Water Retention

It's way hot here again (90+). YUCK! But, we were able to hang out at Heidi's rooftop pool yesterday in honor of her birthday (Happy Birthday, Heidi!). I hadn't been swimming for months - I almost felt like I wasn't pregnant! Woohoo! I will definitely be swimming more in the coming months.

Check out Brady's silly 'do.

Weddings and Babies

2006 seems to be the year for weddings and babies. On Saturday, we went to our friend Kathi's wedding in Annapolis. It was held at the Naval Academy Chapel on about the most perfect day for a wedding. The weather was perfect, Kathi looked beautiful, and I ate the best wedding cake I have ever tasted!

Of course, I had to cry at the wedding. My hormones are out of control. It didn't help that when Kathi's father had to give her away, Brady said, "That's got to be difficult." And we realized that some day, he may have to do the same. Awwww.

Anyway, here are a few photos. I'm the one with the huge boobs and rock star haircut (just a trim? ha - I had about half my hair cut off!).

Coming Soon: pics from Brady's b-day party! Happy Birthday, Brady!!!!! 28 today. :-)

Time for a Haircut

Brady and I were in the car this weekend and mentioned that I needed to get a haircut (it's been nearly 6 months). His response was, "It doesn't matter what you do to your hair. It's going to look bad when you're in labor." I said, "I just wanted a trim."

All is well here. The weather is beautiful and only in the 70s - wonderful, since I know that once summer hits, I'm going to be incredibly uncomfortable. Many of you have asked if I'm still getting sick... the answer is yes. I still puke on most days, even though I am nearly 6 months along. Had I known this blog was going to be centered around puking, I would have given it a more appropriate title. Oh well.

Brady's turning 28 next week and we're having a party for him on Sunday. We're asking everyone to wear an obscene (or just funny) t-shirt - we did the same thing last year and it was quite fun. Watch out for some crazy photos early next week!

Compliments from Strangers

I was walking downtown with my friend Jess last night and a girl was trying to get my attention... she liked the barette in my hair... but I didn't think she was talking to me, as she kept saying "Miss" - I told Jess that I figured no one would call me that as I am nearly 30 and pregnant. The girl turned around and said, "But you're cute pregnant - not sloppy pregnant." It made my night!

Mom's Day

I enjoyed my first Mother's Day on Sunday. We had a wonderful weekend - beautiful weather on Saturday. We packed a picnic lunch and headed out to Sligo Park, where we played Yahtzee and backgammon for a few hours. I was no competition for Brady... trounced on all accounts. Then I napped on the couch for a while... I should do that more often. At night, we went to our friend Ioana's house for a little party. It was great to see her - it's been such a long time! I really must make more of an effort to keep up with old friends.


Sunday morning, we went to the farmer's market (like always) - they have such great food there. Then we made brunch: roasted potatoes, mushroom omelet (yes, I am eating eggs again), english muffin, fresh pineapple... and bacon for Brady. Afterwards, we played Scrabble and once again, I was very badly beaten (though we have played thrice since then and I have won 2/3 times... barely). I was in the baking mood (as I seem to be on Sundays), so I made a strawberry rhubarb tart and some pasta salad - why is it that my days revolve around food?


Brady gave me some beautiful roses (pictured) and I am so incredibly thankful to have spent a quiet weekend with him. All in all, it was a wonderful Mother's Day - one I will always remember.

Big Sister

Just wanted to share this cute photo of me holding Andrew when he was brand new... nearly 19 years ago!

Congratulations!!!!!!

I just wanted to announce to everyone that my favorite girl in all the world is getting married this summer. Congratulations Larissa! Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it - I'll be 8 months pregnant and pretty much stuck at home. It's very sad, but I know they'll have fun without me. Larissa and I have been friends for so many years and been through a lot. She's kinda the reason I decided to date Brady 11 years ago... and look where we are now :-)

I wish her nothing but the best and can't wait to move closer so we can see each other more often... and so my little girl can know how great she really is.

p.s. the photo is from Larissa's visit to DC last May... I can't believe it was a year ago!

Reading Materials

I have spent lots of time reading lately... and just want to share some of what's on my bookshelf, so to speak:

Cookie Magazine
New magazine about parenting - very cool + well-designed.

Sippy Cups Are Not for Chardonnay: And Other Things I Had to Learn as a New Mom
Funny book with a new perspective on parenting.

Belly Laughs: The Naked Truth about Pregnancy and Childbirth
Hilarious truth about pregnancy... from Jenny McCarthy.

Fun Stuff

I recently made my first baby purchase... two children's books by Italian designer Bruno Munari (see photo). It's never too early to develop an appreciation for nice design... :-)

For these last 23 weeks, I haven't gone into a single baby store. I haven't been tempted to buy anything for her and I'm kind of avoiding having to make any purchases until I absolutely have to. I like to think things through... I'm not an impulse buyer. However, I have been getting lots of questions about the nursery... Well, the answer to all of the questions is this: we're not having a nursery. The guest room will be used for guests. Since our little girl is more of a permanent resident, she doesn't qualify. Instead, we'll be putting a crib in our room - at least until we move next year. Hopefully then we can get a real house (no more condo fees!) and have a room to ourselves.

Prego

You asked for it... well, some of you did, anyway. Here are a few photos that show off my new curvy physique. They're from an outing a few weeks ago - it was such a beautiful day! First, we went to the National Gallery to the Dada exhibit (very cool), and then walked around the Mall (Smithsonian, no shopping) and just hung out for a while. Afterwards, we went to dinner at our friends' (Dave + Carla) - very good and even better because I didn't have to cook.

You may notice that I'm starting to look pregnant - and not just in my belly. Yes, my boobs are huge... or as Brady likes to call them "fantastically gigantic"... I just think they're ridiculous. They make me feel like a fat man in a little coat every time I get dressed...

Pukey McPuke Puke

Apparently, there's still something left for me to throw up. This never gets any easier :-(

Basketball

I just got back from my 21+ week appointment and all is well. I gained another 6 pounds for a total of 12 for my whole pregnancy. Woohoo! This baby is getting big and is still kicking like crazy - so much so that she wakes me up at night. Things are going to get pretty uncomfortable if she keeps it up in the coming months.

I went running last night - it felt strange, as my belly has grown so much since I last took to the treadmill. I have mostly been using the elliptical, riding a bike or walking - avoiding any impact. But last night, for some reason, I decided to go for a run. It felt great... once I got over the feeling of my belly bouncing up and down. I definitely can't go as fast as I'd like, but it's nice to feel like I can actually do something normal from time to time. Afterwards, I shot baskets for a while. I have been trying to keep up my basketball skills while pregnant, since that was one of the first things I had to give up.

Prior to December, I had been playing b-ball at least once every week at the YMCA. I was the only girl there and it was incredibly fun... once the guys decided I could play - and actually passed me the ball. However, I did get roughed up a bit.. bruises and bloody lips from time to time. It was worth it, though. But, once I realized I was pregnant, I had to give it all up and now I only get to shoot around. I miss playing very much, but am looking forward to being back on the court very soon. I'm already planning on being on a co-ed league in December, which doesn't give me much time to get back into basketball shape...