33 Weeks! (Month 8)

"Baby’s senses are continuing to improve -- when light peeks in through your (extremely) stretched belly, those tiny eyelids and irises blink and dilate. And, baby can now recognize and react to simple songs… time to start practicing your lullabies! Growth (at least inside your womb) is starting to slow, and you may notice baby descend into your pelvis at the end of this month."

Freakshow

I mentioned that periodically I get some nasty swelling in the ankles. I have good days and bad days and apparently yesterday was a bad swelling day. Most times I don't even realize it, because my feet don't hurt. After yesterday, I have come to the painful realization that I *may* have to retire my heels for the next 7 weeks. Man, it was hard to even type that! Let me explain...

After work, I came home and went upstairs to our computer to check my email. I was sitting there for maybe 5-10 minutes, with my feet crossed at the ankles. (Yes, I know I'm not supposed to sit with my legs or ankles crossed...but I was comfortable!) While I was checking my email, the Hubs came home from work and came upstairs. I uncrossed my ankles, flung off my shoes and stood up to give him a hug and kiss. That's when I looked down and saw this:

No, I'm not referring to the fact that I desperately need a pedicure. Do you see that massive indent on the right side of my right foot?! That is from the wedge of my left heel digging into my right foot from sitting for 7 minutes with my ankles crossed. And I SWEAR it didn't hurt at all. Here it is again:

The Hubs and I just stared at each other stunned for a while before he said, "Wow, that is some crazy sh*t." He doesn't normally swear, but can you blame him? Yowza. So today, my cute, patent leather wedges are sitting quietly on my shoe rack while these hideous things are on my feet:

I'm now ready to join the Circus...

Celebrating Life.

What a lovely day today has been! My dear friends G & Ang threw me a baby shower, which was more like a baby downpour! I am so spoiled with fantastic friends! It was a beautiful, sunny day and while I was getting ready, I was thinking about how life keeps moving. See, exactly 24 years ago to the day, my Grandma Rita passed away. It was shocking and sudden. She had gone to visit my Aunt who had just given birth and to lend a helping hand. And on this same day, 24 years later, I gathered with my friends to celebrate a new life that is entering the world. How I wish that she could be here to share in the excitement, as it would be her first great-grandchild.

I will post some pictures from the shower when I get them, but now I will be filling my time with finding places for all of Peanut's new toys and essentials (not to mention the laundry I must do--oy!)

32 weeks!

How far along? 32 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: ~+26...so big.

Maternity clothes?: Some of my maternity clothes purchased a couple months ago are getting snug...very scary!

Stretch marks?: Just a couple, but none on the belly...thank god.

Sleep: I've been sleeping great, with the exception of the charlie horse in the calf about once a week.

Best moment this week: Got some relief from back pain thanks to some physical therapy!

Movement: Yes and lots of it. I'm enjoying every minute of it.

Food cravings: Fruit. We're close to finishing the 4 lb. basket of strawberries I bought 4 days ago...yum!

Gender: So hard to say...been thinking boy lately. The Hubs and I decided we would buy two special outfits to bring with us to the hospital, one for if it's a boy and another for if it's a girl. I bought the 'girl' outfit at Nordstrom yesterday and OMG it's *so* stinking cute...made me kinda hope it's a girl :)

Labor Signs: Braxton Hicks made many appearances last week in Victoria and has come every day since.

Belly Button in or out? Neither--it's so flat. However, the little part in the middle is trying to bust out.

What I miss: Many pairs of my shoes, sleeping on my belly and wine.

What I am looking forward to: My first baby shower on Sunday!

Weekly Wisdom: Drink as much water as possible. It helps with EVERYTHING!

Milestones: Wow--we're beginning the 8th month!

A pain in the butt...literally.

I truly feel guilty blogging about pretty much the only difficult part about this pregnancy, but seeing as I have an outlet to vent and people to vent to, I'm gonna! A couple weeks ago I started experiencing a dull pain in my lower back/upper butt on my right side. No big deal, just kind of a nagging pain that would come on and then go away. As the days went by, it got much worse until it became excruciating and constant. The worst part was it even hurt to lay down. I searched blogs, online websites and consulted my personal, 24 hour-a-day-on-call physical therpist (otherwise known as Opa, Hubs' dad). I tried everything. Warm baths, ice, sitting on a ball, heating pads--nothing gave much relief. The Hubs pleaded with me to take some Tylenol, which my doctor recommended, but I really didn't want to. 6 days into the pain, I broke down and took a half dosage, for the first time this pregnancy--it did nothing.


So, I have been seeing a Physical Therapist who has said the right side of my sacrum is out of alignment and the extra weight up front is putting pressure on both the joint and my sciatic nerve--a double whammy!

Thank goodness I'm not a total wimp! He gave me a bunch of exercises to do and after a massage (on the tummy pillow!) said that a after couple visits a week for 2-3 weeks I should feel much better. I've been a good patient and have been doing my exercises at home which have definitely helped. I'm pretty sure Peanut has changed positions which has helped as well! Sounds like Peanut heard my plea!

This weekend is more prepping for Peanut. Must get the closets cleaned out, pick up the rocker/ottoman that is in & my first baby shower is Sunday! Can't wait!

Babymooning in Victoria!

The Hubs and I had an absolutely fabulous time babymooning in Victoria last weekend. Believe it or not, this was our first trip away just the two of us since our honeymoon and we realized we need to do this more often...good thing we are having a baby! Just kidding. We really got a chance to relax and enjoy each other's company.

Our trip started bright and early Friday morning when we hopped aboard the Victoria Clipper along the Seattle waterfront. A mere 2.5 hours later, we were pulling into the beautiful inner harbor of Victoria. The sun was shining and since we weren't sure how long it would last, we went straight to a tour bus to take us to Butchart gardens. Like a true Mazzitelli, we went straight to the Blue Poppy Restaurant for a little lunch before we went to explore the amazing scenery.

After the gardens, we checked in to the beautiful Fairmont Empress for our weekend stay.
When we checked into our room, we had a very thoughtful gift waiting for us, sent by one of the Hubs' colleagues:

After taking a minute to ooh and ahh over what a nice gesture it was, the caddy, hormonal person came out of me. Ummm...who gives champagne to someone expecting a baby? More importantly, who gives ME, someone who *loves* all things wine and champagne a wonderful 2005 Brut when I'm pregnant?!?! So cruel. I suppose it was for the Hubs to enjoy, but I promptly forbade him to open it and threw it in my luggage to enjoy in approximately 8 weeks. The Hubs is a beer person anyway :).

Anyway, after settling in, we went directly to our side-by-side couples massage appointment which was heavenly. The best part was a fabulous pillow which enabled me to lay on my tummy! What a treat that was for my back, but more on that later. Sweet relief!

After the massages, we showered and dressed for dinner in the Empress Room. The Hubs had his favorite, duck breast and I had a delicious gnocchi.

Saturday morning we woke up to a wonderful breakfast in bed and then we just spent a leisurely afternoon strolling through town and visiting the shops. The highlight of the afternoon for me was seeing Darth Vadar play the Violin...seriously:



And the highlight for the Hubs was finding his favorite beer, Kronenbourg 1664, on tap at fantastic Irish Pub. This beer is extremely hard to find!


I was not as thrilled with my water:

Later that afternoon, we decided this trip was all about things we won't be able to do as often once the baby comes. Our feet were getting sore, so we went back to our room, got into our comfies and rented "It's Complicated" (Rating: B+) and snuggled up.
That night, we had another romantic and delicious dinner, this time at Il Terrazzo....yum!

Sunday morning, we had breakfast in the Empress Room and sadly checked out of the hotel. We then headed up to the Craigdarroch Castle...amazing! We had taken a cab to the castle, but seeing as it was another gorgeous day, we decided to walk the 3 miles back to town to do some more shopping. It was great to get some exercise and see the city from another view. After another great lunch (and a couple more pints of Kronies for the Hubs) we went back to meet the Clipper for the voyage home. We were so sad to see the weekend come to an end!
We'll be back, Victoria! Next time, with a little one in tow!

Meet Peanut's Archenemy...

Peanut haaaaates this hand dryer I have in the bathroom at work. It's one of those super high-powered dryers that is so strong it moves your skin around. The problem is it's so loud that Peanut jumps every time I use it (which is roughly 8-10 times a day) and then moves rapidly, as if s/he is trying move away or cover his/her ears...poor little Peanut!

A Plea

Dearest Peanut,

While Mommy realizes that you are getting bigger and bigger everyday and your space is getting smaller and smaller, could please lift your little body up so you aren't sitting quite so low? See, Mommy's nerves and pelvis just aren't strong enough to hold you and when you sit low, it sends shooting pains down Mommy's right side of her lower backside and it makes her look like a 92 year old lady limping around the office. If you do me this small favor, I promise to read you extra bedtime stories and maybe even let you have a cookie before dinner...but don't tell daddy.

Other than that, you have been so good to Mommy and she appreciates it very much.

Love you and can't wait to meet you,

Mommy xo

How much longer?!

I was noticing the ticker to the right on this blog with the countdown: "you are 30 weeks, 2 days pregnant, only 68 days to go!" 68 Days?!? 68 days ago was when we had our last ultrasound. 68 days ago was early February, which was not long ago at all and in (roughly) 68 days our little Peanut will be here! Amazing how time flies!

In other news, the Hubs, Opa & Amma came over on Saturday and did a fantastic job of assembling Peanut's crib and muscling the deceivingly heavy dresser into the house. I would post some pictures of how it looks now, but I'd rather wait until the chair is in and the art is on the wall, etc, etc. So I'll just make you wait!

Not a whole lot will get accomplished this week because the Hubs and I will be going on our 'Babymoon' to Victoria on Friday! Cross your fingers for nice weather!

And on a totally unrelated note, if you are not watching Modern Family, you are majorly missing out! Here is a link with clips of my favorite TV couple. Enjoy!

Fun For All!

We have created a game for you to guess what Baby Iwen is, when s/he will arrive, etc....

Click the link below and submit your guess!



Good Luck!!!

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

We got the call that the crib and dresser are ready to be picked up from the store! Not only that but we're getting our carpets cleaned on Thursday!!! I'm so happy I can hardly stand it!

Oh, and for those of you who did not get that the title of this posting is referencing a Ren and Stimpy song, I will post for your convenience:



You're welcome :)

The nightly party in my belly

Peanut is starting to get rather cramped...now almost all of his/her movements are visible on the outside. My cousin Erin saw this first hand as she was sitting next to me at Easter and witnessed a big kick to my right side. Her eyes said it all! Here is a video of Peanut after Easter festivities. WARNING--BARE BELLY SHOT BELOW. AVERT THE EYES IF YOU HAVE A WEAK STOMACH : )

PS--You get bonus points if you were able to tell that the movie in the background is Sweet Home Alabama :)

The ever-shrinking shirt

Same shirt, different belly...

20 weeks:

29 weeks:

Weeks 29-32 (Month 7)

"Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments."

Painting!

Last weekend, Dad and the Hubs did a fabulous job painting Peanut's nursery. My yellow and gray vision that I have had this whole pregnancy is coming true and I absolutely *love* how it turned out.

Here is Peanut's room before the paint:

The boys hard at work:

And after:

We should be getting all of the furniture in within the next month...can't wait to see it all come together!