Where Did My Energy Go?

One of the strangest things about being pregnant is how freaking tired I am! I feel like I've run a marathon every day, when really I haven't done all that much (except grow a baby, of course)! Today I had lunch at the CC mall with Jacey and Lauren- then went shopping for a maternity jean skirt (but decided not to get it when I saw it was $80!)- then to the grocery store- then walked Hauser...and now I'm pooped!

Last night Mr. Mustard and I went out to dinner, and then met up with some of his work buddies for drinks. I sipped water, of course! On our way to the restaurant, I commented to Mr. Mustard that I haven't really felt the baby move much and that my doctor said it would be happening soon, if it hadn't already. So, here we are, at dinner- and all of a sudden, the baby starts jumping- or leaping- around my abdomen. It was really uncomfortable, but also very cool. I am looking forward to feeling her kick from the outside. That way, Mr. Mustard can feel her, too.

I go back to the doctor in two weeks to get my Level II ultrasound, which I guess will tell the doctors more about what's going on with the baby. I am looking forward to getting another look at the baby- and seeing how much she's grown. This Saturday I'll be 1/2 way through the pregnancy. Time is really flying! I can't wait to meet our little girl!

Back From the Doctor

Had my check-up today- the doc didn't really do anything except listen to the heartbeat, weigh me, and ask how I'm feeling. I did get him to fill out the testing accomodations paperwork for the Bar Exam. We'll see how that goes. Right now I'm signed up to be a regular tester at the site in Ontario- which is about 2 hours away from the hospital in traffic. I had the doctor fill out a form requesting that I be closer to him and the hospital, since I'll be 37 weeks when I take the exam! I hope the Bar Committee agrees to let me take the test closer- and hopefully, I can get a few more bathroom breaks, too!

A Good Weekend

Had a nice, relaxing weekend. I went to pre-natal yoga on Saturday- which was a great stress relief. It's also a very special time to be around so many other pregnant women- all in the same room, all at different stages of their pregnancy. One woman in the class was 7 weeks pregnant- another one 40 weeks!

Our weekend was pretty laid back- mostly going out to dinner and visiting with friends. We watched the documentary "Word Wars"- which is about the world championship of Scrabble. The "champions" featured in the documentary were a mixture of genius, OCD, and very eccentric, to say the least!

I have a huge list of things to accomplish over Spring Break- but today I haven't felt like doing much. The usual- laundry, dog walking, etc. has to be done, of course. I need motivation to do the rest!!!

I went to the Target in West Hollywod on Saturday to look at baby stuff. It was SO packed with people! It's hard to have an enjoyable shopping experience when the aisles are teeming with shoppers, all climbling over eachother and pulling stuff off the shelves. So, I didn't get anything baby-related.

I don't really know what to buy. I don't think we're going to get a lot of the conventional stuff, anyway- of course...we'll see. I know that we DO need to buy a carseat- but I'm thinking that we won't use a stroller. I'm going to try to do exclusively sling/baby carriers. Most of the car seats appear to be part of a stroller "system"- but a stroller is not that practical for us, since we live upstairs, and I like to be very mobile.

We're probably going to get the Arm's Reach co-sleeper/bassinet instead of a crib, at least at first- which is a very cool thing that attaches to the side of the bed, or can stand on its own. So, that means no crib to buy.

I've heard that baby changing tables are good only if you have lots of room- which we don't...so I think I will find an alternative place to change the baby. So, that means no changing table to buy.

We're going to try out a cloth diaper service- so no disposable diapers to buy.

And then breastfeeding cuts out the need to buy formula...

Basically, I think we need to buy:

car seat
slings
baby toiletries (wipes, etc.)
changing pad
diaper bag
Boppy pillow and cover
baby books
receiving blankets
activity mat
toys
clothes
Arm's Reach Co-Sleeper or Mini Co-Sleeper
Co-Sleeper sheets
baby bath sponge
breast pump and accessories
high chair
ear thermometer

I guess that's still a lot of stuff! I'm probably forgetting things, too. :-)

Dog Park!

Today I took Hauser to the Dog Park for some doggie good times. It is his second favorite place in the world- next to the Dog Beach! He ran and ran- and played with lots of other doggies, until finally he couldn't take it anymore and just laid down in a shady, grassy spot and refused to move. He slept the whole car ride home, and as a matter of fact, he's still asleep!

I wrote "the letter" to the firm telling them about my pregnancy! I have been really nervous about writing the letter- but now that it's done, I feel good about it. I asked for my start date to be pushed back until January 2007, and for my hours to be decreased to part-time. Yeah right! Like that's going to happen! But, I figure I had to ask anyway. So, it'll be interesting to see what they say. :-)

Doctor Appointment on Tuesday

Well- I did it. I called the doctor and rescheduled my appointment for next Tuesday. I have been dreading going because- 1) I can't stand going to the doctor, and 2) I don't want him to say that anything is wrong. Part of me doesn't want him to do another ultrasound, but then part of me wants him to do it to make sure everything is okay. Arghhh! So, I'll just go!

On a happier note- today is the start of my Spring Break! I started cleaning out the breakfast nook yesterday! I also set up a "dedicated study space" in the bedroom so that I can get serious about studying for finals and the Bar. It's basically the only place in the apartment that gets any natural light during the day- so I figure that's the best place to be for hours on end of studying. I moved Mr. Mustard's computer to the living room, which is okay by him because he likes to play his video games in darkness, anyway!

I brought home all of my books from my locker at school so that I can study over the break. They were SO heavy- I probably had over 60 pounds in all. The walk to the parking garage from the law school is about 1/2 mile. I made it halfway, and then I started feeling some major pain. So, I stopped, stashed the books behind a bush and then ran to the car, came back and picked up the books. I could not carry them any futher! I think part of adjusting to pregnancy is remembering that I can't be a superhero when it comes to physical tasks. I have to be hydrated, eat a lot, and not push myself physically too hard- or else my body will let me know in a very real way that it's mad at me!

Fair Food Party and Miker

I was just thinking about friends- good friends who I don't get to see that often because of pesky geography. I like being in LA- but there are so many people, friends and family, who live outside of this bubble. I am going up to see some of my law school buddies in April- which is very exciting! Also, I'll be going out to Indiana (hopefully!) in May. And my friend Sarah may make a trip to CA in August- which could be good timing if this baby cooperates!

I miss Miker a lot- it's funny because the whole time I was in Berkeley, he was in LA- and now he's a SF denizen and here I am down south. He had an amazing Fair Food Party before he left- it was great to celebrate with him. I hope he moves back here soon- or at least I get to see more of him! He and Mr. Mustard have been close since USC- LA definitely isn't the same without him here!

School Days!

I am really looking forward to graduation. I know it will happen soon enough, so I'm trying to enjoy these last few months of school. It is hard to focus, though- especially being pregnant! I have LOTS to do before I graduate. My classes this semester are varied and pretty tough at times. I have a lot of studying to do prior to finals. My Spring Break is next week- and I think I'm going to use the time to organize my notes, make outlines, and start preparing for finals.

I also went to the bookstore today and bought a bunch of books to prepare for the Bar. Since it looks like I'm not going to be working for the firm, I've decided not to do the expensive Bar Review course through Barbri. When the firm was going to pay for it, I was all for it. But, it is a lot of money for us right now and I don't want to do that when we have our little baby on the way. So, I'm hoping that I'll be able to read a few books and pass!

On another note, we received two wonderful packages in the mail yesterday! My friend Ann sent the most AMAZING care package for the baby. Basically, she went on a spending spree and bought so many beautiful gifts for our little girl. I don't know how I'll ever be able to thank her. Mr. Mustard's neighbors from Maine sent a really nice baby blanket- it is so soft and snuggly. I was just overwhelmed. We have been so blessed with gifts of all kinds. About two weeks ago, my mom sent us a beautiful flower arrangement with a precious teddy bear! Not to mention, she has totally set me up with prenatal yoga classes- which are so nice! It's all so unexpected- but I'm really greatful to be surrounded by people who are enthusiastic about our little anticipated arrival. It's so great knowing that there are people out there whe are excited about this new little life coming into the world! I guess I need to get started on those Thank You cards right away.

18 Weeks 2 Days!

I went to the grocery store today to stock up and realized that I have no "pregnancy cravings." Everyone keeps asking me- what are you craving? And the truth is, I'm really not craving anything in particular. The first month I craved cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches...then for awhile all I wanted were turkey sandwiches with mayo. Now I'm sort of disinterested in food- and happy to eat anything. No weird food aversions or anything like that.

I'm hoping to feel more movement soon. Right now I only feel movement from the baby occasionally. I want her to give me a few kicks! Well, I guess maybe that will happen in a few more weeks. I'm looking forward to it!

I'm planning on using my Spring Break to start decorating the "nursery." I'm going to make it as gender neutral as possible, since it IS the breakfast nook--but I still want some pink in there! I've got to start putting some ideas together for that- it's so exciting!

One Year Ago Today...

Mr. Mustard and I were moving out of our place in Pasadena- and I took this picture. What a difference a year makes! In one year we:

• Moved across town
• Mr. Mustard won an Emmy
• I switched law schools
• Got a wonderful doggie
• Went on our Honeymoon
• Got Pregnant!

Jeez! Now that I think about it, I guess that's kind of alot!

Meg and Hauser Snooze on the Bed

Here are our snuggling angels! Meg is becoming much more tolerant of Hauser- although I'd hardly say they're best friends (yet)!

18 Weeks, 1 Day!

The weekend went by so quickly! It's already Sunday and I can hardly believe it. On Friday we saw "Eight Below"- the Disney movie with Paul Walker. I cried during the whole movie- I guess it's the pregnancy hormones! On Saturday, we drove up to Santa Barbara to see Mr. Mustard's mom. The weather was beautiful- we had a great drive up. Mr. Mustard's mom made a killer nacho dish for dinner and brownies. One of the great things about being pregnant is eating yummy food with no guilt! We took Hauser with us up to Santa Barbara- he was a trooper, especially when we got stuck in the traffic from the L.A. Marathon on the way home.

I just took this picture of my stomach- I guess I really DO look pregnant! It's amazing what a difference a few weeks makes. It seems like not too long ago I had to push my stomach out to make it look big. Not anymore!