Almost Time!

... For our trip to Monterey! I love that we have a "place" (it's no Aruba, but it does the trick) - we already have lots of fabulous memories (our first vacation was there...AND we got engaged there!). This time tomorrow I'll be dining on something delicious with an ocean view!!
I got my results back today and actually PASSED my Gestational Diabetes test. I was surprised but what a huge relief! I'm a sugar/carb junkie now... what would I do if they cut me off? I am, however, low on iron which is a little annoying... I now have to take iron Pills in addition to prenatals. Yucky! Oh well. It's worth it!

Have a fabulous weekend... When we get back I'll be another year older! Yikes.

99 Days!!

Yup. That's right. I thought that deserved a post. We officially have 99 days to go. It's a huge landmark that I honestly didn't think we'd ever get to but now that we're here, the days and weeks seem to be flying by! That could be due to the fact that we've been busy every single weekend lately.

This is the point at which I must comment on our busy Memorial Day weekend. My sister and her 2 daughters were visiting from Boston so we made the (5 hour!) trek to the Orange County to be fully-immersed in kid-city. We had an 8 month old, a 1.5 yr old, a 3.5 yr old and a pregnant whale present. And I mean that in the nicest way. It was so much fun interacting with all three of our nieces and learning their personalities. I hate that we don't live closer, I miss my sister tons! My family also had a nice birthday dinner for me complete with Sprinkles cupcakes and gifts (it's been a few years since we've all been together for my birthday...so fun!) Oh yeah... I can't forget to mention that Chris found himself a little girlfriend in our 8 month old niece who literally could not look away from him... she reserved her good behavior and googly eyes for him. (yes, the same man that swore up and down to me that he scared babies). The weekend really did go way too fast.

So, for anyone behind on Chloe's developments, this past weekend was the first time we were able to see her move from the outside. She started going crazy Saturday night while I was lying in bed and Chris and my dad were playing drunken Wii bowling (meaning he missed the really crazy movements but caught some smaller ones). I'm pretty sure we lost track of Christopher's margaritas at #8... evidently he's a big hit smashed... Anyway - Chloe is obviously getting strong and I'm growing more uncomfortable by the hour...but it's all worth it. Today I also got to drink the fabulous sugar drink to test for Gestational Diabetes. Let's all cross our fingers they don't cut me off from delicious sugary treats!! I would probably wilt. Or at least Cry.

I hope everyone had as much fun this last weekend as we did... I was so sad this morning at work when I looked at the clock and realized it was 7:00 and my sisters plane was on it's way down the runway back to Boston... We'll have to take Chloe out to visit them next!

I Think We Have A Winner!

Sooo Chris and I toured a hospital last night and found a winner!

Now I'm not going to call myself a nut-and-berry kinda gal,

...but I wanted to have Chloe in a setting where they don't push medical interventions on you but let you do things as you'd like.

They even assured me that there would be a supply of Popsicles upon request!

Initially we thought we only had one hospital we could deliver at but it looks like we are able to go to French Hospital's Family Birthing Center in San Luis Obispo...

and YES...

I'm sure I'll have an epidural but they offer a lot of the options I'd been hoping for (some rooms have labor tubs, they don't require constant monitoring, there isn't a maximum amount of time you can labor, etc.) and the nurse that gave us our tour was fabulous. She answered a lot of my questions and put to rest most of my fears about having a C-Section if it came down to that. I can't believe the anxiety I have about being left to recover without Chris OR Chloe if I had a C-Section...

I'm not completely over it but the hospital is small and just had a very homey feel, a far cry from it's more modern behemoth counterpart which was our alternate option. So that's that. For Chris' sake, please pray I'm not a raving lunatic on the 1/2 hour drive to the hospital...

Fess Parker

Mom and I had a great Mothers Day weekend together at the Fess Parker Resort. It was even better than I could have expected! Our room was AMAZING and the company couldn't have been better. We got our fill of Eggs Benedict and baby shopping and she even found a few scarves she loves! Please enjoy these pictures - Can you believe how great moms Stuffed French Toast looks?? It was even tastier than it looks! I had bundles of fun - can't complain when I'm getting spoiled by my mom!

My Brand New Motherly Do!

...Hair-Do that is !...

We've officially made it to 24 weeks today and to show off my excitement, I got my hair did! Haha. It's been getting great reviews and was MUCH needed. I sat down in the stylists chair and I think I frightened her. Evidently I was looking very 'motherly' already - AKA - Lookin' like crap. Oh dear. At least she covered all the gray hair!! Please forgive the creepy picture... I promise better pictures to come, especially after our Birthday/Anniversary/Babymoon trip we have planned to Monterey May 30th-June 1st!!! We're both getting so excited to get away for a weekend alone.

Happy (Early) Mothers Day! ...And Lots More.

I know it's early but I won't be around to say Happy Mothers Day since I'll be vacationing at the *gorgeous* Fess Parker Resort on the waterfront in Santa Barbara for a couple days with my very own Mamacita! I'm very excited to catch up with her.

As we get farther and farther along in this pregnancy I reflect more and more on my own relationship with my mom and want so badly to have a fabulous relationship with my own daughter. It just puts into perspective the whole mother/daughter thing.

It took 23 years but I am finally able to look at my relationship with my mom from the other side and I am finally coming to understand just how strong and unconditional a mothers love really is! It's amazing how Fifi isn't even here and I'd do anything in the entire world to give her the best chance at happiness and success in life; I can't wait to tell her that I'm her biggest supporter! (My mom was good at that one...she was also great at cheering me on during games from the sidelines, much to my pre-teen and teenage dismay!). This mothers day will be my last quiet one for a long time and I'm sure I'll spend a good portion of it reflecting and looking forward to the future and all the good times (and perhaps frustrating times) that having Fifi will bring to our family.

Other odds and ends...

I think Chris is getting more and more excited on a daily basis...
We were at Trader Joes after dinner tonight and he keep looking down at the cookies I had in my hand oddly (I swore he was thinking that I don't need to consume any more cookies), so finally I said, "WHAT are you staring at?!" He said, "It's just that...You really look pregnant now... There's definitely a Fifi in there!" Uhhh DUH! Silly boy. Needless to say, he didn't stop looking. Then...(and this could have been the margarita talking) he put his hand on my stomach and rubbed it...

WHAT is THIS?!

PDA in Trader Joes?! How very un-christopher-like! Haha.

Ok. SO it could have been his 2nd El Presidente margarita talking.

He's getting so cute about Fifi and it is so fun to watch as he comes to recognize Fifi as being real and tangible. I had been worried it might take him until I'm either looking like a total whale or even until she was born... So I'm definitely looking forward to the next 4 *quiet* months with him in our unborn parental bliss. Not to mention the John Mayer concert that I bought tickets for when I'll be 34 weeks along. The concert will take place in the armpit of California at the end of July in Paso Robles (well above 100 degree temps on a daily basis during summer)...miserable much, Jen?? Haha. I can't wait!!

Chris thinks we'll get more room this way as nobody will want to be near a woman who looks like she is about to "explode at any moment". Thanks Dear.

This post and the entire blog for that matter jumps everywhere and is quite random, but I explained to Chris the other day (although he still thinks I'm crazy I'm sure), that I want to make sure I write down as much as I can so that I have a way to look back on this pregnancy. This blog is as much for me as it is for keeping everyone who is so far away in the loop!

Which reminds me, the last couple of weeks Chloe has really been going to town and kicking up a storm. They started as little flutters at first but now she can easily be felt kicking from the outside (Chris even felt her last week!). She's an early bird like her mommy too; She is squirming by 5:30 AM on my drive into work!


Anyway - if you made it this far in the post, it's about to get ugly. I try not to write too much about work because it's made this pregnancy pretty stressful but this weekend will be a much needed girls getaway following a CRAZY week at work ... to those of you who don't know, Chloe's adopted Aunt Sandee (my fabulous co-worker whom I've come to LOVE and look up to as a mentor) resigned due to some ugly issues surrounding recent changes and a falling out with our new director. I can't say I blame her and I will try to remain impartial for the sake of the blog but it's a huge loss for the surgery center. We've had countless (repeat) patients in the last few days that are devastated to hear we lost Sandee and I keep expecting her to walk through the door or to see her car coming down the street in the dark at 5:45 am on our way to work like I have so many times in the past. I will stop here, but I have to admit the pregnancy hormones are making this really hard to deal with. I seriously feel like I should get my 3 days of grievance pay for losing a loved one!! (Funny thing is most of the people where we work feel the same way)...

Thanks for sticking it out through the long post. I hope you all enjoy your Mothers Day weekend and if you're a mother I hope you get spoiled rotten on Sunday and if you're a husband with a baby named Chloe on the way... thanks for the peanut shell sling someone I know got early for mothers day. It's ridiculously fun to wear stuffed with baking goodies as a pretend baby!

I WANT TO BUY IT ALL!

You heard me!!! I want to buy EVERYTHING I see that is made for babies! My rationale behind this is that well... we NEED lots of things for her...right?? Ok...bad rationale, I know....

For example... I'm currently stumped as to which of the burp rags on the following site I want to buy: http://www.yourbabysroom.com/EmbellishedRags.html
I know I'm going to make a purchase but they're ALL so cute! How do you decide?? What is Chris's response to my inability to decide on which ones I want to have made for Chloe you might ask? "Why do you have to get a fancy one, she's just going to barf on it!" Silly boys! Our princess will have nothing but the finest BARF rags :)

So in more tangible Fifi Purchase news... My fabulous hubby decided to humor me and buy me a Peanut Shell Sling for Mothers Day! (Considering I'm already being kicked around by babycakes I think this should count as my first mothers day!) And Look! It's not pink!!...



Maybe I'll try it out with a bag of flour when it comes. :)

OH yeah! And in HUGE purchase news, we made our biggest (and hopefully last large) baby purchase... Our Glider!! WOOHOO!

What an interesting adventure...

Chris went with me (which should worry everyone immediately because not only were we going shopping but it was BABY Shopping, not even Best Buy shopping) but in the end all was well... Minus the fact that he made me cry in the store...Just kidding. Kinda.

So in any case, I had pretty much decided which chair I want and my heart set on a fully upholstered glider that was also a recliner, but when we got to the store, not only did Chris hate it (He'd LOVE a crusty ole granny rocker if he had his choice I think), but he made me realize that there was NO way my HUGE, ridiculously comfy chair would go up our stairs and then gave me a detailed story of how I'd be going up and down the stairs in the wee hours of the morning with Fifi and he didn't think it was safe...blah blah blah... (Ok, ok...so the man had a point)...

Chair that got the boot:


End Result: I gave up my big comfy chair dream and we came to a really fabulous middle of the road conclusion where we were both quite happy and in just 6-9 short weeks (which in the baby furniture industry means 12-16 weeks), we'll have a gorgeous micro-fiber chocolate brown glider with ottoman!! I'm so darn excited.

Chair that Triumphed!

I <3 Kelly.

Dear Roomie. I miss you and had so much fun with you this weekend! I hope we get another girls weekend soon, I know Chloe is dying to spend more time with you.

I miss Margaritas and Steaks with you.

I miss Margaritas period.

I miss you period!

Love, Your Bestest, Favoritiest Roomie Ever.

This past weekend I went to Saratoga to visit my old roomie Kelly (Aunt Kelly)! Not only did we get in a FULL day of shopping at the fabulous Stanford mall but I also got to spend her birthday with her!!! We went to a comedy club which was a blast and I guess that I just don't realize how much I LOVE Kelly and need her in my life until we see each other. It's like we were never apart! Seriously - I have this amazing friendship with Kelly that nobody has ever come close to ... Point is, I had more fun than you would even know! We had such fun adventures, only got lost a few times, bought a houseplant that was dubbed "George", made fabulous funfetti cupcakes with cream cheese frosting (she's the best baker ever!) AND MORE!


Please enjoy the blurry pictures from our weekend!

What is this?!

Soo...I was feeling guilty today about not having anything exciting or adorable to post about ...

(and despite the request for a belly shot, I won't subject anyone to one of those at this point)

Anyway...

As Chris and I sat on the couch tonight, Chris begins telling me how BIG Fifi is getting (by Fifi he means Jen's Huge a** expanding waistline...in the nicest way of course), when the doorbell rang!!

What is this?!



Could it be something new to post about?!! Why YES, It is!!!


Let the record show that today, Chloe got her first ever very own package in the mail from her cousin Ashley (and her mommy and daddy of course).


You won't believe just how cute the goodies she got are! ... ok... ok.... ya got me; if you know Tracee and Ashley's taste, you won't be surprised at the cute factor of her very first set of towels... and they're monogrammed! OK. Stop blabbing and show the pics already, jen!




OMG. Stop it. Do you see the ridiculously cute caterpillar?! Get.Out.Now.

You have GOT to be kidding me!

Technically we're 20 weeks now and according to a very trusted source (thenestbaby.com), Chloe is now the size of a cantaloupe!

I just can't believe it...although I am starting to look like I swallowed a big melon, it really doesn't seem possible.

I've been having so much fun buying little things for Fifi., I can't wait to harass her with her cute outfits and cuddle with her in her soft blankets... but all the excitement that I have towards her arrival just makes me realize how precious the time I have right now with Chris is.

It seems like once September comes, it'll be a million years before we get to sleep in or just laze around on the weekends, and lately I've been having a lot of dreams about vacationing - (perhaps because deep down I know that I'm going to have to live vicariously through my vacation dreams for a long time since there aren't any in the cards for us) - I had the most amazing time in Aruba in my dream last night, it was so REAL! I've heard you'll have crazy dreams while you're pregnant and I'm sure that wasn't what they meant but I'm not going to complain!! The only downside was waking up to my alarm at 5:45 am...Aruba doesn't have alarm clocks!

Haha. In any case., I'm sure it'll be an adventure and I know we'll love the ride...especially if we can steal away to Aruba again...but maybe this time we'll bring Fifi since Chris has already looked at me like I was a crazy lady when I brought up the idea of vacationing sans Chloe. I'd think that after a year or so he'd be able to let go for a week or so...right?? Who am I kidding; she'll have him wrapped around her little finger.

As Promised...

As promised in my post earlier this morning...Pictures of Ollie the Octopus and Lulu the Lamb...imagine us toting these throughout the Mission Viejo Mall! (fat chance, ha!) We had the store take them out the back way and inconspicuously put them into our car...however, we didn't know until we got home that they were facing backwards and everyone that drove by us (in Newport Coast, nonetheless) could clearly see them! They must have thought we were nuts!!

Ollie the Octopus and Ashley... and Ollie with Tracee... I wonder who we REALLY bought Ollie for??

Pictures of our goods!! (on a side note, we bought a fabulous dresser/changing table today on a whim!), AND... our Crib is in!!! (We just have to pick it up!) Could it get any better?!

Here's Lulu the Lamb on our dresser which is displaying some of Chloe's new outfits!! It's such a treat going to all the uppity stores for baby clothes shopping!...like tracee said it's like skid row for crack addicts! True dat.

Please note the adorable polka dot dress and her chic coat (below) for when she visits Ashley and Tracee! The back has the most ridiculous bow and pleats. Get out of town.

Ok... Perhaps I can make Chris go get the crib now...

Baby Shopping WOOHOO!

So don't be disappointed that there aren't any pictures in this post... but I just had to tell you how much fun I had FINALLY being able to shop for Fifi! I went to Orange County over the weekend and had a fabulous time visiting my sister and adorable little Ashley as well as my parents! I can't believe how cute (and HUGE) Ashley has gotten!! She's such a ham and loves to dance on her tippy-toes like a ballerina!

So, to recap some of the fabulous finds of the weekend... I must first note that Grandma and Grandpa Richey bought Chloe's Bedding! I'm so excited for the crib to get here now and set it all up and take pictures!! SO CUTE.

Let's see...we also got a TON of adorable clothes... AND my sister took me to register at Babies R Us! It was so much fun using the gun (although my trigger finger hurt afterwards!)...

And my (i mean Chloe's) blanket collection is growing!! Haha. Yes... I have to admit I'm jealous that she's being showered with so many adorable things...although technically I am the one who gets to play dress up on her!!

I'll post pictures of our Lulu/Ollie adventure soon... Oversized chairs in the shape of animals from Babystyle are hilarious! (so is my sister sitting in a chair made for a 2 year old). Oh geez.

Oh My!

It's a......

FIFI!

Her cute little name will be Chloe Lynn!

YAY!

I am so so excited!!!

..Girls are just So darn easy to buy cute clothes for!!

We Took The Big Plunge!

Well...We did it... That's right, we took the big plunge...

... And bought our Crib!

Haha. Not what you were expecting, was it?! After weeks of oogling over cribs, we decided on our favorite, it got fabulous reviews and was a great price!! Can't beat that, can ya?

Here's a pic of our newest addition (which will be arriving in just a few weeks!)

It also converts to a full-size bed, it's nice to think it might last that long, but it's probably wishful thinking!

It's the little things...

That make me smile! I'm so glad Chris is home, it was weird having him away. I think that was really the first weekend that I've spent alone at our house, and it was definitely the first time that either one of us has flown without the other person since we met. Ok. With those milestones out of the way, I have to admit that I'm enamoured by the idea of moving! I like new adventures and new places and I think that (with a pool), I could really be okay in the blazing hot heat! I wonder how long that would last?

Since many inquiring minds want to know how the trip went, I'll summarize how it was although Chris posted a comment on the last blog entry. The guys in Arizona like him, and there is a good chance we'll end up there, but Chris and I know in the back of our minds that this isnt the best time to go; when he initially interviewed for Arizona, they were talking more in the timeframe of September (It would be nice if I could continue to work at my job for a while longer before leaving). Of course, if the offer comes along, we would probably try and find a way to go since the contract is up here the beginning of 2009. Long story short, this exact job wouldn't be the best fit for us (Chris would travel a lot to other countries, including the Middle East, Yuk!) and there are a lot of other openings in Arizona right now so we're hoping we can hold off on going a while longer.

And since this is Fifi's blog... I'm not going to show you what Fifi is this week, since it's an ugly Onion! No child of mine is an onion, however he/she can now hear us, and I've heard enjoys classical music... And to answer the infamous question, no... we haven't felt Baby J yet, and I'm ok with that considering I know I'll be poked and kicked for a good 20 weeks or so anyway, although I'm sure it is quite magical, especially after the 10000th time. :) Hehe.

Have a great week!

16 Weeks and more!

Lots of news to report today! This morning I had my 16 week checkup. The Dr. said everything from our last ultrasound was normal and actually moved my due date up to September 2nd because I was measuring ahead. YAY! I was then told that I could go to the Ultrasound facility (just a few doors down) and make my appointment for our BIG ultrasound! (so far soooo good...)

So on my merry way I went, (and on my nicest behavior so I might just get what I want)..,

...and what did I find but what must have been the most unhappy receptionist ever who certainly didn't want to help make my life easier so that I could go down to Orange County and see family and perhaps do a little boy or girl shopping in a couple weeks. :(

You know what she did? Booked my appointment for the day AFTER I was planning to get HOME from the OC. (she swore up and down there was absolutely nothing available until that exact date). nice.

Was she Crazy?!

So began what I believe the very first moment of serious pregnancy hormones (Chris may have a different idea of my mood levels)... I maintained my composure, booked my day-late-and-a-dollar-short (literally) appointment and went back to work. I know I should have been thrilled just to have the actual date set, but man she'd really ruffled my feathers and my plans!

So...for the most part, I got over it as the morning passed...

BUT I just decided to call their other office on a whim and see if THEY had any availability... they didn't, BUT the first office I went to this morning DID have an appointment for the day I was planning on going DOWN to OC. WTF!? That unhappy woman this morning had lied to me! (not nice). So I appreciatively scheduled my appointment and now have my fingers crossed that mean lady from the other office never catches on!

Our appointment is scheduled for April 4th at 9:00 a.m. YAY!

Ok... Now to the weekly update...


Watch what you say... tiny bones forming in baby's ears mean the little one can now pick up your voice. Eyebrows, lashes and hair are starting to fill in, and taste buds are forming.

Have a good day!

Hectic Much?

It seems like life is throwing us into a whirlwind right now. As if Chris taking 5 classes at once wasn't enough of a stress, It gets more interesting...

As of last Friday morning, I was really beginning to think that baby J would be a so-cal chick (or dude), at least for a while after birth.

Chris was scheduled today for an interview in Arizona next Monday (yes, he'll be flying out on Easter!). Now I know that everyone has job interviews, etc, but how many of them do a preliminary interview in person with a rep in California and then fly you out there to interview and have lunch with the big Cheeses, (while giving him an extra day to "explore phoenix")?? Actually sounds like one of those gimmicks where Airfare, Hotel and other expenses are free after just a quick 5 hour seminar!

The realization that something of this nature could possibly happen is particularly daunting right now. I had already been contemplating furniture arrangement for the nursery!! I had already decided that I could, Maybe, just maybe, keep on truckin' at the Surgery Center until September and then play it by ear... But who in Arizona is going to want to hire a 5 month pregnant (or more) chick and know she'll need some maternity leave soon!?

I haven't wanted to talk about what we'll do with the condo or working or anything yet because I don't want to put too much emphasis on the unknown regarding this job, there are quite a few things that would stop us from being able to move forward with our lives, particularly one condo by the freeway with brand new windows (which are heavenly I must say)!

I'm not sure how 'fresh' of a start this would give us considering we'd probably have to rent out the condo and make up the mortgage difference while we (most likely) rent something in Arizona... It's hard to accept that we'll be moving even further away from family than we already are, although I know my ASU-Alumni sister would be making the trip to visit us (GO Sundevils!) Haha. I'll have my pitchfork ready...On a side note, did they pick that mascot because it's hotter than he-l-l in Arizona?! I'm sure to those who are ASU alumni, that was a dumb question. Well, please enlighten me.

And now as I sit here and type this, I overhear Chris on the phone with his family saying, "I need to make sure I support my family"... Yup. Gushy McGusherson (aka. baby mama) started to cry.

*shhhh* Don't tell Chris...

Week 15!

We made it to Week 15!

Continuing the march towards normal proportions, baby's legs now outmeasure the arms. And, finally, all four limbs have functional joints. Your fetus is squirming and wiggling like crazy down in the womb, though you probably still can't feel the movements.

No huge changes to report... although I am starting to look pregnant to people I see daily, which is pretty exciting!!

Petunia Picklebottom?!

So after a very much needed weekend away, I find myself contemplating how amazing a diaper bag can make you feel! That's right. Grandma Johnson bought us a Petunia Picklebottom bag in Baroque Roll... The picture online doesn't do it justice, it's so much more beautiful in person!! I will be the most fashionable person in Santa Maria!!! (JK... We all know I already am)... You can see our new bag at :



http://www.petuniapicklebottom.com/collections/original/boxybackpacks/baroqueroll/



Hope you have a great week!! I think I just might make it through the week without going absolutely nuts!

Week 14!

Not a whole lot to say today... I'm just so relieved that tomorrow is Friday! I'm not sure I could take much more stress at work... working extra hours when you're pregnant really throws a girl off! Update for Week 14:

Babycakes is the size of a Lemon!

Your adorable little fetus is busy with thumb sucking, toe wiggling, and (not so cute but equally amazing) making urine and breathing amniotic fluid as the liver, kidneys and spleen continue to develop. Lanugo (thin, downy hair) is growing all over the body for warmth.