I am so FULL!

I am so full of food, love and cake! That's right, cake. Unbeknownst to Tyson and I, our family threw a surprise "mini" baby shower for us. We were loaded up with clothes of every size and color, blankets, wipes and diapers. Not only were there gifts, but a small cake that I became immediately ravenous about. While Tyson and I were watching Turkey Day football, my thoughtful family members quickly set up the patio with delicate decorations, adorable teddy bears and TONS of presents (considering it was my "mini" shower). On Tuesday, I became suspicious of my disappearing registry items, but now realize that it was my ever so sneaky family members that was doing the gift buying. ****Pix to follow**

The Thanksgiving dinner was everything that I imagined and more. I loaded my plate with the essentials and went back for seconds. I now sit here with my belly even more protruding than normal and I am completely satisfied. I am assuming that they baby is also doing very well considering he isn't moving ....probably a food coma :) Tomorrow is another day of family with the arrival of the Digini women. Little Paul and his girlfriend are off to Indio, Aunt Linda returns to the Bay Area for work, and that leaves The Blakes, Ross, Gram Boofa and my mommy. We are planning to shop, eat and laugh all day, which I am looking forward to so much!

I am thankful for:
My patient, loving, perfect and caring husband
The never ending excitement of pregnancy
My thoughtful family
Abundance of food
Great Great Grandmas
NOT being in 80 degree weather (ahem, San Diego)
Three games of football
Having the weekend off
Chargers winning streak
Sales on LCD TV's
not having to cook OR clean Thanksgiving dinner
being ALMOST done with Xmas shopping
My dog
My mom driving to Visalia in the wee morning hours
And lastly, for all of the love that our little Blake will receive

SOME of our presents (we filled a tub full of clothes, toys and diapers)

Mommy organizing all of the gifts

My Mommy and Me

Tyson showing that he has a pregnant belly too!

Giggling at the presents at our impromptu shower

Four (soon to be five) generations



Tyson slicing and dicing

Thankful

I truly believe that I am keeping Chipotle, apple farmers and Dim Sum restaurants in business. I know that with pregnancy comes cravings, but teh insane urgency to eat these items is rather hilarious. Last night I told Tyson that I think I could kill for food. While he laughed at my severe statement, I don't think he knows how serious I was. I told my doctor that I have had a sudden increase in hunger and how I go from completely fine to starving, like Mr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde. She laughed and explained that my blood sugar level plummets more with pregnancy and to make sure that I am eating healthy food choices, rather than sweets and fatty foods. Well lucky for me and my little guy, I love apple, cereal with bananas, cottage cheese, applesauce, and anything else fruit filled. My guilty pleasure? Dim Sum and Chipotle. Even thinking about them makes my tummy rumble. And I wonder if our little guy's favorite food will be my ever so intense cravings.....

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, we take off to Visalia for Thanksgiving. Tyson and I are looking forward to our mini vacation, never ending eating and spending time with family. Visalia isn't the greatest place to consider a dreamy getaway, but with our busy work schedule, we are thrilled to get away. We are fully aware that we will come back 5 pounds heavier, but the turkey, gravy, tamales and pumpkin pie will be well worth it. And whether it was the Pilgrims or the Indians who started Thanksgiving, I am pretty sure that they had pregnant women in mind when they decided on what to feast on. They are geniuses and I am thankful for this day.

Now Presenting......

A WIENER!!!! Our little Blake now has an identity. I can now refer to our baby as a "he" and can finally start shopping!! A huge relief has passed over us. I cannot imagine how people can hold out on finding out the sex until birth. With the amount of shopping and planning, this is a vital piece of information. There has been much excitement that I have been neglecting to write about and from this point on, I promise to update the baby blog much more often that I have been. Again, this is a PROMISE!

The arrow points to the penis!

So along with baby BOY news, other new feelings and surprises include feeling the baby from the outside of my belly, increase in appetite, relief of breakouts on my face (thanks Dr. Condino!), finishing up the registry, shopping for new house items, seeing the premiere of New Moon, beginning Christmas shopping, getting a clear on baby's development and growth, and the final arrival of Turkey Day. Within a week, a lot has developed and accomplished, yet my list of "To-Do's" is still soooooo long.

Because of the holiday week (and speaking of, since when do public schools take the whole week off??!!! My errands become so challenging when the ENTIRE family goes to the mall and grocery store. Don't they know I am pregnant and PISSY AND NEED TO SHOP??!!!) so because of the holiday week, my prenatal yoga was cancelled, but my workouts do not stop. I feel so much better after being outside and working the insane amount of food off that I have consumed for breakfast/lunch/dinner. With daily walks, gym and occasional yoga/Pilate's videos, my energy is high throughout the day. I am also attempting to get into Kettle Bell exercise classes that benefit strengthening the pelvic muscles for labor. Anything to help!

Today Tyson and I went to our check up appointment to get results from my second trimester blood screening and sonogram. Our midwife gave us two thumbs up and said that the baby looked great and measured perfectly. We listened to his heartbeat and discussed my "healthy" appetite. Afterwards, we did a little shopping therapy for some maternity clothes and shirts for daddy. The rest of the day, we cleaned, cooked, watched movies, went on a walk, and enjoyed our quiet, relaxing night. We know how to appreciate these nights, knowing that in just a few months, our date nights will consist of poopy diapers and crying. We cannot wait.

Look at how adorable he is when he sucks his thumb!!

The Countdown begins.....

As sad as it may be, I really do not know which one I am more excited about so I have decided to just admit that I am the luckiest girl alive. Not only does New Moon come out, the movie I have been patiently waiting for to premiere for what seems like FOREVER, but I also find out the gender of the baby, which I have been patiently waiting for, for what seems like FOREVER. It is a double whammy of great news and excitement. And this week I know will fly by.

With the week behind Tyson and I, we are exhausted, relieved and anxious. On Monday, it was week two of my prenatal yoga. This has been such a relaxing experience for me because I am able to exercise safely, learn nutritional benefits, and stretch my body. The women in the group are so nice and I cannot say enough on how comforting it is to have fellow pregnant women around me. It almost feels like home when I am enter the lavender scented room. And my absolute favorite part to it all? The last 15 minutes we spend laying on our pillows, with soothing "eye pillows" and nature sounds. Complete bliss. Tuesday was not a typical date night, let alone a nice day off. With San Diego Beer week in full effect, Tyson and I spent 8+ hours cooking for the Beer and Food pairing for the evening and also prepping for the week's events. My reward? The bread pudding Tyson made with Chili Chocolate Sauce and Cinnamon Spiced Whipped Cream. Well worth the sore feet and aching back.

Wednesday was a GREAT day for Tyson because according to him, he shot the best game of golf EVER! I really have no idea what that means, or what par, birdie and eagle mean, but I think I remember something about shooting a 70-something. I congratulated like I knew what that meant....hugs, kisses and jumping up and down....Another exciting activity that I did on Wednesday was attend a focus group I had heard from my "New and Expecting Mommies" group. For an hour, I was asked questions regarding a baby product made by Infantile, the packaging, the likelihood of me purchasing the item and so forth. For my honest answers, I left $60 richer and a bag full of toys! It was EASY and FUN! Thursday and Friday, and even Saturday rolled into one big mess of long hours at work, REALLY sore feet, EXCRUCIATING back pains, and TONS of beer geeks for Beer Week....but LOTS of money. And so my Friday is Sunday--my last day of my work week. Can't be happier with a belly full of my mom's tacos, Chargers beating the Eagles, a mugful of hot tea, and another busy week ahead of me to keep it going fast.

What to look forward to this week:
Prenatal Yoga
Meet Ups w/ other pregnant moms for lunch on Tues. and a walk in Balboa Park on Wed.
Baking zucchini bread
New Moon premiere
Finding out sex of baby
Jenn's birthday
Learning more about baby's eating/sleeping habits in my book Baby Wise
Date Night at a new restaurant

Week 16

How fast the time has passed as I roll into week 16...which translates to 4 MONTHS!!! I cannot believe it myself that I am already almost halfway there. I love being pregnant and I even love my growing belly that has expanded (ALOT!) One thing that I did notice at my prenatal yoga class last week was that I am actually smaller than my peers. Some were 10 -12 weeks and quite a bit bigger than I am. Some customers at work even commented on how small I was compared to their pregnant wives/girlfriends. So on Friday, at my 16 week transition, Tyson and I decided to take my 4 month picture to see the difference. And boy is there one! Even over the next few days I can tell a difference in the way my shirts fit. Tyson cannot keep his hands off of my belly and tells me everyday how more beautiful I have become. I need those loving words with the weight gain, breakouts on the face and cranky monster I turn into when I am hungry or tired. And our impatience grows with the gender reveal only two weeks away. Next Friday will determine our fate! Ballet shows, bows and ponies OR football games, mudpies and trucks? Cannot wait!

Our First Married Year

Week 14 quickly turned into week 15 without any significant changes. My hunger is still thriving and a belly is definitely protruding from my midsection. Last Monday I had the girls over for some pumpkin carving and bonding time, but by the time night fell, I was overwhelmed with exhaustion. My energy level has improved where I do not have to take naps throughout the day (although they are always welcomed and encouraged by Tyson), but come 8/9 o'clock, I am VERY tired. I am trying really hard to listen to what my body tells me, but with so much to do in a day, I find myself pushing a little more than I should.

The rest of the week went smoothly. Worked Wed-Friday and had Saturday off (Halloween) because Grandma Carmen and Papa came to visit for Alex's basketball tournament and the Charger/Raiders game (YAY for Chargers WIN!). It was nice to have a break from work, but I did not rest with house work and errands that needed to get done. On Sunday, Tyson and I celebrated our first anniversary the only way we know how---with food and MORE FOOD! We, along with my Grandma, went to the Hillcrest Farmers Market to fill our belly's and fridge. Afterwards, to prep for the Chargers game, we went to Linkery to get a bite and a beer (not for me!) Lastly, we headed to El Zarape for the first half to the game. A nap was much needed to follow our restaurant hop, so we headed home before we ventured to our anniversary dinner.


We decided to check out Thee Bungalow in Ocean Beach for some apps and Island Prime for dinner. Apps included Veal Sweetbreads and Escargot and dinner was a massive steak with truffle mac and cheese and asparagus wrapped prosciutto. AMAZING! We cannot believe that a year has passed us so quickly and we anticipate many more.


Last night, I made dinner for the first time in awhile (Tyson graciously takes on the dinner chore). We had lasagna bolognese with spinach and a homemade apple pie for dessert. It was delicious! I also started my prenatal yoga class last night and I cannot believe how sore I am this morning! It definitely helped me with my lower backaches and stretching. It also feels really good to be around pregnant women who know EXACTLY what I am going through. It is nice to hear everybody's advice on pregnancy, but with the constant changing of technology, research and different generations, it is comforting to hear a fellow 20-something woman who is pregnant dealing with H1N1 shots, 4D ultrasounds, yoga, and organic food.


So I am off to walk the neighborhood before my knitting class and "date day" with Tyson. On our tentative agenda, we have dim sum :), zoo, movie and hanging out with old friends. Looking forward to it! And I am so sorry for not keeping the blog updated as much as I would like. I am trying to post every week, as my body changes and grows and as the baby grows.



For week 15, lil' peanut is about 4 inches long. The limbs are growing longer and he can move all of his joints. He can also sense light and if I shine a flashlight in my belly, he will move away from it. And trust me, Tyson will try this. In the next few weeks, I should be feeling more definite movements and should be gaining a little more weight (only gained 3 so far). And if we had an ultrasound this week, we would be able to identify the sex of the baby. But we HAVE to wait until November 20 for the big show. Only three more weeks!