Stay-cations and Goodbyes

Last weekend was a bittersweet one!  I looked forward to it for weeks – Child leaving for 5 days for a little trip with her Arizona grandparents, husband meeting up with the for 3 days and bringing her home.  I was hesitant about the idea for a while but then I realized how incredibly lucky I was to have the chance to be completely on my own for 3 days (well, aside from the sensitive puppy that still opted to sleep ON my feet each night) while being 6 months pregnant.

Though I try and keep my “mommy” advice to a minimum, unless it’s asked for, I can’t hold back this time.  Here’s my advice to 2^nd time moms…. No reason to have a baby moon with your husband, traveling to some nice spa or resort for 2 days where he of course thinks the purpose is romance and sex.  You need a stay-cation all to yourself.  Send the family off for the weekend and whether you choose to do absolutely nothing except sit on the couch eating ice cream and watching HGTV, or get all those little things done around the house before the baby comes (at least the ones that you are physically able to do) DO IT!  I did a little of both, closets organized, Carmen’s big girl room painted and decorated, watched my share of TV, even spent an hour laying in the sun.  It was the most relaxing and reflective time I’ve had, well, dare I say, since I was single?!?!??!  PLUS it made me so excited to see both kid and hubby again when they got back, I guess absence does really make the heart grow fonder. 

But why was it bittersweet you may ask…. Over my 3 days I got to spend time with *2 very good friends who will not be a part of baby 2s day-to-day life.  One is heading back to the east coast (and whom I’ve spent more post college years in the same city with than ANY other friend of mine) the other back to Iowa after a one year sabbatical from her teaching job.  Two wonderful people that I know will still be a part of my life no matter where they are but just won’t be around for a last minute lunch date or hour of reminiscing.  I know that their visits will be even more meaningful, I just hope the visits can happen a lot.  Otherwise, thank god for Skype and Facetime.

I can’t be the only one who’s opted for this kinda of vacation before the baby  anyone else?  

*Oh – and I did drag one of them to Bacon and Eggs so I could give into one of the first pancake cravings I’ve had this time around – the multigrain granola ones.  They are still as incredible as I remember.  

                                      

I’m a slacker blogger….

It’s been weeks and a handful of pancakes have actually been eaten – in between a few more burgers, lots of French fries, fried food and mac & cheese. 26 weeks down and most likely only 12-13 more to go. I don’t have many interesting observations this time around that are too insightful, hence no reason to really write a blog and bore readers. Instead I just keep noticing how old and worn out my own body is -and no one really wants to hear much about that, but I figure it can’t hurt to vent just once. I embraced almost every moment of my first pregnancy: The changes in my shape, the weekly emails about the baby’s development, the desire to give in to all my cravings. Luckily for me I had no major aches and pains, complications or concerns.   I was relaxed and happy. After Carmen was born I knew I was not ready to have another child quite yet but I for sure wanted to be pregnant again! The other thing I knew was that I really only wanted 2 children. But what if I felt the same way the 2^nd time and didn’t feel ready after baby 2 came to close up shop? Or what if I got pregnant with twins! When we decided it was time to start thinking about #2 I was excited. When I found out I was pregnant I was even more excited, when I found out it was only 1 baby even more excited, and a boy even better (one of each)! That all happened by week 13 and I thought…now I’ll start feeling better and everything will be smooth sailing.  Low and behold this time around, while I am still healthy relatively speaking and so is little baby boy Jaffe, it’s not be quite the same. I am very much in tune with the aches and pains, which seem to be helped by bi-monthly trips to the chiropractor and weekly yoga. The nausea stayed for 17 weeks and was followed by some other uncomfortable feelings that apparently I’m going to hold on to until the end. Perhaps its taking care of another kid, perhaps it’s the stairs in the house which I didn’t have the first time, perhaps it’s the crazy work stuff + a huge office move, or perhaps the 3 years has just made me age A LOT! Nevertheless this is certainly making me happier that my choice to stop after #2 is the right one. And I am certainly not going through anything nearly as tough as many other people I know have I just thought I had this process down and was shocked to find it so different. Anyone else find time 2 to be a lot tougher? Best pancakes in a while- Katz Club Diner in Cleveland, Ohio.  YOU MUST TRY THEM.  

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES with whipped ricotta & michigan cherry syrup

It’s been weeks and a handful of pancakes have actually been eaten – in between a few more burgers, lots of French fries, fried food and mac & cheese. 26 weeks down and most likely only 12-13 more to go. I don’t have many interesting observations this time around that are too insightful, hence no reason to really write a blog and bore readers. Instead I just keep noticing how old and worn out my own body is -and no one really wants to hear much about that, but I figure it can’t hurt to vent just once.

I embraced almost every moment of my first pregnancy: The changes in my shape, the weekly emails about the baby’s development, the desire to give in to all my cravings. Luckily for me I had no major aches and pains, complications or concerns.   I was relaxed and happy. After Carmen was born I knew I was not ready to have another child quite yet but I for sure wanted to be pregnant again! The other thing I knew was that I really only wanted 2 children. But what if I felt the same way the 2^nd time and didn’t feel ready after baby 2 came to close up shop? Or what if I got pregnant with twins!

When we decided it was time to start thinking about #2 I was excited. When I found out I was pregnant I was even more excited, when I found out it was only 1 baby even more excited, and a boy even better (one of each)! That all happened by week 13 and I thought…now I’ll start feeling better and everything will be smooth sailing.  Low and behold this time around, while I am still healthy relatively speaking and so is little baby boy Jaffe, it’s not be quite the same. I am very much in tune with the aches and pains, which seem to be helped by bi-monthly trips to the chiropractor and weekly yoga. The nausea stayed for 17 weeks and was followed by some other uncomfortable feelings that apparently I’m going to hold on to until the end. Perhaps its taking care of another kid, perhaps it’s the stairs in the house which I didn’t have the first time, perhaps it’s the crazy work stuff + a huge office move, or perhaps the 3 years has just made me age A LOT!

Nevertheless this is certainly making me happier that my choice to stop after #2 is the right one. And I am certainly not going through anything nearly as tough as many other people I know have I just thought I had this process down and was shocked to find it so different.

Anyone else find time 2 to be a lot tougher?

Best pancakes in a while- Katz Club Diner in Cleveland, Ohio.  YOU MUST TRY THEM.  

BUTTERMILK PANCAKES with whipped ricotta & michigan cherry syrup

I’m BACK

This time around things are about mac & cheese, bagels and….. BURGERS! (note: photo is of me eating my first hamburger in almost 15 years!)

But the title of the blog is still so darn cute I had to keep it.  I’ll have to figure out how to swing this to atleast have a food focus, cause those who know me well know that’s a HUGE part of my life.

Speaking of life, it’s has certainly changed in my blogging hiatus!  Having a very outgoing, chatty 2.5 year old who seems to have finally mastered potty training (knock on wood) and a 3.5 year old sensitive pit mix has made for funny and on occasion overwhelming times.  Not to mention the business has grown and I now feel it’s my responsibility to keep the 3 other full time employee’s mouths fed.  Lots of pressure.  So, why on earth would we want to add another mouth to that?

Aside from our families no one really encouraged us to have another kid.  In fact most of our friends told us how baby #2 is a game changer (and they didn’t say it in a positive tone).  Just when you’ve got your schedule down it takes a turn.  I’m already anticipating this for sure.  Perhaps if I fear the worst, the most chaotic life, a baby that is a total opposite of the first (who was pretty darn easy) then I’ll be in for a pleasant surprise.

Will I be able to do it all?  Be a mom to 2 kids under 4, care for my doggy, grow my business, not ignore my husband and STILL be able to go to a spin class a few times a week?  AND be happy…. I’m pretty confident but who knows for sure!

Who has encouraging thoughts about baby 2? There must be some, otherwise why wouldn’t we all be only children?

***Please don’t misinterpret this – I’m EXTREMELY excited for this baby!!  Just challenging those that “scared” me before I took this leap.  

A final meal before baby…. guess what I ate?

One thing that excited me about pregnancy was the story I’d have about the days and hours leading up to my child’s arrival, and the ones immediately following.  Everyone seems to have some type of story and I wanted to know what mine would be so I could share it.  Well, this blog will be all about that story as I now am at home with my beautiful baby girl, Carmen Yvette.  In fact, we’ve been home for 6 days now!

My last blog was all about the wonderful weekend I had with Gregg, the one we thought would be the last childless one.  We were right!  Sunday and Monday I started feeling a bit weird.  A few times I thought my water broke but then I just thought I was being crazy. I thought for sure I’d be headed to the hospital on Monday Night.  Instead, I woke up Tuesday morning to a new job for our biggest client and their division in Germany (GREAT TIMING) and then I called the Dr. as I suspected a potential amniotic leak.  She had me come in to test the fluids.  That is when the surreal began.  I knew we may get sent to the hospital right away.  I was prepared, bag packed, mom on the way from Cleveland, all papers for the will ready to be signed immediately after the Dr. Gregg, on the other hand didn’t realize the potential urgency of the situation so came armed with no computer or change of shirt.  Lesson learned.

After waiting about 40 minutes Dr. McGee brought us in to test the fluid.  She returned to the room and said “Well, you’ve successfully broken your bag of water”.  It then occurred to me… I may have a baby today!  We were told to go eat before heading to the hospital as it wasn’t urgent I get there since I wasn’t having contractions.  We had enough time to arrange our doggie plan, house cleaning plan and many other little things that would make us feel at ease before the real “labor” began, a luxury most people don’t have.  We met my mom at one of the only remaining restaurants on my to-do pancake list:  Brunch.  We had a great meal and headed to the hospital.

I arrived at 3:30 pm.  By 5pm I was hooked up to pitocin.  The timing was great as Dr. McGee was due at the hospital by 7pm.  I dealt very well with the contractions up until about 7:15 when the Dr. came in and proceeded to break the rest of the bag!  Then the pleasant day became not so pleasant.  Within minutes (and without yet getting my epidural) the contractions were incredibly intense and only 2 minutes apart.  I know for next time to ask for the drugs when I feel okay so I never have to feel that pain again!! HOW DO PEOPLE HAVE CHILDREN WITH NO DRUGS???? I spent 20 minutes in hell and then the epidural came.  AMAZING…  I was told I would have 4 more hours till I was fully dilated so I planned on napping.  But, after some issues with my epidural and it not really “taking” on the right side I needed more meds so that took some time.  Then the Dr. came in 45 minutes later to tell me that I was already fully dilated!  45 MINUTES not 4 hours – WHAT?  I wasn’t prepared – 45 after that I was pushing – Gregg holding one leg and Rocky, a 3rd year med student that walked into the room 1 minute earlier, holding the other.  22 minutes after that I had a new baby girl resting on my chest.  10:52pm  – she couldn’t even hold out till after midnight so I could stay at the hospital longer!!!

I apologize to those of you that have had horrible, long labors.  I hear that mine was quite rare, but then again I was also told that the exercise and yoga would help.  I am now convinced that was my savior!  So to all of you out there, if you feel healthy enough, exercise, stretch, get that body ready for the hardest work it will ever do in one day!

One thing I wish someone had prepared me for was the pain after the birth.  I couldn’t stop thinking about how excited I was to bring a new baby home but I forgot about everything my body was going to go through.  I never thought about how I would feel the days following labor, how walking 10 feet would make me want to cry in pain, how my emotions wouldn’t allow me to listen to any song with the word baby in it without tears rushing down my face, how going to the bathroom was something I’d fear so much.  The good news is that one look at my daughter, especially when her eyes are wide open starring back at me can make me forget about all of that – and soon those pains and fears will go away and I’ll still have her eyes to look into.  A miracle is an understatement!

The final pancakes:

Carmelized Apple Pancake and Blueberry Pancakes at Brunch.  When the Dr. ordered me to go eat something before going to the hospital there was no question that pancakes would be part of that meal.  Since my mom was headed in on 90/94 and I was supposed to go to “Brunch” 2 days later and would have to cancel we planned to meet her there.  Despite the fact that all of us were on our cells the whole time trying to arrange things for the next couple days we did manage to enjoy a good meal.  I had eggs, homefries and blueberry pancakes (the special cakes of the day).  They were definitely full of blueberrys and fairly tasty but nothing worth writing about.  The apple pancake however, was special, and such a great treat for me to enjoy before many hours of nothing.  It was not your typical pancake.  It was puffy, somewhere between a waffle and pancake with apples baked inside and carmelized ones on top.  The apples were a bit sour, and in fact, tasted like pears but I loved that they weren’t too sweet.  There was a bit of crunch to the outside and no syrup was needed at all.  I think baby Carmen will be excited to go back and eat those one day when she’s on to solid food.

So from now on I guess it’s….. Postpartum and Pancakes!  or maybe something entirely different.

Wonderful Weekend … was it the last child free one?

After my Dr.’s appointment on Friday I was sent even more into panic mode… though I do have to say, I didn’t really panic.  Panic mode refers to when your Dr. tells you to keep your next appointment scheduled just in case but that she doesn’t think you’ll make it till then.  Since the baby seems to be in position and my body seems to be ready to deliver it, it’s just a matter of days.  That left me with a few additional things to still get done and 4 more places I wanted to hit up for pancakes before.  The other thing I really wanted was quality time with Gregg.

I have to say, almost all missions were accomplished.  In fact, I spent barely any other quality time with people besides Gregg, and Candace (and Brady)!  This weekend included 2 pancake outings covering 2 of the 4 places on my list, 3 yoga classes, dinner and a movie, installing a car seat with Officer Caesar Garcia (who was btw, the coolest cop I’ve ever met and anyone going through the car seat installation process should absolutely go to him), putting the final decorative touches on the baby’s room and our Will, and taking Winnie to 2 parks to play like crazy so she knows how much we love her :  ) and to wear her out.  Sounds like a busy weekend but it was actually really relaxing and so wonderful to spend so much of it alone with Gregg.

Every baby book you read says that in the last days before labor to make sure to make time for your partner and I have to say, that is probably the most important thing I took from any of the books I’ve read.  Now you have to understand, Gregg and I spend A LOT of time together.  That’s what happens when you work with your spouse.  But, so much of our time together is talking about work and sitting on the couch watching TV.  I think we often take for granted how lucky we are to have each other and how much we love each other (tears fill my eyes as I write this – especially because he’s now away from me all day at a shoot so this will inevitably be the day I go into labor and have to handle it at home alone).  I’d say this was one of the best weekends I’ve had in years, even with the nervousness of my water breaking in public everywhere I went.

When you grow up and you think about the future family you may create there are lots of hypotheticals that arise.  For those of us lucky enough things fall into place.  I couldn’t have pictured my little “family” better.  I never questioned Gregg as the father of my child (or future children) but now I’m even more confident in him as a father as I am in me as a mom – as well as him as the man of the house and the caretaker of the family.  I don’t know if he’ll hate me for saying it but this is a role he was made for and I can’t wait to be in the room with him when we hear “it’s a boy” or “it’s a girl”.   We’re so lucky to have each other and hopefully our child will always feel lucky to have us! (Note: tears now rolling down my face).

The Pancakes:

Brady is sad he can't enjoy the Ricotta Cakes : (

Stax Blueberry

I went halfsies with Candace on the Ricotta Cakes and Blueberry at Stax Cafe. Only a couple weeks before Brady was born we had lunch at Stax and I loved it.  I told Candace I had to get back there before my baby came.  An ideal lunch after the Dr. I got to see how much Brady has changed in just a couple weeks and how amazingly relaxed and confident Candace is as a mother.  It was also fun to discuss our completely opposite pregnancy experiences and so great to get lots of newborn advice. If only they lived closer to us and we could share a nanny!!!   We shared 2 flavors. The Ricotta were so light and soft and the strawberry and rhubarb on top was a mix of sweet and sour.  The Blueberry were awesome.  STUFFED with blueberries and topped with a lemon blueberry compote they didn’t even need syrup, though I did have to try the boysenberry one cause I was intrigued by its bright blue color.  The fruit was the strength in both of these cakes, but the batter itself was perfect as well.  YUM YUM.

Organic Buckwheat Pancakes at Tweet

Buckwheat at Tweet.  Tweet is the kind of place you don’t go to if you mind waiting.  We knew we were going to have to wait up to an hour and being prepared for it helped a lot. Yet again I was in a savory food mood but was happy to see that I could order 1 pancake on the side.  I enjoyed my veggie country benedict (like biscuits and gravy meets eggs benedict for a vegetarian) and then managed to find room for 1 very large buckwheat pancake.  Wow, this was a good pancake.  Definitely fluffier than other buckwheat ones I’ve had.  The strange brownish/purplish color of the buckwheat may be a turn off but to me it was just intriguing.  Such a unique flavor and super absorbent when only a little bit of syrup is drizzled on, this was a great dessert!  I definitely have to go back there (but preferably not on a weekend when there’s a long wait).  Sorry to the staff at Tweet that my water did not break at lunch.  I know you were all hoping for a “story”!

Since I’m not sure what my blogging abilities will be post birth of the baby (though I do plan to keep writing) I wanted to pass everyone off to a new blog, started by my wonderful and extremely talented writer of a husband, Gregg.  Check out: Be Good Do Right!

Pancake Cramming and Shout out to the Spin Bike

Since I’m in the final stretch and I do in fact worry that either my pancake obsession will disappear or my body will suddenly not be as welcoming to pancakes I am doing what I call a pancake cram.  I found out last week that there is a small chance this baby could come early and if it does, I need to get in all the pancakes I can before that happens.  I’m also slowing down my work schedule and consequently pushing lots of lunch plans on people.  I have now had pancakes 4 times in the past week.  So, while most of my blogs have been about thoughts and dilemmas surrounding pregnancy, this one is gonna be more like the original ones – a list and review of my week of pancake gorging.

One thing I do want to do is give a shout out to the Spin Bike.  It has kept me sane, in shape, not swollen and full of endurance throughout the past 8.5 months.  It has bonded me with other moms and expectant moms and most importantly has allowed me to eat all the pancakes I’ve eaten.  I look forward to seeing familiar faces in class and showing off my growing belly.  It dawned on me that I won’t be able to get on a spin bike for weeks and weeks after the baby is born and, in fact, even if I could I doubt it would be that comfortable.  So, I will take advantage of all bonding moments I have left with bike #124 at Xsport on Logan.  I plan to make it to at least 1 more class- so we’ll see.

The Pancakes

Apple Whole Wheat made by ME!

Apple Whole Wheat B-day Pancakes I whipped up myself (and the help of the Kerbey Lane mix) and shared with Gregg.  I even put pieces of fresh apples inside! I do have to say that 90% of the deliciousness of these was due to Kerbey Lane.  Visions of Austin were dancing in my head and it was certainly good to know I can bring a little Kerbey Lane into my own home.  Realization: I’ve been eating so much REAL maple syrup the sugar-free kind I had at home was just GROSS.

Kanela Chip Pancakes at Kanela Cafe.  I finally got to check off this new brunch place from my list.  The menu looked great but I wanted to give it time to get out the kinks before heading there.  At this AWESOME brunch with our friends Erin and Jay we all enjoyed sweet treats.  Kanela, which means Cinnamon in Greek filled their signature spiced whole wheat batter pancakes with cinnamon chips and had creme anglaise and brown sugar butter on the side (usually served on top).  WOW – a unique treat that wasn’t overwhelmingly sweet but certainly wasn’t simple or bland.  The texture was great and the size of the cakes were perfect.  I was full after but not terribly stuffed.  I also have to comment on the other dishes at the table – The Bacon Waffle is a MUST TRY for meat eaters.  Even this vegetarian took a bite, much to Erin’s dismay.  The Red Velvet french toast was also amazing but one bite was enough for me – very decadent!   Two thumbs up to Kanela.

Kanela Chip Pancakes (1 of 3 Big Hits at Kanela)

Red Velvet French Toast at Kanela (Hit #2)

Bacon Waffle (#3 Big Hit)

Alps Buttermilk... maybe too simple and "from the box"

 

 

 

 

 

Buttermilk at Alps Pancake House.  I was excited to try Alps since I first noticed it months ago.  Afterall, its my ideal combo of eggs and pancakes.  Like Elly’s Cornerstone, Original Pancake house and more, I’m not forced to choose one of the other.  An egg dish comes with either toast or Pancakes.  These cakes were what I expected, standard buttermilk that pretty much tasted like the ones from a mix.  BUT, I didn’t have to cook them so that made them taste even better.   The eggs and potatoes were great too, btw.

Fruity flight of fancy at Orange

Pancake flight at Orange on Roscoe made up of the following: Peach, Blueberry, Mango and Blackberry all 4 of which had some type of whipped cream and glaze on them.  For weeks I’ve been monitoring the flights at this well know brunch place with multiple locations.  Each week they feature a different theme and carry it over 4 stacks of silver dollar cakes.  That’s 12 mini-pancakes with 4 different takes on the theme.  Since i haven’t wanted chocolate or anything super duper sweet I’ve passed up on the flights many times.  But this week’s fruit theme was perfect for me and it was worth the wait.  I honestly couldn’t say which I enjoyed the most.  I was thrilled that Gregg didn’t want to try them cause I was happy to gobble them all up.  I would like to meet the genius behind the flights because the flavors and textures and how they all worked together was spot on.  I’d write about each separately but that would take hours.  I would like to go back and try their regular menu banana multigrain cakes one day too but I’ll have to do that when the flight just doesn’t appeal to me.  You have 2 more days to test out this flight – so get to Orange now.

I’m a bit sick to my stomach right now thinking about all the pancake eating I did last week…. should I chill out in the next week?

Fear of the Unknown

So, it doesn’t look like I’ll be sharing my b-day with my baby.  As I’m a Leo and I’m selfish I’d prefer to have that day to myself and since its only 2 days away I think I’m in the clear.

With less than a month to go it was inevitable that I’d start to get some aches and pains and a lot more anxiety.   Having just reviewed the list from my last blog I realize I’ve made quite a dent.  Pictures, done!  Babymoon, done!  And it was wonderful I might add…. though 6 hours in the car over the weekend didn’t treat my body that great.  Fix things, Done (at least I hope)!  Will, in progress but out of my hands right now.  Movies, went to 1 alone this weekend and that was nice.  I’d like to see 2 more though.  The rest of the stuff I’m slacking on but perhaps this week I’ll focus more on those.  That would be a better use of my time then allowing myself to be distracted by my new fears of the unknown:

-My water breaking and ruining my bed, couch or car (even though I know only 15% of people’s water breaks at home).  I bought a waterproof pad for the bed, will take over Winnie’s spot on the couch that is covered in towels right now after her trip to be beach the other day and I suppose a towel would be good in the car too…

-Not knowing when this baby is gonna come and living each day thinking I better finish everything I can today.

-Living the next 3.5 weeks as uncomfy as I was this past week.  I shouldn’t complain.  I made it 35 weeks feeling pretty good but I literally hit 35 weeks and the cramps, backpain, indigestion, exhaustion and overall discomfort set in.

-Labor in general… I am excited to have my “story” – I wish  I had at least some indication of when this whole process will start and how rough or smooth the process will be.  I have friends that think its weird that they know exactly when they are delivering (scheduled c-sections and inductions).  I personally would rather know!  At least within a range of a few days.

-Locking in that one (or more) big job that can be produced while I’m gone – something I can prep before I leave but know will be in good hands when I’m not here and will also provide a bit more financial stability!

-Being a decent mother!!!  I think I have to write a whole blog just about that.  I wonder if any women DON’T fear that.

I’d say those are my biggest fears right now.  Fears that can be eased by a little swimming, a massage and yoga, 2 of which can be accomplished this week and one of which unfortunately is on hold for a week since its my yoga studios annual vacation (great timing).  I guess DVDs will have to do.

The pancakes:

Tommy L - a great pancake date!

Old standby – Whole Wheat Granola at Bakin’ and Eggs with a great friend and colleague Tom.  Tom has known me for about 10 years and is one of the few people that knows both my professional life and my personal life fairly well.  He was a great person to share some of my favorite pancakes with.  I don’t have to critique them cause I have twice already in the blog.  I keep going back for more so clearly there is something special about them!  Tom has watched me grow in my career and being with him always makes me feel confident about what I’ve done and where I’m going.  Everyone needs someone like Tom in their life!

The final countdown

Just about 5 more weeks to go… though I’m sure It’ll be longer since it seems to happen that way for most first time moms… and I’m now into my final days to accomplish my pre-baby to do list.  Here are some things on that list and how I plan to handle them:

Get professional photos of my Belly – DONE!  In a karmic moment I met Kyle Murphy at the Bad Apple.  One week later he had me naked bellied in public!  I was nervous but felt so comfy after a little bit.  This was something I knew I wanted to do and know most of my friends haven’t done.  I HIGHLY recommend it.  Some of my favs are attached here.  And check him out at Kyle Murphy Photography. 

 

Babymoon – In a last minute change of plans we’re heading to Galena, IL this weekend for the trip that I should have planned months ago.  I quickly was informed that the reason the hotel had a cancelation was probably because of the major storms and flooding there right now.  People are supposedly stuck and can’t get home yet we still plan to attempt to get there!  The town may be underwater but if we have a nice place to stay and some good relaxing time, that’s fine by me.

Fix Broken Stuff…. This past month we’ve had problems with our water heater, refrigerator and washer, not to mention our building has some upcoming work to be done. Already had washer fixed and new water heater is coming Tuesday.  What else will still break?

Do our will – WOW, not something I really thought about until the baby was on the way.  Thank goodness we have an awesome friend/attorney that can help me navigate through this stuff!  Pam, hopefully you won’t hate us by the end!

Get the baby room together – Gregg did a great job of assembling our changing table and we’ve moved around a lot of other stuff.  Now we just have to get the crib (after our niece is moved out of it), wait for our glider chair* (which isn’t gonna make it to Cleveland in time to be transported by my brother) and put up a shelf… then its all just decorating which I don’t trust us to do so may have to wrangle help from the many designers and art directors we know.   *If ANYONE has an SUV or van and is driving from Cleveland to Chicago in August please let me know!  It will save the family from renting a van and doing an extra trip.

Practice baby training with Winnie – We took a baby/dog class months ago -WAY too early but that’s when Winnie’s school was offering it.  We have practiced NOTHING with her and we really need to start.  She’s gonna be distraught, she’s a little baby herself and she’s been super protective of mommy lately (see attached picture).  We will do what we need to to assure a seamless transition into her being a big sister/dog!

Go to movies – I hoped to get to about 3-4 more movies before baby.  However, after how much I shifted around and couldn’t get comfy at Harry Potter this weekend I may not be game for crossing this off my list without even attempting it. 

Make lots of brunch (and other) plans with friends – I’m not expecting us to be totally antisocial after the baby is born.  I’ve certainly seen a lot of Candace since baby Brady arrived.  However, I really would like to see all my friends at least one more time without being at the mercy of the baby’s schedule – more for their sake.  August was left pretty open for that reason so now its time to start booking it up… and making pancake dates of course.

School Gregg on all our finances- I’ve always been in charge of the finances.  I love doing that for both life and business.  I get a rush when my quickbooks is balanced and am known to break out into song or dance.  Gregg knows what we have but I’m not so sure he knows where to find it and how to access things – I must make sure he knows for emergency purposes of course.  Maybe I’ll find that I’m happy handing off these responsibilities one day!

Feel confident with my Big Teeth work in the hands of others – Since this is based on emotions I have a little less control in terms of crossing it off a list. I wrote about this before but as time is going on I’m starting to feel at ease about this.  I’m feeling proud watching Danny and Josh take over some of my duties and in fact, do them better then me.  I know our clients will be in good hands when I’m gone and know I’m only a phone call or 1/2 mile away if they need me.  My biggest fear is that I’ll like being away so much I won’t want to come back :  )  I may go into more detail on this for the Big Teeth Blog!

The Pancakes (No photos this time cause I forgot to take one and the other was half eaten and a bad pic)

My favorite Blueberry pancakes from Cornerstone Cafe.  I went back for my standard.  No whole wheat.  These are truly the best blueberry pancakes in the world.  There’s really nothing more to say.  I enjoyed them over lunch with my friend Cora and her husband Nick, who though we met for the first time that day, I know will be a fast friend of ours as well.  They are expecting a little boy 6 weeks after I’m due and I met Cora at an event a few months ago.  We quickly bonded and I’m so excited to raise our kids together.  Its inevitable they’ll love ice cream, yoga and the guitar!

El Gordito’s Corn Cakes at Overeasy Cafe.  I LOVE THESE.  Another one of my favorites in my ‘hood.  They’re 10X better than the ones at Wishbone – less floppy and more fluffy.  Spicy and don’t need any sauce even though they’re served with a red pepper one.  With chunks of corn and peppers inside they do a great job of strattling the line between sweet and savory.  I ate these during my quarterly lunch with Mari and Billie.  Mari, still trying to guess if I’m having a boy or a girl may need to hire me to consult with her on a new cupcake line!  Next time we get together for lunch I’ll either have a baby in tow or be excited for some time away from the baby!

Gotta go Pack!

Gotta exercise to burn those pancakes!

One thing I knew before I got pregnant was that I wouldn’t be able to stop exercising if and when there was a baby in my belly.  Working out keeps me sane, gives me time to get out any frustration and stress AND allows me to safely handle the fact that I love to eat. Most of my friends and family think I’m nuts cause I have such routine when it comes to gym going.  Perhaps that’s why I’ve made so many friends at the gym – they understand me!

It’s my friends and family of course that were concerned that I’d be putting myself and my baby in danger if I maintained a workout regimen throughout my pregnancy.  In fact, it was Gregg’s first question for the doctor when I found out I was pregnant.  But thank you to Dr. McGee for assuring him that not only is it okay to exercise, it can help with so many things…. nausea, excessive weight gain (of course) and even labor.  And even 2 weeks ago she told me to “keep doing what I’m doing” when it comes to exercise.  I can’t help but wonder if I wouldn’t have enjoyed pregnancy as much if I would have stopped working out. I certainly couldn’t have enjoyed as many pancakes.

Sure I had to learn to not work as hard, lower my heart rate and STOP if I felt pain, dizziness or an overall weirdness, but I haven’t had to give up much.  6 weeks left and I’m still going to spin class 3 times a week + 1 day of yoga + 1 day of elliptical and my newest favorite day – Swimming day!  Its amazing how NOT pregnant swimming can make you feel… until you climb out of the water.   I thought for sure at 7 months I’d give up but I’m still going strong and hope to stay strong till the end… though things are definitely getting more difficult these days.

I used to stare at pregnant people in spin class and wonder how and WHY they were there – I also found them inspirational (especially when they were riding a day before they were going to the hospital to be induced…yes, I’m talking about you Francesca).  Now I leave class and I have people coming up to me telling me I’m inspiring them cause they’re pregnant.  I love it.  I’m dreading the time I can’t exercise after the baby is born but I am sure I will be too tired to even dwell on it as it is happening.

The Pancake (yes singular) – Hotcake at Marmalade.  I was so excited for this new brunch spot in my neighborhood to open.  I was hesitant to go there in the first 2 weeks but then got impatient.  Despite a shaky service issue when we first arrived (no one knew who was waiting on us so we just sat there for a while) the food made up for it!  Torn, yet again, on sweet vs. savory I went for Vegan Chilaquiles with one hotcake on the side.  Their decadent hotcakes with mango, sour cherry and marscapone sounded amazing but I figure I can always go back and try them… assuming I liked the hotcake itself and well, it passed the test.  It was thick and more “cakey” then many others.  It had a subtle corn like flavor and a crisp top.  I am looking forward to many more Marmalade outings!