LA Weekend & 52 Card Pick-Up

Last weekend Jake and I were in LA for a friend's wedding. We stayed with my sister and had a chance to see my parents and brother for Sunday brunch. I made such an effort to pack our camera, but it never made it out of our suitcase. Instead, we snapped this picture with my iPhone while at the wedding. The reception was at a private home that is rented out for weddings or parties. The house looks like a castle... it was a pretty neat wedding.

Here I am posing in my sister's apartment at 23 weeks preggo. I've been feeling good!

Back in San Jose, I woke up one morning to hear Jake reprimanding Roxy outside our bedroom door. He normally wakes up first and hops in the shower. Roxy waits outside the bathroom and bedroom doors - usually chewing on one of her toys. Well, one morning Roxy discovered two decks of playing cards that were sitting on top of Jake's poker chips. These chips and cards have been sitting in the corner of the room for months! What made her want to get into them now? Oh, Roxy!

Exciting Things

There has been a lot going on lately. Funny how my idea of fun and exciting has changed slightly in the past five months... I'm sure it will change even more when Baby H is here.

It was my first full week of school so I was exhausted! The students are great, but I always forget how much talking I do the first few weeks of school - I have to explain everything. Also, being on my feet all day has been tough to get used to. I'm responsible for also walking the students to our field area (about a block away) for recess duty. There was also an earthquake drill which meant more walking to the field. Luckily, it was a planned drill so I had a change of shoes in the classroom. My feet started to swell up that day and they couldn't fit in my shoes by the end of the day.

It's not just my feet -- I'm huge! At least, I feel that way. Jake has been very sweet about my expanding body and he even told me the other night how impressed he was with how I was handling it all. I guess he was expecting the typical neurotic Kelly, but I've been (surprisingly) relaxed about the whole thing. So, here is the embarrassing picture of the week:

22 weeks! Maternity jeans are now a must.

Some exciting updates: We got a crib! I had been looking at different cribs in our budget and then one night I found one of them online for super cheap and included the mattress. I had to jump on it. Pictures to come...

Also, Jake felt Baby Hilton kick! It was very exciting for him. I've been feeling the little guy move for weeks now, but I'm so happy that Jake got to experience it. His reaction was priceless and it definetely helped make it "more real" for him.

We scheduled a "childbirth preparation class" through our doctor's office/hospital. My doctor recommeded this particular class, which is actually a series of three classes. Not sure what to expect from these classes, but we get to take a tour of the hospital... I love a good field trip.

Jake purchased this book from amazon:

Haven't read it yet... but I hate the cover. Ha

Half Way There

Yay! I made it to 20 weeks. Here are some stats:

Baby: Boy

Name: Picked out... not sure when we'll tell... stay tuned

People who have given me a written list of names they like: One (you know who you are)

Weight: Up 14 lbs. I screamed when I saw the number this morning; Jake laughed

Cravings: Nothing really. Red wine and an obsession with green apples around month three

Headaches: Numerous, but now more infrequent

Baby Kicks: slight flutters when I'm laying down started this week

People who have come out of nowhere and touched my belly so far: two (it doesn't really bother me...yet)

Emotional Breakdowns: more than I'd like to admit (some examples: outraged at the extra scoop of ice cream Jake tried to serve me; I get teary at almost every episode of TLC's A Baby Story; and there was almost a heart attack a few minutes ago when I weighed myself)

"Pregnancy Brain" Issues: oh geez. I read about this when I first became pregnant and thought it was ridiculous. I might be a believer now. Some highlights include leaving the driver side door of my car open and then walking up to the apartment; hitting the gas pedal instead of brake and injurying a poor tree (the car, surprisingly, is ok); and losing focus many times when having a conversation with Jake.


Now some belly pictures: 19 weeks and 20 weeks. It appears I really like that tank top. Those are my pre-pregnancy "fat" jeans that were loose on me. Now they are fully unbuttoned.

Roxy wondering what the heck we're doing.

Should I Practice With Roxy?

Oh my goodness... This woman must have a lot of time on her hands, discounts at a fabric store, and an understanding husband....but I still can't help but love looking at these pictures.

http://milasdaydreams.blogspot.com/

Thanks to my friend, Kelly, for passing this along.

Summer Happenings

Today I had my big ultrasound appointment. It was quite eventful! I'll go through the morning as quickly as possible. I got there thirty minutes early in typical Kelly fashion. Jake called to say that he may be late for the appointment. Hmm. No good. Well, he was really late because the technician called me in fifteen minutes early. She immediately told me to turn off my cell phone. I explained that I was waiting to hear from my husband as he was running behind. Her response: "Well, some husbands don't make it in time. We do this with or without him." I'm paraphrasing, but it was the tone that really got to me. I lay down on the table and she lets me know that this is not fun and games. She is there to get some information and has a lot of measurements to take (or something). Hmm... I thought babies made everyone happy? To me an ultrasound technician seems like the most amazing job in the world. Apparently, she has seen one too many and was over it. Also, she explained that she wouldn't be telling me if things look good or bad because she's not legally permitted to. This is true (checked with Nurse/Mama Fairchild) but it also gave me one less reason to talk to this woman. So, for the next fifteen minutes I laid there in silence. Except for the moments she told me to turn to the side. Then I faced the wall in silence. It was an interesting experience.

Then, she props me up and tells me to get comfortable because now she'll take pictures for me. At this point she had a little softer personality, but still not much. Example: Her: "Want to know the sex?" Me: "Yes." Her (emotionless): "Boy. There's the head, arms, legs..." Can she fake a little feeling?

My story is not over. She has my stay there while she leaves the room to check some facts/figures/paperwork and she'll come back and let me know if she has everything. Five more minutes of me sitting in silence. I checked my phone, but no call from Jake. Technician comes back in. She tells me she didn't get a good picture of the "cord input" or something like that. I've already forgotten what it was called... basically where the umbilical cord attaches to the baby. She said that Baby Hilton was wrapping his legs around the cord and she wanted another look. Back down I lay in silence. Nope, Baby H was still playing around with the cord. Turn to the side. Then to the other side. Baby Boy would not stop playing with the cord. Finally, technician lady says, "OK, elbows and knees." Quizzically, I look up, "Excuse me?" She tells me to get on all fours and stay like that for two minutes to see if the baby will move around and release his play toy. More of me in silence. She comes back and checks. At this point she tells me I have a lil' son-of-a-gun who is very playful. Aww... I'm almost proud that Baby Hilton is giving this mean lady a hard time. I'm evil. So, still no luck. She makes me go to the bathroom and empty my bladder hoping this would help. It did. Thank God. I was so over being there and dealing with this woman. But I love that Baby Hilton is so active and feisty!!

Doctor's office called this evening and told me that everything from the ultrasound looked normal. Phew! Huge sigh of relief!

























But, poor little Roxy's pancreas is acting up again. Not pretty and I have a hard time cleaning up after her because my sense of smell is out of control! (I smell unopened bags of marshmallows from two rooms away.) So, I get a wiff of Roxy's "presents" and gag. Now she is cuddling up to her daddy to try to feel better. The second picture is from a few days ago. Sometimes we look up and Roxy is sitting like that... tail straight between her legs and both legs out in front of her. It makes us laugh.



Now some photos I should have posted last time:


Our First Anniversary! Pic 1: My parents' house. Pic 2: Our view from the Sky Room restaurant at La Valencia. Pic 3: After our delicious five course meal. We had a table right by the window and although it wasn't the sunniest day it was still an amazing view! What a great way to spend our anniversary... and we saved money because we didn't have the normal bottle or two of wine we normally would at special occasions :)

16 weeks 4 days

Baby Hilton sucking his thumb! I'm officially in love... cutest thing I've ever seen.

I had my 16 week appointment today. Everything looked good. Baby Hilton's heartbeat was 154 beats per minute.

So, here is how we found out so early that Baby Hilton is a boy:

Jake and I planned an extended weekend trip to San Diego to celebrate our one year anniversary. We left on Friday night and made a stop in LA because we couldn't do the whole thing that night - we were too exhausted! Thanks Allie for the couch! The next morning we woke up and hurried down to San Diego. On the drive down, Jake said he wanted to let me know about his anniversary present for me a little early so that I could prepare. He told me he scheduled an ultrasound for that afternoon! (Printed photos from the ultrasound would be the "paper" for our one year anniversary, get it?) I was so excited, but also became very nervous! I just wanted to see that everything (baby, arms, legs, etc) was okay. I was scared that nothing would be growing inside of me and I was just gaining weight for no reason. Yes, that was my main concern... I'm so vain. Ha.

We showed up at a small office that only does ultrasounds. They had a large room for family viewing with huge screen for showing the baby. It was amazing seeing how big Baby Hilton got since we last saw it at 8 weeks! When it first popped up on the screen it hiccuped. You could immediately see the spine and head.

Then we got down to business. Baby Hilton was quite shy at first. The little legs stayed crossed for a few minutes. I said it was being "lady like" and that must have been the sign... two seconds later - there it was. Baby Hilton was officially a boy.

I can't tell what I'm looking at, but the ultrasound technician said she was 100% positive it was a boy. Well, I guess that's pretty certain. So, blue stuff it is!

Pregnancy update: Holy Headaches. I just got over a 48 hour headache... started in San Diego and lasted the whole drive home. I was sad I couldn't spend more (quality) time with mom and dad the last day I was home, but I think they understood. That was one of the worst pregnancy headaches I've experienced, but for the past few weeks I've been having almost daily headaches. They are small and dull - nothing too extreme for a migraine sufferer like me, but still annoying.

Left: 5 Weeks Pregnant
Right: 16 Weeks Pregnant *
* I did not wear this dress in public - just wanted to show the difference

Surprise!

Baby Hilton is... a BOY! We're leaving San Diego this morning and will post pictures and explain how we found out the sex once we get back to The Josey. Uh, seven hour drive with some serious pregnancy headaches...

San Diego & Temecula

I had a great time visiting family and friends over the past weekend. I flew to San Diego on Friday morning so I could make it out to Temecula for Jessica's Bachelorette Weekend. We rented a house for Friday and Saturday night.

The first night included everyone getting there (LA traffic was not nice to some of the girls), playing silly bachelorette games, opening presents, and yummy food and drinks!

A sangria toast for the bride-to-be, Jessica (third from left)

Saturday included laying by the pool, chatting, reading magazines, having lunch and more tasty drinks. I had a virgin mojito which was very yummy. I couldn't do too much laying in the sun. My head has still been off lately, so I had to go in early for a "cat nap." (Joke for the Temecula girls... lame I know)

Then, eight girls needed to shower and get ready for a night on the town! This included wine tasting, dinner at a winery, and a dance club.

In the limo

In the limo. Notice the fan above Devon's head. This made it impossible for us to close the partition to our creepy driver up front. Slightly awkward...

At the winery. Oh, how I wanted to taste the wines. I did smell each one... No one purchased any bottles so they must not have been that good.

The bride-to-be in her boa and tiara with veil. It looks like the club is empty in this picture, but it actually got pretty crowded. There were a few other bachelorette parties at the same club... but Jessica was the cutest :)

Isn't this interesting...

Can mothers predict the sex of their unborn baby? Well, according to one study women who had an intuition were correct 70% of the time.

Check out the article here: http://web.arizona.edu/~vas/intuit.htm

Any moms out there who correctly predicted the gender of their babies?

12 Week Appointment

Jake and I went to our 12 week doctor appointment today. I'm officially 12 weeks 4 days. Everything was normal and we listened to the baby's heartbeat. I was a little disappointed because we didn't get to see an ultrasound of the baby like we had done the previous two visits. Of course I asked when we'd get to see another picture of the baby and doc said not until our scheduled ultrasound to find out the sex (at 18 weeks). That is August 9th and yes, I'm already counting down the days! I'm so eager to find out what were having, but also just see that everything is okay.

The doctor also said that the headaches I've been experiencing were due to the pregnancy. I thought it might be due to all of the traveling and weather changes we experienced. She quickly dismissed this idea and said it was all because of the pregnancy. I really like my doctor - she is so no-nonsense which is exactly what I need. She said the headaches would get better soon when my body adapts to increase in blood volume and other stuff...

So, I was hoping to have another little ultrasound picture to post, but I don't. Instead how about a poll?!? What do you think we're having? I'd love to hear everyone's guess... c'mon you have a 50/50 chance of being right.

We're Back

What a trip! As I joked with Jake, this is not my top choice of vacations. I much prefer a tropical beach locale... but I must say the trip was great!

We started by flying to Norfolk, Virginia. After landing at 11:30 pm we checked into a close hotel and went to sleep. The next day we rented a car and got to see some of the state. The end goal was Charlottesville, Virginia where Monticallo is located and where we would be staying the night. We weren't in too much of a rush so we got to enjoy the sights. We even stopped in Williamsburg and peeked around.

driving through Virginia
at Monticello

D.C. was next. We had a great time seeing the monuments and museums, but the heat made it difficult for me. I was tired due to the pregnancy and the walking in heat and humidity did not help this. I took an afternoon nap almost daily. Regardless of heat or energy levels, we loved our time in D.C.

Lincoln and Washington Monuments
Jake and Abe
our patriotic Popsicles to beat the heat

We didn't really take pictures in New York. We have both been there before and used this as our "relaxing" part of the trip.

Then came Boston! A first for both of us. It was a really neat city and we both enjoyed it. I think I would have appreciated it even more if it was the beginning of our trip when I had more energy (or I wasn't pregnant). Again, there were a couple of naps during the afternoons...

Paul Revere's house
Boston Common
(we saw a lot in Boston, but I think we were over taking pictures)

Pregnancy Update: Afternoon naps; no real bump yet, but it looks like I've had too much to eat; 12 week appointment on Wednesday.

School's out for Summer!

Hooray! I'm done... well, I actually have four more report cards to finish today. Then I'm done! I'm putting them off because, well, I hate doing them. I think I'll go shopping with Jake and get a massage first. Then, I'll get around to them. I dread report cards. My least favorite part of teaching.

On a more exciting note: we leave for our vacation soon! We are really looking forward to our sightseeing trip back East. We'll be going to some spots in Virginia, DC, New York City, and finally Boston. Not sure which city we are most excited to see, but I know we are both excited to just relax and enjoy some time together. We both have been working late in the past few weeks and I feel like even though we live together it's hard to spend quality time together.

Update on pregnancy: I'll be ten weeks tomorrow. I spoke to soon about the energy level on the last post. I must have been feeling cocky. I'll have a few nights that I make it to ten, but other nights I'm out by seven. Still not fully "showing" yet and I'm still wearing my normal clothes. I think it will be a while before there is any noticeable bump, but we'll see. After our trip back East I have my 12 week appointment. I can't wait to see how much the lil' peanut has grown!

What a Weekend!

My parents came to visit us in San Jose this past weekend. They got in on Thursday night and I actually dropped them off at the airport this morning.

It was an unofficial "Bring Your Parents to Work Day" on Friday and my students got to listen to Dr. Fairchild discuss his work on Maui and the telescope there. They only spent the morning in my classroom and then they got the heck out of there and enjoyed some sights and shopping. Friday evening we had dinner and laughed about what a drama queen I was as a child. I think my mom is hoping I have a little girl just like I was as a sort of payback.

Saturday we took a drive up the coast. We showed my parents the town of Tiburon (which is just on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge) and had lunch on the water. It was a beautiful day. Then, we drove up to a state park that looks over the Pacific Ocean. You can see San Fran and the Golden Gate on a clear day.

Then, Sunday came. Oh dear. Sunday we had to take Roxy to the vet. She's been having some tummy trouble. Turns out the poor pup has pancreatitis! She needs to be on a strict diet and they gave her some meds. She'll be fine, but my poor parents had to see Roxy's "mess" and deal with all of the doggie drama. They said it was no big deal.

Update on pregnancy: I have more energy... and more belly. Not much, but it looks like I ate a big meal. I'm still wearing my normal clothes, but I should admit that I unbuttoned the top of my pants when I came home from work today. That's a new occurrence.

It's Official! We're having a baby!

I can't contain myself any longer! Jake and I are expecting our first baby! I am officially 8 weeks and 4 days. This has been the hardest secret for me to keep because I found out very early on in the pregnancy and I can't keep secrets! I guess you can say I'm one of those freaky people who knew right away. I didn't have any specific symptoms, but I just knew something was up. As my girlfriends from the Austin trip know, I was thinking something was up even on the trip. (In Austin I was only 1 week pregnant.) I told the girls in Austin I thought there was a chance, but we all agreed it was too early to tell anything. So, yes, I had a margarita or two while in Austin. Oops!

I came back from the Austin trip and without telling Jake I purchased some home pregnancy tests. What the heck. Well, the first test came back and there was a very faint pink line. I had a huge smile on my face, but I didn't know what to think. Was I seeing things? I told Jake when he got home. He was shocked I had even taken a test and wanted to see the line. Well, FYI, Jake is colorblind and pink is nearly impossible for him to see. This being a very faint line he wasn't sure what to say. So, we sat there is disbelief. The next morning I took another one. Again, a faint line, but slightly darker. This process continued for the next three days. I peed on quite a few sticks. I even went out to the store to buy digital ones. I eventually called my doctor and had a blood test, which confirmed it!

Now, weeks later, I'm still in shock. We heard/saw the baby's heartbeat yesterday at our doctor's visit. It is surreal. Here is a fuzzy picture of the ultrasound. You can make out tiny little arm buds. So crazy, huh?

It is about an inch long and the size of a green olive. I have been feeling great. No morning sickness! But, I am always tired (make that exhausted) and I fall asleep at 8 o'clock every night. Also, I'm always hungry. So, I might turn into a blimp soon. So far I've only gained a pound. We'll see how long that lasts.

Can't wait to keep updating this with pictures!

Back from Austin

It has been a week since my "Girl's Trip" to Austin, Texas. It was a lot of fun to see my old friends, go to fun dinners, and lay out in the sun! We even got a little sight-seeing in...

Wish I had more pictures, but of course I didn't have a camera. These are all taken from friends... (except for the very first picture of the Capitol building - that's from my iPhone)

Now that I'm back, it has been back to normal. Work. Cooking. Taking Roxy for walks. We really love the big grass area at our apartment complex. Around five o'clock a bunch of dogs (with owners) come out to play off-leash. Of course when we snap this picture the other dogs scampered away. You can't really tell, but there is a volleyball and soccer game going on in the distance. It was a beautiful Sunday!

Just for Fun!

San Diego and LA were a lot of fun! I got to spend time with my family and friends, eat at some of my favorite places, and enjoy the sun. My three favorite things! Here is a pic I snapped while eating at Roberto's. Such nice weather that day!

In LA I got to see some friends from college and celebrate Devon's birthday. We went to a fun rooftop bar and dinner at the Top Chef's restaurant. I don't watch that show, but it was yummy food. We also went late night bowling. The picture below is from the rooftop bar in Venice. You could see from Redondo Beach to Malibu.

To put a cherry-on-top when I came home my husband surprised me with a detailed car and spotless apartment! Seriously, my car looks brand new (except for the month supply of Diet Coke in the back). It was really hard to go back to work, but now the countdown is on to AUSTIN!

Spring Break

What I wish my Spring Break looked like:




Yeah right. My Spring Break is far from that. Instead it has been cold and rainy since Friday; I have gone into work to grade papers; I will have been to the dentist twice; and now I'm sick! Sick! Uh. Well, sadly, it is easier to be sick on a break than make substitute plans and call in sick for work. Trying to look on the bright side.

I fly to San Diego tomorrow and the weather should be warm and sunny! Hopefully, I'll be over this cold and enjoy my time with friends and family.

things on my mind lately...

I'm getting very excited for the upcoming weeks/months.

I'll be reuniting with some friends from high school in Austin later this month. I'm looking forward to catching up, soaking in the sun, and enjoy the local flavor.

Jake and I have made the final arrangements on our trip back east! Virginia, DC, NYC, and Boston! Tons to see and do. Can't wait.

Well, I can't say too much... But, I love this movie.