tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-179811732024-03-06T21:01:21.374-08:00CalibelleA Southern Belle that has been transplanted to California Living!CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.comBlogger140125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-84886023715941300062008-06-27T09:43:00.000-07:002008-06-27T09:47:26.661-07:00Friday FunHi blogger ladies,<br />I am on a mission for organization in my house. I have come to the conclusion that my husband is not on this same mission, and will never be. I am on my own. I have discovered that it is not only my blogging that has suffered but also my bill paying, mail opening, phone call returning, and other necessary fucntions of life. So I ask you all knowing internet people. How do you do it??? Oh, giving up any more sleep is NOT an option. Please send me your wisdom. My child is about to start crawling and it is now or never to find the answers.CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-8529717284531327772008-06-16T09:23:00.000-07:002008-06-16T09:53:12.509-07:00Ok, okI know I said I would be better about blogging and I am sure that there is no one still reading but I am going to post anyway. Now the little man is almost 6 months! Holy crap. I am supposed to start doing things like feeding him (ya know, mushy veggies and such). That sounds like it is going to cut into my blogging time even more. bummer. Should make for some funny pictures though :-)<br /><br />I have to blog about the scene I saw yesterday. We were out for lunch with some friends for father's day and the table across from us a big famiy, 3 school age kids, and their parents were having lunch. The kids and dad were chatting and laughing. Mom was reading a novel. No talking or interacting at all. What's up with that??<br /><br />Also, did anyone read the NY times mag article on parenting balance? I thought it was very interesting that the only couples that have the balance figured out are lesbian parents. Go Lesbian mamas! Thanks for showing us the way :-)CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-81581364385074415592008-04-29T10:31:00.000-07:002008-04-29T10:37:16.421-07:00Hello again!Whew! This taking care of a small being really sucks up all of your time huh? I have missed you all and am going to try and be better about cheking in. It has been 4 months...wow! The little prince (LP) has been growing up a storm and can sumo wrestle any of the other babies in his age group. I may have gotten a few hours sleep in the last couple of months and my house is filled with laundry and dirty dishes, but we are having a great time here!<br />LP is big enough to travel these days and we have been all over the map including a trip home to podunk. It was fab. We got to see our favorite friend RBelle!<br /><br />So many deatils to fill you in on...but they will have to wait until the next nap time. Baby calls!CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-65316193354490834812008-01-09T12:47:00.000-08:002008-01-09T12:59:39.103-08:00The prince has arrived!As you probably could have guessed, our little prince has made his grand entrance into the world. Sorry I didn't let you know sooner but things were/are kind of crazy.<br /><br />He decided to show up one day early (made mommy very happy). The story goes that I had been trying to coax him out with spicy food and long walks to no avail, but as hubby and I were heading to bed the evening of the 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">th</span> I said "I bet he decides to come tonight". This was my guess <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">because</span> it was in the middle of a major storm. Rain, wind, the whole nine yards. Sure enough, 30min later the water breaks and we are off...<br />9.5 hours of labor later, I find that my anesthesiologist is my new favorite person and 7hours after that " the prince" arrives with no complications. He weighed in at 8lbs and was 21 inches. Just perfect :-)<br /><br />Then all chaos <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">ensued</span> and has just let up in the past <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">couple</span> of days. Brief summary: my parents staying with us and tons of other visitors + Christmas and New Years=very busy. Add in breastfeeding issues + another storm that knocked out power for 2 days to the normal sleep deprivation and general newborn issues and you have a very tired and frazzled mommy.<br /><br />Today hubby is back at work and prince is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">asleep</span> in the sling so all is quiet on the western front...for now.CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-35667957197803768892007-12-10T10:37:00.000-08:002007-12-10T10:43:07.043-08:00waiting...Everything is ready for baby to arrive and we have been keeping busy with holiday activities. We had a nice Hanukkah with family this past weekend and have had our own celebration during the week. We also put up our Christmas tree and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">decorations</span>. Now we have a long list of holiday parties to attend (if the baby doesn't come first). That is my new line "unless the baby comes". It is more wishful thinking than <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">anything</span> else. The docs don't think he will be arriving this week, but I was having some contractions yesterday that got our hopes up. Today...nothing. I am ready. Hubby is ready. We are just waiting for baby to decide that he is ready too.<br /><br />Will keep you posted!CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-39967130831424619242007-12-03T11:28:00.000-08:002007-12-03T11:34:32.169-08:00turn, turn, turnSurprise, surprise the baby turned...all by himself! We went in for a version and the first ultrasound showed that he was indeed transverse so they gave me some apple juice and hooked me up to the monitor to get a baseline. By the time the second nurse came in to check on us, the baby had turned head down! We were shocked. So they quickly strapped me into this super-sexy girdle and gave me instructions to stay as upright as possible. So no more swimming or yoga for me. I will be re-reading the natural birth sections of my books since I was SURE this kid would be a c-section. I think I remember something about breathing. Well, guess I didn't need that scheduled c-section after all. Now I have to wait for the whole contraction/water breaking thing...will keep you posted!CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-78621871635832270402007-11-26T10:44:00.000-08:002007-11-26T10:55:49.067-08:00Puppy updateNope, there is not a sweet little fuzzy puppy running <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">around</span> my house. I couldn't do it (I wanted to) but I told hubby that I was in no state to make that kind of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">decision</span> and that it was his call. He decided that we would be too preoccupied with the baby and we would not be the best puppy parents right now. We did pass the word along to other friends and hopefully someone will love the little guy. I did tell hubby that if our friends <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">absolutely</span> could not find a home for him, then he was coming to ours. I hope someone out there finds him <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">irresistible</span> so I do not have to take care of 2 babies (3 if you count hubby :-)<br /><br />As for things on the baby front, they are moving along. I am sitting here listening to the wonderful sound of drilling and hammering. Music to my ears, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">because</span> it means that by the end of the week I will have a completed nursery. YEAH!! Good thing, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">because</span> there is currently no room for my Christmas tree because a stroller, bouncy chair, and baby swing are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">occupying</span> that space. I can't wait until next week when I will have a nursery AND a decorated tree. Baby will be full term and I can stare at the pretty lights and wait for his arrival. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Ahhh</span> that will be so nice.CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-85579744126574811862007-11-21T10:44:00.000-08:002007-11-21T11:00:15.702-08:00So cute<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingSBCRnQd38gNwt9gYQw0YB3M0NLd2F_nEUo9EqteXeBaeWvEHzdC-F6GHsX5iskpBx4zh6xbVfk4NJi0tM4DUwz4psHpYoQVXFIydl2I4QLqKpiHcdifaWJ70eotaHv4DL1TVw/s1600-h/puppies+0151+(3).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5135369461998305602" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEingSBCRnQd38gNwt9gYQw0YB3M0NLd2F_nEUo9EqteXeBaeWvEHzdC-F6GHsX5iskpBx4zh6xbVfk4NJi0tM4DUwz4psHpYoQVXFIydl2I4QLqKpiHcdifaWJ70eotaHv4DL1TVw/s400/puppies+0151+(3).jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It is not nice to tease a pregnant lady. I am starting to really feel like this baby is getting closer to coming. I have had to slow down quite a bit these days otherwise I get overwhelmed and emotional. I am now in nesting and nurture mode. I love all the sweet little clothes and stuffed animals that people have given us. I am also an impatient pain in the you-know-what with our contractor because I am going to loose my mind if they don't finish the baby's room very soon. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>So to add to my current emotional roller coaster, today my husband sends me this photo:</div><div>with a note that says "puppy needs loving home...do you want him?"</div><div>Are you kidding me? My head says that now is not the best time to get a puppy for a whole long list of reasons, but my pregnant, emotional self wants to bring him home <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">right</span> this second! How cute is he? I will let you know <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">which</span> side wins out.</div><br /><div></div>CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-47534924394972379072007-11-08T09:56:00.000-08:002007-11-08T10:12:27.066-08:00All I want for Christmas...is a scheduled C-section. The likelihood of this baby turning the right way for birth au natural is slim, so after a discussion with the docs I attempted to schedule a C-section yesterday. I did not think it would be a hard thing. I thought most people do the unpredictable labor thing. Apparently, not in my neck of the woods. The OR was completely booked within 2 weeks of my due date! I am not able to schedule a c-section. There was no waiting list, no squeezing me in, all I got was "I am sorry, you are going to have to go into labor and then we will consider it an emergency". Gee thanks.<br />I would love to go into labor and have a nice normal delivery, but I don't think that is in the cards for me and this little guy. My doc is going to attempt to turn him (which I hear is really painful and I am not looking forward to it) and my acupuncturist is trying to turn him, but I must say that I am not optimistic. I have a feeling he is planning to stay right where he is.<br /><br />I have nothing against going into labor really, except that he is due very close to Christmas Day and I am not sure which would scar him more, being taken out before he is ready or having his birthday on Christmas. What do you think is worse? I also would prefer my surgeon to be nice and fresh before they cut me open. I do not really want to be the patient that they hurry through so that they can get home to hang out with their family. I don't want to be the patient they work on after they have been awake for 24 hours straight. I prefer my surgeon to have had a nice night sleep and maybe a cup of coffee before he/she wields that scalpel. Is that too much to ask?<br /><br />I don't need gifts for this Holiday season. I need you to cross your fingers that either he turns the right way, or an OR slot opens up. No bow or card necessary. Thanks!CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-29487804290865983922007-11-01T08:44:00.000-07:002007-11-01T09:12:04.877-07:00Stealing candy from babiesI am not allowed to hand out candy on Halloween anymore :-(<br /><br />I had high hopes for this Halloween and was really looking forward to it, but I did not factor pregnancy hormones into the occasion. It started off nice. The kids don't go to houses around here, they go to the town festival and people can set up tables in the park to hand out candy. So I have my table all decorated with flowers and pumpkins, I was in costume, and had all the candy ready to go. I couldn't wait to see all the little ones in their costumes! The little ones were not the problem. They were adorable and I loved the parental coaxing to get them to say "trick or treat". So far so good.<br />Then came the older kids...no costumes, no greeting, no "trick or treat". I figure if you are not going to dress up I at least deserve a greeting before you take my candy. So I made them say "trick or treat" before they could have candy. My hubby was a little concerned with this and told me to chill out. I then also had problems with the kids that dug around in the bucket for 5 min trying to find the candy that they like while there is a line of other kids behind them. But the absolute worst thing. The thing that caused me and my huge pregnant belly to shove my husband out of the way and almost leap over the table and take someone out was when an older lady (60<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">ish</span>) with NO KIDS and NO COSTUME and NO GREETING stuck both of her hands in the candy bucket, took a HUGE pile of candy and walked away. Oh no she didn't...the alarm bells went off in my head because she had just stolen most of our candy and I didn't have any more to give to all of the kids. I know I am not a mommy yet, but apparently my mommy <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">instincts</span> are kicking in because you do NOT steal candy from babies or I will jump over a table and steal it back. I had her shoulder in my hand and was ready to do just that, when hubby pulled me off of her and gave me a "time out". He was right of course. I don't think the children would have enjoyed watching me kick some old lady butt, so I listened to him.<br /> Just in case you are wondering, this is <strong>very</strong> uncharacteristic for me and at that <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">point</span> hubby was really starting to get concerned. So I spent the rest of the evening in my chair and let him hand out the rest of the candy. I guess I am going to have to watch myself a little more closely from now on.<br /><br />Just out of curiosity, what would you have done?CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-28348895697654613362007-10-30T10:02:00.000-07:002007-10-30T10:42:56.699-07:00Halloween temptationI thought my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">procrastination</span> tendencies would work in my favor this time. Nope, I decided that I needed to go out and buy all of our Halloween candy yesterday. I realize now that this was a very bad idea. It is cold and wet outside so I am <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">snuggled</span> in my house with a huge bucket of my favorite candy to keep me company...at least until I eat it all. I am not sure pregnant women are able to resist this sort of temptation, well, at least not this pregnant woman. I can already hear the "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">tsk</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">tsk</span>" from the doctor at my next appointment but I have decided that a few extra "non-baby" (aka fat) pounds won't kill me. Besides, after all of this Halloween <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">temptation</span> comes Turkey day with its yummy pies and the Christmas of course bringing chocolate in lots of forms. I think I will hide the scale and ignore the doctor and just enjoy my holiday treats guilt free :-)<br /><br />On the baby front, he is doing well and kicking harder these days. I was teaching a class yesterday and while I was talking he kicked me so hard that it actually brought tears to my eyes (the pain kind, not the happy kind). Luckily I was teaching to a room full of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">preggy</span> people so they didn't seem to mind when I sat down and made them watch video for a few minutes. He seems to be content in there for a little while longer which is good because this house is not quite ready for him to arrive. We are looking forward to meeting him!CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-43346606247527537932007-10-25T12:59:00.000-07:002007-10-25T13:14:09.356-07:00Doing wellSo, I am over the fact that I have given up ice cream and I have been very good about hitting the gym. I even joined a prenatal yoga class! I have been thinking about it, but <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">avoiding</span> it because I am SO BAD at yoga. I could barely touch my toes <em>before </em>there was a baby in the way. I would always be the person in the class that the instructor told to "just stay there"( aka nowhere) while the rest of the class twisted into <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pretzels</span>. BUT this prenatal yoga stuff is a whole <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">nother</span> ballgame. I LOVE it. It is all about being comfy, finding out how to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">stretch</span> out the parts that hurt from carrying baby, and then the last half of class is all about relaxation poses with pillows and blankets. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ahhh</span>. So nice. I think it is an essential 3rd trimester activity. I signed up for a series that ends the day before my due date. Can you believe it? I am only one yoga series away from a baby. Crazy!<br /><br />Other than my new workout schedule, the reason I have been neglecting my blog is that we are having our house painted...finally! Most of the rooms in our house are being painted. Since the painters were coming to do the baby's room anyway I added a few more tasks to the list. Hubby was less than excited when he found out the costs of my extra tasks, but was not about to argue with the pregnant woman who is nesting. So I was without <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Internet</span> for a few days and had to move everything from 3 rooms in my house into one room. Now they have finished painting the office and my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Internet</span> is up and running. I am loving looking at my pretty new blue walls :-) The base coat of the baby's room gets done tomorrow and the artist comes in 2 weeks to paint the mural! Some of new furniture should be arriving in the next week or so and I am keeping my fingers crossed that my co-sleeper (on back order) will be one of the items. I am finally making progress! Yeah!CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-70464614560409063082007-10-19T09:15:00.000-07:002007-10-19T09:27:47.169-07:00Fat girlThings have been moving along quite smoothly in this pregnancy...until yesterday. Don't worry, there is nothing wrong with baby and he is not going anywhere for a little while, but I got the news that I think every pregnant woman dreads hearing...<br />"you have gained too much weight".<br />What? Who me?<br />Just because I sat on my couch for the last 2 weeks and polished off several containers of ice cream does not count. I was sick! It is not fair to count those calories :-(<br />I am very upset that not only did those calories count, but they tipped the scale over into the dark side. So now what am I supposed to do?? Baby is hungry ALL THE TIME. He is more important than fitting back into my skinny jeans (someday) but I guess I could lay off the ice cream and hit the gym a little more often. I am bummed because I thought I had 9 more weeks of eating for two before I had to go on the post-baby slimdown diet. I am vey sad about it.<br />Oh well..goodbye Ben & Jerry I will miss you.CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-41982497268374960702007-10-05T16:39:00.000-07:002007-10-05T16:48:47.181-07:00feeling a little betterNot enough to do any constructive work around my house, but enough to venture to out for a few quick errands and then to finish my book on the porch in the sunshine. Since the sun has decided to retreat I came inside to blog (instead of the long list of other things I need to do). They can all wait until I am feeling totally back to normal.<br />My biggest accomplishment today was rediscovering an ice cream flavor. For some strange reason I have been craving coffee lately. I have not had any, mainly because I like to save my daily <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">caffeine</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">allotment</span> for all things chocolate. Today I needed to replenish my ice cream supply and found Coffee with Heath bar ice cream...YUM! Ben & Jerry are my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">heroes</span>.<br />I know it probably has <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">caffeine</span> in it (not to mention a ton and a half of sugar) so little one will be doing all sorts of gymnastics today. Let the bouncing off the walls (of the uterus that is) commence!CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-37962137674116321252007-10-04T10:54:00.001-07:002007-11-09T07:52:21.938-08:00Thanks honey.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gionoB-owEHuat-5i1wry9kmwNGNru4Jw8ANuhaEJ7pumuJw5OMyACHDGZUnwHI_4MM_08OEj5FMJYUI-8fk-H1JOOuk7JSlxkVdcWBD_8y8sYb7ebivhM1z4TMBS8nAqyTmWQ/s1600-h/28+weeks.jpg"></a><br /><div>My hubby decided to bring home a yucky cold that kept him home from the office for 2 days. Now he has so <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">graciously</span> given it to me. Isn't that sweet. I guess I can't complain that much since I don't actually have to go to an office. No one cares that I am sitting on my couch with a box of tissues while blogging and watching daytime TV. I am going to complain just a little about the fact that hubby could medicate his version of the cold while I am stuck here in all the snottiness. At least I have ice cream and naps to make me feel better. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Here is a picture of me and the 28 week belly (before the cold). </div>CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-21901733034408823592007-09-29T13:03:00.000-07:002007-09-29T13:23:29.286-07:003rd Trimester!!I cannot believe that we have made it to the 3rd trimester. It is really exciting! I admit that I am one of those women who <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">looooove</span> being pregnant. Sorry if you find them annoying, but I am feeling good. Despite what the number on the scale says, I think I am looking pretty good too :-) I love the belly and am having a great time being <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">obvously</span> pregnant. I have a few <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">un</span>-fun pregnancy symptoms (aka heartburn) and need an afternoon nap every day, but who doesn't love a good nap?<br />I admit that the whole labor thing makes me a wee bit nervous but I have started reading the books and have have signed up for a class so hopefully that will help. Knowledge is power...but is it pain relief??? I will have to get back to you on that one. Although I might not need any of that breathing stuff since <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">baby's</span> favorite position is transverse (lying <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">across</span> my belly instead of head down). Now I know there is plenty of time for him to turn around, but he was sitting like that at the 19 wk ultrasound, and a 24 wk ultrasound, and now we are at 28 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">wks</span> and he is sitting in the exact same position. He seems quite comfy. Lots of kicks and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">squirms</span> these days and the belly just keeps getting bigger (I will try and take a photo to prove it).<br /><br />I have also actually made progress on the soon-to-be-baby room. We have to get rid of a few pieces of furniture and then maybe I will take a "before" photo for you. Then we are having an artist come and paint the room. So I will <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">definitely</span> include an "after" photo. This woman's work is amazing and I can't wait to see the finished product!!<br /><br />As you can tell, life is all about baby at this point. I will try and come up with some interesting non-baby updates for you for the next post.CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-53933598558186912012007-08-30T10:09:00.000-07:002007-08-30T10:19:48.991-07:00The countdownI think it is really starting to sink in that this kid will be arriving in the not-so-far away future. My belly is getting bigger every day and people have started stopping me on the street to ask when I am due. At least it no longer looks like I have eaten too many doughnuts (I did have one the other day, yum). We also had dinner with some friends last Tuesday that were <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">preggo</span> too. They were 4 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">wks</span> away from due date. She had just stopped working that day and they had just taken their last baby-prep class. Good thing. We got a call on Friday that baby decided to make an early appearance. Congrats to them and their baby girl!<br />Hubby and I were very excited for them and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">admittedly</span> a little panicked that our baby-prep timeline might not be as long as we thought. I think it was the wake up call that we needed to really work on getting this house ready for baby. Soon.<br />I know that I need to do it, but it is sunny outside and the last thing I want to do is dig through my closet and old grad school notes. blah.<br /><br />I think I will just tell myself that I can go down to the ice cream shop if I spend a few hours on the room. Yep, that was all the motivation I needed. I am off to clean...CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-71762819494571223962007-08-22T16:45:00.001-07:002007-11-09T07:50:59.191-08:00<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRSBctBgsiY0HkxO9F18DmJmxIwTWD0RNP0nNDTnMN4jae9gkoGV0iHRuZspHNO_bTB81r3NMfUUIoPBWgahQx-HaqeChSs6IJMz-5Ke1MGCPRNGlp8WstFDqy6aOp7Xgp6AZ2yQ/s1600-h/Belly+21+wks.jpg"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzxZ_0O_jXVYV6-nQPhCxelbLyx73TfpckZrO24c_dPxS6CqlZ8amnX3bZMT-tQmpwIEcgJTIdaLymz0LAAuDn0kbyST6j03Aq-B0obOEMwKj-6J5X3WWltuAHbh9B28Gb21HQA/s1600-h/19wks+3D.jpg"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5w8j6FoABN525RI2P8EUk56ppZN-__4glnJjWFvGAgDWgqPCPRRyKy2Qj4kktwe-E_X653ZzQleVVUH9vEmDVaR19igkQ0peaRh1A1GRh-POu9c9EWVyvJ7X30Dljq9PaeLYkQ/s1600-h/sanfran+031.jpg"></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-78759762260393547602007-08-22T16:33:00.000-07:002007-08-22T16:45:00.318-07:00At Tarbelle's request...Sorry I have been slacking on the updates. This has been one busy summer! Let's see... I finished my (main) job and then was babysitting full time for a friend for a month. It was great to get into baby mode but damn that boy wore me out. Who knew a 5 month old could be so exhausting? He is adaorable and his parents passed on TONS of baby stuff to our baby <strong>boy </strong>bun in the oven. Yep. Having a boy!!!<br />Then it was wedding season and I got to party it up (if you call no alcohol and bed at 10pm a party) at the weddings of two of my good friends. It was great fun. Then my little sis and BIL came to visit. Now that was fun! I crammed every activity I could think of into their short trip here. It was really just bribary to get them to come back and visit again.<br /><br />Whew. So that was the rest of my summer in a nutshell. Now I am (mostly) job free and coming to the realization that I have done zero to prepare for this kid. I think it really hit home this morning when my OB suggested I choose a pediatrition. Oh, right. This kid will need a doctor. He might also need a room, a crib, a changing table, a car seat and a few other goodies. I have 120 something days to make that happen. I think I can handle that. As long as he stays put until sometime in December, I will be OK.CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-6085584160119181082007-07-06T10:54:00.000-07:002007-07-06T11:02:30.767-07:00Happy 4th (or 6th)!I had a very interesting 4th of July this year. We went to watch cars being blown up and then run over by a tank. Oh, and there was food and a pinata too.<br />I kept hearing all about this place and how cool it was (said my husband who had been before). I can say that it makes for a great story, and some fun pictures (that I will try and figure out how to download for you) but it was not something I really want to repeat. I don't enjoy load noises and I think that I see rockets and tanks on the news enough and it makes me sad. Even though these rockets and tanks were being used for fun, it still made me sad.<br /><br />We came back to our little town and watched the fireworks from our house. Now that part was nice.CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-3451292547643787082007-06-24T12:10:00.000-07:002007-06-24T12:24:54.367-07:00Booty<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRHPh24-nHiYhdnLX4DTOhrHAmyAbsmjJZzREcxMyY03CM3yg0jkkkDqX2gkxAvyCJDNINZVQWZfJzOwX0nmdj9jDmZf7iZcm1Pnx3Rc7KZ7tXZvGc1xI5njBUyqOxQiRLI7hXA/s1600-h/Karen+B+party.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5079713951242373906" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcRHPh24-nHiYhdnLX4DTOhrHAmyAbsmjJZzREcxMyY03CM3yg0jkkkDqX2gkxAvyCJDNINZVQWZfJzOwX0nmdj9jDmZf7iZcm1Pnx3Rc7KZ7tXZvGc1xI5njBUyqOxQiRLI7hXA/s320/Karen+B+party.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I have been neglecting my blog for no good reason other than I am feeling so much better that I have been out <strong>doing stuff!</strong> I know it sounds crazy that my lazy ass could manage that, but it is true. I started cooking dinner and grocery shopping again (much to the delight of my hubby). I even started showing up for swim practice again. I am loving this second trimester stuff. Things are going peachy with baby and I have started having the food cravings. My favorite thing in the world right now is Pirate's Booty. Tried it? It is like a healthier version of a cheese puff and I loooooove it. I have bags of it all around my house. I am obsessed. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I did put down the booty long enough to participate in a few wedding activities for my friends. A very nice nice shower and THEN a bachelorette/pleasure party. Oh yeah. That was fun. There were some very interesting "toys" passed around and I think the bride to be got some good tips on keeping things spicy. I didn't get any really juicy pics (I am just figuring out how to take pics with my phone) but here is an example of a great bachelorette cake. </div>CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-13586440007757318842007-06-07T08:44:00.000-07:002007-06-07T08:54:10.139-07:00Second Trimester, here I comeI can see the light at the end of the first trimester. Yeah! As of this weekend I will have made it through the first 12 weeks! As my reward for making it through, the nausea seems to have gone away (for the last few days at least). It has been replaced with bed-at-8pm tired. I feel like I have run a marathon, yet I can barely make it off the couch. I am sure this is nothing compared to I-have-a-newborn sleep deprivation, but I am beginning to get the idea. I don't mind too much. At least now I have an excuse to be lazy. Before I was lazy for no good reason.<br />It has been fun to see hubby start to get into Dad mode. He has been obsessively searching for a video camera. I have never seen him so determined. He finally ordered one that arrived at our house yesterday. He was so excited that he just <strong>had</strong> to begin filming. This did not really work for me since he insisted on filming me and as I mentioned before, I was almost asleep (even though the sun was still out). Somehow I don't think that will make for very exciting television. My poor parents will probably be the recipients of that oh so exciting video.CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-41448289379585253172007-05-30T18:47:00.001-07:002007-05-30T18:59:07.786-07:00My first OB appointmentSo I am (sort of) a normal pregnant lady. Yeah! The little cumquat and I went for out first prenatal vist today. I won't go so far as to say it was fun but I did get to see the little one wiggle around for a second and I loved my doc when she said my chances of miscarriage at this point are very slim. Sounds good to me!<br />I did notice the difference in atmosphere between the private, everyone pays alot of money out of pocket, fertility clinic and the doctors office in the cramped-for-space, downtown, hospital. I think I was in the storage closet/exam room with peeling paint and continers of odd liquids on the counter. Not the best impression. I guess I was spoiled by the swanky fertility clinic (not that I want to go back!). My doc made up for it. She was great and this practice is where my fertility doc recommend and where she goes herself. Most of my friends go there too and they get rave reviews from everyone I have talked to. A great doc is all I really need, but would it kill them to remove the cleaning supplies and crusty cardboard boxes from the "exam room"? I think I have become a doctor's office snob. How pathetic is that?CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-71956827181380153312007-05-17T19:11:00.000-07:002007-05-17T19:19:51.256-07:00Graduated!No pomp and circumstance for this graduation. Just a half-naked hug from my RE (I was the half naked one) and I speech about how they would see us back for baby number 2. (we will worry about that later), but we officially graduated from the fertility clinic today!!! I get to go see a normal OB like all the other normal pregnant people. Yeah!!<br /> We also had our 9-week ultrasound today. I am sure they just get cooler from here, but it was so much fun to watch my little <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">embie</span> wiggle around. It would wave its little arm buds and move all around. It was very fun!<br />I am not sure when we get to check in on him/her next, but I am looking forward to it! I am also looking forward to the end of nausea but I can suck it up for a couple more weeks (I hope it is only a couple more weeks).CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17981173.post-71211374407009623112007-05-06T15:09:00.000-07:002007-05-06T15:22:09.389-07:00One little chickpea :-)I love ultrasounds. It was such a relief to see that happy little heart beating. That was about all I could see. The rest was sort of a blob..only one blob though. One is plenty of baby for me! I have another peek in 2 weeks to see how much he/she has grown. I don't know what size it will be then? Walnut maybe? In the mean time, poor hubby has had to cook and grocery shop (NOT something he is used to doing). I am OK with food as long as someone shops for it and prepares it. Otherwise I think all the nutrients this kid would get would be carbs. I am loving the carbs. Bagels are my friend :-)<br /><br />Hopefully hubby can hang in and be the master chef for a little while longer.CaliBellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06313551847145496684noreply@blogger.com6