Pieces of the weekend

 We had such beautiful weather again this weekend that it was impossible to stay inside for too long.   We spent all weekend walking around our neighborhood, meeting up with friends and lunching and brunching en terrasse.  It's so nice to sit leisurely in the sun all day after a week of working in an office.  It's even nicer when we have nothing pressing to get done and we can spend our time doing what we like (which always includes eating good food).  And that's just what we did.  I hope you enjoyed yours as much as we enjoyed ours...

 

 

25 weeks

At 25 weeks, I'm nearing the end of my second trimester and my belly is finally getting the awkward attention it deserves...weird belly button and all.  It baffles me that I've been pregnant for nearly half a year now!  I've been lucky enough to avoid any major pregnancy ailments;  I've gotten a few leg cramps (but learned how to avoid them) and suffered a bout of really bad sinus congestion over the last couple of weeks, but feeling much more human these days.  So far, the most disruptive thing about pregnancy has been the emotional roller coaster I've been riding over the past month or so.  I've heard it gets worse for some people postpartum, but geesh, I don't know if I can even produce enough tears to last me through the rest of my pregnancy, much less afterwards!

Here are a couple of belly shots from this past week.  Bon week-end, everyone!

Knit Nesting

Since mid-January, I’ve barely put my knitting needles down. In a month, I whipped up three baby cardigans, two diaper covers, a sleep sack, one-quarter of a blanket and nearly half a dress. The best thing about knitting baby things is the almost-instant gratification it provides as compared to knitting adult things (the poor sweater I started for Guillaume in November 2010 is barely half-way done).

But, my ravelry queue hasn’t been the only target of my crazy nesting tendencies. I’m also finding it hard to restrain myself from buying every cute baby outfit I come across, and I think that’s rubbing off on my friends and family, too. We’ve already been gifted a couple of adorable outfits and I know my sister’s not wasting any time amassing a sizeable stockpile of girly things. Clothes just look so much cuter in a mini version that it’s hard to resist the temptation to stock-up when given the chance.

We’ve also been thinking about how we’ll arrange our current living space to accommodate the new family member. When we started trying for a baby, we hadn’t expected to be so successful so soon. So, when we discovered we were pregnant, although we were mentally prepared, we hadn’t really thought about how having a baby might put us in a bit of a squeeze in our Paris-sized one-bedroom place. Although neither of us is really keen on having an entire nursery for a newborn, anyway, our current lack of storage space is forcing us to look for creative ways to accommodate baby’s belongings before we seek larger quarters after she’s born. It might sound ridiculous, but thinking about how we’ll arrange this and that here and there has been enough to keep me up at night. Thankfully, I know I still have lots of time to prepare and that’s what I keep reminding myself when I’m staring at the ceiling making a checklist in my head at 4 am.
 

Bon week-end!

I'm taking it easy this weekend.  Knitting, baking and kicking my feet up.  It's been too long.  Happy weekend!

On being (and feeling) pregnant

The paper-thin emotions that come with pregnancy have finally snuck up on me.  I find myself crying in my car while listening to a not-so-touching NPR piece; I get a lump in my throat reading through poop stories from new moms; and even thinking about future plans for our little family after our daughter is born has me balling my eyes out on the couch.  I’ve always been a little on the emotional side, but now instead of being moved by profound thoughts on life and death or stories of tragedy, little pieces of life affect me in a way they never did before.

All that emotion spattered with a random moodswing here and there has made me a pretty unstable pregnant lady.  It's not easy, but I try to keep my moodiness in check when I can and take in a few breaths or just keep my mouth shut when I know I might be tempted to fly off the handle or say something I don't really mean.  Luckily, life is really good at the moment.  Aside from a few, mostly work-related stresses and some lack of sleep, things are going really well for me.  I'm half-way through my pregnancy, and so far, no major incidents.  I have an unusual, constant pain and some numbness around my ribcage, but it's not uncommon and nothing I haven't been able to ignore or somehow deal with.

I will say, though, that I don't love being pregnant.  I'm usually pushing my body to the limits when I can, so giving up my physical autonomy and not being able to pick up my own luggage or move furniture by myself has not been easy.  And, I miss beer and eating food without being scrutinized by everyone and their mom on whether or not it's "good for the baby."  It doesn't help that my friends decided to open up an awesome bar with my favorite Belgian beer on tap right when I found out I was expecting, either.

But, I know I'm lucky that things are going as well as they are and I'm grateful for that.  All the little bits that I don't like about pregnancy could hardly mask the anticipation and excitement I'm feeling about meeting my little girl.  I hear expecting moms say this all the time, but never did I think I could grow such an attachment to someone I haven't met yet.  Every little thump she makes inside my belly makes me fall more in love with her, and I can't wait to finally hold her and look at her and tell her in person how special she is to me and Gui.

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At 21 weeks!

Sun Day

Austin has not disappointed us in the weather department lately. Winters are as mild as I remember them, and aside from the random thunderstorm or two, we’ve been spoiled with sunshine and warmth for most of the season. But, weekends are the only time Gui and I have to spend together in the gorgeous daylight since the sun sets by the time we both get home during the week. So, we try to make the most of our weekend days together and usually start them as early at 7:00 am.

This past Saturday, we spent time with friends during the day and caught a Master Pancake screening of Back to the Future at Alamo Drafthouse in the evening. Gui’s been dying to see the show, and grabbed tickets as soon as they went on sale. It was fun to get out and laugh along with a room full of 80s kids at one of the most influential films of my adolescence. I couldn’t believe how many funny bits and how much product placement I totally missed after watching it dozens of times over the years!

On Sunday, we made some breakfast, caught up on news and made a quick stop at the hardware store before lunching en terrasse. I got a craving for frozen yogurt (I miss Pinkberry!) and soon discovered how delighted the little bean in my belly was when I indulged in some. She wouldn’t stop bouncing around after every bite. She’s been so active lately that Gui’s been able to feel her elbowing around in my stomach, too – mostly in the evening, but every so-often she’ll get going after a good meal.

And, my belly is starting to show now, so I’m starting to get the double-takes from strangers who see me and wonder what to say. I haven’t really changed much about the way I dress, though and I’m lucky that I can still fit in most of my pre-pregnancy tops (although my bottoms called it quits many weeks ago). Having a friend my size who’s 4 months ahead of my due date has been such a blessing. Between her and my sister, maternity hand-me-downs have saved me from having to step foot in a maternity store.

Here are a few belly shots (not the kind that get you drunk) plus a bonus photo: