CRAVINGS

Today marks 29 weeks --- only 11 more until Our Little One's arrival! 

Week 29 ... Baby's Heart Rate was 144 BPM

The third trimester is shot-putting me back into a drowsy haze - sorta like the first trimester except it has become harder to find a comfy position for sleeping. Jonny bought me a body pillow a few weeks ago, which has been the most awkward sleep-saver of all time!  A girlfriend of mine compared being pregnant and sleeping with a body pillow to the likes of wrestling an alligator – and she was SO right.

Another thing that helps me sleep well is exercise, so I hit the gym this morning.  My doctor advised that my heartrate should stay below 140 BPM while exercising, which is a comfortably slow pace that often gets boring. But the good news is that it allows for lots of people watching. Today, for example, I watched two guys that I’ll affectionately call “the meatheads.” I’ll never knock anyone who invests time in their health and physical fitness, but these guys were EXTRA muscle-ish and EXTRA invested in showing off their gym-skills  - handstands, running in circles with a 35 lb. plates above their heads, high-fiving each other in between push-ups. As I chugged along on the elliptical, I imagined the things they’d say to each other after their workout:

                Meathead #1: Hey, man. Wanna grab some food?

                Meathead #2: Nah, I’ve got some eggs and chicken in my fridge at home.

                Meathead #1: I got you. I’ll just grab a protein shake before I head out.

               

This mentally fabricated dialogue got me thinking about how hungry I was!  And in the spirit of that pregnant-brained moment, I have decided to dedicate this blog to stories about food cravings. I’ll preface this by saying 1) I don’t give-in to cravings all the time and 2) I’m not going to write about healthy cravings. I crave healthy things quite a bit actually, but they are kinda less fun to tell stories about. For example, I’ve been munching on a big bowl of watermelon while I’ve been writing this blog, but I can’t think of anything interesting to write about watermelon … so I won’t. J 

1.       Back in January, I wrote a short blog called “pickles” and showed a picture of the lunch I ate that day:  lentil soup, goldfish crackers, and dill pickles.  Let’s all join-in and recite a collective “eeewww!”  Seriously. How gross is that?

2.       I once told Jonny that I was craving an Oreo.  He jumped in his car and came home with a grocery bag FILLED with Oreo-flavored things. He then apologized that he didn’t find an Oreo Cheesecake – ha! All I wanted was like, AN Oreo - singular! 

3.       About a month ago, I told Jonny there was chicken marinating in the fridge and asked if he’d grill it for dinner.  After he grilled the chicken to absolute perfection, I had a complete change of appetite and embarrassingly told him that I couldn’t eat it – all I wanted was noodles.  So, he made us a substitute meal of spaghetti with jarred red sauce – no muss/no fuss – and it tasted SOOO good.   Best.Husband.Ever!!

4.       Last week I went to dinner at a Mexican place with my friends Lindsay & Meghan.  We ordered what Lindsay call’s the “Mexican Flag” --- salsa, queso, and guacamole --- because the dips are the colors of the Mexican Flat (red, white, and green). Though I DID share the queso, I’ll admit that I didn’t want to. I could have drank it right from the bowl.

5.       And that brings me to this morning.  It was a beautiful, sunny morning that screamed “Today is not like every other day --- treat yourself to something other than a hardboiled egg for breakfast.”  So I drove to our local coffee shop, Hubbard & Cravens, which has the BEST decaf coffee and really great bran muffins.  I ordered both of those things to-go and then started driving home.  Just after I turned onto our street, I was overwhelmed with the feeling that I wanted a Poppyseed Bagel. I literally pulled over, put the car in park, and internally debated whether I should to turn the car around and go get one. WHAT?   Ultimately, I made the decision to head home and enjoy my Bran muffin, but I’ve been wondering all day if I made the right choice. Maybe we’ll have bagels for dinner …

What the baby-belly looks like on an elliptical machine (where have my feet gone??)!

CHIHUAHUA

It’s hard to believe I am about to type the words “third trimester.” But I just did. And so I guess that makes it official … we are 28 weeks!

On the food-spectrum, our baby is the size of a Chinese Cabbage. I don’t have the first clue what a Chinese Cabbage looks like. And if I am being 100% honest, I don’t really care to find out.  Fortunately, one of my favorite pregnancy blogs, “"The Pregnant Chicken," said that at 28 weeks our baby is the size of a Chihuahua.  I saw a Chihuahua this past weekend and its legs were scampering across the sidewalk as it pulled against the owner's leash. I marinated in the idea of that rowdy Chihuahua romping around in my tummy for about 5 seconds … and then I got a little freaked out.  But I have to admit that the movement of the pup’s little feet kinda reminded me of our Baby’s kicks.    They are getting so much stronger and more frequent!  

27 Weeks with Kiki, GP, and Conners (Forest was being a little camera shy)

28 Weeks with My Fabulous Mom --- THANK YOU for all your help with the nursery!!! 

This past week my parents came to Indianapolis for a visit and spent lots of time graciously helping us to prepare for our Little One! Thanks to my mom, the nursery is now painted a really fresh gray that looks so beautiful with our furniture and bedding. We also went shopping for some Baby necessities, which was hilarious for everyone because it took my parents back to what things were like when I was a baby.  My Dad told me about how excited he was when Korey and I were finally potty trained because he did not have to buy diapers anymore. In the vein of that memory, he bought us a huge box of Pampers - ha!

My mom painting the nursery --- bye/bye to the brown! 

Baby P's crib bedding and lots of "furry friends!" 

My friend Lindsay and her mom (Pam) threw me a gorgeous baby shower at their home.  The weather outside was so warm – like the first day of Spring – and we were showered with so much love from our Indianapolis friends. It was a beautiful afternoon!   

The tablescape at my baby shower - I want these flowers in my house everyday! 

My incredible Indianapolis family - looooove these girls so much! 

Isn't this such a cute baby blanket?  Pam quilted it herself and it is GORGEOUS! 

My mom and I were also part of a team that planned a wedding shower for my friend, Jess, who has been a friend of mine since 4^th grade.   When planning my wedding, I always felt like the best part was being surrounded by the most formative people in our lives – our families and our friends. I could tell that Jess felt that very emotion at her shower. She was over-the-moon with happiness and appreciation for everyone who came to celebrate her upcoming marriage. Isn't she going to be a stunning bride? 

Happy Wedding Shower, Jess --- I love that smile from ear-to-ear! 

Best friends of 14 years --- Anne, Jess, and myself celebrating the bride to be! 

Finally, two things have happened in the past week that caused me to pause and absorb my reaction.  I am coming to find that I respond to certain situations differently as a mom-to-be than I likely would have pre-baby ... 

1.       My mom and I were in a car accident and my car’s bumper now has a bump, just like my growing belly! The accident was very minor, but my immediate reaction was to think about how terrible things could have been. For example, what if the airbag had gone off against my stomach? What if I already had the baby and he/she was in a car seat?  As I was asking all these questions I suddenly realized that every concern I had was about the baby. Not about my safety. Not about my car.  There was a natural “intuition” that kicked in – one that defaulted to the baby’s health, safety, and happiness.

2.       The terrible news of two bombings at yesterday’s Boston Marathon.  Such senseless acts have always caused my heart to ache for the victims and their families, but as we are bringing a baby into this world I find myself praying for hope more than ever before.  I want our child to be raised with the understanding that while there may always be acts of evil, the vast majority of people are inherently good.  I hope we can teach our child the importance of being kind. Of doing the right thing. That even in the face of darkness, we must be resilient and compassionate. We must be courageous. And we must be good.  

TRADITION

Happy Easter to all! I have been feeling extra “nesty” lately, so dressing up for Church, coloring Easter eggs, exchanging baskets, and making a big Sunday dinner were all on the top of my Easter wish-list. All the excitement got me thinking: why this year more than ever?

Week 26: we picked a new paint color for our nursery walls

Tradition. This is the first and last year that Jonny and I will spend Easter “just the two of us.” Historically, we have been blessed to surround ourselves with family. Next year, we will be blessed with the laughter of our 9 month old after his/her first witness of the Easter Bunny!  The time to bring new & old traditions into our lives has never felt more prime. And so, we did.

For starters, I made my Grandma Kate’s Irish Raisin Bread.  I wanted our house to smell like “home” and for us to have something delicious to eat when we woke up on Easter morning. This recipe dates back to 1955 – it tastes just like family and it started our day on the perfect note:

I'm told that baking in a cast iron skillet is the "secret" to this recipe

Doesn't OJ always taste better in a champagne flute?

When we began our hunt for a church in Indy a few months ago, we wanted to find one with uplifting messages and music.  Over the past few months, we've found that St. Luke’s delivers on both of these things (and more) and today was no exception.  Our choir sang "Hallelujah Chorus," which I'm not sure I have ever heard in a live-format before. And on a random note, I'm now in love with Timpani Drums. 

St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Indianapolis

We had so much fun shopping for each other’s Easter baskets. When I was little, the Easter Bunny always put loose change in the plastic Easter eggs (isn't it funny the things you remember?). I decided to carry on the tradition for Jonny this year, but was taken by complete surprise when I shook one of the plastic eggs in MY basket and heard the familiar sound of spare coins. Apparently we both shared that tradition as kids!   We also randomly gave each other children's books, which we took turns reading out loud to the dogs. They both made excellent students and will be a good practice-audience for us before the baby arrives!   If shopping for three is anything like shopping for two, then we are in for a treat next year (and I’m not talking about the chocolate kind)!

THE EASTER BUNNY CAME!!! 

"Are You My Mother" by Dr. Seuss (one of my favorites as a child). YOU ARE A SNORT! 

Conley LOVES holidays - he thinks everything is a gift for him. 

We also colored eggs on  Easter Sunday - an old tradition for Jonny, but a new one for me. My family always colored eggs before Easter and then we got a crazily-painted egg (or two) in our baskets on Sunday morning. Jonny’s family always painted eggs on Easter, a fun craft that kept little hands busy!  I’ve mentioned on this blog before that I eat a hardboiled egg every morning --- and it looks like I will be having some very colorful + sparkly breakfasts this week:

Jonny's brother, Sean, is currently working in Malaysia. He  asked us to color an Easter egg for him. Can you guess which one is his? 

I also made a too-much-for-two Easter dinner complete with all of our favorites, so we shared the table with our neighbor Chris and two of his three children (Colt and Ila). Some things we learned are that kids love ham, pineapple, and bread. Some kids even like salad --- especially when there's bacon tossed in! And eventually we will need to buy some kid-friendly placemats and cups with sippy lids :)

Beer-Boiled Shrimpies! 

Jonny used the mandolin to slice potatoes for our gratin - and he didn't lose a thumb this time (hooray)! 

We cooked the ham in our smoker all afternoon and added a maple/dijon glaze before serving - DELICIOUS!!! 

Scallopped Potatoes - hot & bubbly out of the oven 

Caramelized Pineapple

We could not feel more fortunate than we did this Easter holiday on our 26 week milestone!  Sending oodles-and-oodles of love to each of you!

 --- Kristie, Jonny, + Baby 

HUNDRED

We are ONE HUNDRED days away from our due date … see ya later, 3-digits!

Last weekend we went to Pittsburgh, PA for a family wedding in celebration of a beautiful couple, Greg + Susan.  My family is spread across the miles, literally from coast-to-coast.  So, being together again resurrected a collection of old memories and also created new ones - many of which I am still laughing about! The wedding reception was at Heinz Field, which was a little sliver of heaven for Jonny and me. Even though March Madness is a blast (especially as proud residents of Indianapolis), we are SO ready for football season to start. And after our Pittsburgh trip, Baby P has a collection of black + gold fashions for the 2013 season. Thanks for Jonny's birthday gifts, Mama Dub + Rachel!! GO STEELERS!! 

Steelers Onesies + Bib ... HERE WE GO!

We were given a tour of the Hall of Fame at Heinz Field and a security guard even escorted us into the stands for some photos. In honor of Week 25, we took a picture in front of the 25 yard-line:

25 Yard Line @ Heinz Field ... 15 weeks to go! 

I had another baby dream this week … this time about a boy!  I dreamt that the doctor wrote the results of my glucose tolerance test on the inside of one of my favorite cookbooks (so weird, I know). The note said that my glucose results were normal, but that I was having “a very large BABY BOY.” Eeeeekkkkkk!!! So, my girl:boy dream ratio is now 5:2. For whatever reason, I’m still thinking girl … 

The most fun development this week is that Baby P’s hair color is defined. We are so very curious about what color it will be. I keep wondering if maybe the baby will get Jonny’s blue eyes and my brown hair: a little smidgen of us both!

25 week chalkboard photo --- crazy to look at this one vs. the one we took week 17! 

VIABLE

Baby P’s heartbeat pounded proudly & strongly again at this week’s doctor’s appointment: 145 BPM! And we learned that week 24 is a milestone because our baby is considered “viable.” In the laymen’s terms, “viable” means that our baby could now survive outside the womb thanks to neonatal intensive care and technology.  Knowing this information gives me wonderful relief, but also makes me wish there was a happier word than “viable” to describe the joyous news. Viable sounds very sterile - like cold metal.  Someone should invent a warmer word. I’ll get right on that…

I have read that weeks 24-28 are some of the most active weeks because the baby has motor skills and plenty of room to move around.  So far, that information has proved correct … our wiggleworm is very wiggly, especially after a meal or a workout. Sometimes it’s hard for Jonny to feel, so this week we tried playing music close to my tummy to see if that would ignite a big kick, but nothing happened. Maybe that’s just the baby’s way of telling us he’s calmest when our hands are on top of him?

I had two more baby dreams this week and the baby was a girl in both. So my girl:boy dream ratio is now 5:1. It’s going to be such a big surprise when we finally find out!

We had our 2^nd childbirth prep class this week and a NEW instructor, who was fantastic. She spoke to us about the rollercoaster of emotions that parents go through after labor --- that even though the pregnancy is over, the real journey is just beginning!  She also gave a very well-rounded education on medical interventions and comfort measures to use during labor.  Jonny says his favorite technique is the “wrap-around hug” – when he stands behind me and lifts up on my stomach to take weight off my pelvis and spine. I don’t think my tummy is big enough to fully enjoy the benefits of this yet, but I’ll never tire of receiving his foot & back rubs!  Finally, I made a hilarious friend in class who is 36 weeks into her pregnancy and lives near us in Broad Ripple. We exchanged numbers and have planned a date for next week!

Today is Jonny’s birthday and we are headed to Pittsburgh for my cousin Gregory’s wedding. The reception will be held at Heinz Field … home to the STEELERS (“here we go”)!  Another city to add to Baby P’s travel map: https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=200492718152374733412.0004d4969fc41f7542181&msa=0

SHAMROCK

It’s week 24 and it’s St. Patrick’s Day! Our little shamrock is 12” long, weighs 1 pound, and only 16 weeks away from joining our family. I remember finding out we were pregnant and being told that we would have to wait 3 weeks until our first doctor’s appointment. Those initial 21 days of waiting dragged on-and-on, but time since then has been flying! So much so, that we forgot to take a chalkboard picture last week (whoops)! Week 24 is below:

Week 24 - Happy St. Patrick's Day!

This past week we had our first Childbirth Prep Class. Overall, it was super informative and I am glad we are going, but the instructor and I had a moment where our horns locked a bit.  I asked her how we should know "when" to go to the hospital such that it won't be too late to receive the epidural. She replied "it's never too late to have an epidural." She was one of those childbirth-should-be-a-natural-thing-and-it's-so-easy kind of instructors --- the kind that no information-seeking first-time-parents appreciate having.  I gave her an eye-gesture that read "that’s not what I have heard" and shared that I have at least 5 girlfriends who arrived at the hospital and were told they were too far along into labor to receive one.  After saying this, the instructor repeated herself and said "it is never too late to have an epidural."   Insert Sarcasm: Thanks for the super helpful answer to my question. I'm pregnant ... not deaf!    Despite this hiccup, Jonny and I did laugh a lot --- especially through the breathing exercises. Never one to be shy or embarrassed in a crowd of strangers, Jonny put A LOT of enthusiasm into his exhales ("aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!").  

We celebrated Jonny’s birthday this weekend with an Indianapolis bar crawl. It was a St. Patrick’s Day celebration filled with green-tongues, leprechauns, kilts, and so many of our crazy-fun friends!  In some ways it felt like closing a chapter filled with responsibility-free birthdays, but in other ways it felt like a kick-off to all future birthdays that will include the best gift of all: our little shamrock. Our friends were all so gracious to ask lots of questions about the baby … and a few of them touched my belly and enjoyed imagining something the size of a spaghetti squash fidgeting around inside.

Jonny + Justin's Irish Jig - Top of the Mornin'

Indianapolis Bar Crawl - Happy St. "Pritchard" Day!

I have received 2 baby shower invitations and they are so totes adorbs that I had to post pictures.  Both of these were personally designed and created by the shower hosts themselves, so if you ever want a gorgeously unique invitation for an event, lemme know and I’ll connect you to my girls!

Indianapolis shower hosted by Lindsay and Pam

Cincinnati Shower hosted by Jenn, Mel, + Anne

We have a 24 week appointment with the doctor is this coming Tuesday --- time to hear our favorite heartbeat again! 

ELBOW

Bye-Bye tummy flutters … Baby P has started to jab, poke, rumble-and-roll!

This past weekend we visited my family in San Francisco to celebrate “Kiki’s” (my mom’s) birthday. We took a coastal drive south to the city of Carmel, which was just like a little corner of Europe. It’s a town complete with dog-walking, hotels with no elevators, ornate gift shops, and cobblestone patios. Carmel even smells like Europe with all the bakeries, which keep their front & back doors open to let the smells of fresh sourdough permeate the streets.   We also visited the Pebble Beach Golf Course, where the grass is an unbelievable color of green and the sunsets make you realize just how far “West” you’re standing. I had a moment on the beach where I realized that I was one of the last people in America to see that day’s sun … it was breathtaking & so peaceful.    The trip to Pebble inspired me to want to play my first-ever round of golf, which I did on my parent’s course (Stonebrae) on the last day of our trip.  I had a few strokes of beginner’s luck and even more strokes of embarrassment, but Jonny and my family are GREAT golfers and they gave me lots of tips. Playing golf is always more fun than watching from the sidelines and as it turns out, golf is excellent exercise – especially when you have to chase the ball all over the course like I did (ha)! 

Pebble Beach Golf Course 

Jonny & I (and baby) with feet in the Pebbles 

Kiki (birthday girl) and I watching the sun go down! 

Mama Dub + Jonny at Bird Rock 

After our trip to Carmel we were treated to an overnight stay at the Fairmont Hotel in Nob Hill (downtown SanFran). We had a dee-licious birthday-girl dinner at a teeny Italian restaurant called Venticello and then returned to the hotel where Korey had a surprise for us:  a trip to The Tonga Room in the hotel basement. The Tonga Room is a bar with a gigantic pool in the middle of the room and floating on the pool is a large boat that carries a 4-man band. During certain songs (“Have You Ever Seen the Rain” – CCR), the ceiling would erupt with noise and rain would actually start falling into the pool. Korey drank a cocktail out of a pineapple and my mom tore up the dance floor (“Play that Funky Music”)!  It was really fun to see how much my family has come into their own in San Francisco and we absolutely loved visiting our “home” on the West Coast!  

Korey's Pineapple Delight @ Tonga Room 

View from Fairmont Hotel (see the cable car + the bay?)

Nice view, JP  (Stonebrae TPC)

Kiki taught me that when you're mentally done with a hole, you say "I'M IN!" 

Dad, you are lookin' good big-guy! :) 

Love our beautiful family! 

Proof that I played ... and that I don't know how to swing (ha)! 

One night after returning home to Indy, we were watching TV when I felt a little poke on the lower right side of my abdomen. I gave Jonny a look that said, “What the heck was that??”  He put his hand on my stomach and after about 10 more minutes we felt another jab. This time we both looked at each other with big eyes that said, “Did you feel that too??” And no imagination about it, our Baby P was provoking us with a little knee or elbow. I was over-the-moon that we experienced that moment together! I’m sure the “kicks” will start getting bigger & bigger as our pregnancy progresses!

22 WEEKS and LOVING IT! 

Until next time San Francisco! 

Here are some other little updates:

·         BELLY: I can no longer see my toes when I stand in the shower and this makes me laugh. 

·         EXERCISE: I continue to love my Barre class, the elliptical, and Yoga, but they are getting much harder.  It kind of feels like I have an inner-tube around my stomach. Thankfully the weather is turning warmer and I’m sure walks outside will soon become a big part of my routine.

·         CRAVINGS:  Sweets (in moderation)!  Cookies, brownies, ice cream … you name it.  

·         CLOTHES:  I’m in full-blown maternity clothes now, which I am having fun with! Even my workout tops are fitting more snuggly, so it’s time for a shopping trip (WhooHoo)!

·         NURSERY: We have all of our nursery furniture assembled! Soon we’ll be painting the walls, filling the drawers with onesies, and making the bed. Our bedding has evolved from a chevron-pattern to more of a blue/green stripe/diamond palate.  Conley peeks in the nursery every day to see if anything has changed (and/or to try & steal one of the baby’s stuffed animals) … I wonder if he knows a baby is coming??

·          BOY/GIRL: Everyone keeps guessing that I’m having a boy. Any guesses from you readers??