Welcome to the Jungle

These days my house sometimes looks like a jungle, or at least like a tornado just blew through. But that is another, more boring story that I’m trying to re-write.

This week my dear sister, Aunt M, is visiting from New York. She has been giving LLC copious love and attention, as well as a Fisher-Price Rainforest Play Mat. LLC loves it! She spent an hour yesterday laying on it, cooing at the butterflies overhead and swiping/kicking at her new jungle friends Parrot and Monkey.  Aunt M likens LLC to a little monkey with her sharp, wide eyes and incessant kicking legs - what better a "habitat" to entertain her in?!  This evening she managed to propel herself across the entire mat, mainly by back leg thrusts and minimal arm support.  Seriously, have Chris and I created a kick-boxer?

We've been enjoying a chilled out week of girl time with Aunt M.  It's very nice to spend time with my sister and for her to get to know her niece. 

When my parents, sister or friends visit, I sometimes hesitantly venture into the jungle of emotion that comes with the fresh reminder of how much I love these people and how I wish we lived physically closer to each other.  I don't like to venture into this abyss since I would not trade my life here and I'm not one to court sadness.  But still, inevitably, at times into this jungle I creep.

I usually catch myself before I go too far, for life is to be lived and enjoyed even with its challenges.  I'm enjoying the time LLC and I have with Aunt M and when I join my little one under her rainforest canopy to gaze at the butterflies and tropical creatures, I can also think of my sister and smile.

Tic Toc, Power Kicks & Bump2Bump

At 36 weeks pregnant, impending mommy-hood is affecting me in many ways. At the end of last week I found myself prune faced with disturbance on the gym cross trainer. The source of my distaste: Kesha’s Tic Toc video, a catchy upbeat, good for a gym workout tune that happens to feature a teenage girl dressed coquettishly, gyrating for boys and singing lyrics like “Tic toc, make it pop, DJ blow my speakers up” and “Boys trying to touch my junk.” 

Eeek – is this what could become of our daughter if we’re not too careful? I mean kids today….everything seems to start so early…. Wait a minute. I’m sounding very parent-like all of a sudden.  I generally think of myself as pretty youthful and open-minded. I’d still maintain that I am, but with a newfound protectiveness for pretty young teens and the ill-advised signals they are likely to give off if they’re not mindful. But now I’m really getting ahead of myself.

We had a fantastic weekend with JBT & LEH full of good chat, gaming and country walks. It’s probably the last time we’ll host friends for the weekend before our little lady makes her debut and I really enjoyed it. LEH are also expecting their first in March so I’ve featured a pic here of some of LH and my bump 2 bump action! It’s nice to be taking this pregnancy trip together.


Babycenter updates me that baby is now about the weight of a Crenshaw melon. She feels that way. She is strong. Some of her kicks this weekend were so strong that they sent my hand flying off my belly. It’s really cool to feel her moving with increased power, though it can be uncomfortable at times. Maybe this is a sign we have a sporty girl in the making. Chris will be so pleased.

Apparently she should now be in the process of shedding her launugo (body hair) and vernix (waxy substance) that have been keeping her toasty and warm in the womb. I knew this was on the cards; what I didn’t realize is that babies actually swallow these substances and they are what partially forms their meconium, or first bowl movement…tasty.

Fruit Photo Credit: Babycenter.com

Destined for Success

Chris and I haven't come to any final conclusions in agreeing a name or final shortlist for our little girl.  Where he still goes for the "serious and distinguished" names, I still lean towards the "cute, creative" ones....

In the midst of this debate, I had to laugh when I read our baby's horoscope on my weekly Babycenter update.  It reads:

Capricorn child - Ready for success

Pretending, dressing-up, playing hide-and-seek – none of these are likely to be high priorities for your little Capricorn. She is just too ambitious to waste time on such pointless games!

This makes a case for Chris' serious/marketable name strategy but I'm not sold!  I like a bit of creativity!

Big ‘un on a Babymoon; New Size of Sexy

I sauntered down the cobblestone sidewalk, tossing my hair and basking in the late afternoon sunshine. Hand in hand with Chris, my skin had a healthy “glow” - maybe it was sweat, or fullness due to water retention – but I felt good, I felt glowing. We were on vacation – a long weekend babymoon – in Prague with our great friends A&S and the weekend couldn’t have been going better. At that moment a ray of light bounced off the store window to my right, catching my glance and capturing my full glory.

Full indeed. Full like I’d just eaten 3 steaks, a big pot of goulash and 5 apple strudels. Now I never hold back in the food department while on vacation but I had't had THAT much. Then again, I’m 22 weeks pregnant with a uterus internally rising above my naval. I’ve waxed lyrical about embracing my growing bump, blah blah and I do. But in that moment I didn’t appear to be sporting a blooming bump but more of a bloated bulge below my cotton sundress. Wah!

The moment had been too good to ruin, though, so I smoothed out my dress, averted my eyes and walked on with slightly less of a saunter. Girl power beats irrational hormones.

A&S made me laugh when we first met up in Prague when they asked if I’d be okay walking around. I love exploring on foot while on vacation – I think it’s one of the best ways to get a feel for the city and to experience lots local gems often lost from a taxi window or underground metro. Walking was “no problem” I declared. And it wasn’t. We explored the Old Town, Jewish Quarter, fantastic Mala Strana park by foot and I had no complaints, tiredness or aches rain on my parade. I politely declined a guard who offered me the elevator to the top of the Mala Strana viewing tower, and Chris said he was impressed at how I charged up the tower stairs with him at my heels. My ease of mobility may falter in the coming weeks but not yet! Throughout the weekend, the four of us had long meals and good conversation, authentic Czech food and an array of other international cuisine. We relaxed, wandered, took a lot of pictures – the one on my right above is a 22 week shot of me on the Charles Bridge with Chris (the one on the left is me at 21 weeks, which I didn’t previously post) -we saw a lot without having too much of an agenda. It was a perfect babymoon.

Back in our hotel room the night of the big bulge sighting, I examined my bump in the bathroom mirror. It looked like a mountain cliff poking out at my middle that suddenly dropped off before my bikini line. As I examined I felt our little lady kick; she hadn’t been super active that day and the movement jarred me back to reality and made me smile. I was 22 week pregnant. I might look in "the plump or pregnant" stage in some of my outfits but that’s all part of the trip, right? I’m finally on my way to that rounder fuller baby bump that shouts blooming so I guess I just need to shut up and deal. I am now carrying a spaghetti squash after all.

I do have one disclaimer on bump comments though - if you are commenting on the status, growth or look of a pregnant lady's bump - be careful, be tactful and be positive. Don't ask someone if they think they "are going to be huge" when they tell you how far along they are. Even if you don't mean to be insulting, it won't be taken kindly!

Girl Power!

First of all, a huge shout out to my great friends E&S who just brought a beautiful baby girl into the world yesterday! Congratulations guys!!

This post is all about GIRL POWER (and no people, I'm NOT talking Spice Girls) - in addition to E&S's excellent news, we had our 20 week sonogram yesterday and found out that we too are having a girl! Most importantly she looked healthy and on track development wise for my January due date. Of course we would be thrilled either way but I am looking forward to evening the boy/girl score in our house (Chris & Rico / Baby and Me) and having a mini me, albeit with a British accent! Chris guessed that we'd have a girl all along so he was happy to be on the mark and has plans to rear her as a first class athlete in tennis...golf....any sport with a ball really. He has high hopes but I reminded him that we are not turning into psycho sports parents that pressurize our kids - I remember a coach or parent once punching someone else at my sister's soccer game - a prime example of child sport bringing out the devil in parents.

Our little lady must have sensed she was being scanned because she went on acrobatic overload right as I laid down on the sonographer's table....either that or the skittles and OJ I had before the appointment were taking effect! This 20 week sonogram seemed like another milestone in our pregnancy. After the 12 week scan it seemed so far in the future, but now it's come and gone and I'm left with the further realization that we are going to be parents with a living breathing baby really soon. Let me tell you, there is a sizable and very real looking baby inside me. It's thrilling, fantastic, scary and exciting all at the same time. Happy as I am, I won't be planning on celebrating with any of these freaking scary cakes...that is a a step too far in the creepy direction for my tastes!

I remember looking in awe at a heavily pregnant lady about to drop at the Affordable Art Fair with E earlier this year. At the time E was still in the first half of her pregnancy - now she has been that girl and has graduated to mama. Pregnant B is next in line and I'll be bringing up the rear of our girl hat-trick in January. Something must have been in the water when we were all working together....I feel pretty emotional about it all but again I'll blame the hormones for making me soft.

Those "hormones" have been rearing their heads in other random ways too. I don't usually view myself as an overly hormonal person but do find I now have the occasional psycho spike. Like Tuesday night, when I lost an e-bay auction for that cherished Bugaboo Cameleon that has possessed me. I lost the auction by £10 and turned a little crazy - I must have momentarily thought I was a boxer since I started punching the air and moaning like banshee. When Chris tried to assure me that there would be future auctions and there were other bugaboos waiting in the wings to go on ebay, I wasn't having it. He tried to be patient with me but finally gave up and told me to stop being irrational. I snapped out of my red haze about 10 minutes later....but in the name of girl power, next time "the psycho air boxer" in me threatens to come out, I need to get a grip and quick! Ahh the highs and lows of this pregnancy coaster......