34 Week Ultrasound

I thought I was getting good at deciphering the ultrasound images, but I admit I was stumped this time. I didn't have an ultrasound so far along when I was pregnant with Addie. I was used to seeing the whole baby in the grainy image but this time we could only see parts. I recognized the spine and her girl parts, which the technician referred to as Ms. Pac Man. Yes, that is what he said.

When it came to seeing her face though I just couldn't tell what I was looking at. The technician could tell. Cap could tell. I was trying not to panic. Finally somehow all the white and black blobs reassembled enough that I could finally decipher her cute rosebud lips peaking out from behind her arms which she had covering the rest of her face. Maybe this will help in case you need a little assistance too.



All is good in utero. Baby is 5 1/2 pounds, head down (facing the exit as the ultrasound technician said) and the placenta is in the right place. My due date is 9-6, labor day weekend, but when I asked my doctor if he could estimate when he thought the baby would be born he said that, if he was a gambling man, he'd put his money on September 11. Oh great. 9-11. The one day I was hoping to avoid. What about 09-09-09? or heck, early?

Comic-Con

Cap was at Comic-Con in San Diego for 3 nights to partake in the festivities. Addie and I drove down Saturday to join him - and to take advantage of the hotel pool. I somehow got lost on the way and drove 30 miles out of my way but we made it in time to dine pool-side at our hotel. We splashed poolside Saturday and Sunday, walked the seaport, got a balloon Ariel, ate ice cream, rode a carousel and were pedaled to the Gaslamp district via one of those bike rickshaws for dinner. I even got to see fireworks from our window on the 31st floor. I love fireworks and we missed them this July 4th.

Cap scored a child's pass to Comic-Con and the two of them went off Sunday morning together wearing their badges in search of Spongebob and Tinkerbell (instead finding My Little Pony and Bumblebee from Transformers) while I snagged some more pool time to re-read Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. One advantage of all 3 of us sharing a hotel room is that we crashed out at the same time and got almost 11 hours of sleep. We think we should never have to work again, but then who would pay for our luxury hotel?

We'll be back in San Diego next weekend for Cousin Esme's wedding and a trip to Sea World. Check out a few more photos from our 2 days/1 night in San Diego.

View at Your Own Risk

Warning! This video may cause nausea.




Dr. Parks asked me on Wednesday, "Do you have good fetal movement?"

I should say so.

I remember Addie pushing and stretching in my belly, but this little one seems to be performing an entire Olympic floor routine on a daily basis.

And yes, I have noticed that my tummy resembles a raw, plucked, 22 pound turkey.

Makin' Cookies

Daddy's home and it's time to make cookies!

Addie is kinda picky with her sweets. Candy - oh my yes. Cake, not thanks but I'll be happy to eat the frosting off (Mama is always waiting patiently behind me so she can finish off her cake and then mine). Ice cream - yes please especially if it's a pretty color like pink, blue or rainbow. Pie - I'll pass. Cookies - not so much until chocolate chocolate chip was discovered.

So that is what we made on Sunday when Cap came back from NY.

This was the first time we've made cookies. There is no particular reason why we haven't made them in the past. I guess I probably felt like the last thing I needed to have in the house was the temptation of homemade cookies by the dozen sitting around. I am seriously still amazed by how much sugary crap I eat at work so having desserts at home is to be avoided. Thankfully, I'm not a big fan of chocolate chocolate chip so the excess are going to Cap's office. This weekend Addie also had two other dessert firsts - pudding and jello. Again, I haven't deliberately withheld such gooey, gelatinous sweets. It never really occurred to me to buy them before. She was tepid on the pudding but the jello she wolfed down. I still don't think I need to have them around the house, but if we should find ourselves dining in a cafeteria, I know she'll find something to eat.

July 4th Weekend

Before we hit this weekend, half of which I'm spending as a single mom without a camera as Cap is NYC for work, I'll conjure up last weekends adventures.

I had spent hours during the weeks and days before the long weekend, desperately in search of an affordable hotel somewhere within a 2 hour drive that had a great pool. I failed. Palm Springs was perfect except it was 110 degrees. Santa Barbara was perfect except hotels were $300+/night. Big Bear, well, seemed shoddy and there is no way I was going to be swimming in a lake any colder than 82 degrees. So we all slept in our own beds, and I managed to get over my I'm wasting a perfectly good 3 day weekend by staying in town.

We didn't really stay in town all weekend though as we escaped Friday morning to Santa Barbara for the day. We went to the zoo, ate Mexican food and rented one of those covered bicycled contraptions and biked along the beach. Perfect. Saturday we watched a cute little parade with Jake and Chloe, played in the kiddy pool and set up our beach tent in our yard before going to a friend's BBQ late that afternoon. Sunday, we swam at the Santa Monica College pool, ate more Mexican food and went to a 2 year old's birthday party. Busy! By the next holiday weekend I'll be on maternity leave either with a new little one or wishing she'd hurry up and come out!


Riding the tiny wooden carousel at the zoo.

Wide load coming through


Addie and Pinkie Pie Pony


I dug a giant hole for belly in the sand.


Our backyard tent.

Here are a few more photos of our weekend.

First Day of School

Okay so maybe I cried a little.

When we got to her classroom, we dropped off her lunch box and her stuff in her cubby (I love that she has a cubby!). She ran in, grabbed a book and plunked down on the carpet with the other kids. Wow that was easy. Only we hadn't really said goodbye, and I didn't want to sneak out which would have felt like some sort of betrayal. When she realized that Cap and I weren't going to hang out, she cried. Then I cried. And then Cap had to take us both outside where I stayed, and they went back in to say one last farewell.

When I went to pick her up at 5:15, she was happily playing near the swings with another little girl who she claimed couldn't talk. Her main teacher doesn't stay until this late so I didn't get a chance to ask how thing went, but Addie wanted to stay and hang out. I had to beg her to come home with me. Guess she likes it!

Graduation

Addie graduated from daycare on Thursday and will be starting at her new Montessori pre-school tomorrow. I can't believe it really. We have loved Andi's House and have become close friends with the families of Addie's compatriots. Today, we went to the fourth daycare pal birthday party in the past 3 weeks and it's amazing to think these kids have known each other their entire lives. All three years. I cried on Addie's last day at Andi's House when I came to pick her up. I couldn't help it. I'm just so proud of her. She's growing into such an amazing and wondrous little girl.

Addie's really excited about starting her new school. She told me she's going to make new friends and learn so many things especially about kangaroos. I'm sad that none of her friends from daycare will be joining her but I know she'll make new friends quickly and we will see her old Andi's House pals all the time on weekends.

I hope I don't cry when I drop her off tomorrow. . . or at least I hope she doesn't see me.