Meet the New Boss...

Well, it's been 1 month exactly since Miss Caroline Moore Benjamin was brought into the world, and what a month it's been!

Let me start from the beginning.

How it all went down:

So much for thinking I was going to be induced! Ha!

It was Friday, August 29th and I was having lunch with my gal pals and fellow belly buddies, Amy and Kat. A fish taco and a trip to Cold Stone for ice cream must have been the perfect recipe for going into labor because as soon as I got home, I started to feel some mild but real contractions. They continued that night and got a little more intense. The next morning I woke up with continued contractions but they still didn't meet the 5-1-1 rule.

The 5-1-1 rule is: call your doctor and get to the hospital when your contractions are coming every 5 minutes, lasting for a minute, and this has been going on for an hour. Mine were more like 10 minutes apart and lasting not even a minute.

So, I told Corey I wanted to try and go for a walk as a nice distraction. We leashed up Luci dog and hit the pavement. By the end of our 3-mile loop, it was obvious that this was the real thing-- the contractions were coming closer together and with more pain. We dashed home and took quick showers and headed over to St. Mary's Hospital.

Unfortunately, my beloved Dr. Rinehardt was not the OB on call that weekend. Instead, I was greeted by Dr. Wilbanks who determined that though my contractions still weren't meeting the 5-1-1 rule, my water had broken. Imagine that. I had no idea. No gush of water, no trickle either. Oh well. I was immediately hooked up to an IV, put into a hospital gown and we began the wait for dilation.

What a wait it was.

We were admitted around 10am dilated 1cm and it wasn't until about 8pm that I was ready to start pushing. The nurses prepared the room, Wilbanks got into scrubs and gloves, and after about 15min of pushing, our little princess arrived!

(In case anyone was wondering, yes, I had an epidural and it was HEAVEN! Didn't feel a thing!)

The First Month

Everyone says that being a mother is the toughest job there is, and now I am beginning to understand what they mean. It's amazing how much you can love this little baby who does nothing but eat, sleep and poop. Nursing every 2hrs, no sleep, tons of diaper changes, rocking and soothing... you give, give, give. But it's all worth it when you smell the sweet smell of baby, or catch a fleeting smile. I don't know, it's hard to explain, but this has been the most emotionally and physically draining month in my life, yet at the same time, one of the best months of my life.

My Angels

Both my mom, Lois, and my mother-in-law, Nancy, came to help out during this first month, and I really don't think I could have managed without them. Not only did they take care of everything domestic while I was busy with Baby C-line, but they also served as my personal shoppers, took care of poor Luci who I have seriously neglected, and gave me much needed daily pep talks of encouragement. I can't express how wonderful they were and how thankful I am for all they did.

I should also mention how much I appreciate all the gifts, cards, phone calls, emails, text messages, meals, and visits by our other family members, friends, and neighbors. Corey and I both feel so lucky to have such wonderful support, and it's certainly made the transition into parenthood a lot easier knowing so many people are thinking of us and willing to help with anything we need.

The Hiccup

Baby Girl is perfect in every way, except for this little, nagging hole in her heart. She was diagnosed in the hospital with a ventricular septal defect (VSD), which, as I understand it, is actually pretty common. It means that there is a little hole in her heart that is preventing blood flow in the proper direction. The impact is that her heart is having to work much harder than normal to do its job.

Regular visits with her cardiologist and pediatrician reveal there are 3 ways that this little issue can be solved:

1. The hole closes on its own. As Caroline grows, the muscle tissue in her heart will grow and hopefully fuse together.
2. Caroline has a minor cath procedure to put a patch on the hole.

3. Surgery to put a patch on hole.

The biggest thing we need to be concerned about is Caroline's weight gain. Hopefully, we can get her to grow and either this hole will close on its own, or at least she'll be big enough that we can avoid surgery. We've been trying a number of different feeding regimens to try and get the little bird to beef up, and I'm happy to say that after yesterday's weigh-in, she gained 5 oz in 2 days and tipped the scales at 8lbs!

Potty News

Caroline has managed to pee on Daddy twice now, and poop on me once. Fun, fun!

A Baby by September 5th!

I went in for my 39 week appointment yesterday. Since this was potentially my last appointment, I decided to do a little something special for Doc and his nursing staff to say thank you for taking such good care of me throughout this entire pregnancy. And what says thank you like breakfast?!

When the nurse retrieved me from the waiting room and saw that I was holding 2 big bags from Panera, she nearly did a cartwheel.

"That's for us??"

"Yes, it's the least I can do to say thank you for all you and your colleagues have done for me. I have genuinely looked forward to each of my visits here, and I just wanted to thank you guys for making this such a great experience. So please, eat up!"

You would have thought I'd written each of the nurses a blank check or something, they were so appreciative. It made me feel good that such a small gesture meant so much. Nurse even said I'd lost 1 lb from my last weigh-in. Wow, I thought, I should've brought in food earlier-- probably wouldn't have gained more than 10lbs had I known. Ha!

So enough of the sucking up...

My vitals were all good and the nurse said Baby Girl's heartbeat was pumping right along, nice and strong.

Then Doc came in sporting a little color, but not what I would have expected after a week at the beach. He told me that though they had wonderful weather in Duck, he's a lot more careful with sun exposure now that he's getting on in years. As a kid, he said it was like a race to see who could get burned first. Anyway, he said he ate lots of great food and had a really relaxing time. And he said, "See, I told you this baby wouldn't come while I was away!"

We talked about my appointment last week and I caught him up on my latest-- feeling good overall, a little more tired, swelling only on the really hot days, a random contraction here and there but nothing major, no bleeding.

Since there were no big changes, he went ahead and did the internal exam, which revealed that I am still not dilated or effaced at all. Doc said this is normal. Some people walk around 3cm dilated so he knows that their bodies are starting to prepare for the labor process. Other people, like me, don't dilate or anything until their water breaks and then their cervix does all the work at that time.

To be on the safe side, Doc wanted to go ahead and put a date on the calendar for an induction, just in case I come back next week for my check up and still nothing. That way, we've got a spot at the hospital and we don't have to go for more than a week past my due date to get this baby delivered.

I heard from his nurse this morning that I'm scheduled to go into the hospital at 4pm on September 4th, at which time they will apply a gel with prostaglandins to my cervix. Prostaglandins, from what she and Doc said, contain hormones to get my cervix to "ripen" or dilate. If that's not enough to start my labor, then on the morning of September 5th, Doc will manually break my water and give me a drug called Pitocin that is supposed to bring on contractions. If after all that and labor still isn't progressing at a proper rate, then we talk C-section.

I'm still hoping Baby Girl comes on her own, but it's nice to know we have a plan B if she decides she wants to keep hiding out.

The news that I'm going to be a mom by September 5th has started to sink in and I'm getting really excited to finally meet this little person we've created!

Week 38 Recap

Highlights from my 38th week of pregnancy:

1. Picked up the recliner/rocker/swivel chair for the nursery!

Finally, my furniture is starting to arrive and I can finally begin to put the room together. This chair is SO comfy I could even sleep in it! I tried to pick a really good one since I have a feeling I'll be spending a lot of time there.

2. Peed in my pants.

One of the joys of pregnancy is that as the baby gets bigger and starts descending, there's increased pressure on the bladder. This, coupled with the fact that it's pretty easy to give me a case of the giggles, and I'm destined to wet my pants just about every time I laugh now.

Monday's incident was full-blown peeing in my pants. Not just a little trickle, not just having to cross your legs do the "pee pee dance." I'm talking full-on bladder release lasting about 7 seconds. The best part was that it happened in my front yard so anyone passing by or peeping out their windows (old man, Art) got quite a show.

It went down like this...

Corey and I had just gotten back from picking up the recliner (see #1) and we were carrying it into the house when he started making jokes:

"You sure you can lift this? I don't want you to poop out the baby."

"I think I just had a let-down in my pants."

And on he goes making silly comments about all the gross and disgusting things that are going to be happening to my body in just a few days, and I lost it. Literally.

It started out as just a leak, but keep in mind I had 2 hands on a new, 50lb, micro-suede chair and I couldn't exactly drop it and run inside to pee. So, I just let it flow.

Now my friend Alice is threatening to mail me a package of Depends.

3. Banana-cream cheesecake

(Yes, this is a "highlight" to my week. Anything food-related these days is considered an event). Had a nice lunch catching up with my former manager, Kristie, at The Cheesecake Factory. I think we ate pretty healthfully, considering the numerous options on the menu. We both ordered salads and then shared the heavenly banana-cream cheesecake.

Our thinking was Bananas = fruit = Healthy!

4. Appointment with the Nurse Practitioner

You all know that Doc was on vacation so I had to see his nurse practitioner, Marci, for my weekly check up. She wasn't Doc, but she was a great substitute. I loved her. Friendly, warm, and thorough, she spent a lot of time going over my chart with me since I was a new patient to her. And we even did that with my pants still on.

Don't you hate that when doctors want to have a 30min conversation with you while you're half naked? And then they wonder why you might be a little nervous or fidgety? Maybe it's because she's a woman, or it's just her style, but she did the whole consultation/review before the physical examination while I was still fully clothed. She got a gold star for that.

After my vitals were checked and she conducted the internal exam, Marci pronounced me "not going into labor anytime soon." She said I have at least until my due date, and encouraged me to keep up the good work and to live it up these last few weeks. Go out to dinner, take little trips, go to the movies--whatever I can do to keep my mind off waiting for the baby. She made it sound like the chances for going beyond my due date are pretty high. But we'll see what Doc says.

5. Dinner with the Cohen's

Annie and Zac came over on Thursday for a southern-style meal that even Paula Dean would have loved. Well... we probably didn't use enough butter or cream in our recipes, but I still think she would have been impressed.
We had:

Ribs, baked beans, mac n cheese, cornbread muffins, cole slaw, tomato & cheese pie, sauteed spinach and an orange-flavored bundt cake with caramel and chocolate sauce for dessert!

I love that our friends love to eat.

And the BIG EVENT... drumroll please...

We got our CRIB and DRESSER!

We've been waiting for this furniture since the middle of May. It'd been so long, I'd practically forgotten what the heck we even ordered. But it was worth the wait. We love it! Hope you do, too, Baby Girl!

Savoring My Final 2 Weeks

I can't believe when I turned the page on my pregnancy calendar today that it said I have 14 days till my due date.

14 days? How could that be? 14 days!

I feel like it was just yesterday that I woke up in a slightly drunken state and peed on the stick that would reveal my life forever changed, and yet, though I've had 8 1/2 months to get used to the idea that I'm bringing a new life into this world, and a huge belly as proof, it doesn't seem like it's time. It's all come so fast!

In thinking about it, it seems that being pregnant for the first time is kind of like wedding planning. For the better part of a year, you spend most of your waking hours talking about, thinking about and doing things in preparation for this momentous event.

You get all worked up. You plan and plan, reading all the right books, going on special diets, and getting professional council. You even find yourself subscribing to magazines and surfing websites you didn't even know existed before that ring was on your finger or before you had that first ultrasound.

But in the end, you're thrown into action for about 5 or 6 hours (let's hope my labor lasts only as long as my wedding) and it's all over.

I made the mistake of being too stressed during much of my engagement to enjoy it. I loaded myself down with to-do lists, and spent countless hours planning every last detail. And I've found myself, at times, doing the same thing during this pregnancy.

And now that it's all coming to a rapid close in 14 days (14 days!), I decided to put together a little list of advice for all of my belly buddies out there who are stressing themselves out and needlessly worrying about babies, nurseries, registries and so forth.

Moms-to-be, let's not put so much pressure on ourselves and try and do some of these things on my Top 10 List so we can enjoy and relish this special time! You'll see that 9months goes by in a blink of an eye!

So here goes.
Remember, these are just my own opinions. Feel free to agree or disagree as you wish.

1) Bask in the attention.

Some of it may be unwanted and accompanied by a stranger's hand on your belly, but there's just something about seeing a pregnant woman that typically brings about a smile. Maybe it's the hope and excitement of a new little person joining the world, or maybe for some it brings back happy memories of a similar time. Just enjoy being doted upon during your pregnancy. Once baby comes, everyone's attention will be on the little face in the stroller, not Mom.

2) Eat what you want, when you want.

If you satisfy that craving for chocolate with a trip to ColdStone, that's much better than resisting. My philosophy is that if you resist and try eating other things to relieve your aching sweet tooth, chances are you'll end up still smacking your lips having consumed more calories than if you'd just eaten the freakin' ice cream in the first place.

3) Save money for a post-baby vacay and borrow maternity clothes from friends.

The thought of buying a whole new wardrobe that I'm only going to need for a short period of time isn't so fun. I'd much rather spend that money on a vacation or something fun post-baby. My advice is to accept clothes from willing friends of all sizes. Don't underestimate the power of elastic--you'll likely find a couple pieces in anyone's maternity wardrobe that will fit during some stage of your pregnancy. Plus, husbands like it when you put on a "new" outfit and it didn't cost a penny! Only rule here is that you must loan out your maternity clothes to pregnant friends when you're back in your skinny jeans. Pay it forward.

4) Double your expected waiting time for all orders--manage your expectations.

Maybe it's just my bad luck but I would double whatever estimated delivery time any company gives you for furniture, pack n plays, whatever. Better to set the bar low and be pleasantly surprised when all your gear arrives before you're even in your 3rd trimester. You don't need the added stress of worrying who will when the race--baby or crib.

5) Don't listen to that crazy lady in the grocery store.

This kind of goes with #1. Everyone who has had a baby suddenly feels like they can come up to you and share their own stories of labor, childbirth and becoming a parent. (And I do realize I may be accused of this myself since I'm writing this list of advice). But I'm talking about the people who tell you about the random, 1-in-a-million situations that freak you out.
Like yesterday, this woman held me hostage in the produce aisle telling me about her son who was born with some terrible disease where he aged rapidly, and when he died at 6months, he was really the equivalent of a 72-year old man.
No one wants to hear that, least of all someone who is about to give birth! These people aren't intentionally trying to psych you out, they just don't know how to shut up. So, ignore them and their stories. Concentrate on what your doctor tells you. That's all that matters.

6) Milk it.

Something I realize I did not do enough of now that it's coming to a close. This is a chance for you to get your husbands to pitch in some extra effort whether it be simply carrying the laundry basket upstairs, giving you a back rub or unloading and putting away the groceries. Go ahead and ask for help or for a little extra TLC. Hopefully, by routinely taking on these new duties, the husbands just might get accustomed to doing them even after baby.

7) Have sex... a lot

I know you're tired, you feel fat and you've spent a good part of the day throwing up or suffering from terrible heartburn. But it's important to turn on the red light special for you and your baby daddy every now and again. Especially towards the end cuz Doc puts you on lockdown for at least 6 weeks after baby. Plus, from what I hear, having a newborn doesn't exactly do anything for your mojo. So, get it while you can.

8) It's okay to take naps

I think my nickname during this last month should be "Nap-a-saurus Rex." At first, I felt guilty taking a break in my day to sleep, but then I reminded myself that my body has been busy making a whole other person! It's not easy making livers and spleens all day long! It's okay to be tired.

9) Pamper yourself

Now's the time to truly take care of you. You're taking the vitamins, you're eating extra fiber and you've given up alcohol. So complete the package and get a weekly pedi or a mani, and try a prenatal yoga class. It will make you feel better about your expanding self and could lead to more of #7. And more of #7 means more of #6.

10) Be alone.

Once this baby is on the scene, that's it. From what I'm told, showering isn't even done alone--you've got the bouncy seat in the bathroom with you so you can keep one eye on junior while trying not to blind yourself with shampoo. So take the time now to read an Us Weekly at a coffee shop alone, or go for a walk, even without the dog.

You should all know that I am taking my own advice to heart. During these last 14 days, I've committed to having dessert every night, I've made lunch dates with several girlfriends and have an appointment for one last prenatal massage. Those of you who have more than 14 days, make them count! Enjoy your bump!

West Coast Family Expansion!

It's official!!

My sister-in-law Sara and brother Cosmo are expecting a little one in February 2009!

Their doctor appointments have been very positive so far, and the ultrasounds show a cute little critter developing nicely with a very high heartbeat in the 170s. Early guess by the parents-to-be is that it's a GIRL! Baby B can't wait to meet her California cousin!

All the best to Sara and Cos for a healthy, happy pregnancy!

Check out news on Baby Dags at http://andiamamaternitygirl.blogspot.com/

37-Week Appointment

Today, I had my 37-week appointment with Doc.

All the vitals were just as they should be, and weight gain from last week was only 1lb, putting my total weight gain so far at a whopping 25lbs.
(Note: According to my scale at home, I had calculated my total weight gain at closer to 29lbs so this was great news to me!)

We listened to Baby Girl's heartbeat and it was bumping right along in the low 130s-- strong and healthy. When Doc came in today, he seemed unusually perky. I think because he leaves for vacation on Friday. He asked what questions I had, and I really only had 2 this time:

Q1. Can I take something for my allergies? My sinuses have really been on overdrive lately.
Answer: Yes, Benadryl and even Claritin are fine at this stage.
Reaction: Great, because I have been getting so congested lately and I need more than just blowing my nose for relief. And hopefully I won’t snore so much—sorry Corey!

Q2. Can you tell about how big Baby Girl is at this point?
Answer: According to my weight gain and my size, Doc thinks I should have about a 7- pounder, an average-sized baby. He said there are no really accurate ways of determining the baby's size, but he can assure me that if I were having a 10lb baby, I'd be a lot bigger.
Reaction: As long as she doesn't have the shoulders and head of a 10lb baby, I'm okay.

With my questions out of the way, Doc asked if I’d had any bleeding or contractions or pains that are so bad I feel I need narcotics. Since my answers to both were negative, Doc hopped right to business measuring my belly and feeling all around. I measured 37.5cm—right on schedule—and he confirmed the baby’s position is still head-down. All good!

The next thing Doc wanted to discuss with me was my result from the Group B Streptococcus (GBS) screen last week. I tested positive, which means I am a carrier of this particular bacteria. Doc said it’s nothing to be concerned about, that about 30% of women carry this harmless bacteria. When pregnant, however, the risk is passing this on to the baby, potentially causing infection. Doc said to prevent this, all they do is give me an antibiotic during labor and chances for any kind of complication are drastically reduced.

Next, it was time for my physical exam and Doc checked my cervix. Doc said he didn’t find much difference from last time, so, again, it doesn’t look like Baby Girl is coming any earlier than her due date.

I think he was a bit surprised when I was so content with my progress, or lack thereof. Usually, Doc said, he has women complain if there’s no dilation at this stage, and they start trying to coax him into early induction or elective C-section because they’re sick of being pregnant. He said it was so refreshing to have a patient that was so “easy,” and “just goes with the flow.” (I think he likes me!)

All-in-all, Doc said I’m as “healthy as a horse” and he couldn’t be happier with my pregnancy. He urged me to keep up the good work these last few weeks and he looked forward to seeing me once he returns from vacay.

Last Weekend Getaway Before Baby

Corey and I decided we wanted one last hurrah before the arrival of Baby Girl and our world is rocked. So we cashed in a gift certificate from my brother Cosmo for a stay at the Boar's Head Inn and spent the past weekend in Charlottesville, VA.

We arrived Friday night and went straight to dinner at Zocalo's on the Downtown Mall. We were starving and ordered fried cheese balls and a spinach salad with bacon vinaigrette dressing to start. Not exactly a cholesterol-friendly meal but scrumptious! For mains, Corey got the strip steak and I got the salmon with a virgin mojito, and we dined outside taking in the scene.


Both of us remarked at how cool the Downtown Mall is now. There's tons of restaurants and shops, and it's not just weird townies that hang out there. There were lots of families and young singles there, making for a really nice atmosphere. I encourage all to check it out if in the area.

Saturday, I had booked a 10am reservation for us to go tubing on the James River. What could be better than to waste away a beautiful summer day floating on an inner-tube and taking in the gorgeous views of the Blue Ridge Mountains?!

Well, unfortunately, we overslept and missed it.

Oh well.

Instead, we threw on some workout clothes and headed over to the Corner for a breakfast at Bodo's followed by a walk around Grounds.


While walking down the Lawn, Corey and I reminisced about the glory days, and decided to check out our old Econ building, as it was during our Monday and Wednesday classes where we first met. The feelings of nostalgia quickly evaporated when we entered the doors of Rouss Hall and saw that it had been completely transformed.

The old Rouss we remember had peeling paint, no air conditioning, a unique musty smell that never seemed to dissipate and these horrible wooden desks.

The new Rouss, however, is now part of the Commerce School. So, of course, only the best for those little nerds with their group presentations, O.B. class and ridiculous grade inflation. Mock trading floors with real-time ticker tapes, dual flat-screen monitors, ergonomically designed chairs, bathrooms that were stocked with an abundance of t.p. as well as cans of air freshener. Even the snack machines had an assortment of treats that were within their expiration dates.

I was in shock. This place was nicer than any office I'd ever worked in. I just couldn't believe it. Corey and I both remarked that we may have actually gone to class more had we had such nice facilities. (Well, maybe Corey would have... I can't say for sure.)


We continued on past the old dorms, new dorms, the football stadium and then down JPA to Newcomb for a little something for Baby Girl. Her Daddy picked out these booties and she is going to wear them for every Cav football game!
Back at the Boar's Head, we laid out and soaked up some sun at the pool for a few hours, and then got changed up and sought out a place for food and sports. We found ourselves at Wild Wing Cafe watching the Olympics, the Giants pre-season game and the Yankees play the Angels. We topped off the night with a trip to Arch's frozen yogurt for a large Black Caesar. Heaven!

What a wonderful weekend away!

Week 36 Update

I had quite a busy week so I thought I would give a quick run-down of all newsworthy events from my 36th week of pregnancy.

Adventure 1--The Finger

The week started off a little shaky with a trip to the hospital. No, not for anything with Baby Girl, but for my left index finger. Tuesday morning, I got up and was busy cleaning up the kitchen from the previous night's dinner when I clumsily dropped a water glass and cut my finger pretty badly.

Good News: Corey hadn't left for work yet and was able to drive me to the ER. There would have been no way I could hold a bandage to my hand and steer at the same time.

Bad News: When I walked into the ER, there was no one to be found. Some random guy in the waiting room had to help me find a nurse.

Good News: I got checked in right away (once I found the nurse). I guess Tuesday mornings are a good time to find yourself at the ER.

Bad News: We were reviewing my medical history and the computer said that I was last treated at the hospital for "a whole in the head."

Um... what?

First of all, the only holes I have in my head are purposeful (like nostrils) or are self-inflicted (pierced ears). Secondly, hole isn't even spelled right on my chart.

I started to explain to the nurse that the last time I was at the hospital was about 2 years ago for sitting on a knife. When I saw the look on her face, I said, "You know what, just leave 'whole in head.' That's fine."

(For those of you who don't know the story of me stabbing myself in my ass-cheek, wait until you do something really stupid and embarrassing and then call me. I guarantee once I tell you my story, you won't think what you just did was bad at all. I've got you beat, I'm sure.)

Good News: I was taken back and put in a single room, and a nurse came right in and checked the wound. "Yep, you cut yourself alright." Gee, what a brilliant diagnosis.

Bad News: I ended up waiting for close to an hour for the doctor to come in and do his magic. I should have lied and told the nurse that on a scale from 1-10 with 10 being the worst pain I've ever had, that my finger was more like an 8 than an honest 2.
Good News: Dr. Azie didn't have to stitch me. Because I had a nice, clean cut, he was able to use glue.
Bad News: He used about a mile's worth of gauze to wrap my finger and I have to wear this ridiculous bandage until tomorrow (Friday). Check it out.

Adventure 2--Appointment with Doc

At this visit, in addition to taking the vitals, listening to the heartbeat and getting my fundus measured, I had my first internal exam. Not exactly the most fun I've ever had, gotta tell ya, but a necessary procedure to see if I have dilated at all at this point.

Doc said to forget about an early arrival--my cervix was almost fully closed and the baby's head hadn't dropped deep into the birth canal yet. No worries, though. Doc explained that some people dilate gradually until their due date, and others don't dilate at all until their water breaks and they go into labor. He'll check me again next week and every week thereafter to monitor my progress, and hopefully get a better idea of when this baby might come. But for now, he told me to plan for a September birth.

Cool, because a) Doc is going on vacation in a couple weeks and b) we still have no furniture for the baby's room.

Adventure 3--Shrinking Boobs

I've decided that I'm going to give the whole breastfeeding thing a try. If it works for me and Baby Girl, then great. What I'm not going to do, however, is pressure myself to keep doing it if both me and B.G. are miserable. But since I'm going to give it the ol' college try, that means I need to stock up on nursing bras.

I made an appointment for an official bra fitting. Unbeknownst to me, the shop where I made the appointment was actually part of an office dedicated to the breastfeeding cause. There was a ton of literature on the subject scattered all over, and all sorts of newspaper articles posted that were so severe that they almost suggested that anyone who formula-feeds is a terrible mother. As if! Luckily, I was able to sneak past the lactation consultants and the 'boobies are best' cheerleaders and go directly in for my bra fitting, avoiding any unwanted confrontation.

The woman running the desk came right over with her tape measure and asked me to lift my arms to she could determine the right bra size for me. She came up with 34 B.

How could my boobs have shrunk?? I've always been a 36 B or, according to those women at Victoria's Secret who love to flatter me, a 34 C. But 34 B?

Oh well. I ended up buying 2 sleep bras (size small) and another nursing tank that I thought will be great for layering come the fall.

Successful shopping, especially since I had a coupon for 20% off, but a little discouraging.

34 B, eh?

Adventure 4-- Baby Girl's First Massage!

Today, I had a prenatal massage with Traci, one of the massage therapists at my yoga studio. She made me feel so good last time I saw her that I couldn't wait for today's appointment. Traci focused on my neck and back, as requested, and ended with my favorite-- the scalp massage. But she also changed things up this time and massaged my belly, essentially giving Baby Girl her first massage. I'm already turning this little girl into a spa-junkie like me!

Adventure 5-- Accused of being a "Bad Shopper" at Pottery Barn Kids

Now that I've had all of my baby showers, I have spent a lot of time this week organizing and taking inventory of all my loot. Turns out that I have gotten a lot of duplicate gifts. And since I still have some things outstanding on my registries that are necessities, I decided to make some returns and exchanges.

I first hit Babies R Us. They barely even looked to see if I had the receipts to go with the merchandise I was returning and gladly issued a hefty store credit. Nice!

My next stop was at Pottery Barn Kids. I was quickly greeted by a bubbly sales associate who offered to help me. When I told her that I had several gifts to return, she admitted she was new and had to ask her manager to step in.

Manager was a total monster.

Monster: "What's the reason for all of these returns??"

Me: "Well, some are duplicates. And some are things I registered for, but I've changed my mind."

Monster: "Changed your mind? I shouldn't even agree to take these things back. You asked for them, and now you're returning them? That's just bad business. Bad shopping."
Me: "I'm not allowed to change my mind?"

Monster: "I'll honor these returns, but just know that we wouldn't normally do this."

I felt like telling her to go F herself. A bad shopper? I've never been so insulted. I'd say I'm a great shopper because now I know never to buy anything from them again since their customer service sucks!

The Stroller Incident

My husband, Corey, is a wonderful person. He's funny, good-looking, sincere, smart, thoughtful... I could go on for pages.

But there is one quality that he's missing, and I can't help but find it funny as it has become more apparent recently with all of the new gear we've been getting for the baby.

Corey...how should I say this... has a severe lack of ability/understanding of how to put things together. And I think I find this to be so amusing because:


a). it's one skill that I (surprisingly) have that he doesn't


b). he gets so frustrated when he doesn't get simple mechanics


Ask him to figure out how to decrease the area of the Earth by the area of Virginia and he can actually give you a sensible answer (at least according to the people who administered his case-study problem for the Jefferson Scholars exam). But replacing a hinge, assembling furniture-- it's usually up to me or it's hired out.


So you can understand why I was astonished when Corey actually wanted to be part of the assembly for the stroller. He actually asked that I not do it and wait for him so we could do it together.

"Have at it," I said.

I was roaring when I was watching him try and put together the stroller and carseat combo Grammy Dot gave us. He was cursing like a sailor the whole time, and I think he had about 3 beers to help him get through the entire ordeal.

I do have to give him props for trying-- he definitely puts forth a good effort. And, some of those manuals aren't exactly the easiest to follow. I know I was ready to pull my hair out the first time I tried putting together the pack n play. But watching him struggle locating the harness button was just too funny to ignore and not document for the blog.

Thankfully, though, after a couple hours of labor, we're all ready to go. I "supervised" the stroller project and made him practice getting the carseat in and out of it. And I also got the carseat installation checked by the local fire department so we're all set to drive home from the hospital with Baby Girl!

Baby Shower in Alexandria

I had my third and final baby shower in Alexandria, VA on Saturday, August 2nd, hosted by 2 of my mother's best friends, Lynda West and Juli Mulhollan.

It was a lovely affair! The menu was fabulous, my favorite dish being the shrimp and dill pasta salad. And of course the party wouldn't be complete without something for my sweet tooth. Lynda and Juli served up a lemon-creme cake topped with a combination of seasonal berries for the grand finale. YUM-O!


And the gifts! They barely fit in our SUV. One of the things I noticed about this shower that was different from my previous 2 parties was that almost all of the women attending were already grandparents or mothers, so their gifts were ones of experience. A few to note:


A Boppy seat. To earn yourself precious minutes in the shower.
Zippered pajamas. Forget doing snaps at 3am.
Money. It's never too early to start saving for college.
Medical kit. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to suck it up and learn to take the baby's temperature rectally because the ear thermometers just don't work.


I can't thank everyone enough for truly going above and beyond, and for being so generous towards me and Baby Girl.


Even though this party was in my honor, I think my mom, Lois, had the best time of all. She is the last of all her friends to become a grandparent and she couldn't help but tell all her pals that they better 'ooh' and 'ahh' over all her pictures and stories of this grandbaby because she's been doing that for them for years now. "My turn!" she said.


I didn't get to snap any pictures at the party-- I think we were all too busy chatting and eating that we forgot our cameras-- but we did take a few family photos once we were back home.


Big thanks to my sister-in-law Sara for traveling all the way out from San Diego to come to the shower! And another shout-out goes to Grammy Dot and my mother-in-law, Nancy, for making the drive from Salisbury!

Preggo Pics

On Wednesday, July 30th, I had my photo shoot with photographer, Melissa Worthington.

It was a little awkward at first, especially since many of the photos weren't the usual "look at the camera and smile" type of pose, but once we got some music going and started trying some different looks, it became very comfortable, and Mel says she got some really nice shots.

We'll get our proofs in about a week more, but she did send this one as a preview. I call this look "Blue Steel" ("Magnum" wasn't ready yet).

Visit to Chez Magid

While Corey got pulled away on a last-minute business trip for work, I decided to head down to Durham, NC and visit with our good friends, the Magids.

As always, it was a great time hangin' with Laura, Dan and Sydney, but I especially enjoyed being there to experience life with a baby. Something I desperately need as my due date gets closer and closer!

I arrived on Sunday and helped Dan watch Sydney while Laura was finishing up a shift at Pottery Barn. With my extra set of hands, Dan was able to put together some delicious hamburger patties for dinner while I entertained Syd. Then, it was time for their little princess to start her bedtime routine--bath, bottle, book, then bed. When Laura came home, we chowed down and then settled on the couch to chat the evening away.

Monday morning, Daddy went off to work to earn that big dolla while me, Laura and Syd planned a day just for us girls. We took Syd and the dogs for a walk, fed Syd her breakfast, showered and headed out for lunch and shopping.

We had a very productive day! Our first stop was at a cute stationary store in the plaza where we had lunch and we found the perfect invitations for our friend Amy's baby shower next month! We passed up some over-priced duds at a baby boutique and decided to spend our cash instead on ice cream at a nearby parlor! Needless to say, Syd wasn't too pleased that she had to eat applesauce and Gerber Puffs while we chowed on chocolate peanut butter cup and rocky road. But I told her as soon as she grows some teeth ( and mom and pediatrician give the green light ) that I would be happy to take her for her first sundae.

Next stop was at a maternity boutique that Laura had frequented quite often during her preggo days. It was quite apparent that she was a very good customer because the ladies recognized her right away and asked her how her latest purchases were holding up while fawning all over Sydney. As Laura's friend, I got wonderful service and walked out with a diaper bag, changing pad, nursing tank top, nursing bra, belly oil and a nursing gown & robe. It felt so good to get so many things purchased and crossed off my "list of things to bring to the hospital."

We went back home, let Syd take a quick catnap and then got ready to take her for a little splash in the pool.

Unfortunately, Laura had to work at PB again that night. But, that meant I got to spend some time 1-on-1 with Miss Syd, as Dan was working late. We watched the crazy dogs run around in the yard, read a story, practiced standing up, played on her tummy-time mat and sang along to all the songs and sounds that came from hitting different buttons on her Baby Einstein toy.

The one hiccup while I was left in charge was when the pizza delivery man came to the door.

How does someone hold a baby, answer the door, pay the man, and try to control 2 dogs all at the same time? Um, not very well. Thank goodness Dan walked in just as I was trying to corral the dogs outside and I could hand over Syd. I think I gave the delivery man a 40% tip for his patience through all of the commotion.

Dan was a natural and took Syd and began the bedtime routine. When he came down, we enjoyed our slices in front of the tube and discussed all the pros and cons of 529 plans and tax-deferred saving. Who would have thought 5 years ago that we would spend our free time listening out for sounds on the baby monitor and talking mutual funds? Boy how times have changed!

The next morning, Laura, Syd and I enjoyed a yummy breakfast at Foster's before I hit the road back to Richmond. Thank you, dearest Magids, for a wonderful visit!! Next time I see you, I'll have a little friend for Syd to play with.

34-Week Appointment

Corey and I got to see Doc again this past week for my 34-week check-up.

You all know the drill by now...
Urine sample, weigh-in (I hadn't gained any weight from last time) and blood pressure were all good, and we listened to Baby Girl's heartbeat which was beating strong in the 120s! Doc measured my belly and I have started to plateau a little, measuring only 34.5-35cm this time, but perfectly in line with Doc's expectations.

He also felt all over my belly and reiterated his finding from last time that Baby Girl is head down. He let us put our hands where his were and we could actually feel the head! He also located and let us feel her tushy-- it was much softer than the head. Let's hope she doesn't come out with too much junk in the trunk!

With all the medical stuff out of the way, we went right into Q & A.

Our main question for Doc was regarding the "big day." Having never given birth before, I'm starting to get a little nervous about how exactly everything is going to go down.

Earlier in the week, Corey and I had taken our hospital tour at St. Mary's. We saw the labor & delivery ward, the postpartum wing, nursery and amongst other things, learned all the places in the hospital where we'll be allowed to use cell phones.

It was during the tour, and particularly when we saw a very pregnant woman come thru the double-doors of the labor & delivery wing huffing and puffing, walking the halls to try and allieviate the pain of the early stages of labor, that I started to have a bit of a freak out.

"I can't believe this is really happening," I said to Corey. "Everything is happening too fast. How did 8 months go by already?! Did you see that woman? She was totally sweating and about to give birth. I'm getting scared. I don't want my privates ripped apart, but I guess it's too late for that now."

"Do you want to take more classes? You know, Annie, we haven't actually done any childbirth classes. Do you think it would make you more comfortable if we did?" Corey kindly offers.

"Absolutely not! I don't want to see that. I'd rather go in blind and hopefully I'll be so doped up on drugs that I won't have any recollection of what actually happened in the delivery room."

I don't think Corey was too thrilled with my attitude so we relayed the gist of this conversation to Doc to get his opinion. With his usual charm, he quickly calmed me down and said that all of these feelings are perfectly normal.

"There is medical staff there to help you through all of this. We're not going to admit you and then close the door and walk away until the baby pops out. We're there for you, to help you breathe, explain what's going on and to guide you through the process. I like to say that giving birth is like riding a bike. You can read all about it, watch others do it, learn the physics behind it, but until you actually get up on that bike and try to pedal, you'll never truly understand the experience. Don't worry. We're not going to let you fall."

Don't you just love this man?! With that simple response, I completely re-gained my confidence. I have to remind myself that everyday, women in every part of the world have babies. And probably most are without the quality of medical care and information that I have. Why am I worrying? I've made it this far, right? Right!

All of our other questions for Doc were minor--can I take car trips (YES but no more than a couple hours away), is sexual activity still okay (YES as long as you feel like it), are you still going on vacation (Sadly, YES, but Doc assures me he's back by the 20th of August).

We shook hands and Doc told me to keep up the good work--I'm in the home-stretch now-- and he'll see me again in 2 weeks for my first internal exam.

False-Advertising at the YMCA

In an effort to stay out of the 99-degree heat and still get a workout in, I decided to try out a water aerobics class at my local YMCA today.

I looked online and read the class description for Just My Speed as "ideal for expectant mothers and those looking for a low-impact workout." Perfect... or so I thought.

I got to the Y about 15min before class was set to start. I wanted to allow ample time for mixing and mingling with all the other preggos who would be in the class. I had visions of talking doctors, registries, swollen ankles. And at the end of class, we would all be instant friends and decide to meet for regular lunch dates!

Unfortunately, as I snaked through the maze of the locker room and entered the pool area, the only women I saw were those women wearing swim caps in the first two lanes. Oh, and did I mention they were all over the age of 75? Yeah, there were no pre-menopausal women to be found. Where were all the preggos? Surely I was in the wrong pool. So, naturally, I turned around and decided to get clarification from the front desk.

Me (looking very eager and smiling): "Hi. I was wondering where the 9:15am water class is? The one called Just My Speed with Janet?"
Lady at the Y (staring me up and down): "Lane 1 of the pool. Weren't you just in there?"
Me: "Yes, but I didn't see any pregnant women."
Lady at the Y (now smirking): "It's not just for pregnant women. It's an open class."
Me (feeling like a supreme a-hole): "Oh. Thanks."

Since I didn't bring any regular workout clothes with me, I decided it would be better to try "Sweatin' to the Oldies" than go home and not get any exercise. So back into the pool I went, trying to conjure up some positive energy.

I was greeted by Janet, the instructor, who was so happy to have a newcomer in the class.
"We just love it when a mother-to-be joins us! Makes us all feel young again! Grab a noodle and go ahead in the pool. We'll get started in just a sec. I just need to get my 8-track loaded..."

Okay, so the part about the 8-track is an exaggeration, but you get how I felt. An hour of bouncing around the shallow-end wasn't exactly what I would call a workout. But hey, looking on the bright side, it was probably the only time in my life I could say I had the best bathing suit body of all the women around!

Shower-fest #2 in Richmond!

Two of my best gal pals, Laura Magid and Amy VandeSand (also preggo), hosted my second baby shower in Richmond this past Saturday, July 19th.

Lots of yummy food, tons of gifts (this time I was officially embarrassed) and some of my best friends made for a fabulous day! Thank you all so much, especially those of you who traveled to be there. I can't tell you how much it meant to me!

THEME: Distinctive Duds
Like my first shower, I was so impressed with the theme and creativity of the party. All the guests were asked to bring a "distinctive" onesie to build up Baby Girl's wardrobe. And of course, the theme would not be complete without a onesie dessert treat and party favor. Big thanks to my mom Lois for the onesie-shaped sugar cookies she baked and decorated. (I think I'll have one right now...) And another big thanks to Laura and Amy for supplying each guest with a plain white onesie and paint pen so the guests can make a custom onesie for Baby Girl once she's here.

I don't know where my friends found some of these outfits, but I was dying laughing when I unwrapped onesies saying "Bringing Sexy Back," "iPood," "High Maintenance," and "I Can't Read."

Several guests who could not attend the party sent homemade onesies. Yep, Baby Girl's Aunties and Uncles in San Diego decided to puff-paint onesies, my favorite being of the 4 of them (stick figures) with the saying, "Behave!"

GAME: Guess the Flavor of the Baby Food
As my friends know, eating is one of my favorite pastimes. They decided to test my palate, and those of the other guests, by setting up tasting stations for 5 different baby food flavors. Unfortunately, all of my guesses were wrong, but I quite enjoyed the mango-banana combo. That would be a perfect summertime dessert if served over some ricotta cheese!

GIFTS RECEIVED: Again, too many to list! I was really overwhelmed by all the generous gifts. Even friends who couldn't be there sent wonderful presents and I am so incredibly thankful. Baby Girl is going to love being carried in her Baby Bjorn, being soothed to sleep by her butterfly nightlight, eating at her high chair, jumping in her bouncer and being mesmerized by her pink Yankees mobile. Thank you all!

Thanks again, Amy & Laura, for such a great party!

It's Shower Time!

Marian, Dot, Joleen, Me, Nancy & Lois

On July 13th, I had my first baby shower in Salisbury, MD hosted by 2 of my mother-in-law's best friends, Joleen Roe and Marian Hack.

Delicious food, tons of presents and the attendance of so many special people made it a wonderful party. Thanks to all who helped make it such a fun day!

THEME: Polka Dots
To match the bedding I have picked out for Baby Girl's nursery. Even the cake was polka-dotted, as was the invitation. These women didn't miss a beat and every detail was just perfect. There were even chocolate candy bars with customized polka-dotted wrappers as favors. I think that Joleen and Marian should go into the party-planning business as they sure know how to do it right!

GIFTS RECEIVED: Too many to list! I loved all of the gifts I received, and was almost (note I said almost) embarrassed by all the generous presents. This kid isn't here yet and already she's a spoiled little princess. She's even got 2 pairs of shoes already! At this rate, she's going to need a bigger closet by the time she cuts her first tooth.
Some of my favorite gifts were:

"Baby Dance with Me" CD

The book "If these Boobs Could Talk"

Peg Perego Car seat

Rainforest bouncer

Boo-boo buddy ice pack

Baby's first pair of Reef sandals and hot pink rash guard

Baby's first pair of pink Ugg boots

Hangin' with Grammy Dot

While in Salisbury, I thought I'd take the opportunity to not only spend time with Andy and Nancy, but with Grammy Dot, too.

We went down to Ocean City Beach on Tuesday to soak up some rays, and I decided to stay the night and have a sleepover with Dot at her place.

Around 4:30pm, we took up our chairs, showered up, and put on our finest cruise-wear for dinner. We ate at a nearby restaurant called Jules. We had stopped by earlier in the day to check out the menu (Dot had a hankering for soft shell crabs) and though there weren't many patrons inside, decided it was still worth a try.

We each started with a salad, Dot got her soft shells which came with wasabi mashed potatoes, and I ordered rockfish (don't worry Corey, it's not on the list of bottom-feeding fish) over pesto gnocchi. Everything was divine, and the presentation was worth a picture-- see below.

We came home and changed into our sweats--I needed an even stretchier elastic waistband after that meal!--and watched Dot's regular evening tv program, Larry King Live, before hitting the hay.

The next morning, we woke up early and I treated the D.O.T. to a healthy breakfast at Dunkin Donuts. Why not, right? I played the pregnant card for my excuse, and Dot had physical therapy later that day so I knew she'd work it off-- no donut guilt for us!

We drove back to Salisbury to run a few errands before Dot had to be at Peninsula Regional Hospital for PT. She's always talking about how she does the exercise bike when she's there and how good it makes her feel, so I thought I would accompany her and see her in action.

We arrived early so that Dot could get herself all hooked up to her heartrate monitor, and I busied myself making friends with some of the people in her class. Walter was especially locquacious and within 5 minutes, I learned that he was in the military, had been to Hawaii and Paris and used to be a professional in the IT services industry.

Pat was another guy I got to know quite intimately. Pat wasn't in the class but comes and waits while his wife Margaret does therapy. I thought he would sit there with me and read the book he brought, but apparently a smile and a hello was considered an invitation for Pat to ignore his reading material and tell me all about himself.

"That's my wife over there," he says. "The one who's 6 feet tall. Can you believe how tall she is? She's here to work on her knee. When she was little, she had polio that badly damaged one of her legs. Doctors tell us that over time, the other leg had to work so hard to compensate for the polio leg that it got weakened. And she had to get a new knee in the good leg. So that's why she's here. We've been married fo 50 years."

"Congratulations."

"Yep, it's been a journey. We have 5 kids and 10 grandchildren, though one of my daughters... I don't much care for the father of her children. Can't seem to hold a job for more than 3 weeks. He recently got fired from being an electrician's apprentist (that's right, not apprentice, apprentist). He's so hard-headed. Doesn't want to listen, just wants to do things his way and it's not up to code. And then he wonders why he gets let go."

The things people tell you! He went on like that--unprompted, mind you-- for at least 10 minutes while the patients did their warm-up with Nurse Ruth. Nurse Ruth had them doing some pretty challenging moves--squats, tricep extensions, even moves to target the deltoids. Though, as Pat pointed out while we were observing, not everyone's technique is up to snuff.

Some people were really working-- getting down low in the squat and exhaling loudly. Others, mostly the women, just kinda stuck out their butts a little and counted that as their "squat." But the Dotster hung in there quite well. She did have to get a little extra attention from Nurse Ruth on one of the moves for the upper body, but I was very impressed nonetheless.

After the warm-up, Dot and the gang moved on to cardio. They pick 2 different machines and do 15minutes on each. Dot started on the bike and then tried out the rowing machine. She did a super job (though I think she only did about 10minutes on the bike...I had my eye on her).

I have to say that going to PT with Dot was the best free entertainment I'd had in a long time. People there were so funny--making jokes about how cold it was (it was in the 90s), complaining how they hate airports because they can't carry-on their pills in the pill organizer (they have to be in the original bottles). It was a riot.

Dot and I celebrated her successful completion of yet another PT session with what else but a big lunch out. Fries, too!

It was so nice to spend time with Dot and I was so happy she included me in her day!

Visit to the Shore

This past week, I've had the pleasure of spending time in Salisbury, MD with my husband's family. Corey and I made the 4 hour trek for the July 4th weekend, and since I have my first baby shower here on Saturday the 13th, I thought I'd let Corey go back to Richmond while I stayed the week to get in some q.t. 1-on-1 with the in-laws.

Nancy and Andy have been nothing but hospitable. I've enjoyed some wonderful home-cooked meals, trips to the beach, powerwalks with Nancy, cheering on the O's with Andy and watching the circus of dogs play around the house. All-in-all, it's been a very relaxing week and I can't thank them enough for all they've done to make me feel right at home.

One thing I've noticed about the Benjamins, just from palling around and running errands with them, is that they are quite the celebs in their hometown. We can't go anywhere without seeing someone they know and having a chat. Everyone is super nice-- the neighbors we've passed while walking the pooches, the folks manning the desk at the gym and even the girl behind the MAC counter at Macy's--and all have been very solicitous of me. The most amusing run-in this week, however, was with the girls at the deli counter at Giant.

We were cruising the aisles for a few things for dinners and lunches, and after giving a wave to the butcher who called out to Nancy from behind the counter, we stopped at the cold cut case to put in our order. Judy, Teresa and Marsha all came right over to say hi and fulfill our request.

Judy got busy slicing the cheese for the burgers we were going to have, which left Marsha and Teresa up front to chat with us.

"This must be the grandbaby-on-the-way we keep hearing so much about," says Marsha, as she nods at my belly and smiles at Nancy.

"Yep, she'll be here soon, " I reply.

"When are you due?"

"The official due date is September 1st. I can't believe it's less than 2 months away! "

"Girl, you look good. You all baby! And way out in front. But you won't have a problem losing that weight neither, un-uh. (The other girls nod). When I was pregnant, I had it everywhere," she tells me, as she straightens both her arms to her sides to indicate how big she was. "I was so big! And you're having a girl, right?"

"Yep, it's a girl!"

"Yeah, you can tell, cuz it's low. Look how low she's carrying, Terry. How low can you go!" Marsha sings with a smile, revealing a rather large gap in her two front teeth.

Marsha gets to slicing our bbq chicken and Teresa says, "You're going to have a pretty baby because you're so pretty."

"You're so sweet," I say. What a compliment!

Our ziplocks were ready so we waved good-bye and proceeded to check-out.

What is it about me and grocery stores lately? I've been having the best time. Hopefully, Nancy and I will have missed an item on the list so I can go back and get another ego-boost from the deli girls. There sure is something to be said for small-town living.

31 week Appointment

This morning, I had my 31 week check-up with Doc.

As usual, the nurse called me back for a urine sample, weigh-in and blood pressure check. Again, everything was normal so we listened for Baby Girl's heartbeat.

This wasn't the nurse that usually sees me, so she asked me up front where the regular nurse usually finds the heartbeat. I told her on my right side, pretty much parallel to my navel.

She lathered me up with the ultrasound gel and started her search but couldn't find anything. New Nurse moved a little lower and more towards the center of my belly, right under my no-longer-an-inny belly button and there it was, beating strong and healthy. She guessed, and Doc later confirmed, that Baby Girl has shifted to a "vertex" position, or head-down position, and is now centered in preparation for birth. Way to go, Baby Girl!

When Doc came in, he immediately congratulated me on the results of my glucose test. He said my bloodwork was "super" and that there is no need for additional tests--everything was excellent. My pancreas rocks!

Instead of proceeding with his usual question of "so what has changed since we last met?" Doc gave me some prompts. I guess he was sick of my "I got nothing" report and told me that he's specifically looking for 3 things:
1. Have I had any bleeding?
2. Am I still feeling the baby move regularly everyday?
3. Am I experiencing any Braxton-Hicks contractions?

Answers:
1. Nope.
2. Yes, definitely. Baby Girl is up and at 'em around 6:15am and I feel her most strongly after I've eaten.
3. I don't know if I've had any Braxton-Hicks but I have had a couple cramps. Mostly when I'm exercising. It feels like a cramp you'd get while running, just lower. Nothing to get excited about.

Doc was pleased with all my news. His only comment was that if I'm confused as to whether or not I'm feeling contractions then he knows I'm not. He is looking for strong, rapid and frequent contractions. Clearly not my case.

With that, Doc took out his measuring tape and proceeded to record the height of the fundus. 32 cm... again a little ahead of schedule... but looking good. He felt all over my bump, and that's when he told me he could feel the head in the downward position. And, there was something sharp over on my right side-- he guessed a leg or foot that was responsible for all the jabs I'd been feeling in that area. Doc said the baby seems to be developing well, and that I should be prepared for a growth spurt. I should expect to gain about 1lb a week from here on out.

Me: "How much of that 1lb is going to the baby because I don't have anywhere to put 8 extra lbs. As it is, I'm developing this disgusting armpit fat and no matter how many bicep curls and tricep extensions I do, it's not going away. And I can't exactly pass that off as swelling."
Doc: "You're so funny! Well, typically, about a half pound goes to the baby, and the other builds up your fat storage."
Me: "Fat storage? That's lovely."
Doc: "Well, it's just Mother Nature's way of making sure that if you were in dire circumstances and couldn't get food, that the baby could survive off of your stored nutrients."
Me: "That makes sense, I guess. Maybe that extra weight will go to my boobs. Is there anyway I can designate a location? Just kidding."

Time for Q & A.

Me: "The only question I've got for you Doc is in regards to sunbathing. I'm not sure if you noticed when you were measuring me, but I've been working on my fundus tan."
Doc: "Fundus tan?"
Me: "Yeah, you know-- belly tan. I figure my belly is still a lot smaller than some of the men at my pool, so if they're going to show off their bumps, then I'm showing off mine."
Doc (laughing): "That's so true!"
Me: "So my question is, do I have to worry about too much sun exposure? Will it affect the baby?"
Doc: "Nope, the baby is fine. I would advise you to take care of your belly just as you would the rest of your skin and use at least 15 SPF, though."

Doc told me he'd like to see me again in 3 weeks. And then after that, I'll probably start going every week! I can't believe how time has flown by!

My Dog the Devil

Don't let this face fool you. She is pure evil.

Turns out our mini-labradoodle is aptly named, and proved it this morning by eating 4 blueberry muffins. Yes, Miss Luciferous Rex Benjamin, III is officially on my S-List today.

I got a rare itch to bake this morning and decided to make some blueberry muffins to have for breakfast tomorrow and to take with us on our trip to the beach later this week. I whipped them up and let the muffins cool on the counter while I took a little powerwalk.

I left Luci at home, as usual, thinking nothing of the delicious smell that was now permeating the house and probably driving her already turbo-charged olfactory sense mad.

Thirty-five minutes later, I walk in to find bits of aluminum wrappers on the kitchen floor sprinkled with crumbs, and a jolly pup trotting over to greet me to see if it was time to play fetch yet.

My reaction was pretty much like this:

"Yeah right, Luci! You better turn around and walk away right now or you will never see another tennis ball again! I can't believe it, you ate...(me counting)... 4 muffins?! You bitch! That stinking package only made a total of 10 and you ate 4! Granted, they weren't from scratch or anything but still, Luce. C'mon!"

I was met with a blank look, and then a couple seconds later, she licked her lips as if to say, "Ha! Gotcha!"

Damn, devil dog.

To retaliate, and in an effort to clean up the floor, I ran the vacuum for about 30min. Take that, Luci!

Pregnancy Portraits...coming soon!

Taking more advice from my best friend, Laura, I decided to look into getting some professional photos taken of me in my pregnant state to commemorate my big, ol' belly.

I was going to contact the photog that did the pictures for my wedding. Will Kerner did a great job, but hauling all the way out to Charlottesville for what could be a 30min photo shoot didn't really seem worth it.

Turns out, however, that the photographer who did the pictures for the Hack-Clifton Wedding we attended last month is based in Richmond. Perfect! So I sent her an email and had a meeting with Mel Worthington last week to see what kind of work she does for maternity shots. I was pre-sold going into the meeting after checking out Kelly & John's pictures, as well as other pictures from her website: http://www.worthington-photography.com/

Mel brought some samples of books and albums for me to peruse while we chatted over coffee. Most of her shots are in black and white (which I prefer) and she likes to do the photo shoot in your home. Using the natural lighting in your house, plus being able to take pictures of the nursery and how the home is changing to make room for the baby, adds not only a personal and intimate feel to the photos but also an element of warmth, Mel said. Cool--no harsh studio lighting.

I was very impressed with her work, and her pricing was very reasonable (take note fellow preggos). I signed up for a package of portraits--1 "bellie" session and 5 baby sessions that will be taken throughout Baby Girl's first year. Mel said she typically likes to take the first baby session around 2 weeks and then at "developmental milestones" after that (i.e. when they can smile, when the baby is sitting up, etc.)

My bellie shots are scheduled for July 30th--I'll be sure to keep you all in the loop when they're ready.

And Baby Girl, you better start voguing now. You've got 11 weeks till your first photo shoot and I expect you to shine!

Funny Encounter at the Grocery Store

I do most of my grocery shopping at this locally-owned chained called Ukrop's. Yes, it's a bit pricier than Kroger or Food Lion, but there are perks. Besides being cleaner, having a better selection and fresher foods, the best part is that no matter how few bags you have, they always take your bags to your car. You could go in and buy a stick of gum and they'd still insist on carrying it to your car, sans tip, I might add.

Yeah, Corey and I were a bit blown away by this when we first moved from New York to Richmond and shopped at the 'krops. Here we were fumbling for a $5 bill while this little acne-faced teenager loaded up our SUV, and when Corey reached out to offer the money, they refused!

"We're not allowed to accept tips, but thank you."

At the time, I remember looking at Corey and thinking, "We're not in Kansas anymore."

But now, if those little buggers don't hop to it with a skip and a jump, I complain to management. Just kidding.

So on with my story.

As usual, I'm checking out and instead of your typical teenager wheeling my cart, it was this little Asian man named Lam. He probably weighed 85lbs soaking wet and had bifocals as thick as a deck of cards. But he certainly took pride in his job. This guy drove my cart with such determination and purpose, not slowing down for an instant in the heavy Saturday afternoon shopping traffic that was filing thru the store.
And he led the way, which was funny. I thought, "How does this guy know where I parked?" Usually, the customer walks in front of the "pusher" but not Lam.

We get outside, and I point to the aisle where I parked--Bagel Boulevard. (Don't you hate those stupid names of the parking aisles? Who comes up with that crap?) I tried to make some idle conversation but all I got was a yellow-toothed smile and a nod in response to "How are you?," "Nice weather," and "Have you been busy today?"

We approach the 4runner and Lam's face lights up when he sees our UVA license plate.

"Go 'hoos! Go 'hoos!" he says, while pumping his fist in the air.

Surprised by this reaction, I hesitantly smiled back and responded in kind.

He then points at my stomach and says, "Wahoo, sometime? Yes?"

I decided not to launch into the fact that not only is Baby Girl a double legacy, but her father was both a Jefferson Scholar and an Echols Scholar. Plus, she has 2 uncles that are UVA grads. So, as long as she spells her name right on the SATs, she'll surely be admitted to The University. Duh.

Instead I said, "Maybe, we'll see if she wants to go to UVA. But that's a long ways away."

"Oh. No Tech. No Tech. No good." Lam advises, shaking a finger.

"I know. Tech sucks!"

He loads my bags and with one last "Go 'hoos!" and a fist pump, Lam was making a beeline back to the grocery store for his next delivery.

I couldn't help but shake my head and laugh. This guy probably has a 50-word English vocabulary, and that's being generous, yet he knew "Go 'hoos" and "No Tech."

Pretty funny.

28-week Appointment

The day after getting back from California, I had my 28-week appointment with Doc.

I checked in, and was then sent straight back to the lab for the glucose test where a seemingly nice nurse gave me the grossest concoction ever created.

"Oh, good morning, Ms. Benjamin," she says with a smile. "How are you today? Please have a seat and we'll call you in after we finish mixing your poison."

I thought it wouldn't be that bad. Afterall, it looked and smelled like fruit punch. But this 6oz styrofoam cup held what tasted like cherry Jagermeister. I thought I was going to puke trying to get it all down.

They're smart at the lab, too-- they watch and make sure you drink that whole cup. There's no getting out of it. Oh, and did I mention there's no chaser? Yeah, you have to drink this crap and you can't have even the tiniest sip of water to rinse your mouth of its residue. Blech!

Anyway, I sat for about 20min in Doc's waiting room, and then they called me back for the usual urine sample, weigh-in and blood pressure check. All was good with the vitals, so the nurse slimed me with gel and then we listened to Baby Girl's heartbeat. Boy, was it loud this time! Strong and at a healthy pace. Just perfect.

A few minutes later, Doc came in with his usual grin, shook my hand, and asked how I was doing.

"All good in the 'hood, Doc," I said.

He just laughed. "That's it??"

I feel bad complaining about anything because I feel like I'm stretching to find something to report to him. I've been so lucky with this pregnancy-- it's all been a breeze. But, if I don't say anything, then Doc probably thinks I'm a moron and just not paying attention to my body. So I told him about the leg cramps I'd been having on occasion.

I've read it's very common to wake up and have a stiff lower leg, and Doc confirmed this. It can be due to carrying additional weight, slow circulation or swelling with hot weather. Doc explained that there's really nothing you can do to prevent it but that stretching, increased fluids and exercise may help. I said I was doing all those things except the stretching, and sure enough, with a few moves to stretch out my calves, no more cramps. Doc is a genius!

We moved on, and Doc measured "the height of the fundus," or the distance from my pubic bone to the top of my belly. I was 29.5cm-- again, a little ahead of where most people are at 28 weeks but Doc still didn't want to move my due date. He said he's just setting expectations--he'd rather have me prepared for an early September birth and be happily surprised with an August arrival, rather than the other way around.

With that, I asked Doc about his travel plans for the summer:

Me: "You know you're not allowed to go anywhere from mid-August to early September, right? I mean, Doc, I know you love tennis and the U.S. Open is usually in that timeframe up in New York, and I want to make sure you're staying put in Richmond."
Doc: (Chuckling) "You're sweet. But actually, we are planning to go to the beach for a week in August. I should probably be back by the 20th or so, I think, but yes, I do have some vacation coming up."
Me: "I can wait till the 20th. I'll hold it if I have to. But that's it, right?"

We had a few more minutes, and since Doc didn't spend them calling his wife to reschedule their trip, I figured I'd ask him about this so-called "birth plan" I'm supposed to create:

Me: "So, I've been reading a lot about how I should have a birth plan so that the staff at the hospital knows exactly how I want things to go down. Honestly Doc, there's nothing in my plan besides 1). Give me drugs and 2). Get the baby out as safely as possible. What am I missing?"
Doc: (Again, laughing) "You're absolutely right. You know, so many people have these elaborate plans and really, I feel that they're just setting themselves up for disappointment. We don't know how labor and delivery is going to go, so to create some elaborate plan is really silly. There could be an emergency situation and we just have to act according to best medical practices than according to your plan. Now, you should think about things like drugs..."
Me: (interrupting) "Yes, I want the drugs."
Doc: "Yes, I'm well aware. But also think about whether or not you want your husband to cut the cord, if you'd like to breastfeed... things like that."

Okay, so Corey and I have some homework to do on this birth plan. Does "TV in room must tune into ESPN" count, I wonder?

Anyway, that was it for me and Doc, and then I had to go back down to the lab for bloodwork. I should know the results from the glucose test this week. Hopefully, I passed-- don't want to drink that stuff again! Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Bachelorette Party in Wine Country

While in SoCal, I spent a few days honoring (read: hazing) my sorority sister and friend from college, Ashley Garrett, on her bachelorette weekend!

Fellow hazers included Juliet, my sister-in-law, who has become friends with Ashley since living in San Diego, and another sorority sister and friend from college, Casey Wallerstein. The three of us decided to whisk Ashley away to wine country for a few days of fun with the gals before her big day in September.

We stayed in this little Dutch town called Solvang, just outside Santa Barbara. But the festivities began on the 4 hour road trip up there from San Diego. I think Ashley had about 8 beers before we even got to L.A.-- and we had another 2 hours or so to go from there!

Upon arrival, we greeted Casey and made our way to our first tasting of the weekend. Our hotel, or rather, cottage, was hosting a wine tasting and cheese event for guests. The girls made their way thru a several bottles of wine, while I made my way thru about 10oz of cheese.

Juliet, Me, Ashley & Casey

We had a fun dinner that night at Mattei's Tavern in the town of Los Olivos, and then headed back to the hotel for a lingerie shower for Ashley and tequila shots. Those, too, were for Ashley.

Day 2 began at Paula's Pancake house.Here we padded our stomachs and readied for a day of wine tasting. We hit up 5 different vineyards--my favorite was Firestone since they had the best gift shop--and then stopped for paninis and salad in Los Olivos before naptime and dinner at Trattoria Grappolo's.

I don't want to lead you to believe there weren't any crazy shenanigans on this bachelorette weekend-- there certainly were-- but I promised to keep this blog clean since I am hoping to share it with Baby Girl some day.

Let's just say Ashley is very good at making friends with random people (read: men) and I think it took her about 36hours to recover after we got back on Sunday. Use your imagination :-)

Retirement Getaway

Tuesday, June 3rd, I left my husband to fend for himself for 8 whole days and headed out to beautiful Southern California!

I must say, I was a little hesitant to leave Corey for so long. I knew he was going to be in trouble when I got a phone call from him on Day 1 asking if we had any garlic in the house, and if so, where I kept it. Luckily, there weren't too many other calls with him seeming lost in his own house, but I think that's because he mostly stuck to take-out for meals or ate at work.

Also, upon my return, I noticed the "last resort" underwear that's usually never touched-- I think Corey has worn a bathing suit instead of this pair of old, ill-fitting Hanes--was in the laundry basket. It must have gotten pretty desperate!

Anyway, back to the trip.

It started off with a bang. No airport delays, no lost luggage, no being singled out for a pat-down at the security check. In fact, people were incredibly nice to me. The flight attendant insisted on giving me 2 bags of peanuts ("one for you and one for your baby, honey!") and lots of men offered to put my carry-on's in the overhead compartment and also retrieve my over-packed suitcase from the baggage carousel. I kinda like this pregnant-traveler thing. I highly recommend it.

I was picked up at the San Diego airport by my two sisters-in-law, Sara and Juliet. We cruised back to La Jolla where Bill & Juliet live for a home cooked dinner. Bill really outdid himself with white bean and sundried tomato bruschetta to start, followed by his famous Christmas dish of spaghetti with clam sauce. It definitely hit the spot!

After dinner and catching up, I played a little Liar's Dice with my bros (...and lost) and once Cos and Sara called it a night, Bill, Juliet and I had a little late-night dance & karaoke party. Bill had some crazy moves to Jay-Z, and I'm looking forward to the release of Juliet's first album, Juliet Sings the Classics, featuring, "Mr. Sandman."

Other highlights from my trip with sibs included powerwalks by the beach, banana bread breakfasts, prenatal massage, lunch at Cody's, a Mediterranean nosh-fest, BBQing (ribs, burgers & sausages), watching Denise Richards' new reality show, a round of "Catch Phrase," playing with my furry nephew Louie the cat and driving the Merc (top down, of course) to Solana Beach.

Thank you for the wonderful vacation!

Hack-Clifton Wedding Bonanza!

Our friends John Hack and Kelly Clifton tied the knot on Saturday, May 31st at White Hall Manor in Leesburg, VA.

This was one of the best wedding weekends we've had the pleasure of attending. Everything was fabulous--the venue, the food, the band-- you name it! But what really made this wedding fun were the people.

Not only did we get to re-connect with many friends from our days in NYC, but we mixed and mingled with everyone. Corey and I got to know many of the other guests at engagement parties and bridal showers leading up to the wedding so that by the big day, we felt like we knew half the crowd. Both the Hack's and the Clifton's have great family and friends that certainly know how to party! Too bad I couldn't join in on the tequila shots with Uncle Bob.

Rehearsal Dinner

The rehearsal dinner was held at the Hillsboro Winery, about 15miles south of Leesburg. The view was absolutely breathtaking. It looked like we were in Tuscany, not Northern VA.

Maternity fashions have come a long way, thank goodness. No tent dress for me, though I did have to wear my maternity spanx. For all the fellow preggos out there, do your husbands a favor and don't let them see you in your spanx and strapless bra when getting dressed. Not exactly a sexy mental image for the men.

The happy couple sneaking a quick smooch... little did they know I was camera ready!

Corey and I with his parents, Nancy and Andy Benjamin. The Sr B's have been best buds with the groom's parents since the old days in Salisbury.

The groom and his parents, John Sr and Marian Hack.

The Big Day

We were fortunate that the weather dried up and the wedding ceremony could be held outside. Again, a beautiful setting, and an even more beautiful couple!

Me and the mother of the groom.

The newlyweds and Corey. Corey was a co-best man with our friend James Hanson.

Our friends Ted, Dana, James, and Katie with Corey.

Of course, I had to take a picture of the cake. It was gorgeous, but not too gorgeous to eat. (I had two pieces...shhh, don't tell Doc. I've got that sugar test coming up).