A Baby Story: A Retrospective

We are now full term at 37 weeks. I thought it would be fun to go back to the old pictures I have taken and do a pregnancy retrospective. The first picture on the left is me at 17 weeks. It seems like so long ago. I can't believe how short my hair was. That was also back when being pregnant was cute and fun!



The next picture on the right is me at 24 weeks. I was still not too big! I still enjoyed being pregnant and even started to feel him moving around. It was when there was plenty of room for him to move so he was able to play gymboree using my bladder as a trampoline!




Moving on to 27 weeks the picture to the left. At this point I was starting to feel more and more uncomfortable. I was getting bigger and swollen. I stopped wearing my wedding ring at this point because some days it was too tight. We started working on the nursery assembling some of the furniture.



Moving on to the picture on the right is me at 30 weeks. This is when the nice doctor kindly told me to switch to carrot sticks instead of the sweets I craved so much. I decided that I wasn't going to listen to the nice doctor and continue to eat my candy, chocolate cake and ice cream! The time to eat healthy will come after the baby is born. I mean what other time in life do you have an excuse to eat as much as you want and gain this much weight. So I say - ice cream it is!


Last we have the 36 week picture or as I like to refer to as - the Shamu picture. Pregnancy is no longer cute or fun. I am too big to do anything. I get winded from moving across the room into the kitchen. I do not feel bad when I whine to the Doc that I need another soda or glass of water. I am going to enjoy being lazy until this baby comes out and I don't feel guilty at all because we both know who will be the one getting up to feed the baby and change the baby and rock the baby back to sleep. Me. So in return I get to enjoy these last few weeks being a spoiled pampered princess who gets rides to work and back rubs!

Today at our appointment we found out that David is in the head down position and so hopefully he won't turn back! I have yet to feel even a single Braxton Hicks contraction at this point but he has dropped so who knows what nature will decide for our little guy. Will we have a July baby or an August baby! We know that we would like him to come no later than August 5th. The issue is that our doctors are very conservative when it comes to inducing and they won't unless they see some changes. Which they may or may not check next week. So your guess is as good as mine. We do know that they don't let you go past 41 weeks. Until next time!

A Baby Story: 24 Days to Go!

Here are a few things that I would like to share as we near being considered full term:

(1) Movement - Function: noun

The act or an instance of moving; a change in place or position.

A particular manner of moving.

Something that I will NEVER take for granted again. You don't realize how easy it is to sit up from a lying down position or stand from a sitting position until your belly has taken over and your girth is massive and cumbersome. Or when walking (or should I say waddling) has become so arduous that people stare and laugh at you as you make your way across a street (I won't mention any names...eh-hem the Doc) because you look like a penguin. And forget about bending over to pick something up off the floor. If the Doc isn't around and it's not important - it stays right where it is. Unfortunately it does me no good when it's my work ID badge that I dropped on the elevator floor while making my way to my office yesterday morning. Thankfully I wasn't alone and the nice lady riding with me took pity on my gargantuan size and picked it up for me.

(2) 90+ degrees, six blocks of walking to meet the Doc so I don't have to ride the bus home (yeah I know it makes no sense - but that's how much I HATE riding the bus) and no shade equals jumbo ankles; the biggest the world has ever seen. Unfortunately I didn't think to take a picture until a couple hours later when most of the swelling had subsided but let me assure you (and you can ask the Doc to prove it - he loves making fun of my "kankles") they were impressive.

(3) Just when I thought that I couldn't get any bigger - well check out this belly. It's as if I grew bigger overnight. More stretch marks have emerged. I could knock someone out by just using my belly. Chuck Norris once roundhouse kicked someone so hard that his foot broke the speed of light - Chuck Norris tried to roundhouse kick me in the belly and his foot was sucked in and lost for all eternity - he is no match for my pregnant belly.

You can also see how much it's dropped since the last belly picture at 34 weeks. That is a good sign - maybe we'll have a July baby instead of an August baby. Random people at my work say that I am going to "drop" this baby any minute now. They also can't believe I have three weeks to go, although I have been listening to this for about two months now. People just look at me and say "Wow" - Yeah I get it I look like Shamu - we already established that from the last post.

(4) To Pee or not to Pee - I pee at least 10 times a day and that's no lie. Sometimes I just feel like I have to pee but there is no pee. They say that getting up three to four times a night to pee is natures way of preparing you for when the baby arrives. You know, because instead of peeing you'll be attending to the baby. You know what I have to say about that....well let's just say it's not appropriate for this blog.

(5) I am feisty these days. I have an extremely low tolerance for stupid people. I have an extremely low tolerance for the heat. I have an extremely low tolerance for just about anything. The Doc thinks it's funny so he likes to push my buttons. He will pay once I have the energy.

(6) The cats got a sneak peek at what it is like to have a baby in the house but I am sure they have already forgotten the scary "creature". In the meanwhile they have called dibs on the Pack N' Play. Oh silly cats - you have no idea that your world is going to change. Run to your hiding places now and don't come out for at least three years.

Well those are my latest updates. Our next appointment is on Monday when we will officially be full term!

The Nursery: It's Done!

I am happy to say that our little guy's room is all ready. If you can't remember what it used to look like see the pictures to the left and right. It was white with a silver rug. It used to be the "computer room" and so now the computer is now in the guest room.

To recap the making of the nursery we started with paint. We chose a color by Behr paints called Scotland Road. Once the walls were painted with the green paint we repainted the trim using a white satin finish. Then in the next phase we tore up the carpet and had a pergo floor installed. It was expensive but worth every penny! The Doc and I would highly recommend pergo! If we could afford it and were planning on staying here longer we'd do our bedroom too!

Next was to add the furniture. We put together the crib and changing table and then we added the armoire. The last piece of furniture we got was the glider which came last week. The Doc was on a mini vacation and put it together while I was at work. It was a nice surprise and very comfortable. He also installed some new shelving in the closet. It's set up so that there is a hanging rod with a shelf above and then another shelf towards the bottom. We added some rubbermaid bins for storage. Hey at least one room in our house will be clean and organized! We're hopeful this whole organization thing will rub off on us and we can keep the rest of the house that nice!

Add some finishing touches like the shelf on the wall over the changing table and the Finding Nemo picture over the crib and we have ourselves a finished Nursery!!

I want Cheesy Poofs!

Here I am at 36 weeks...the Doc and I came up with some adjectives to describe my size: voluminous, hefty, king sized, packed, prodigious, vast & heavy duty. These days I refer to myself as the Hungry Hungry Hippo. You can see the comparison from the picture below.

I can't stop eating. Let me give you an example of how much I can eat these days! Today for breakfast I had two eggs over easy and an english muffin. Then we decided to go see a movie and on the way we went to Wendy's and I had a Jr. Cheeseburger and a medium fry.

We saw Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest and we got a large popcorn which is a tub at this theater. Then we walked around the mall and went to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner and you can bet there was cheesecake involved and no I didn't share. I have never been so hungry in all my life. All I want to do is eat. At this rate you can just start calling me Shamu...

Four more weeks to go!

Happy Birthday Stephie!

Wishing you a very Happy 27th Birthday. We've come a long way since kindergarten! We were so cool in our saddle shoes and tights!

A Baby Story: 35 Weeks

35 weeks! I can't believe that it's almost here! 37 Days to go! This weekend we had Benny, Robyn (not to be confused with my sister) & Maddie over. They arrived Friday night and we got a sneak peek at how Trot and Drew would react to a baby in the house. Let's just say they FAILED!!

At first they were very curious walking around smelling all the baby stuff that they brought and then slinking close to get a sniff of this foreign "creature" but then the "creature" cried. They didn't know what to think. Trot hissed at the "creature" and Drew hid from the "creature" - make it stop!! I am not sure if it was jealousy or anger but Trot bit Robyn in the leg. Yup...those are my boys for you. The little brats. Last night they just hid until the "creature" went to sleep!

Yesterday we took a trip to Atlantic City. We walked the boardwalk and then walked the beach. Baby strollers and beach sand don't go well together. The Doc and Benny had to carry the stroller until we got down by the water and then it was fine! The water was very cold so Maddie didn't get her first experience of sticking her toes in the Atlantic Ocean maybe next time! It was really nice down by the water but very hot on the boardwalk. After that the beach we headed back to Philly to El Azteca our favorite Mexican restaurant and then to get water ice! After all that walking around and being out in the sun I was beat so I left the boys to the x-box 360 and went to bed!

We had a blast! It was fun being with Maddie and seeing what the we have to look forward to in five weeks! Here are some things that we learned:
(1) The Doc's goofy looking face can turn a fussy baby into a giggly baby.
(2) Never underestimate the power of singing 80's songs to stop a fussy baby!
(3) It takes a little bit longer to get ready when you're carrying the baby outside your belly!
(4) Babies can sleep through an incredible amount of noise!

We're ready, REALLY ready! If my belly gets any more humungous, well I am not sure I will be able to move! Let the countdown to baby day begin!

To the Dread Pirate Roberts:

Happy Birthday Dread Pirate Roberts - the other half to the P. Bride. He's another year older and so maybe wiser too? Nah! Happy Birthday - hope it's fun!

Stretch Marks and Stupid People

Magically overnight stretch marks have appeared on my belly. I was so excited that this "symptom" had passed me by and thought with 6 weeks to go I was off the hook...WRONG! One day there was nothing and now lines everywhere! Like the Doc took a red marker and drew squiggly lines...if only he did...I tried to "wipe" them away but they're real and here to stay.

Moving onto my rant about stupid people. I don't know if it’s that people really ARE that stupid or I am over sensitive because I am really pregnant, have new stretch marks, eating like “Hungry, Hungry Hippo” in freakin' 2000% humidity...I don't know. You know that saying that stupid people should have to wear a sign…I have never agreed more with that statement.

Stupid Person #1:
After work the Doc and I head over to the grocery store. We're ready to check out head over to the register with no line – just a lady finishing up...or so we thought. She had issues with Hi-C that she thought was on special - it wasn't and so she bitched and we waited while someone went on an expedition to find this so called special. You would think the cashier (a 17 year old girl - super uninterested in working) would say to us “it will just be a minute” or “sorry for the wait”...nothing. Finally it’s our turn…she beings checking us out and in the process she keeps looking over at the other cashier paying no attention to bagging our groceries or sending them down the belt so I could bag them. At one point stopping her scanning and asking the other girl “What just happened, what’s going on?” She wants to know the gossip that is happening two registers over. ARGH. I swear we were there for 10 minutes.

Stupid Person #2:
In the great city of Philadelphia they don’t let you take shopping carts into the parking lots so you have to pull your car to the curb and load the groceries. While we are loading them some kid on a bike pulls up next to our car (which is pretty close to the curb) and sits there. Once we are done I say to him “excuse me” so I can get into the car and he stands there in the same spot but moves his bike a smidgen. Completely in my way, I literally have to squeeze my fat pregnant ass into the Docs Toyota Celica while the kid just stands there watching…as if I will magically turn into a size two in order to fit in the car. Are you kidding me? WTF?

Stupid Person #3:
The Doc wants coffee and being so hot lately I feel like an iced coffee too. We go to the drive thru and order (1) small iced coffee with milk and one equal and (1) medium hot coffee with milk and two equals – a pretty simple order. We drive around as instructed and wait for a few minutes and she opens the window hands us the coffees and says $3.95. We’re like what??!! The Doc asks “Are you sure, because it’s only a small iced and medium hot?” She says “Yup - $3.95”. So we give her four dollars and she hands him a nickel. Meanwhile the Doc says to the lady “my hot coffee is $1.49. You mean to tell me that the small iced coffee is $2.46??” She says “Yup” and the Doc again says “Are you sure – that seems like an awful lot?” She says with tone “YEAH I’m sure.” She then turns to her co-worker and says “A small iced is $2.50, right?” and he says “No, it’s $1.89”. She apologizes and as she walked back to the register we overheard the co-worker say with a chuckle “how long have you been working here?” I apparently missed that comment because I was too busy bitching that I could’ve gotten a tall frappaccino at Starbuck for that price. The Doc’s next comment is “I should’ve given her the nickel back because she’ll never figure the change out”. And so we waited. And waited. And the person behind us made faces. She hands the Doc a stack of change and at this point were not even sure if it was correct but we had been there for what seemed like a millennia and didn’t give a damn.

So you be the judge – am I just super sensitive to peoples stupidity or are these three people really that effin’ stupid?

P. Sophie's A Baby Story: Will This Ever End?!

Ok so almost 34 weeks now and I'm tired of this. It feels like I have been pregnant FOREVER!! Will this ever end? I have about 6 weeks left and I am tired, hot, achy, fat, swollen, peeing more than ever & my back hurts. As you can see from the picture my feet are swollen and they have been much worse lately, can't fit in my shoes by the end of the day.

The weather here doesn't help either - today it hit 91 degrees and the humidity was oppressive. I pretty much have the central air cranked 24/7. The Doc joked the other night that it was so cold in our house he thought about going down to the basement and putting on his snowpants. Meanwhile - I am sweating so bad I sit in a tank top and underwear.

If I have one more person look at me and say "Are you sure there is only ONE baby in there?" or "Really, you still have until August?" I may have to hurt someone...and it won't be pretty!! I get it, I have a big giant belly. It's so big now I now have some nice stretch marks. If I am that big and look as though I am going to "pop" any moment then why don't any of you offer me a seat on the train?! Yeah that's right - no one offers me there seat on the train and so I end up standing for six stops. I HATE the bus! The Doc is a saint and will give me a ride whenever he can. Unfortunately for me that isn't very often...so the bus it is until I go out on maternity leave.

I don't want to be pregnant anymore...anyone who says that this is such a magical, womanly, beautiful time in my life can kiss my big fat behind. The last thing that I am feeling right now is beautiful. Nine months is too long - why can't babies cook in 6 months. I felt great then! Eight weeks ago you could've told me that this is a beautiful time in my life without getting the right hook to the face!

Well there is my rant for the day...but I suppose if this is what I have to go through in order to finally meet the little guy...well then it will all be worth it!

The Nursery: Phase 3

Well it is coming along more slowly than I had hoped but not only do we have a changing table and a crib, but now we have an armoire. All we need is the glider. The glider we want is out of stock at the warehouse and none of the local Babies "R" Us stores had it. I guess that means it's popular.

We almost didn't get the armoire we wanted either. It has since been discontinued and no one seemed to have it in stock. In two days we had been to three of the four Babies 'R' Us stores that are local to us. We ended up getting it at the Cherry Hill, NJ store. We were hoping to get it in tax free Delaware (which is where we bought the stroller) but no such luck. We came home and the Doc began assembling the unit. While he worked on that I began the unpacking/organizing of all the great baby items we received at our baby shower.

I took all the baby clothes, sheets and receiving blankets and washed them with Dreft the baby laundry detergent and then proceeded to fold and put them away. All of the onesies were folded and put in the drawer directly below the changing table I figured that since that is what he'll be wearing most of the time I should have them in a convenient location. The armoire has a hanging feature and some of the clothes were hung up. Pajamas and T-shirts were placed in the armoires drawers. It's not as anally color coordinated as Brian's but at least they're hung up, put away and sort of organized. At least that makes one room in the house!

As you can see from the pictures we have a nursery in progress. We still have some work to do. We (well mostly the Doc) are currently working on fixing up the closet so that it can be used for toy storage and more clothes and odds and ends. We bought some rubbermaid tubs and the Doc put up a new hanging rack with a shelf and then another shelf below. It isn't quite finished yet which is why there is no picture. It looks nice so far and we are looking forward to finishing the room in time for the arrival of the little guy. More updates to come.

Next Update - attack of the swollen ankles!

Happy Parents to Be:

So the Baby Shower was a great success even with the rain. It was cozy to say the least. Mom and MIL did a fantastic job and it was everything I was hoping for! And even though I knew the date they managed to squeeze in some surprises for me.

The day started off great I got pampered at the Soleil Salon in Windham, NH. My cousin and I went for pedicures and then I got my hair done. After that she took me to the mall to visit my Aunt who works at Clinique and couldn't make it to the shower. So while we were visiting I asked her if she would mind doing my make up! I felt like a million bucks which is hard when you're 31 weeks pregnant and your ankles are the size of apples.

Once I was pampered it was time to get to the shower and since it wasn't a surprise I just had to show up. With the rain everyone we all got cozy in my parents living room and it was actually quite nice. Thanks to all the lovely gifts from all of our friends and family we got everything that we needed!

The fun part was packing it into the car and getting it all back to Philly. Thanks to some consolidating by my SIL, the Doc and me we managed to pack pretty much everything. We still have some items to pick up at the store which we have gift card for and that was probably what saved us the most space in our car!

We started to put some of the items together and once we get the rest of the furniture we will be able to start organizing and finishing the nursery! 63 days left before Baby David will make his entrance into the world! Thanks everyone for all the wonderful stuff.

A Baby "Shower"

So today is our Baby Shower! Hooray! I can't wait to see everyone - but most important than that is I can't wait to see what presents they bring!! (wink). Oh you know I am just kidding about that!

The shower is all thanks to my mom and MIL. They have been working really hard with all the planning and keeping me out of the loop as much as they can. Apparently the fact that I even know it is today (because this was the Doc's only free weekend) is too much information that I have.

The bummer - the forecast in NH is for 57 degrees - rain heavy at times (possible accumulation 1 inch) - and wind upto 15mph. So much for that nice cookout weather from last weekend. It's like a shock to the system considering the hot, sticky, steamy, wicked humid 90 degree weather we have in Philly (today in Philly it will be 70 and cloudy and maybe an afternoon shower).

I suppose it's called a Baby "Shower" for a reason, right!

27 & Still Has His Hair!

A Happy Birthday to the Doc. He is 27 today and he still has all his hair...unlike some other 27 year old I know (wink).

We actually celebrated on Monday because it is too hard during the week and we had baby class tonight. He is spoiled rotten by me. About a month ago he got an early birthday surprise when he came home and found the brand new X-Box 360 with the game Oblivion waiting for him. That was supposed to be his only birthday present but again - he is spoiled so I ended up having more surprises for him when he came home Monday (post call).

He got a gift card to Footlocker so he can get himself a new pair of sneakers (I won't even begin to describe the condition his are in now and horrible smell of death they have). He also got three new shirts (and surprisingly he like all three). And last, he got the new Tool CD. See spoiled!

To top it all off he got what everyone should get on their birthday....AN EFFIN' CAKE! I know I don't have to remind you of a certain person's birthday story last September when a certain someone had to make their own cake...but again the Doc is SPOILED!!

So Happy Birthday Doc and many more!

P. Sophie's A Baby Story: Bloody Nose & Too Much Candy

Friday was a very interesting day. I woke up with the Doc at 5:30am - we were lazy the night before and didn't get the trash together for trash day. The Doc left the house at ten to 6. As soon as he left the house it was time for me to get ready for work. I go into the bathroom and blow my nose - all of a sudden blood is gushing from my nose and I can't stop it. I ran to the door to see if the Doc was still there - he was gone. I panic. I have never had a bloody nose before (or if I did I was too young to remember) and so I had no idea what to do. Do I hold my head back? Do I hold it forward? It won't stop!! Finally I take a handful of tissues and just hold my nose tight. After about 5 minutes - it had stopped. I have not even the slightest idea what caused the bloody nose and thankfully it didn't happen again.

Later that day was our doctors appointment. The appointments are pretty much a waste of time except that we do get to listen to the baby's heartbeat each time. I show up, check in, wait then get called by the nurse who takes my blood pressure and weighs me (that's the FUN part). After that we go into the room where we wait for the Doctor. Since this is a group of OB/GYN's we usually see a different doctor each time. This time we saw Dr. Chen. In the appointment I get the same questions: "how are you feeling?" or "any problems?" Now it is time to talk about my weight. This time I added four pounds since my last appointment. Total weight gain has been a little over 20lbs so far. In my opinion that is not horrible. Unless I am having an "I feel disgusting" day I feel pretty good about my weight and don't feel like I look that big.

But it's a concern by the doctor's. I know why I have put on so much weight in the last eight weeks - it's the ice cream, water ice and candy (mostly the candy) that I can't stop eating! My eating habits are no different than before. I actually eat a more well balanced diet - well except for the daily candy and frequent trips between getting water ice and ice cream. I told Dr. Chen that I especially like M&M's because it's little pieces so when I have the munchies I can munch on those. He suggested (get ready to laugh) that maybe I substitute the M&M's for some carrot sticks. CARROT STICKS??!! Are you effin' kidding me?! Please explain to me how carrot sticks are even close to tasty chocolaty M&M's.

After I laughed at him - I told him that I would cut back on my sweets but I couldn't cut them out completely. The weird part is that I have never been a sweets person. Normally when I get the munchies I want something salty. Not now, though. I don't know what would be worse though...chowing on a couple M&M's or a bag of potato chips. I suppose it's not really that different.

So we have hit the 30 week mark and so that means we’ll be going to the Doctor’s every two weeks now. 30 weeks! Holy Crap! That means 7-10 weeks left. No more...if he hasn't made his arrival by the 8th - we're smoking him out! That is strictly because of the Doc’s new schedule. Right now he has a nice block of elective time for the two weeks before and two weeks after our due date. So if wait it out and he arrives too late – the Doc won’t be able to spend time with the little guy before he begins a two week rotation on the Cardiac Care Unit. I suppose we’ll have to see if the Doctor’s will be on our side for that. I never wanted to plan my baby’s arrival but I also don’t want the Doc to have only a couple days to adjust to a new baby in the house and being a Jr. Resident.

Trot's Changing Table?

Normally the cats don't climb up onto things that are high up in our house. We consider ourselves lucky for this. No cats on the counters, etc. So imagine my surprise when I went upstairs and saw my Trot asleep on the new changing table for the baby! Usually we just find him under the new crib.

Yesterday the Doc thought it would be funny to put him into the crib - I didn't have the camera - so there is not picture but he freaked out before too long anyway. It makes me feel safer knowing he wouldn't try to jump into the crib. I don't think they understand that this new "stuff" in the room is not for them!

Hooray Birthdays!

Birthday shout outs to Lucy (wife to I.A) and the Master. How weird that two friends would have share a birthday! And even though it isn't the BEST day of the year, because everyone knows that would be MY birthday, September 4th, but it is still a good day!

Anyway - A Very Happy Birthday to both of you!!!

Fraggle Rock - Complete First Season

I can't believe it! Fraggle Rock on DVD! I LOVED this show!!

Dance your cares away, (clap,clap)
Worries for another day.
Let the music play, (clap, clap)
Down at Fraggle Rock.

The Doc and I were at Best Buy tonight so that he could buy a new X-Box 360 game since he just beat Oblivion*. I always like to peruse the DVD section and saw this DVD!! The Doc was like - "YUCK! I HATED that show". ARGH! I am married to a Fraggle hater...I think that may be grounds for divorce (wink).

I know I am not alone here...who's with me? Who's a Fraggle lover?!

*oh yeah the Doc bought Perfect Dark as his next x-box game...

The Nursery - We Have Some Furniture!

Thanks to MIL, FIL and Grammy we have some baby furniture! We picked up two pieces this weekend, the Combo Changing Table/Dresser and the Crib. We chose to use Cherry as our furniture color because we thought it would look fabulous against the green wall and we were right!

It was a little adventure to get the furniture. We went to three Babies R Us stores. The first store in NJ didn't have the furniture pieces we wanted. So it was back to the Bensalem store (where we usually go). They had the changing table combo unit but not the crib so we were sent to Oxford Valley to get the crib and I was very impressed with how helpful everyone was at the Bensalem store. I think we'll skip NJ in the future!

The mattress and crib box fit nicely in the back seat of my 1996 Oldsmobile LSS (damn you GM for not manufacturing Olds anymore) and the changing table went into the trunk of the car. That box probably weighed about 150lbs and since I couldn't really help lift it - it was all on the Doc!

I found out yesterday that The Doc is the really He-Man Master of the Universe. Not only did he have to get all three things into the car - but he also had to get them out of the car and up the stairs to the second floor. Time for the fun part - putting them together! The crib was a piece of cake to put together. While I went to the supermarket - The Doc started to work on the crib and by the time I got back he was practically finished!

The changing table on the otherhand was a lot more involved. We ended up having to finish it today. But it is done! And we have entered the next phase in our nursery. It is really nice to walk by and not see an empty room!! The cats even had some fun.

They were very curious about what we were building in what used to be their room. They're in for an interesting surprise come August. I can't wait to see how they react to a new baby in the house. We have gotten a few stuffed toys as gifts which Trot and Drew thought were theirs! Looking forward to our shower so we can finish off the room!

P. Sophie's A Baby Story: Chocolate Cake

27 Weeks now and I am ready to be done with this. The fatter I get the more ready I am! Now you can add swollen ankles and fingers to the list! Sleeping on my left side isn't very comfortable either. My mattress has shrunk along with my belly button!

So where does the chocolate cake come into this story? Well while we were on vacation last week - all I wanted all week was a nice big piece of chocolate cake. I knew we would be heading to VA to visit Benny, Robyn and Maddie and so I would bring some cake there. We head to the local Giant supermarket in VA towards the bakery. NO Bakery?! NO Cake?! All they had in the teeniest supermarket bakery of all time was some bread and lame ass pastries.

I couldn't believe it. Pregnancy hormones took over and my eyes got a little watery (although if you ask the Doc he would tell you I cried right there in the supermarket - not true). I didn't cry but I was very disappointed that there was no cake. The Doc, being the nice guy he is, made it his mission after seeing how upset I was, to find me some chocolate cake. So off to the other Giant supermarket in town and lo and behold - CHOCOLATE CAKE!!! He even relented and got me ice cream to go with the cake. I have to say that Benny was pretty happy about cake too!

Now to gush about the new baby!! As you can see from the picture on the right she is a doll! At two weeks old, however, all she does really is eat, sleep and poop! But it was so fun to hold her. As you can see in the picture to the right she loves to watch her Red Sox Wally Mobile. In fact we loved that mobile so much that we had to add it to our registry!

We had such a blast hanging out with the new mom and dad. Robyn, Maddie, Charlie and I went out for lunch on Friday to Five Guys and then took a walk into the park. Maddie was so good she slept the whole time we were out! I hope Baby David will be as good! Seeing her and holding her made the Doc and I more anxious to meet our little guy! August can't come soon enough now! Until next time!

Kat over Chris??!!

OK I am super excited that Elliot didn't get the boot!! He has been my favorite throughout the show. But how in the hell did Kat manage to squeeze by??!! She was terrible this week and has been in previous weeks. So she makes it and Chris doesn't. I don't know about you - but I was hoping for an all male top three. Kat ruined it. How can people vote for her. She didn't even show off her knockers which would be good for some male votes I am sure. I think even she expected to go....this is why America shouldn't be trusted to vote!

I thought for sure Chris would be the winner (yes even though Elliot is my favorite) and now I guess it could be Taylor - which is weird but hopefully it will be bye bye for Kat next week.

Back to Work:

After a nice relaxing week off from work - it is time to go back. Oh well. Now I only have about 12 weeks or so before I go on maternity leave!

The Other David

Pictured here is my brother David. Not to be confused with the baby. Pictured with my brother is his girlfriend Krystal. Aren't they cute! Awwwwwww. They just got back from Miami on Sunday. I know lucky huh! It was brought to my attention that I had never posted any pictures of them and so here it is. During their visit - they spent some time at Universal Studios and at Busch Gardens. My brother who is 21 years old mind you - refused to go on any roller coaster until he was allowed to see the giraffes. I know what your thinking - what is he - 8 years old?! Apparently that didn't bother him. So they went to the Animal Zoo area of Busch Gardens and he was happy as a clam.

They like to drink - as you can see from the above picture. A tip for those planning on a trip to the amusement park...a lot of alcohol the night before = hung-over = queasy on the roller coasters. Let's just say that Back to the Future was not as fun as it may have been sober!

However probably the thing I am most jealous about is that my baby brother and his girlfriend got to meet the newest member of the Miami Dolphins. Quarterback extraordinaire Daunte Culpepper. Lucky! Pictured above is Krystal and Daunte. Apparently he took a liking to her! My brother was able to shake his hand but didn't bother to get his autograph for his big sister who loves football more than life itself. Thanks a lot bro! He said it would've been on a napkin and that would've been lame. Um hello, it wouldn't bother me how lame you look if it meant that I got an autograph! Ah well - a picture is much better anyway!

Glad that you guys had fun and hope this post makes up for the fact that I didn't return your call while you were vacationing!

The Nursery - Phase 2

Here we are at phase 2 of the soon to be nursery! As I mentioned before our plan was to take out the carpet and add a pergo floor. I suppose we kinda cheated on this part since we hired someone to do it. We figured the extra $250 bucks was worth knowing the job was done right!

The first picture is the before. We were able to knock $80 bucks off the price for taking the carpet off beforehand. It was kinda neat - I have never done anything like it. The next picture on the right is the mat that goes under the carpet. That was stapled to the floor - my job was to pull all the staples off the floor with a wrench! Fun! Now as you can see in the other pictures below the floor underneath the carpet was nasty!

Once the rug was completely off we just had to wait for the guys to come today. They arrived at about 11:30 and were finished in about an hour and 15 minutes. A job that would've (had we tried) taken us most of the day if not longer. We're not as skilled as Brian is when he tells Erica "It will ONLY take an hour"!

As you can see from the finished photo on the right - the room came out awesome! I am so happy we did this!!
The cost was a bit much but it looks so good it was worth every penny! The next phase will be the decorating! I'll have to wait a month for that though since that is when our baby shower is! For now I will enjoy my new floor!

And the Texans Take....Wait...What???!!!

They didn't take Reggie Bush or Matt Leinart...no instead they drafted some defensive end...

Yeah…because that is what will bring fans to the games. Now I know that they have a stud running back in Domanick Davis, who despite one of the worst offensive lines in the league still manages to run the ball well, but still it all comes down to bringing in the fans.

So don't take Reggie Bush then, but how about Matt Leinart. David Carr is not that great of a QB and so why not cut your losses with him and try someone new. Although I suppose in Daivd Carr’s defense it’s hard not to get sacked more times than Drew Bledsoe when your offensive line is non-existent.

And that brings me to my last point. So you think David Carr is your guy and you’re happy with Domanick Davis as your RB and so there is no place for a Reggie Bush or Matt Leinart, fine. Then how about using that precious first round pick and pick up an effin’ OFFENSIVE LINEMAN….

Um Hello.

On a side note - the Patriots with the 21st pick of the draft take RB Laurence Maroney of Minnesota. Guess that means Corey Dillon won't be worth a 1st or 2nd round pick in the fantasy football draft. Not sure I get it - but Belichick's picks are always bizarre like that and for some reason they always seem to work out in the end (look at Tom Brady - 6th Round QB STUD!). Well I suppose they weren't going to draft a kicker in the first round...(wink).

It's a Girl!

Welcome to the world Baby Madelyn - born April 21, 2006 at 8:26pm. Weighing in at a 9lbs 7ozs and 21 inches long! All I have to say is Robyn is my hero! Mom and Dad are both well.

Congrats to Benny and Robyn and their newest addition!

P. Sophie's A Baby Story: 24 Weeks!

6 months! I can't believe it sometimes. Baby David has been using my uterus as a playground and my bladder as a trampoline. His kicks are now strong enough for people to feel. It's pretty much the coolest thing ever!

Next week I will have my glucose tolerance test. Basically that means that I have to drink this liquid that reminds me of extra concentrated orange soda and then they test to see how the body reacts to it. Mmmmm...Yummy...I know you're all jealous.

Right now we're just waiting for the big news from Benny and Robyn. In one week (cross your fingers) Baby Maddie will make her entrance into the world. Good Luck to all three of you!!

Celebrity Name Game:

Gwenyth Paltrow and husband Chris Martin (lead singer for Coldplay - for those who don't know) welcomed a baby boy over the weekend. In a surprising change from using fruits to assist in the naming of their child they turned to the bible. His name - Moses Martin.

What is the deal with this celebrity name game? Apple, Coco Riley, Moxie Crimefighter (I wish I were joking) and Banjo are just some of the weird names that celebrities have used to name their children...what ever happened to Mary or Mark?

I wonder if the Doc and I are boring choosing David for our baby's name. Thoughts? Comments or am I alone thinking that it is weird.

Birthday Shout Out Philly Style:

~Happy Birthday~


Happy Birthday to the bald one...and at 27!! When you just gonna get the courage and shave what's left of it off? I suppose I can't talk I am not even 27 yet and I have at least four distinct gray hairs....but you were balding in highschool. Your Old!

An A.I. Post:

Ok so yeah - I watch American Idol. I am not even ashamed to admit it...I am, however, ashamed by the voting that has taken place each week?! How is that Bucky has managed to survive week after week?! Or Ace for that matter (well OK I guess Ace is pretty so that is probably how he's doing it)?! I am also annoyed at how boring the last two weeks have been. The best singers are in the bottom three each week. WTF??

The last straw for me was when I read that my most favorite contestant Elliott Yamin was almost eliminated. I know he has bad teeth but he can really sing and he makes my heart melt each week (if only he didn't look like a dear in the headlights when he sings).I know the song selections have been boring and down right terrible but still the point of the show is to find the best singer!!

If you recall last year I boycotted the season when my favorite contestant Nikko Smith was voted off, and I am afraid I may have to do it again. I don't understand...why Bucky and why Ace? What do you people see in them???!!! Looks like the show will be left with a redneck, a pretty boy and a dumb blonde. I didn't realize that I was watching a soon to be rip off of The Simple Life....

P. Sophie's A Baby Story: Week 22

Halfway there! I can't believe how fast it is going by and yet it still seems so far away. Here are the updates at 22 weeks. I had my doctor's appointment on Friday, what a waste of time. It took me longer to get there then I actually spent in the office. They say Hi, check the baby's heart beat and measure the belly. So far so good, though. I suppose it is reassuring to hear the heart beat.

Apparently to strangers – I look as though I am having twins. When they ask me how far along I am and I tell them 5 months they say “Wow! Your belly is so big – is it twins?” And when I tell them no, they say, “Are you sure?” Yeah I am sure! I was all set to get a picture of my giant belly to post and my digital camera broke. I thought it was the batteries but it wasn’t – it just won’t turn on, I have no idea what is wrong with it…oh well.

My mother and sister-in-law flew in this weekend. We went to a couple of baby stores to look at baby furniture. It’s so exciting! We also showed them the cute baby stuff that we registered for at Babies “R” Us. Baby stuff is so little and cute…I can’t wait to shop for stuff!

Last night was another milestone. I have felt the baby moving now for about two weeks, now and it’s really cool. Usually I feel him at night right before bedtime. Last night, though, was the first time The Doc was able to feel him. His kicks have gotten stronger over the last week.

Well until next time…

P.F. Chang's and a Sprained Ankle:

This weekend we are in VA visiting Benny and Robyn, mostly Robyn since Benny was on call yesterday. The Doc and I Left Friday afternoon and the drive was less than perfect - my nerves were shot. Three WOMEN drivers almost merged into us (three different times of course); all who were talking on their cell phones. One of the ladies was driving right next to us - so it wasn't like we were in her blind spot - she just didn't look over she just began her lane change. These are the women that give the rest of us a bad name. Anyway back to my story.

My nerves are shot and I have to pee so bad it hurts because The Doc refused pit stops - he was trying to make it before any major traffic jams. All I want to do when we arrive is pee and figure out where to eat dinner! Benny suggested P.F. Chang's which was recommended by another friend of mine and it's Chinese so you don't have to pull the Doc's arm. We were in.

The dinner was fantastic!! I got Kung Pao Scallops, the Doc got Chang's Spicy Chicken, Robyn got Chicken with Black Bean Sauce and Benny went with the Mongolian Beef. It was so yummy. The atmosphere was really great and the prices were more reasonable than I had expected. I can see why so many people like to eat there

Moving on - we paid our bill and started walking back to the car and talking about how great our dinners were when BAM - I am lying on the asphalt fetal position grabbing my ankle. I tripped over a large rock - my ankle buckled to the right and then to the left which is when I fell using my left arm to break my fall. As the Doc came running over to see what happened Benny tries searching for this "BIG" rock I just tripped over. Turns out it was teeny tiny wood chip. Oh yeah - I must have stepped on it just right that it rolled and caused my fall.

Thankfully I was in great company - two Doc's and a Nurse. Nothing was broken; (although it felt like it was) just a minor sprain. It all happened so fast but somehow I managed not to land on my belly (using my left arm instead). My only thoughts as I fell were premature labor....WAY TOO EARLY for little David to be born. Well long story short baby David and I had a little too much stress for my comfort and since I was OK - we can all laugh about it now. My pride, however, took a huge hit when Benny broke the news that it was not a GIGANTIC rock as I had thought. What??!! I tripped over a wood chip....

Yesterday was spent walking around DC all day with a very pregnant Robyn (36 weeks on Tuesday) and the Doc - who enjoyed to comment on all the wood chips that I may trip over. The Doc cracked his jokes like, "Oh I don't know if we should walk over there - I saw some twigs." Ha Ha. It wasn't too cold, however, it was the start of the Cherry Festival and since it was still a little too cold last week - many were just starting to blossom. Oh well it was still a great weekend, fall and all. Today when Benny gets home from call we'll finish it off with the best burger of all time at Five Guys.

WTF???

Uh....can someone please explain this to me??!!

Vinatieri Goes to Indy??!!! I am at a loss for words....so I will just post a blurb from the article that broke the disturbing news....

Vinatieri, who twice hit winning kicks in the Super Bowl for the Patriots, replaces former Pro Bowl kicker Mike Vanderjagt. The deal was announced on the team's Web site, though terms weren't immediately available. Messages left with the Patriots and agents for Vinatieri weren't immediately returned.

The Patriots allowed Vinatieri to test free agency rather than putting a franchise designation on him, which would have cost the team $3 million next season

First Johnny Damon goes to the Yankmes and now this??!!! Apparently the Pats don't need the most clutch kicker in the league....ARGHHHHHHHH*!!!!

*That is me screaming really loud and pulling my hair out.

Updates in Pop Culture:

Say Goodbye to Chef, he has quit the kitchen. No more Chocolate Salty Balls.

Issac Hayes the voice of South Park's Chef has quit. His reason - outraged by an episode on Scientology; he said that it went too far. So singing about sucking his chocolate salty balls is OK, but picking on Tom Cruise and his crazy cult is not.

Tomorrow marks the start of the 10th season for the politically charged cartoon about four boys from South Park, CO. You can believe that creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone are not going to let a little something like this stop them:

One thing's for certain--the duo appear to have Scientology in their sights after a rerun of "Trapped in the Closet" was yanked from Comedy Central's schedule last week, sparking rumors that, who was caricaturized in the episode, was behind the change in lineup.

Though the actor's camp denied his involvement, Stone and Parker responded to the scheduling change with cryptic words.

"So, Scientology, you may have won THIS battle, but the million-year war for earth has just begun!" the self-described "servants of the dark lord Xenu" said last week in a statement. "Temporarily anozinizing our episode will NOT stop us from keeping Thetans forever trapped in your pitiful man-bodies."

Watch the Return of Chef tomorrow night on Comedy Central 9pm.

It's A Boy!

Today we found out that our baby is a BOY baby! We had our ultrasound today and were able to see the hands, spine, heart chambers, legs, toes - you name it. It was really quite cool. All measurements were in normal range and as of this moment his head is on the smaller side!

Almost halfway there! Summer will be here before we know it!

You know what really grinds my gears?*

Now that I am going to be a mother I find myself noticing other mothers and their actions; something I never really gave much thought until now. Last night the Doc and I were out at the Super China Buffet (yes I know super exciting) and because Philadelphia is a very unhealthy city you can find a smoking section in almost every restaurant. Apparently they are working on it but I highly doubt it will pass anytime soon. But I digress.

So what grinded my gears last night – two girls walked into the Super China Buffet no more than my age with a little infant all cute in her infant carrier and they walked straight to the smoking section. UGHHH! I was furious. How can any mother do that to their child? Just because you have the nasty habit doesn’t mean that you need to subject your poor baby to it.

*A Peter Griffinism from Stewie Griffin - The Untold Story

18 Weeks and Getting Bigger:

So as you can see from the picture to the left - I am getting fat! Well I suppose fat isn't the right word but I can't think of a better one.

Our latest milestone - I was able to hear the heart beating at my last doctor appointment. It was very cool to hear and according to the Doctor it was 150 beats per minute (which I was told was average). I asked the Doctor if it was faster than normal so I could help make a guess on the sex. The old wives tale states that the faster the heart rate is the more likely the baby is a girl. My male doctor felt that was sexist because it makes boys out to be lazy with remote controls in their hands. Hmmmmmmm.

The guessing game will be officially over on March 14th! That is the day of the ultrasound that will hopefully confirm boy or girl. I guess if he or she has crossed legs then we'll just have to poke my belly until we are able to get the good view! So if you have a guess - make it now!

10 LONG...I Mean WONDERFUL Years!

On this day 10 years ago began the saga of The Doc and the Princess. It seems weird to think that it has really been that long. What a great adventure it has been and I look forward to the next 10 years!

I'm listening
Music in the bedroom
Laughter in the hall
Dive into the ocean
Singing by the fire
Running through the forest
And standing in the wind
In rolling canyons

I will not take these things for granted

The Nursery - Phase 1

We are now in phase one of the soon to be baby's room. We went to Home Depot on Saturday and purchased our paint. We (or more like the Doc - but I helped a little) finished the first coat that afternoon and the second coat on Monday. We are really happy with the color choice.

The color is by Behr and called Scotland Road. It is not what you would call a conventional nursery color, however, we want the room to look as normal as possible for when we sell the house in a couple years. We are keeping the trim white and will eventually rip the carpet out and install a pergo floor, which will all take place in the next phase. Since we still have plenty of time before baby arrives we are able to take our time!

P. Sohpie's Baby Story - Week 16

I have been pregnant now for 16 weeks and now that it seems more real to me here are some things that have come to my attention:

(1) Now that my belly has "popped" a little bit making my pregnancy noticeable - people have no qualms about touching and or placing their hands on my stomach. If they don't touch it - they stare and make comments such as - "oh your belly is starting to poke out", "aw look at the pregnant belly" or “wearing a skirt today – pants getting a little tight?” or if they don’t know my news it’s the infamous is she pregnant or just eating to many Twinkies stare.

(2) Since announcing my pregnancy at work I am not allowed to do anything myself. My co-workers won’t let me carry anything that may weigh more than a cardboard box. My husband, the Doc, on the other hand feels much differently. He has no problem with me walking four blocks home carrying groceries or the laundry basket up the stairs. He says that it’ll toughen me up for the labor delivery and doesn’t want me to have any new learned behaviors.

(3) I don’t think the Doc and I are mature enough to raise a child. How can two people who watch The Family Guy or South Park be mature enough to raise a child? And don’t even get me started on my serious problem with the “F” word. My supervisor enjoys pointing out my trash mouth at work and telling me that my baby can hear me.

(4) Although I don’t insist that the Doc run out in the middle of the night for ice cream and pickles, I have been known to whine incessantly about other things. For example, “Honey can you do this for me” or “Honey will you rub my back it hurts”. Most of the time I am my usually sane pre-pregnant self – but in my defense pregnancy hormones can wreak havoc in an otherwise normal woman. I had a moment a week ago where I flipped my lid and told the Doc he doesn’t care about the baby like I do because he didn’t get emotional when looking at the baby stuff I bought for Ben and Robyn.

(5) Now that we are in the midst of the second trimester, more and more I am thinking about the fact that this being inside me eventually has to come out of me. Women of all ages who have had babies love to tell the horror stories of labor and delivery. My favorite is the one my mother-in-law tells me about giving birth to my husband. How he weighed almost 10 lbs and because they grossly underestimated his birth weight, well let’s just say she was under prepared.

That's the story for now - more postings to come as we prepare for the baby to enter the world!

And the Mother of the Year Award Goes To:

Britney Spears...

The infamous pop star was photographed driving down the street with her infant son in her lap. Apparently it has gotten the interest of child services and the police were dispatched to her home.

Rather than take responsibility for her actions she lashed out at the paparazzi.

"Today, I had a horrifying, frightful encounter with the paparazzi while I was with my baby," Spears said. "...I was terrified that this time the physically aggressive paparazzi would put both me and my baby in danger. I instinctively took measures to get my baby and me out of harm's way."

"I love my child and would do anything to protect him."

The article stated she was waiting for her bodyguard and while waiting took the infant out of his car seat. A photographer approached the vehicle (peacefully according to the photography company) and when the bodyguard returned she speed off infant still in lap.

No charges were filed - I guess that's what happens when your filthy stinking rich. If it were you or me - we'd probably be facing some sort of fine/charges. But remember being a celebrity is real hard so we need to cut them these breaks....

The "AFA" at it Again:

Who are they attacking now? NBC.

NBC has released that Britney Spears will appear as a guest on Will & Grace; a show famous for their celebrity cameos. According to the press release she is to play a religious conservative TV Personality. She will host a show with Jack that features a cooking segment called “Cruci-fixin’s”. Call me crazy – but that’s a pretty clever play on words if you ask me. This is the second time in less than a month that NBC has been in the hot seat with the religious right group American Family Association. Apparently The Book of Daniel was a little much for them. I never saw the show and in hindsight I wish I had, however, I don’t watch NBC that much, mostly because Scrubs is the only good show.

Tupelo, Mississippi-based group, whose protests helped lead to the cancellation of the network's The Book of Daniel, was ready to call for a boycott of NBC, saying the Spears-fronted episode "mocks the crucifixion of Christ" and "further denigrates Christianity" because the show airs the night before Good Friday. The AFA is urging its supporters to contact NBC affiliates and demand they not broadcast it.

Thanks AFA I am so glad that I have you around to keep me protected from all the very bad things in the world. There is a war going on, um hello…don’t see you too worried about that. I mean we should ban the news while we’re at it. Obviously they don’t watch Action News out of Philadelphia; where the first 10 minutes are stories about shootings, robberies and corruption. I don’t see you knocking on their door trying to shut them down. God forbid you mention Jesus on a television show, they are right there to put a stop to that. Don't get me wrong, I am all for the AFA’s rights to their opinions but should the rest of us suffer the loss of a show because they have deemed it inappropriate. Here’s a solution - get rid of your television, and if you don’t want to do that then turn it off.

And you wonder why I don't go to church.