24 VS. 31

31 WEEKS...

               

24 WEEKS...

Prentice Womens Hotel (I mean HOSPITAL)

We had our first childbirth preparation class on Wednesday night at Northwestern Memorial's Prentice Womens Hospital. Class was quite informative and we really enjoyed it!

I had never been inside Prentice before (it was recently remodeled), so we were pretty excited to get the tour of the building after class. I must say, I've been in MANY hospitals and visited several maternity floors... none compare to this building. I felt as if I were walking through a 5 star hotel (no hospital smell by the way - huge plus). It is ultra modern, which could throw the older generations off a bit because the rooms are quite large with lots of new technology, huge flat screens, special lighting, etc.

Did I mention the beautiful views of Lake Michigan on both the delivery and postpartum floors? Breathtaking. The nurse giving us the tour mentioned that most Mothers don't want to leave once their stay is over... I can definitely see why!

A Work in Progress...

We're hoping to have the baby's room finished by the first week in November, decorating and all. Keeping in mind that we'll have plenty of family and friends visiting in January/February and the many nights we'll be spending by her crib once she moves into her room from our room, we decided to keep a full bed in there for the time being. Fortunately there's enough room for everything to fit comfortably! Here's our work in progress...

"Please Bring Snacks" You mean, "Bring Snacks and Your Second Dinner"

We have our first childbirth class tonight at Prentice Women's Hospital from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. I'll be getting my husband straight from work downtown around 5:30 (yes, he's in town this week!!) which is right at dinner time, without enough time to actually get dinner. It's suggested to "bring a snack," but we'll be bringing dinner and a few snacks : D
Typically I wouldn't choose a breakfast burrito for dinner, but I've been REALLY CRAVING one (hubby loves them, too). It was far too convenient to stop at the Lincoln Park Whole Foods after the gym this morning and pick a couple up for only $3.99 a burrito (and these puppies are packed full). I'll throw them in the oven ten minutes before leaving for class, and that's our dinner.
On any other morning (or evening) they are SUPER EASY to make -- beat the eggs in a bowl and then dice some veggies and add toss them in the bow. Add a little milk to give the egg a more fluffy consistency, then put mixture in microwave and watch for eggs to rise (about 3 minutes). Remove egg mixture and scramble it up in bowl. Lay a tortilla flat on a plate - wrap both sides of the tortilla inward and roll up from the bottom.
This is the quick version, and very yummy!

Here are a few other typical snacks I enjoy, and that I'll be bringing along tonight:

Apples and peanut butter - try Smart Balance peanut butter. It's better for you and tastes great on apples, bananas, carrots, celery, etc.
Clif Kid Bars - organic bars that are yummy and the perfect size. I like the chocolate chip and brownie flavor. Always have one of these in my gym bag and the glove compartment!                              
                                  

Week 31... the Buddha!

It's amazing how much my tummy has popped in just the past few weeks. I'm quite excited to be "showing" more - people can actually tell that I am in fact pregnant now!

Now that my tummy is growing A LOT I've been really pleased with the lack of stretch marks (so far!). I've always used cocoa butter on my body and SWEAR BY IT, but since September I've also been using Palmer's Tummy Butter to prevent the stretch marks as much as possible. I rub it on all my stomach area, chest, hip area and back, both in the morning after showering and at night before bed. I loves it!                                                 
                              

Achoo!!!

It's that time of year... flu and cold season. Every year I try to escape that nasty cold, but it always seems to get me. I've already gotten my preservative free flu shot (highly recommended for pregnant women) but in past years I still manage to get that sneezing, coughing, runny nose, itchy eyed bug even with a flu shot.
When I felt the dreaded October cold coming this year I stocked up on a few items that I'm CONVINCED helped my immune system fight off the bug. These Vitamin C Gummies are so yummy (taste like fruit snacks) and the Organic Vitamin C Pops are very tasty as well. A couple gummies in the morning and a Pop or two at night did the trick (in addition to a good night's sleep and balanced diet). Just goes to show you that Mom was right... Vitamin C 100% helps!

New Wheels!

Since moving to Chicago my husband and I spent many summer days observing/inquiring about neighborhood parents' strollers of choice. What we found is that a high-quality three wheel, all terrain stroller is the way to go if you plan on taking the little one on a lot of walks around the city. We had also done our research on car seats (see "A Good Read") and knew we wanted a stroller compatible with the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio. Below is the city stroller we decided on to go with our Primo Viaggio SIP 30/30 car seat.

For Description, Video, etc.:

http://www.babyearth.com/bumbleride-indie-all-terrain-stroller-single.html

Latest Candy Recall

I'll be double-checking all of my kids' Halloween candy!

http://www.parenting.com/new/blogs/show-and-tell/sasha-parentingcom/candy-recall-raisinets-and-mega-pop-lollipops

My First (Favorite) Baby Purchase...

Never knew a DIAPER BAG would make me so happy, but I'm obsessed. While stopping by Lincoln Park's Bellini baby store in August, an assortment of Petunia Pickle Bottom diaper bags caught my eye and I pretty much decided I couldn't leave without one. Even my husband thought this bag is awesome. It can be a hands-free backpack or long messenger strap, with a built-in changing station and detachable changing pad. Inside are two large diaper/wipes pockets, four bottle pockets, organizational pockets and even a pouch for dirty diapers and another for pacifiers. There are lots of patterns/colors to choose from to fit your personal style - I went with brown background with teal and gold pattern. These bags are definitely pricey, but worth the money.
They can run anywhere from $175 to low $200's.
http://www.petunia.com/

A Good Read

There are three things you'll always find on my nightstand -- an alarm clock, glass of water and a good book. Over the past seven months I've definitely been reading plenty of "mommy material" (see photo) but I've tried not to COMPLETELY consume my life with "mommy stuff." Everyone needs that "escape" in a good read before a weeknight sleep. Recently I've read  All Souls: A Family Story from Southie, The Help, and The Heretic's Daughter. All very different, and all very good!  I usually get into bed about 45 minutes before the lights go out -- read Mommy material for fifteen minutes and then pick up my book of the week for a bit before shutting it down. 

Regarding the Mommy Material, I highly recommend the assortment displayed in the picture above. Baby Bargains is great -- it has a ranking system/grades for all baby products based on consumer reports, customer satisfaction, product longevity, past product recalls, etc. I found this book extremely helpful when choosing which crib to invest in, the safest car seats, best strollers, etc. I haven't used the Baby411 book yet, but its a quick reference guide for parents and again has same format as Baby Bargains. 

What to Expect When You're Expecting - SOMEONE will buy you this when decide to spill the beans. It's nice because chapters are outlined by month and progression of your pregnancy up until the care of your little one.

The Happiest Baby on the Block is a great reference guide by M.D. Harvey Karp to help soothe your baby and keep him/her happy using natural methods. I also have the DVD.

The Girlfriends Guide to Pregnancy - GET IT... written by Mom's who tell you the whole (hilarious) truth and nothing but the truth. Whenever something bizarre happens to me I grab that book and sure enough it's covered and I'm laughing out loud within seconds/minutes.

I've subscribed to a few magazines -- Parenting Magazine, American Baby and Fit Pregnancy (all very good - American Baby is a free subscription for the year for first-time Mom's)

What's for dinner?

I absolutely LOVE to cook... both baking and cooking were hobbies I shared with my Mother growing up, so I feel a special closeness to her whenever I put my chef's hat on. I've always had a pretty balanced diet, but now that I'm pregnant it's even more important to make sure my body is getting all of the necessary food groups, vitamins and nutrients necessary to keep baby and me healthy and steadily growing :) Here is an example of a typical dinner whip up for us... I love making dishes that have a lot of color to them (veggies!) and when choosing a carb, better to go with something like a sweet potato over a baked potato.
**The vegetables (right) are simple -- I chose to cut up yellow squash, zucchini, red pepper, mushroom, and onion. Splash olive oil in pan, throw in veggies and add some seasoned salt, garlic powder to your pleasing. I added some paprika as well for a little kick. Keep tossing the veggies around for 3-5 minutes until cooked through.
**For a quick baked potato, wash/scrub it thoroughly and then pat dry/poke holes on top. Place in microwave for 3-4 few minutes per potato while preheating oven to 375 degrees. Once microwaved, place potato in foil with the top open just a tad. Bake for about 10 minutes, or longer if you'd like. This is an easy way to get a baked potato for a quarter the time!
**Every woman should know how to use a grill - if you don't, get a free lesson from your husband, boyfriend, Dad, brother, friend, etc. It's super easy, and your man will be impressed:)

Staying fit and feeling great

I'm someone who has always taken pride in staying fit and making a nice appearance. Working out is a daily release for me (weather in the gym, on a tennis court, or on a nice jog/walk) and is just as important for me mentally as it is physically.

If you can continue to exercise while pregnant, it is a huge plus for both you and your baby.  If you weren't into fitness before pregnancy it will be difficult to start a routine, but incorporating a brisk walk five days a week is a lot better than doing nothing at all. I've continued doing a similar type of cardio workout, but moderated -- I've decreased the intensity, time spent on machine, and - most importantly - I only workout on machines that display my heart rate. It is best to keep your heart rate under 140 BPM for the entirety of the workout (for pregnant women), which explains my bias toward high-end machines that display a correct reading. Below is the Cybex Arc Trainer -- in my opinion the best cardio machine in the gym, pregnant or not pregnant. It is a great total body workout that isn't tough on your joints and its settings allow you to modify your workout based on the incline and resistant you prefer that day. See: http://www.arctrainer.com/

It's a Girl!!!!

Baby Walsh's first doctor's appointment in Chicago came on August 11th... the appointment actually fell on my Birthday, and we got to see HER for the first time! Here is a picture from the ultrasound, and  this is me at the five month mark - feeling great and loving the Little Lady's kicks!

Our New Place

We moved into our two bedroom condo in August... absolutely love our new Chicago neighborhood! It's close to the lake and downtown, while very quaint with a lot of young families, parks, shopping and great restaurants. I think my favorite thing about this place is the hall elevator to garage parking spot... never need to step a foot outside to get to the car during these cold winters! HUGE!