Wow Christmas is over and the new year is 3 days away! I can't believe how fast the year has gone by. Well...I say that now, but when I was pregnant the year went by slower than ever. At the same time, it was a fun, celebratory year what with all the weddings, showers, birthdays, and engagement parties we went to and/or hosted. I'm going to use this post to reflect on 2006 because it truly was a wonderful year.

I remember the first week of January when Chris and I sat down together to talk about some goals we had for 2006. Chris had goals for himself as an attorney, we talked about improvements we wanted to make to the house, I had goals for my career as a therapist, and we decided to start trying to get pregnant.

February rolled around and we took an amazing weekend wine-tasting trip to Paso Robles. We also celebrated Chris's birthday at the Saddle Ranch Chop House which was fun. That was the last time I had anything to drink.

On March 6, I found out I was pregnant. That was a really exciting yet scary day and I remember calling Chris with the good news. He was so calm and this aspect of his nature kept me somewhat sane throughout my pregnancy. We also realized that we had to go on our honeymoon soon because I wouldn't be in any mood or condition to travel within a few months. So, we started planning a trip to Spain.

In April, my close friends Deep and Anna got engaged which was really neat. They met through me at my graduation party in 2004. They went on one date that year and then didn't see each other again until my wedding in 2005 where they rekindled their romance. They continued dating after that and got engaged in April. The sweetest thing was that I was the first one they called right after Deep proposed to Anna. I was so touched and I cried on the phone when they called me. They set their wedding date for August 2006 and the planning began right away! I volunteered to throw her bachelorette party and started planning for that.

May was a very busy and exciting month for us. Chris and I FINALLY went on our honeymoon to Spain. It was an amazing two week trip. The only bummer was that I didn't get to taste authentic sangria because I was pregnant. Other than that, it was a wonderful, breathtaking trip I'll never forget. Three days after we got back from our trip, my brother's wedding celebrations began. He got married on May 28. It was a wonderful, sentimental day that I'll never forget.

June was a fun month because we went to a friend's wedding in New Jersey. I had never been to New Jersey so that was interesting. The wedding was amazing and Chris and I had a great time. On the way home, on June 11, I felt Naveen move for the very first time. That was an awesome and weird experience! The weekend after we came back from that wedding, we went to a reception at the St. Regis in Dana Point for the same couple. The hotel was awesome and beautiful. On June 28, Chris and I found out through an ultrasound that we were having a boy :)

July was a fun, mellow month. I threw a dinner party for some friends which was really nice. I also went to Anna's bridal shower which was exciting. Anna is an amazing friend and has done so much for me. As a gift to her, I took all the pictures and created a scrapbook for her of the whole event that I gave to her at her bachelorette party. At the end of July I went to my friend Cheryl's wedding and that same night we also attended an engagement party for another friend.

August was another busy month and for the first time during my pregnancy, I actually began feeling tired, big, and bloated. The third trimester set in and I really felt it! But, I did my best to continue having fun and living life because there were so many fun things coming up! I threw Anna's bachelorette party with a western theme since she moved to Texas. That was a fun but sad night filled with a lot of good memories. Chris and I celebrated our 1 year anniversary (YAY!!!) by having a couples massage. That was relaxing and we had a wonderful day together. A couple of weeks later we went to Deep and Anna's wedding in Texas. We had a good time there and were happy to celebrate with them.

September was the month of 3 baby showers and a wedding. We went to a wedding on Labor Day weekend which was really fun but tiring for me. And on every Sunday in September after that, Chris and I attended baby showers that people threw for us. We got so many gifts, ate a lot of good food, and had so much fun celebrating the special occasion with everyone.

So we come to October...I spent the first couple of weeks working really hard because my last day of work was October 12 and my maternity leave started October 13th. I spent the month adjusting to being at home everyday for the first time in my life. I've worked since I was 12 years old and have NEVER just stayed at home. I found it to be fun and relaxing, but I also got bored sometimes. Plus I was waiting for Naveen's arrival which got to be frustrating. The fun day this month was my birthday for a few reasons. Chris did something for me everyday for a week before my birthday. It was very sweet and cute. The actual day of my birthday was the same day as Chris's friend Tony's Halloween party. Chris and I dressed up and went to the party where I also celebrated my birthday. That was an interesting night because I was huge and ready for Naveen to get out! As you can see in the picture, my costume was "a bun in the oven" and Chris's was "the bun maker."

November...well you all know what happened in November because I started the blog. The most momentous day of November? Hands down, definitely November 22...the day Naveen entered the world as our son. What a wonderful day that was and what an awesome Thanksgiving we celebrated.

And of course, December. Naveen's first Christmas and New Year's Eve. That's a picture of all of us in our Christmas pajamas on Christmas morning.

It's been an outstanding year and I can't imagine what 2007 is going to bring. What I know is that I'm really excited about it because it will be filled with joyful moments with my new family (Chris and Naveen), more great moments with family and friends, and if possible, even more happiness than we experienced this year. I can't wait!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE! I'm sick today so this post isn't going to be very long. I have a slight cold and a little bit of a sore throat that are fighting to become full blown but I'm not going to let them! I was so horribly sick last year during the holidays that we had to cancel our honeymoon and didn't celebrate Christmas. There is NO WAY I'm going to let that happen this year, especially because it's Naveen's first Christmas.

It's been a long time since I've blogged. What I'm discovering is that now that Naveen is here, I can plan my day all I want, but it's not going to go the way I want because what I get done depends on him. If he takes his naps on time, I get a lot done. If he's in a playful mood, I don't get a lot done (but I end up having so much fun b/c he is very interactive and smiles and coos a lot). Now I've learned to adjust and be flexible so the days go pretty smooth.

I'm very excited about Christmas this year because Naveen is here. I got a personalized stocking for Naveen and I put new pacifiers in it for him :) We also got him Christmas presents to open on Christmas Day. I know...he's only a month old but it's way too much fun and so exciting to have him here for Christmas. And everyone is coming to our house on Christmas Day this year to open presents and have Christmas dinner. It's going to be really fun and I can't wait!

If I don't blog before then, we wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year!! We feel very blessed to have so many wonderful friends and family and wish the best for you all.

Wow...time flies. I can't believe it's been a week since I've blogged. It's been a busy week! My sister-in-law Chrystal came in last Tuesday and left today. She flew here from Connecticut to help us out with the baby. It was so nice having her here and she was a huge help. She was also fun to have around as company and I miss her a lot. I cried today when we dropped her off at the airport. Hopefully her and her husband will come back to visit us next July. Chris's other sister Cleta also visited us over the weekend. It was so nice to have family over this weekend, especially because the holidays are near. We put up the Christmas tree which was fun.

So...after complaining so much about the annoying parts of pregnancy, I have to write about a few positive things that I miss: 1) Being warm. Now that it's cold outside, I need the body heat and I don't have it!; 2) No headaches. I get migraine-type headaches monthly that last about a week. During pregnancy, I had NONE. This past...welcome back headaches!; 3) Strong nails. My manicurist told me today that my nails are dry and brittle. THANKS...I KNOW! I know it's going to take a while for my body to adjust back and get some hormonal balance, but I'm really glad I'm not pregnant anymore. I can shave and put lotion on my legs, bend down, drive, and get off my couch by myself. Guess what else I can do!? Drink alcohol and caffeine!! WOO HOO!! I had a glass of wine over the weekend and I'm back to having my morning cup of coffee. I had my first taste of Dr. Pepper today after 11 months..WHAT A TREAT!! I'm also excited because Chris and I are going to a Christmas party on Friday night and I can actually have a drink instead of standing around watching everyone else drink and dance, like I did at the 5 weddings I went to this year. I also bought myself a new pair of sexy, red high heels to wear to the party. I haven't worn heels in months! It's the little things in life, isn't it?

Naveen update: He gets cuter everyday. He's smiling more and is getting stronger everyday. He actually grips our fingers with his hands and his kick has got some serious strength. He kicked my still sore abdomen today...WOW. It was not pleasant.

Naveen had his first bath last Wednesday and his second bath today. Poor thing gets cold during them and I race to get them over with so I can get him warm again. I'm trying to perfect the bathing routine so it's quick but it's hard because his cute little neck is still floopy and I have to focus on lifting him so his neck doesn't flop around while also trying to get him nice and clean. And he's so good about the whole thing...he never cries during the baths. It's so cute. He's such a good baby. I don't know how I got so lucky...he sleeps through the night (or wakes up only once), doesn't cry during baths, and only cries for 3 things: food, dirty diaper, or needs sleep. He's spoiling me.

We took our holiday card picture over the weekend so look for the card in your mailbox soon! And as always...you can check out new pictures at www.naveendsa.com.

So today is my and Naveen's first day alone together because Chris went back to work today. Naveen and I really miss him. The good thing is that we've established somewhat of a routine. The best part of it entails dancing with Ellen Degeneres at 4pm. Naveen naps from about 3-4pm and then it's feeding time. Right after we dance with Ellen at 4pm, we sit down and I feed him his bottle. It's pretty fun. After eating he's in a good mood and we play. He falls asleep around 6pm and then wakes up at 7pm because it's his feeding time again. We had a doctor's appointment yesterday and it turns out Naveen lost 8oz. That's not good and apparently it's because Chris and I were not feeding him often enough. We didn't want him to eat too much because he tends to spit up if he gets too full, which is really scary because he gags. The doctor understood our concerns but said he needs to gain the weight back by next week. So we are feeding him more and more often. This whole feeding thing is a huge challenge, whether you go with breastfeeding, formula, or a combination like we're doing. I've never worried about something or someone so much in my life. For the most part though, I guess you could say things are going pretty well. I'm going to have the hardest time going back to work...I don't even want to think about it.

Naveen's Christmas stocking came today. I ordered it from Pottery Barn Kids and had it personalized with his name. It's totally cute. It's a big quilted stocking with a choo choo train on it. Chris and I are slowly getting the house ready for Christmas because my family is coming over to our house this year. I'm really excited for it because Naveen is here and it's going to be his first Christmas. We're going to take tons of pictures!

That's about it for today...

It's been a few days since I've posted because we've been so busy. Naveen is back to his normal temperament. He eats, sleeps, plays...it's great. Chris and I have actually had time to get some housework done and get a little organized. We're still busy ALL the time and haven't had much time to rest, but at least our house no longer looks like a tornado hit it. Today was the smoothest day we've had since our little rascal was born.

If it's possible, Chris and I fall in love with Naveen more everyday. Today, he's been giving us smiles without trying. They come spontaneously so we spent today watching him and hoping to catch a smile. It's so adorable! He also sighs every now and then which is totally cute. I know every parent says this about their baby and I totally understand the feeling now, but our Naveen is the cutest baby! Pictures are updated everyday at www.naveendsa.com.

So I never talked about the "battle wounds" of having a C-section. Here are some of the things that happened to me in the aftermath:
1. I had adhesive residue all over my back, my arms, and my abdomen. This is because of all the taping they due when they insert various things including the IV, the epidural, injections, blood draws, etc. You get the idea. To top it off I discovered I am allergic to the tape. It makes my skin redder than normal, according to the nurses. I think all of that adhesive is finally gone today.
2. My abdomen hurt for about 12 days. It feels like I did 1000 full sit-ups in one session after not working out for a year. Talk about pain. It hurt to laugh, sneeze, take deep breaths, even turn over when sleeping. Today is the first day I'm pain free and it feels great. I'm actually starting to get back into my normal clothes again and I feel stylish! I got my eyebrows and upper lip waxed today too. What a treat.
3. Ahhh yes, the incision. The actual incision doesn't hurt anymore. It actually hasn't hurt since a couple of days after the surgery. However, I will have a scar that I'm not happy about but have to live with. Unfortunately, my incision was longer than usual because Naveen was so big, they couldn't get him out giving me a normal incision size. Oh well. It's so worth it when I compare the costs to the reward :)
4. I had constant pressure on the area below my bladder when I stood up. Taking a shower was hard, standing up was hard, and even getting up was difficult. That's all gone now, thankfully.

So that's the story on my C-section. If we have any more children, I'll have to have a scheduled C-section, no more natural births for me. Turns out that in most cases, once you have a C-section, you don't have a natural birth ever. I know one person that did, but everyone else I know continued to have C-sections. I really don't mind. I like predictability and the way I see it, at least I'll know when the next one is coming! Did I say next one? Shoot...I swore to myself last week I never wanted to be pregnant again...

I ate lunch today!! WOW! The last 3 days (Tues, Wed, Thurs) were HORRIFIC and I forgot to eat every meal except breakfast. Naveen had his first doctor's appointment on Tuesday. The doctor says he's very healthy and looks great. However, Chris and I got scolded by the doctor for giving him formula and breast milk. He got started on formula in the hospital because he had jaundice and had to poop a lot to get rid of the bilirubin, which is a byproduct of red blood cells trying to get rid of stuff (stuff being my blood). We found out in the hospital that my blood type is different than Naveen's and apparently this causes jaundice. After babies are born, their bodies try to get rid of the mother's blood and if the baby can't do it fast enough, they get jaundice because the bilirubin builds up. Anyway, he's fine. BUT, the doctor told me that I had to wean him off the formula and get him strictly on breast milk. So I promptly started to only breastfeed on Tuesday. He got it, but all day Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday he was screaming and crying. NOTHING would soothe him and I spent all of those days crying and feeling depressed because I didn't know what to do. He wouldn't even sleep! On Thursday he was up for 12 hours straight. It was pure insanity. It was the most frustrating thing I have ever experienced because nothing calmed him. I eventually called the doctor on Thursday about a rash he has on his chest and she told me to do an experiment today. Basically I breastfed him and then gave him a bottle of formula and she wanted me to note the reaction. UMMMM...ever since he had the bottle of formula, he's been the happiest, calmest baby. He has slept today like a normal newborn; he's playing and enjoying himself. It's been great. I'm still going to supplement with breast milk, but I think we're going to feed him formula because it satiates him better. I think those 3 days when he was crying he was not full and was hungry all the time. Poor guy...I feel so bad for him. Thankfully today's been a much better day.

My recovery is going great. I feel good and am sleeping at night like a normal person!! I can move from side to side, get out of bed fast, and sit on the couch normally. It's a great feeling. I don't even care that I have to get up in the middle of the night to feed/change Naveen because I appreciate that I don't feel like a beached whale all the time. I went out yesterday to pick up some things from Target that we needed and I also went and got a manicure and pedicure so I could feel like a human being again instead of a breastfeeding machine. Chris watched Naveen which was so nice. I should mention that on Wednesday night Chris and I went out for dinner, thanks to my mom and dad. They watched him for us so we could have some couple time. It's so important to do that because you have to keep your relationship strong so you can support each other through the first few weeks. Plus Chris and I just really missed each other's company and friendship. We had a good time. We were tired while we ate, but we had adult conversation and some good Thai food. We're going to go out together again on Sunday because my parents have agreed to watch Naveen every Sunday so Chris and I can have some alone time. Plus they are excited to spend time with him too.

So, life has totally changed for us in a good way. I love Naveen so much I can't believe it, and if it's possible I love him more everyday. I can't wait until he starts talking and getting even more interactive. It's going to be so fun!

Hello all!!

Well he's FINALLY here!! After 31 hours of labor and an eventual C-section, Naveen Christopher was born on Wednesday, November 22, 2006 at 3:30am. He weighs 9lbs 13oz and is 22 inches long. He's a very happy baby and doesn't fuss. He's so calm! Right after the doctor pulled him out, he was alert and wasn't crying. I didn't hear him and I had to ask Chris during the surgery if the baby was alive and ok. The nurses eventually made him cry by spanking his bottom a couple of times. You can see all of the pictures at his website: www.naveendsa.com. Chris updates the website everyday with new pictures.

I'm home and recovering pretty well from the C-section. I don't even have time to focus on recovery because taking care of the new little one keeps me totally occupied. Thankfully Chris got 2 weeks off from work after the delivery so between the two of us we are taking turns feeding, burping, changing diapers, and putting the little guy to sleep. He's definitely got a personality and already holds his head up a little bit on his own. We are totally in love with him and are enjoying him. He's not fussy and doesn't cry unless he needs something, like food, diaper change, or sleep. I have to say, breastfeeding has been the BIGGEST challenge of motherhood thus far. It's frustrating and it's already made me cry because it's so hard to get the baby to latch on! The baby gets frustrated and cries because he has to try hard to get the milk out instead of just getting it so easily from the bottle. It's a training process for both of us and it's going to take time. I hope I can last through it and stay committed. It's the best thing for him and a wonderful bonding experience, but it's so hard!

The most fun we have with Naveen is watching his facial expressions. He loves to look around at his surroundings and when you talk to him, he totally stares at you like he's listening! The nurses at the hospital were totally smitten with him because he was so wide-eyed right after birth.

I'm off to shower since Naveen is sleeping. I'll keep posting during my breaks!

I'm in the hospital!! My doc decided to induce labor today because I dilated 1cm on my own. We got here at 7:30pm and the induction started at 8:30pm. I'm sitting here in the room with Chris and we are watching CSI:Miami. I'm waiting for the contractions to get stronger and the dilation to increase. I'm not looking forward to the pain, but I guess whatever gets me closer to having the baby is good :) I think they are going to give me my epidural at 11pm before the anesthesiologist leaves for the night. Hopefully I'll just fall asleep for a while until the contractions get stronger and longer. I'm lucky to be able to update the blog, turns out the labor rooms have wireless internet access. Chris found that out on accident when he turned on his laptop to watch a movie. I don't know if I'll be able to update again until after I have the baby, but for now, this is the update! I guess the other thing to mention is that I'm scared, nervous, excited, happy, and sad all at once. I realize that my life with Chris is going to be changed forever. Honestly, I know it's going to be amazing, but realistically I feel a little loss too, because it won't be just us anymore. It's scary too, because you don't want your relationship and closeness to change. I don't think it will, but until you go through it you just don't know. Maybe that's being too brutally honest, but it's true. On the same note, I'm so happy about that because we are bringing something that's a part of both of us into the world which is so amazing. We can't wait to meet the little guy...FINALLY!! And we get to spend Thanksgiving with him...YAY!!! Hopefully we'll be home by then. So needless to say there are a lot of emotions spinning through me right now. I keep imagining the image of me and Chris finally leaving the hospital holding our new baby boy.

So, if you're reading this post, please know that we'll call as soon as the little bundle arrives. Hopefully by then we'll have picked his name too :)

So there's no baby yet. But I thought since I have the time right now (and can still think and remember), I'll include my list of top ten items that helped me through my pregnancy. Hopefully these will help other pregnant women out there too!

First, I highly recommend a body pillow. I bought one when I was about 6 months pregnant and I wish I would have bought it earlier. It's recommended that you always sleep on your left side and when you start showing and have to swing that belly over from side to side at night, it's nice to have the cushion of the body pillow to rest it on. Plus it keeps your body aligned. I bought mind from Bed, Bath & Beyond for $20 plus the microfiber suede cover for it. It's been worth every penny.

Second item that I recommend beyond any other item in this list is the NAP pillow from Brookstone. It's filled with something (they don't say what) that is patented, and molds to you. However, it's not squishy and when you lean on it, it gets hard enough to support you in whatever position you are in while molding to your position too. Starting at 6 months, I began experiencing excruciating back pain on my right side that would last all day, everyday. It was so bad I had to go to the ER one day. They couldn't figure out what it was so I went to my ob/gyn the next day. He thought it might kidney stones or gall stones so I had ultrasounds done to rule that out. Those turned out negative and my ob/gyn said it's most likely the way the baby was sitting that was pulling a muscle only on that side. I was miserable and had to go to a wedding in Texas that same week that the pain started and almost canceled my trip because I knew I couldn't sit on a plane for 2 hours without experiencing the horrible pain. Enter the pillow. I discovered it the night before my trip because my parents had it. I rested my back against it and voila! No more pain, literally. I took that pillow on my trip and when I got back gave it back to my parents because my mom got me one as a gift. WHAT A RELIEF, TRULY. I have carried it with my EVERYWHERE and it has really eased my back pain for the last 4 months.

Next item: pregnancy belt. I bought it at Motherhood Maternity and it really helped support the belly weight as I got bigger.

Fourth item: Dreyer's Slow Churned Ice Cream, No Sugar Added. I am not a big fan of diet foods, but I had mad cravings for ice cream everyday. My friend told me about this ice cream and said it was really good and satisfied her cravings for ice cream when she was pregnant. I tried it and loved it. It helped control my weight and probably saved me from getting gestational diabetes.

Fifth and sixth items: The books, "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and "My Girlfriend's Guide to Pregnancy." The first one I borrowed from a friend and the second I received as a gift from a friend. Both of those books helped normalize all of the weird body changes that happened during pregnancy. They also helped me understand what labor is, the stages of labor, what to pack in my hospital bag, what to buy for the nursery, and a whole bunch of other things that I never even thought of. "My Girlfriend's Guide" was also hilarious and laid things out for me so realistically.

Number seven: Ole Henriksen Muscle Comfort Lotion. I mentioned this item in a previous blog but wanted to make sure to add it to the list.

Eighth item: Rachael Ray and her 30-minute meals. On days when I was too tired to make anything elaborate or to even go out and get something, I made a 30-minute meal. Healthy, delicious, and quick.

Ninth item: This is something you have to work on throughout your pregnancy and assemble at the end. It's a scrapbook chronicling your pregnancy from beginning to end. This was not my idea, it was my mom's. At the beginning of my pregnancy she gave me a scrapbook and stickers to put in it. Throughout the last 9 months I took pictures at all the different stages and just finished putting the book together last week. I am SO GLAD I did it, because I will never be able to capture those moments again. I even saved cards to put in it, like when my brother and sister-in-law sent me flowers at work congratulating us on the pregnancy. I saved the card that came with the flowers and put it in the book. I look at it now and can't believe how much has happened since I got pregnant!

Last item, as a group: Husband, family and friends. I could NEVER have gotten through all of this without Chris, my family, and my friends. The physical changes and emotional ups and downs would have been so difficult without all of the support. I can't even imagine having to worry about all the other stuff, like furniture shopping, assembling things, cooking, cleaning, and everything else you can't do by yourself once your belly shows up. I'm so lucky to be surrounded by so many supportive people. And I thank God everyday for bringing Chris into my life. Through these last 9 months, he really catered to my every whim and did everything he could to make me happy and comfortable. He's going to be an amazing father, in addition to already being the amazing husband and best friend he is to me.

So, now let's pray the next post I write is about me being home on the first day with the baby!!

So it's been a couple of days since I updated. I've been busy cooking, running errands, and cleaning up the house.

I'm very, very excited that Emmitt Smith won "Dancing with the Stars." Right before the results show started, Chris read a Yahoo! headline telling me Emmitt won because he knew I wanted him to win. What he didn't realize was that I purposely didn't read headlines on Wednesday because I wanted to be surprised as to who won, Emmitt or Mario. Oh well...I enjoyed the show anyway and can't wait for the next season. I forgave Chris because although I wasn't surprised about the results, I thought it was cute that he knew who I was hoping would win. He's a good husband that way :) I love you honey!

So I'm thinking of going to the live "Dancing with the Stars" show in December, but I feel guilty about leaving the baby because he'll only be about a month old. Should I feel guilty? Leave a comment here or email me. I'm on the fence about this one.

I spent Thursday cleaning up the nursery and cooking some dishes. I made some okra (bhindi masala) to freeze. For dinner I made an amazingly good and easy recipe from the show "Everyday Italian." It's called creamy farfalle with mushrooms, asparagus, and walnuts. It only took me 20 minutes to make and you can click on the link right above for the recipe. I also made a really good pomegranate/herb salad with pomegranate dressing that I got from my Rachael Ray magazine. We had a nice dinner that night!

Friday was a really fun day. I ordered some decorative items for the nursery (a to z bookends, a my first year frame where you take pictures of the baby every month and put them in the same frame) and then I went with our neighbors and their two kids, 4 and 2, to see "Happy Feet." It was a really cute movie and actually has a message about saving our planet. The dancing penguins are ADORABLE and adults and kids in the theater, including me, were dancing in their seats because the music from the movie was so good. We had a great time and it was a fun afternoon. In the evening Chris and I ordered pizza and watched "Firewall" with Harrison Ford. It was ok, don't expect a lot. There are also some loose ends, but it was entertaining as a DVD to watch at home.

No baby yet, obviously. However, my contractions are getting stronger. Hopefully that's causing some dilation to occur. C'mon baby, get out here! People are waiting to see you, including your parents!

As you can see I've put some pictures here of the nursery. I'ts best to click on the pictures because it will make them larger and easier to look at. I had to shrink them a little to put them on the blog. Hopefully it gives a good idea to you all of what it looks like. I'm happy with it...now I just need a baby to occupy it!

Today was a good day! My mom came over and she helped me assemble the stroller, swing, and bouncer. She also helped me take everything out of the packages, wash things, arrange things in the cabinets, etc. I am so grateful to her and feel so lucky to have her in my life. Without her I wouldn't have gotten so much accomplished today. Everything is pretty much done, I just have a few things here and there I need to buy to complete the room. Now that everything is arranged I know what practical stuff is missing, like extension cords, bulbs, batteries, etc. The room looks really cute and hopefully tomorrow I can post some pictures of what it looks like.

Other than that, everything is the same. I know it's so lame, but I'm glad I wasn't induced yesterday because I got to watch "Dancing with the Stars." It was so good and I REALLY hope Emmitt Smith wins. I'm a die hard Dallas Cowboys fan, but that's not the only reason I want him to win. Unlike Mario who I pretty much knew would do well because he's young and agile, I think Emmitt deserves to win because he actually had to work hard and perfect his moves to get to the finals. Plus he remained so humble throughout the competition, stayed focused, and really cared about the competition. He didn't have any scandals surrounding him or any off-screen romance like Mario supposedly did. Kudos to Emmitt for being a classy, talented individual...you rock baby!! I voted for you every week and hope you win!

Today was my doctor's appointment! I am not dilated and the doctor does not feel I need to be induced because due dates are usually off, meaning you can deliver two weeks after the estimated due date and still be ok. So per the doc, I really have until November 26th to deliver. I'll keep blogging until then and hopefully this little guy will decide to enter the world on his own. When I go into labor, we will call everyone, so don't worry. I have given Chris an extensive phone list with everyone's phone numbers so he can make the calls :) In the meantime, we are going on with our lives as usual: hanging out with friends, going to the movies, and enjoying things we'll have to put off once the baby gets here.

One piece of good news today: the furniture is here!! I can actually put everything in our living room away, clean up the nursery and get ready. That is such a huge relief to me I can't even explain it! The bad news is that the crib came completely unassembled and Chris is home today trying to put it together. The furniture is really nice though and I can't wait to have everything put away...I'm so excited!

I'm off to organize and decorate!

Today's the due date and no baby today. Not that I was expecting it to happen magically today. What are the odds of that happening?! Although my next door neighbor has two kids and they were both born on their due dates!

Anyway, it was a pretty busy day. Went to my parents' house and visited with my mom's best friend who is visiting from India. We had lunch there. Then we came home and went to our next door neighbor's son's 4th birthday party. It was fun and nice to be able to just walk home when I was tired :) After that I watched, "The Producers" on DVD. It wasn't as good as I thought it was going to be and I actually found myself a little bored at some point in the middle.

That's about it. I'm tired and am going to relax and watch my Sunday night shows, "Desperate Housewives." To my friends who called today, I'll call you tomorrow. I'm just tired today and am praying that on Tuesday my doctor induces labor. I can't take the back pain anymore and it's gotten so bad now that I can't even sleep on my right side because that whole side gets so numb and then starts throbbing. If he is not sure, I'm going to turn on my convincing charms :) The only drawback to inducing labor that day is that I'll miss my favorite show, "Dancing with the Stars." I really have wanted Emmitt Smith to win and now he's in the finals! I can't miss it. I'll have to have someone record it for me.

It's Friday morning, doctor's appointment day. Everyone pray that I get some good news, either that I've started dilating or that they are going to induce. The back pain is getting really bad and I have had a pinched nerve near my rib cage for 4 months...time for some relief, seriously. Induction is sounding better and better everyday. UPDATE: My next appointment is Tuesday and it's very possible I will be induced that day.

Yesterday was a bad day for me. I was pretty depressed and I've realized something: the more people ask if the baby is here yet, the more depressed I get because I hear myself repeating that he's not here yet, the my back hurts, my rib cage hurts, I don't sleep at night, and that it feels like there is no end in sight. It's like a broken record that plays in my mind all day long. I tried to combat the depression by going to the mall. It kind of worked: I ended up buying 2 new pairs of shoes and two really cute sweatsuits from bebe Sport. They were on sale and so were the shoes. I also took myself for a last pregnancy massage. It was really nice and relaxing and I actually fell asleep for a little while. In the evening Chris and I watched, "The Da Vinci Code." It was really good! I started the book and never finished it. Now I'm going to try and finish it because the book is always more detailed than the movie. Plus I'm sure they will make the sequel, "Angels and Demons", and I want to see that too.

Furniture update! We just called and apparently it's at the dock here in California and there is a possibility it's going to be delivered today! Say another prayer...although the GREATEST irony would be that it's finally delivered today when I can finally set things up, and the doctor will decide he's going to admit me today for the baby delivery. Part of me wants to set up the furniture, and part of me wants this baby out! I should know by about noon exactly happens how this day is going to play out. UPDATE: After numerous phone calls to the shipping company, it looks like the furniture is scheduled for delivery on Tuesday at 8am. I'm extremely disappointed and will FREAK OUT on these people if they don't deliver it on time because I have a doctor's appointment that day and may be going to the hospital from that appointment. That leaves me no time to get the room ready...I'm very angry about that and Costco will be refunding us money for the hardship and delayed delivery. Note to everyone: don't ever use a shipping company called Bekins/Home Direct. They have poor customer service and don't deliver on time. I also say don't bother ordering furniture from Costco because they couldn't do ANYTHING to expedite the order even though they said they would.

Chris is off today so he's going to set up the bassinet and hang up mini-blinds in the nursery. He's getting more excited about the baby coming since it's right around the corner. It's cute :) He's going to be an awesome dad. I can just see him playing computer games with the baby in his lap or teaching him how to use the computer. Too cute.

I guess that's it for now. If there are any updates, they'll be posted here!

I started the morning off today with a special treat for myself: a decaf Pumpkin Spice Latte and a pumpkin cream cheese muffin from Starbucks. YUM! Then I relaxed and watched a lot of post-election coverage which I enjoyed because the Dems have taken over the House. WOO HOO!! Now Bush has to be more accountable.

The other breaking news I'm SO EXCITED about: Brit and K-Fed are broken up! FINALLY...what the hell took so long! Yes, I listen to bubble gum pop...it's a guilty pleasure. I think Britney's life went down the toilet after she married this guy. Now she's back and I have a feeling this divorce is going to do great things for her career. Let's see...

OK...so the movie preview last night was TERRIBLE. The story's premise is interesting: the story of the man who killed Jesse James. Sounds interesting right? It is, except the way the movie moved (over 2.5 hours BTW) was so SLOW!! The dialogue was slow, there were a lot of unnecessary scenes, and it wasn't really action-filled like I thought it was going to be. There has to be some major editing done before this movie is worth going to; and even then, I say wait for the DVD. Unless you like Westerns, but even then, it wasn't that good. I'll tell you what was good: the sets, the costumes, and the acting by Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, and Sam Rockwell.

The other annoying part had nothing to do with the movie. I'm not sure if it's me being pregnant, but the littlest things get on my nerves these days. Yesterday during the preview, these women sitting behind us were eating sunflower seeds and all I kept hearing was the hulls popping. Then we heard plastic bags opening, Capri Sun juice pouches crunching, and to top it off...I smelled Wet Naps that they were using to wipe their hands! What the hell dude?! They had a full on meal back there. And they were opening more food right when the movie was about to end. What I can't tell is: Was it annoying because I'm pregnant and have no tolerance right now; or was it that the movie was boring so my mind was focusing on something else?; or was it truly annoying? Feel free to leave me comments on this issue :)

On a less complain-y note, I'd like to tout the effectiveness of a product that my sister-in-law Carrol sent me for my birthday. It's Ole Henriksen's Muscle Comfort Lotion. WOW do I love this stuff. I put it on my back in the morning after my shower and in the evening before bed and it soothes and relaxes my back, really. It has peppermint in it and it feels tingly and cool about 2 minutes after I put it on. My back feels really good and mind you, I don't believe in stuff like this very often. Thank you Carrol!! This is a wonderful treat you sent me.

And as you probably guessed...no baby yet!

I think our furniture is finally going to be here on Thursday or Friday! After making dozens of phone calls to Costco and the trucking company they're using, I think we made some headway in expediting the delivery. Everyone pray for me!! It would be nice to set up the room this weekend.

We're going to a movie preview tonight for a movie called, "The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford." Brad Pitt, Casey Affleck, and some other well-known actors are in it. We have to wait in line and hope we get passes because it's free. I hope I can stand the wait, I'm worried I'll get tired pretty quick. I'm going to take my favorite therapeutic back pillow and will hopefully find a place to sit. No baby yet!

Here's a tip for new parents: order your baby furniture about 3 months before your due date. We waited to order ours because some books we read said you won't need it right away because the baby won't sleep in the crib and you'll do a lot of diaper changing on the sink or the bassinet changing table. However, that was a bad decision for 2 reasons: 1) Now I don't have any place to put away all the clothes, blankets, toys, changing pads, etc. so everything is sitting in my living room (and I'm afraid that when the baby is here in a week, I won't have time to set up the room); and 2) We didn't realize is that furniture is ALWAYS delivered late. We were told our furniture would be here in 4-6 weeks and we thought, even if it arrives in 6 weeks, it will still be here before the baby gets here. WRONG! It's now been 7 weeks since we ordered the furniture and it's not here yet. I've spent the morning making a lot of phone calls to find out the status. Moral of the story: don't wait to order the furniture. You may not use it right away, but chances are you'll have at least one baby shower and you'll get lots of stuff that you need to put away. Plus, you want to have time to set up the nursery so you're not scrambling to do it when the baby gets home.

I spent the day doing a lot of housework and organizing things. It was a sort of burst of energy which was nice because I don't have those too often. I also watched one of my new favorite shows, "Heroes." I keep thinking how in a week or less my life is going to be so different. I also want to the doctor to induce labor because my back pain is getting more and more annoying everyday! I do think I'm close to delivering because my contractions are getting stronger and are happening more frequently. I used to only get them at night for a couple of minutes, but now I get them during the day once or twice, they're just not regular. Come on baby, get here!

What a weekend! I'm exhausted because I pushed myself to be really active, hoping to induce labor! I've been doing my exercises and walking...A LOT. On Saturday Chris and I went to Home Depot and got mini blinds for the nursery windows and some other windows in the house. We also got some decorate pots for some plants outside. That night we took my mom out to celebrate her birthday. She wanted to see the movie, "The Queen", so me, Chris, my mom, and dad all went to see the movie and then went out for dinner at Macaroni Grill. The movie was REALLY GOOD! I highly recommend it for a few reasons: the acting is amazing, the story is interesting, and the dialogue is well written. Dinner was good and for dessert I splurged and had a slice of New York cheesecake. YUM!!

Today I went to the temple with my parents and grandma. It's been a long time since I've gone and I have a lot to be thankful for. It felt really good and I feel rejuvenated. Funny how a simple trip like that can make you feel so good. After that I came home, totally exhausted. I veg'd out and watched a few episodes of "Law and Order" and took a nap. Then Chris and I went for a walk which totally wore me out. I'm exhausted and am sure will start my week tomorrow by sleeping in and taking it easy. Hopefully the baby furniture will arrive on Tuesday so I can get the baby's room ready. I'm really anxious to do that and if it doesn't get here soon, the distributor is going to deal with a really mad pregnant woman!

It's Friday! I had my weekly appointment yesterday and was shocked to learn from the doctor that he was thinking of inducing labor yesterday! He decided not to because he said I'm not dilated at all. I guess the baby is very comfortable in my womb and the doctor is predicting that he won't be born until after November 12. I guess I'll have to last a few more days with this little guy in my belly :) In the meantime, I found exercises online that will help me get ready for labor, so I'm doing those everyday, in addition to walking. I've included the link on my blog to the exercises in case any pregnant women are reading this and want some ideas to get ready for labor.

Today's plan: I'm getting a low-maintenance haircut so I don't have to worry about fiddling with my hair after the baby arrives. I'm excited about the haircut because I always get a great neck and scalp massage as part of the haircut. Then I'm off to look for mini-blinds and curtains for the nursery. It's also my mom's birthday so we might be taking her out tonight to celebrate.

TGIF!

It's my first blog! I decided to create this blog for a few reasons: 1) I have a lot of time on my hands because I'm on maternity leave; 2) I figured it would be a great way to chronicle being a new mom and share moments (good and bad) with my friends and family; 3) Hopefully it will help other new moms to read it and see we are going through similar joys and struggles.

I'm due on November 12, 2006. It's my third week of maternity leave and I'm feeling like I predicted - bored and needing things to do! After working since I was 14 years old, I thought going on this leave would be really fun, because I've never had this much time off! The first week was pretty good - I caught up on scrapbooking, cooked dinner every night, baked a pumpkin cake, and finished some other house projects. The second week I had lunch with friends, went shopping, and watched some interesting TV shows on daytime TV. This third week has been a struggle because I've run out of things to do. I thought the baby furniture would have arrived by now, but it hasn't and all the baby stuff is sitting in my living room waiting to be put away. I'm so excited to put the nursery together and be prepared for our baby boy's arrival, but we have no furniture! Hopefully it arrives in the next few days.

The other thing that happens sitting at home on maternity leave is that everyday I wake up and wonder, Is this the day? And at the end of the day when it's not, I get a little down and know I have to get through another day carrying this huge belly, having back pain, and finding more ways to get through the day. Don't get me wrong, I'm REALLY excited about the baby, but I have found that pregnancy is not all it's cracked up to be...and I haven't really had a difficult pregnancy. In the 9th month, what gets you is the day-to-day because all you think about is, WHEN IS HE/SHE COMING!? The mood swings also get to me and my husband because we've endured them for almost a whole year...time for some stability! For me, it's 11 more days until the due date...hopefully he comes sooner because I'm so excited to see him, hold him, and hug him.

Today I plan to run errands and walk, walk, walk. Apparently that helps labor begin and at this point, I'll try anything! Hopefully this blog is interesting to read. If you have any suggestions of things you'd like to read or see, let me know!