I'm almost a mommy!!!

WOW, writing that title just now really put me into "scared shitless" mode. I can't believe I am going to be someone's mom. I mean, I have a mom...my mom has a mom...I know other moms...but I am NOT a mom! AHH! What does this mean exactly? Do I have to trade in my Snoop Dog CDs for Joni Mitchell? Cut my hair to my chin and start shopping at Chicos? Say things like "gosh darnit" and "what the heck" ?? I just don't know if I'm ready for this role but there is no turning back now. Lily, you are stuck with one crazy mama! But I promise we will have lots of fun :)

Well, we are really closing in on D day here...I'm about 8 months along and we have exactly 45 days until my due date! It looks like I may be induced on 11/6 - if that is the case, only 37 days left! I cannot wait for Lily to be here with us. And of course, I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore! Thad said the other day "It feels like you've been pregnant forever!"..I said, "If you feel that way, imagine how I FEEL!" I am really starting to get to that uncomfortable stage. Even sleeping on my side makes my lower back hurt. It is all worth it and then some...but I am thinking of adopting baby #2!

We have been preparing our other "daughter" Cali for her new sister. I have found her in the nursery sleeping next to the crib a few times and I think she is catching on that a big change is a brewing. She has been our #1 for almost 9 years now so I really want to make sure she is not ignored at all. It is starting to worry me. Yesterday we all went to the beach at Half Moon Bay for the day. Cali had a blast running in the waves and chasing seaweed. Thad and I had fun too but it made us miss our old home a little bit. There is no replacing the beach...but at least it's only 45 minutes away.

The nursery is not as finished as I would like. Everything is pretty much ordered and on it's way but due to some delays, the only piece of furniture in her room remains the crib! That will all change in the next week or two when everything else arrives but I wish it were all finished!

Lily's shower was a couple of weeks ago. It was such a perfect way to help welcome her to the world. My friend of forever & Lily's godmother, Kristy, threw it all by herself and it was amazing. Most of my closest friends and family members were there making it extra special....some people flew in for the occasion which was so nice of them. We got so many great gifts too!

We did some maternity pics a couple weeks ago. They turned out so cute! I am blowing up two for the nursery. I put some below for your enjoyment along with a couple 3D pics of Lily from 31 weeks! She is a cutie pie and I think she is the perfect combo of us both :)

Well that's all for now I guess! There was something else I wanted to write but now I can't remember....my mind is like jello these days. Hope that comes back after the pregnancy ends, otherwise I am in trouble!

11 1/2 weeks left to go!

It's been awhile since I've written on this thing...mainly due to the craziness that my life has been for the past month+. We moved to Danville and moved into our new house on 7/31. Since then it's been pretty crazy getting all moved in and acquainted with our new surroundings, not to mention meeting my new doctor and interviewing for jobs (Thad). We're finally feeling settled and "at home" here in the good old Bay Area.

I am just over 28 weeks pregnant and have 11 1/2 weeks to go assuming I go to my due date. I've been hearing a lot of stories lately about girls delivering 2-3 weeks early...so I am getting nervous that I need to have everything ready to go way ahead of time just in case. I made a big trip to Babies R Us this week and bought a bunch of necessities that I know I won't get as gifts. I have never spent that much money at one store and arrived home with nothing for myself ;) It was fun though! My mom and I went stroller shopping this week and agreed on the Orbit. It's an awesome stroller and will make life as easy as possible in the first 6 months. Thad doesn't really care what stroller we get as long as it has wheels and can get from point A to point B. If only my stroller expectations were that simple. The nursery is coming along nicely and I'm so excited to finish it. The only things we're still waiting for are the changing table/dresser combo, and the gilder which should all be arriving in the next 3-4 weeks. The room is all painted, the crib is all put together bedding and and all, and the drapes are hung. Her closet is filling up quickly with all of the gifts from family and friends and my obsession with buying her cute outfits. I tell you, having a boy would have made me a lot richer...the clothes for girls are just too cute and I cannot resist!

I have posted some pics below for your enjoyment. There is a "before & after" pic of my belly for you. The before is from 13 weeks and the after is from today in the same outfit at just over 28 weeks! Gosh 15 weeks can make a big difference :) The quality of today's pic is not as good because I had to use my cellphone camera - can't find the cord to connect our other camera to the computer. I also posted a pic of Lily's last 3D ultrasound which was almost a month ago at 25 weeks. You can see her cute little profile pretty clearly though...still not sure who's nose she is getting. I will go back at 31 weeks for the last one and we should be able to really see what she looks like by then. Can't wait!!!! We are also doing our maternity photo shoot next Friday at 30 weeks. I am not really looking forward to that since I feel like a huge unattractive whale right now but I'm sure I will be happy that I did it.

We're BBQing some steaks on our new grill tonight. Thad is obsessed with it! Gotta take advantage of this great summer weather before it gets chilly!!

Lily's moving now & so are we!

Well surprise surprise, as soon as we paint her room & assemble the crib and gain a small sense of readiness, BAM we're moving. Granted this was our decision, but the timing could not be crazier. We've decided to move to Danville! Yep, I said it, DANVILLE. Thad says he never thought that he would ever live in a town that ended in "ville" but I also never thought I would have ankles the size of oranges and boobs the size of watermelons....Anyway, when we do things, we do them, so we're moving in less than 2 weeks!

We spent all of last week up in Danville securing our new home while Thad interviewed for new jobs in the city. It was a very productive but exhausting week. I am getting more excited about moving there but at the same time I am very sad about friends I will leave behind here and being completely out of my comfort zone at nearly 6 months pregnant. The positives outweigh the negatives though and being near my family will be both helpful & comforting for us and wonderful for Lily. I am so happy that she will get to spend so much time with the family! I just hope her mama doesn't go insane before her arrival. Can the beach really be replaced with cows, deer & wild turkeys? I don't know...but I do know that life isn't really all about me anymore. Something I also NEVER thought would happen :)

Lily is growing and growing, and kicking and kicking!! She is a very active baby in there. They say she should now be settling into a sleeping schedule of about 12-14 hours per day...please tell me when these hours occur because 30 minutes doesn't pass without a few kicks or jabs to let me know she is there! According to her size at the anomoly scan and the fact that she now grows 1/2 inch per week, she should be about 13.5 inches tall right now! We had a doctors appt yesterday and everything checked out great....except my weight....I won't bore you with those details however, if you find me floating in the bay next to the golden gate bridge, now you know why. Actually, forget floating, at this point I will most definitely SINK.

I am going to get Thad to take some pics of my belly later today and post them for all of you to see....mainly ERIN since she won't stop bugging me to post pics of my belly :)

BIG 20 Week Ultrasound

Just a little Lily update for you all. We had our BIG 20 week ultrasound today and it went as perfectly as possible. For those who don't know, this is the ultrasound (also referred to as Anatomy Scan) where they review the entire anatomy of the baby in detail to check for growth progress and any abnormalities. She (yes she is still a she, we were afraid she may have grown a twig & berries) is growing at a perfect rate measuring 10.5 inches, and 9 ounces which puts her in the 53 percentile for her "age". All of her organs look great and the technician & doctor saw nothing of concern whatsoever. A big relief! Both Thad and I were a little anxious about the whole thing as we've heard some horror stories about this....so we're happy that it's over and done with and that she is looking great! Of course her mouth was moving oh so frequently during the entire hour long ultrasound and in all of the ultrasounds we've done so far, she is always using her hands all of the time. They're either over her head, clapping, being stuck in her mouth, etc..Also we've noticed that she is never sleeping. Many people we know have trouble during at least some of their ultrasounds because the baby is sleeping, but it seems like she is always wide awake and being all crazy. I think Thad and I should start getting plenty of rest now :)

I can't believe we're just about 1/2 way there. It's going by quickly and I hope the rest will go by just as quickly so that we can have little Lily here to play with & cuddle! I think she is going to look like Thad because her face is long and narrow - may just be because she has no body fat yet, but I think it's because she will look just like him....except with my blue eyes of course :)

Here are some pics from today's ultrasound for your viewing pleasure. Just click on each one to see them larger. Enjoy!

4 Years!

Well today marks 4 years from the best day ever...the day Thad and I both lost our virginity...our wedding day!! It feels like a lot less than that. It's hard to believe that it was really 4 years ago already. I have such joyous & special memories from that day that could never be forgotten. I just wish we could do it all over again!! Vow renewal at Montage?? Haha, I won't push my luck. :) Celebrating our anniversary this year feels so much more special knowing that it's our last one to celebrate alone with Baby Lily on the way. What an exciting time in our lives.

Time is really flying by these days - feels like just yesterday that we met at LMU and were doing keg stands and hitting up the Sunset Strip like crazy animals...but really that was 9 1/2 years ago! Gosh I am getting old. To celebrate the big #4 we're going to Ruth's Chris for dinner tonight and today, I am going to Burke Williams Spa for a pregnancy massage that my mom & dad got me for Mother's Day. A marvelous day planned if I don't say so myself! We opened a beautiful card from grandma & grandpa this morning. They are just the best & most caring grandparents that exist! In fact we already received a call from my grandma at 8 AM on the dot singing to us this morning. She is a riot :) My mom forgot to mail our card/gift so she mailed it yesterday overnight to make sure we get it today! I really do have the best family in the world. They make Thad & I feel so important & loved.

Speaking of family, we went up to Norcal this past weekend for a short family visit and to attend my friend Cara's wedding. It was a great trip but sailed by - way too short! Cara's wedding was so beautiful and she looked so gorgeous like always! It was such an intimate wedding, only 50 guests, so we felt really special to even be there. Cara & Danny are such a sweet couple and are just perfect for one another. We are so happy for them! Thad was pretty sad that "wedding Jen" could not come out to play. Usually I am the life of the party but this time all I could think about was going home and crawling into my bed to sleep for 12 hours. Quite a difference. :) My aunt Anne was visiting from Philly with her boyfriend Tony and just after we left, he proposed to her in Carmel! We are so happy for them too. It was my grandpas 86th birthday on Sunday and we celebrated my brother's HS graduation on Saturday. Such a busy weekend! It was truly a weekend filled with love, family & friends - three of my favorite things! I was very sad to leave.

I will post some shots of my belly soon. It's growing pretty rapidly these days! I can't even imagine what it will look like next month. This past month has been a growth spurt if I've ever seen one!

O'Grady Out.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies!!

I was just watching the unveiling of the new wimbledon center court and eating an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie from the batch I had just made, and BAM, I started to feel Lily moving like crazy in there! It was the first time I've really felt her moving! Amazing!! I'm not 100% sure that it was the cookies she liked. She also could have been signaling a strong interest in playing wimbledon one day. Either way it was crazy to feel her moving in there for 10 whole minutes! I'm glad that I have 24 cookies left....maybe I will eat them all at once and then see what she does...no, no I am trying to stay on the wagon here not fall off on my hiney which already has some generous padding these days.

I'm making another recipe tonight from my favorite foodie blog that my mom & I found. If I haven't already told you about it, it's www.fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com. This housewife created the blog and she has some really yummy recipes that both my mom & I make on a weekly basis. I am making her asian chicken tonight which we absolutely love. A few of our other faves are her Kung Pao Chicken, Carne Asada Marinade (for steak tacos), and Slow Roasted Basil, Garlic & Lemon Chicken. She has TONS of great recipes with great pics and easy to follow instructions. Check it out!

Thad played in the club doubles championship this weekend and he made it to the finals. I watched the final match today and unfortunately they lost 6-4 in the third. He played well but his partner was not very good (hopefully he never reads this blog...). I think next year he will crush the competition with a solid partner like me :) He is so tired and at the jacuzzi soaking his tired muscles. I wish I could have gone with him but I didn't want to cook little lily. She doesn't deserve that.

We're headed up North on Saturday for a quick family visit and to attend my good friend Cara's wedding! I'm really looking forward to it. To-do list for this week - find a dress that doesn't accentuate my growing waste line, preferably in a dark color in case I pee my pants again.. Wish me luck!!

LILY MAY is on her WAY!

SO EXCITED!!! We had our gender determination 2D/3D/4D ultrasound today at Picture an Angel in Lake Forest and found out we are having a GIRL!! While it's not truly 100%, the ultrasound showed a very definite "three lines" down there, which means a baby girl! They also call it the "hamburger" method because the three lines resemble a hamburger with the middle line being a little longer than the other two. If it were a boy, especially considering that Thad is hung like a horse, we would have seen a "hot dog" if you will, even this early in the game! There is no hiding that monster.

We've decided on Lily May O'Grady (middle name is also the month we were married in!). The last name was a tough decision. I was pushing for Nadal but we thought that may confuse little Lily down the line..."No, mommy was not sleeping with Rafa, sweetie..." and so on...so anyway, we settled with O'Grady. I'm okay with it I guess :)

The 3D/4D is amazing. She still looks a little skeleton-like with the lack of body fat and oversized head, but we were amazed at how much she has already developed. She was sucking her thumb a lot of the time and it looked like she was talking up a storm in there - moving her mouth constantly. At one point she gave us a tenacious Nadal fist pump..it was awesome! We will be doing at least 2 more 3D/4D ultrasounds down the line. Probably one in 10 weeks when I'm about 25 weeks, and another one towards the very end too. By then we should be able to see full facial features and everything! Yay!!

Here are some pics for you! I think if you click on the pics you can view them larger. One is 2D of the "girl parts", look for the three lines in between the two sets of arrows. The other is a 3D pic showing you our baby Lily! Enjoy!!