Nursery Preview

We are still working on the nursery - everytime we clear something out, something else comes in that needs to be cleared later... :) Ray just installed and painted closet doors, our friends Ava and Sercio got us a baby gate and put it in and I have a Christmas presents/decorations pile, a goodwill pile and and a not-sure-what-to-do-with-it pile that I need to sort out. I will be clearing out that stuff this week so that the room is ready for the crib and window seat that Dad is bringing for the baby next weekend (yay!), but here is a preview of some of the cute little things Baby Halo-Halo will be living with:

Rug:

Shelf with giraffe, top and piggy bank:

Closet:

Light:Bookshelf full of books and blankets and toys:

Mobile hung from the ceiling (it's a big one!):

Elephant lamp and new curtains:

Bulletin board above his changing station (aka my desk):

Baby Halo-Halo is Already a Popular Guy!

I have to say that I feel ridiculously loved and spoiled by all of the well wishes and sweet gifts that have been showered on us and our son during this pregnancy. After baby's Chicago Fan Club threw us the shower in September, I thought we were at spoilage capacity, but apparently not! One of my clients had a lovely lunch shower for me and another client threw us a surprise dinner shower (with the help of Ray). Note genuine surprise (and happiness - I love these coworkers!):

Our friends and family here also threw another shower for Baby H-H a couple of weeks ago. We had great food and games and I loved being able to catch up with a lot of people that I don't see very often. Thank you everyone for all you have done - we appreciate it very much and I am so thankful that Baby Halo-Halo is coming into the world so loved. Here are some pictures of our SF baby shower:

Pregnancy Update

It's been awhile since I updated ya'll on the pregnancy, so here we go...

The countdown is on:
Less than 5 weeks to go, something like 32 days (if he comes right on time)

The tour of doctors:
I have been going to my midwife every other week (soon to be every week)...
I am going to a chiropractor every week (so that I can walk without crying)...
We have an appointment with our pediatrician next week...
We have a hospital tour scheduled for next week in case I need to transfer from the birth center...
I just had a dentist appointment...
I just had a physical for our life insurance application...

Note: the baby will NOT stop moving around. Movement is good, somersaults at 35+ weeks just shows that he has his father's sense of humor and likes to keep us guessing. Apparently it is normal for the baby to settle into a birthing position by 32 weeks and this flipping around so late is very unusual. At our appointment earlier this week his head was in 3 different places the 3 times they checked within a half hour span - we've got an active one! This also might mean that he is having trouble settling head down (which would be an automatic C-section, my worst-case birth scenario, boohoo). SO... this means more doctor's appointments:

I am going to start an acupuncture procedure called moxibustion, which is the best proven method of getting the baby to turn...
I also might need to see another chiropractor that specializes in a Webster technique to get the baby in a good position...
And if all else fails, I will be scheduling a version at the hospital where they try to manually turn him (from what I hear this is pretty painful and not always effective...hmmm)

Inside my head:
Physically, I am getting more uncomfortable between the lack of sleep and the joint pain and the ligament pain (my body seems confused by the fact that it has to expand to accommodate baby). I can suck it all up 95% of the time. It's just the other 5% when Ray needs to notice the meltdown coming on and pull out the foot massaging and sweet talking until I get a hold of myself.

Mentally, I am feeling like time is flying and a general brain-racing-holy-crap kind of feeling. Next week is my last week of work, which is a relief and is so stressful at the same time considering I am leaving all of my projects (the ones I have poured myself into for a year and a half) in other people's hands. It's not just some company I work for, it is my own business and I hate handing over what I have worked so hard for and not knowing what I will come back to (no, I don't have control issues...). That is not to say that I wish I was working right through, mind you.

My first week off is Thanksgiving week, so that week should be good relax and catch up on things around the house time. My Dad is coming to visit that weekend and part of the next week (and bringing our crib and other furniture - yay!) Then I am hoping to get some cooking and freezing in and tackle some of that growing list of things I wanted to get done before baby (i.e. switch my iTunes from my old desktop to my "new" (almost 2 year old...) laptop so I can get rid of said old desktop, which is currently in Baby's room). All that fun stuff that I have managed to resist doing for ages and is now biting me in the butt.

Then there is the whole trying to wrap my head around the fact that we will have a baby before we know it.... minor detail.

What I could not have lived without:
The other night when I woke up at 3am (for the third time that night and then never went back to sleep *sigh*), I found myself with lots of pondering time and started to think of the little things that I could not have lived without during this pregnancy. Just for fun, here is my list so far:
1. My rice heating pad. Oh how I love thee. It got me through many a round ligament spasm and now is used nightly on my tailbone and hips. Ray also made me a tube sock with rice that fits perfectly under my belly for the crampy days.
2. King-Size pillow. News flash: sleeping on your side when your hips/back hurt makes them hurt more. Using a large pillow between your knees helps. Any and all sleep aids are much appreciated (shout out to my eye mask and ear plugs, too!).
3. Apple Cider Vinegar. This is the best thing to tame my heartburn/acid reflux. Taking a shot does the job (but omg it burns going down!) so I prefer to mix 2 T with a half glass of water and chug. Works wonders.
4. Nightlight in the bathroom. That eerie familiar glow makes my night treks so much more pleasant.
5. Grapes, blueberries, cinnamon-raisin bread, Goat Hill soy cheese pizza with tomatoes and artichokes, Kashi granolas, Odwalla Superfood, the Karisa Oatmeal Special (oats, raisins, slivered almonds, ground flaxseeds, agave nectar/honey, rice milk), orange juice, Costco morning buns, Pregnancy Tea, Pepper Triscuits (good with tuna), vietnamese vermicelli, Kashi strawberry flax waffles, decaf coffee, cereal and rice milk (when the thought of food makes my stomach turn), Mom's taco salad... I think it is time for a snack over here...