Dec 29, 2011

are you even ready?

is 2011 seriously over in a few days? i feel like i say this every year, but seriously how did that happen so fast? how did i end up with a baby at the end of the year? how did i end up falling even more in love with life?
henry funny face
if you would've asked me what i'd accomplish in 2011, i never would have guessed that i would have expanded my family. yet. here we are. 3. THREE.
henry looking at mama
i'm off to find some sparkly baby hats to help us all ring in the new year. in style. in our little basement apartment. i can't remember the last time i stayed in on new years eve, but i hardly think henry is up for a party at only 7 weeks old...or heck, he stays up all night partying anyway, maybe we should just make it official!

xo

oh ps we had a very merry christmas and mark helped make it so memorable, and well, henry did too with his fat little face (i just LOVE that henry is a chubby baby).
oh and pps i get to do some postpartum shopping now that i'm officially approved to exercise again. it's time to drop these baby pounds. where do normal people shop these days?

Dec 23, 2011

silent night...well, kind of.

i made this little video of henry's first two weeks of life spent sleeping. it's our christmas card of sorts. something about sleeping in heavenly peace...

we'll be spending the christmas weekend with family and snuggling with henry. and hopefully making my annual caramel corn and watching old christmas movies. merry christmas!

Dec 22, 2011

consumer anxiety.

last minute christmas shopping gives me hives.

luckily, i finished most of my shopping via the internet (what did new moms or ANYone do before online shopping and amazon??), but i still have just a few things left to find.

henry will be my little buddy as we look for those last few things. and today he's going to the doctor and probably won't be very happy about it.

can someone say perfect storm? some people might be getting their christmas a little late this year! i get a free pass for that, right?

Dec 19, 2011

then and now.

then: leisurely, thoughtful trips to the grocery store
now: supermarket sweep

Dec 16, 2011

deals + 1 month.

our family at the DC temple this week.
i finally found a new winter coat that is warm and doesn't make me look like a marshmallow! i am always checking out the merch at need supply, a well curated clothing shop based in richmond, va, but i can hardly afford to buy anything from the store. i'd had my eye on this parka for the past few months and then i found it for 2/3 the price on zappos! i thought rob hamill would have been proud.

Henry at 1 month.
henry turned 1 month yesterday! to celebrate, we went for a walk by the capitol to his favorite spot - the botanical gardens - where he loves to stare at this iron gate for as long as i'll let him. then we nursed and pooped all day (his other 2 favorite things).

henry, you make us so happy. when you stare right into my eyes i think you must know something i don't. or at least you are letting me know that we are in this together, and it's so comforting for your mama. you are sleeping 4-5 hours at night, which makes us feel like we won the baby lottery. you get fussy in the evening and your parents are worried we are messing you up, but then we just remind ourselves that you are a baby and this is what babies do. you squak like a bird when you are hungry and it makes us laugh so hard. you like to hold onto your little teething ring when i change you, and you love it when i sing christmas songs. you are growing so fast and your mom and dad love you so much! we can't wait to see what month 2 brings us (a smile, maybe?)

Dec 11, 2011

Henry's birth.

Henry was born on November 15, 2011. I've written down a detailed version of his birth, but here are some of the highlights. I read so many birth stories while I was pregnant that inspired me and gave me strength and courage during my own birth, so I thought it was only fair to share my own story of Henry's birth.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011 came and went without much fanfare. In the back of my mind, I’d had a feeling that my baby’s arrival would happen after the due date, but I have to admit I was disappointed when I woke up on November 10 with no sign of baby.

I spent the next 4 days having contractions that started at night, and would subside by the morning. Mark and I walked around the entire neighborhood of Capitol Hill several times over the next few days, I drank red raspberry tea, made spicy ginger cookies, ate spicy Mexican food, and tried every other trick in the book to kick labor into gear, including asking our midwife Sierra to sweep my membranes twice.

Sunday, we left church early and decided to go on another long walk and I felt some light contractions. Later that evening, we had friends over to visit and by the time they left at 8pm, the night contractions had started again. But this time – they felt different. They were stronger and they came in a timed pattern, and I was so happy! I timed my contractions with my handy iphone app and they were 5-8 minutes apart for a steady 3-4 hours. We called Sierra and let her know we thought this was it, and we wanted to come into the hospital.

We met Sierra at the hospital around 1am that Sunday night. Walking into the hospital, the image of Mark still makes me laugh so hard. I had packed way too much in our hospital bag, we had the baby bag, a pillow, my purse, and a giant medicine ball to labor on. Mark was so nervous and seeing him carrying all that stuff from the car to the hospital, doing his best to “keep it together” made me laugh out loud, despite my contractions. Ahhh, that guy. When we arrived on the labor and delivery floor, I was dialated to 4 cm and 80% effaced! However, Sierra thought it was still going to take awhile to get to the more serious contractions, so we walked around the hall for an hour to see if it would move things along. After an hour, we checked and…no progress. We made a decision to go back home and labor in the comfort of our own home, which turned out to be one of the better decisions we made during labor. It was so nice to be in the dark, cozy comfort of my apartment that night.

As my labor progressed and contractions got closer together, 3-5 minutes apart by sunrise on Monday, I really started feeling the pains in my back. We had taken hypnobirthing classes, and had planned on using techniques to relax and be able to handle the labor pains naturally. But we had not counted on the intensity and pain associated with back labor. The only thing that was working to relieve those back contractions had nothing to do with “going inside”. Nope, I’m sorry to say that hypnobirthing did not work for my back labor. Instead, I turned to my animal instincts and found myself pressing my lower back against anything I could find to relieve the painful back contractions, that were coming 2-3 minutes apart by 10am. I’m still haunted by images of me pacing back and forth all night from our bedroom to the living room, pressing my back up against the laundry room door, on the dining chair, and the bookcase every 3 minutes to try and relieve the pressure on my lower back. Mark would follow me around every few contractions and push my hips together for counter pressure. It felt amazing when he was able to apply the right kind of counterpressure and really helped control the pain.

We headed back into the hospital at 10:30am, feeling excited about the progress we had made, and with repacked hospital bags (and that pointless medicine ball left at home), and Sierra checked my progress - 4.5cm. I had only progressed 1/2 cm in 12 hours! We were pretty discouraged, but glad to be at the hospital with Sierra, where I felt safe. Sierra is a really good friend of mine. We lived together for about 6 months before Mark and I were married, and I had always hoped she would be my midwife, but didn’t know if we would still be living around each other when I was pregnant. I’m so happy we were able to go through the pregnancy and birth with her – she’s an amazing midwife and I loved experiencing such an intimate and private thing with just my husband and friend. It was so sweet.

When we checked into the hospital, Sierra would switch with Mark to push in on my hips, my legs, and my back every 2-3 minutes for counterpressure for the back labor, giving Mark a nice break from the previous 16 hours.

The day continued with contractions growing in intensity, staying 2-3 minutes apart. I took a couple of hot showers, walked around the halls for hours pressing my back up against the walls, and Mark continued to support me so well through the whole day. He had water, juice, ice chips, and food ready for me at any time, and rubbed my back and held my hand through every contraction or left me alone when I needed to be alone. I have never felt so much love for another human being as I did for Mark during my labor. Mark was my rock.

aren't hospital gowns sexy?

That night, around 10pm, we checked my progress again. I had only progressed another ½ cm reaching 5cm, and was now at -1 station. This was kind of the breaking point of my labor. I had been laboring for 26 hours, I was physically and emotionally exhausted, and my back literally felt like it would burst apart during each contraction and I was losing the ability to control my breaths during each contractions. I took another hot shower to try and relax, and we took a few hours to think about what to do. I really wanted to have a totally natural labor, but with the pain of the back contractions, I just knew I couldn’t continue on by myself anymore and have strength to push when the time came. Time didn’t really exist at that point, my eyes couldn’t stay open, and I only had a couple of minutes between each contraction to really think about what to do next, so it took awhile to decide. Finally around midnight I told Sierra I was ready for an epidural. We decided to do a Pitocin drip along with the epidural in hopes I would progress further and hopefully my water would finally break.

During the first 30 hours of labor, the only monitoring I had was a handheld fetal monitor that Sierra used to listen to the baby’s heartbeat every 30 minutes. No hep locks, no IVs, no nothing. Mark fed me applesauce, hummus, broth, saltines, and apple juice and had the water cup at my mouth after every contraction. In a matter of minutes, our peaceful and warm labor atmosphere that we had created the first 30 hours of labor ramped up to bright fluorescent lights, IV drips, needles, monitors, anesthesiologists, nurses, and no eating or drinking. I felt so scared and nervous and I could tell Mark was getting upset with the brash treatment from the nurses who couldn’t care less about my fragile and exhausted state after 30 hours of back labor. I don’t know how I did it, but I stayed still during a back contraction while the candyman gave me an epidural. After the epidural and Pitocin was administered, I finally felt some relief and Mark and I both fell asleep for about 4 hours. It was kind of heavenly, even if I hated the feeling of not being able to feel my legs, it was amazing to rest from the intense back labor pains. When I woke up at around 7am, we decided to break my water since it wasn’t happening naturally. Within about 3 hours, around 10am Sierra checked and I was up to over 8cm! Finally, it was working!

Within the hour, I started to feel more pressure and felt the urge to start pushing. I was also feeling some of the back labor coming back, so we ordered another epidural dose, but by the time the doctor arrived, it was too late! The baby had dropped so low, that the epidural wasn’t working. It was 11:00am. I announced to Mark and Sierra, “I want to have this baby by noon, let’s do this”. So I started pushing. And pushing. And pushing. Each push, I was encouraged by Sierra, Mark and the additional nurse who told me how good each push was. They could see the head with each push, and encouraged me with each effective push. About 45 minutes into pushing, Sierra stepped out to get another doctor to help out with the birth, because she was concerned that the baby wasn’t coming out during what she told me were very effective pushes. Her and the additional doctor were both worried that the baby was too big for my pelvis and the shoulders might get stuck during my pushing, so they told me I would have to push him out entirely with one push to prevent him getting stuck. Um, terrifying. Thoughts of the medical birth and c-sections entered my mind. The back labor had also returned with vengeance and I remember after about an hour of pushing literally throwing my hands up in the air after each contraction and finally saying “I CAN’T DO THIS!” I was sweaty, thirsty, sore, and I thought my back was going to snap in half every time I pushed. Sierra and Mark and others in the room responded, “Yes you can do it! You are so close!” So I gathered my strength and pushed with all I had. After about 3 contractions, I pushed and felt the most amazing all-consuming feeling that completely took over my body. I screamed out in pain and said “The ring of fire! I feel it!”

During my pregnancy I had read so much about the ring of fire that occurs when the baby is coming out, and was anticipating and so excited for this part of the labor and delivery. I laugh now when I look back on that moment, because I’m pretty sure the nurses and everyone in the room were like “this girl is totally crazy”. I don’t remember what they said, but there was definitely some chatter about me saying “the ring of fire”.

So, knowing that I had to push out this baby in one push, or risk him getting stuck, I pushed through the ring of fire with every ounce of strength I had left in my body, and out he came, head and body in one push! It was just after the noon hour - 12:21 pm.

Sierra put him on my chest and I felt the warmth of his heavy baby body lay on my chest and then tiny little cries from his little mouth. He was brownish-gray and a little slimy and so new. His little face was so scrunchy and mad, I just died at his adorable serious face. Mark was sobbing and I was shaking, but felt so calm as I looked at him. I felt like I was kind of looking down on the scene, not really experiencing the delivery and I could not comprehend that this baby on my chest was the thing that had been growing inside my belly for the past 9+ months. It was the strangest mix of feelings, but I remember feeling so satisfied and proud of this little baby. After about a minute of looking at his face and arms and hands, I said – wait, is it a boy or a girl? We didn’t even think to look because I think instinctively I just knew it was a boy. He had such a boy face! We picked up his leg, and yep – a boy! I couldn’t believe how happy and tired I felt. I even remember thinking “ok I cannot wait to do that again” (seriously, that ring of fire thing is amazing). Mark cut the umbilical cord, and Henry was weighed and measured - 8 lbs 11 oz and 20 1/2 inches!


Right after Henry was born, he had to be taken to the NICU because he had inhaled some meconium during the pushing. The doctor gave him some air to push out the meconium, and took him for monitoring and x-rays to make sure he didn’t have anything in his lungs (he didn't).

Mark went with him to the NICU while the doctors took care of my post-birth body. It was really hard to be away from him during those first couple of hours – I felt exhausted and I couldn’t even remember what he looked like because we’d only spent a minute of his life together. Finally, after what seemed like hours I was finally ready to leave the delivery room, and Mark pushed my wheelchair down the hall to the NICU to see our little boy. I gathered him in my arms and we tried to breastfeed. He latched right away and I just cried and cried. I couldn’t believe how perfect he was and how familiar it felt to hold him.
“I think I know what his name is”, whispered Mark, “Henry George”. George after Mark’s grandfather, and Henry because he just looked like a Henry (later we found out my great great grandfather is named Henry). Mark gave him his name, and since Henry is Mark’s spitting image, it was totally fitting that he named him, too.

I'm so happy with the way my labor and delivery went. While I didn't have the natural birth I had anticipated, I am grateful for the support team of Mark and Sierra - they both helped me make the important decisions that helped me stay focused and I know helped Henry arrive safely. We love our Henry and really can't imagine our life without our sweet little guy.

Dec 6, 2011

3 weeks today.

smiling henry.
henry looks at mom.
dad and henry snuggle.
and we're going through a growth spurt! little henry is either eating or asleep. but mostly eating 24-7. he is so alert, and looks right into our eyes every day - it's nuts! he loves to observe the world around him. he does such a good job holding his head up, and has been holding his head up for the past 10 days or so (already so advanced). he loves to smile and look at the christmas tree and stare at anything that is black and white. he also tugs at his daddys beard sometimes which completely melts me into a puddle on the floor.
we are such nerds for henry around here, it's ridiculous. proud parents doesn't even begin to describe us. we love you, dear henry.

Dec 1, 2011

recovering.

nobody told me that it might be difficult to take care of a baby when you're also taking care of your own body that "went through it". i didn't expect to have a ravaged postnatal body, but i did. luckily TH was able to take off quite a bit of time to spend at home as we transitioned to life with Henry, he's been a lifesaver with water every time i sit down to breastfeed, a bite to eat when i'm starving in the middle of the night, the laundry is always done, and i never changed a diaper until henry was almost a week old, and even still i think i can count on both hands the number of diapers i've changed.

to quote a friend, TH is a natural at this. i am so grateful to be his wife and happy to see him adjusting so well to being a dad. i love him.

i'm working on the birth story and will share at least some of it here in the next few days.

xo

Nov 28, 2011

having henry.


settling in as a family has been the most life changing experience. people keep asking "how's it going?" and i kind of default with "sleepless!", but what i really want to say in my heart is:
so sweet.

when we found out we were expecting henry, i hadn't quite decided i was ready to be a parent. but by the time 9 months passed by, and especially with that bonus week tacked onto the end, i was so ready to meet our little baby. and now that he's here (and i am SO excited it's a "he"), mark and i keep asking ourselves what the heck we used to do with our lives. watch househunters, i guess, and going out the door only took 2 seconds, as opposed to now - 2 hours.

now, we just sit around and look at henry's little nose wrinkle, nuzzle his chubby cheeks, and play with his teeny fingers while he sleeps on our shoulder, lap, arm, etc. we've managed to get out every day for at least a walk around the block. sunday, we walked all the way to the hirschhorn museum to look at mobiles for henry. i love our family walks.

friday, we took our first car trip to hillwood estate. we aimed to get there around 2pm, but it ended up being 4pm. ahh, the life of being a new parent?
dad and hen.
Fresh Air!
Hillwood.
Hillwood Estate with Henry.
dad, hen, and a russian cottage.


Nov 25, 2011

grateful.

grateful for family, new and old. (but, especially the newest little family member!)
Henry, 8 days old.
Lizzie and Henry.
Rowlett girls + Henry.
Taylor family + Henry.
Henry looks at mama.
Henry, we LOVE you. I'm so grateful for this sweet little boy, grateful to be his mother, and grateful for Mark and what an amazing father he is. My heart has grown 100 times bigger since becoming a mother and watching him become a father.

Nov 21, 2011

a baby.

henry
henry and dad
henry and mom

Henry George Taylor
born november 15, 2011 at 12:21 pm.
weighing in at a whopping 8 lbs 11 oz, and 20 1/2 inches.

life is so good with sweet henry. we have no idea what we ever did without him.

Nov 11, 2011

it's a lucky kind of day.


on a crisp, cool windy day, with red, yellow, and brown leaves falling all around, a girl awoke and decided "today is a day for babies to be born". and so she goes about her day doing everything under the sun to make that happen.

spicy thai lunch with a friend, ginger and cayenne cookies, words of encouragement from grandma, some red leaf raspberry tea, acupressure, and enough walking to make the hips so sore.

now how to communicate this to baby...i had mark tell baby that today is the day in romanian in case that is the baby's language, and i interpreted into spanish, too. can't hurt, right? :)

have a great weekend!

Nov 10, 2011

celebrating due date day.

due date day, waiting.
due date day. iwo jima.
due date day, chick-fil-a
apparently baby had no idea that yesterday was its due date, but we didn't let that dampen our spirits. TH took the afternoon off so we could do some baby celebrating. starting at chick-fil-a and ending in georgetown at the movie theatre, it was a perfectly lovely evening spent with my husband. we did lots of walking, bought a cute outfit for the baby, had lots of good talks about being a mom and dad, and lots of talking to the babe to let it know that TIME'S UP! you get a good 40 weeks in my belly without pressure, but now mama is actively trying to get you to come out and meet the world!

this morning, my midwife gave me some tips to bring labor on and hopefully we'll be meeting this baby soon. full moon tonight, low pressure system is here, and i've been hip swiveling on my yoga ball all day. baby, come out!

Nov 9, 2011

40 weeks today, and i'm in good company.

today marks the official 40 weeks for me. but i've been anticipating this for a while. two things i didn't expect while pregnant? my sister-in-law and sister are both pregnant, too!

we found out jodi was pregnant a few months ago (a little boy due in December) and i was ecstatic to know little tiny T will have a cousin close in age. and then jenny dropped the bomb on me on halloween - she and AJ are expecting their second baby in June! my whole pregnancy i've been trying to convince one of my sisters to get pregnant so we can have little tummy babes together, and finally it worked. and not a moment too soon!

i can't wait till next summer when all the new babies are here, and we can all play together. i'm preparing you now for the ridiculous pictures of the baby trio.

and with that, i'm off to hip swivel and walk some stairs.

Nov 8, 2011

almost there.

how in the world did i get to 40 weeks?
julie, 39.5 weeks
julie, 39.5 weeks.
mark and julie, almost parents.
mark, no weeks.
i totally credit my friend naomi for prepping me for a late baby. her little one was 2 weeks overdue, and she said "count to 42 weeks"! so i'm really not stressing that here we are, just about to week 40 and there is absolutely no sign of this baby coming. i'm calm. pretty relaxed. excited. and i'm really looking forward to some down time this week to bake, finish some craft projects, and finish baby's corner. but, we have begun the long walks around the neighborhood, spicy foods, and next up, this dance. let's get it started in here.

Nov 4, 2011

so long, office!

winding down, after 2.5 years of coming into this job every day. today marks the last day of working non-parent. from here on out, any job i have, i will be a working mom! a mom, i tell you!

i can't tell you how happy i am that i gave a definative end-date before baby. there's no way i could continue to come in day after day. my belly has doubled in size over the past couple of weeks and it's getting a little awkward sitting in business meetings with a basketball shaped bump under my shirt.

after today, if anybody wants to find me, i'll be:
at home planted firmly on the couch,
taking long walks around the neighborhood, or
eating spicy, spicy food

happy weekend!

Nov 3, 2011

the storm before the calm.


i have been on "go" mode for the past few months. too much work, too many meetings, too much planning and crafting and buying for baby, just too much. it keeps me up at nights thinking how un-ready i am, but how can that be?! i am busy all the time!

yesterday i took an early day and finished some things around the house that had been nagging me. like packing the hospital bag. geez. who waits until 39 weeks to pack that thing? hopefully it will be finished after a target run today. i bought some frames to hang in baby's corner, and some crafts to work on should the baby want to cozy up for another week or 2 or 3. i also worked on some freezer meals.

i feel a little more prepared. but in a way it's nice to have been so busy. i haven't had time to sit around and fret about waiting for a baby (yet, anyway). i know baby will come when the time is right. and waiting for a baby has to be the weirdest thing anyone ever does in their lifetime. waiting for this tiny human that will change your life in ways you cannot even dream.
waiting for...
...that first cry
...a new voice in your house
...giggles and coos from a beautiful babe

waiting to see TH be a dad. waiting to be a mother.

our life of "just the two of us" is soon coming to a close, and we couldn't be more crazy/nervous/happy/tired/excited/anxious/joyful.

Nov 1, 2011

accordion for sale.




does anyone want it? oh yeah, it needs some repairs that we haven't had time or patience to fix. womp, womp, womp. oh the tragedy of this story.

a day off.

yesterday was one of those days.

couldn't get out of bed.
belly too big to get dressed.
doctor's waiting room full of crazy people.
baby still very very cozy in my belly.
no parking spots in my neighborhood because of crazy halloween.

but things did get better. i went on a good walk with a friend that helped clear my head a little bit, got a phone call from someone i love with some extremely good news, and then TH rubbed my feet while we talked about our day. turns out his wasn't so great either - we both had a wicked case of the mondays (or manboobs. have you seen this?!).

Oct 31, 2011

day trip to annapolis.

i went to 5 parties this weekend. i am 38.5 weeks pregnant and i went to FIVE parties this weekend. what's stopping me, really? besides wanting to be in sweatpants all the time, i feel fine, so why not go have fun with friends and get my mind off my long list of baby to-do's?

and then, a miracle happened on sunday. TH suggested that we take a day trip to annapolis! coming from a guy who really cherishes his lazy sundays, this was a real jump for him. and we totally made the most of it. candy, girl scout cookies, chocolate, and some amazing mexican food from jalapenos.
annapolis.
julie in annapolis.
annapolis
julie 38.5 weeks.
mark in annapolis.
caramel apples.

annapolis was the perfect getaway to help us feel like we went out of town, and only 30 minutes from DC, we didn't feel too far away from any midwives or hospitals that might be needed. wink wink baby.

Oct 29, 2011

good job, baby.

i'm so proud of little baby. already an obedient and sensible child, baby listened to mama and stayed inside until midwife returned from her out-of-country trip.

at 38 1/2 weeks, now we are officially on baby watch.

Oct 26, 2011

missionaries.

we have two sets of missionaries in our ward. we had them both over for dinner last night (pizza and store-bought brownies and ice cream - i'm no fool). so there we were, dorky me and TH entertaining four 19-21 year old boys.

i forgot how funny 19 and 20 year old boys are. they are such dorks and i love it. TH and i had the best time joking around with them and hearing their crazy stories. i love our church and love that these boys are brave enough to take 2 years of their life to learn and share about Christ and serve others. it's super inspiring and makes me feel hopeful for positive change in the world. any time people put someone else ahead of their own needs, i feel like they should get a standing ovation.

Oct 25, 2011

DC food truck festival


as it turns out, yesterday was Food Day and DC participated by throwing a K street food truck festival. and guess which lucky lady was the beneficiary? mm hmm.

i tried a tofu korean taco from far east taco grille, a cheddar on sourdough from the big cheese, and a veggie empanada from DC empanadas, which i ended up being too full to eat. bummer.

the awesome thing about all these food trucks in one place at lunchtime, was there were enough food trucks to serve the number of hungry people and the lines were totally manageable! i was finally able to try those food trucks i've always wondered about. and the verdict? fojol bros is still the best, but far east taco grille makes one heck of a korean taco.

also, another verdict - people love to s.t.a.r.e. at pregnant ladies, especially when they are holding multiple bags of food from different food trucks. leave me be, people. i'm growing a human being here! this is my time to eat 500 extra calories a day with abandon. just doing my duty.

ps, did you know that we own a food truck with our friends? it runs in fairfax county and we think those gourmet hot dogs are pretty darn tasty.

Oct 24, 2011

i need to put my feet up today.


it's monday. and i just don't feel like it today.

maybe it has something to do with...
this big baby bump?
the new moody M83 album that is lulling me right now?
the too many chocolate donut holes i ate this morning?
how no matter how much sleep i get lately, it just never seems to do the trick?

i only have 10 days left in the office before baby leave begins, so i gotta make it count, but man! days like today are rough on my exhausted body.

Oct 21, 2011

full term! we made it!


after a completely failed attempt at celebrating the actual full term day on wednesday (work too busy for a fancy lunch break, dinner was a disaster cloaked in too much walking, humidity and tears), we had a successful celebratory dinner at Oyamel in Penn Quarter on thursday night.

At a sweet intimate table (read: small, cramped table in the corner) we shared the guacamole (best I've ever had, ever), fresh tortilla chips, and ordered a ton of small plates. BBQ pork tacos, cactus leaf salad, brussel sprouts with pepitas and lime, and other crazy good food. Oyamel also makes fresh juegos every day for us teetotalers. I had the blackberry fresca and I can say with a clean conscience that it was ridiculously refreshing and tasty.

We wanted to celebrate baby, but also we wanted to celebrate us. We've come a long way in 18 months of marriage, and an even longer way in the last 9 months. It takes a lot of courage to bring pregnancy into a new marriage, and we had no idea how much it would change us and test our relationship - ultimately making it stronger. I can only imagine the difference it will make to have the actual tiny baby in our arms and those 2am, 4am, 6am feedings. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I'm going to be a mother. But you know what I can wrap my head around? Walking without the urge to waddle, running fast through a field, eating pizza without fear of heartburn, and sleeping on my back as much as I want!

We can't wait to meet you, tiny T. just wait until November when my midwife is back in the country. moms orders.

Oct 19, 2011

I go to bed with Ben and Jerry, I wake up with Cider.

Lately I've been having trouble eating. I'm hungry constantly, but I just can't eat very much. When I do, my body rejects it and it's scary. I think I've hit that point in pregnancy where there just isn't a lot of room for anything other than baby in my stomach.
I've realized that being forced to eat in smaller quantities means that I'm pretty much snacking all the time. Like last night when I had wheat thins and apple juice for dinner, a late night snack of cereal, and midnight snack of Ben and Jerry's cookie dough ice cream. This morning I woke up with a glass of apple cider, followed by a small yogurt with granola and later in the morning a granola bar.

This is not the most healthy diet I've ever been on, but at least I'm keeping my food where it belongs - in my tummy!

Funny sidenote: my sister was explaining to Lizzie (4 years old) about pregnancy and being sick. Lizzie was so worried because she thought if you throw up, you throw up the baby, too. Because "the baby is in the stomach. Right mom?" Cue my sister trying to teach a 4 year old the difference between and stomach and a uterus, leading to the age old question - "but how does the baby get in there, mom?" i'm glad i don't have to handle those tough questions...yet!

Oct 18, 2011

wicked waffle.

i finally tried the new lunch spot in farragut - Wicked Waffle. ohhhhh mouthwatering deliciousness sandwiched between 2 WAFFLES. i tried the grilled cheese and tomato waffle sandwich. yes. others really liked the mango and brie sandwich, and the prosciutto tomato and arugula sandwich.

i mean it's a WAFFLE. what's not to like? they also had a killer sweet potato soup.

i've been living off waffles lately, no joke. my all time favorite recipe is here, the morning-of waffle. that molly kills it every time and these waffles are no different.

on the way back from lunch, we ran into large headed JFK. so, pretty much the best lunch break ever.

Oct 17, 2011

weekend roundup: pregnant edition.

my boss just came in to ask me what i did this weekend.

...crickets...

i couldn't even remember! it honestly took me about a minute to even recall anything other than sleeping and eating. oopsie. i hope i am not wasting away my pre-baby time on nonsense. but! then i did remember one awesome thing i did:
we saw Moneyball and walked around the city for about a half hour and saw a high speed chase being filmed by professional movie makers! cool!
and then i remembered another awesome thing:
we walked around Eastern Market and had lunch at Teds Bulletin (me: green green salad and french onion soup, him: turkey sandwich and white bean chili)
and then even one MORE thing i remember:
we had amazing Indian food at Haandi in Falls Church with TH's family.

but really this is what popped in my head and what i really remember from this weekend:
eat, sleep, eat, naps, walk, eat, why is this bathroom line so long?!, walk, nap, movie, walk, sleep through church, TV, eat, nap, eat, walk, sleep.

what has become of my life?

Oct 13, 2011

google is not...

...your doctor
...a nutritionist
...an expectant mother
...a parent
...a creative mind
...your mom

when i was extremely sick the other night, i googled "vomit 36 weeks pregnant" and google basically said "you are in labor". freak out panic time for a few minutes. but of course i was not in labor. i don't know why i ever use google as any of the above.

i need to remember to seek out more human advice (including listening to my own instincts). i have a feeling this will become ever more important in the next month or so.

Oct 12, 2011

our plans for october.

Romania Countryside
Piata Sfatului 1
Sibiu
Piata Unirii
endless
Back in January we had big plans for this month. We were going to take a few weeks to travel the Romanian and Hungarian countryside and maybe even take a sail down the Danube. TH speaks Romanian and has wanted to return to the country since his short stint there in 02. The way he talks about the simple beauty and the Romanian people, the country just tugs at my heart a little bit.

Instead...well...surprise baby! It's just funny how you make plans for your life, but other things have a way of just happening. So we put off the Romania trip for another year and hopefully this time next Fall it will be a trip for 3.