some great friends who are willing to give me advice on what works for them and what products are good. Otherwise, I would have been lost in Baby Registry Land.

Paul and I also made a visit to Goore's Baby Store where we registered for half the items we needed. That was a whole other task...deciding what to register for at which store. Babies R Us and Goore's have some of the same products and also lots of different products so we had to determine which was best from the selection at both stores. I spent hours ahead of time clicking back and forth between websites to compare highchairs, car seats, slings and walkers. So when we finally made it to the store it did help take the pressure off and we had a fun time scanning all sorts of toys, blankets, and accessories that are all "must-have's" for Miss London. Aside from that, Paul had some of his own ideas about what he wanted and I couldn't be a bully so he picked a few things out that he thought were super cool too. All in all is was fun but we were exhausted when we finished.

Last week, two of my girlfriends graciously accompanied me to Babies R Us to help me finish the last of it. I had left all the hard stuff for them to help me with. Things I knew nothing about like breast feeding supplies, bottles, pacifiers, safety items, diapers, etc. I am so glad they had kids first because I would have been lost without them. The breast pump section alone left me having nightmares for the next couple days. Then there is the variety of bottles and nipples to choose from. Who would have thought there is 15 different ways to make a plastic bottle for milk? And diapers, plenty of options there...some are better for boys and some are better for girls...Wipes...do we need sensitive wipes or unscented wipes or both? How about pacifiers? There are different sizes and different shapes and then you need to remember the pacifier cleaners, the pods to store them in and the cute attachments that clip to the babies clothes so they don't fall off. I mean honestly it makes you dizzy just thinking about all this right? My brain sure felt dizzy leaving the store...of course I was hungry too so we made a pit stop at BJ's but in any event it is officially DONE! I have accomplished the monumental task of registering so now all I need to do is determine how everything works and hope that Paul and I don't kill each other figuring it out :-)Again, thank God for good friends who are just a phone call away and an ear full of knowledge because I would be lost otherwise. And to think, this is just the first of many exciting things I will have to figure out in the months ahead!

One Heck Of A Week

I have decided that if I ever wanted to wish harm on a person (which I doubt I ever would because I am a nice girl...most of the time) I would wish upon them the horrible sickness I have been battling all week. Being sick and pregnant sucks! It is honestly the worst I have felt in so long...I can't even remember. Other than of course passing two kidney stones in October and November last year...but this is different because this could not be treated with antibiotics, muscle relaxers and vicodin. Oh no, this is almost worse because when you are pregnant you really shouldn't take any medication if you want to play it on the safe side with the baby. And of course I want London to be safe.

So it started last Friday when I woke up with a little scratch in my throat and a tiny cough that kind of went away as the day progressed. I didn't think much of it until Saturday morning when I woke up to a deep cough and raspy voice. By the end of the day I was full blown sick and Sunday it continued to get worse. That night, being the good wife that I am I volunteered to sleep on the couch so Paul could get his beauty rest for work the next day. I woke up in the middle of the night though and was so sick that I could hardly breathe and actually debated on heading the the ER. I immediately called the advice nurse and was given a variety of home remedy options to give me some relief. Steaming my face, drinking warm fluids and sleeping while sitting up were among them. I also scheduled an appointment for first thing Monday morning to find out how sick I really was.

The next morning Paul and I headed to the doc and were advised I had bronchitis. They gave me a breathing treatment which gave me some relief and sent me home with some antibiotics, and an inhaler. I opted not to take the antibiotics for fear of anything happening to London and decided I would take the "granola route" and try to heal naturally. So, my week was spent sleeping on the couch, using saline nasal wash, steaming my face with hot water and peppermint oil, drinking hot water with lemon and honey and using a heating pad on my back and chest. Slowly...even more slow than molasses...I started to get better but even still I am not 100%. My nose is still stuffed with snot that is the density of rubber cement and my cough which has diminished is still strong enough that I am certain I pulled a few muscles. My rib cage on the left is so sore that it feels like I practically cracked a rib or two...heck, maybe I did. And of course, no pain medication for that other than some muscle cream to give me temporary relief. Needless to say, it has been a long road to recovery which has further been set back by the minor tumble I took last night.

Yes, I took a little fall on my tummy yesterday at our friends house. Thank the Lord it was on the lawn and not the concrete but it was cause enough for Kaiser to request that I be seen immediately in triage. It was the first of a few visits I am sure I will make to Kaiser between now and delivery but it was super scary. Paul drove at Mach 3 speed and we determined it still takes a solid 20 minutes to get there. Good to know for future reference. Everything turned out to be just fine for the me and the baby. They checked for contractions, both of our heartbeats and did an ultrasound to make sure the placenta and amniotic sac were not ruptured. Everything looked totally normal and the doctor was able to confirm we are having a girl. So, the pink shall stay! Two hours later we made our way out the door and came home totally exhausted. This body has had one heck of a week. I am still making progress on the bronchitis recovery and sore ribs and hoping this week will end up better than last. Moral of the story- do not run on the lawn in flip flops while pregnant.

Say Goodbye to my Hourglass Figure

I have always had what people refer to as an hourglass figure. From the time I was in 7th grade I was a busty young lady but I always had a small waist and some extra padding in the lower half. I never really had to work too hard to keep my figure until I hit my early 20's and then college and all the fun that goes along with it started to catch up with me. But even still when I was at my heaviest I managed to have a thinner waistline, a decent chest, and some "junk in the trunk" as the kids call it these days. (I know I am tooting my own horn here but when you are pregnant what else can you do besides reflect back on the days gone by-and the body too for that matter). As I have gotten older and now am rapidly approaching my thirties that hourglass figure has become less and less thin in the middle and bigger and bigger on the top and bottom. In fact, in the clothing business we learn early on about the 4 stereotypical shapes that all women can be classified into. There is the hourglass which is shapely on top and bottom with a defined waist. There is the pear which is defined as small on top and heavy on the bottom. The apple which is heavy in the mid section, bust and belly but with great legs. And finally the rectangle which is basically a nice way of describing a woman with no shape. I believe as of late I fall into this category. Granted I have a baby belly in the front but my top, middle and bottom are all around the same size anymore. There is no more 34,28,34. It is more like 38,38,38.

There is also a plethora of other fun side effects that come right alongside this new figure. For example, my belly button...yep...it is gone. I no longer have an "innie" and really it isn't an "outie" either...it is basically almost a "nonnie" because the darn thing has stretched out so much it blends right into the rest of my tummy. If I didn't have a scar from the belly button ring I had (again in days gone by)you might not even know there was a belly button there. (And by the way, I fully plan on showing that belly button ring scar to London when she is 16 and wants to get hers done. I am certain that she will change her mind after she sees the lovely effects age and babies have on that scar when you are too old to wear the ridiculous thing anymore.) But anyway, my belly button is gone and I have developed a beautiful brown hormone line called the linea nigra that runs the entire length of my stomach. I am convinced it is there to divide the globe of a belly I am carrying into West and East hemispheres. And I have been informed that it will get darker and more prominent as I go along. Yay!

The last side effect requires its own paragraph because it exists in monumental proportions these days...it is the dreaded CELLULITE. Um...WOW...never knew you could have cellulite develop in some really strange places. I mean did you know you could get dimples by your armpits? Really? It is like it started in my arms and just trickled all the way down to my calves. Making a few extra long stops in my rear and thighs of course. I now hate visiting the dressing room in Target to try on maternity clothes because they have two way mirrors...one full length in the front and one full length in the back. So I can see everything that the good Lord had blessed my body with since this pregnancy. It is not a pretty sight so I will spare you the details and leave it at that.

Finally, I am starting the swell process. It is not bad yet and in fact I probably will have an entire separate posting just related to that down the road but I must say the swelling has begun. And, as a result, my wedding ring no longer fits. It is kind of sad because it is a beautiful ring and I feel bare without it but I am able to wear another ring Paul bought me on our honeymoon to Tahiti so it still has some sentimental value. So the swelling has begun in my hands and it too will slowly make its way down just like the cellulite I am sure. But, what can you do. I say...embrace it! And of course cross my fingers and hope and pray that it will all go away after the baby comes. I hope someday that hourglass may pour itself back into my body but for now I am a pregnant rectangle and proud of it!

And Her Name Is...

London Paige Ueckert- Whew! That was a task. Who ever knew there was so much effort that went into selecting a name. But I guess when you are forced to do it you begin to realize how important it truly is because it will be with your child the rest of their days. What if they become a movie star or a musician or a politician? It must be a good, solid, classy name- a name that is not boring and yet not totally bizare. One of those names that people say..."Wow, that's a cool name... Where does it come from?" Unfortunately London's answer might not be so cool..."Uh, my parents found it in a book titled 60,000 Baby Names and it was listed under the section- Names of Popular Kids." (Which by the way was not at all why we chose it but I just thought that was kind of funny...especially because it was listed one name below our friends daughter named Mackenzie and we always joke about them being double trouble at school here in EDH). But my point being, a name is so important and so hard to decide on for so many reasons.

From the time I can remember, Paul and I had come up with the name Makaela. We talked about it for years...literally. We both loved it and would joke about my tummy after a big meal and say, "Well, Makaela ate well tonight." I would stick it out extra far and pretend I was pregnant...my have times changed...and apparently so have names! So needeless to say, we always agreed that if we had a girl we would name her Makaela...until I got pregnant. Something about it being the real deal kind of makes you take a step back and think about a name and if you are truly in love with it. Well, ultimately I wasn't. So we (actually I) began the search in a book loaned to us by one of my best friends. I went page by page and mainly focused on boy names because once again everyone was certain it was a boy. But, from time to time I would flip through the girl section and write down a name or two that struck me. There was also a fun section of the book that categorized names such as "Sure to be the Class Clown" or "Future Politician" or "Names People Make Fun of". In that area I found London, listed under "Names for Popular Kids". Instantly, I shouted it out to Paul and said I LOVED it. He wasn't so sure at first but he also didn't turn his nose up which was a rare occassion during the selection process. Immediately I looked it up. Definition- Place Name, Capital of Great Britain (That sounded strong, classy and unique to me) It also stated that it was a unisex name that could be used for boys or girls. I only liked it for a girl but that instantly became my one and only name. As the days went by Paul began to like it more and more and eventually it became our first pick. So on judgement day when we found out that boy was a girl she became London Ueckert...middle name TBD.

After sharing the name with everyone the typical next question was, What about a middle name? We had not made it that far but soon after we found out I began the search for a perfect middle name. Paul said he didn't have much preference on a middle name as long as it sounded good...Ha! I should have known. Picking the darn middle name was more tough than picking the first. Back to my book I went in search of names and I began to write down options including names we had originally picked as first names. Paul instantly vetoed almost all of them including all the original first names we picked because he wanted to save them in case we had a second girl. We talked about family names but couldn't come up with any that rolled off the tounge between London and Ueckert. We were stumped. We had people giving us suggestions and people teasing us about chosing Paula as a middle name to play off Paul's name which is actually William Paul. People teased us about using the middle name Bridge. HA! HA! I wonder how many times she will get that dumb joke in the course of her life. Of course then you have to think about initials. I liked Olivia for a middle name but her initials would by LOU. No thanks. We don't need a boys name for her monogrammed towels. So finally this past weekend on a long and boring drive to Ripon we finally decided to talk about the latest selections for middle names and to pick one once and for all. I ran down my top three, McKay, Presley, Grace. I really wasn't that sold on any of them but Paul said of the three he liked McKay the best so we could go with that. It just wasn't right though and I didn't want to settle. So, I went back to our first names list again because we had both LOVED Paige as a first name before we came upon London. I said, "What about Paige? We both loved it and it sounds great with London." You have to be willing to give it up for the next time around...IF we even have another girl. He thought about it for a minute and said he really liked the sound of it so he was willing to give it up. So right there on HWY 99 between Elk Grove and Ripon she became London Paige Ueckert. Not a horribly sentimental story but I have heard worse. So her initials are LPU(I am hoping there is not a Lower Pennsylvania University she will have to share the glory with). But anyway, I would like to call her LP or Lo (pronounced Low) for short. Yep! I quite like that. Plus I figure if she makes it super famous some day she could drop the middle and last name and just be London...kind of like Madonna but way better :-)

Movin & Groovin

I have been reading two books as I have gone through this pregnancy. One is titled Pregnancy Week by Week and the other is titled What to Expect When You Are Expecting. They are both broken down in such a way that you can follow along either week by week or month by month and see how things are progressing for mom and baby. At around the 16 week/4 month mark both books began to talk about quickening which is the first sensations of the baby moving. They said it felt like butterflies or popcorn or little air bubbles and that most women think it is gas or hunger pangs until they have felt it enough to realize it is actually the babies movements. Generally these sensations are felt anytime between 16 and 22 weeks and all of my friends have said it is the best part of pregnancy so of course I could hardly wait to experience it. Since week 16 I have been waiting...and waiting...and waiting...and yesterday...I felt her! It was the coolest thing I have ever experienced. To me, being the over analyzer that I am, it didn't feel like butterflies, or buttered popcorn or whatever the heck they said, it felt like someone gently kicking the inside of my belly. Plain and simple, it felt amazing.

I had been having these sensations for a few days and had told Paul I thought it was the baby moving but since I had never felt it before I would quickly change my mind and determine it was gas or indigestion or something else. Yesterday though I was able to confirm my suspicions were correct and that was London in there movin and groovin. I think she must have really dug my food consumption yesterday which tells me she is a big fan of granola cereal, green chicken curry, mushroom risotto, asparagus, garlic bread and orange sherbet. Especially orange sherbet- girl after my own heart...she likes her ice cream just like her momma. It was fun though because I ate the ice cream and she started moving all over the place so I told Paul and he wanted to see if he could feel her even though I told him it was impossible- at least for a few more weeks. So, he did his nightly ritual of putting his hands on my belly and calling out to her while running down the dinner and dessert menu I had just consumed. And, as he did it she kicked! Just to say, "Hey Dad, I hear you." It was awesome. He didn't feel her but I sure did and that was so incredibly cool. After that she simmered down and I went to bed.

This morning, after my bowl of granola and milk I got ready for a shopping date with a girlfriend and realized I hadn't felt her move all morning. So after I got out of the shower and sat down in front of my mirror to apply makeup I grabbed my tummy and gave it a big jiggle- which is easy to do these days- and I said, "London, good morning...give me some good kicks today," and sure enough I got one. Right then and there...and I almost cried. The feeling is like nothing else and it just makes you realize how precious life is and how grateful we should be to God for all the amazing and miraculous blessings in each of our lives. Especially at this time of year during the Easter celebration. I love you London! Keep on kickin girl!

Milestones & The End of an Era

There have been some major milestones met this week and as these moments have come and gone I have begun to realize we are closing a substantial chapter in our lives. With the close of this chapter we are also opening a brand new one though and I believe it could appropriately be named: The End of an Era- What the Heck Are We Doing?

Paul and I have been together for 10 years in May...give or take a few brief interludes that in retrospect were a collassal waste of both of our time. But in any event 10 years is equal to a whole lot of accumulations. Accumulations of good times and great memories, accumulations of a variety of unnecessary material things and accumulations of preferences (aka- knowing what you like and becoming accustomed to it). Essentially, in the past 10 years we have accumulated a lot of...well, stuff. What brings me to this discussion is also one of the milestones met this week. Our nursery furniture arrived. It was such an exciting day and one I have been waiting for for quite some time. In fact the warehouse man and I have become BFF over the past two weeks just trying to set this all up. But nonetheless, the crib, dresser and nightstand arrived as planned and it was a momentous occassion for a few reasons. First, it required Paul and I to purge the pre-exisiting bedroom furniture and second, it made everything seem that much more real.

You may think getting rid of old furniture to replace it with new stuff is quite exciting and let me just say it was...in a way. But it was also kind of bittersweet for us or at least for me, being the highly emotional hormonal woman I am these days. You see the bedroom set was one of the first things Paul and I bought together and it held real sentimental value- it was part of our accumulations. Those material things I mentioned that you tend to build up over the years...the only difference was this one had an emotional tag on it so the thought of getting rid of it was sort of sad. It was in our first apartment, our first home and our current home so it had some miles on it for sure. It sat in our guest bedroom for the past year and provided a great home away from home for many people along the way. In fact, Paul's best friend Shaun actually took a photo of the room and shared it with friends down in Long Beach to let them know this was the best spot in town to stay while he was visiting Sac. I always had the bed pulled down, the lighting just so and his towels out when he arrived. I thought is felt cozy- Kind of a W Hotel meets the Four Seasons. Apparently he agreed. Now however, the room will officially be a nursery and the old bedroom furniture, it went to my Aunt so at least it is still in the family and that does my heart good.

The "baby's room" became a real nursery right before my eyes with all the accompaniments and I had a real "ah-ha" moment after they put everything together and left. I walked back in and thought to myself...gone are the days of a cozy guest room for far away friends and drunken sleepovers and soon are the days of sleepless nights rocking in the glider and putting a crying baby to bed. That sentiment of course was followed by...oh my gosh what have we gotten ourselves into. That night Paul got home and checked it out in kind of a shocked... what the hell are we doing sort of way too. In fact his reaction was kind of a laugh and sigh all at the same time. We both agreed, the arrival of a nursery officially marks the end of an era. We are no longer the fly by the seat of our pants kind of people...we are parents. Yikes!

So to make a long story even longer I have to mention our accumulation of preferences which has become quite generous over the years. Basically, we have become undeniably set in our ways. I know it is true, I am super particular and maybe even a tad obsessive but I like our house just so. I just have always felt like we are so blessed to have such nice things that we should care for them, appreciate them and showcase them. So, everything has a place. I like neatness, tidiness and organization. Like I said, everything has its spot. When the cleaners leave I actually go through the whole house and twist and turn each little thing to its exact home so it looks as if it has never been touched. I like it just so. What can I say...at least I admit it. For those reading this who have children I am sure you are chukling to yourself about now and thinking...oh you just wait. I know what I am in for so I am working on this- it is one of those accumulations I mentioned that I am working on purging. I know everything will be different when London arrives so I am trying to make progress. You know, walk past a crooked candle without moving it, avoid adjusting the tilted mirror in the hallway or fluffing the down comforter so it is exactly even on all sides...I am working on all this. It is funny actually because when I have new clients come by to shop one of the first things out of their mouths when they walk in the door is...you don't have kids do you? I always laugh and say no...or at least I used to and I am sure come August those words will never again be uttered from their mouths. Well, it is what it is...and that is a good thing :-)

The second milestone met this week which also plays into this whole realization of...what the heck are we doing...is that I hit 20 weeks and that is officially the half way point of my pregnancy. In 20 weeks or less...God willing not more...especially in 100 degree weather...London will have arrived. It will be glorious and scary and everything in between but the point is she will be here and another milestone will be met and a brand new chapter in our lives will begin. She will mark the end of an era and the start of a wonderful new one.

I Need a Dream Catcher Big Time!

Sleeping has become real interesting around the Ueckert household lately. Not only have my sleep patterns become total chaos but the accompanying dreams are something straight out of a Tim Burton movie. And, to top it off my doctor has informed me that I am only allowed to sleep in two postions which also furthers my restlessness and is the cause of these flip flop aerobics I perform each night in bed...Plus, I pee on average 3-4 times amidst all that. Pregnancy is a joyous experience! That is what I tell myself each time I get up or roll over or adjust my pillows or wake up in a cold sweat from the latest monster that has attacked me.

I have always been a belly or side sleeper for as long as I can remember. After getting pregnant for some reason I began to wake up and find myself flat on my back. No big deal I thought. It was comfortable and I was sleeping so it worked for me. At the doctor a few weeks ago I was advised it is no longer safe to sleep on my back. Apparently as I get bigger it puts pressure on my Vena Cava (I know, my what?) and that cuts off blood flow to the baby. Obviously, this is a rather important function so I left the doctor totally freaked out. What if I wake up on my back and don't realize I have been there for hours? I had to take action. Immediately I went to Target and bought a King size pillow and that night I crawled into bed with my husband and two new partners...my king sized pillow to put behind me and a Standard size pillow to put between my legs. It didn't go so hot. The King pillow didn't allow me to move around and my hips ached the next morning from being wedged open with the Standard pillow. I did not however end up on my back that night so mission accomplished. Things have gotten better with my pillow partners but my hips have taken a beating. Sometimes my aching hips actually wake me up in the middle of the night as if my full bladder or wild dreams waking me isn't already enough.

So, the dreams...WOW! They are out of this world...sometimes literally! And, apparently you remember your dreams more when you are pregnant because you wake up more often during REM sleep and that allows you recover your thoughts. What is interesting is that sometimes there is a story line and sometimes there are just random images and moments in time. Lately I have even experienced dreams that are so crazy that I wake up in a hot or cold sweat, sometimes with tears running down my cheeks and most recently I awoke with a huge scratch on the top of my hand. Last night for example I dreamt my mom had a twin and they were both driving some SUV with the passenger door open. They were driving in reverse and took the passenger door off at the hinges going 70 miles an hour. What? The night before I dreamt I held a CAbi show at a dive bar called the Buggy Whip that my dad has visited ever since I was a kid. I tend to have animals in my dreams quite often and for a while I was dreaming a lot about having little girls. Hmmmm! Now that I say that...It was a sign! Although I hope my mom doesn't have a long lost twin and that I never have to do a CAbi show at a dive bar :-) But anyway, I dreamt about having twin girls multiple nights in a row a few weeks back. Sometimes I would actually deliver them from my body myself and they would come out looking perfect and already all bundled up in blankets or with bows in their hair. I mean, this is some crazy stuff right! I also have dreamt a lot about people from my past. Mostly old friends from elementary school and high school. People I have not thought about in years though and I wake up wondering...Where did they come from?

So needleess to say, I think I should track down a Dream Catcher to help filter some of these wild thoughts or maybe if nothing else invest in a Dream definition book to find out what all this silliness is about. And so the sleeping saga continues and I am sure there will be many more restless nights in my future. I figure this is just preparation for what's to come in August so I better get used to it now!

Sugar & Spice & Everything Nice...That's What Little Girls Are Made Of

It's a GIRL!

This morning we had the appointment of all appointments. I got up early since the ultrasound was scheduled for 9:35 in Roseville. Paul stayed home from work so we could follow each other there. In order to have the exam done you are required to drink two 8oz glasses of water one hour prior to the appointment and not go to the bathroom until after the initial part of the exam. Needless to say I almost popped right there in the waiting room. We arrived early and checked in and the waiting began. I had this nervous excitement and could not help but watch all the people coming and going around me. Everyone that checked in kept getting called before me. I kept sighing to Paul while he fervently checked his watch. I am going to pee my pants right here in the waiting room chair if I have to wait any longer. I better be next otherwise Paul may need to go grab the janitor and a mop. This is no joking matter. Finally, the tech comes to get me and I bolt out of the chair and practically run down the hall to the ultrasound room.

She slaps some warm jelly on my tummy and away we go with about a 45 minute exam to check all the organs, take countless pictures and determine the sex of course. First though, she checks my bladder and then allows me to relieve myself. Thank God! The rest of the exam takes FOREVER!!! All I can think is, okay this broad needs to hurry up and let us know what we are having. What the heck is taking so long. Doesn't she know we are wasting valuable shopping time. The problem was that the baby was super active (surprise, surprise) so she couldn't get it to sit still long enough to take the pictures. Then, she couldn't get it to turn over so she had me moving into all sorts of compromising positions to get it to roll over. She finally got the shot. Next task- she shows us the pictures of the organs and limbs, as well as the face. In one shot you can see an eyeball. I must admit it looks a little scary but its good to know its there! She says everything looks good but the doctor tomorrow will examine the shots to let me know for sure.

Finally, time to let us know what it is. She scans down to the bottom and uses the cursor on the computer to point out 3 lines. It is a girl! The lines are the outer part of her female anatomy. She double and triple checks...no third leg. It is definitely a girl. At this point, I almost fell off the table. I thought about screaming but being that I was in a hospital room I thought that might look bad and freak out the rest of the patients waiting to come in next. Paul's jaw about hit the floor too. Oh my gosh, practically everyone is expecting a boy. They are going to flip out I tell him. So then I double check with the technician...are you sure? how sure are you? like 100% sure? She then informs me they are not allowed to say 100% but she was 99% sure and she had been doing this for a long time. Okay, good enough for me. Her name will be London. Middle name to be discussed.

And so we left, pictures and proof in our hands and we could hardly wait to get out the door to call and let everyone know. The sentiment was the same all the way around. Total excitement and some shocked voices as well. So fun! Such a surprise. We are going to have a daughter. Which led me to the next most important task...Shopping! And away I went to shop until I dropped and my oh my did I shop. Dresses, polka dots, pink, oh my! I can't wait to meet my little girl!