Well, S & I have come to the conclusion that Peanut is now deaf. But, we did have a great time at the concert last night! Even peanut was moving around during the concert! š (Probably wondering what the heck was going on out here…) I probably got my last 7 months of cardio from dancing and jumping around last night.
There was a diverse crowd at the first of two sold-out shows at the Pavilion last night. I knew it was going to be diverse, but not as diverse as we witnessed last night. Lots of women, lots of gays, the 30-somethings that were around for the release of Holiday and Lucky Star, teeny boppers and kids, even more cool and hip mamas-to-be like me were there and a handful of the AARP crowd. Yup, the AARP crowd. Interesting.
So, without further ado, here are the two crappy mobile pics from last night’s concert…(why they came out in two different sizes, I don’t know, so deal.)
The Crucifixion everyone’s hearing about, from which she sang ‘Live to Tell’
Welcome to the Third Trimester!
It’s a good thing, no? Yes, folks, it’s hard to believe that peanut’s arrival is…soon, for a lack of better terms.
I moisturized and lotioned to my heart’s content, and yet, the stretch marks are here. š I guess I did what I could. But on a positive note, it means that something is indeed growing inside of me. Just means I need to work twice as hard afterwards to get rid of them.
Other than that, I am feeling relatively well for someone in their 7th month. A bit winded, tired, achy, frustrated with fat swollen feet, but, again, it all comes with the territory, no room for complaints, right?
I am grateful that S & I live in SF, because I don’t know how I’d be able to endure the heat in Palo Alto these last couple months! Just taking a walk at lunch is “uncomfortable”.
Peanut’s been pretty active lately, punching, kicking, creating wave-like effects across my tummy. It’s still so surreal, it’s crazy! S has yet to feel movement, something’s he’s pretty bummed about. In due time, I’m sure.
Da Weekend
It was a long holiday weekend…that went by too quickly, as always. We kicked off our weekend with a BBQ dinner at Dani and Alex’s with other friends. Since Aviva was down for the evening (note: buy Ferber’s book on sleep training!), we ate al fresco in their relatively newly landscaped yard…and because it was a “special” occasion, Hershel was allowed to play on the grass with Lucie. Of course, as Dani was asking us if we could try to prevent Lucie going on the lawn, what is our little princess doing? Popping a squat and peeing on the lawn. Hershel sees that and follows suit. Lovely, we’re never being invited back, are we? If that wasn’t enough, Lucie moves to the opposite corner of the lawn and proceeds to #2. Fabulous. We’re REALLY not being invited back now. Again, my apologies – but it was pretty funny. Aside from lawn issues, Lucie and Hershel had a GREAT time playing, wrestling, playing tug-o-war. Our kebab dinner was followed with fruit pies (cherry and olallieberry) and soy ice cream – yum!
Saturday, S worked on painting the trim in peanut’s room and I ran errands at The Container Store and baked brownies. I swear, I just can’t help myself in that store. It really costs a lot to be organized. It’s like Target, you can’t leave that place without a shopping bag. Well, for me at least. That night, we met my mom, Gerard and Larry for dinner at Osha. Though it was a bit loud, we had a great time and a great meal. 3 words: Pineapple Fried Rice! Yum!
Sunday, I woke up early and headed up to Creighton’s to get a small, deserved breakfast reward for S: croissants and pain au chocolat. Since he was still sleeping when I got back, I decided to take Lucie to Glen Canyon for a morning walk. It was already in the 70s at 9am, so our normal stroll in the canyon really pooped her out – granted she was running after and chasing her beloved tennis ball. We then headed down to Palo Alto for lunch at Deb & Joseph’s. Joseph’s parents were here so it was nice to visit with them…and as all Saada lunches are, it was quite the spread; including, homemade harissa (I skipped that condiment) that left S on fire the rest of the day.
Monday am, we met with our financial advisor (yes, she was working on a holiday Monday). After wondering if it would be worth the money we paid, we got our answer…yes, definitely worth the money we paid. After 3 meetings, she’s already got a pre-plan for us and rearranging our 401(k)s investment options. We meet with her again next week to go over our plan: cash reserves, education planning, retirement planning and so forth. I probably find it more helpful than S, because I don’t know much about financial planning and I was a bit relieved that she said that we’re in a good position now. Not meaning we’d be able to retire next month, rather that we’re starting early enough (though early 30s doesn’t seem early enough for me) and that we didn’t wait until our 50s to start planning.
After that appointment, I dropped off S back home and I headed down to Butterfly for Niki’s bridal luncheon. Great views, great food, great times.
I headed home after this long luncheon, we had been there for more than 2 hours. S was still finishing up on the trim, so I took Lucie to the P-A-R-K before our 5pm appointment with the landscaper. (Busy Monday, huh?) We sat down with Cathy, gave her a “not to exceed” amount and she said that it was fine and that we could all work with it, yet still achieve her “vision” for our yard. Itching to get this done soon, so as to enjoy the space before Winter, we’re on the books for a July start. Surprising, she said that it would take probably either 2-4 or 4-6 weeks (I can’t remember) to finish the job. Hey, we might have a yard before peanut’s even here! But summers in SF usually are around September/October, so it’d be even more perfect! I can’t wait! I’m pretty excited about it!
But not as excited as I am about this little concert we’re going to tonight…YAY! For me, tonight’s little outing marks the end of a not-so-baby-intensive life and the beginning of our new adventure. Because, starting next Monday, June is going to be crazy and before you know it, August 19 (or later or earlier) will be here. Who’s not freaking out at this point?
Paris Hilton on why she snubbed the premiere of “National Lampoon’s Pledge This!” movie (the producers allegedly added au natural scenes to the flick):
“I took the part on the assurance I wouldn’t do any nudity. I wanted to do something where I’d be taken seriously, and they added a load of scenes with naked girls.”
Umm. But of course, who wouldn’t take you seriously as an actor in “National Lampoon’s Pledge This!”?
Sometimes I wonder if this chick is for real.
(Where’s my rolling-eyes emoticon?)
Here’s a pic of Lucie and Labradoodle, Cooper taking a break from wrestlemania in our living room…
And a teeny, tiny pic from my birthday dinner at Osha…
Only 4 more days!
Image borrowed from here.
I found the most perfect onesie here!
…babies sure need a LOT of stuff! Last weekend, S and I got our registries started here and here. I took the advice of friends and registered for stuff that they loved: tubs, slings and the sort. The other stuff, well, at least both stores have decent return policies. Though Babies ‘R Us does have a lot of baby gear, they don’t offer a completion program. S & I thought it would be like a wedding registry…and if you order in store, they don’t deliver. Boo! Lullaby Lane, on the other hand, does have a 10% completion program and free delivery in the bay area. (Plus, I’d be breaking family tradition by not registering here, my mom registered here for both my brother and I.) Unfortunately, the price of their furniture outweighs the free delivery. I’m sure it’s nice stuff, but the furniture at BRU will suit us just fine.
We ordered peanut’s car seat and stroller, but they won’t be here for another 6-8 weeks, since someone in the store snapped up our seat! I sure do hope that peanut’s not early, because then we’d be screwed. Now, that I think about it, we’re cutting it close with this car seat thing. Yikes!
Though our registries look complete, even down to the diaper genie (which should be interesting to use), there are a few items we’re going to need to investigate further: humidifier – do we need one? baby care products – mustela, j&j, aveeno, burt’s bees. etc? formula – do we need that right away? I hope that we’ll get our answers in the next couple weeks. Baby classes start in 2 weeks, around the time of my next OB appointment and our expectant parent appointment with peanut’s pediatrician (who also happens to be the same pediatrician I saw when I was a child).
The painting of Peanut’s room is almost done. We went back to Home Depot to pick out a color. The RL “Evocative Sunlight” seemed a bit too creamy, so we went with the Behr / Disney “Busy Bee Yellow” – which is a much more mellow yellow than the yellow we had before.
Chez Rebaud, phase 2
So, after deciding that a kitchen or basement remodel wouldn’t be a good idea with a newbie around, you know, dust, paint, hammering, we decided to focus our attention to the great outdoors; and with this string of unusually warm weather we’ve been having, why not? We have a HUGE side lot that we pay a lot of property taxes on, why shouldn’t we be able to use it?
We met with a landscape architect, she was amazed by our yards and the potential they hold. Needless to say, she seemed really excited at just the thought of developing a plan for us. A plan, indeed. With $$$ attached. Sticker shock is a gross understatement…though her plan is just fabulous, I don’t think that we can come up with $50k to completely renovate our yard. Yah. $50k. Gulp! Knowing that we’d be shocked, she’s willing to work with with us to bring that price down – way down, but still capture her “vision”. I know it will cost a pretty penny, but the thought of having a yard that I’d actually want to be in, hang out in and possibly entertain / have parties in, makes me really happy. So, it gets a bit chilly and windy…that’s what tiki torches and jackets are for, right?
Today’s word is felicity
Main Entry feĀ·licĀ·iĀ·ty
Pronunciation fi-‘li-s&-tE
Function noun
Inflected Form(s) plural -ties
Etymology Middle English felicite, from Middle French felicitƩ, from Latin felicitat-, felicitas, from felic-, felix fruitful, happy
1 a : the quality or state of being happy; especially : great happiness b : an instance of happiness
2 : something that causes happiness
3 : a pleasing manner or quality especially in art or language
4 : an apt expression
Contrary to what some people may think, felicity does not mean “good news”. That is what a dictionary is for…
If you live in SF, you know what a gorgeous day Mother’s Day was! I’m glad that I had made lunch reservations at the Ferry Building…though the service was a bit lackluster – I think our waiter was high or something. Anyways, it was a nice 85-90 degrees (approx 30-32 degrees C) and we opted to sit inside because there was a 45 minute wait for outside table. After lunch we roamed about the Marketplace and ditched the long line at Ciao Bella for a shorter line at Taylor’s for milkshakes. (I think that I can safely say, if there’s one thing I’m ingesting more of, it’s definitely ice cream and/or milkshakes.)
My last mother’s day as a non-mother (well, yes, there is Lucie, but you know what I mean). S seemed…I don’t what the right word is…but he seemed (something) that he’ll have to remember yet another “-day” on top of birthdays, V-day (but we tend to play that day down), Xmas day and so on. No big deal, I don’t ask for much.
My mom did give me a “mom-to-be gift” and it shed a lot more light on “slinging”, so I think we’ll be looking for a baby sling in a fashionable fabric (but, of course).
Time flies when you’re pregnant
It really does! I was chatting about this with someone – for some reason, peanut’s incubation time is just flying by! What confirmed it for me was on my last OB visit. Dr. G went over the signs of pre-term labor (contractions, water breaking and bleeding), and you know that they won’t discuss what they need to discuss until they need to discuss it. Also, she had me schedule the remainder of my prenatal visits. My next visit is my last monthly visit, then I’m on the bi-weekly, then weekly plan through D-day. Ack!
Peanut’s room is coming along, S applied the primer this past weekend and will probably start painting this coming weekend.
Anyways…
As you sports fans know Barry Bonds is en route to tying The Great Bambino’s (gotta love Sandlot) HR record. He didn’t quite make it this weekend against the Dodgers…I just have one request to Mr. Bonds: hold off until the June 6 game against the Marlins, because that’s when we’ve got tickets to the game. Thanks.
This just in – (literally, minutes ago) – congrats to JP & Rachael on their engagement! She said yes while they were walking on this bridge. Correction: 16 May – okay it didn’t happen on the bridge, but a lovely grassy area near the bridge! Congrats again!
If you haven’t noticed, I’ve added to links to Blonde Tulip’s blog as well as Wendy’s MySpace page. (See right)
What about me?
Work is eh. 10 weeks, 2 days until maternity leave. Still a considerable amount of time, non? I think so at least. Unfortunately, I feel like I’m being phased out already. Sad, huh? A friend of mine from work says that I should take advantage of it, but I’m back to where I was, feeling useless and bored and getting paid for it. (Why am I ranting about this again?) Without talking about it too much, there’s just so much “stuff” going on here that’s above my head, who knows what my department will look like in 4 weeks (or sooner)? So, yah…
Related to work, a colleague of mine went on her maternity leave this past Monday. She’s a SoBay person and she was telling us about her hospital and her overall prenatal care and suffice it to say, I am SO glad that S & I are at the hospital we are at, because her hospital sounds awful! (Sorry, but it’s true.) They don’t even offer a hospital tour!
Vote for Lucie!
Old Navy is looking for their new four-legged mascot. For kicks, I entered Lucie in the competition. Not expecting to win, but hey, you never know. I’ll get word in 24 hours that she’s been officially entered. She’s up against 10k+ other doggies.
Me, financially plan? Riiightā¦
Especially since I’ve inherited my mom’s knack for shopping and nice things. At least S is being supportive. (Warning: tangent ahead) Last weekend at Fort Funston, we saw a woman walking ahead of us. S made me promise to never, ever wear the mom jeans. You know those jeans that just don’t look on anybody or anything? I couldn’t even last 2 days with not-quite-pregnant Old Navy jeans before buying my maternity 7s, which cost many pretty pennies, so I don’t think he has to worry about me and “mom” jeans.
Anyways, where was I? š Oh yeah, financial planning…so, last week, S & I met with a financial advisor. We weren’t too sure about it, but I’m glad that we did. There’s just a lot we haven’t taken into consideration, and with peanut on the way, even more things we need to think about. It made me feel better when she told us that there is still plenty of time for us to reach our goals. She sent us home with homework, that we, of course, started working on the last couple nights. Itās a good thing, as Martha would say, because it makes us take a real good look at my our expenses. Per MS Money, I will probably need to cut back personal care, which doesnāt sound like what itās supposed to sound like. What’s considered personal care? Massages, facials, mani/pedis, other spa services? Shower soap, shampoo, stuff that can be bought at Walgreen’s? My question isā¦shopping at Target, how do you classify that? You can buy clothing, groceries, prescriptions, household items under one roof ā I donāt think Money would be able to even begin to comprehend a typical Kellybean Target trip.
The peanut pregnancy update
The past two weeks have been crazy for me, so yesterday was my first day back to my prenatal fitness class. This time, it didn’t kick my ass so much, my quads are a tad bit sore, but thatās about it. Two other women had joined the class, so I have a feeling the $15-personal-training-prenatal-fitness-class days are over…especially since one of the women says that she’s got two friends that might be interested. I’ll definitely keep going until I can’t anymore or Dr. G says not to. I think what made it more difficult last time was the sciatica issues, but now that peanut’s moved off that nerve, I feel like a whole new person! 25 weeks and counting and I feel fabulous! (I promise we’ll try to get belly pix posted soon. Really.)
Nope, bellybutton hasnāt popped out yet.
Sleep has become one of the greatest issues lately. Every time I wake up in the middle of the night on my back, I think thatās just another few minutes Iāve hurt peanut. The boppy pillow wasnāt working for me, so I returned it. I tried putting a pillow behind by back to (kind of) keep me from turning over ā eh, it works until the pillow falls onto the floor. So, I think that Iāll be going back to the baby superstore to see what other support pillows they have.
S has been a real trooper in getting peanutās room ready. I really canāt say this enoughā¦especially since I feel so guilty sitting my butt on the couch while heās sanding and plastering to his heartās content. Heāll get one day off this weekend at least for our momās day brunch. And of course, I’ll see what I can do to make his upcoming anniversaire extra special!