The unbearable heaviness of my being


Here are my fluid-trapped ankles. Or, my balloon feet as someone calls them. They're sore, but not as sore as my back is. Last night Alice took me swimming at the Y. Floating in the water was the best feeling ever! I did several laps freestyle and also got some great floating and relaxing in. Ahhh. In the water, I am weightless! While submurged, my back didn't hurt one bit, my skin didn't feel tight around my stomach, I could even reach my ankles. So between laps, I massaged my own ankles a bit. This morning, they were noticably less swollen, but my back was back up to full volume pain. I wish someone could cart me around in a vat of water all day.

Cravings


I'm needing a grilled cheese sandwich really bad right about now. I'd also like a Mug root beer, a handfull of ripe cherries and a bowl of vegetable soup. Good thing it's almost lunch time.

Being pregnant


Here's me at 34 weeks and everyone else on the flickr stroll. I'm finally starting to feel big this week. Like, really big. My ankles are swollen, they look so puffy. See?



My mass and girth barely allow me to lumber on and off of our super-tall bed for midnight bathroom trips. And the back pain? Still bad and getting worse. Talking to my other pregnant friend, I realized that I do not enjoy being pregnant as much as some might. I love feeling the baby move and I'm absolutely amazed that I can grow humans in my body, but the aches, pains and misery just don't make it very fun. Some ladies never have these problems and some do, but love it anyway. I just can't wait for this to be over already. I'm so anxious to meet little baby Neon!

Help, my baby kicked its way out of my abdomen!


Just kidding. Look at how cute these nursing covers are. I want to make one because they look super easy, but can't figure out where I can get the boning in the neckline that allows you to peek at your nursing hatchling. Do fabric stores sell that stuff already bended?

Another creep

Some other creep added me as a contact on flickr. Here's his creepy profile. You're totally blocked, you weirdo!

In baby gear news, we were able to find a used co-sleeper at one of those used baby stores (no, not one of those stores where you give the secret sign and they take you to the back where you can buy a gently used infant well below list price). Walking into one of those baby places on a Sunday afternoon is like walking into an obstacle course. The tiny aisles are clogged with parentals, hyper toddlers, meddling mother in laws and bags of children's clothing waiting to be sold. We hit up about 4 of them last weekend and managed to find a couple of the things we're still looking for: clean co-sleeper...check. Non-gross, My Brest Friend nursing pillow (in seersucker print and still in plastic!)...check. I know we should wait for the shower, but I still feel like we'll need to get a crib tent and a bunch of cloth diapers pretty soon.

I went to Target yesterday when I really shouldn't have. I was mega tired and my back was absolutely killing me. Target was no place to be. It was insanely busy there. I had a minor anxiety fit. OMG, what if I have the baby this week? I wouldn't even be able to change his diaper, because I don't even have wipes at home! So I bought some and I felt way better afterwards. Most of the weekend was dedicated to preparing for baby. Leon finished the baby room finally. We just have to organize it now. Almost there.

33 weeks


Here's my 33rd week picture and everyone else at 33 weeks in the flickr stroll. In the womb this week, baby is growing huge and strong. He keeps getting his little tuchus stuck under my ribs and he seems to favor my right side. So most times looking at my lopsided belly from above, you can see the outline of his little back pushing outwards. I, on the other hand feel weaker and weaker these days. I am getting really tired often and even a little dizzy sometimes. My hobbit appetite seems to have gone out the window and I'm back to eating some normal sized meals (with snacks in between of course).

Around the house, things are still kind of a mess. We had our bedroom floor redone on Monday and Tuesday, so we had to move everything out of it and into the dining room and office. Now it all has to go back in. I'm trying to be organized about it this time around by putting things away where they go. Sounds easy, but I'm so bad at this.

Total creep


Flickr tells me when someone adds a photo of mine in their favorites. Most of the time it's something I took of Heylove looking cute and someone is saving cute dog pictures so they can have a little eye candy for their very bad case of the Mondays. Rarer is the lady adding my pregnant pictures as her favorites. I don't know, maybe we're the same week pregnant or she is obsessed with pregnants? That doesn't bother me too much. Anyway, every once in a while a total creep adds one of my pregnancy pictures. So I check out their photostream and look up their other favorites. This guy just loves to take pictures of random women. He also adds public pictures of other random women in his favorites. I'm a bit creeped out by this, so I blocked him.

Cobb


Someone gave me a copy of an issue of Everyday Food. I love me some Martha and I always shy away from buying this magazine because it's pretty meaty. But a free copy? I'm down for it. So I made three salads out of it so far. One white bean and zucchini salad, an herbed pasta salad and last night I made this cobb salad using fake meats. Mmm! It came out pretty good. The chicken was this morningstar stuff I got at Safeway. I liked it, but I think I like Quorn better.

There are a couple of movies I want to see this weekend. Tonight I really want to catch Little Miss Sunshine. I'm also going to try to catch Quinceanera sometime on Saturday. Then there's this Cesar Chavez thing happening at the California Stage, too. But that's playing until the 8th, so I'm going to wait on that.

I have a doctor appointment today (I have to see them every 2 weeks now), and I'm going to talk to them about my leave. I'm finding it increasingly difficult to be in a stiff office chair for 8 hours a day. It's murder on my back. Plus, it's been a rather high stress environment lately. I desperately need time off.

Ringy dingy


Right now I'm eligible for a phone upgrade from Cingular. Since this only happens like once every two years, I feel like I need to get the best, baddest phone out there so that I don't get stuck with phone envy sometime next year. Currently I have a little Nokia candybar phone. I forget the model, but it's not very flashy. It has a Knight Rider ring on it and a clock, but that's about as fancy as it gets. What really bugs me is that it's so tiny. I feel like a giant every time I use it. Everyone has the Razr now, so I kind of don't want that, but I do like flip phones...
What I really want is a Treo. I already have a Palm organizer, which I use contstantly, so to combine it with my phone sounds like a good plan, right? Sigh. I'm still trying to talk Leon into it, but he doesn't think I need a phone with all the functionality that the Treo has. I say, let me find a way to use it! It has a camera, it has a bunch of Palm applications that I already use: calendar, notepad, documents to go, photo organizer. I really don't mind if I don't get on the internet with it (which costs extra because you need a data plan). I just want both my organizer and phone to unite and save room in my purse.

32 weeks


Here's me at 32 weeks and everyone else on the flickr stroll.

Mang. Braxton Hicks contractions were bugging yesterday. I had a total false labor. They started coming in around 11 am and went pretty regularly through 11 last night even after downing 3 big glasses of water. At one point, they were happening every 2-3 minutes and lasting 30-45 seconds each. It was kind of scary, but didn't hurt at all. I figured if I was really in labor, I'd wake up in the middle of the night. Everything turned out okay. I feel fine today and baby is bumping arund inside like normal. I just feel like I've got a sack of moving rocks inside my abdomen. Right now baby Neon feels like he's all knees and elbows.

Aww, don't forget about this baby:


Heylove is so funny. We feed her really good food, which she likes, but she only is interested in eating it if we make her work for it. If her breakfast time ritual doesn't include a barrage of tricks, waiting and recall excercises, she really doesn't want anything to do with her bowl. This dog is hooked on the big sell. This morning, I didn't feel like trying too hard, so she just left the food in the bowl. For a little squirt, she sure has a strong work ethic.

New Bernardo


I previewed the new Cafe Bernardo last week. Their new location is at 15th & R, where the old Icon/Sammy Chu's was. I ordered a chicken quesadilla without the chicken. It was pretty good and it came with a spicy avocado salsa. I really want to go back for breakfast and try out the tofu scramble or the breakfast burrito with tofu instead of eggs. I'm so glad they're offering more and more vegetarian options.

Baby Neon's room


So everything is finally coming together. We found a crib (not my first choice, but then again, my first choice was over $1000), for really cheap on craigslist. We also got a stroller, a car seat and some presents at last weekend's family baby shower.


Here's the crib again with a better shot of the bedding.

And baby's pimped out ride:


Then don't forget Leon's fabulous job on the flooring:


This weekend was really busy. Saturday we went to the baby shower my family threw us. My tia busted out some amazing avocado tostadas, rice and her spiciest chili ever. Then we went to Buck's birthday barbeque and chilled out with her family. I miss Buck, we need to hang out more. On Sunday we went to a tiny little Jewish fair and had falafel with this amazing spicy sauce. After that, we hit Ikea up for baby room stuff, half of which they were out of stock on. Ikea defeted us! Then we ended up at Benji's grandparents day barbeque. His sister gave me a copy of the new Everyday Food. I made the white bean and zucchini salad last night and I'm going to try the cobb salad tonight. Before we left, we got Benji buzzed enough to show us how he can moonwalk like a pro.

Monday, I planned to take the day off since I worked all weekend and on the holiday last week, but I got called in for some meeting and ended up staying for 3 hours. Hopefully I can leave at 1 today and finish everything I meant to take care of yesterday.

Big fat crybaby


Maybe it was my sour mood, but I insisted Heylove get a bath last night. She hates baths, but it's so funny to see her react when you ask her if she wants to take a bath. She pins her ears back and slinks away. She was fine though. Leon scrubbed her down and I held out the peanut butter spoon for her.

I had a minor fuse blown last night before I left the office. I'm chalking it up to bruised egos and pregnancy hormones. Just as well though, I haven't had a proper cry in months. Now that I'm over that, I'm actually sort of busy today considering I just finished this huge project. It's time to make the wrap up, but I really feel like we need a new home computer for me to do this because ours is on it's last legs. I need to make a DVD slideshow with music and text. Co-workers are telling me I need a mac, Leon's saying we should get a mac, so now I'm a believer and I want a mac like right now. So expensive though!

So what else is going on? Craving greek salad since I saw this on Slashfood.

My appetite is totally looking forward to tomorrow's family baby shower. I'm so glad my tia doesn't eat much meat anymore because she's the best cook in the family and she's always stoked to make me meatless everything. Tamales, enchiladas, real beans! Can't wait to see what she's whipped up for us. It's also my Becky's (not yours) birthday today, yay Buck! Then it's someone else's birthday on Sunday. Mang, we got a busy weekend.

About 31 weeks


Phew. I made it back from Bumbershoot. Here's a picture of me at about 31 weeks also found on spin.com! And the other ladies on the flickr stroll. So inside the womb baby Neon is about 3 pounds, madly kicking around like he's trying to find a way out and demanding pizza for every meal. It's so precious to be able to feel tiny feet kicking me in the kidneys.

I worked 12 and 13 hour days at the festival this weekend, on my feet for much of it and walking the 74 acres of Seattle Center, corner to corner documenting the whole thing with my camera. If I never have to tell another screaming young girl to "please keep the line moving honey, lots of people are still waiting to get Matt Costa's autograph," I will die in peace. So all that walking around, crowd minding and troubleshooting got me a little ill. I came down with some kind of festival flu that I'm now getting over. Oh, I guess it wasn't that bad. Here are some highlights:


The Seattle thingy at night.


Lots of entertaining hippy dancing at the Steve Miller Band show.


Just chilling with New Pornographers. I got baby Neon his first autograph!!

So glad I'm back!