Week 38 - CHECK!

Just saying hello today. 38 weeks down and we're heading into week 39.  I had some false labor the other night, but it just means that my body is getting ready for the big day.  Thank goodness for the Internet and free wifi at Target.  Of course I'd be the one to go into labor at Target right? :) Photo credit to Charissa!

While I was looking up info about contractions, besties Charissa and Mel were trying on super cute Target clothes.  I can't wait to shop again!

The Nursery

The baby's room is done! Just in time too (no pun intended...for those of you who get my little joke! :))!

Here are a few photos of the finished room. I managed to forget to snap a photo of our zig zag rug, but that's going to have to wait because this mama is exhausted and ready for a catnap.

Now, we just need a baby and it'll be complete! :)

Type A

Hello! My apologies for a very late post this week. It's nearing the end of week 37 here and it's been super busy around. I know most women go through a nesting stage, but my nesting is less out of preparation for the baby and more out of fear that I won't want to do anything around the house when I am a sleep deprived zombie. I am REALLY grumpy when I am sleep deprived... REALLY, REALLY GRUMPY.

Aside from exhaustion, discomfort, irritability and being extra emotional (doesn't this make you want to spend a day with me?), I have been nesting and getting everything under the sun done. My type A personality thrives on lists and crossing things off my lists. Then recopying my lists so that they're neat again. Here's my newly updated weekly list on the right and my daily to do list on the left. I know I'm nuts, but now you know too and we can all move on. :)

The Tundra Endeavor

No, I didn't get to see the Endeavor on it's tour across LA, but my husband had been pretty excited about seeing the Endeavor being pulled by the Endeavor.  On the 405 northbound heading toward Torrance, there's a big billboard the reads "The Tundra Endeavor" so I was anxious to check out the video. I mean...VIDEOS.  I should have known they'd release a series of videos. There are several, but here are two of my favorites. 

  

And just so you know how pregnant I am. When I watched the Mission Accomplished video, I teared up. 5 weeks to go!

Clumsy

I'm clumsy. I admit it. I trip. I fall. I run into stationary objects. I drop things. Things fall out of my hands. Last night, as I was getting ice in a cup, I managed to pull the cup away while ice was still coming out. Oops. Once, after dropping something, my husband asked, "How is it that you're so precise and exact when you're scrapbooking or making flowers, but you're so clumsy with other things? It doesn't make sense!" I know, I know. You're thinking, "But Joan, you've got it so together. I don't believe you." (HA!) I am admitting it now -- I am super clumsy.

When Chris and I got married and we decided that the bridesmaids and I would enter from this winding staircase, my first thought was, "Shoot. I'm totally going to eat it down this staircase."  This is a shot of Chris and I during the grand entrance. I'm looking down the whole time hoping I don't fall or trip on my skirt and how embarrassing it would be to tumble down a winding set of stairs in a white dress in front of 220 people.  I was even wearing flats since you couldn't really see them under my dress and...well, I didn't want to fall. My bridesmaids had to do the staircase in heels AND with no one to hold on to.  They're amazing...and they're also not clumsy.

When I first found out I was pregnant, I had just purchased these Lucky Brand wedges. I am a teacher so comfort is key when you literally sit for about an hour out of your entire workday and part of that is the 15 minutes you sit and scarf down your lunch and right after school when your feet feel like they're about to fall off. Lightweight and much more stable than any spindly heel, these shoes pretty much go with everything.

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When I was about 4 months pregnant, I wore these to a Father's Day lunch for Chris and my brother, Frank. They were the first time I really wore them when I was pregnant.  Chris found a parking spot on the same block as the restaurant and in the 300 yards from the car to the restaurant, I managed to trip....three times.  That's one trip for every 100 yards!  I was wearing the most unclumsy type of high heeled shoe, yet I managed to be clumsy in them. My bad ankle from the trampoline accident of 2011 (also another demonstration of clumsiness) only makes matters worse.

All this to say, I really wish I could wear these - 

 {1}  {2}  {3}  {4}

And I can't even wrap my mind around these -

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Happy Tuesday!

Focusing on the Positive

If you've talked to me at any point through my pregnancy, you would have noticed that I'm not in love with being pregnant. And at 5 months when I told my friends how uncomfortable I was, they said, "You're uncomfortable NOW? Just wait till the end!" They were right.

This week has been especially tough. It became even more difficult to sleep through the night. I wake up every couple of hours and no matter what position I sleep in, I cannot get comfortable.  I started getting pains in my drums and thighs... I mean legs and thighs (I am getting ready to cook dinner). I have to walk very slowly when I'm out because of all the pressure and because my tummy feels like it's going to bust open.

Did I mention that I still have 6.5 weeks to go? (Insert appropriate emoticon here)

So this morning when I woke up and was still feeling tired because I really didn't get any restful sleep and had pains in my leg, I just went back to bed hoping to wake up feeling better. I woke up and didn't feel any better, but forced myself to go out. As I was driving, I was encouraged to have a better outlook on the day and to find the positive in everything. So, here's my list of awesome, positive things that happened today -

1. The nursery is nearly done. I'm waiting for one last item to come in the mail to hang up, the slip cover for the chair to come back from the dry cleaner and one bookcase to be spray painted. Then it's cleaning, setting up and settling in. Then I'll be able to post some photos! Here's a sneak peak. Excuse the mess...and the newspaper... and the abundance of blue painter's tape. Chris spent his entire Saturday nailing, drilling and leveling.

2. Gas is still expensive, but I still have 3/4 of a tank.
3. It is significantly cooler this week than last! At least the weather won't make my hot flashes WORSE.

4. The baby knows how to do summersaults - or something that feels like summersaults. I'm trying to spin this in a positive way because sometimes when he does these, I feel like he's going to break through my skin. 

5. Did some grocery shopping at Whole Foods and the employees are really nice there. Everyone greeted me with a smile and asked if I needed help in a not-overpushy-kind-of-way. Even the solicitors are nice there. The man collecting donations outside said, "Are you ready to have your baby?"  When I responded with an emphatic YES, he said, "Oh, your baby is going to be so lucky to have you as a mom!"  

6. I have a recipe for dinner tonight that involved olives, Chris' favorite. Let's just cross our fingers it turns out tasty!
7. An elderly man who was wearing a shirt that said NAVY across the front was walking past me at Ralphs and he said, "Hi! How are you today?" With no references to my big, preggo belly.
8. HIMYM is on tonight.
9. I bought an awesome present for Chris' birthday.

Time to make dinner! Stay positive and go watch HIMYM.

33 weeks down, 7 weeks to go!

I'm starting 34 weeks this week and I am carrying a honeydew around with me. Actually at the end of 32 weeks, I had an ultrasound which showed that the baby's belly was on track for 32 weeks. However, he was 2 weeks ahead for height and 3 weeks ahead for head size. He was already a little over 4 lbs. at that point. Oh my goodness. I've gained 6 lbs during my pregnancy. If I haven't gained that much weight, why is the baby so BIG?

We've got tall genes on my side. I've always been tall for a girl (especially an Asian one). All of the girl cousins are around my height and all of the guy cousins, like my brother, all hover around 6 feet. When I told my Mom and Aunt they laughed and said, "all the babies on our side are always over 20" and 8-9 lbs."

Fantastic. I'm trying to focus on the positive, that our baby is healthy and that he'll be a tall Asian boy!

Nerdy Nursery Prints

I'm a little (okay,  a lot) late in posting, but I've been super preoccupied with getting the nursery finished and tending to things that need to be done before the baby arrives.  Okay, and reading.  I read The Mark of Athena in two nights. 

I've been working on the nursery pretty much as soon as we found out we were pregnant. That's just the kind of person I am. I like to get a head start on things. I began looking online for ideas, getting ideas and making Pinterest boards.  But for the past, oh, I'd say... 4 months? I've been looking for artwork to hang up in the nursery.  One day, I came across these and almost made me change the entire direction of our nursery because it was major cuteness. Check out these adorable prints from Mint Parcel.

Just in time for Halloween! These scary guys aren't so scary when they're cute!

I just wish she had a Darth and Luke to add to this collection, but I'm in the process of buying these guys anyway. I would make my brother proud.

Little superheroes!  My favorite here are Batman and Robin. Okay, and the hulk 

because he looks like broccoli!

Chris gets a long weekend so it'll be time to finish putting up shelves and frames in the nursery so we can share it with you here! Happy Thursday!

And special happy vacation shout out to Charissa who is on her way to Japan! Enjoy and eat lots! 

Good Reads

An overall exhaustion has set in here as I enter the eighth month of pregnancy.  I've been waking up every 2-3 hours every night with one waking between 4 and 5 am where I can't go back to sleep till 6 or 7 am. I guess my body is practicing for when the baby comes.

When I can't get back to sleep, I pick up one in the pile of books I have on my bedside and do some reading until I can doze off again.

As if I didn't have enough to read, I want to add two new books to my collection that I'm very excited about.

Casual Vacancy - JK Rowling's novel out TODAY

The Mark of Athena - Rick Riordan's 3rd installement of the Lost Heroes series coming Oct. 2

I know you might understand why I want to read JK Rowling's new book though my hopes are not high because I've never read anything to top my love of Harry Potter and I don't think I ever will. The second one, you may not understand as well.  Rick Riordan is actually a children's author and I fell in love with this series when I was teaching 4th grade.  It's the next best children's series I've read after Harry Potter.... and I've been waiting about a year for this book to come out.  I know a few of my teacher and librarian friends have been too. Nerds unite!

Baby Bump

Up until about 4 months, people on the street wouldn't have necessarily known I was pregnant. In fact, when we were in New York on a very crowded subway back from Citi Field with Chris' best friend, a man offered me his seat. Later, I asked Chris if the man offered me his seat because I'm a girl or because I'm pregnant. Chris, being the smart man he is, said that he offered it to me because I was CLEARLY pregnant.

Yesterday, I went to drop off a letter to our neighbor's home that was accidentally delivered to our home. I also wanted to drop off some freshly baked cookies to them for picking up Chris' iPhone5 off our porch on Friday while I was out with my friend Mel in LA. They're an elderly couple in their 80's. We jokingly call them security since they're home all the time and the husband regularly patrols the neighborhood for us. It's only been a few weeks since I saw them last, but when he saw me he said, "OH! It looks like you swallowed a watermelon seed!"

I mentioned this story to a friend yesterday and she complained about how I haven't posted any pictures of my baby bump. It's true. I've taken very few pictures of myself while pregnant. So for those of you curious to see our little watermelon... Here he is at 32 weeks with Hello Kitty.

On Being Preggers...

Very, very exciting...

You'd think that after so many weeks you'd lose track of how many weeks pregnant you were, but you don't. You know exactly how many weeks you are and what month you're in.  I think in the beginning I was just so excited to be gaining ground and for the baby to be growing, but now that I'm near the end, I just want the baby to come.

I'm not one of those pregnant ladies that loves being pregnant.  Yes, it's amazing and it's a miracle what's happening inside me. When we saw our first ultrasound of Baby L, it was reaffirmation that God's creation is so good.  Cells just knew what to do, how to grow and what to turn into.  10 weeks into our pregnancy, we saw hands, feet, a head, a body and heard a thundering heartbeat. How did it know to do that?!  It's absolutely amazing.  However, it doesn't necessarily make pregnancy pleasurable.  It's been pretty uncomfortable and inconvenient. I know it'll be worth it in the end, but being in this heat and being almost 8 months pregnant has not been terribly fun.

I just watched this movie just because it was such a timely movie for Chris and I.

If I watched this movie when I wasn't pregnant, I would have just watched it and been fine. But because I'm pregnant, I watched it and sobbed at the end.  SOBBED.  I am SO pregnant right now.

Hello Again Old Friend!

It's been a long, long, long time since I've blogged. I know. I can't believe that a few years ago, blogging was a way of life and then, it fell to the wayside.  I got busy with work, my Etsy shop and starting a new life with my husband, Chris.  However, I'm back and I hope that I'm here to stay.

Since the last time I blogged, a lot has happened.  Here's a quick recap!

1. I broke my foot. And in a stupid way too.  I broke my foot trampolining at a trampolining place where hundreds of children trampoline for hours and come out unscathed. I broke my foot within the first 30 minutes.  I don't have a photo of this, but I don't recommend ever breaking your foot, especially not your driving foot.  I was house bound for 6 weeks and only got to leave the house when some poor kind soul was able to take me. It was hard to go down the stairs. It was hard to take a shower. It was just plain hard. Try not to do this to yourself.

2. My husband and I took a month long trip to Japan, Taiwan and Thailand. So.much.fun.  I definitely recommend this.  We did it in the right order too.  As our trip progressed, everything seemed to get cheaper and cheaper.

Yes, that is a Mickey-shaped churro!  We had to take one of our days in Japan to go to Tokyo Disney.

Okay, please excuse us because remember it was like 100 degrees and 100% humidity so we feel pretty miserable in our photos, but this is us in the middle of the street in Ginza.

Asia loves Mr. Donut. We saw Mr. Donuts in Japan, Taiwan and Thailand.  This bear was almost too cute to eat...almost.

After 14 hours of sightseeing in Thailand, we ended up the night with some "moo ping." Okay, not really. Moo ping is street food - pork skewers at 5 baht a piece. This crispy pork is a super expensive dish, but Chris kept calling it moo ping by accident.

No trip to Thailand would be complete without an elephant ride.  We saw this elephant pee. It was quite a sight.

3. We went to New York with one of our friends. Here are a few highlights.

From top to bottom, left to right:  Lauderee's delicious macarons flown in from Paris DAILY, Yankees vs. Mets at Citifield in the rain, a famous pastrami at Katz Deli where Harry met Sally and a view of Manhattan from Brooklyn Promenade. Note - also 100 degrees with a 100% humidity. 

4. We went to Hawaii - our last flying trip for the next year or so.

From top to bottom, left to right: At our favorite beach in Lanikai, sunbathing honus and dolphin watching while eating brunch.

5. And the biggest event of the year for Chris and I is this little guy!

And I hope I updated you on some of the big events of our year.  More to come!