Hiccups?!?

I'm exactly 29 weeks along today, which means that I got my weekly emails this morning. I subscribe to a couple of websites that send out these weekly emails about symptoms I might be feeling, what's going on with the baby, etc. At any rate, I had an "A-HA!" moment a few minutes ago when I read this sentence:

If you're feeling strange little rhythmic flutters, those are baby hiccups!

I've felt them!!! I am 100% positive. It has happened twice now, once yesterday and once two days ago. I had no idea what they were the first time, but last night it crossed my mind that they could be hiccups. It was annoying, actually, because I was trying to do my daily kick counts, and I wasn't sure how/if I should count those (about kick counting: every day, my doctor wants me to eat dinner, lie on my side, and then time how long it takes for the baby to make ten movements. It generally takes two or three minutes, tops-- he gets all excited whenever I eat!). For the record, I stopped doing the kick counts until the hiccups stopped, and then I started over. The hiccups were really weird! They definitely weren't as strong or clear as the movements he normally makes-- they were just like the email described: "strange little rhythmic flutters." And they continued for probably five minutes. So odd!

Hiccups, by the way, are a good sign! My friend's doctor told her that hiccups are a sign of increasing respiratory maturity. The little guy is pretending to breathe in there (and consequently sucking in a lot of amniotic fluid). That's real progress! He still has eight weeks to go before he's considered "full term," but it's never too early to start practicing. Excellent job, Nikos! :P
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One more random note before I go. I wake up at least once every night to go to the bathroom. This isn't nearly as bad as in the first trimester, when I would get up three or four times to go (that was annoying!). However, I have discovered a new complication. Getting up to use the restroom has the annoying side effect of waking up the baby! By the time I get back in bed, he is wide awake and has his dancing shoes on... It took me almost an hour to get back to sleep this morning (at 3am) because this kid was kicking and punching and stretching and rolling like crazy. Dear God, please let this NOT happen when he's on the outside! 3am is sleeping time!
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Ok, ONE more truly random note... Corky (our parrot) has learned a new phrase. She now says, "Hey, big boy!" And before your mind goes someplace it shouldn't, allow me to clarify: this is what I say to the cat when I pick him up (he's getting a little paunchy around the middle). I thought it was so funny!! :)

Where's the Baby?

This morning, I finally finished my wall art project for the baby's room. I think it turned out pretty well!

Oh, and by the way-- his name is Nikos! haha!! I don't think I have ever actually mentioned it on here, but we've known it since the day we found out he was a he. Gus' real name is Konstantinos Nikos, and the baby will be Nikos Konstantinos (like Gus' dad-- see a pattern?). We'll probably call him Nick when he gets older, but I just can't imagine calling a little baby "Nick." And I really don't like the nickname "Nicky," so he will be Nikos for a while (along with a host of other names I am sure to come up with... as evidenced by the fact that I call Charlie "Chunky" or "Kittyboo" most of the time!).

Anyway... I found the wall letters at Michael's, and they were too good a deal to pass up! I originally planned to paint them white, but Gus wanted more color in the room... It was starting to be purely blue-and-white. That's actually what inspired the flags on the ledge! My mom took a look at our colors and said, "Wow, this is going to be a very Greek room" (referring to the colors of the Greek flag). But then I realized: blue and white are also the colors of the Scottish flag, and my family is Scottish! So I made a little Scottish flag and a little Greek flag, using the wall paint, some white ribbon, and a hot glue gun (and I burnt myself! OW!). They turned out pretty well. Now all I need is a baby to put in there!! Oh, and a mattress, too. That would probably be helpful. :)

28 Weeks

So, here we are at 28 weeks! (Feeling brave? Check out my bare belly!) It's so strange to me to think that this baby will be considered "full term" in only nine weeks-- slightly over two months! And I have less than three months to go until my due date. Time is going by so quickly!!

What my book says about the baby this week: He weighs about 2.5 pounds and is about 16 inches long from head to toe-- and has increased in weight by more than 10 times since 17 weeks... My weight gain up to this point should be between 17 and 24 pounds (which it is, hallelujah!!!!)... His eyebrows and eyelashes might be present, and he's starting to put on his baby fat. I wish I could see what he looks like!!! But I guess I am going to have to wait a while longer! :)

P.S. I went to my coworker's house yesterday to learn how to bake her 80-year-old mother's famous apple pie... I have never been so successful with pie before-- and it is SO GOOD!!! Here is the recipe, if you're interested!

Real Progress!

Yesterday, my parents came back and we got the crown moulding installed and caulked. Then, my mom used her super-industrial-strength steam cleaner to clean the carpet, and Gus and I taped around the baseboards and touched up the blue paint. We were going to call it quits at that point, but we decided to do one more thing: assemble the crib that's been sitting in our garage for over a month! And here it is!

I can't stop looking at it... I mean, it's so WEIRD to look in that room now and think, "That's where our baby will sleep." Well, he obviously needs a mattress and stuff, but you get the idea. I keep walking over and peeking inside the nursery, because I can't get over it. I think it just makes things seem more real. Can you believe there will be a baby sleeping in there in only 12 more weeks (or thereabouts)?? WEIRD!!!

Anyway, I don't have too many major projects left in the nursery. This afternoon, I will touch up the paint around the crown moulding and any spots on the walls we might've missed. Tonight, we'll lug the changing table into the room and get that situated. Beyond that, all we have left to do is organize the closet, install a windowsill (Gus' project), and put up the curtains (I ordered the rods and am just waiting for them to arrive). I can't believe how different this room looks now, and it's been less than a week since the Frenchman left... I think he would be shocked to see his old room, hehehe!!! :)

Good Morning

The view from our yard (looking east) at 7AM this morning... I went to get my breakfast, and noticed that Charlie was staring out the sliding glass door. At what? I don't know. But I looked out and thought that the mountains looked really pretty. One of the many reasons I love this house! :)

Say Hello to My Leeeetle Friend...

Gus and I just got back from our hot date (Harry Potter in IMAX 3-D followed by Taco Bell and a Home Depot run), and I had an email from my friend, Kori. She sent some pictures from when I visited her last week- hooray!! So here I am with little Owen, who is sure to be good friends with our little guy once he gets here! :)





The lady sitting by me in the second picture is my coworker, Wendy, who came with me. I eventually had to hand my little boyfriend over to her- sigh!! Love that kid!! :)

Let There Be Paint!

My parents were total superstars today... They showed up at around 10am, and had the nursery painted in about an hour with very little mess (they are good!). While I grilled us up some bacon cheeseburgers for lunch, my dad fixed a leaky sprinkler valve in the yard and my mom pruned all my rosebushes. Then, my mom touched up the paint job and cleaned up the brushes, while my dad showed me how to properly measure, cut, and fit crown moulding. We cut all the pieces for the baby's room, and it was NOT easy work! I actually had no idea how involved it was... I always just figured that you could cut a simple 45-degree angle on the ends, and that would be it (just like with baseboard). But since crown moulding sits on the wall at an angle, the places where the pieces come together are all compound angles (hence the necessity of a compound miter saw)... it's a nightmare!! At any rate, I'm going to paint the pieces over the next few days, and then they will come back this weekend to help Gus actually get it up there. But the hard work is done-- at least until we start the next room (ugh!). Anyway, here are some pictures of our nursery-in-progress... I LOVE the color so much! The wooden blocks on the walls are guides for fitting the crown moulding- they'll be gone in a few days...





UP NEXT: Paint and install crown moulding and baseboards, paint door and door frame to match trim, replace door hardware, deep-clean carpet, clean out closet, and assemble crib. We've got a busy weekend ahead of us-- thank God we've got A/C! :)

P.S. My parents ROCK!!!

Happy, Happy Day!!

The Frenchman is gone, the Frenchman is gone!!! He left this morning, and I have been in the best mood all day. I made my goal (deep-cleaning the entire house before he left), so now all I have left to do is work on the baby's room. I am so excited, I can't even contain myself!!! Here are the "before" pictures of the room (its current state)... by this time next week, it should be looking quite different. Hooray!!!!!!! OH!! and as if today wasn't already exciting enough, it also marks the official beginning of my third trimester. I'm in the home stretch!! WOOHOO!!

P.S. I went to visit Kori and baby Owen again today... He fell asleep on my chest as I was holding him. SO CUTE! I can't wait to have one of my own! :)

My Other Baby Boy

This morning, the theme of my cleaning was "closets," which meant that I had one very hyper little kitty on my hands. Charlie loooooves closets, in any way, shape, or form, and had to be right in the middle of everything. For example, when I was cleaning out the linen closet, he jumped right in and made himself comfortable:



Man, I love my little fur-baby! He is a complete spaz, but he is so cute and so lovable and endlessly entertaining. I bet he is going to be good with the baby, too (he's pretty tolerant and good-natured, despite his hyperactive tendencies). Hooray for Charlie!

On a final note-- I am pretty much done with my massive cleaning campaign! I just have to straighten up the master bedroom and bathroom, which will take 10-15 minutes, tops. Then, all I have left is the hall bathroom and the baby's room, both of which will be vacant as of tomorrow (au revoir, Frenchie!). I can't wait!

Behold...

Direct your attention to my beautiful new baseboard! Woohoo!!

We have only done one wall in one room (the den), but I lovelovelove it! It made sense to do this one piece, since it was located behind our desks, which are a royal pain in the you-know-what to move because of all the wiring and whatnot. And since I had already moved them to paint the room, the time was right. I can't get over how incredible it looks! We're going to install new baseboards throughout the entire house, which is really exciting. We're also putting in crown moulding, which is slightly trickier (and mistakes are more obvious). We're waiting for my dad to come and help us out with that one. At any rate, the den is looking good! I'm so glad to be finished painting it-- ugh!

SuperPaint!

Public Service Announcement: SuperPaint rocks!!! It's one of the paint products from Sherwin Williams, and I have to say that I am very pleased with it! I've been repainting the den, which I am sitting in right now (my desk is in the middle of the room... and of course I couldn't unhook my computer, not even for a day!). The walls in here used to be a faded dark blue color, and now they are yellow ("Butter Up," to be exact). The SuperPaint did a decent job of covering over the blue, but I decided to do a white basecoat, since we had a five-gallon bucket of flat white paint out in the garage. The basecoat looked like garbage, largely because the paint was old and, despite continually mixing water into it, had the consistency of paste. Getting the stuff onto the wall was a nightmare, since it was so gloopy. The coat ended up being really splotchy and uneven, but I was counting on my SuperPaint to live up to its promise (they advertise that it will generally cover a surface in only one coat). And... it did!!! I'm not 100% finished yet (I still have 1.5 walls to go), but the sections I have painted look awesome... a few minor touch-ups later on, and it should be perfect! Hooray for Superpaint! Honestly, I should just do commercials for Sherwin Williams. Their paint is like nothing else I have ever used (and, given the amount of painting I have done, that's saying something!). Next week's painting goal: the baby's room, with my lovely blue SuperPaint! Yippee!!

New Ring...

Ok, so do you remember how my fingers started swelling up the other day, to the point where I was having trouble getting my rings on and off? And do you remember how I bought myself a cheap ring to wear instead? Well... it turned my finger green! hahahahahahahahaha!!!!!! Anyway, I now have no rings at all. I think I will need to buy another cheap ring, but this time I'll get one that is definitely silver. It's too bad, really, because I liked the fake one! I thought it was cute! sigh... :P

Jury Duty

Today, I did my civic duty and reported to the Superior Court for jury service... What a LONG day! I was out of the house by 6:15 so that I could be at the courthouse by 7:45 (I took the trolley, which is why it took longer... but it was totally fun!). I got to the jury lounge, checked in, and then I sat there... and sat there... and read my book... and talked to the woman sitting next to me... and watched CNN... and sat there... until finally they dismissed us for our two-hour lunch break. The nice thing about the courthouse is that it's located downtown, just a few blocks from a very nice outdoor mall. And the weather today was spectacular! So I had a very nice lunch and then did a little shopping. It was great!

At 1:30, I had to be back in the jury lounge, where I continued to sit and read and try to stay awake. At 3:00, a voice finally came over the intercom. I thought for sure that they would be dismissing us for the day, but nope! They were calling a panel of prospective jurors for a criminal case, and my name was one of the ones called. After a ten minute trek to the courtroom (located in a different building entirely), I became Juror #15. I wasn't one of the twelve sitting in the box, but I was "on deck," so to speak. We were told that the case was going to be very short, and would probably finish up tomorrow afternoon. A homeless man was facing criminal charges for public drunkenness. I actually thought that it would be fun to be on the jury, since I could easily spare a day or two (I dread getting assigned to a longer trial!). BUT... I wasn't chosen. After the questioning, the judge and the attorneys excused three of the jurors in the box-- which meant that I got to sit in the box for the first time!! Woohoo!! But no sooner had I sat down than the District Attorney used one of her peremptories to excuse me. I was bummed, but I am pretty sure I know why... During the questioning phase, she said that "Just because a person is arrested, it doesn't mean they have done anything wrong." She asked us to raise our hands if we disagreed with that statement and, after some hesitation, I raised mine... I said that a person might not be guilty of the crime they have been charged with, but that I don't think a police officer would arrest a person unless something had happened. I don't think the D.A. liked that. I also don't think she liked the fact that I know lots of police officers and lawyers. Oh, well! I tried!

Anyway, now I am home and am totally exhausted... So I will go watch TV. On a positive note: I saw someone picking up an infant from my next door neighbor's house this afternoon. I knew she ran a daycare center out of her home, but was curious if she took infants. (to answer the obvious question: no, we don't really talk to her... we just never cross paths, though she seems very nice and comes highly recommended as a daycare provider) This looks promising!!!

Tada!!

I am so happy!!! I cleaned out the entire den today, which was something I had been putting off. It may be the smallest bedroom in the house, but it had more junk in it than anywhere else. It's, like, where junk goes when we don't know where else to put it! Anyway, I am very happy. To check out some of my handiwork (before and after shots) in beautiful slideshow format, click here! (yes, I took pictures... I like to see my progress!) :)

Cooking and Cleaning and Soreness... Oh My!

I feel like an old woman today. I spent the morning cooking and cleaning (more on that later!), and was fine. Then, I decided to run some quick errands around town. I went to Sherwin-Williams to get some paint chips-- this time for the den, which I have already painted twice. The problem is that the den is blue, but it's a different blue than the nursery, and the two don't "go" (this is all Gus, by the way. I don't actually care, for once!). He thinks we should paint the den a shade of yellow instead. But I digress! After getting the paint chips, I went to the Evil Superstore(AKA Walmart) to see if they had shelves for the closet in the den (they didn't). I ended up at Home Depot, where I found what I needed. I knew they had the shelves all along, but Walmart was closer... I should have just gone there in the first place! :P

Anyway, back to the "old woman" thing: As I walked through Walmart, I started having some fun round ligament pain. Very uncomfortable!! As I continued through the store, I realized that I was walking more and more slowly because my feet were killing me. Oh, and the center of my back is constantly sore, too. I wasn't even sure if I was going to make it back to the car without needing to sit down for a while... And, right then, I ran into one of my former students and her mom (I love the whole family-- they actually came to our wedding!). Anyway, I thought I was going to die if I had to stand there and talk with them for too long. The mom rubbed my belly and asked me how I was feeling, and I told her the truth. Next thing I know, she's massaging my back in the middle of Walmart! It was a little odd, but oh my GOD it felt good! Some of my coworkers think I am nuts for living in the same community where I teach, but I swear it has its benefits sometimes. So take that, naysayers! :)

Anyway... I think the reason I feel so elderly (besides being pregnant) is that I overexerted myself yesterday. I cleaned the "big room" from top to bottom (the big room is the room that includes the living room, kitchen, dining room, and entry hall). Everything is clean and organized, inside and out! I even have a mountain of boxes for the Salvation Army to pick up tomorrow morning. Every nook and cranny in the big room is clean! Today, I took it a little bit easier and only cleaned out the coat closet in the hallway. In the middle of all this cleaning over the past few days, I made peach preserves and peach cobbler (I'm trying to use up as many of our peaches as possible before they fall off the tree or are eaten by birds). The plan for the rest of the week is to clean out the master bedroom and bathroom (easy), the linen closet (easy), and the den (AKA "Temple of Doom"). Oh, and I have jury duty, too. So we'll see what happens! I would like to have everything clean by next Tuesday, when the Frenchman leaves, so I can focus all my energy on the nursery. Wish me luck!!

P.S. All of our new crown moulding and baseboards were delivered yesterday, so now Gus has a project, too! I can't wait to see the end result! :)

99 Days Left!

As of midnight last night, I officially crossed into double digits! There are only 99 days left until my due date. Of course, it could be more or less than 99 days (and most likely will be), but still... That's, like, 3 months!!! WHOA!!! I guess I had better get back to my obsessive-compulsive cleaning before the baby arrives! :P

Swelling

As it turns out, I am growing in more places than previously thought! :P Yesterday, for the first time, I had to wrestle to get my rings off. While I was able to get them on first thing this morning, I took them off to make peach preserves (yum!!) this afternoon... and couldn't get them back on. At all. I don't think my fingers look swollen, but I guess they are. sigh... At any rate, I bought myself a new ring that is a size and a half bigger than my others (and much cheaper, at a whopping $6.50!). Check out my new bling (and, sadly, the old bling that doesn't fit):
 
In other swelling news... my feet are getting bigger. I think it's a combination of being pregnant, wearing nothing but flip-flops for the past month or so, and the heat wave we've been having, but I went shoe shopping the other day and nothing fit. I have been a size 7 for as long as I can remember, and I ended up buying a pair of size 8's. Now, I'm actually regretting that I didn't get the size 8 1/2 instead-- I might return them, because they're too tight. :(
Now to end on a positive note... I think I am in a "nesting" phase, which means I have been super-incredibly productive around the house! Yeah!! I basically gutted the kitchen yesterday, taking everything out of the cupboards and drawers and re-lining everything with non-adhesive rubber matting. Then I went through our bookcases and cleaned out all the books we really don't need or want. And I cleaned out the entire entertainment center in the living room (which is enormous) and recycled all the magazines under the coffee table. I am totally on a roll!!! My goal is to thoroughly clean out one room a day until the Frenchman leaves-- then I can focus all my attention on the baby's room. I already have three big boxes of stuff for the Salvation Army. It's amazing how much crap two people can accumulate, and in such a short time!

Happy Fourth!

This is where we were all day... WAY too many people in one place, with more alcohol than I have ever laid eyes on! It was fun (well, as fun as it could be while stone-cold sober), but I am glad to be home. Gus dropped me off and then drove around for 45 minutes to find parking at 9am this morning... and finally ended up parking nearly two miles away! We had to take a cab back! Seriously, people are nuts. I'm looking forward to a nice BBQ dinner at home and fireworks at the local high school... I think that's much more my speed!

Random note... there was this girl at the beach with us who was also pregnant. She didn't even LOOK pregnant, but she told me she is 23 weeks! I couldn't believe it! I am totally doing well in the weight gain department, but I definitely *look* pregnant. I wonder if she is healthy????

Ok, time to take a nap! Hope you're all having fun! :)

Charley Horse

I think I freaked Gus out this morning. At around 5:30, I jumped out of bed with excruciating cramps in my right calf. I was whimpering, it hurt so badly. I could feel it coming on while I was still in bed, and I tried to reach down and pull up on my toes to prevent it-- but it was too late this time! Once it started, it was so severe that I couldn't budge my feet in the slightest. I ended up having to force myself to stand in order to flex my foot a little. It was HORRIBLE!!! As I sit here now, nearly three hours later, my leg is still sore. I am thinking that was probably the worst Charley Horse I have ever had!
Sadly, I have been getting these lovely Charley Horses much more frequently since I've been pregnant. I'm not sure why, since I drink plenty of water and am eating well. I've become pretty adept at recognizing the early twinges and launching a preemptive strike by grabbing my toes, but it doesn't work 100% of the time. sigh... I feel like the guy in the board game Operation-- I need someone to grab some tweezers and get the little horsie out of my leg! STAT!

(ooh check this out: "Leg Cramps (Charley Horse): As your baby grows and puts pressure on your lower body, your legs may not get enough blood. Leg cramps can develop when you are tired or not getting enough calcium in your diet." I definitely get enough calcium-- probably too much, since I'm a milkaholic-- but the blood flow thing is interesting!!)

An End in Sight!!!!!

The French Occupation of 2007 will officially end on July 17th! I am so happy, I just did a little dance. :) I've mentioned the Frenchman numerous times in this blog, but I haven't really explained who he was or why he was here. Here's the scoop:

In January, Florian came to the U.S. to work as an Engineering Intern for Gus' company (the parent company is based in Paris). He was living in a hotel, but that was getting expensive and he needed to get an apartment. Slight problem: he only needed the apartment for two months, because he would be going to work on-site at a plant in Illinois at the beginning of April-- a job that would last for five months. So Gus helped him look at various places, but his options were really limited. Most places didn't want to rent to him for just two months, especially since he had no U.S. credit history. Gus finally brought up the idea of renting him our third bedroom. The extra cash would definitely come in handy, and we'd save a lot of money on gas because the two guys could carpool to work. Plus, Florian was around our age (24), really quiet/shy, and he loved Charlie right off the bat (he has a kitty at home in France). And it was only for two months-- no big deal, right???
Well... Obviously, he didn't leave at the beginning of April, because he is still here! The company in Illinois (a client of the company Gus works for) started dragging its feet... It clearly wasn't ready for such a major installation. They kept giving vague deadlines... "Oh, maybe toward the end of April..." and "Maybe sometime around Memorial Day..." It was really irritating, but it wasn't Florian's fault. And we couldn't really kick him out, because there was no way to tell whether he'd be leaving in a week or a month. Plus, we are pretty much the only people he really knows here. Anyway... there was a big teleconference with the Illinois company this morning, and they finally set a firm date: July 22nd. Florian will leave on or before the 17th, since he'll be driving cross-country and wants to do a little sight-seeing. I just can't believe that an end is finally in sight!
Truthfully, he is a very nice guy. I was just planning on him being here for 2 months, and he will have been here for five-and-a-half by the time he leaves. Little things that he does- things that probably wouldn't bother other people- are really starting to get on my nerves. On top of that, I found out I was pregnant *right* after he moved in. So I have been itching to get my hands on his room, and it's been occupied this whole time (though he has let me put splotches of different paint all over his walls). Anyway, today is a happy day!! HALLELUJAH!!!

We Have a Color!

Joy of joys, we have a paint color! Who would've thought this would end up becoming a week-long ordeal?? After numerous trips to the local Sherwin-Williams store and several failed attempts, I have finally found the shade I have been looking for. And what is it called, you ask? Nothin'! I am calling it "Briar's Special Blue," but I ended up having them do custom color-matching for me. In retrospect, I should have just done this in the first place and saved some of the hassle, but that's okay. It's funny, though, when you walk into the paint store and the guy behind the counter asks, "How did Cosmos work out?" or "Did you like Danube??" hahaha! It's always the same guy in there, and he's got to be around my age. Anyway... Today, I brought the crib bumper in with me so he could try to match it using his photospectrometer or whatever (I think that's what he said it was). It didn't really work-- I guess the machine was looking right THROUGH the fabric, and it kept coming out too light. So he messed with the mixture for a good 20 minutes, trying to get it just right. While it was mixing one of the times, he went in the back and then brought out a deck of the old paint chips from about 10 years ago (before the company did a complete color overhaul, I guess). We looked through it, and- lo and behold!- found a near-perfect match in a color called "Holland Tile" (makes sense, since it looks like all the Blue Delft stuff my mom has). Since he was already mixing a sample, he used some of the specs from "Holland Tile" as a guideline, and was able to come up with the *perfect* shade of blue! It's not quite the same as Holland Tile, but it is just right! I was so happy! All I have to do is bring back the sample with me when I'm ready to buy a gallon, since it has the Secret Recipe printed on it. Hooray!