Pregnancy 2: 37 Weeks

(37 Weeks = TERM! Taken 8/10/11)

-I always wondered why people got so anxious to deliver toward the end of pregnancy. I never felt that with Isla (maybe because she was 12 days early?) Now I have become one of "those people." I am very, very ready to meet this child.

-At my appt Monday, my doctor said I measured smaller and that he was having a hard time feeling the baby's head (by touching the outside of my belly). I believe what he said was that the head was "way down." Yipee! He also said not to get my hopes up but "things are looking really good and history tends to repeat itself" so I should be ready any time.

-My coworkers are now all commenting that it looks like I've dropped. Today the attending neonatologist even told me I look smaller than yesterday. Brownie points for him!

-All this dropping might explain the severe gastrointestinal distress that has accompanied this week. Basically I think the baby is "cramping my style" and causing very painful bloating and gas pains whenever I eat. Gosh, hope this drama is short-lived! It's sort of miserable to be honest.

-All of a sudden I'm getting up ~7 times a night (up from the prior 2) to use the little girl's room. More proof that baby's head is in position. I've also begun to experience some insomnia (I count myself blessed that it is only showing up now!)

-My bag is finally packed and it goes with me when I venture more than 30 minutes from home.

-Every time I start crying lately (which I'll admit is a lot), I wonder "Could this be it?" I had the weirdest surge of uncontrolable emotions a few hours before my water broke with Isla. It makes me wonder if that's the way labor begins for me. But they definitely weren't like "regular" emotions. It was seriously the most insane roller coaster of random waves of emotion ever. I think it scared the bejeebers out of Graham.

-We maybe probably might have a girl name (or two) settled on now. We haven't discussed middle names much though...we'll save that for the ride to the hospital! :)

-I have, on a number of occasions, experienced some major cramping and ever-so-briefly thought to myself "What? Is my period coming?" Then I proceed to slap my forehead and remember Um yeah, those would be CONTRACTIONS! They are coming quite frequently throughout the day now and are definitely not painless like they were the first go around. My dr says this is completely normal.

-Tuesday would be a really convenient day for baby to arrive. A lot of friends/family will be leaving town after that and I'd love for them to meet the wee one.

My Restaurant "Bucket List"

I just love eating out but usually have the hardest time deciding where I'd like to go. I like to try new places but rarely can think of my "bucket list" of restaurants I want to try when put on the spot. Graham requested I create a written list that can easily be referred to when date night opportunity arises. So here we go, the beginning of my running list!

Spinasse - This place supposedly has the best homemade pasta in all of Seattle.
Sitka and Spruce - A newer restaurant that is receiving rave reviews.
Dahlia Lounge - A Tom Douglas restaurant. I've never eaten his food but he's pretty well known so figure I should try it!
Cactus - A Kirkland hotspot. Although it's not my typical gourmet-type dining choice, people rave about it and so I'd like to try it someday. We attempted to pay them a visit once but Graham wasn't feeling so hot and so we left before we'd even been seated.
poppy - This place seems fun with lots of little bites.
Tavolata - Another place that is supposed to have awesome homemade pastas.
Emmer and Rye - This place looks right up my alley, focusing on seasonal, local cuisine.
Dixies Barbeque - Someday I'd like to go here to "Meet the Man" as this place notoriously calls their HOT sauce. I also really would like to get my hands on a hush puppy and this seems like a pretty good bet.

But then there are always the tried and true favorites that are worth going back to. Here are a few of my top pics:

Eastside Favorites
Barking Frog Restaurant - Attached to the Willows Lodge. You really can't go wrong here. Everything I've ever eaten has been phenomenal. My favorite time to visit is during Seattle Restaurant Week or Dine Around Seattle because you can get 3 courses for quite a steal.
Cafe Juanita - Amazing Italian food served out of a deceptively-boring looking house in Kirkland. To. Die. For.
The Herb Farm - Probably the most expensive meal that will ever pass through my belly but also probably the most amazing dining experience of my life. If anyone ever wants to take me here again, I will love you forever and bake you cookies for life (or something). I am hopeful I will be able to find an occasion special enough to return here.
Purple Cafe and Wine Bar - The food here is always delicious and you can get out the door without breaking the bank, particularly if you bring your own bottle of wine (which they cork for free). My favorite location is the Woodinville one.
The Original Pancake House - I am a sucker for breakfast and this place usually hits the spot!
Gilbert's on Main - I love their weekday petite breakfasts and their gruyere and spinach bagels with whipped cream cheese and homemade jam make me drool.
Cantinetta - I've been to the Bellevue location once and can't wait to go back! It's hip and totally delicious.

Multiple Locations
Julia's - I've only been here for breakfast and the only thing I've ever ordered off their menu is the pancakes but I love them. And will continue to return for them. I always get the buckwheat cakes and order them with everything (blueberries, granola, poppy seeds, chocolate chips and pecans). These always make me a very happy girl.
Paseo - A hole in the wall Caribbean restaurant that serves the best sandwich I have ever eaten. Don't bother with the rice bowls and just order the sandwich marked "Most Popular." You won't regret it. It is amazing. Be sure to note their hours (they are closed Sun/Mon) and that they take cash only.
Pho Than Brothers - How can a meal be bad when it begins with a cream puff? This is another hole in the wall place with delicious pho soup. Squint when you enter (unfortunately cleanliness isn't always their focus) and order #3 (pho with eye of round and well done flank). Graham and I have been known for enjoying $7 date nights by splitting a large (the servings are HUGE!)

Seattle
Brad's Swingside Cafe - This place is so small it doesn't even have a website (but there is apparently one coming soon!) We have been here numerous times on special occasions and have never been disappointed. The Italian food served is complex-we were once told by a waiter that even the salad dressings have no less than 20 ingredients!! The chef sure knows how to marry flavors and I am a huge fan.
Long - This is a more upscale Vietnamese place but we always leave surprised at how inexpensive our total bill is. We like to go here with friends and share various dishes family style. Their spring rolls are delicious and I certainly wouldn't leave without ordering the Grilled Beef Short Ribs or the Braised Savory Coconut in Browned Pork (I think they meant Browned Pork Braised with Savory Coconut...)
Salumi - We've only been here once but their artisan-cured meats are mouth-watering (and I didn't think I liked salami!) We ate salami sandwiches but were also told their meatball sandwiches are worth returning for. They are open for lunch only on Tuesday-Friday and we've been warned to get there early as a line usually forms to circle the block.
Barolo Ristorante - I've been here for happy hour on a couple of occasions but have never dined in the restaurant. The atmosphere is fun with candles dripping wax everywhere and it is usually jam-packed. I recall really enjoying the lamb burger.

Pregnancy 2: 36 Weeks

(Taken at 36 weeks, 8/3/11. By the way, has anyone else noticed I'm looking more and more tired in all these photos? Gotta work on that!)

The countdown is on!! It's time to make your bet!! Boy? Girl? Birthdate? Weight (of baby, NOT me)?

Here's mine:

GIRL

August 16th (wishful thinking I know!)

7 pounds, 8 ounces

Here's Graham's:

GIRL

August 15th (he thinks my working 4 days in a row will facilitate some action)

8 pounds

So far everything is checking out great at all my doctor appointments. I'm thankful for a healthy pregnancy so far! At my appointment last week, my doctor said "Wow! This baby is growing!" and left it at that. I had to interrogate him a bit to get more info to make sure his comment was positive. He is calling this baby "medium" and says Isla was also "medium" (she was 7lb, 4 oz at birth). My next appointment is on Monday so I'll be close to 37 weeks then we'll start weekly appointments from there.

I caught a cold last week which was pretty miserable but it is past now. It might be my pre-labor routine as the same happened with Isla. However, she came mid-illness because I recall not being able to breathe through my nose during labor which was quite lovely.

For the most part, I've caught myself saying that I am more comfortable this month than I was in months past. There were some pretty rough days during the week of my cold when I cried over the old lady state of my body (oh the things no one ever warns you about!) but all in all, I'm feeling pretty good.

I think we finally settled on a boy name this week! I adore it and so does Graham. It was a front runner for Miss Isla had she been a boy. The girl name is a different story. I think we have at least 11 or 12 names on our running list but can't seem to settle on any of them. We LOVE Isla's name so much and can't seem to agree on a good match. Please don't judge us if we have a name-less child for a few days (or weeks).

This week my coworkers have lavished me with many positive compliments for which I'm so grateful! I've heard: "You're the picture-perfect pregnant person," "You look great," and "You can't possibly be that far along." YES PEOPLE! THIS is what a pregnant girl needs to hear!! I see absolutely no reason to mention my back fat thank you very much.

My weight gain has tapered off over the past few weeks. I've stayed about the same for ~3 weeks which is good because I'm just over the high end of goal (by 1 pound only!) The baby must be stealing from stores I built up in earlier trimesters because he/she continues to grow!

Newsflash: I went camping last weekend at 35 weeks pregnant! Not something I would necessarily recommend but now I can say I did it. We only went for one night (because we'd all been down and out with colds) and it was a good thing because I got ~2.5 hr sleep.

I have been feeling SO excited this week to meet this little one. I mean, way excited.

The shelf we bought months ago is finally up in the kids' room, newborn diapers are set out and ready, I have a box of newborn boy stuff from my sister washed and ready should it be needed, I have what I can set out for my hospital bag....I'd say we're just about ready! Oh, except for that name thing. Details....

What's for dinner?

I love my post-grocery shopping fridge. Opening the door and seeing my produce and cheese drawers bursting at the seams always fills me with great excitement for the week of meals to come. Although the process of menu planning isn't my favorite, I LOVE the satisfaction of having a week's worth of food ready and waiting. I'm pretty sure every time I grocery shop I think to myself "Oh, I should blog about this!" But then I never get around to it. I'm making no guarantees but this may be my first installment of a new theme of blog posts entitled "What's for dinner?" Maybe I can inspire you to try something new?

Today I was able to stop off at Bill Pace Fruit & Produce stand in Bellevue which I adore. I always leave that place with at least 3 jam-packed bags of produce for usually only ~$15-20. Most of it is local and all of it is delicious. Today's steals included fresh peaches, organic lettuce, green beans, pattypan squash, grapefruits and oranges, carrots, red bell peppers and a yellow watermelon. Ok people so I have a new favorite food: yellow watermelon. Oh. My. Goodness. Pregnancy brings about a strange obsession with watermelon in me but seriously, this was the best melon I have ever tasted. It was grown in Yakima and absolutely dripping juice everywhere. It was so sweet and wonderful that I almost made Graham stop on his way home from work to buy at least 3 more. Amazing!

It's going to be a busy week over here as I'm working FIVE whole days which = full time! Yes, as a matter of fact, I AM trying to put myself into labor. I haven't worked this much for precisely two years so it made my menu planning a bit more challenging. I think I settled on a good mix of quick and easy, make ahead and slow-cooker options, at least for my work nights. Here is what we'll be eating over the course of the week:

-Zucchini, Bacon and Mozzarella Quiche using zucchini from my very own garden
-Udon Noodle Salad with Broccoli and Spicy Tofu
-Seared Asian Steak & Mushrooms on Mixed Greens w/ a Ginger Dressing along w/ a Tomato, Feta & Basil Galette
-Cilantro Garlic Ribs, Rice, Sauteed Pattypan Squash with Basil and Feta
-Slow-Simmered Meat Sauce (Beef & Spicy Italian Sausage) over Bowties
-Fusilli Salad with Green Beans, Pistachios and a Lemon-Thyme Vinaigrette

Is anyone drooling as much as I am? All of these recipes are completely new to me so I make no guarantees but personally I think they sound delicious! I also have plans to make a few pre-baby freezer meals but I'll leave that for another post. Hope you're indulging in all the goodies this season has to offer!

Sour Puss

This morning I woke up feeling blue. I glanced out the window and saw the clouds and immediately wanted to crawl back under the covers and start over. My sister had kindly offered to take Isla for a few hours to give me some time to myself but the gray skies were ruining my plans to swim laps and sun bathe alone with my book at the pool. I had a discouraging day at work yesterday that left me feeling under-valued and wondering why I've invested this much of my (and others'!) time to be there. I went to bed angry and woke up sad that I hadn't kissed my husband goodnight. I feel far too emotional to be allowed to reside on this planet and can't seem to figure out how I can roller coaster so rapidly from one extreme to the other. There it is. A real day in the life. It's been an icky 24 hours.

I'm ready for a re-do. It's quiet in the house now (it's naptime!) and so I spent some time paging through 2 Timothy and reflecting. I just love it how the Lord give me gems of encouragement (and a little kick in the pants) when they are most needed! In reading these four chapters, I was struck by how selfish I can be, by how good I really have it. The minor dramas in my life are just that: minor. Chapter 4 struck a chord with me the most today.

Verse 2: "Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction." Wow. That's a good one for me and my mama duties. The day is only half over and my patience expired hours ago. Oh how I long to be able to do just as this verse says!

Verse 5: "But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry." Basically, press on!

And finally, the desire of my heart is that I would one day be able to say the words of verses 7-8 with full confidence: "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day--and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing."

I'm ready to turn this Friday around and get this weekend kicked off to a marvelous start! I may not be lying by the pool but I have all the fixings to whip up a homemade iced caramel macchiato that I plan to sip from the patio!

Perspective

Graham asked me a few weeks back what I'm most looking forward to after having this baby.

My first thought (and therefore what I said): "Being able to bend over!! What's yours?"

Graham: "Oh. I was more thinking finally getting to meet the baby and find out what it is and getting to be together as a family."

Hmmmm. Guess it's all a matter of perspective. :)

She makes me cry

To all you mamas out there: do you ever have one of those days or weeks where you just can't get over how much you love your little one/s? I have been trying so hard to focus on cherishing these last few weeks alone with Isla and I must say, I've been blessed beyond measure! Call me sappy or call it the hormones or just take it for what it is, BEING A MOTHER IS AMAZING!

Tonight, Isla and I walked to the grocery store together in the after-dinner sunshine. We walked hand in hand and talked the whole way about how bright the sun was, about how we hoped the store would have one of those carts with a car attached that she could ride in, about how the milk was "all gone" and we needed to buy more, about how noisy certain cars were. It's the little things, but I couldn't get over how precious she is as I recollected our day to Graham. I just loved how she asked me to carry her today, how she grabbed my belly and yelled "Hi baby!!!", how we blew bubbles together and she told me she wanted them to pop against her legs, how she sat on a chair the entire time while I made dinner, watching my every move and keeping me company, how she asked for help spreading out a blanket on the living room floor and then she patted the floor and asked me to sit so we could "make pancakes" again like we pretended to yesterday, how she cries "Mommy come" when she wakes up in the morning or after a nap.

It's a pretty incredibly feeling to be adored and this girl has made me feel like the best mom in the world over the past few days. She makes me cry......in a very good way.