Sleeping in in Seattle

Mike and I got back last night from an awesome trip to Seattle!  He had a conference there and we went for 6 days and also classified it as our "babymoon", meaning our last official vacation with just the two of us before the baby comes.  A few of our other friends went out too and we all loved the city!

It was such a relaxing vacation, which is just what I've been needing after how hectic my schedule has been lately.  We slept in until between 8 and 9 every day (which is west coast time mind you, so it's like sleeping until 11 or 12 here!) and then we'd find a great place to get breakfast and some Seattle coffee (I made my mind up that I wasn't gonna have any Starbucks while I was there, just other local coffee).

Mike drinking coffee at one of our favorite breakfast places, Lola.  He became quite the little coffee drinker on this trip and he loved himself some Tully's coffee.  Some other great Seattle coffees that we tried were Stumptown and Cafe Vita.

 My pancakes were to die for and these little gems were ahhhmaaazing....

Yes, these are homemade donuts with a honey and a vanilla spread and they tasted even better than they look.

My other favorite breakfast place.

Those juices were fresh squeezed and delicious!  My was on the left and had oranges, pineapple, and pear.  Mike's had strawberry, pineapple, apple, and banana.  They had Cafe Vita coffee at this joint and my latte was yummy.  So was my actual breakfast (Belgian waffle) by the way.

So anyway, after breakfast Mike would occasionally do conference stuff and I would go shopping.  Let me just tell you that the shopping in downtown Seattle is amazing!  I guess it's a good thing that I'm pregnant, because I couldn't really buy any clothes (but don't worry, I found 2 maternity stores).  However, what I failed to purchase in clothing, I more than made up for in accessories.  Let's see....I got a large brown leather purse to use as a carry on, a gym bag, and a cashmere scarf at Nordstrom Rack.  I got cute flats and a gray leather purse at Aldo.  Some jewelry at Francesca's.  Three books at Barnes and Noble.  And some maternity bras (which are more of a necessity at this point as my regular bras are getting uncomfortable) and a maternity shirt from the maternity stores.  Whew.  All of this and I still had to literally force myself to go back to the hotel.  I could've gone on and on.  Shopping for me is a hit or miss.  Sometimes I want to shop and I don't like anything anywhere.  Other times....well, this is the result of the other times.

Unfortunately my checked bag is still MIA from Seattle and it has a lot of my new stuff in it, so I am feeling some anxiety at this point.  The airline said it would be delivered to my house today, but it has yet to show up and I have been waiting patiently(?) allllll day.  Every car that drives by causes me to run and look out the window only to have my hopes shattered again.  Oh well, as long as I get it back at some point I guess.

We went to some great places for dinner in Seattle.  On the first night we went to Elliott's and had some delicious Seafood right on the water at Elliott Bay.

They are famous for their Dungeness crab and Mike decided to try it out and loved it.

Mike's friend from school (across from me) happened to have a high school acquaintance that lives in Seattle so he suggested this place for dinner and then he took us around for a personal tour of Seattle.  It was a great way to see the city!

A great lookout point he took us to for a view of the city.  Of course, this picture doesn't do it any justice, but it was beautiful, take my word for it.

There were two drawbacks to going to Seattle pregnant.  One: I couldn't partake in as much coffee consumption as I would've liked, and two: I could partake in any of the alcohol consumption.  Mike and his friends went IPA wild in Seattle, like at this bar for example, which had 160 beers on tap!

We went down to Pike Place Market a few times too, which is the famous one in Seattle where they throw the fish.  It was so cool to see and they had a lot of great looking stuff at that market.  The flowers were so gorgeous and vibrant, and cheap!  You could get a really nice bunch for $5!  All of the produce looked amazing as well.

Random crazy bike that was parked down at the market one day.

So we're strolling down Post Alley on our way to Pike Place and what do we see but this gum wall!  Apparently it's famous and I've never heard of it, we just happened to stumble upon it in our travels!  And yes, I did add my current piece of gum to the wall.

The world famous fish throwing place

This sign was right inside the market by the fish place.

Note that the weather looks pretty dreary in some of these pics, but it didn't really bother us.  It drizzled a little bit on about half of the days, but it never really "rained" and it was great to get a break from the 100 degree weather down here.  Most days were in the 60's or low 70's.  Heavenly.

Mike and I down at the Market while he was chatting with my mom.  This day was his 31st birthday!!

We also did an underground tour in Seattle which was just OK.  Downtown Seattle burnt down a long time ago and they built the new city one story on top of the old city, so we got to take a little underground tour and see parts of the old city.  It had the potential to be cool, but our tour guide was wacko, I almost fainted (more on that later), and like Mike said "I'm from PA, I've seen grungy basements before".  

So yeah, we're down there in the basement type thing and I start feeling that all too familiar sensation coming on.  I used to pass out fairly frequently, so I can feel it coming a mile away.  I grab Mike's arm, which he doesn't notice until I'm really digging into it, at which point he whips around and says "WHAT?"  Then he takes one look at my pale face and is like "Oh no, what's wrong with you?".  So I move to the back of the group, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible and kneel down and put my head down.  Kinda hard to be inconspicuous when you're doing that in a disgusting old dirty basement in front of a group of 30 people.  That helped though, thank goodness.  So I didn't actually pass out, but I did draw attention to myself (my worst nightmare) from the tour guide and probably everyone else.  Soooo embarrassing.  So for the rest of the tour I couldn't really pay attention because I was trying so hard not to pass out.  I skipped lunch that day because I was out and about and it was about 5PM by this point, so lesson learned.  Pregnancy and skipping meals do not mix.  I think that was the first time I've skipped a meal since becoming pregnant, and it'll definitely be the last.

We also went to a Seattle Mariners game one of the nights.  Going to a pro baseball game is a ritual for Mike and his friends at these conferences.  He went to one in Cleveland, Denver, and now Seattle.

View of the city from one side of the field

View of the Olympic Mountains from the other side of the field

Then, on our last day Mike and I went out to the Space Needle for a really awesome view of the city.  It was the nicest day we had so far, so the perfect day to go up there.

Mike facing West Seattle and the Olympic Mountains on the other side of the Puget Sound. 

 Side note:  I was wearing my PSU sweatshirt one day and our waiter said to me, "So, you're from around here huh?".  I laughed, thinking he was joking and told him my sweatshirt stood for Penn State.  He then laughed and said there is a college out there called the Puget Sound University, which they call PSU.  I never knew there was another PSU in this country!  So then I continued wearing that sweatshirt everywhere so that everyone would think I was a local.  Haha!

Cool view of the city with Mount Rainier in the background to the left

View of the city and you can see the stadium where we were the night before by my left ear

See, I told you we had a gorgeous day!

I got a pic of our hotel too, just to remember it because it was amazing. 

The Olive 8 (conveniently located at 8th and Olive Streets) is Seattle's "greenest" hotel and had lots of cool features like a huge green area on the roof to prevent rainwater runoff and save money on heating and cooling.  The rooms also had a slot for your key card which is what turned on your lights.  Then when you left the room and took your key, the lights would shut off.  Pretty cool huh?  There was an amazing pool, gym, and spa in the hotel too, all of which I utilized!  I got a "mommy to be" massage which was outstanding.  I would definitely stay in this hotel again and recommend it to anyone else going out to Seattle.

So that's about it for my barrage of pictures and stories from this trip.  We really had such a relaxing time.  No schedules to follow, just got up when we wanted to and played the days by ear.  I really, really loved that about this vacation, and it was a "babymoon" to remember!

P.S.  I just got a call that my bag is on its way!  Yay!

Bridal Shower Weekend!

I just got back from a long weekend in Philly for my sister's bridal shower and I have to say, it went really well!  The bridesmaids and I pulled it off, with the help of my family who contributed some side dishes and helped run errands.  It was a great day and Tina had lots of friends and family there for her, which was awesome!

I headed up to PA on Thursday and Tina and I ate at Bertucci's (yum!) and then went shopping and found the cute purple dress she wore to her shower.

Then on Friday morning the weather was gorgeous, so I decided to head out for a leisurely walk/run.  I have to say that I felt pretty good.  Granted I was basking in the fact that it wasn't 95 degrees by 10 AM like it is in NC right now.  So, I went out for a total of 30 minutes and I probably ran a total of 10 minutes and walked 20, but it still felt good to get out there again.  I wore my HR monitor and kept my HR between 130 and 150 the whole time.

Then, I got brave and finally took my belly button ring out.  Yes, it was harder than I thought (both physically and mentally).  I never really thought of myself as attached to my belly button ring, and I always said that I would just leave it in until I got pregnant, but I discovered that I was oddly attached to that thing.  I mean, I've had it for 11 years!  I kind of felt like it was a symbol of my youth or something and that made it hard to part with.  I even made Tina take pictures to document the occasion.

Before

After

Let me tell you, getting this sucker out was no easy feat!  I thought I would just pry it open with my fingers and pull it out.  Oh no, it was on there tight.  My friend texted me and said to try pliers. ...PLIERS???  That seemed extreme, but turns out, that's what I needed to do.  Tina and I were both hunched over my belly button trying to tag team this whole pliers idea.  And, finally, we got it.

Whew, glad that is over with.  Bye bye cute belly button ring....hello pregnant belly!

Friday evening Tina and I headed to a bridal expo, at which she was a vendor.  It was a pretty cool set-up and my sister had a nice little table at the expo, so hopefully she'll get some business from it.  The only problem was that a lot of brides that go to these expos already have their photographer.  But some didn't, so we'll see how many inquiries she gets.

Tina's old college roommate flew in from Ohio Friday night and we hung out and just chilled all day Saturday, then out for dinner with a bunch of her friends at a cute little Mexican place on Saturday night.

Sunday was......the bridal shower!!!  Though the morning was stressful with the setting up, getting the balloons blown up, Mom getting lost on the way to pick up the food, etc, it was all worth it in the end.  My friend helped us decorate (because we all know how inept I am in that department), one of Tina's friends brought flowers, and everyone chipped in with the food.  Despite the fact that all of us bridesmaids are living in different cities (and I'm in a different state!), we pulled it off and everyone had a great time!  Whew!  Here are some pics from the day:

The food spread

Close up of the cake.  Awesome, right??!

The Bride (mimosa in hand)!

The Bride in her official chair of the day

Bridal bouquet

Outdoor decor

Close up of the gorgeous flowers that one of her friends brought (yes, she is a florist)

Me and my sister...The Bride!

Bride and Groom!

All in all, a great bridal shower and a great overall weekend with my favorite sister.  We discussed our future plans of living next door to each other (like we always do when we get together), and who knows, maybe someday we really will!  I do know that I love my sister a lot and I miss being able to see her all the time.  We'll see what the future holds....Hershey anyone??

A little pregnancy side note: I cringe when I say this for fear of jinxing myself, but the nausea is gone!!  Gone gone, like I wasn't nauseous at all this weekend!  Hopefully it won't creep back into my life, but for now, I am feeling good (if not still a little tired)!

Also, I had looked up that AFP lab test that I was gonna get drawn today while I was at my sister's, and I found out that it is elective, not standard.  I then decided I probably wouldn't do it because it would cost extra and I'm not high risk.  But then, I went to the Ob today to pick up my prenatal vitamin samples and they told me that most insurances cover it and I felt like maybe I should do it.  So I wandered over to the lab next door and had my blood drawn.  Now I just have to wait for the results....and the bill. 

It's gonna be a really busy next few weeks, as I am working the next three days and then flying to Seattle Friday morning.  Getting back from Seattle next Thursday night, then working Friday and Saturday.  Heading to the beach with Mike's fam Sunday morning, getting back Tuesday night, and then working Wed, Thurs, and Fri.  Sooooo, it may be awhile before my next post.  But I haven't abandoned you, my little blog.  Life just gets in the way sometimes :)

Heartbeat Heaven!

This morning I had my 15 week appointment at the ob/gyn and I got to hear my baby's heartbeat for the first time!  Although it was reassuring and cool to hear, I must admit that it was a little bit anti-climatic.  Maybe it's because I already saw a picture of the baby last time, and I am more of a visual person...I don't know.  I was just kind of laying there like thinking "Yeah this is pretty cool."  But I wasn't freaking out or crying or anything like a lot of people say you do the first time you hear it.

But all in all it was a good appointment.  Weight went up about 2 pounds since the last appointment which is good I guess.  BP was 96/62, Hgb was 14.7, baby's heartbeat was in the 150's.  All good numbers. 

The doc asked if I was getting the down syndrome screen and I honestly couldn't remember, so I asked "Does that cost extra?".  What a cheapskate I must've looked like.  But I knew I wasn't getting anything above and beyond what was covered, so that was my way to remember if I decided to get that test or not.  He said that this test doesn't cost any extra, so I said that yes, I was getting it.  But of course it is a tad (like 2 days) to early to do it today, so I have to go back next week.  My mom asked what I was going to do if any of the results from this genetic test were positive, and I have nooooo idea.  Too scary to think about right now.  I think I'm just hoping (as I'm sure everyone is) that it'll be fine and produce yet another reassurance for me that everything is OK.  In the end that's what every pregnant woman is hoping for, right?

So, I have to go and look at the mound of paperwork that I got at the first appointment and see if in fact I did decide to go ahead with this test.  If so, it'll be back to the lab next week for a blood draw.

I also asked the doc if there was any cheaper prenatal vitamin that I could get.  (See, I told you, I looked like a complete cheapo at this appointment!)  But my prescription prenatal vitamin is $55 a month!  That seems like a lot to me.  So he understood my concern and said, "yeah I wouldn't pay that either".  Haha.  So he gave me a months worth of samples (and I still have almost a month left in the bottle that I have).  He said that after I go through all of those I can just go back to One a Day Women's Prenatal Vitamin and it would be just as good.  I was nervous that maybe I should stick with the prescription one because it must be better in some way if it's so much more expensive.  But he assured me that over the counter was fine.  So that's my plan.  Finish this bottle, take the samples, then back to OTC prenatal vitamins.  I feel weird; like that makes me a bad pregnant woman, taking the cheap way out.  But if the doc says its fine, then I'm going with his word.

I also mentioned that I'm going to try to get back into running to see his thoughts on that.  Again, he said that it would be totally fine (just to stay out of the crazy heat).  He actually said that it was more than fine; it was a good idea.  Keeping physically fit while pregnant has so many advantages and now that I'm feeling better I need to jump back on the bandwagon.  Hold me accountable, OK?  Haha.

That's about it for today.  Mike and I are gonna go to kickboxing this evening and then out to dinner with a friend.  My next doctor's appointment will be the big ultrasound where (hopefully) we can find out the baby's gender!!!  Yay!

14 Week Feelings

Well, this past week I would say that I've definitely noticed a drop off in the nausea (yay!), but on the flip side, I've been exhausted!  People always say that fatigue is one of the huge symptoms of the first trimester, yet I felt pretty normal in that department until this past week.  And now I'm in the second trimester, but dead tired...weird.  I feel like I could take 3 naps a day and still go to bed at 8PM.  But I don't.  Sometimes I do take one nap, and often I am ready to hit the hay by 9.  Oh well.  Hopefully the second trimester energy surge that everyone talks about is rounding the corner!

I went to visit an old friend that I used to work with today who has two small children, and she gave me ALL of her maternity clothes to borrow!  It was like Christmas!  3 bags full of clothes, a boppy pillow to sleep with, and 3 winter jackets!  That is going to be soooo helpful.  And she was right when she said "We have to pay it forward to our girlfriends".  She's done having kids, and she said to keep them as long as I need them.  Soooo nice of her.  Her 2 year old was at daycare, but I got to visit with her 9 week old and it's crazy to think that soon enough I'll have an infant.  It still hasn't really sunk in yet.

Mike asked me the other day how I know that everything is OK with our baby.  "I mean you haven't had an ultrasound or appointment since week 9; how do you know everything is OK?"  Answer: I don't.  And that freaks me out a little bit.  He thinks that I should be showing more by now (What is he?  The Pregnancy Expert?), which I assured him isn't true.  But I see what he means.  I don't really feel all that sick anymore, I'm not really showing to the general public, I can't feel any movement or anything.  I'm just in this limbo stage where I don't really feel or look pregnant.  I know he didn't mean to scare me, and to be honest, it's not like I wasn't thinking it myself.  But I just have to trust that if everything wasn't OK, then I'd know.  The fact that everything feels fine is probably a good sign.  Right?????  My next appointment is Monday, so hopefully I'll feel reassured after that.

Anyway, I had lunch with another old friend earlier in the week (again, one with 2 small children) and she offered to help me with my baby registry when the time comes.  She said they try to tell the first time moms that they need everything, but she'll give me the low-down on what I really need (and don't need).  It's been a great week; 3 days off of work in a row, and I had lunch plans with friends all 3 of those days!  Unheard of!

Still in full bridal shower planning mode, and it's all coming together.  Only one more week until my little sis's bridal shower.  Now that most of the stuff is planned out and done, I'm starting to get really excited!  I can't wait to go up to PA and spend 5 days with my sister, see our family and her friends, and just be a part of her bridal shower!  Yay!

One Trimester Down, Two to Go!

I have hit week 13, the official end of the first trimester and I can't believe it!  This pregnancy is going so fast in so many ways, but dragging on forever in others.  Like waiting to tell everyone for weeks and weeks seemed like forever, but I still can't believe the first trimester is over.

 I took my 3 month pictures (well, Mike took them of me) yesterday, and I must say, I'm looking a little different already.  Not feeling quite so comfortable in my form fitting clothes anymore.  Like yesterday I wore a scrub top to work.  You must be thinking "You're a nurse, of course you wore a scrub top".  Nope, I never, I mean, never wear scrub tops to work.  I wear a regular shirt and scrub pants.  Well, yesterday morning I finally realized that those "regular" shirts I had been wearing weren't gonna cut it anymore.  So I rolled in to work in a scrub top and must've had 4 people comment on that fact.  I told you, I never wore them!  Pretty funny though that so many people noticed my change in attire.  Time to bring back the old frumpy scrub tops.

Here are my 3 month pics:

So this last one might be most telling of all.  It was funny because I had the 2 month photo right there and I kept trying to position myself for it to look the same, but it never did.  Mike was laughing at me and saying "Stop sucking your stomach in.  Just stand there."  And I would respond "But the picture looks different than the last one", to which he would respond "Of course it does; you are a month more pregnant now.  Get over it!"  Haha.  Oh well, I guess he's right.  I better get used to the body, er, I mean belly getting bigger.

So in more fun news from this past week, we got a package in the mail yesterday!  And we all know how much I looove packages!

One of my best friends from college, Jess and her husband sent us this adorable outfit and really cute parenting book!  I loved it, so of course, I had to get a pic!

And for more exciting news, Mike's sister announced this past week that she is pregnant too!  So now his parents will go from having no grandchildren to having two at once!  It's an exciting time for everyone, and it'll be so fun for our child to grow up with one of their cousins.  She is due in March and I am due in January, so the babies will be less than 2 months apart in age.

I think that's about it on the pregnancy front for now.  I went to PSU this past weekend for the yearly Arts Festival and had a great time as always (despite the heat and the un-airconditioned dorms).  My Dad and Step mom came up too, so it was fun to hang with them for a few days.  I bought a few small things, but I couldn't even dream of affording most of the stuff there.  I got a little vase and 2 small prints.  One with a fall theme and one with a winter theme.  But, yes, we did stay in the dorms for 3 nights in the middle of July with no airconditioning!  But that's half the fun of it.  As soon as you enter the dorm hallway, you are hit with their distinct smell and you can't help but be flooded with college memories.  Ahhh, college.  Those were the days.

Other than that, my sister's bridesmaids and I have been in full shower planning mode this week.  I think we finally have it pretty much under control, it's just a matter of going out and getting the stuff.  It's gonna be so fun, and I can't believe my little sister is getting married in less than 3 months!  Whew, how life just flies by!

Nearing the End of the First Trimester!

I am 12 weeks pregnant today and I am definitely showing slightly.  My belly girth is slightly bigger than last week (first sign of growth by measurement!), and I am feeling constantly bloated.  Not feeling quite as sick as I once did.  And word spreads fast at work.  I work with about 75 nurses, and I think the whole unit knows already!  It was the talk of the unit this week.  Another girl that I work with is pregnant too, but she is only at about 7 weeks, so she hasn't broken the news to the world yet.  She already has a 2 year old, so it'll be fun to go through it with someone who already knows what it's like.

Not too much new this past week.  I worked on the Fourth of July, so Mike and I just layed low and watched some fireworks that the neighbors set off.  Then to bed for me.  (Don't forget, I have a hard time staying up past 10PM these days!). 

We met with a financial advisor this morning and I'm so glad we did!  Mom got us this gift card for a one hour consultation with a financial group for a wedding gift and we just now used it!  But we did, and we're gonna get back on track.  The woman was really nice and helpful, and she told us that we are doing well for our age and that we just need to put away a little bit more money to have 6 months of expenses covered, and then we both should contribute 10% to retirement.  So we both need to up that number a little bit.  I think we're gonna use her as our financial advisor (something we've never had) in order to get the most for our money.  We're young, and we need to be less conservative with our investing, and she can help us with that.  So we're both excited to get started.

In the morning I am heading to PA for the Arts Festival, something at Penn State that I try to attend yearly.  My Dad and step mom are heading up too, so I'll spend the weekend hanging out with them.  I'm excited, but it's literally 100 degrees up there right now and we are staying in dorm rooms with no AC!  Yikes!  I'm gonna rent a fan for sure, but it'll be a toasty weekend.  I'm hoping to get some Christmas shopping done since that's always a relief to have a head start on in July.

No pictures to share from this past week, but next week I'll have my 3 month pregnancy pics to display!  And there's a slight belly to be seen!

10th Week Recap

I think I'm starting to show!  Ok, not a lot, and not to the average person, but I can tell a difference!  It could just be the insane frequency with which I am eating these days and the minimal amount of exercise that I've been getting....yeah, I guess I could just be getting fatter.  But Mike agrees with me that there is a slight change in my stomach.  Pretty soon that belly button ring is gonna have to go.

My nausea is getting better in general and isn't always present, which is nice.  It's by no means gone though, and it just reared its ugly head yesterday morning.  I didn't sleep well because I was nauseous and then I got up at about 6:45 and decided to eat some Cinnamon Toast Crunch.  Well,... that didn't go well at all.  I felt terrible and was so mad because I had big plans to go to Body Pump at 8:30.  Instead I went back to sleep until about 10.  But on the bright side, I did feel better when I woke up.

This past weekend I went to Emerald Isle with some friends from work and it was such a nice relaxing trip.  We got up and exercised, beached it all day, went to dinner, and then watched an old movie before hitting the sack.  That was our routine for three days and it was marvelous!  My kind of vacation.  We watched Lil Abner, Operation Petticoat, and Cool Hand Luke.

I told the girls that I was pregnant on Day 1 of this trip so they made me get this pic:

Yes, that is a jar of Prego that I'm holding.  One of my friends couldn't stop calling me that all weekend..

Not too much else is new from week 10.  I'm full fledged into week 11 now, and all is well.  I really want to get back into some cardio, since I have completely fallen off the wagon.  I think I was so nervous about my high heart rate at first, and so worried about a miscarriage, that I just stopped all together.  Now, that is even worse for me and baby, I know.  I've been pretty good about going to Body Pump at least once, if not twice a week, but I haven't done much cardio.  I ran with the girls once last weekend for 3 miles at an 8:30 pace (which is ridiculously fast for me, so I'm glad I wasn't wearing my heart rate monitor.  I shudder to think of how high my heart rate probably got!).  Otherwise, this will be my third day in a row taking Daisy for a 45 min- 1 hour hike, so I guess that's progress.

So the plan for the day is Body Pump (check, done!), hiking with Daisy and Sequoia, wash the dogs, wash the car, pull ivy from trees, dinner with Jess and Phil.  I will break the news to them tonight!  WooHoo!

Oh yeah, and the word is officially out at work.  It's no longer a secret.  Hello World, I'm Pregnant!!!!