Let's talk Details!

How far along: 22 weeks/1 day

Total weight gain: 14 pounds (That's up 2 pounds since last week! Eeeeek! But in my defense, Little Lima Bean now weighs a POUND on her own, so it's not all me!)

Maternity clothes: Wearing my two black maternity pants a lot, plus a new maternity black skirt from Target! Also, I got a super comfy bright green tee from Lululemon that is not maternity, but is stretchy and long so it works perfectly! Wore that with my black skirt and a cute black jacket (that no longer buttons) for a hip look on Tuesday. I also wore my cute navy blue J Crew dress with a chic white jacket to brunch with my friend Vanilla Bean on Saturday! Yay to being stylish with a bump!

Stretch marks: No.

Main symptoms: Don't laugh, but I think I'm drooling. At night. Don't tell Papa Bean, I don't think he's noticed yet! Also this past week, I've been extra forgetful.

Exercise: Prenatal yoga on Sunday; did small-weight arm exercises and leg lifts on Tuesday; 1 hour on the ellyptical machine Wednesday night while watching the American Idol results show.

Best moment of the week: We had a great weekend, starting with seeing an old friend for drinks on Friday and seeing the Studio Theater play "Rock 'n Roll" and then a fabulous brunch on Saturday and watching baseball with friends at Stoney's that afternoon. Chill and fun.

Movement: Little Lima is quite active these days, swooshing or kicking me daily! This past week, I felt her while I was listening to an argument at the U.S. Supreme Court, attending a briefing at the Old Executive Building adjacent to the White House with a senior Obama adviser and just today at a news conference at the U.S. Capitol. It's funny to think of all the cool places Little Lima has already been.

Food cravings: Fruit popsicles. They are delish and oooooh so healthy too! Got a stash and have been enjoying one a night. Papa Bean love them too!

Gender: Expecting a little lady in four months!

Labor signs: None.

Belly button in or out? Still in.

What I miss: Nothing comes to mind this week...

What I am looking forward to: Having a house so I can start decorating the nursery!

Weekly wisdom: Etsy.com is a GREAT place to find unique and creative baby toys, decor and nursery items!

Milestones: This week marks the start of the 6th month of pregnancy!

22 weeks down, only 18 to go!

Week 22 means that I am now in my 6th month of pregnancy! And, yes, that means I have four more months to go. I am already showing quite a bit and wondering just how much bigger I will get! Eeeeeek!

In the meantime, baby is about the size of a papaya!


Some more things to keep in mind:

• 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! (Source: The Bump)


• She is becoming plumper as her fat is being laid down at a high rate, but her skin is still wrinkled and reddish. The wrinkled and loose appearance of her skin is due to the faster production of her skin than the fat that fills it out. The reddish appearance of her skin is due to the deposition of pigment as her skin loses its translucent appearance.


• Your baby can kick and punch vigorously by now, but she may also be gently feeling the umbilical cord and rubbing her hands and face against the inside membrane of the amniotic sac that holds her. (I feel her kicking!)


• She is still swallowing amniotic fluid, which provides an important nutritional supplement to the nutrition she gets via the placenta, and is passing some of it as urine. The swallowing of the amniotic fluid may cause your baby to get the hiccups and you may even be able to feel this as her body jumps inside yours. (Wow, that is so cool!)

Baby Bedding Galore!

A fellow pregnant friend of mine just asked folks on Facebook for suggestions on baby bedding. My goodness was that opening a can of worms! There are SO MANY choices!

Some suggestions she got:

• One of a Kind (not rated)
  
• JoJo Bedding (B)
  
• Pottery Barn Kids (C+)
  
• Kidegories (not rated)
  
• From me: Restoration Hardware (A-), Land of Nod (A-), Picci (B+) and Baby Gap (A-)
  

My trusty Baby Bargains book rates them all, not that that helps narrow down the list!

The book says that for good bedding at a low price, go for Cotton Tale (A), Amy Coe at Target (A-) and George at Wal-Mart (A-). If you can spend more, check out Picci (my personal favorite!), Sumersault (A) or California Kids (A). Or, if money is no object, go for Navas (B).

For organic bedding, BB suggests Summer Infant, Kids Line (B) or Baby Gap's organic line.

So, um, what?

The book says this:

"There's no law that says you have to buy an entire bedding set for your nursery -- we found that all baby really needs is a set of sheets and a good cotton blanket. Catalogs/web sites like Lands End and Baby Gap sell affordable (yet high-quality) basics like sheets ($19 to $32) and blankets ($15 to $30). Instead of spending $300 to $500 on bedding sets with ridiculous items like pillows and diper stackers, use creative solutions (like wall decals) to decorate the nursery and leave the crib simple."

The book also boils it down to this handy (and short) list of what to buy:

• 3-4 fitted sheets in all cotton with a high thread and elastic all around the edges
  
• Mattress pad or sheet protector (you know, to prevent a mess)
  
• Thin blanket or sleepsack
  

What not to buy:

• Diaper stackers
  
• Pillows for the crib (dangerous)
  
• Bumper for the crib (dangerous)
  
• Canopies
  
• All white sheets (baby's are messy, or so we hear)
  
• Sleep positioners
  
• Quilts or heavily padded blankets (dangerous)
  

So where does that leave me?

Remember that I am planning to get this crib and paint the walls green/white. I really liked these two bedding sets from Picci, but they cost $300 to $400 and include things like crib bumpers that I don't want. I can't seem to find them ala carte, so I have decided to forgo their cuteness. Next, I really liked the organic bedding at Baby Gap! But the colors are a little too pastel for my taste.

So here's what I am thinking about...

• 2 ecru fitted sheets from Baby Gap ($15.60 x 2)
  
• 2 Amy Butler lime moon polka dot sheets ($75 for sheets, crib skirt)
  
• 1 Amy Butler pink lotus crib skirt (see above)
  
• 1 adorable pink bird fleece blanket from Baby Gap ($23.20)
  
• 1 Amy Butler pink lotus pillow for the rocking chair ($11)
  
• A sleepsack or two ($20 each)
  

TOTAL: $160 (Not bad! Baby Bargains suggests a budget of $158)

Lima Bean as a future Lawyer?

Today, baby Lima Bean made her first visit to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear arguments made over a Cincinnati murder case.

She was well behaved for the most part and respected the decorum of the court. But then she started kicking vehemently as the respondent's lawyer finished his argument. I could see my belly move!

So either she thought the lawyer's argument was completely ridiculous, as the justices seemed to think because they grilled him pretty harshly, or she really likes the law and wants to be a lawyer like her daddy and granddaddy.

Papa Bean's response, via e-mail: "Or maybe she wants to be an actress who plays a lawyer."

Holy Cute Baby Toys!

Bean bags, cloth blocks, stacking rings, play balls, stuffed animals... Wow! These are all from Etsy.com, where you can find handmade baby toys that are cheaper than Pottery Barn and oooooh sooooo much cuter! Don't worry, I am exercising extreme restraint... I have only purchased a few!

Nursery ideas!

The walls: light lime green, with white trim.

The crib: dark brown wooden crib (Graco Lauren?)

The dresser, changing table: dark brown wooden dresser that we already own with changing pat on top.

The bedding: Green, white and brown colors... Loving the Picci sets! But they aren't sold ala carte and I don't want bumpers...

The rocker: white, khaki or lime green upolstered glider rocker (Little Castle?)

The lamp: Silver lamp. Or the green beaded oneI got me years ago?
The wall art: Dark wooden frames with white mattes and 8x10 photos of PINK flowers?

Here are some inspiration pictures:

Do you see it? Can you visualize it?

Let's talk Details!

How far along: 21 weeks/2 days

Total weight gain: 12 pounds (up 1 pound since last week!)

Maternity clothes: Finally, we have some warm weather in Washington! So I am wearing today this totally cute maternity dress from Target. I am waiting to wear a black maternity skirt I got on clearance from Target and this cute J Crew skirt/dress from Hawaii Grandma Bean!

Stretch marks: No.

Main symptoms: Sort of tired a lot. Frequent bathroom breaks. Bigger. Harder to lean over and tie my shoes. Dry skin. Getting kicked in the abs a lot!

Exercise: Walked to the Lupus Walk last weekend.

Best moment of the week: We just got our wedding DVD in the mail! So we watched it last night... Amazing. Can't believe I was that skinny. The ceremony was great. We both got emotional watching it and Little Lima kicked me so I think she wants to see it someday!

Movement: Yes! Feeling Little Lima daily now! Mostly in the evenings, but also during the day when I am sitting at the computer and typing. Wonder what she thinks of the sound of me typing. Any time I eat, she starts Usually after I eat or when I am still, like sitting at my desk or reading in bed at night. It's great!

Food cravings: Bagels. Decaf Lattes. Virgin margaritas (might have to get this book!)

Gender: Papa Bean's little princess is on her way!

Labor signs: None.

Belly button in or out? Still in.

What I miss: Being able to tie my shoes and walk around without waddling.

What I am looking forward to: Having Papa Bean tie my shoes for me. Hee!

Weekly wisdom: Pregnancy pillows are the bomb.

Milestones: Put an offer in on a house! Waiting to see if it's accepted. Researched cribs, mattresses, bedding and glider rockers! Planning to visit Great Beginnings this weekend. More to come on the nursury purchases I am planning to make!

21 weeks down, 19 to go!

So this week Little Lady Lima is about the size of a banana. That doesn't really make sense to me because the cantaloupe last week sure looked bigger! 

Regardless, she is growing in weight (not quite a pound yet!) and length and I am feeling her kicks all day long! 

Here is the fruit shot: 

So what else is happening with our baby? 

• Eyebrows have developed!

• Her senses are developing, especially her sense of touch. She can feel her face and stroke her arms and legs! Just wait until Papa Bean introduces her to back scratching and Momma Bean introduces her to massage at our mother/daughter spa day!

• And this is interesting: Studies show that after birth, babies are most interested in tastes they've already experienced through amniotic fluid! That means that you should think about what you want your future child to eat as you prepare your own meals... I guess our little girl will love chocolate, ice cream and pizza. :-)

The baby crib hunt has started!

And ended. I hope!

Without even stepping foot into Babys "R" Us or any of those insane baby mega-stores, I think I have already found what to get - the Graco Lauren crib, which goes for $150-200! It's safe, stylish, affordable, and recommended by the authors of Baby Bargains. Perfect!

This book, Baby Bargains, is now in its 8th edition, which just came out this year. It is a 600-page long manual that guides new parents through the maze of baby equipment shopping by telling you which things you need (crib, dresser that doubles as a changing table, glider rocker), which things are a waste of money (stand-alone changing table, diaper stacker) and which brands are the best.

According to this book, I really need to get a jump on ordering baby furniture, like the crib, because it could take weeks for these items to be delivered. So I am reading all about baby cribs, which come in all sorts of colors and styles.

In terms of cribs, they give furniture from high-end stores like Pottery Barn (Grade: C), Restoration Hardware (Grade: C) and Baby Gap (Grade: F) horrible marks for selling trendy cribs that are poorly made (particle board) at exorbetant prices.

For quality and value, they recommend cribs made by Munire, Westwood and Creations. But the best budget crib is the Graco Lauren or Graco Sarah, which is actually made by Bonavita. The same cribs are also sold under the brand Babi Italia, Scandi and Europa Baby.

Basically there are static cribs and cribs with drop-side rails or fold-down rails. The authors of Baby Bargains recommend AGAINST fold-down rails because older babies can use the edge of the rail to climb out of the crib. But static cribs are hard to put a sleeping baby into. So I'm going to go with a drop-side rail. (For a static crib, the authors of Baby Bargains actually recommend the Gulliver crib from IKEA, which is only $99!)

Another consideration in crib shopping is whether or not you want a convertible crib. A what? Yes, many cribs now days can be converted from a crib to a toddler bed to a full or queen-size bed. I suppose your kids could even take their crib to college and beyond... Um, yeah.

(If you read this far, I'm impressed! Bet you didn't know crib shopping could be this complicated...)

But, seriously, is a $99 or $200 crib really as good as a $999 or $1,200 crib? Actually, yes. All cribs sold in the U.S. must conform to the same set of safety standards. And when it really comes down to it, isn't safety the most important element in a crib? So as long as you stick to an all-wood crib that is stable and purchased new (buying a crib is NOT a place where you can save money at garage sales), it should be just fine.

Now the only thing left to go see the Graco Lauren crib in person and then decide is WHICH color to get it in?! Espresso, Walnut, Natural or White?

Another Great Weekend

Looks like springtime is coming to Washington! We had a wonderful weekend. The weather was amazing. It got up into the 70s and we enjoyed lots of sunshine!

We got up early on Saturday and walked downtown to volunteer with One Brick at the annual 2-mile Walk for Lupus event. We helped set up, manned the registration table and handed out water bottles to walkers as they finished! It was a beautiful day and a great event.

Update: Photos have been posted from the event! Many of them show Papa Bean carrying tables, pointing and cracking jokes. See if you can find all 8 photos of him!

Afterward, we headed up to Northwest D.C. and Bethesda, Md., to tour houses with our Realtor. We spent Sunday visiting more houses in the Bethesda area and going back to our favorites. We are zeroing in on a choice!

Let's talk Details!

How far along: 20 weeks/3 days

Total weight gain: 11 pounds (up 1 pound since last week!)

Maternity clothes: Oh yeeeeeah. Got the GAP maternity pants but only like one pair, so am returning the other. It's really hard to find comfy work pants! So far my Target and Ann Taylor LOFT pants are my faves! I also just ordered a bunch of maternity tops from Target that were on clearance, free shipping and buy 2 get 1 free! I got 13 tops for $100! Go me..... Plus, I go this totally cute top that I am wearing today! Love it!

Stretch marks: No.

Main symptoms: Bigger belly. Still sort of tired. Bathroom trips have picked up again! Arg!

Exercise: Prenatal yoga on Sunday.

Best moment of the week: Finding out that we have a little princess on her way! And seeing her on the sonogram screen. She's already soooo cute!

Movement: Definitely feeling baby Lima! Usually after I eat or when I am still, like sitting at my desk or reading in bed at night. It's great!

Food cravings: Frozen fruit bars! Cookies! More cereal!

Gender: Girl!

Labor signs: None.

Belly button in or out? Still in.

What I miss: Being skinny! Hahaha. Maybe I'll get this T-shirt!

What I am looking forward to: Being really, really big and pregnant!

Weekly wisdom: Target is the way to go on maternity clothes!

Milestones: Found out that Lima is a girl! Had our Week 20 sonogram and appointment. Finally caved in and got some pregnancy pillows. Also purchased two new books, Baby Bargains and The Happiest Baby on the Block. Reviews to come!

Papa Bean just felt Lima kick!

Just now... I was sitting at the computer in our bedroom listening to Bruce Springsteen singing "Growing' Up" and "Janey Don't You Loose Heart" when I started to feel a series of kicks or pulses in my lower abdomen.

Excited to feel Lima Bean, I rolled up my shirt and started watching my belly. Then I saw a definite movement! Startled, I yelled for Papa Bean to come quickly! He was in the other room watching TV and came running.

I told him to stand behind me and look down at my belly and see if he could see the same twitching that I was seeing in my lower abdomen. Then he saw it! Excited, he put his hand on my belly and his eyes widened as he FELT it too! 

Yay for Lima! Way to kick, little gal! Maybe we've got a little soccer player in here! At least we know she's becoming a big-time Bruce fan! 

20 weeks down ... 20 to go!

I can't believe we're already at the halfway point! Yay!

Well baby Lima has been growing and she is now the size of a CANTALOUPE! That is a little freaky because, wow, those things are BIG! My belly has been sticking out a little more, so I'll have to work on getting an updated bump photo to share.

In the meantime, here is the fruit pic:


So what's going on with Little Lima? Lots!

• She can now respond to external sounds, such as the music I am listening to or my voice. So Papa Bean has taken to saying goodbye to me in the morning and then leaning down and saying goodbye to his little princess too! Yes, we are those silly parents-to-be!


• She can now grip with her fists. So, watch out to any bullies on the playground!


• Toenails and scalp hair are growing, which is good since we'll need both in order to do a mother-daughter spa day to get our hair and nails done...


• And this coming week, she is developing taste buds on her tongue, so in 21 years we can enjoy some nice wine and champagne at our mother-daugher spa day. Or, am I getting ahead of myself?


• Lima's digestive system is now so advanced that she can absorb water and sugar from the amniotic fluid... That must come first. Then wine. In, you know, 2030.


• Finally, this is pretty cool: By now we could hear her swoosh-swoosh heartbeat with a stethoscope!

Ooooh, I want a stethoscope so bad!!!

Re-cap of our 20-Week Appointment

Yesterday's news cycle was dominated by the announcement that we're having a girl! But I wanted to get back to the appointment to share some other details from our big day.

First of all, we're at the HALFWAY POINT! Pregnancy is 40 weeks, so I am half done growing our daughter! Of course, I didn't know I was pregnant until Week 5, so this half will seem longer. And, I'll LOOK more pregnant this half. But still. Yay!

Back to the appointment.

I weighed in at +11 pounds since my first appointment. My doctor said that usually women gain about 10 in their first 20 weeks and then about 20 pounds in their second 20 weeks. So I'm right on track with the weight gain. But now I'm starting to think about the 30 pounds that I'll eventually be carrying and it's freaking me out! Eeeeek!

Also, if you recall, last appointment, my blood sugar spiked, but I had just eaten. This time I ate a full two hours beforehand, so it came out normal. Good sign. Don't want to get gestational diabetes! And my blood pressure was also normal, too.

I discussed running (well, slow jogging and walking) with my doctor and he said he sees no reason for me to discontinue this. However, after the recent Cherry Blossom Ten Miler, I have decided to cut back to short jogs and lay off the distances.

Finally, have I mentioned here yet that I have fibroids? I didn't know until our first ultrasound, which my doctor says is a good thing because that means they weren't a problem either in comfort or in conception. During the ultrasound, the technician said one of them is a little bigger, but that's normal. She also said one of them has moved to the side and should no longer be blocking the birth canal, which is good news. I'll have more ultrasounds as I progress to check on these. But, really, it'll just be cool to see more pictures of Lima!

Now back to the gender news.

We're super excited for a little girl! Papa Bean says he knew I was growing a girl the whole time! He says it's his destiny to be surrounded by women. Ha! But I have to say that I'm a little surprised! Since I had no morning sickness and my pregnancy has been pretty easy so far, I figured it had to be a boy. I thought girls would be more difficult!

Well, as it turns out, maybe that's not the case. Our ultrasound technician said that our baby's demeanor suggested that she was a girl even before we got a look at her, um, stuff. She said our baby shows a very calm and laid back manner, as opposed to a boy, who might be flipping, bouncing, jumping and basically rough-housing around my uterus!

Papa Bean says it's only a manner of time before this laid-back baby turns into a diva, however. So we'll see if it's possible to raise a laid-back girl. Maybe? Until she turns 13?

Also during the ultrasound we saw her playing and sucking on her fingers, so cute! My mom, who is an OT, says that shows that even early on she knows how to entertain herself and keep herself busy. I did some looking and finger sucking does appear to be a sign of a baby who knows how to soothe themselves. This is a good sign both cognitively and temperamently!

Papa Bean is convinced that she'll either be the first female member of the Yankees (how about the name "Dereka"?) or the first female president.

Oh, and in terms of houses, we now have new criteria. Papa Bean says there is NO WAY are we getting a place with our room on a separate floor than hers and her room must be on the 2nd level. You know, so that boys can't sneak in and date her. Because, like, that's what infants do, apparently!