A+ day

Today was good. All around, today was a pretty fabulous day. I interviewed for a new position (and found a blazer in my closet that actually looked as though it fit, even if I couldn't actually button it) and that went well. I finished my portion of an operational excellence project that has to be in by tomorrow. The Starbucks downstairs now sells banana nut bread (I had two slices this morning, delicious). This was also the last day of my workweek, as I'm off tomorrow so helloooooooooo three-day weekend! Must leave now. Sister has lax game in 35 minutes. Good day. A+ day.

long sunny weekend... part deux

If I am sore, sleepy and have a little bit of a sunburn... I know we had a good weekend. Full of cookouts, dog park visits, sunshine, shopping in Richmond and a fancy wedding downtown, we had a long and eventful weekend. I am even writing this blog entry from our new laptop - in bed! Although I used to occasionally bring my laptop home from work and I enjoyed lounging around the condo with it rather than sitting at our desk... I could definitely get used to this. Blogging and online shopping (albeit for my last purchase of maternity wear) from the comfort of my own bed? Nice.

The little baby is tossing and turning in my belly as I type this... she is now the size of a papaya and the updates are grouped together so there won't be anymore weekly fruit/veggie updates. It looks like I'll be able to update with new fruits and veggies every three to four weeks... for now, "Watch what you say -- baby is now able to hear outside noise from down in the womb. Studies show that baby finds gentle music and your own voice most soothing. Nipples are starting to sprout, and that little face is fully formed. And, baby's starting to settle into sleep cycles, snoozing about 12 to 14 hours a day. It shouldn't be hard to figure out when -- just pay attention to those kicks as they start and stop." I've finally received all of the bedding for her room and it's freaking adorable. If I've piqued your interest, it's the Penelope bedding at Pottery Barn Kids although I wouldn't be surprised if it has disappeared from their website by now.

So the wedding was beautiful. It was at the Halcyon House in Georgetown, which is a gorgeous colonial rowhouse off of Prospect overlooking the river, Key Bridge, etc... The upstairs is entirely colonial and the ceremony was held on the back lawn - great views. Cocktail hour was upstairs and then we were told to head downstairs. I already had an idea of what the space was like beforehand, but it was amazing to finally see it. The reception looked like it was straight out of a wedding magazine. You had to walk down several flights of stairs before you got to the basement (which was actually on the ground floor, the house was built into a hill) and it was just a huge open modern space generally reserved as an artists' gallery - completely cement and contemporary and beautifully decorated... plus the food was delicious. Weddings are so much fun because every single one is so completely different from the others we've been to - it's so interesting to see how people's tastes will be reflected. Congratulations to Karli and Kevin!

P.S. Happy second wedding anniversary to us! We took this photo of ourselves after the wedding when we got back to our beach house... We were most likely sweaty, tired and hungry but I still think this silly photo pretty much captured us at one of the happiest times in our lives. Next up: late September when our mini-me arrives! Even better... Steve just texted me to let me know he does in fact have paternity leave! Awesome.

long sunny weekend!

I've been counting down the hours until this weekend since Monday morning, folks. After spending three long excruciating days in training run by the National Finance Center with Department of Agriculture (how's that for dry?) it is finally finally finally Thursday. I look forward to Thursdays because I only work until noon on Fridays (love the modified work week schedule!) so Thursdays are wonderful.

This weekend is supposed to be gorgeous! 75-80 degrees and sunny every single day. Pool party on Saturday... beautiful wedding in Georgetown on Saturday night... fun trip to Richmond on Sunday... no work on Monday!! We're even getting a new computer this weekend (laptop this time). Although we definitely just bought a computer in December, it makes more sense for us to have a laptop and save some space in the condo once the baby takes over. Speaking of the baby, the fact that she's nearly a foot long must contribute to the fact that I am feeling gigantic kicks throughout the day. She's most active at night, when I wake up and later in the morning after I've had breakfast... but the kicks are enormous compared to the small kicks of seventeen weeks. She's growing fast!

Time to sneak out of work - it's perfect dog walking weather! Here's a joke, courtesy of my pal Kate (she thinks it's extremely clever):

What did the brown chicken say to the brown cow?
Brown chicken brown cow.... (bow-chicka-bow-wow)

holy banana bread!

"Coated in milky, oily, creamy vernix and fine, downy lanugo … She’s the size of a banana! Baby gulps down several ounces of amniotic fluid every day, both for hydration and nutrition and to practice swallowing and digesting. And, these days, those taste buds actually work! Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid. Meaning, think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own lunch." I think the banana is a much better representation than the canteloupe or other round/oddly shaped fruits and veggies... these fruit comparisons are just to give a visualization of how long she is (10.5 inches from head to toe, in this case). Baby Ryan still spends most of her day flipping around in there and kicking me nonstop... she kicks a lot at night and in the morning when I wake up, but she has periods throughout the day where she is very active. Last Friday I spent an hour sitting in a meeting (a booooooooring one at that) and was distracted by the kicking for most of it.

An older woman here at work told me this morning how lucky I've been, having avoided morning sickness up until this point. I think I've had a relatively easy pregnancy thus far (knock on wood) and even when I do feel like poo I know it could be much worse. My best friend has been super nauseous throughout the first 10 weeks of her pregnancy so I can't really complain. On a side note, isn't that the craziest thing ever? Who would have ever guessed in a million years that my bfffffffff and I would be pregnant together!?! I love it.

We finally cleared out the furniture from the room that is no longer the guest room but not yet a nursery. We measured for the chair rail and shadow boxes and spent awhile at Home Depot where we learned that we know nothing about wood but can stare at the paint selection for hours. I can't wait until July or August when the room is completely finished - paint, molding, furniture... it's going to be freaking adorable.

I just looked at my calendar and realized that I have three three-day weekends in a row... awesome. This weekend we have a wedding to go to in Georgetown on Saturday, Richmond on Sunday to finish Steve's arm and then a whole free day off on Monday. I have off the following Friday so our builder can come do some warranty work on the condo and then the next weekend we'll be at the beach with a bunch of people... I can't wait. I hope it's sunny and warm!

One of our bosses is taking the department to Clyde's for lunch today - I have to go select my meal... is it too much to order an appetizer, entree and a dessert? Hmmm... I think I deserve it.

slowly giving in...

I know I swore I wouldn't be going pink crazy once we found out it was a girl, but after buying so much gender-neutral clothing prior to our ultrasound I am having a pretty fun time buying little girl clothes... and they're pink. Pink! But how can you resist these things (especially when they're on sale)?!?!? A little pink windbreaker with a hood... a little pink pea coat... little pink leggings... little pink dresses... I thought I had avoided all pink with the little tiny jeans but they do actually have some pink stitching. There's also a really cute pair of ruffled bloomers in that pile. Ruffles and pink. Who would have thought? I promise baby Ryan will not always be in pink, but I have to even out her closet because there's a lot of green and yellow in there right now. I will, however, never give lose my distaste for the color purple.

love of pie

I am in serious need of a chocolate cream pie from Pie Gourmet in Vienna (only the best pies on the face of this earth). I stopped and got a slice last weekend but Steve ate half of it - then asked, with chocolate still on his face, why I didn't just get a whole pie? Don't mess with me, buddy. I contemplated shelling out $23 for a big 'ole pie... but I'm afraid of how much I might eat. My guess: between the two of us, the pie would have been gone by Sunday evening.

I would have savored every single bite.

we're halfway there!

Well, I am officially halfway through my pregnancy (time sure does fly) and we only have twenty more weeks to go! Up until this point, the baby has been measured from head to bottom but after this week she will be measured from head to toe as she has uncurled in there... she looks like a baby now! "She’s the size of a cantaloupe! Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, speaking of the diaper situation... baby's genitals are now fully formed!" I was watching an episode of A Baby Story over the weekend and when the woman's water broke there was meconium in there... once I explained to Steve what was going on, he was sufficiently grossed out. He has a lot to learn before the baby's birthday! Heck, who am I kidding? We both have a lot to learn in the next few months. I just pray he doesn't pass out.

Yesterday was a busy day - it was both Mother's Day and my mom's birthday. We ran around all day meeting Steve's family for breakfast, my family for brunch and my family again for dinner... while squeezing in a little car shopping. Baby wants a gas-friendly SUV (not an oxymoron - the new Nissan Rogue gets pretty decent gas mileage)! Steve and I had been craving sopapillas so our brunch at Rio Grande was deeeeeeelicious. My mom gave me a wonderful Mother's Day gift - it's a crest claddagh ring that she got when she was in Ireland. It has the Kennedy crest in the center and says "to Kennedy, love Dad" on the band inside. My name came from his side of the family, hence the ring being from him. One day I'll be passing it down to our little girl because she's getting Kennedy as a middle name.

If it's at all possible, every single day that goes by we get more excited about our little baby girl... our little Ryan Kennedy Velasco!

cha-ching

I may not completely agree with the whole stimulus package, but it sure was nice seeing $1200 magically appear in our bank account.

fiesty little one

I'm not sure if it was something I ate or just the fact that she's getting bigger (over six inches now!) but that little girl was kicking me non-stop as I tried to fall asleep last night. We're talking kicks that were hard enough that you could see by just watching my stomach... she's a fiesty little one.

she's a mango!

In the baby updates department, it is a rather boring week: "Busy with hiccups, rolls, twists, kicks and punches… She’s the size of a mango! Vernix caseosa, a greasy white substance made of lanugo, oil and dead skin cells (yum) now coats baby's skin, shielding it from the amniotic fluid. (Picture yourself after a nine-month bath, and the need for protection makes sense.) You might actually get to see the vernix at birth, especially if baby is premature. " I know there's a lot more going on in there that would make for a more interesting update, but this is what they gave me this week. I have yet to feel any hiccups, but I definitely feel all of the rolls, twists and kicks.

We spent yesterday afternoon registering (www.babiesrus.com and www.potterybarnkids.com) and watching my sister's lacrosse game in the beautiful weather... and then went out to dinner with Morgan and Peter and sat outside at Fairfax Corner in the beautiful weather... oh, and we sat outside in the beautiful weather when we went out to lunch today in Fairfax. Basically, the weather was gorgeous this entire weekend.

Steve was very productive today and put up some new shelving in the garage so we were able to throw away or store what was in our guest room closet... which is now full of baby clothes, receiving blankets and stuffed animals. Her closet is going to be completely full by the time September rolls around! I'm having a hard time not buying everything I see - how can you resist baby Uggs?

loves/hates

Current loves:

• Starbucks reduced fat blueberry coffee cake
• Our little baby girl kicking me all day long
• My first mother's day present!!

Current dislikes (hate is a strong word):

• Maternity clothes... no matter what, even the XS is too big for me. It's only belly that's growing, not the rest of me! The only solution I have found is Gap Maternity, which I then wash and dry in super high heat... ugh.
• When it rains for days and days and days