The One With All the Details

We had our gender reveal celebration last Saturday.  If you've been reading the blog, you already know what we are having.  If you haven't read it yet, check out the initial reveal post here.

But I wanted to post some details about the day.

My friend helped me out by getting the balloons we needed for the big Christmas box that I wrapped up.

Our immediate families and some close friends came over to celebrate with us.  My best friend was also there through the magic of FaceTime.

I made some yummy foods like Tomato Tortellini Soup, Wonton Taco Cups, Deviled Eggs, Slutty Blondie Brownies (no party for your unborn baby would be completely without these!), and Pesto Poppers.  Everything was delish and we snacked for a little while before the big reveal.

When it was time to go outside, Hubs carried the big box out onto the deck.  It was cold and windy but I was so flipping excited, it didn't matter. 

I was so worried the balloons were going to fly out everywhere with the wind.

When I pictured the moment we opened the box, I saw balloons floating into the sky and others popping out of the box to surprise us.

As is typical with the Hubs and I, things did not go as planned...

Box is open.  Where are the balloons?!

Rewind to Thursday for a minute...

Dummy me put the box of balloons in our spare bedroom during the two days before our reveal party.  That bedroom is like Antarctica...no heat because we keep the door closed.  

Know what happens to balloons left in the cold?

They deflate.

Ooops.

So, Hubs and I peeked into the box and tried to help the balloons that may still have had a little helium in them float to the surface.

Here's what we found...

It's a boy!

 And there are the deflated balloons!

We all had a really good laugh about the whole situation and it was just so classicly "us" that things didn't go according to plan.

We had a great time anyway and are so looking forward to the arrival of our baby boy!

Let the shopping begin!

The One with the Presents

I have just about put all the presents away that were under the tree.

There are a few still hanging out under there (including the huge box that has Hubs' train horn for his truck in it...don't even ask), but for the most part I was pretty productive yesterday.

Here's a quick recap of some of the fun stuff I got this year.  I didn't take any pictures of my actual presents so these are all from the wonderful Internet.

Dyson DC44 Digital Slim Vacuum
Hubs has been complaining about the shitty little dustbuster vacuum we have for MONTHS.  I told him that if we were upgrading, it was go big or go home.  I have the big Dyson animal vacuum (LOVE!) and knew if we were going to get a handheld one, I wanted one that would also be able to do the hardwoods without having to lug around the big one.  I charged this baby up yesterday and can't wait to use it today.

Shark Professional Steam Pocket Mop
I have heard nothing but amazing things about this mop and I can't wait to try it out on our floors.  Yes, I know I'm a dork and get excited about cleaning products, but considering I got my first KitchenAid for my 18th birthday, it was apparent a long time ago that I have a small obsession with household appliances.

SodaStream Crystal Red Soda Maker
While I haven't been drinking a ton of soda since I got pregnant, I am quite excited to try this out.  The soda apparently tastes exactly like the brand name stuff and it saves you quite a bit of money.  Going to be playing with this and all the different flavors of drinks later today.

UGG Classic Mini
I have been fighting the UGG craze since day one.  I am not a huge fan of the way they look and I think they have become way too much of a fad (don't get me started on the UGGs with mini skirt look).  However, I cannot keep wearing my one go-to pair of black flats with all my maternity leggings.  I needed something comfy that I could wear at school all day and also wear out on the weekends.  So, I caved and told my mom and brother I wanted these.  I am definitely a convert.

I also got an adorable black Coach scarf with the C's on one side and polka dots on the other from my brother's girlfriend, a really pretty heart necklace and some new pajamas from my in-laws, and a new serving dish that keeps dips warm.

I was very spoiled this Christmas and am thoroughly grateful to Hubs and the rest of my family for their generosity.  We know next Christmas is going to be all about the little bean, so we took advantage of spoiling ourselves for one last Christmas.

Hope Santa was good to everyone!

The One with It's a...

A little video montage of last Saturday's celebration...




Gender Reveal from Jessica on Vimeo.

The One with the Very Merry

Wishing you and yours a very merry Christmas!

More on the amazing presents in an upcoming post!

The One with the Weekly Pregnancy Update

Here's this week's update.  It's been a busy week!

20 Weeks

Bon Jovi said it best (and apparently he also said it slanted).

How far along? 20 weeks (cantaloupe)

Total weight gain/loss: My scale says I've gained around a half pound this week.  Thinking that's going to jump right up after the numerous Christmas celebrations.

Maternity clothes: Please and thank you!

Sleep: I definitely have more energy these days, which comes in quite handy for the many holiday preparations I've been working on this week.
Best moment this week: The big reveal!
Miss Anything? The yummy holiday drinks and Brie.  I always make a Brie with cranberries for a holiday appetizers and I have really wanted it this year.

Movement: Baby is an active one, especially when I'm moving around.
Food cravings: Well I've been eating lots of Christmas cookies this week.
Anything making you queasy or sick? In good shape with this lately.
Gender prediction: No more predicting!  We found out baby's gender on Saturday.  I promise I will do a whole post about it, but there are a few more family members who we need to surprise with the news over the holidays.
Labor Signs: No, but I have started to face the reality that I actually have to give birth to this baby.
Symptoms: My back and feet have been bothering me.

Major purchases this week? Nope, but I am going shopping like a crazy lady during the after Christmas sales for next year's Christmas outfits.

Weekly wisdom: Take advantage when people tell you to sit down and let them do it.
Looking forward to: Continuing to share our big gender news and starting to pick out nursery bedding.

The in-laws are coming over for dinner in a bit so I need to go finish a few things.

Merry Christmas Eve!

The One with the Meltdown and the Pledge

I may have had a small meltdown last night about the 80 bajillion things I need to accomplish in the next 48 hours.

I may have been a huge bitch to Hubs and yelled at the dog.

I may have wanted to curl up in the fetal position and rock back and forth for a few.

I may have spent way too much time on Pinterest trying to organize all the recipes I am making for the 5 holiday celebrations we have going on this year.

And then I may have told myself to get a fucking grip, stop being whiney, and put it all in perspective.

It will all get done.  And what doesn't get done doesn't matter.

****************************************************************

I haven't addressed the unthinkable tragedy in Newtown on this blog yet.  I am still processing it all myself.  This one hit way too close to home.  Literally and figuratively.

I grew up in Connecticut.  Most of my immediate family still lives there.  Several of them are in the immediate surrounding towns.

I teach first grade.  Twenty-one little lives are entrusted to me every day and I am supposed to keep them safe.

My heart breaks thinking about those parents who don't get to pick their children up from school anymore.  Or watch them open presents this year.  Or read with them.

I know this has touched our entire nation and the world, but I think knowing that I am bringing a child into this world makes it even more real for me.

I am pledging to do the 26 acts that Ann Curry spoke about.  I have a list of each victim and I will keep it in my purse.  Each day I will honor one of them through a random act of kindness.  I know it is a simple thing and may not make a huge difference in the grand scheme of things, but I feel like I need to do something to remember those 20 precious children and 6 brave adults who lost their lives last week.

The One with All the Cookies

I clearly need my head examined.

This weekend, I baked 28 dozen cookies (give or take a dozen or two).

My KitchenAid got a workout and my counters may never recover from the plethora of flour that covered them.

But I love it.  It makes me happy to cook and bake and be all holiday-y.

Every recipe was a new one for me this year and Hubs taste-tested all of them to make sure they met his standards.  Hopefully everyone who gets a cookie tray this year will approve.

Here is a list of the cookies I made along with links to find them:

Crazy Confetti Compost Cookies...cookies with salt and vinegar potato chips AND sprinkles?  Dream.Come.True

Chewy Coconut-Lime Sugar Cookies...like vacation in a cookie.

Soft Gingersnap Cookies...wouldn't be the holidays without a gingersnap cookie.

Peanut Butter Oatmeal White Chocolate Cookies...peanut butter and white chocolate?  Uhh, I'm in love.

Rolo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies...totally worth unwrapping all those little damn Rolos.

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies...I changed this one up a bit.  Didn't use the chocolate chips and added a mini PB cup to the top of the cookie when it was done baking.

Peanut Butter Buckeye Pretzel Bites...okay, not technically a cookie, but probably the most time consuming of them all.

I haven't made the Pretzel Peanut Bark yet.  I do several big batches of this every year with different kinds of chocolate and it's always a huge hit.  Super easy and really doesn't need a recipe.  You can pretty much add anything you want.

And the proof of all my baking...

Just some of the ingredients.  I think I bought Stop and Shop out of the baking supplies.

I only bake healthy cookies.

I only ate a few of these.  That's restraint people.

Just some of the finished products.  Along with Hubs' "testing" plate.

Melty gooey peanut butter-ness.

I haven't made the trays up yet, but I'll throw those pictures into another post when they are finished.  Planning to deliver those on Wednesday to their new homes.

It was a long weekend and my body is still recovering, but I had fun blasting the Christmas music and baking.  And Hubs had fun eating.

More food posts coming with details about the reveal party and our many Christmas celebrations menus.

The One with the Weekly Pregnancy Update

Little late on this one because I spent all day yesterday baking cookies.  Post on that to follow tomorrow.

19 Weeks

How far along? 19 weeks (mango)

Total weight gain/loss: Right around IVF transfer weight, so no official weight gained yet but I know it's coming.

Maternity clothes: Clearly all I wear now.  Even my regular pajamas are getting kinda tight.

Sleep: Doing pretty well with this.  Not falling asleep at 7:00 anymore, but still needing a solid 8 hours to feel even close to rested.
Best moment this week: Our anatomy scan was on Saturday and we got to see a lot of pictures of the baby.  Details about the scan are below.
Miss Anything? Being able to lift boxes and be on my feet for an extended period of time.

Movement: Yes, it's definitely the baby I've been feeling.  Such an awesome thing!
Food cravings: French fries, bread and butter, chips.  Clearly super healthy pregnancy eating is happening in this house.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Nothing right now, knock on wood.
Gender prediction: Absolutely convinced it's a boy.
Labor Signs: Nope.
Symptoms: Heartburn is back with a vengeance and I finally caved and picked up some Zantac.

Major purchases this week? Nothing major but I've been doing a lot of ooh isn't this adorable? shopping every time I walk through any baby section of any store.

Weekly wisdom: Don't try to bake 28 dozen cookies in one day.  Your body will probably hate you.
Looking forward to: The big reveal on Saturday!

So the anatomy scan was on Saturday morning.  Hubs and I headed over to the radiology office and met our tech.  She was kinda bitchy and didn't explain much of what she was doing.  Hubs asked her a lot of questions and she mostly seemed annoyed by it all.  I mean, I know she sees tons of babies all the time and she's not excited like we are, but could you at least fake it lady?  

Anyway, she started with a regular ultrasound and looked at all different parts of the baby.  We saw the spine, brain and head, stomach, kidneys, and all four chambers of the heart.  The arms and legs were moving around and the baby was even sucking his/her thumb at one point.  The baby weighs 11 ounces and the heartbeat was 141.  Baby is breech right now so it was tough getting a profile shot.  The tech switched to a 3D ultrasound (which kinda freak me out) and we got to see some more pictures of the baby.

We have to go back on the 29th for a follow-up ultrasound because the tech couldn't get a good picture of the three-vesseled cord...nothing wrong with it as far as she can tell, she just couldn't see it.  However, everything else looks good and she was able to determine the gender.  She wrote it down and I delivered it to my friend this afternoon who is going to get the balloons for our party on Saturday.

Here are some 3D pics from the big anatomy scan:

Looking straight at baby's face.

Baby's arm up near his/her face.  Baby looks like it has a Gonzo nose here!

It was definitely a cool experience and I'm actually super excited to go back and see the baby again in two weeks.  The tech did say he/she should have more "meat" on its bones by then and we should get some better pictures.  Can't wait!

The One with the 6-Year-Olds

So I'm a first grade teacher.

And I spend my days with 6- and 7-year-olds.

And some days they make me want to pull my hair out.

But most days, they are great and I love my job.

And they say and do the funniest things sometimes.

Like the time Hubs sent my flowers at school for Valentine's Day and one little boy walked by and mumbled under his breath, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Or the time the little girl read some stories from the Bible as her reading homework and listed the author as "God" on her reading log.

It seems like forever ago, but I told my students about the baby right before Thanksgiving.  We had a talk about the fact that my belly was going to get bigger and that eventually I would be leaving for the rest of the year to stay home with the baby after he/she arrived.  I heard stories about their moms, aunts, friends, and neighbors having babies.  I heard about their siblings at home who never stop crying and how I was going to need a lot of help to take care of this baby because it's going to be a lot of work.

But one little girl definitely wins the prize for the most adorable (and smartest) comment during this conversation.  It went something like this...

Me: I may need to sit down more than usual and may be tired as the baby gets bigger, but I'm still me and I'm still your teacher so don't worry that things are going to be super different.

6-year-old: Well, it's a good thing you have that table (pointing to kidney shaped table) in the room then.

Me: Yeah, you're right.  I will be able to sit down there if I get tired or need a break.

6-year-old: No, that's not why it's good that you have it.  I think it's a good table for you because it has that space where you sit for your belly when it gets all huge and big.

Think the manufacturers of this table should start advertising this as the pregnancy table?

I was biting my lip to keep from laughing out loud because she was so serious about the usefulness of the table.

Out of the mouths of first graders!

The One with the Weekly Pregnancy Update

What up, peeps?

Does anyone actually use that word anymore or is just a remnant of my 90s upbringing?  I have a feeling it's the latter.

But, I digress...

I have a whole long list of posts I want to write but haven't seemed to be able to get much accomplished lately with report cards, budgets, teaching, Christmas shopping, and decorating.  So here's the weekly update and I have a feeling I may be posting a whole lot during Christmas break when I have a little more time.

18 Weeks

Look who's not wearing gray!  But, also note the look of "Take the effin picture, Hubs, so I can go take a bath and put my pajamas on."

How far along? 18 weeks (sweet potato)

Total weight gain/loss: At my official 18 week appointment last Friday, I was up 2 pounds so I am around 2-3 pounds from my weight at the time of the IVF transfer.

Maternity clothes: Nothing but.

Have you started to show yet? Yup, I'm definitely sporting more of a pregnancy belly, instead of just a food belly.

Sleep: Would love to be getting more.  Too bad our dumb dog thinks he's a baby and wakes up at 3 am for no apparent reason.
Best moment this week: Scheduling our anatomy scan for THIS SATURDAY.
Miss Anything? Booze.  I have been seeing all these awesome holiday drinks on Pinterest and I am definitely going to miss them this year.

Movement: Yup, finally felt the first little twitches this week.  Mostly happens when I am sitting quietly but I also think this baby is wide awake when I'm moving around.
Food cravings: Those Thin Mints peppermint patty things, anything salty, and I had to have an Awful Awful this weekend (Google it...it's a RI thing).
Anything making you queasy or sick? Not at the moment, although the smell of our stinky garbage had me gagging the other night.
Gender prediction: This week, I keep calling the baby a she.  We will know soon enough!
Labor Signs: No labor, but I have had a lot of round ligament pain and everything feels kinda "heavy."
Symptoms: I feel like I'm moving more slowly and definitely cannot stand for as long.

Major purchases this week? Bought another Halloween onesie on super sale at Kohls.  Also did a lot of shopping for other people's babies this week.  Just reaffirmed the fact that Hubs better start working a boatload of overtime once we find out the gender of this baby because mama is going to be doing a whole lotta shopping!

Weekly wisdom: Don't carry heavy laundry baskets up the stairs.  Your husband will yell at you and the baby doesn't like it.
Looking forward to: Anatomy scan on Saturday.  We won't actually find out the gender until the 22nd when we do our reveal party, but I cannot wait to see this little baby again.

The One with the Weekly Pregnancy Update

Here is the latest update...2 days late.

17 Weeks

And I'm in gray again...

How far along? 17 weeks (onion)

Total weight gain/loss: I think I've put on a pound or two this week, so I'm close to my pre-IVF weight.

Maternity clothes: Absolutely.  Although today I have a non-maternity dress on that just has an empire waist.

Have you started to show yet? I feel like I have really popped in the last week, especially when I wear maternity clothes.  I feel like I look huge in this picture and Hubs said last night, "Wow you really look pregnant today."

Sleep: Loving it lately.  Can't seem to get enough.
Best moment this week: We did a Facebook announcement and it was so great to get all the wonderful comments from family and friends.
Miss Anything? We went to Panera this weekend and I really wanted a turkey sandwich.

Movement: Still waiting to confirm that I'm actually feeling the baby.
Food cravings: As it says above, cheese, French fries, and still going with the pears.
Anything making you queasy or sick? Doing pretty well with this lately.
Gender prediction: I'm still thinking boy, although Hubs keeps dreaming about girls.
Labor Signs: Nope, but definitely having a lot of stretching of muscles going on this week.
Symptoms: Tired and a little moody.

Major purchases this week? Nothing this week, but working on narrowing down the nursery furniture.

Weekly wisdom: Try to stay off your feet when you can.  I was going all day on Sunday and by the time the day was over, I was not only exhausted, but my whole body was sore.
Looking forward to: Doctor's appointment on Friday to see the little bean and scheduling our anatomy scan for sometime before Christmas.

The One with the Christmas Cards

Our Christmas cards are going in the mail today!  Falalalala!

I.freaking.love.Christmas.  I warn you that this sentence will probably come up a few thousand times in my posts this month.  I am always a holiday junkie but this year has me a little jollier than usual I think.

Anywho, back to the cards.

I knew what I wanted them to look like since the moment I found out I was pregnant and I knew I could get Hubs to cooperate because it wouldn't require him to dress up or smile for a picture.  When my brother was here for Thanksgiving, I had him take the picture and I ordered them from Shutterfly last week.

They arrived on Thursday and I love them.

The prep this morning.

All 100+ ready to go in the mail today.

Here is what they look like in case you aren't on my Christmas card list.  Send me your address.  I'll add you!

Front: 

Back:

I am thrilled with how they look and I was able to get some good discounts on them too.  

I have several more holiday posts brewing as well as an awesome one about the super great things I had to get at the pharmacy the other day for an awesome pregnancy symptom.

Oh side note, I clearly failed at NaBloPoMo.  But, I feel like I definitely did way more posts in November than usual, so I guess it wasn't a complete failure for me.

Hope everyone has an amazing Saturday!

The One Where I Feel Crummy

I won't bore all of you with my laundry list of shitty yucky things to whine about right now because it's minor in the grand scheme of life.

Just wanted to say I'm alive and semi-well and all is great with the baby.  I'm just not feeling so great.  I will have some more extensive posts later this week.

The One with the Weekly Pregnancy Update

This week's update...

16 Weeks

I realized as I was uploading this picture that I've been wearing gray in the last three weeks' pictures.

How far along? 16 weeks (avocado)

Total weight gain/loss: still down about 3-4 pounds according to my scale at home

Maternity clothes: All.the.time.  Another lovely box from Gap and Old Navy arrived yesterday with some awesome tunics and sweaters.

Have you started to show yet? Yes, according to the family that I saw yesterday.  I got a few belly rubs while I was with them.

Sleep: Sleep has been coming pretty easily and I feel rested for most of the morning.  By afternoon, I'm ready for a nap.
Best moment this week: Not effing up Thanksgiving dinner!  In baby related best moments, I had a great time telling my students about the pregnancy this week and designing our Christmas card (more on both things in a later post).
Miss Anything? Definitely missed my glasses of wine at the Thanksgiving celebrations.  Also, had such a taste for Prosecco so I'm going to have to pick up some sparkling grape juice or something like that soon.

Movement: It's possible, but since I'm not exactly sure what I'm feeling for, I can't say with certainty.
Food cravings: mashed potatoes, chocolate, still eating lots of pears
Anything making you queasy or sick? Watching Hubs eat the heart and liver of the turkey this week!
Gender prediction: boy
Labor Signs: Not a thing
Symptoms: Still pretty tired and definitely more emotional

Major purchases this week? Just clothes for me at this point.  Been doing lots of research on items for our registry though.

Weekly wisdom: Buy lots of leggings.  I wear them almost every day.
Looking forward to: Going back to the doctor at the end of next week for my 18 week appointment and hoping to get a peek at the little one.

The One with the Proof

As in the proof that I, along with a great deal of help from my fabulous mother, managed to cook my first turkey evah.

Mom made the stuffing and turnip and brought up a beautiful 16 pound turkey.  I was in charge of the mashed potatoes, butternut squash, asparagus, appetizers, and pie.

While I only ate a little bit of the food, it seemed to be enjoyed by all.

The pepperoni bread that I've become rather famous in these parts for.

Here goes nothing...

In the words of my former nun of a mother, "The key to a good turkey is to baste the fuck out of it."

The beginnings of the to-die-for mashed potatoes.

Pretty damn good looking turkey if I do say so myself.

Hubs did a fantastic job carving the little guy.

Some of the feast.

I made the mashed potatoes earlier in the day and put them in the crock pot while the turkey finished cooking.  Made it much easier than trying to time everything perfectly.

Did the same thing with the butternut squash after I roasted it.

So, take that Thanksgiving gods...I pulled it off and we enjoyed the company, food, and laughter.

We had a gorgeous apple pie from Gregg's several hours later, but I didn't manage to get a picture of that before it got attacked.

Beyond thankful for the incredible blessings in our life this year (even for crazy Max who as I type keeps stealing the throw rug from the kitchen and running into the living room with it because I'm not paying attention to him).

And now, onto the Christmas preparations and festivities!

The One Where I Am Thankful

This is going to be a quick post because there is turkey to be cooked and potatoes to be mashed.

I just wanted to say how thankful I am for all the blessings we have been given this year.  From family and friends to our little bean, we have been incredibly lucky.

Wishing everyone a very happy Thanksgiving!