30 weeks through this pregnancy...just about 10 weeks left!! It's starting to feel really close; we'll have our baby in our arms in less than three months. Last week I took my glucose test (and didn't think the drink was nearly as bad as most people have said; just tasted like gatorade to me) and we had a final ultrasound. During the ultrasound we were able to see our baby's heart - all four chambers beating away - kidneys, bladder, and spine. So amazing! Everything perfectly formed and so tiny. When the ultrasound tech moved to his face she turned... Read more →

Recently I outlined our current meal planning and grocery shopping “system” AKA dilemma. I’d like to establish a better routine that allows us to consistently know what’s for dinner, try out new recipes, and keep track of our favorite meals. I asked several girl friends to tell me what works for them. I also scanned the internet and found this article helpful as well as reading about Sara’s system. Plus my friend Samineh just posted her amazing system which includes a recipe binder, menu spreadsheet, and grocery list strategy. Here are some of my favorite tips that I'd like to... Read more →

Other than growing a belly it looks like I went through a grey/white to pink/red color-change in my wardrobe during the second trimester! As I've been writing in my bump picture updates, the second trimester has been glorious. The nausea and exhaustion that were my constant companions in the first trimester completely went away and I've been enjoying food again as well as staying awake past 7:30 PM. I've enjoyed my growing belly and people being able to see that I'm pregnant and I've had lots of energy. Probably best part of the second trimester has been feeling the baby... Read more →

In 2013 I'm embracing be present and I wanted to share some ways I'm working on this at my job. There are times when my mind feels so full of thoughts about the baby or life outside of work that I lose my focus at work. It's not enough that my productivity is significantly affected but it leaves me feeling that I could have accomplished more with my day. I want to establish better habits of being present at work now because I know it will probably get harder when I have a cute little one to think about and... Read more →

My lack of a system for meal planning and grocery shopping has been bugging me for awhile. Despite loving to cook and even to do the grocery shopping (I love shopping at Trader Joe’s) I haven’t found a good rhythm that consistently works for us. Although the grocery shopping gets done and we eat a healthy diet I’d enjoy having a system in place so that I can consistently try new recipes, don’t waste ingredients from meals we don’t make and have a way to keep track of our go-to recipes favorites. Here’s what our current routine looks like: +... Read more →

28 weeks along now and officially in the third trimester! Really getting up there. And my belly is getting out there. Strangers don't hesitate to ask, "When are you due?" although still no random belly rubs. I've officially hit 20 pounds gained! And feeling good. My belly button is flattening out and I'm wondering if and when it will pop out... I've left all my non-maternity pants (except for stretchy leggings) behind. I bought two pairs of maternity work pants over the holidays (oh the comfort of spandex!) and haven't attempted the bella band since. Once you can't zip a... Read more →

Chris and I had decided what type of birth and care provider we wanted before getting pregnant. I'd read a lot on the subject and felt that working with a midwife and doula and having a medication-free birth at a hospital were the right choices for me. Chris is on the same page. When I was researching pregnancy and birth I found it so helpful to read about the experience of other women and what they were going through so I wanted to share a bit more about our decisions for care providers during my pregnancy. Our midwives and hospital.... Read more →

Chris and I love to be prepared financially (as you know). For the past couple of years we'd been talking about how we could afford to have a family one day. At the time we were focused on the scenario of me staying home from work for a year or more and being a one income family. We though this might work once Chris has tenure and gets a raise (fall 2014) but it was still a stretch to maintain savings and keep up with current expenses. It was a bit stressful to think of how it could all work... Read more →

My calendar for January so far is wonderfully empty. I'm going to try to leave it that way as much as I can in recognition that being present means not scheduling all my free time away. In January I will be present and also plan to: + Start a recipe binder. To organize our meal planning and grocery shopping I've decided I need a binder to keep all the recipes that I rip our from magazines and print from online. This will kick start my organizing system! + Make new cushions for the nursery glider. We found a great glider... Read more →

Six and a half months now and I'm still loving being pregnant. And I'm definitely starting to feel more pregnant. Until now I've felt bigger but usually I still felt like myself and my size didn't impede my normal movements. That's changing. In just the past week my belly has become much more noticeable to me (and maybe to others!). As in, it's in the way when I bend over, I have to use some extra oomph to get up off the couch or ground, and it's big enough that I'm finding myself rubbing it mindlessly all the time. I... Read more →