My Favorite Things

With the exciting news of Tasanee's pregnancy and several others expecting babies in the near future, I've been thinking a lot about the things that have actually been useful since Zaiden came home from the hospital and things that we've recently discovered that have been lifesavers. Granted, all kids are different and have different preferences, but I remember looking for lists of things that would helpful to have at home for me or for the baby and not finding anything particularly useful. So, for all the new moms out there and new moms-to-be, here is my current list of essentials for the first four months:

Month 1:
For Mom
1. pads (Always Infinity were my favorite)
2. Tucks Pads - buy the actual pads and not the witch hazel separately, you really won't have time to make your own
3. Motrin - I had a super easy recovery, but I still needed to take Motrin once a day. Buy 200 mg capsules and take 3 at a time - it's the same prescription they'll give you when they discharge you from the hospital and you can skip the line at the pharmacy
4. Protein bars/granola bars - I lived off of these when Eric went back to work and I was home by myself
5. Yoga pants/cute track suits and tanks/shirts - anything that is comfy but that also allows you to feel like you look halfway decent
6.Good nursing bras and nursing tanks- Bravado are my favorite. The ones from Target suck (everyone said they were good, but they provide ZERO support and just made me feel frumpy). Get fitted toward the end of your pregnancy. Just buy a few then figure out what works and buy more - you'll do laundry every other day anyway, so you'll always have bras to wear
7. The usual breastfeeding supplies - nursing pads, lanolin, etc
8. If you're breastfeeding, learn how to nurse lying down. It will make your life MUCH easier and it means you will get sleep (I can honestly say I've only had 2 nights so far that I didn't wake up rested - 1 was his 2nd day alive in the hospital and 1 was a night 3 weeks ago where he just wanted to play)
9. Sign up for Amazon Mom - it's awesome to always have what you need when you need it without leaving the house.
For Baby:
1. A place to sleep - could be a pack n play, a bassinet, or your bed. I was sure we wouldn't co-sleep until the 2nd day when I realized it was waaay easier for all of us
2. Diapers - buy at least one small pack of preemie diapers. Zaiden was 7lbs when he was born and he peed through newborn diapers for 2 - 3 weeks before they fit him properly
3. Newborn clothes - make sure you have some on hand. Get enough for one full week of 2 changes a day, then get more if you need them after a couple weeks.
4. Some sort of bathtub for after the umbilical cord falls off - they'll give you a plastic bathtub at the hospital, but Zaiden felt much more secure in the sling thing of his bathtub and actually enjoyed bath time after that. The hospital will also give you a disposable washcloths and soap so you don't even need that!
5. Carseat - DUH
6. Stroller - if it's going to be nice outside when your baby is born, this is great to have so you can actually get out of the house!
7. Wrap/Carrier - it's a godsend when you need to go to the bathroom (I promise you that at some point, you will pee holding your baby), do something around the house, etc.
8. A blanket/towel/mat for tummy time - doesn't have to be fancy. They really don't start playing with toys until closer to 3 months
9. Receiving blankets - the special swaddling stuff was more pain that it was worth for us, especially since we both got the hang of swaddling very quickly. Get at least 5 good quality ones - you can use them for lots of things. I liked Carters ones - the Gerber ones were really small (and in general, Gerber clothes run small - 0-3 fits a newborn!) I would advise buying maybe 1 specialty swaddler (like a Halo or Miracle Blanket) and seeing if you like it. If you do, order some from Amazon Mom or using all those Babies R Us gift cards you're sure to get. It's easier to order more, than to return stuff.
10. First Aid/Grooming kit - nail clippers, scissors, thermometer, etc. The American Red Cross and Johnson and Johnson make an infant one that is good and has all the basics. Make sure you get a nasal saline solution of some sort - it really helps when you need to get boogies out of their nose and if/when they get congested

Month 2:
For Mom:
1. Clothes - yes, you are in between sizes and yes you will likely feel like you did first tri about your  body (as in you will just feel fat regardless of what anyone tells you). It's OK to feel that way, but don't exacerbate the problem by torturing yourself with your pre-baby clothes. I still can't fit into most of my pre-baby tops b/c my chest is just too big. Not sure if it'll ever go down again, but I wish I had bought more cute tops sooner. You're worth it, you'll be happier, and so will everyone else.
2. Extra pump parts - if you're going back to work, I promise these are worth the investment. I bought 3 extra membranes/connectors and the Medela wipes to wipe down my flanges after each use. Sooo much easier and faster than washing everything by hand at work. You can also put your used pump parts in the fridge between sessions if you don't want to wash them each time.

For Baby:
1. Swing/Bouncer - you'll know by now if you baby will like one or both of these things, so if you didn't get it from your registry, now would be the time to buy it, if your baby likes these things!
2. Bumbo - I wish we had bought one. They love to sit up at this age and this is a great way for them to do that. Plus, it lets you do things while they watch you (e.g. get ready, cook, etc). If you don't have a bumbo or don't want one, I would highly recommend a highchair as an alternate. We got ours out around this time and it has been fantastic (we have the Graco Blossom and it comes with an infant insert) - Z loves sitting there and watching/playing while we eat/cook/etc.
3. Bottles - if you are returning to work and breastfeeding, definitely make sure you have a couple bottles to try out. We bought 1 each of a couple different kinds to see what worked best, and then bought a ton of the bottles Z preferred as well as a ton of bottles that work with my pump. We still run the dishwasher every night, but I don't have to wash any pump parts during the day which is a huge time saver.
4 . Fisher Price SeaHorse - it is amazing! Baby loves the ambient light and we loved that the music that came out didn't sound so computerized like it did on the swing/bouncer and the pack n play.

Month 3:
For Mom:
1. 20-30 minutes each day for yourself - I know it's really really really hard, but try to find a little time each day for yourself. This might mean a walk or a long shower or time at the gym or locking yourself in a room alone. Whatever it is, try and find the time for you. You are giving so much of yourself and you really need a little bit of time to feel human again. I promise it is worth it and again it will help you feel like yourself again:)

For Baby:
1. Playmat - If you haven't already, get one! Now is the time that they actually start getting into it more (when I say month three, this is really when they are 2 months old, so month one is 0-1 month, month 2 is 1-2 months, etc).
2. Toys - get a few if you want. It's not essential, but it is amazing how fast they go from not playing with toys to playing with them.  We have a fun ball with with lots of holes for him to grab on to.

Month 4:
For Baby:
1. Exersaucer or Jumperoo - Our baby loved to stand up from an early age, so if your baby is like ours, this will be so much fun for him/her. We got the Jumperoo and our little guy loved it! He was getting bored of his mat, so this was a fun new thing to add into the mix
2. Sock Monkey - it's great because they can grab the various limbs to play
3. Cloth books and board books - again, these are nice because they can grab them. Z liked to help me turn pages when I read these books to him at this age

Month 5:
For Mom and Dad:
1. Babyproofing stuff: Z is at the point where he's definitely close to crawling. We probably still have some time, but he's rolling over a bunch and I figure it's best to just do it while he's still not completely mobile (because if it happens like everything else, it will literally be something that happens overnight). This is actually on our list of things to do.
For Baby:
1. Teething toys - Z started teething a little before he was 4 months old (month 4), and we were able to keep his mouth happy with cloth books and froze washcloths for awhile. However, shortly after he turned 4 months, that was definitely not enough and he got really frustrated with traditional teethers because he couldn't get them in his mouth fully (i'm talking about the circular rings and such that can go into the fridge/freezer). My recommendations for teethers are things that are long or rectangularish. Sophie the Giraffe was the best thing we have bought - no lie and it is totally worth the $17 we spent on it. We also got an orange ball the has rectangular looking things coming off of it that he likes to chew on. (it was maybe $3 or $4 on amazon).
2. Bigger activity mat - Z is definitely bigger/taller than the average kid, so this might be a baby specific thing, but we're definitely at the point where we need a bigger activity mat to give him the space he needs to roll around

So that's my list to date. It's not necessarily comprehensive and it's really a list of what worked best for us. Each family and each kid is different, so what works for us might not work for you. However, I know that when I was expecting, looking at what other people found useful was helpful for me, so I'm hoping this will be helpful for someone else:)

Moms that follow this blog, share your favorite must-haves for each month in the comments below (and if you have favorite must haves as the kids get older, I would LOVE to hear them)

Such a great week!

This week has been absolutely fantastic! I could not have imagined the transition from Eric being at home to Eric being at work and Zaiden being with Nanima/Khati Masi going any smoother. It has been phenomenal for all of us and it feels like we're settling into a great routine. I have absolutely LOVED having Tuesdays and Thursdays with Zaiden - it seems like those days just fly and we have such a good time together. As busy as I am, I feel like I have so much more patience with him and with everything in general. We had a great time during our days together this week - did lots of reading, explored Costco and the supermarket, went on walks, and sang some songs. Eric and I recently bought a collection of kiddie music and started putting in on and singing along with it to Zaiden. So far his favorite tunes have been Skip to My Lou (because I held him and skipped - talk about a good workout!) and Michael Finnigan. It brings back some great memories singing with him...it reminds me a lot of playing with Waheed when he was a baby. Zaiden is also becoming quite the snugglebug, especially at night! It used to be that I would have to slyly slip my nipple away from his mouth once he fell asleep, but now I have to slyly slip away myself! He's much less interested in eating when he wakes up at night and is much more interested in cuddling/making sure I'm around. I am having some luck with getting him back to sleep without a boob, but it only lasts about 10 minutes an then I nurse him quickly and he's out like a light. I think a lot of that has to do with teething though, but we better get used to it since he'll be cutting teeth for the next couple of years!

In other news, it's been a great week for me and Eric as a couple as well. Even though we've both been tired, I feel like we've had time each night to connect and that makes SUCH a difference. Plus, Eric is sooo much more relaxed/not stressed/not cranky about going back to school this year and I think a lot of that has to do with Zaiden. I think I'm also getting a case of baby fever, which is crazy since Zaiden is only 4 months old, but I can't help it! He's such a good baby and I had such an amazing pregnancy experience and I have SO much energy right now. Don't worry though - we're not planning on adding any new Skrzypeks to the family just yet:) We are, though, getting very excited about another baby in the family...Baby Walsh is due to make his/her debut in March and we couldn't be happier! Tasanee is like a big sister to me and we are both so excited for her and Adam to become parents. Plus, we are so excited that Baby Walsh and Zaiden will be so close in age - there is bound to be a lifelong friendship there:)

As awesome as this week has been, the long weekend promises to be even better. Mama Skrzypek is coming to town this afternoon and we have lots of fun planned! We're making a special dinner tonight, a special breakfast tomorrow, visiting my parents' for lunch, celebrating at a housewarming party, shopping at the outlets, and relaxing on the water all in one weekend! We're also looking forward to seeing friends and family on Monday and I'm hoping with all the extra hands that will be around this weekend, I'll get a chance to do some uninterrupted studying as well:)

Hello life for the next 3 years!

So now it's the end of August and I haven't written a post in the last three weeks! So much has happened that I'll try and fill ya'll in as efficiently as I can.

First, Zaiden turned 4 months old on August 18! I can't believe how big he's gotten and how much stuff he can do now. He can sit up almost on his own (he'll prop himself up if we sit him up and he's trying to sit up straight with no hands), he puts EVERYTHING in his mouth, he tries to talk and read and tell stories, he's starting to show signs of going longer than 2 hours between feedings during the day, he's soooo close to rolling over from his back to his tummy (he can already do the other way) and he's definitely teething (confirmed by the doctor at his 4 month appointment). As for his 4 month stats, here they are: Weight - 16 lbs 8 oz (75th percentile), Height - 26.5 inches (95th percentile). The doctor was super impressed that was able to balance so well sitting up and thought he was developing quite nicely. I was looking back at his first appointment and it is crazy to me how much he has grown - at 1 month he was only in the 25th percentile for height and weight and now he's such a big boy!

Zaiden has been especially cuddly the past couple of nights and he's been nursing a TON at night the past 2 nights, but not for long periods. Last night, he would nurse for about 5 minutes, fall asleep, cuddle next to me and would wake up about an hour later and repeat the whole process. It seemed like when he woke up he was scared and didn't know where he was or where I was. I'm wondering if he's starting to miss us when we're not there or if he's just more aware now of when we're not there. I'm thinking it might be a combination of those things as well as the whole teething thing. We'll see though. I think as long as we keep following his cues and giving him space he'll work it out. That's the nice thing about babies - they have lots of phases, but none of them seem to last too long. In any case, I'm trying to enjoy the extra cuddles as much as I can (although it was really hard last night since I was trying to do homework)...I know that it won't last long and soon he's not going to need his mama to go to bed.

In other news, I started business school for real! We had our opening residency at Airlie in Warrenton starting on August 18, so Zaiden, Eric and I headed down to my parents' house while they enjoyed themselves in Vegas. The 18th and 19th were VERY difficult days for all of us. I left home around 8 a.m. and I didn't get back until 12 a.m. on the 18th and 9:30 p.m. on the 19th. Eric was fabulous with Zaiden and he got a little relief on the 20th and 21st once my parents were back (they were MORE than happy and eager to provide some back up support). I, on the other hand just had more work to do. I ended up getting home at 3 a.m. on the 20th and left at 7 on the 21st so that I could practice with my group for our final case presentation. It was definitely a hectic time, but it got me so energized and motivated to be in school. It was so nice to be able to think in a different way for a change.

My first day of classes was on the 22nd and boy was it a busy one! I was lucky enough to work from home last week so it wasn't as bad as it could have been. Since I was home, I at least got to see Zaiden on a regular basis even though I couldn't really play with him. Classes went really well and I really had a great feeling afterwards - I totally felt like this was something I could do and we would definitely get through the next 3 years. I was so productive last week it was crazy, I even did my homework for Stats well in advance (like the day after it was assigned) and I did my homework for my management class last night (don't have that class until Wednesday), so I am pretty impressed with myself.

Today, however, will be the real test of how well we'll be able to get through the next three years. This morning, I dropped Zaiden off for his first day of "daycare." Luckily for us, "daycare" means Nanima and Khati Masi:) We'd been taking Zaiden to their house every Thursday all summer long so he'd get used to bein there and get familiar with both of them (plus, Eric and I got to have Nanima's food for lunch each week and nothing beats your grandmother's cooking:). I'm sooo glad we did that because this morning, he was happy as a lark when I dropped him off. It was fabulous and I didn't even cry! There may be tears later today though because tonight I have to go to class and I won't get home until close to 10 p.m. That means, I won't see my little lovebug for 14 hours! Thank goodness I have tomorrow off though, so we can make up for all that lost time:)

Today was also a bi day because it was Eric's first day back at work! After working only 3 weeks in the past 4 months, it was definitely hard for him to get back into the swing of things. We had a pretty good morning and he was able to get out the door on time (he went to bed on time so maybe that helped:)...hopefully he got to work on time and his day was better than he expected. I'll have to check up on him tonight on my drive to class and see how it all worked out.

As I sit here typing this, I can't help but feel a bit anxious. I guess I just want to know how the day will go for all of us and I want to make sure it goes smoothly and that Zaiden isn't upset because he misses us too much and Eric is stressed because he's got to do bedtime with Zaiden by himself, and that I don't come home feeling absolutely guilty about everything. We'll see though...I'll try and report back Wednesday on how things went!

Yay for Personal Trainers

After being in our new place for just over a month now, I can say it definitely feels like home. We've had some time to figure out where things are, how to get places, and meet our neighbors. Zaiden is also now about 3.5 months old and into a much more regular routine. He eats about every two hours from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. then takes a nice long nap, is up for an hour, then heads to bed around 8/8:30 p.m.

Taking all this into consideration, it felt like it was time to finally get back into the gym. This past week I did a bit of research and comparing and finally decided to join Fitness First. I got a great corporate rate and it's less than 1 mile from our apartment with great hours and childcare. As part of the deal for joining, I got a free personal training session that I took advantage of today. As you all know, I love working out, and some might say I'm kinda obsessed with having a very healthy lifestyle. For me, getting a personal training session was like a gift from above. After having Zaiden things just don't look/feel like they did before and I really feel like I've lost a lot of muscle. The other issue for me is that I'm really lost as to where to start back up with my routines. I was pretty hardcore before I got pregnant and I had to slow down a lot towards the end of my pregnancy. I still walked a ton, but it definitely wasn't the intensity that I was used to. Anyways, my issue is that I don't know what to do in the gym - I can't go full out like I used to,  but at the same time I'm not really good at finding "middle ground." My personal trainer today was awesome and really helped me realize that I was already on the right track. Right now, my body fat % is at 29% - that was super disappointing for me, but my trainer did remind me that it is still in the healthy range for women and is really really awesome for only having a baby 3 months ago (he though I should be able to get to 18-19% body fat once I got back into my schedule). He also was very impressed with my diet and I really blew him away in our session with how much I could push myself. He gave me some awesome ideas for some new weight exercises and ways to build up my ab wall and muscles again. It was great to get a professional outside perspective on where I am with my fitness and the importance of easing back into my routine. I guess I didn't realize that I could do a lot of damage if I just rushed back to my old routine and it was great to get affirmation that I have been doing the right things in terms of diet.

It would definitely be awesome to continue personal training sessions, but they are just so expensive and I really can't justify it with all the added expenses we currently have and the reduced income from me working part-time. Plus, since I basically got confirmation that I know what I'm doing, I don't feel like I need a trainer each time I go to the gym. I might try to do it once every 3 months just to get new ideas/routines, but we'll see. Right now my goal is to get to the gym for 1 hour 3-4 days a week and I'd like to get back to feeling like myself in about 3 months. I'd like to get back to my pre-pregnancy body by the end of January, which would be 9 months after I had Zaiden (going by the 9 months to put it on, 9 months to take it off philosophy). We'll see though - I know sometimes you hold onto a bit more fat while breastfeeding and if that's the case I probably won't get my pre-pregnancy body back for a while (I definitely want to breastfeed for at least a year and would really like to make it to 2 years like WHO recommends). But, I'm OK with that and as long as I can keep working out and taking care of myself, I'll be happy.

In any case, I'm super excited to be back in the gym and really really excited for more workouts that make me feel strong, confident and energized. I feel like I'm such a better person to be around when I've had a good workout - I'm a better wife and a better mother and I'm definitely a more confident person with waay more energy. I'm definitely going to need all of that in the very near future as I embark up Business School. Orientation starts tomorrow and it will be the longest I've been away from Zaiden (nearly 13 hours!). It will be a trial run of Mondays and Wednesdays to come once classes start and will definitely give Eric and I a taste of what's in store. Looks for updates this weekend about how it went (for me, and for Eric and Zaiden:)

Zaiden's 3 Month Birthday

It seems hard to believe that 3 months have flown by so quickly! Zaiden is doing so well and doing so many new things - he talks up a storm now and he's mastered the art of grabbing things. If the past few weeks are any indication, I think Zaiden definitely has his mommy's temperment. He knows what he wants, when he wants and he gets very upset if he doesn't get it right away (granted, right now these "wants" are really needs, like getting fed, sleeping and getting his diaper changed). I forsee problems in the future when his "wants" actually become wants rather than needs. This month, Zaiden has also mastered the art of sucking his thumb, eating his hand, and rolling over (on 6/28)! Here are some videos from the past three months - it's amazing to see how much he's changed:) Enjoy!

Zaiden's First Bath: http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101791091

Story Time:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101788951

Tummy Time I:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101788391

Zaiden v. Pacifier:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101787631

Tummy Time II:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101787041

Tummy Time III - The Roll Over:
http://sharing.theflip.com/session/733748348c5fa3d2c2caeb071ae2d6a9/video/101785441

Our Anniversary

This weekend Eric and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary! It is amazing to think that one year has already flown by and it is insane how many changes have occurred in so short a time. Last year we were worrying about placecards and seating arrangements and now we worry about where we'll put the highchair in the dining room. Last year we had an amazing reception and danced the night away to our favorite classics and the newest hits. Last night we had a dance party for three courtesy of the baby einstien playmat. It hasn't been a perfect year - it was actually quite challenging reconciling all the changes that happened so quickly. Even though we had lived together for nearly 2 years before we got married, it seemed like a lot of things changed very quickly once we came back from our honeymoon. We found out I was pregnant and shortly after I was off on a plane to Rwanda for a month. I got back and then had to start the process of research business schools and decided that it might be better to stay in the area and go part-time rather than move away and go full time like we had planned. Then came the GMATs and the holidays and we were off to Sri Lanka for an awesome adventure. When we returned my business school application awaited me as I scrambled to finish my essays by the deadline. Once those were turned in we celebrated Eric's birthday, then a romantic Valentine's Day celebration. Before we knew it, it was time for my baby shower and then one short month later we celebrated my birthday in the hospital with our newest family member. The last three months have gone by in the blink of an eye and somehow in that time we managed to make a trip to PA, a trip to Charlottesville, many many trips to Warrenton and Tyson's to visit family, move and have Zaiden's bay'ah.

Now that I'm back to work and things are settling into more of a routine at home with Zaiden, I feel like I've finally had time to process all that has happened in the past year and it's really overwhelming. I loved going out with my friends for happy hour, having date nights, going into the city every once in a while, even going out every once in a while. I loved lazy weekend mornings - getting up at 8, cuddling over coffee and enjoying a leisurely breakfast. I loved going to the gym everyday and the feeling you get when you know you've had a really good workout. All those things that I loved so much have gone away to some degree, if not completely and I really really miss them. I miss date nights and romance, I miss lazy weekend mornings, I miss being able to do things on my own schedule, I miss hanging out with my friends and I miss having a group of people that could always relate to exactly where I was in my life.  I think that there's an expectation, especially for women, that when you have a child you are supposed to be so happy and so consumed by that happiness that nothing bothers you - that the happiness you derive from your child replaces the happiness you derived from other aspects of your life before you had a child. For me, this really isn't the case. I love Zaiden with every ounce of my being and he makes me immensely happy, but the happiness I get from playing with him, interacting with him, and just being his mom does not replace the joys and happiness I derived from the other aspects of my life described above. While I know I am a better mom when I am able to take care of my emotional and physical needs, it's really hard to do - there just doesn't seem to be enough time in the day to take care of Zaiden and do the little things around the house that need to get done everyday and prep for school and deal with work.

Anyway, after that slightly serious tangent, the exciting thing this weekend was celebrating our anniversary and getting our first real date in 3 months! On Saturday, my parents came over and watch Zaiden while Eric and I went our for dinner in DC to CityZen. It was spectacular and we had an amazing time. I was super excited that I could actually fit into a dress I wore when we were honeymooning in Belize and for the first time in a while, I felt beautiful. The food was incredibe, the atmosphere was incredible and it felt incredible to get all dolled up for an evening that was just about the two of us. Annnd we only talked about Zaiden for about 5 minutes in the car - that was it. The entire night was about us and it was just what we needed. It was fablous to focus on our relationship for a change and it was so romantic to just get to eat together and share 3 whole hours alone. We were feeling so good and romantic and lovey-dovey and were quicly broken out of our spell by a hungry baby literally 5 minutes after we walked in the door. While it was good to cuddle and hold our little guy after being away from him for so long, there were definitely other ways I would have preferred to end our evening. On our actual anniversary Sunday, I was feeling kind of down. I had thought our anniversary would feel special and it didn't start out that way so that got me thinking about how different things were now than before and I was kind of down. We had a fun day with Zaiden though and he actually was asleep by 8:30. Once he was down, Eric and I finally got to spend some time together and it was fantastic. We had a fabulous Italian feast for dinner, got to watch our wedding video, enjoyed champagne from our toasting flutes and stuffed ourselves with delicious wedding cake as we cuddled on the couch and watched the baby monitor. I can't believe how lucky I am to be loved so much by such an incredible man. There were no flowers or expensive gifts, just a thoughtful card from each of us to the other and it was perfect.

First Day of Work

After 12 weeks and 2 days of maternity leave, I have officially returned to the work force! Today was my first day back at work and boy has it been interesting. I have been dreading this day since I started my leave and getting out of the house this morning was so difficult. Little Z definitely loves his mommy and for the past 12 weeks I've been there to feed him whenever he was hungry, comfort him whenever he was upset and hold and cuddle him as much as he needed. I've watched as his eyes search for me when I move just out of sight and I've heard how he cries inconsolibly when I leave the room and he needs me (even if it's just for me to hold him). Given all of this, I'm sure you can imagine that today was a difficult day for us. 

Everything this morning when exactly as planned - I fed Little Z at 5:30, got up at 6, took the dog for a couple mile walk/jog, showered, got ready then fed Little Z again around 7:30 before I left. Our feeding this morning was so special. I tried to memorize his face as I gazed into his eyes while he eat. I tried to burn the image of his eyes staring so lovingly back at me, and as I held his tiny hand I tried to imprint the feeling of him gripping me so tightly. Leaving him this morning was one of the hardest things I've done and I had tears in my eyes as I walked out the door. I was so concerned about him - what would he do when he realized mommy wasn't home? Would he have enough milk? Would Eric be able to calm him when he was fussy?

At the office, everything went smoothly. I spent most of the day catching on admin and HR things with a couple meetings interspersed throughout the day. Pumping hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be and it's been kind of nice to have those 15 minute breaks throughout the day to look forward to. I only called home twice  - once after my mid morning pumping session and once after my lunch pumping session. It sounded like Zaiden was doing pretty well - no inconsolible crying or fussiness and there definitely was enough milk. Plus it seems like what I've been expressing is totally in line with what he's been eating all day. So now, with just 1 more hour left in my work day, I have to say I think it was a success.

I am so happy that I am only working part-time now. I think it's going to be the perfect balance of work and family. I think it will help me focus on work while I'm at work and our family when I'm at home and it will help me appreciate and enjoy both more. I think I'm going to value my time with Eric and Zaiden even more than I already did, and I already am gaining an appreciation for being at work and reading things other than Are You My Mother?, That's Not My Puppy, and the Ocean Alphabet Book (all of which I can recite from memory now:P). I'm also very excited  about being able to eat on a regular schedule, send emails from my computer and use 2 hands for most of my activities. It's pretty exciting stuff after not being able to do any of that for 12 weeks. On the other hand, I do miss the huge smiles my little man gives me all day and how just hearing my voice makes him beam. I am just so thankful that Eric is able to be home with him all summer. He is such an amazing father and I feel so much better knowing that Little Z is still getting the love and attention he needs. I'm also glad Eric is staying at home with him because I think it will give him a new perspective on the things I've done since Little Z was born. Eric definitely appreciates all the work that I've done taking care of our little guy, but I don't think he fully got how frustrating and exhausting it can be to be the sole person that can feed and effectively comfort your child. Little Z definitely knows and loves his daddy, but he is dependent upon me in a very different way. It's an amazing responsibility, but it can also get to be very draining and I'm not sure it's something that he or anyone else can fully understand unless they are exclusively breastfeeding on demand. I totally believe that it is the best thing for our son and I'm happy to do it, but it is very confining and limiting and since not many people do this any more, there are a very few people that can relate to the feelings that you have in that particular situation.

OK - enoiugh babbling for now! Time to finish up the work day and head home to see my very awesome family:) I promise I'll be posting more often now, so check back for more updates. We're hoping to get some videos uploaded on here soon as well so y'all can see some of our adventures from the past 12 weeks!

Updates!

I can't believe it's been almost 3 weeks since my last post! The time just seems to be flying by and it's been hard to keep this updated with all the things that seem to need attention during the day when Zaiden is napping.

Since my last post so much has happened! Zaiden is awake so much now during the day and it is so fun to play with him. I think he's starting to get himself into more of a routine, but I'm not sure. This past weekend he was eating every 2.5-3 hours, and he started that way yesterday, but wanted to eat every hour starting early afternoon. I know this will sort itself out and I'm really a believer of feeding on demand, especially when he's so young. I figure that he knows when he's hungry and full and if he's scared or insecure or just needs to be held, there's a reason for that. I don't think he really has wants just yet and I don't believe the theory that he's manipulating me or that I'll spoil him if I hold him, love him, and give him what he needs when he needs it. That being said, there are days where feeding on demand gets purely exhausting and frustrating. Once we move, I'm hoping to go to some La Leche League meetings - I think it will really help to connect with other women that are experiencing the same thing.

Speaking of La Leche League, that reminds me of another important discovery...I think I need to make mommy friends. Now, I love all my current friends dearly and I kind of feel like making new friends is going to be a lot of effort and time (that I don't really have and that I'd rather spend with my current friends!). However, I think I need to do it for my own sanity. In addition to my awesome friends without kids, I think I need to make a few with kids just so there are some people that can relate to what I'm going through. People I can bounce ideas off of, share experiences with and trade of strategies for the various phases that kids inevitabily go through. Now, I haven't really had to make new friends since college. Many of my close friends from undergrad moved to DC after school so we all hung out together. I did make friends at work that I hang out with, but I also see them everyday so it's easy to connect and develop friendships. But making mommy friends seems a bit trickier - like I have to seek it out and be really active. And I have a feeling that is going to be really hard once I go back to work and go to school. I'm hoping that my program at Georgetown will allow me to meet some other parents and that, in conjunction with some La Leche League meetings and maybe joining a new moms group (if I can find one) in Reston on my days off will help me meet some new people.

In other, not so serious news, Zaiden took his first real trip! We took him to Charlottesville a couple weekends ago for my 5 year college reunion. Let me just say that it was awesome! It was soooo fun to be back in Charlottesville with all the people that made it so special, particularly Julie, Jenn, Sonal, and Aileen:) It was fun to run into random people I hadn't seen since college and it was even more fun to go to all the places that made UVA so memorable. We started out our weekend with breakfast at Bodos, then visited Mincers and walked along the lawn before going to our class lunch. The food at class lunch wasn't too good, so after a quick trip to the bookstore, we went to Take-it-Away for lunch. After such a yummy lunch, we decided we needed dessert and headed over to Arches. Then it was time for beer in the gardens! I even got to have 4 whole sips:) After beer, we headed back to our hotel to get ready for the evening. We skipped class dinner since Zaiden needed to eat and then met up with the girls at Zocalo for real dinner (can we say cheese fritters???) followed by Splendora for dessert. After dinner I went back to the hotel with Eric to nurse Zaiden to sleep then headed over to the corner for a night out with the girls! It was my first real night out and I thouroughly enjoyed it:) I got my usual at the Biltmore and split a 4 cheese sub at Little John's with Sonal - the perfect end to a perfect day.

And now, my sleeping beast has awoken and it's time for another feeding so I'll have to stop here:) Hopefully, it won't take me another 3 weeks to update this thing!!

Little Z's Adventures

We have been super super busy for the past few weeks and I've been dying to update the blog, but between the several "trips" we've taken, nursing and taking care of basic stuff (like showering!) I haven't had any time! We've had some fun adventures and Little Z has grown so much in the past month. Here are some fun highlights:

We celebrated my first mother's day at my parents house! That was Little Z's first "long" trip and we made the 1 hour drive without having to stop! We got there on Friday and stayed until Tuesday morning so it was a long visit. My parents were so excited to have the baby in the house and he had such a good time. Little Z got to meet Tariq Uncle and Raabia Auntie and I got to have my first alcoholic drink since August  - 4 delicious sips of a lovely mango margarita made by Raabia:)  Little Z also got a very special visit from Aunt Cindy and Uncle Chris since they were in town too! Little Z got a little overstimulated though over the weekend with all the new people. However, after a day of not letting anyone hold him except for Mommy and Daddy, he was back to normal:)

This past weekend we made the first really long trip with Little Z...we went to St. Mary's to visit Eric's family. It was a looooong trip. Usually it takes 4.5 - 5 hrs to drive up if there is no traffic. We left at 11 a.m. on Thursday and it took us 8 hours to get to St. Marys! We started off really well and made it to Breezewood in 2.5 hrs. However, after that it was a smooth downhill tumble and we stopped basically every hour for 30-45 minutes to nurse. Now, this trip probably would have been easier if we were using a pacifier, but we're really trying to hold off on that as long as possible. It probably would have been easier if I was nursing on a schedule, but I'm nursing on demand and plan to continue doing so that's not really an option. The trip back was a little better  (7 hrs) though and our visit was a ton of fun! We got to see a bunch of Eric's friends and meet baby Bruno and baby Avery (who is so big! I can't belive our baby will be like that in 5 months!). It was so fun to catch up with everyone and since all the visits were spaced out, it made each day really fun:)

After two such fun weeks full of a ton of yummy (but not so good for you) food, we're finally back home for a couple weeks before heading to Charlottesville for Reunions! That means that I'm back on track with eating and committing to starting up a workout routine again. So for the eating has bee going well and I've been trying to walk for a little bit each day. Next week though I'm hitting the gym for real and starting up with my workouts. I'm so excited to sweat...really sweat and workout and feel exhausted afterwards. It's going to be fantastic. The only reason I'm not starting right now is because Eric is sick and doesn't want to be too close to the baby since he's scared of getting him sick. It actually works out well since it gives me some time to get back on track with eating.

Looking back on the past month, it amazes me how much Zaiden has grown and changed. He went from sleeping all day to being awake a couple hours a day. His features have really come in and his expressions are so precious! I love watching him when he's waking up and squirming. And now when he's awake, it's so cool to watch him explore and take in all the new sights. He loves looking out the window and he make such fun faces when he's looking at me too. Tummy time is really entertaining as well - he loved it from the beginning, but now he's gone from keeping his head up for a few seconds at a time to keeping it up for minutes at a time. He moves his legs at the same time and is now trying to grab onto stuff with his hands to try and move himself. I'm sure we'll have a crawler in no time:P He also kind of gives me a hug now when he's nursing - he'll take whatever hand is below my breast and wrap it around my side/waist. He'll also hold or place his hand on my chest as he's falling asleep. It is the most incredible thing to feel so connected to him so many times a day. I know that they say breast feeding is a great gift that you can give to your baby, but I really think it is a great gift that your baby gives to you. I love the time that we get to spend together each day and even though it takes so much time, it really is precious.

I also have to say that looking back on the past month, I have no idea how I would have gotten through it without Eric being home. I know so many dads have to go back to work after just a week or two and we are so lucky that Eric was able to get a full 6 weeks off work. I just really don't know what I would have done without him! I know he doesn't think he's done much but honestly, it is invaluable to have someone cook, clean, deal with the dog, change diapers, hold a sleeping baby so I can take a shower, and do tummy time so I can go to the bathroom. Just one day with Eric being sick really showed me what it would be like without him and I seriously just about died. I have no idea what I will do when he goes back to work, but I'm glad we still have a couple of weeks to figure it out (and a Moby so I can have both my hands while he's sleeping!).

Best Date Ever

After nearly two weeks of parenthood,  Eric and I had our first moments alone without Zaiden. It. Was. Awesome. Seriously, quite possibly the best 20 minutes of my life. My parents came over to visit last night and when they got here, I was feeding Zaiden. We planned to order Cafe Asia, so Eric ordered while I finished feeding Zaiden and then my parents gave us the best gift ever - 20 minutes alone for us to run out and pick up dinner while they watched Zaiden.  He was fast asleep when we left, and we were so so sooo excited to leave the house on our own. It was an incredibly liberating feeling to not have to worry about the baby - was he still asleep, was he about to wake up, was he hungry or gassy, etc.  Not that we don't love our son or that we like being away from him, but having just 20 minutes where our entire attention was on each other was a luxury we had not had since Zaiden was born. The best part was that we didn't spend the entire 20 minutes talking about Zaiden! Now those of you that don't have kids will probably not understand how truly awesome 20 minutes of uninterrupted, worry-free alone time is, but in those 20 minutes we decided it was essential to the maintenance of our relationship that we continue to find just 20 minutes every other week to spend together. We felt immediately  reconnected and in tune with each other - it was so nice being able to be each others' priority again, even for a short time. Add in the fact that I got a nice long hot shower, took my first long walk, annnd has sushi for dinner and you end up with quite possibly the most awesome day/date ever!

Introducing Zaiden Alexander!

We have a baby!! All that worry about inducing and interventions turned out to be needless. Here's our story...

After our doctor's appointment on the 14th,  Eric and I were determined to do everything we could to have our baby naturally. We went ahead and scheduled our non-stress test and amniotic fluid check for Monday, April 18 at 9 a.m. and figured we'd deal with any induction talk after, like we agreed with our doctor. In the meantime, we tried every thing to get Little Z out. We had eggplant parmesean, ate super spicy food at Nanima's house and walked for miles and miles. I even asked Julie to pick up the famous labor-inducing lemon drop cupcakes from Charlottesville! On Sunday, I ate 2 lemon drop cupcakes, walked 4 miles and Eric and I went our for Thai to celebrate my birthday a bit early with my parents. Around 7 pm, I started getting mild contractions - nothing worth timing and I could easily walk/talk through them. That evening, the contractions slowed down and I was a bit disappointed. I was really hoping not to make it to our appointment on Monday. However, no such luck. Sooo, I had a lemon drop cupcake and Eric and I started off my birthday with a trip to the doctor's/hospital for tests. We packed our toiletries and added them to the hospital bag

At the tests, they said that everything looked good. It did take some time though because they were concerned about the baby's heartrate and wanted to make sure they got a good reading. They were able to pick up on my contractions and noted that they were anywhere from 4-7 mins apart. We then called my doctor and they said to call back when contractions were more regular. We figured we'd go home, eat, and labor there for a while before going in. I said I wanted to wait until contractions were 3 mins apart lasting 1 minute each and were consistent for 1 hr. Well, we got home around noon and my contractions started coming on strong: 2 -3 mins apart, lasting 1.5-2 mins. I ate 1 small piece of banana bread while Eric tried to eat something more substanital for lunch.  After about 30 mins, we called the doctor and they told us to go to labor and delivery.  By the time we finished loading up the last things we needed and got to the hospital it was 1:00. We checked in and were taken to triage. They hooked me up to the monitors and asked if I had thought about whether or not I wanted an epidural. We told them we wanted to go natural and that was the last time anyone mentioned pain meds. Seeing as how I didn't want any meds, I asked to be allowed to labor outside the bed. I really didn't feel like walking, but laboring on my hands and knees was really the most comfortable position for me at this point.They were super accomodating and added extra straps so that the monitors would stay on in that position and they could get a good read. After the initial reading, they checked me and I was already at a 6!

I then moved from triage to a full out L&D room. They re-hooked me up to the monitors and I continued to labor out of the bed for the next hour or so. Things started to get more uncomfortable and I moved to the bed on my side. I was definitely more vocal as well, but I concentrated on deep breathing and I think I sounded pretty primal as I groaned through the contractions. Somehow it helped create an outlet for the pain. An hour later, my doctor came in to check me and I was already an 8. I knew I was close and the hard part was about to start, but I had no idea exactly what I was in store for.

The next two hours were really hard. My contractions were really close together without any real breaks. The pain would peak, go down, but then remain constant until it peaked again. I thought I was super loud (and I know Eric did too), but at one point our nurses came in and asked how I was doing because they hadn't heard me in a while! 2 hours after I had been checked, the doctor checked me again and I was still and 8, with a bulging bag of water. The doctor told me I could continue to labor and let my bag break naturally or they could rupture my membranes. Before I was in labor, I had wanted my bag to rupture on its own, but Eric and I talked it over and decided to let the doctor break my bag. We thought it would help get me to dialate faster. I knew once they broke my water, the contractions would be more intense, but I had no idea what that really meant. The first 2 after my water broke weren't so bad...maybe a slight increase in pain, but not a drastic increase. The ones after that though, were on a whole different level. I think I must have said "I can't do this" and/or "I'm going to die" about a hundred times in the next 30 mins. Eric and my nurses were incredible though - telling me that I was doing it.  About 15 minutes after they broke my water, I started bearing down slightly whenever I had contractions and that helped get me through them a bit. About 15 minutes after that, I told the nurse that I felt like pushing a bit.

The doctor checked me and told me I was a 9 and that I could bear down during contractions if I wanted and that it would help me to get that last bit of cervix out of the way. The nurse was really fabulous and helped me to concentrate all the energy from my contractions into pushing. I think she and the doctor were both really suprised and how effectively I was pushing. I really have zero concept of how long things took, but according to Eric, I was really only pushing for 20-40 mins total. Pushing was a really interesting experience and it was kind of hard. It provided an incredible relief from the contractions, but it took a lot of work and there is absolutely no way for me to describe the sensation of pushing out our baby. It was exhilirating and amazing and scary and painful all at the same time.

Giving birth without any interventions or medication was one of the hardest things I've ever done, but also one of the best and the one that I am most proud of. I'm so glad that I was able to feel every second of it - yes, parts were really painful, but it was so worth it.  It is probably the only reason I didn't really tear (just one tiny stitch is all i needed)...I could feel my contractions and I could feel when to push and when to stop. I could feel every inch of him as he came out and it was truly an exhilirating experience. And I swear I forgot how much it all hurt the second he was placed on my belly. Eric said that my change in demenor was instantaneous - one minute I was focused, like an athelete and the next I was back to my old self, asking the nurse to take pictures and ready to walk myself to recovery (which they wouldn't allow because of hospital policies).

So far recovery has been fabulous. I was honestly ready to leave the hospital by noon on the 19th. Every couple of hours they come in to check on your pain level...I felt bad because my pain level was non-existant. I did take the motrin they offered because Eric wanted to make sure I didn't have any issues with swelling or the like, but since we've been home I've been feeling great! Eric has been trying to make me relax and take it slow. I've been dying to get a killer workout in since about a month ago, so Eric agreed that if I took it easy, we could go for a short walk this weekend and see how things went. I'm hoping that I can start walking again for real next week. I'm sure the gym will have to wait a while until we can get Zaiden into a regular schedule. for now, we're just going by his cues - feeding when he feels like feeding, and sleeping when he feels like. So far, it's been working out well:)

Being a parent is seriously one of the best jobs ever! Everyday we fall more in love with him and with each other. For now, here's a little video from Zaiden's first day home...

Zaiden's First Day Home

I DO NOT Want to be Induced!!

Ugh! Just got back from the doctor's and we had to start talking induction. I seriously do not want to be induced and I sure as hell do not want to be induced before the latest due date comes around (April 23). Basically, we have to go in for a non-stress test (NST) and to check on the amniotic fluid levels sometime early next week. If the fluid levels are OK, I should be "allowed" to go until Thursday. I am so upset about this. I'm sure everything is going to be fine with the tests, but I am livid that someone is trying to tell me when I have to have my baby by. Last time I checked this was still my body and my baby and I am really not comfortable inducing before the 23rd (I actually don't feel comfortable until April 30, which would be 1 week past my later due date).

Eric and I are both really hoping that Little Z will come on his own before late next week. I know I said I had a feeling he would come on my birthday and as much as I said it would suck to be in labor on my birthday, at this point, there is nothing I want more! It would be the best birthday present ever because it would mean I could give our son a truly med-free experience. As childish as it seems, it just doesn't seem fair - I've done everything I can to keep Little Z as healthy as possible and to prepare for a natural labor and delivery. Now, because some doctor decided his "educated guess" about when this baby should come is better/more important than what my baby and body decide is the right time for the baby to come, we have to figure out how to get Little Z to get out on someone else's timeline.

I just wish there was a doctor or midwife somewhere that would trust that my body and my baby know what they are doing. I'm all for monitoring after the due date - I'll go in every day for an NST or Biophysical Profile, or whatever they want me to do. I just wish the maternity system we have in the US would stop acting like my body is somehow broken because I don't give birth right at 40 weeks. 41 wks 3 days is AVERAGE for the the first-time mom. Anyone with half a brain can figure out that average means some come earlier than that and some come later than that, so for every baby that comes at 39 weeks, shouldn't there be a baby that comes at 44 weeks?

So this turned out to be more a vent that I was planning on, but I do feel better getting some of that out. Now your turn to help...if you have any suggestions ofr natural ways to jump start labor, let me know!! We've already tried tons of walking (5 miles/day), pineapple, spicy foods and other "fun" ways.  We're trying red raspberry leaf tea tonight, but other than that, we're out of ideas. If you have any other tips or tricks, let us know!!

False Alarm

Last night, I was pretty sure that by this time today, we would be at the hospital getting ready to have our baby. But alas, I'm at home writing here, so clearly that didn't happen. I woke up around 1:45 a.m. with some contractions. Nothing too painful, but more intense than the ones I felt over the weekend and I had to breathe through the peaks. After about an hour, we decided to try and time them, and to my surprise they were about a minute long and anywhere from 2.5 -5.5 minutes apart. We timed them for about an hour, and though they had started out to be about 2.5 mins apart they were getting further and further apart. They did stop around 4:30 though (or got mild enough that I could sleep through them) and I slept quite nicely for the rest of the night.  There was a point around 3 or 3:15 where we were both wide awake and Eric swore he wasn't going to sleep for the next 2 days (he did, by the way manage to go back to sleep).  Hopefully all this means we won't have to wait too much longer to meet this kid!

Impatient!

As much as I LOVE being pregnant, I am sooo ready to meet our baby! I know he's still cooking and clearly not ready to come out just yet, but I'm just so anxious. I think I finally felt some Braxton Hicks (or maybe really light contractions) this weekend. They were on and off for most of the day yesterday (probably about 10-15 mins apart for the first half of the day), but definitely super mild and nothing unbearable. In fact, I didn't even think they could be Braxton Hicks or contractions until Eric felt my belly and commented on how hard and tight it was! So that, in addition to the info on how dialated I was on Friday got us really excited about maybe meeting our baby soon. I even tried telling Little Z that he should come because we're excited to meet him. Then Eric reminded me that if this child took after me, I should maybe tell him to stay put longer (since I liked to do the opposite of whatever my parents/any authority figure would tell me). However, no such luck yet. I took Buddy for a good 3 mile walk this morning (and I even jogged the last 1/2 mile, which was hilly) in the hopes of starting something, but alas I've got nothing. I guess I'll try again later this afternoon. We are having some eggplant for dinner (tried lots of spicy food this weekend, but that did nothing), so maybe we'll pick up a pineapple for dessert and see if any of those old wives tales actually work....

Progress!

We had our weekly doctor's appointment today, and I have to admit, I was a little nervous. I was afraid he was going to start talking induction and the like (even though he said when I first met with him that I could go to 42 weeks) and I was kind of afraid of getting an internal. Luckily, there was NOTHING for me to worry about. I did get my first internal and it really wasn't that bad - a little uncomfortable, but definitely not painful. In case you might be interested in the state of my cervix, we found out that I was dialated to 4 cm. The doctor seemed pleasantly surprised since I had been telling him that I haven't felt any contractions. I'm actually super excited about that part - I'm taking it as a sign that I'll be able to manage my contractions well once the time actually comes that I feel them. Also, while I know dialation at this stage doesn't mean anything, it is good to know that in the event that we do have to have an induction, my body is favorable.

Speaking of induction, the doctor did mention that he thought I would have the baby sometime in the next week. I don't think Little Z is going to come until next weekend, but we'll see. The doctor also mentioned that if he did see me next week, they'd check the amniotic fluid levels to make sure Little Z was still doing OK. As long as the levels looked good, he'd let me go another week. He did say that if didn't have the baby by Monday, that I could call and schedule an induction if I wanted, but I politely declined and said I'd like to wait:)

So now we wait, but in the meantime, I've made lots of fun plans to keep myself somewhat entertained. I'm going absolutely bonkers already! I've finished almost everything I need to for work and there is nothing left for me to clean/organize at home. I'm really looking forward to the weekend. We're taking a CPR class all day on Saturday, then Eric is making me some spicy buffalo wings for dinner:) On Sunday, I'm meeting up with Julie for brunch and my mom is going to come over and hang out with us in the afternoon. Then, on Wednesday, if Little Z is still not here, I'm meeting up with Cindy for lunch in the city. At least there's some fun stuff to look forward to in the next little while to keep me a bit distracted. And since it's such a GORGEOUS day outside, I think I'll distract myself a bit more and take the dog for another good walk!

Happy Due Date to Me!

Today is officially due date #1 and I cannot believe how quickly it has come! I've definitely prepared myself mentally for the little guy not coming until around April 20, but reaching this milestone just makes me so excited. It's a bit weird because I still want to go out and meet up with people and do things, but at the same time I'm also kind of afraid to make concrete plans too far in advance since I know that Little Z really could come any day now. I think if he's still not here by the weekend, I'm gonna say screw it and start making plans - I will drive myself (and Eric) crazy if I'm not busy doing something. Sooo, who wants to do dinner or lunch next week???

In other news, today is my last day in the office. I'm still going to keep working, but I'm planning on working from home exclusively starting tomorrow. I have a huge meeting scheduled for this afternoon that I cannot miss, so I decided to make the trek in. Plus, I'm feeling great and am really enjoying the bit of socializing I get to do while in the office. It is funny though to see some of the reactions of people when they see me walking around.  I think I'm starting to make people nervous since it is my due date:P

Speaking of due dates, I wanted to send out a big hug and lots of congrats to our friends Jake and Amanda! They had their baby boy, Bruno on Monday and he is the cutest thing ever! Jake and Eric have been friends forever and we could not be happier for them. We're really looking forward to our trip up to St. Mary's this summer so we can see little Bruno and all the other little babies that our friends have had/will have by then. It's so exciting that we're all having kids around the same time and really cool that our kids will have friends to hang out with when we go up there:)

And now, back to the waiting game.....

Weekend Fun

Thinking that this might be the last weekend we are sans baby, Eric and I decided we would try to make the most of it! I started out on Friday night with a mini-baking frenzy. I made red velvet cake and cupcakes with cream cheese frosting to celebrate Julie's birthday, then decided to try and make a key lime pie for Eric. It is one of his favorite pies and he loves when I make him special desserts (plus he definitely deserves something special for being so amazing!).  Quite a successful start to the weekend:)

On Saturday we had our coveted Cherry Blossom Date day! We got into the city a little later than we planned, but we got really lucky in terms of the weather and the crowds. It was nice and cool - perfect for walking around, and it was not nearly as crowded as we thought it would be (probably because the forecast called for rain). We were totally planning on having Starbucks for breakfast once we got there, but the Starbucks by L'Enfant plaza metro was closed! Nonetheless we wandered around for a couple of hours strolling through the beautiful blossoms and just enjoying each other's company. It was absolutely perfect! Once we got home, we relaxed for a few hours and I took a nice little nap before we headed over to Julie's place to celebrate her birthday. It was so fun to see her and spend some quality time with friends.

Sunday, we just lazed around for the first half of the day, then got to work on some random chores. Eric was super handy and fixed my headlight that burned out then got the bathroom super sparkly and clean:) In the meantime, I did a final cut at organzing/packing all the baby stuff. I managed to consolidate a couple more boxes and get our diaper cady set up along with our first aid kit and found a nice home for all of the diapers we have! And, I actually made dinner for a change! I love cooking, but I almost never do it anymore since Eric loves cooking and is always home before me:P We also got to enjoy some yummy key lime pie with fresh homemade whipped cream...sooo yummy.

Eric and I were both so restless when we went to bed last night. We read to Little Z, but after, we just couldn't sleep. I think we're both anxious and excited to meet the baby, but it's just so strange not knowing exactly when that will be. I think the whole not knowing is especially hard since we're both such planners...I know it's just the start of all the things we'll no longer be able to "plan," but it definitely takes some getting used to! I guess the other aspect is that there is really not much left for us to do except keep reading our newborn books. At this point, I know that Eric is just so excited to be able to hold and feel the baby - it will finally give him a chance to be able to interact with the baby on a daily basis in a very real way. I definitely forget that this experience is so different for him than it is for me - he's been so supportive and involved and excited, that it's easy to forget that he can't feel the little hiccups or rolls or kicks or pressure constantly like I can. I'm definitely excited to hold and play with our baby, but I'm even more excited to get to watch Eric hold and play with our baby. I feel like I got a head start on the bonding with Little Z and I can't wait for Eric to finally get to experience for himself the same joy and emotions I've felt for the past 9 months.

Counting Down

We just got back from a great doctor's appointment! I gained nearly 2 pounds this week, which is fabulous...I was getting concerned with losing a pound then maintaining at that level last week, especially with the concerns about amniotic fluid level and such. I've been increasing my fluids and trying to eat more calorie dense foods that are still nutrient rich and it looks like it's been paying off. The doctor was happy with the test results from the day before yesterday and said that everything looks and feels on track for the April 6 due date. He seemed to think that we'd have a baby by next weekend! I'm not totally convinced and still think this baby is going to come somewhere between the 10-15th, but we'll see. In either case that doesn't give us too much more time as just the two of us. I'm hoping the little guy waits until at least April 7 because I have a huge meeting at work scheduled on April 6, plus we can't get our carseat inspected until April 6 (that was the earliest appointment available when we called 2 weeks ago!). After the 6th, it's fair game though.

Hearing the doctor tell us that we'll likely have a baby in a week or so got me even more excited for our weekend plans! Every year, Eric and I have a cherry blossom date day and this year we're doing our date day on Saturday. We're planning on getting up really early and getting into the city a little before 8 a.m. We'll grab some Starbucks and some breakfast treats then find a nice little area to enjoy the blossoms by the Tidal Basin. We did something similar last year and really enjoyed it - it wasn't super crowded and packed and we got to enjoy some serious quality time together. I'm also really excited to take my weekly bump picture with the blossoms! I had originally wanted to do our maternity photo session during the Cherry Blossom Festival, but our photographer was booked for those weekends. Something about the festival just makes me feel happy inside and all those cherry blossoms just fill me with hope and excitement that always comes with springtime.  We're definitely planning on making cherry blossom date day into a family affair and I can't wait until we can take Little Z for his first peak at the blossoms next year (and I'm super excited for the fabulous prep-tastic clothes I can put him in)....maybe we'll even be able to turn it into our first annual family portrait session:)

We're Ready!

After almost 9 months of reading, planning, learning, cleaning and shopping, it finally feels like Eric and I are prepared for Little Z. This has been a source of stress for both of us, and really for Eric even more than myself, especially over the last month, but this past weekened we were able to tackle a lot of items on our to-do list that had been bugging us.

After our baby shower, Eric and I went through all of the items we had received and purchased and came up with a list of all the basic things we still needed to get before Little Z arrived - everything from infant tylenol to receiving blankets to nursing bras. We also made a list of things around the house that we wanted to do (like deep cleaning the carpets, rearranging furniture, installing the carseat, etc), and we went from there. Eric spent all day Saturday cleaning our place from top to bottom - we had taken my parents' deep cleaning Bissel and he went to town. It seriously took him all day, but our apartment was so fresh afterward and we both felt much better about bringing home the baby into our place. While Eric was busy with the apartment, I spent Saturday driving all over creation to a lot of the basic supplies and such we still needed. I headed to Baltimore first thing to pick up our glider and ottoman and it was even better seeing it in person than I imagined (seriously, it makes me smile each time I look at it in the living room b/c I cannot believe how good of a deal we got!). After Baltimore, I headed out to Buy Buy Baby, Babies R Us and Target to get lots of the little essentials we still needed. Thanks to the Babies R Us coupons that Tariq and Raabia gave us at our shower, I was able to get the amazing breastpump I wanted at 20% off!

On Sunday, we tackled the clothing and spent the morning washing, folding, and organizing all of Little Z's newborn and 0-3 sized clothing. Around lunch time, I headed out to the outlets in Leesburg to get the rest of the items we needed for his layette. Luckily, the Carter's outlet was having a huge sale and EVERYTHING was 50% off, so I definitely made out like a bandit! I also hit up the Osh Kosh B'Gosh outlet and Polo Baby outlet, but didn't have quite as much luck.  I did find the PERFECT coming home outfit though at the Saks outlet, so that finished off the shopping with a bang:) Kohl's was nearby so I stopped on my way home and picked up a couple more things, then made a detour to Marshall's on the way home as well. I have to say that I LOVE Marshall's! I found so much cute, preppy stuff there (definitely not on my list, but in my defense things were on clearance and they were in 3-6 and 6-9 month sizes:P). I was so excited by all the good finds and so relieved that I was finally able to find things that I liked for little boys! I had been struggling with finding cute things that I really liked (basically because I HATE little boys clothing that is covered from head to toe in cartoon characters and/or animals) and it felt so good to feel like I found nice things at really good prices.

So now all the clothes have been bought and laundered, all the furniture has been set up, and the diapers have been unpacked and are ready for action. Now all that's left to do is wait for Little Z to make his appearance. I still feel like there is sooo much that we don't know, but I think I've also finally come to terms with the fact that we are never going to feel like we have all the information or all the answers. We've read and researched and armed ourselves with as much information as we can, and that's all we can do. I feel like a lot of it will come to us with trial and error and we'll figure it out as we go along - it will definitely be challenging, but it can't be that bad, right? There are 6+ billion people on this planet and somehow I doubt that number would keep growing if parenthood and raising a child were as terrible and impossible as they sometimes appear to be....

Tests (and Results)

At our most recent doctor's appointment last Friday, our OB was concernd about Little Z's heartrate and the possibility of IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction), so he he wrote up an order for an NST (non-stress test) and evaluation of my amniotic fluid levels. We were lucky and got an appointment with the MFM (maternal fetal medicine) group pretty quickly and went in this afternoon for our tests and ultrasound.

I wasn't really worried about anything and figured that the concern about IUGR had more to do with confusion about my actual due date. All of my ultrasounds have given a due date of April 23, yet my OB inists on going by the due date of my last missed period which is April 6 (and which I KNOW cannot be the actual due date - seriously, Eric and I both have to be in the same place/room for that to happen and since Eric was at my parents' house and I was at our place in Arlington getting prepared for all of our wedding festivities the day we supposedly conceived it really isn't possible. The earliest the due date could be is April 9/10). I was really hoping that this appointment would clear up all misconceptions and finally get us a real due date!

Our tests and ultrasound went really well though and it definitely gave us some reassurance that Little Z is doing just fine:) His heartrate was between the mid 120s and 140s and his amniotic fluid levels were great! I also found out during the NST that I was apparently having contractions. At the end, the technician asked me if I felt any contractions during that time and I told her I hadn't, which is when she informed me that I had been having some contractions duing the test...who knew! The ultrasound tech also commented on how low Little Z was, so I guess with the contractions and with his position, things are moving along just as they should be. We've decided to decline all internals (since they don't really give any information about when you will go into labor), so I don't know how dialated or effaced I am, but it is kind of reassuring to know that my body and the baby know what they are doing and are already working together to get ready for D-Day (delivery day:).  Our next appointment is on Thursday, so we'll see what our OB thinks of the results of the tests. Hopefully they will put his mind at ease and we'll be able to continue onward without any problems or interventions!

Final Preparations

As I mentioned in my last post, it is really starting to hit me that we could be parents literally any day now. I finally got the nesting bug after our shower and it has been kicked into high gear this week! We had our last Bradley class on Monday and I am actually feeling pretty prepared for labor and delivery (well, as prepared as one can be when you've never gone through this before). It's been such a change since we first started our classes - I remember in the beginning feeling completely scared, anxious and nervous aboutthe birthing process, and now I feel relaxed, secure and excited. If you can believe it, I am actually looking forward to experiencing the whole birthing process and I really think that has a lot to do with what we've learned in class. I also think the class has brought us closer in a lot of ways and I think the reason I feel so confident about giving birth is because I don't feel like I'm going to be doing it alone...I know that Eric is going to be there with me, to help me, encourage me, and coach me.

In other exciting news, we sold the Mustang yesterday! I tried to take a video of the car before it was driven away by the new owner, but my pregnancy brain got in the way and I couldn't figure out how to use the Flip! Yes - I know it's painfully obvious...you click the big red button, but somehow I couldn't figure it out at the time. I'm thinking Little Z is going to very smart b/c he's already taking lots of his mommy's brain cells:P

Another FABULOUS moment from yesterday was finding the Dutailier glider and ottoman we wanted on Craigslist. Those of you with kids know this is one of the best brands out there and soooo comfortable. We had tried some out at Babies R Us when we were crib shopping back in October and fell in love with one that was cherry wood with cream cushions that reclined. It was really big and comfy and Eric absolutely loved it too. The problem was that, brand new, the glider and ottoman were going to cost upwards of $700. We decided to stalk Craigslist pretty religiously starting in December to see if we could find any on there for a better price. We did find Dutailier gliders and ottomans, but most were light wood, or had green or blue fabric and when we did find a dark wood one, they were usually unavailable or had the wrong colored cushions or didn't recline. Yesterday though,I found one that was the exact color combo and style that we wanted and it was still available! It's located in Baltimore, but we figured if we were going to save almost $400 it was worth the drive. We're going to get it this weekend and I'm so excited...just in the nick of time too!

Tonight, we have our first pediatrician meeting and tomorrow we have our breastfeeding class. Eric is installing the carseat this weekend and we're already have an appointment with the police department to get it inspected. This weekend and next week we're planning on getting the last few things we need before Little Z gets here, then all we have left to do is wait and enjoy the last few days/weeks we have together as just the two of us!

Fabulous Weekend

As a follow up to my excitement in my last post, I thought I'd catch everyone up on the fantastic weekend we just had! Saturday was my baby shower and it was the absolute best! We were so blessed to have so many friends and family in town to celebrate with. Rissa did an exceptional job organizing everything and hosting and it was definitely a day I will never forget! There was so much yummy food and so many fun people that it felt like time just flew by. It was so fun catching up with people and I was so touched by everyone's generosity. This baby is definitely lucky to have so many people that love him so much!

After the shower, Eric and I met up with his mom and aunts to do a little shopping and got to introduce them to the wonders of Marshalls! After shopping, we headed over to dinner at Begum Auntie's house and spent some time with my family. A lot of my cousins were in town, so after dinner all of the young folk headed back to our apartment to hang out and help us put a dent in our liquor cabinet. Even though we just hung out, we had an absolute blast! My youngest brother gave us a new term for drunk sex (mutual rape - since apparently neither party involved can legally give consent) and we stayed up until the wee hours of the morning laughing and being ridiculous. Eric and I organized and sorted out all of our baby stuff on Sunday, then I met up with my cousins for brunch before running some errands. All-in-all a very productive, fun, and long weekend:)

I was on a complete high this morning at work, and soon after I got in, I got some shocking news: a coworker of mine, due about 10 days after me, gave birth this weekend! I know that technically I am only 2.5 weeks away from my first due date (April 6), but that just threw me for a loop! It made me realize that we could literally have this baby at any time now. I think that, in conjunction with all the baby stuff this weekend, has kicked me into high gear - I feel the nesting phase coming on. I'm finally catching up to Eric who has been nesting for about 2 months now - thank goodness he has though, because now most everything is done! The pack 'n' play is set up, the stroller is set up, and the car seat is getting installed this weekend.  I am so thankful for internet and fast shipping right now though - it's so comforting to me to know that even if the baby comes early, we can always order the little things online while I'm in the hospital and it will be at our apartment by the time we get back!

Annnd I'm Back:)

I can't believe it's been 3 weeks since I've updated the blog!! Time flies when life gets busy I guess. It has been a whirlwind of a month for me - things at work have been crazy. I was managing two major proposals plus a pretty large project and there were many many late nights and early mornings. Now that the proposals are done, I finally feel like I have time to breathe and catch up on life.

Since my last update, Eric and I have picked up our new car (a Toyota Highlander), I've bought REAL maternity clothes, and we had our maternity photo session (for a peak at some of our photos check out this link http://ingridkaslik.com/blog/eric-farah/). We've also nearly finished our childbirth classes (last one is on Monday!) and had several good doctor's appointments that have once again made us feel confident about our decision to use our doctor and hospital. Finally, with all the nice weather we've been having,  it's really hit me that we are going to have this baby soon!! I was trying to schedule meetings with my colleagues for early April and realized (1) it's only a couple weeks away, and (2) I could be having a baby then. We have been so overwhelmed and touched by all the gifts we've received from friends and family, and it's taken a lot of the stress out of preparing for the baby - at this point I feel like we have all the basics, so even if he comes early, he'll have a place to sleep, a way to be fed, clean diapers, and lots of love...what more could a newborn ask for?

Speaking of the gorgeous weather, our near 80 degree day yesterday put me in a FANTASTIC mood. I LOOOOVE spring - it always makes me feel happy and energized and alive. Seeing the trees start to bloom and the flowers coming out just gives me such a sense of renewal. I'm really excited to take little Z out for walks once he gets here and I really think the nice weather will help me recover faster.  Yesterday was also fantastic because my amazing mother-in-law and aunt come by for a visit! They're in town this weekend for my baby shower and Eric and I got to spend some quality time with both of them, which was awesome. Coming from western PA where there is still snow on the ground, they were definitely excited for the nice weather. We enjoyed a fun evening in the city and a great dinner at Founding Farmers. I'm definitely going to miss being a 10 minute drive to the city when we move this summer, but I'm glad we'll be able to take advantage of it for another few months.

Today is another beautiful day and it's also my baby shower! I am so excited to see all my amazing friends and family and am really looking forward to spending time with them. Several of my cousins and my brothers are in town this weekend and I'm also looking forward to a mini-reunion with all of them tonight! I already go to spend some time with my cousins Sadia, Shad and Leshika on Thursday and that just got me even more excited to see Tasneem, Salim, Tariq, Raabia and Waheed today. If it's anything like the way we were in Sri Lanka, it's bound to be a good time:)

And with that, I must be off - time to get ready for the shower, and I get to wear my new maternity dress! Yay!

Frustrating Appointment

Yesterday, Eric and I had another doctor's appointment and while technically everything was OK, it was a rather frustrating appointment. Up until this point, I have been extremely happy with our doctor - he's been very open to us wanting an intervention free birth and seems to be OK with a lot of things hospitals and doctors generally discourage, such as no IV or heplock, eating and drinking during labor, and delivering in any position we want. He even encouraged us to write a birth plan. Yesterday, we went over our birth plan, and while he was on board with a lot of it, there were two critical elements that he was not OK with and one of them is an absolute non-negotiable for me. First, he insisted on pitocin after delievery to speed the delivery of the placenta - I know that this is routine in most hospitals and I know that the research on this is split. Since the baby will already be out, this is also one battle I'm willing to let go - if there are any adverse side effects because of it, it will be to me and not my child, so I'm OKwith that.

The second issue was my non-negotiable. I don't want to be induced and I don't want my labor augmented, but if for some reason it must be, absolutely under no circumstances do I want Cytotec to be used. Cytotec is technically a prescription ulcer medicine, but it is used off labels by OBs to induce and augment labor. The problem with Cytotec is that it has been shown to create extremely strong contractions - stronger than Pitocin - and to the point that it can cause fetal distress, increased risk of uterine rupture, and in some cases brain damage or death of the baby. I know that every intervention and drug has its risks and I know Pitocin doesn't come without risks - many of which are similar to Cytotec. However, the rate of incidence of these side effects is lower with Pitocin and things like brain damage and fetal death are a much lower risk. When I raised these points to my doctor he basically told me that I can't dictate how my labor is managed, which is total BS. If it comes down to it, I would rather give up my natural birth and have a c-section than risk my child's life with Cytotec - that is how strongly I feel about not using it.  Eric promised me that he would not let them use Cytotec no matter what and that he would make sure that they tried Pitocin first, so I feel better about that. I know it's pretty likely that I'll go into labor on my own and that none of this will be a problem, but it still stresses me out a bit.

I guess my biggest issue with the whole process of how childbirth is managed in this country is how doctors look at it as a medical issue - something that needs to be managed and treated. I feel like it is not a medical issue - I'm not sick and birth is not some scary thing that needs to be treated. It is something that my body was made to do, so why can't I just let my body do what it was meant to do? If the average length of gestation is 41 weeks, why on earth would you expect everyone to have a baby by 41 weeks? Especially when you can monitor both my baby and the placenta through non-stress tests and ultrasounds to find out if anything is abnormal. Average by definition means that some will be less and some will be more. Same goes for the rate of dilation - the average is 1 cm an hour, but if I don't dilate for 4 hours and all of sudden dilate 4 cm, doesn't that average out to 1 cm an hour? I think that there are a lot of great things relate to childbirth that have come out of medical involvement, but I also believe they apply to a very limited number of women, most of whom demonstrate signs of risk way before labor and delivery. I get that obstetrics is a field that carries a lot of risk for the doctors who practice it, after all no one is more sue-happy than a mother whose child has suffered birth defects, trauma, or death because of a preventable situation. However, I would gladly sign all the waivers placed in front of me, promising that I wouldn't sue if I could just do what I thought was best for my child. I've spent my whole pregnancy doing everything I could to keep my son healthy. I haven't so much as taken a single Tylenol, gave up tea and coffee, and forced myself to eat healthfully even when what I wanted to eat is junk. My biggest fear is that my vigilance will be for naught as soon as I walk through the hospital doors, and I'm afraid of how much Eric and I will have to fight to protect our son from the drugs and interventions that may be thrown our way.

I used to think that anyone that wanted a home birth was out of their mind and it never even occurred to me to look at a midwife as a care provider during my pregnancy. I wish I knew then what I know now about childbirth and pregnancy because I would have made a different choice. I wish I had trusted in my body and my ability to do this from the very beginning and it saddens me that we live in a culture that conditions women to believe that childbirth is a traumatic experience that needs to be managed. I know I haven't given birth before and I don't know first hand how painful it is, but I truly believe it is pain with a purpose. I don't think that it is something to be managed and it frustrates me to no end that I have to fight a system to let my body do what it was meant to do. I'm hopefully that everything will go smoothly for this labor and delivery, even though I know everything will not go exactly as plan.

On another note, I need to let my mom know that I completely understand now why she was always so pushy and embarassing each time we went to the doctor as kids. She would call and complain about not being able to get an appointment and would bug the nurses if we had to wait too long and stop by member services at Kaiser to fight to get approvals for things she thought we needed. It drove me nuts and I swore I would never do it. Mom - all I have to say is that I get it. I get it because my kid isn't even born yet and I would already do all of that for him to get here safely. I might try to go about it in a slightly different way but, when push comes to shove, I'll embarass the hell out my kid if it means that he'll get the care he needs and that's going to start the second I walk into the hospital to deliver him.

Girls Weekend!

Several weeks ago I had a minor freakout that my weekends and time before motherhood were limited and my ability to do things spontaneously with my friends was also limited. To help combat this fear, I started making all kinds of fun social plans and this weekend, I got to do one of them!

On Friday, Sonal came into town from New York. Julie and I picked her up from Chinatown and got to enjoy a lovely evening together. The weather was BEAUTIFUL and we found an amazing parking spot right away so we walked to Oyamel then to Chef Geoff's for dinner. We had so much fun just talking and catching up and Julie and I got to live our single lives vicariously through all of Sonal's fun adventures in New York.

On Saturday, Sonal and I headed down to Charlottesville to visit Payal. I had been wanting to visit Payal since she moved down for business school and I am so glad that I finally got the chance! Since we all went to UVA for undergrad, our day trip was centered around our culinary memories from college. But first, on our way down, we made a stop at a fairly new establishment in the C-ville area (well...new to us at least ) - Chick-Fil-A, so that Sonal could get her fix in the form of a mid-morning snack (since those don't exist in NY currently). After our pit stop, we headed to Darden to meet up with Payal and check out her place. It was kind of funny to realie how my sense of direction around Charlottesville had gone away, but over the course of the day, it definitely came back to me!  Anyways, after a quick stop to check out Payal's pad we headed to grounds. The weekend of good luck continued and we got a great free parking spot right by Kerchof!

We started our trip down memory lane by walking through the amphitheater and through the lawn. The weather again was beautiful (a bit blustry) and it was so cool to see the Rotunda and all the progress that had been made on construction since we left (and take a ton of pictures!). What was weird though, was that I didn't get that same sense of longing and overflowing of affection for grounds that I used to get when I first visited after I had graduated. Although it still brought me a lot of happiness and fond memories, it seemed a lot more distant - almost another lifetime ago.

Following our tour of grounds, we headed straight for the corner and my favorite lunch place ever - Take -it Away! I got my favorite sandwich - chicken salad on pumpernickle with house dressing, and we got to enjoy our tasety treats outside in the beautiful sun. After lunch we headed to Mincers, where Little Z's Payal Auntie and Sonal Auntie decided to spoil him with some UVA paraphanelia. Payal Auntie bought him an adorable UVA onesie that should perfectly around the start of football season, and Sonal Auntie bought him a super cute UVA t-shirt which should also fit around the time of football season. We continued our shopping excursion at the UVA Bookstore where I picked up some cute UVA booties to match the awesome outfits that Payal and Sonal bought.

After the bookstore, came one of my favorite parts of the day - day drinking at the Horse and Hound by the downtown mall. I enjoyed a ridiculous amount of mocktails (club soda, splash of oj, and a splash of cranberry), while Sonal and Payal enjoyed a variety of beverages ranging from beer, to mixed drinks, to shots/shooters. We spent almost 2 hours chatting and catching up, and even though the restaurant was supposed to be closed for part of that time, our waiter never once pressured us to leave and kept the beverages flowing. After Payal and Sonal were thoroughly tipsy, we headed back to grounds so we could meet some of Payal's friends at a Dodgeball tournament. I actually saw an old friend, Chris that I hadn't seen in years and got a chance to catch up with him a bit while Sonal and Payal participated in the event....both swore they weren't going to play and the ended up being the last 2 standing for their team!

We ended our amazing day with couple more of our culinary favorites - dinner at Zocolo followed by dessert at Splendora. I may have discovered a new favorite appetizer curtesy of a recommendation Julie gave us on Friday night - cheese fritters with a sweet and spicy sauce! They were so good, we got 2 orders to share between the three of us! Afterwards, we headed to Sonal's all-time favorite Gelato palce in the world (and I'm not kidding when I say this - she tried nearly every gelato stand in Italy when we went there after graduation), Splendora. Even though we were stuffed to the max, we managed to find a little room for dessert and it was sooo worth it! We even took a picture outside, so we could send it to our friend Jenn, who loves Splendora almost as much as Sonal:P

I was completely exhausted by the time I got home around 10:45, but today I feel more rejuvinated that I have in a long time. Even though the weekend feels so short, I feel like I got to do so much and refuel for the work week. I know that I am definitely going to have to make time to keep doing stuff like this after Little Z is born, even if it's on a smaller schedule. Sometimes a little me time benefits more than just me - feeling energized and happy and engaged makes me much more pleasant to be around and much more efficient in my work and responsbilities, both at work and at home!

I Heart V-Day

First off, I absolutely love valentine's day. I know it's a cheesy hallmark holiday, but I really enjoy it - I think it's really important to take the time to reflect on your relationship and find new ways to let your partner know how much you love and appreciate them. Eric and I don't usually do gifts, but we always do cards (which is waaay more important to me) and something special to celebrate. Since we had our Bradley class yesterday, we decided to celebrate a little early over the weekend. We went to an incredible French Restaurant near Capitol Hill and enjoyed a deliciously decadent dinner and a fabulous date. It felt like we were only there for a few minutes, but we actually stayed for nearly 3 hours talking and enjoying each other's company.  Eric knows that I LOVE getting flowers, and usually on Valentine's he'll have some delivered to work, but he couldn't do that this year since I was in an all day client meeting in DC. I felt so bad because I didn't even get to go in the house after my meeting - I literally picked him up infront of the apartment and we went stratight to our class. Being the awesome, thoughtful hubby that he is, he had brough a huge bottle of water and snacks for me since I hadn't had dinner. Annd, even better - when we got home, I saw that he had picked up some of my favorite flowers, some chocolate and of course a card. I'm usually a huge sap, and Eric usually caters to this in the card department, but I am so glad he deviated from it this year b/c I got the best card ever! On the front there was a cartoon penguin couple lying in bed and it said "To my wife, this valentine's day I'm going to give you the one thing you desire most" and on the inside it said "The covers!" and there was a picture of a dog peaking in the room and the hubby shivering and the wife fast asleep with all the covers. it. was. awesome. I couldn't stop laughing. Plus he put the mushy stuff on the back so it was a win-win.  Little Z added to our celebration by giving his daddy some really good kicks to feel while we read him a bedtime story - so strong infact that you could seemy belly move from the outside! All-in-all a very nice valentine's day:)