31 Weeks and another White House visit

Today I hit the 31-week mark! Yay! Only 9 weeks to go... Also today, lucky Lima Bean was at the White House for her 7th time! All in utero, of course, but still, pretty lucky little girl.


This time was even better.

I was one of nine regional reporters who were invited to take part in a round table interview with the president on his health care reform package. The round table took place in the Roosevelt Room, where I was seated directly across from the president with two reporters on either side of me and two reporters on either side of the president.

When the president entered the room, he went around shaking everyone's hand as we all introduced ourselves. Unable to resist, I whipped out the traditional Hawaiian greeting of "Aloha," which, combined with my Hawaiian name, prompted some Hawaii talk and I think might have snagged us a ride home on Air Force One? You be the judge...

Me: Aloha, Mr. President. Malia. (shakes hand)
POTUS: (smiling) Howzit going? (Pidgin style)
Me: Wassup, bra?
POTUS: Now you know you're going to get special treatment. Where in Hawaii?
Me: Kailua.
POTUS: Ahh. My family was just there for Christmas.
Me: I know. Your beach rental is five minutes from where I grew up.
POTUS: When are we going back? When are we going back, Malia?
Me: Soon?
POTUS: Soon.
Me: You got room on Air Force One? (laughter)
POTUS: All right. You may be able to hitch a ride. Although... (glancing at my belly) I'm not sure. You can't fly right now, can you?
Me: Not now. Not yet.
POTUS: Exactly. See?
Me: But… Christmas?
POTUS: All right. (He then got serious and started the round table interview.)

We've ordered a car seat & stroller!

I know I posted earlier about both infant car seats and strollers, but it took a while for us to actually make up our minds! Papa Bean and I visited Buy Buy Baby today so that we could check out the stroller options. We wanted to look at the strollers that can be used with the Peg Perego infant car seat that we like. 

Papa Bean did not like the 4-wheeled Peg Perego strollers and he thought the stylish UPPAbaby strollers were not worth the extra price. Unfortunately, the Peg Perego car seat was not compatible with the Phil & Ted's stroller that we had seen around town in Bethesda. And the store had no BOB strollers on the floor for us to look at. But we did find several Baby Jogger models that we liked! 

The Baby Jogger City Mini is small and light -- 24" across and less than 17 pounds -- but it features plastic wheels and we weren't sure how they would handle cracked sidewalks and challenging terrain that make up the streets around town and in Bethesda. Also, it only holds children up to 50 pounds. 

The Baby Jogger City Classic is also narrow but a little heavier -- 24" across and 21 pounds -- but it has more durable rubber wheels. Also, it can accommodate children up to 75 pounds. 

The Baby Jogger City Elite is the biggest and heaviest -- 26" across and 25 pounds -- but it comes in some very stylish colors. 

In the end, we decided to go for this handsome chocolate and cream combo -- The Baby Jogger City Classic stroller in brown/stone with the Peg Perego infant car seat in matching moka! Love it! The stroller is both stylish and not too heavy. Perfect! Plus, this color combo will look great with pink and green blankets and accessories... 

Yay for Fabulous FREE stuff!

Everyone, it seems, has baby stuff leftover -- Even in Hawaii! My parents scored big time when a client of my dad's held a garage sale and GAVE my parents a whole slew of FREE gently used baby stuff!

Check it out... THIS fabulous Baby Bjorn Synergy carrier in white, which usually retails for $159! 

THREE baby slings from Peanutshell, including one in black and one in my favorite color, green! These slings retail for $48 each or $29 on sale! Click here to see the green one, here to see the pink one and here to see the black one.

ALSO, this orange messenger-style diaper bag from Skip Hop that usually sells for $54! 

And, FINALLY, several packages of Baby Bjorn bibs and a Baboosh Tauts tummy band to help out after the baby is born. These waist savers, which sell for $55-65, are sold by actress Brooke Burke, who after 3-4 children, knows a thing or two about keeping her figure...

What a wonderful collection of FREE stuff! That was so thoughtful of my dad's clients. Baby stuff adds up and only lasts for a short time, so I am happy any time I can get a good deal or re-use something!

30 weeks down, only 10 to go!

Today was our Week 30 doctor's appointment and sonogram, and everything is looking good! To start out, here is a shot of my belly taken this morning on our way to the doctor's office. I am getting bigger and bigger! It's, um, mostly my belly.

Here are the highlights from our appointment:

-- Baby Lima Bean weighs 2 pounds and 14 ounces and is in the 31 percentile for her size, meaning that she is larger than 31% of babies at this point and smaller than 69% of babies at this point. My doctor said this is perfect!

-- Fibroids are the same, unchanged. They do not appear to be impeding the growth of the baby or affecting her in any way. Also, although it's too early to tell for sure, they are not indicating a definite c-section at this time. We'll know more at my next sonogram at 34 weeks. Good news!

-- At this particular appointment, baby was breach, meaning butt down and head up. However, she doesn't need to be in "position" with her head down until 36 weeks, so anything can happen and we'll deal with that situation when we get there, my doctor said.

-- I weighed in at +24.5 pounds since my first appointment. Eeek! My doctor says that I am right on target, but to keep an eye on things so that hopefully I will gain only another 10 pounds before delivery.

Now, what you have all been waiting for, new pictures of Baby Lima Bean! This first shot is of her foot! You can see all of her toes!

This next shot is of her face, taken from above looking down:

And this final shot is one of five similar profile shots taken today:

We have one more picture, but we have decided, for her privacy, not to post it online. The picture confirms without a shadow of a doubt that Baby Lima Bean is a GIRL! Today, we saw a different sonogram technician than we have in the past, so we now have two different people who have checked and confirmed that we have a little girl on her way! Let the pink times roll!

Finally, we have something special to share with you today... Using our camera, Papa Bean was able to video Baby Lima Bean's movements on the sonogram! This short 26-second movie starts off looking down at her face, then switches to a profile shot where you can see her put her hands in her mouth and then yawn. So cute!

Update:

You can now watch this video in a larger format on YouTube!

Stocked up on gDiapers for our little Bean!

Another plus for surfing Craigslist... A soon-to-be mother of three just posted a really great coupon code for gDiapers. If you recall, we are planing to try these diapers and hoping they work out! They feature a cloth outer shell and eco-friendly flushable liners!

The coupon code is "g829Romano" and it saves $30 off of each purchase of the everyday g's six pack, which is a package of three vanilla bean diapers (pictured) and three orange diapers, six liners and a swish stick. Since this pack usually sells for $70, being able to buy it for only $40 is a real deal! 

So, to stock up, I ordered three sets, one in each size: Small, Medium and Large. Saved $90! 

I also e-mailed the mother who posted the code to thank her, and to ask how gDiapers worked out for her. She wrote back, with many positive things to say!

I have two boys (almost 5 and almost 3) and I have used gDiapers since they first became available. I really like them a lot and have used them in conjunction with cloth (because when my second was born, I just couldn't commit completely to cloth diapering). I am now expecting my third baby--literally any day now--and plan to cloth and gDiaper exclusively. I love that the gDiapers are really convenient for being out and about (where you'd typically want something more "disposable"). The inserts can easily be flushed, and/or you can just use the cloth inserts. 

My almost 3 year old has been "potty trained" for quite some time now--both of my boys trained early (18-20 months old) and I think it has a lot to do with NOT using disposables. Disposable diapers give babies/toddlers a false sense of being too dry, so they never get the jist that they need to use the potty. I found that using cloth and gDiapers helped speed the transition along. I continued to use a large size gDiaper on my youngest son at night up until a few months ago when he finally started making it through the night dry. SUCH a savings over disposable "Pull-ups". 

The flushable liners also make great addition to compost, and the fluff from inside works great in flower pots to keep moisture in (an unexpected bonus).

Just got a Moses Basket!

It's a funny name, from the Bible, but that's what these baskets are called! They are for infants only and can be used as a bassinet or bed in another room (like downstairs). More on Moses Baskets here.

I saw this one for sale on Craigslist by a woman down the street from us in Logan Circle for only $20! I picked it up earlier this week and just washed all the bedding and pillows. It looks great!

Moses Baskets cost anywhere from $69 to $89 to $129. I think the one I purchased is this one, which retails for $119. Definitely not an expense that I wanted to incur since you can only use them while the baby is an infant. But for $20, sure! What a deal!

Stands cost $39, so I'll either buy one new (in espresso) or keep checking Craigslist. Maybe I can get a stand for a deal too!

Happy Father's Day!

We had a wonderful weekend in Ocean City visiting Papa Bean's dad for Father's Day!

Unfortunately, it rained most of the weekend. But we still enjoyed some great dinners and relaxation with Howard & Wanda. (If you are looking for a great book, I just read "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" over the weekend. Couldn't put it down! Very powerful.)

On Sunday night, we headed out to dinner and -- surprise -- look who put on the SAME Aloha shirt? Haha. Before they changed, I had to snap one picture!

In honor of Father's Day, I surprised Papa Bean with a few books...

One for him to read: "Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads"

One for him to watch: "Being Dad" DVD

And one for him to read to Baby Bean: "Daddy Kisses" board book

Baby Bean also got Papa Bean a Father's Day gift... A Baby Bjorn carrier so that he can carry her around everywhere he goes and show her everything there is to see!

Coupons, coupons, coupons!

I think my quest for coupons might be due to my strong desire to nest. But without a house to nest in yet, I am going nuts looking for coupons and deals and sales! Here are a few of my recent discoveries... For any mom out there, these following Web sites should be bookmarked and checked frequently!

As I mentioned earlier, you can use those handy Bed, Bath & Beyond 20% off coupons at Buy Buy Baby. So, how do you get them? Go to the Bed, Bath & Beyond Web site and click on "Email Signup" at the top of the page to get the coupons mailed to you. Once you sign up, you will be e-mailed a 20% off coupon good for 10 days. It must be used in store and can't be used on most baby strollers or infant car seats. But it can be used on most anything else! Score!

Update: Duh! You can also go to the Buy Buy Baby Web site and sign up to be on THEIR mailing list too! Click on "Our Mailing List" at the bottom of the page to sign up. They also send out 20% off coupons! We just got one in the mail yesterday!

Another great place to get deals on baby stuff is Diapers.com, and especially right now. For the next two weeks, the site is having their Semi-Annual Sale. They have dozens of coupon codes for 15-20% off many brand name items. The coupon codes are listed on their Web site and can be used all at the same time! And when you spend more than $49, you get free shipping!

Plus, if you want to actually order DIAPERS on diapers.com, you can get $10 off your FIRST order of diapers (must spend $49) if you use the coupon code "LIMABEAN." Yes.... I made up that coupon code! By using it, you would become a referral of mine and thus, I would earn a $1 credit every time you order something. Just a little thing to keep in mind. (Note that the Semi-Annual sale coupon codes don't work with the $10 off diapers one, so you would need to use them in two different orders to take full advantage.)

Speaking of diapers, you can go to the Seventh Generation Web site (click here) and print out a $2 coupon for their diapers. These are the eco-friendly diapers that I want to use along with gDiapers. Speaking of gDiapers, they have sales from time to time, so it wouldn't hurt to sign up for their e-mail list also.

Update: You can order a six-pack of everyday gDiapers for only $40 with the coupon code "g892Romano." This set of 3 vanilla bean g's and 3 orange g's usually costs $70, so this is a savings of $30! Coupon code good only until/through July. (I just ordered three sets, in S, M and L! Saved $90!)

Another good place to look for deals is BabyCatalog.com. They don't have many selections and the inventory turns over quickly, but you can find some great deals on mattresses, glider rockers and other baby gear.

And while we are at it, be sure to check out Target.com (free shipping on orders over $50), Walmart.com (free shipping to a nearby store), and Amazon.com (free shipping on most orders over $25) for prices on most brand name baby items. I found, for example, that Amazon sells both the Medela Pump in Style and Summer Day Infant Video Monitor for $30 cheaper than Buy Buy Baby. BUT, if you use the 20% off coupon, then BBB is still cheaper. Just something to keep in mind.

And, finally, there is always Craigslist.com. If you click on "Baby+Kids" under For Sale on most any day, you will see hundreds and hundreds of entries for all sorts of baby stuff. It's amazing how many things are for sale. It really is a good reminder not to purchase too many baby things because they don't last long and once the baby grows or decides they don't like something, you are left trying to sell or give or donate it.

I think that is it... But if anyone knows of another great Web site or tip on how to get deals on baby stuff, let me know!

Brain food! And other yummy stuff

One big thing happening in my belly during the Third Trimester is Baby Lima Bean's big brain is undergoing massive development! According to my books, that means it's especially important that I eat certain foods that promote brain growth.

Have you been feeding your baby's brain? Getting enough of those fabulous fats, the omega-3's, is more important than ever in the third trimester when your baby's brain is being fast-tracked.

-- What to Expect When You're Expecting (p. 283)

Fat? I have to eat fat? Yes, says my book...

Omega-3 fatty acid most notably DHA, are the best addition you can make to your diet when you're eating for two. That's because DHA is essential for proper brain growth and eye development in fetuses and young babies. In fact, researchers found that toddlers whose moms consumed plenty of DHA during pregnancy had better hand-eye coordination than their peers. Getting enough of this vital baby brain fuel in your diet is especially important during the last three months (when your baby's brain grows at a phenomenal pace) and while you're nursing (the DHA content of a baby's brain triples during the first three months of life).

-- What to Expect (p. 101)

Another perk of getting enough DHA during pregnancy, according to my book, is that "you're more likely to have a baby with better sleep habits."

The "good" fatty foods that I am to eat more of include: walnuts, eggs, arugula, shrimp and crab. After reading this in my book, I promptly went to Whole Foods and bought a big bag of walnuts! I am happily eating a handful a day.

In addition, I would add that my daily prenatal vitamin set (pictured below) contains a pill that packs 200 mg of DHA. (In case you are wondering, I have been taking these prenatal vitamins every day since we found out I was pregnant. I tried the One-A-Day brand-name prenatal vitamins for a month, but the DHA pill gave me really awful fish breath! The CVS brand tastes better, costs less and my doctor said it's just as good.)

So, as you can see, Baby Lima Bean is going to be one VERY SMART BABY! In fact, I will go out on a limb here and say that I would not be surprised if she turns out to be the smartest baby in the whole wide world!

29 weeks down, 11 to go!

Just thought you all might want to know that this coming week, Baby Lima Bean should be all of THREE POUNDS! Holy heavy! No wonder my back has started to ache... 

Also, get ready for the start of next week's countdown when we'll start counting down 10 weeks until go time... Eeeeeek! As part of the countdown, we have a new poll! Check it out, on the right. When will Lima Bean arrive? Also, we'll be starting a list of what to bring to the hospital. If you have suggestions, send them our way! 

In the meantime, check out this new Web site that a new mom just passed on to me... Baby Chic Gear Guide 2009. This site uses recommendations from Baby Bargains as well as other baby sites and magazines to give you the best of the best in terms of baby gear. The good news: Most of the products recommended are already ones that we've chosen! Go us! 

We just got a bassinet!

This is it! A nice-looking Eddie Bauer bassinet... For half price!

Over the weekend, I got an excited call from Grandma Enid Bean, who had heard about a Fisher-Price Zen Collection gliding bassinet at a garage sale and wondered if I was interested in it.

Good question.

We had been toying with the idea of getting a bassinet, but we were reluctant to spend full price on something that our baby may or may not use. And if she did use it, she wouldn't use it for more than a couple months!

There are several options for where an infant can sleep before their crib, from bassinets and cradles to Moses baskets and co-sleepers. We were more inclined to go for a bassinet or cradle and had noticed a nice Eddie Bauer model on our first trip to Buy Buy Baby.

Back to the excited call from Grandma Enid Bean. The Fisher-Price bassinet retails for $250 and goes for $199 on Amazon.com. She heard the one at the garage sale was listed at $100, which is a pretty good deal at half off! So she went back over to take a look, but it had already been sold.

Inspired by her garage sale find, I checked out Craigslist.com, looking for the same bassinet or the Eddie Bauer one. I found several of each!

After e-mailing with a few sellers, we decided to purchase the Eddie Bauer one, which was being sold by a young couple who live in downtown D.C. about 5 minutes from our place. Their son had colic and had not used it much, so it was in new condition. (Click here for listing)

They purchased their bassinet from Target for $149 + tax. We picked it up tonight for $75 cash.

Score!

And a good lesson on what savings we can find on Craigslist. We hope to get a futon and some furniture that way too. And I'm also looking for the Fisher-Price Zen Collection swing (retails for $189-$219)... Some things you want new, but it'd be great to find savings on other things.

Good News: I passed my tests!

Nurse Faith from my doctor's office called yesterday with the good news . . . I passed both my glucose and iron tests by a landslide!

On Thursday, after consuming a bottle of orange-colored sugar liquid that tasted like a sports drink (empty bottle pictured below), I had to scoot to the doctor's office to get my blood drawn exactly ONE HOUR from the time that I took my LAST SIP --- 9:32 a.m.

This test is commonly done during the 26th to 28th week of pregnancy to check if you have gestational diabetes, which is a form of diabetes that starts during pregnancy and typically ends shortly afterward. However, if you have it, then you have to regulate your diet drastically so that you don't end up with a HUGE BABY and/or other complications.

Lucky for me, I don't have it! I credit being in shape and generally eating a healthy diet. So, to celebrate, Papa Bean and I got some gelato & sorbet today! Yum.

For those who like the numbers: Nurse Faith said they like to see people with a score of less than 130. I scored 108. Go me!

What your results mean: If your one-hour plasma glucose level is greater than or equal to 140 milligrams per deciliter of blood (mg/dL) -- some doctors place the cutoff at 130 mg/dL -- gestational diabetes is suspected and further testing is recommended. If your one-hour plasma glucose level is less than 120 mg/dL, you likely do not have gestational diabetes. (Click to read more)

My doctor's office also checked my blood for iron. They like to see patients have a score of over 32. My score was 35.7, meaning that I am getting enough iron and am healthy and doing well! to celebrate, we ate burgers at Stoney's today! Yum.

Further celebration to continue this afternoon with popsicles and cookies as we watch the Gay Pride Parade from the stoop of our condo! That's right, one of the perks of our centrally located downtown condo is that we are actually ON the parade route.

Our downstairs neighbors (who hooked us up with the Old Executive Office bowling) also just sold their condo and bought a house, so we are celebrating with one last stoop party.

We are registered!

Several of you have asked me where we are registered... Well, it took a while to sort everything out, but we are FINALLY registered. Whew! Researching baby stuff is a second job!

I told Papa Bean's grandmother how much research I had been doing and she laughed and said they didn't have so many choices in her day. Plus, she asked jokingly whether I did that much research into Papa Bean before I married him!

I think I just got lucky with Papa Bean. :-)

Anyway, as I mentioned earlier, we scouted out two Maryland stores a couple weeks ago - Great Beginnings in Gaithersburg and Buy Buy Baby in Rockville.

We decided to go with Buy Buy Baby because it's closer to DC and Bethesda (by 30 minutes), so it's much more convenient to get to. Also, the Buy Buy Baby Web site is MUCH more comprehensive and easier to navigate than the Great Beginnings site.

And to top it off, did you know that you can use Bed, Bath & Beyond coupons at Buy Buy Baby? You can! They are owned by the same company. So save any of those 20% off coupons that you get in the mail for BBB because that could translate into a BIG savings on baby items! (If you aren't using yours or have extra, send them to me!)

I must say, however, that we were very impressed with the level of customer service that we received at and over the phone from Great Beginnings. We ordered our crib (thaks Gram!) from Great Beginnings but ordered the glider rocker chair (thanks Grandma Enid Bean!) from Buy Buy Baby.

I would add that we are also registered at Amazon.com. This secondary registry is much smaller and contains only those items that are either out of stock at Buy Buy Baby, not carried by Buy Buy Baby or carried for a lower price.

Thank you to all who have asked... We are blessed to have such amazing friends and family. We can't wait for Lima Bean to meet all of you!

Oh, and for all the moms out there, if you see something that we forgot to register for or think we should have chosen another brand or model, please e-mail me! You know best, and I trust and appreciate all of the advice that I have received thus far from my mommy friends!

Let's talk details!

How far along: 28 weeks/1 day

Total weight gain: 21 pounds

Maternity clothes: Skirts! Dresses! Yoga pants! Anything loose and comfortable.

Main symptoms: One pregnancy-related symptom that I have been experiencing is that my gums have been very tender (bleed when I brush). So I went to the dentist this week and got a good thorough cleaning! They have been much better when I brush lately! I go back next week for a follow-up visit with the dentist.

Exercise: Prenatal yoga last Sunday! Then long walk with Papa Bean and Ruben the Dog!

Best moment: Earlier today, Papa Bean got to use the fetal monitor on my belly to hear Lima Bean's heartbeat! It was so funny. The nurse let him hold the wand and showed him how to hold it on my belly. He found her strong heartbeat on his first try!

Movement: Lots of it! She kicks. She twitches. She sticks her butt up so that one side of my belly sticks up and I look lopsided. Also, I think she also gets the hiccups sometimes!

Food cravings: A new gelato/sorbet store opened up across the street from us and we have become regulars!

Gender: GIRL! Unless the sono technician is wrong... I might ask her at our next sonogram to check again! FYI, our next sonogram is in two weeks, on June 25.

Labor signs: None.

Belly button in or out? Still in, but getting very very very shallow! Eeek! Stay in. Stay in. Stay in.

What I miss: Running. Being skinny!

What I am looking forward to: Moving into our new home! And, my baby shower!

Weekly wisdom: Exercise balls are supposed to be great for labor (bring your own to the hospital) and rocking the baby. So I just ordered one!

Milestones: So many! Since my last update, we have closed on selling our condo. We have closed on buying our house. We have bought a car! I have registered. I have ordered the crib & glider rocker chair. And we attended our birth class at Sibley Memorial Hospital last weekend! Plus, we had a doctor's appointment today during which I took the glucose test to see if I have gestational diabetes. More on the registry and birth class to come in future posts... And I find out the results of the glucose test on Monday!