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!