Ed/Bump Update - Week 24

Much less to report this week... With Mom back on the east coast, we've allowed ourselves to lay about a bit more. I've been scrambling to get back on reading track for my year's goal of 70 books. I'm only at 53 books, 7 books behind schedule according to GoodReads. I know I can make up about half of that with all the pregnancy books I'm reading, but it would be really nice to get some good literature under my belt before this baby comes along. I'm desperate to finish A Dance With Dragons... I've been working on that way too long. Still swimming almost everyday, which feels nice. Walking isn't as easy for Ed, obviously, or for me, because of the back issues, so I'm grateful to have a way to get in some exercise. Trying to add in some meditation and yoga on a more regular basis but when you have the memory of a goldfish (I know, I know, that's a myth), it can be challenging to keep track of your goals.


Ed is doing well, moving around the house, filling up his schedule with physical rehab appointments and at home treatments. He's feeling better, walking around with a cane now. He has his crutches for when he needs them, but for reasonable distances, he is pretty much only using the cane. It's really nice having him home, experiencing baby stuff with me. He's been really helpful when it comes to giving me a hand to move around. Sometimes the pain I have makes it hard for me to turn over or stand on my own, so he gives me a good shove. I'd be stuck without him! :)
We had a little date night this week at Ciano's in Campbell, put together the house a little more, and mostly just used this week to settle in. 

Date night - So nice :)

Wall shelves, a clock, some pictures? I think it's coming together!

Curtains, because the damn cats looooove playing with the blinds in the middle of the night. Jerks. We'll be putting more of these upstairs in the nursery as well.

Bump time!

How far along? 24 weeks... Um, where did the first 6 months go?

How Big Is Baby? An ear of corn. And boy am I starting to feel baby's size!

Sleep: I think we're gonna have to start working in some naps again these days. Bedtime is not happy time with these back problems.

Best moment this week: Seeing my belly move. I feel like an alien, or rather that I'm hosting an alien, but it's pretty amazing seeing it wiggle around. 

Movement: I swear there's an octopus in there. Gone for now are the days of quiet baby, now are the days of constant movement. Even in the middle of the night, I'll wake up and feel baby moving all around. .

Symptoms: Indigestion. And it sucks. Can't even pinpoint the foods that trigger it.

Food cravings/aversions: Everything. But always at random. And it always starts with, "Hey Ed, you know what sounds really good??" Yesterday: 10am -fruit tart. 3pm - key lime pie. 630pm - plain sweet potato. Every day goes like that and of the many ridiculous cravings, I'm doing my best to fulfill only a handful. 

Gender: Strangers are starting to guess the gender based on how I'm carrying... It's amazing how freely those guesses come. 

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Raw oysters and clams. A friend posted an Instagram picture and I stumbled across my pictures from our Seattle trip. Best oysters I've ever had.

What I am looking forward to: Short term? My massage on Wednesday. I miss Laura Marks' massages back home, but this woman comes in close second to knowing how to work my kinks out. Long term? I'd say the holidays again but let me be honest... I'm already singing carols and working on my holiday cards, planning holiday meals and shopping for Christmas presents. I don't think you can 'look forward to something' when you're pretty much forcing it to be reality.

Funny moment of the week: It isn't baby oriented but Ed had a funny incident with the nurse that he mentioned after one of his initial in-home treatments. The nurse was asking Ed some basic set up questions to start and then came to, "Do you have a preferred thermometer?" Ed gave the guy a funny look and said, "oral?" The nurse, clearly meaning something else, gave Ed a similarly funny look in response and said, "Oh. Yes. I have that." 

Labor Signs: nope

Weekly Wisdom: You cannot guess what will or won't be a problem. None of the issues I'm having with this pregnancy are things I anticipated. And the things I anticipated, have been absolutely no problem. Just goes to show, you can try to prepare yourself by reading every book you can lay your hands on, but really, things will happen and you just have to roll with it!  

Milestones: Hmmm no real milestones this week other than reaching the 6 month mark! We're still putting the house together and setting up a new routine here... it's coming together though :)

And because we can't get through another week without an Emilia fix, here's your double dose, because I just couldn't choose!

Ed/Bump Update - Week 23

Great week! Mom is still here visiting and leaves tomorrow. I'll be very, very sad to see her go. We had all kinds of appointments and activities. I'll try to keep this a word light and picture heavy post. You guys don't need to hear me gush about how nice it is to have Mom here :)

View from Mountain Winery in Saratoga

Wine tasting at Sebastiani in Sonoma

Water tasting for me at Gloria Ferrer

The good stuff for these two :)

My "I'm totally relaxed and at ease with city driving" face

On our way to Cliff House for dinner

Ed is getting into the swing of his outpatient rehab and at home treatments. Everything is going well and he's feeling ok. No great noticeable strides at this point, but just having things stabilize and normalize is very nice. He's now playing the role of inspiration for people who are in the low parts of the syndrome at the rehab facility. He's feeling confident that things will keep progressing and is really settling in at home. Even though he's not nearly 100%, it feels like the very hard days are behind us.

I've been swimming more, trying to get some exercise in again. Although, I'm quickly approaching the point where my bathing suit will bust open at the side seams.

Now the bump!

Facetime pic thanks to Ck!

How far along? 23 weeks

How Big Is Baby? A mango? These size comparisons are a little bizarre. My bump app on my iPad says baby is about 11.5 inches... I've never seen a mango that big.

Sleep: Not so hot these days. I'm thinking calling it a love/hate relationship is apt.

Best moment this week: Mom and Ed both getting firm karate chops from the baby :) It's hard to pin down and isn't too frequent but it's amazing when I can get all hands on belly in time. It was hard picking just one best moment of the week though... it was really wonderful.

Movement: More noticeable and stronger. Baby takes long breaks but then delivers nice strong whacks or kicks right to my belly button area. I love it.

Symptoms: Crazy cravings? Emotional? Nothing unusual here :)

Food cravings/aversions: Seafood? My memory seems to be shot so this kind of interferes with this. Every time I open the cabinet and see my cans of smoked oysters I exclaim how good that sounds! But with the memory of a goldfish, I'll turn away from the cabinet and immediately forget that's what I wanted to eat. But let's be honest, I crave pretty much everything when the idea crosses my mind... pad thai, curry, mt tam cheese from cowgirl creamery, broccoli, pizza.... I'm covering the board really. 

Gender: How interesting are these graphics of baby names! 

Six Decades of Boys Names

Six Decades of Girls Names

If you click through on the links the graphic displays the names changing through the years until 2012.

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Hmmm I suppose wine still. But it was amazing how satisfying it was, just smelling the wines.

What I am looking forward to: Still the holidays. After such a nice long visit with Mom I'll be very sad to have her leave... can't wait to come see our family and friends! Maybe more short term I'm looking forward to planning something for Thanksgiving. Let the turkey and cranberry sauce cravings begin!

Funny moment of the week: Realizing that in the not too distant future, I will be able to do this: 

Labor Signs: nope

Weekly Wisdom: Wiggle your toes and breathe. I've been doing the driving these days and I'm a skiddish driver for sure. Trying to take deep breaths and just relax and not get all wound up is a good exercise, every day.  Doesn't help anyone to be tense and anxious.  

Milestones: Our first group prenatal check up was this past week. We were the youngest people there but thankfully not the only first timers. It's really nice having other expectant parents to talk to and to have as guides. And we bought our tickets to come home for Christmas! Yay! :)

And my favorite Emilia picture of the week :)

Ed/Bump Update - Week 22

Much less to report this week, but that by no means speaks to the awesomeness of this week. Mom is visiting, we finished our move, we've unpacked and set up our home, and Ed starts his new series of outpatient treatments and therapies today! He's doing OK, about the same, no progress since he's come home, more of a holding pattern. Nothing is worse though, thank goodness. We're both interested to see how this new routine develops, and happy to not have it put off any further for fear of any additional relapses. From here on out I think we both expect things to level out, so there will be shorter updates about Ed's condition unless anything new pops up. He is eternally grateful for all the support and kind words... it's all still such an adjustment, but everyone's kindness has made it much, much easier. 

The new place is fantastic. Much more room and much more functional for Ed and myself. It gets the most wonderful afternoon sun - I wish I had taken pictures of that but we'll have to settle for the rush job I did with pictures this morning. I've been swimming almost everyday in the pool here. They have a lap lane set up which I adore, and it's been nice to get some exercise again. I've essentially done nothing since I found out I was pregnant, in part because there was no time because Ed got sick immediately and also because I can be pretty darn lazy. Anyways, it's great here. Still have to clean up the old place and turn in our keys... I'll miss being so close to psycho donuts, downtown Campbell, my prenatal yoga/massage/birthing class place... but that's ok. They're not that far of a drive at all.

Mom showing off at my request

Having mom around is always wonderful, decorating and rearranging things, cooking up a storm. I do feel like my thinking is a bit more muddled lately so she and Ed are keeping me on the straight and narrow with plans and projects. Though they do indulge me sometimes, check out these cabinet doors we scored at Ikea! We're gonna paint them my favorite intense red and hang them in the nursery. Wouldn't it be cute if they framed some wall decal like window shutters? 

Mom got to meet our midwife too, which I feel really good about because Mom will essentially be our doula on the big day of baby's birth.

I wrote a ton last week so that's enough for this week. Here are some pictures of our place!

Our new Salvation Army couch, really quite the steal.

You may have noticed these guys on the couch. My first toys for the baby! Baby may be terrified of them but I kiiiiiinda love them.

Living room is still coming together... that pile of DVDs will end up on an Ikea Lack shelf, that looks just like the bookshelves, on the wall above the TV.

Also a work in progress, but coming together!

Another Ikea steal. What can I say? I love birch effect wood and lingonberries. Couldn't resist!

Kitchen is a bit smaller but we're making it work

The cats playing bed warmers on the extended futon in the guest room.

The start of the nursery! I know it's a little all over the place, but you can kinda see the bones. I love those primary colors and crazy prints. Saying I shun pastels is an understatement.

Partial shot of our patio set up, way more room for growing things and even spending some time outside. I see a grill in our future!

And now, the all important baby update time!

How far along? 22 weeks

How Big Is Baby? A spaghetti squash (I have one on my counter currently and that seems enormous to me)

Sleep: Getting more regular... nothing unusual here these days.

Best moment this week: Having our big '20 week' check up at the Dr.'s! Everything is progressing normally. And baby is moving all about, doing it's thing.

Movement: While I felt movement the other day, it's been quieter since then. I can't wait for the days when baby is karate chopping me in the ribs. I can still feel the squirming, but I like the punches and kicks much better at this point. Ed even got to feel a little fluttering, but I think he'll really enjoy the movement in a few weeks.

Symptoms: Low blood pressure apparently? Who knew! I always thought pregnancy did the opposite to you but I guess not. I get a little dizzy, but no where near as much as I did in the first couple months. 

Food cravings/aversions: Chocolate milkshakes. I realized I've actually been craving these pretty frequently this pregnancy but it's hard to say if it's more frequent than my usual ice cream cravings. Bring on the frosties!

Gender: No confirmation from the Dr appt unfortunately. My uncle keeps asking if we're going to name the baby Tom or Tomissina... we'll take them both under consideration :)

Belly Button in or out? In.

What I miss: Wine. This week I'm missing wine really hardcore. Mom and Ed had a bottle of barbera that I wanted to wrestle from them. Smelled so delicious. I may or may not breathe heavily over Ed's glasses of wine or bottles of beer...

What I am looking forward to: Everything progressing like so, and once again, Christmas! I know, I shouldn't rush the seasons, but it's hard not to when the decorations are up at stores and even IKEA is in on it. I caved when I saw these adorable mushroom ornaments that fit with my rustic Christmas preferences:

Funny moment of the week: Our first outing to our new grocery store we were waiting in line. The cashier asked Ed what happened to him and told Ed to 'make it a good story.' So Ed went into detail about how he chased down and fought off some guys pursuing me, to protect my honor. He's a good one, that man. :)

Labor Signs: Ha.

Weekly Wisdom: I said it last week so this may be a cop out, but once again, people can be amazing. I don't know what we would have done without all of Ed's coworkers helping us move and without family to help us pack and then set up our home. I personally don't think it lessens a thank you if you say it multiple times, so once again. Thank you all!  

Milestones: Seeing our little human looking like a real little human and less like a goofy bean, and setting up our new home. Such a comforting time.

Ed/Bump Update - Week 20

Things are great! Life is chugging along. Ed is doing fantastic, and is actually being released early! Early as in, tomorrow! As always, I have to add in the caveat that he still has a long road in front of him, but it's amazing to see him do something as simple as put his ankle on top of his opposite knee while seated. I'm sure you wouldn't think anything of doing that as you're reading this, but it's huge for Ed. For him it means being able to merely put on his socks and shoes. He will be continuing treatment and rehab via an outpatient set up. I can't wait to have him home. He hasn't been home since August 7th. He hasn't had a haircut or a good night's sleep in his own bed or a cuddle with the cats or simply unsupervised time since August 7th. Blows my mind when I think about it. His birthday is this Saturday and we are attempting to plan an evening out to celebrate. Haven't had one of those since... July? Before he left for China? So, goes without saying, we're both very excited.

I've started packing up the apartment and I allllllmost forgot how unfun packing can be. Especially now, I can hardly lift anything. I don't necessarily believe I can't lift because I'm pregnant, but I am suffering from some terrible hang up in my spine that makes it really difficult to do much. I'm fantasizing about decorating our new place, conveniently ignoring the whole having to actually move-in part that comes first. The therapists asked Ed what I was up to a couple days ago and he said I was, 'probably visualizing packing.' He may or may not have been correct... :)

Life is appointment after appointment lately! I can't complain too much because they are mostly for lovely things like prenatal yoga, prenatal massages, seeing the Dr. to check on the baby, etc. But it is a little overwhelming how everything is so scheduled all of a sudden. Maybe it's training for future school days and playing taxi for the kids? Today I'm checking out a chiropractor, and after Ed comes home tomorrow we'll be adding in his schedule of treatments and rehab. We're also meeting with some doulas and a midwife and looking into childbirth prep classes. Life is really picking up and I am completely ready for a new routine that involves Ed feeling better and no more hospitals or in-patient rehabs!

So to recap, things are really good and there will be more and more to talk about from this point on - hopefully continuing on this whole 'good' streak!

How far along? 20 Weeks... halfway already?! Where did the first half of this adventure go? 

How Big Is Baby? A banana

Sleep: Been very nice lately. I've been 'back of my mind' worrying about the move, and mostly focused on the excitement of Ed coming home. That definitely helps me sleep easier. Plus the evenings are getting colder and everyone knows how I love the cold. I even broke out my flannel sheets!

Best moment this week:  Finding out Ed would be coming home early. 

Movement: Fluttering? Maybe? It's pretty hard to tell. Nothing that makes me feel comforted so I'm still being a worrywart in this area. 

Symptoms: My body is liking nothing I eat. At all. It all tastes good and then it all goes to hell. I won't go into specifics but it runs the gamut and it's REALLY annoying. I wouldn't say I had a stomach of steel before, in fact, Ed would probably say I've always been a sensitive eater... but this is ridiculous. 

Food cravings/aversions: Sweets. But also, craving food that makes my body happy. I don't know what that is yet, but I'm looking. Weight wise, I think I'm finally on track so I can start to eat like a normal human again. Adding in some fish again. I can't believe I was eating it once a week before the baby and now I haven't had much of anything in months.

Gender: tbd

Belly Button in or out? In and maintaining it's state of flatness. It's kinda weird, this is the flattest that part of my stomach has ever been!

What I miss: Being able to just 'do' things. Whether it's lifting boxes, running, eating whatever the hell I want, etc. Lately, I've missed lacing up and going for a run. I'm trying to find the motivation to go walk, but it's so much less exhilarating than running... even if my pace is about equal for both :-P

What I am looking forward to: Looking more and more pregnant and hopefully feeling this little alien punch and kick it's way into my awareness. I know everyone ends up complaining about it at the end of the pregnancy but, I'm pretty excited to get there.

Funny moment of the week: This is two part... 
1. Realizing I'm already making grunting noises when I try to move myself around. I've had some rough back pain so that makes my movements much slower and stiffer even though I'm not all that big yet. I sound much further along than I am... poor Ed, little does he know how hard sleeping will be with my laborious turning from side to side. 
2. Most of the nurses know I'm expecting and have started calling the baby 'their little rehab baby.' This past weekend one of them came by with extra cartons of milk to 'feed the baby.' It's very sweet. One nurse missed the memo though and after a recent overnight stay with Ed at rehab (they set up a cot next to his bed), she went up and asked him if I was pregnant. He said, 'yes.' She seemed surprised and asked, 'But she stayed here last night?' And Ed replied, 'Well, it didn't happen last night I swear!' She laughed and said 'well, I know that!' :) They're all very lovely people and have made for some very interesting times.

Labor Signs: Ha.

Weekly Wisdom: Take the good things when they come, even when it may be a lot or quick or what have you... just enjoy the good things.  

Milestones: This surreal halfway point and Ed coming home!!!! So exciting :)

Ed/Bump Update - Week 18

Man, where the heck did the summer go? October already? Feels like there's been no breather at all since July. Ed's birthday is just around the corner and we're in the thick of my favorite part of the year. I love all the fall foods, Halloween, scary movies, Winchester Fright Nights, cider, and of course the cold, cold weather. 

It was a wonderful visit to Colorado. Everyone is doing so well. Emilia is wonderful and Carolyne and Joe are doing an amazing job. I know I keep saying that, but it's really true. And I'm sure parents never hear that enough from people. I can only imagine the self-doubt that creeps in when it comes to raising a good human, and I just want them to know how great they're doing. It's beautiful out there. The mountains, huge open spaces, and I had no idea how adorable all the houses were in the downtown area. It was a great visit and I can't believe it ended so quickly. I know Ed would have loved to be there.

Speaking of Ed, let's do our little update. He is still at rehab - which is a big 'little victory.' At this point in the past we've been forced to send him back to the hospital for relapse treatments so we're hoping we've turned a corner here. He's learning how to manage in his new state. Rehab is not necessarily a place where he's going to 'recover' his abilities, it's more a place for him to figure out how to function as he is now, while his body takes it's time coming back. He did spend a cumulative 10 mins on his feet yesterday, so, little victories! He's on a new weekly treatment and we're hoping that this change of plan is what he needs to start stabilizing instead of the roller coaster he's been on. According to my little baby tracker app, the baby is forming it's myelin sheaths over it's nerves, which is exactly what Ed is doing these days. I think it's kinda funny that Ed and the baby are working on something together. My pregnancy brain thinks it's sweet they're connected.

Now for baby news...

(I'll post a picture once I get something together for the day, probably around noon PST)

How far along? 18 Weeks

How Big Is Baby? A bell pepper

Sleep: So nice now that I've built myself a full body pillow fort. 6 regular pillows and a big body pillow really do the trick. Wonder where Ed will squeeze in when he comes home.... :)

Best moment this week: Sitting around having dinner with the family, watching movies and just hanging around. I miss the big family gatherings we had on the east coast and doing so in Colorado really felt so wonderfully familiar and comforting. 

Movement: Still poking around to feel for anything. I thought I felt something when I was laying on my belly for a moment but I haven't felt anything since. 

Symptoms: Battling the dragon, but this week seems to be more of a weepy dragon than a fire breathing dragon. 

Food cravings/aversions: Savory food. Ck pointed out I seemed to be mentioning pizza a lot lately. Aversions? Heavily sugared things.

Gender: tbd

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Certainty about the future, about day to day activities... At least, the semblance of certainty. 

What I am looking forward to: I keep sayin' it, but, I'm still looking forward to looking pregnant. I'm only up 7 lbs so far. Gotta eat more baconators like Lolo Jones!  

Funny moment of the week: Witnessing my first poop explosion. It was much more hilarious and much less disgusting than I thought it would be. Carolyne and I were laughing so hard we cried. Thanks Emilia! :)

Labor Signs: Ha.

Weekly Wisdom: Having a mentor, someone going through something first, really helps to soothe the nerves. Thanks for volunteering to be that Ck. I really feel like we can do this whole 'raising a good human' thing after seeing how great she and Joe were with Emilia. 

Milestones: Hitting a new weight range. Protein shakes are my friend! Makes me feel like the baby is finally hitting it's stride growth wise.

P.S. This is making my DAY right now:

I've got a cute, goofy little niece huh? :) 

Ed/Bump Update Week 16

Whoops, sorry for the delay. I had most of this written and then forgot to post it. Yesterday kind of got away from me...

So, not great news this week. Ed had another set back and is back at Stanford Hospital receiving IVIG treatments. We still don't know why he has these waxing and waning symptoms, and the doctors don't seem to have a great idea either. All he can do as the patient is get through the treatments and hope that one of these times they stick. They may set up a schedule of treatments that gets Ed through so he can recover. There's a lot of speculation about what is going on. Ed is doing his best to keep up good spirits about it but he's pretty frustrated as you can imagine. He's ready to be better and able again.

Symptom wise, he's lost a lot of the gains he made with the plasmapheresis and we've also lost function of both sides of his face now so his speech is a little garbled. All in the course of maybe 3 days. He's pretty skinny. One of the tie ins with GBS is an increased metabolism apparently.

The IVIG really helped his face before, unlike the plasmapheresis, so fingers crossed that comes about again.

I want to reiterate to everyone that Ed will be ok. We're in the weeds now, but the prognosis is still really good and he will come around. He will walk, climb stairs, regain his facial expressions... That's what all the Dr's say, all the websites, and all the papers... Right now it's just about having faith in his body, the treatments, and waiting out this roller coaster ride. Please keep reaching out and remember, you don't have to talk about his health, just hearing about what you are up to helps to take his mind off things. Being back in the hospital is no fun and he doesn't have physical therapy to break up the day. So if you have a moment during your day and, a random thought pops into your head, reach out to him. :)

On my end, I'm holding up ok aside from a killer cold that crept in right as my mom left to see my sister on Monday. Nothing dire, normal cold stuff (nose, head, throat) and low grade fever, just supremely inconvenient and uncomfortable as you can imagine. I'm glad my favorite shows are finally starting up. I've been needing some laughter and distraction in TV and good music - thank goodness for Spotify.

My 16 week appt at the Dr's went well. Baby's heartbeat is strong and I'm on the right track. Still have homework to eat more and try to get and stay well, but truly, all is ok. All is good in babyland. I'll try to get a picture inserted here later, but odds are I won't have a good one until I go visit Ck in CO this weekend and she or mom can snap one. I'm pretty excited for my niece to get here so I can start teaching her to sing asap :)

I'm longing desperately for the holidays. Maybe it's all the pumpkin-food talk or just missing friends and family, but I just wish it were holiday season.

Now for the bump update figures....

How far along? 16 Weeks

How Big Is Baby? An avocado

Sleep: Amazingly, it's the one thing that soothes my occasional back pain so I'm getting as much of this as I can.

Best moment this week: Bustin' out the maternity jeans I bought and having the Dr. say that I gained a little weight. Finally!

Movement: Still too tiny. 

Symptoms: Back pain right around my hips.

Food cravings/aversions: Apparently, for the first time ever in my life, stress makes me not want to eat. So my aversion? All food - when I'm stressed out. Of course I'm still eating, Dr's orders, but boy is it hard when nothing sounds good. 

Gender: tbd

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Beer I suppose! And wine. The other night was filet mignon for dinner - cooked 'well' which breaks my heart (normally I like it mooing). Had that with a nice glass of orange juice. Travesty.

What I am looking forward to: Looking pregnant. Right now I just feel silly telling people I'm expecting and they immediately look at my 'beer belly.'

Funny moment of the week: Mom going to BuyBuyBaby with me and after walking around for a moment, deciding she could just leave the job of picking things out to Carolyne. I completely agree. Ck you have your marching orders :)

Labor Signs: Ha.

Weekly Wisdom: Be grateful for what you have because it can all change so quickly. And when they do, try to just roll with the change. No expectations, just be present. 

Milestones: Breaking in the maternity jeans and stepping into a Buy Buy Baby for the first time. Talk about overwhelming and a reality check. 700 dollar strollers? No thank you, I'm not insane. I miss my doing my wedding registry, when it was a question of what pan makes the crispiest loaf of bread - not car seats, you know, things that directly decide the life or death of a tiny human.

Ed/Bump Update - Week 15

It was an exciting week! Mom flew in again and is here supporting the troop. Ed was moved up to Stanford for a second opinion. He's feeling so much stronger and looking happier, fidgeting around as much as he can. This last round of treatments have had a big impact. We're really looking forward to the next steps: moving back to rehab for a few weeks and then moving him back to home and continuing on the path to recovery. Please keep reaching out to him, it really helps keep him connected to life outside of the hospital. The best thing this week? Ed stood up! Without assistance or holding on to a walker or wheelchair! So wonderful. It's the first time he's stood on his own since August 7th. This process is slow, but it is thrilling when we get to those milestone moments. 

Now for a bump update!

How far along? 15 Weeks

How Big Is Baby? A navel orange

Sleep: Crazy. Crazy. Dreams. Living in the Great Depression. Plagues. Being in high school again. Aliens. Winter in Russia. Though I did have one featuring Alexander Skarsgard that is welcome to return!

Best moment this week: Mom coming in for a second visit :) 

Movement: Still too tiny. 

Symptoms: Increased hunger and fatigue. Everything else seems about normal.

Food cravings/aversions: Still feelin' the orange situation. Aversions? Chinese food... namely stir fry. Everytime I hear the word it makes me a little queasy. 

Gender: tbd

Belly Button in or out? In

What I miss: Sushi. Namely saba. I could really go for about 20 pieces of that right now.

What I am looking forward to: Feeling the baby and starting to look like a pregnant lady. I'm ready for that belly!

Funny moment of the week: Mom and I were riding in the elevator in Stanford's hospital and I noticed the permit had one section circled in red. It read: "Expiration Date: 4/15/12" or something close. I laughed and told mom. Immediately, the elevator started to shake violently. We stopped laughing and haven't taken the elevator there since. Best not to tempt fate. 

Labor Signs: Ha.

Weekly Wisdom: Once again, try to release expectation. Things will happen as they are meant to happen, worrying about it doesn't help anything.

Milestones: Ed standing :) That is enormous. Also, while I do not look or feel pregnant, I can no longer wear my 'skinny Carly' jeans without the assistance of a rubber band. :)

And now for some pictures of mom's visit so y'all can be envious of her new retired life. (Some of these are from her previous visit that I've just recently yoinked from her phone):

Sad pregnant lady sitting out the fun at the beer garden.

Mom 'enjoying' our brisk salt water pool

A little preview of how I'm styling the nursery.... Swedish explosion! (EDIT: This is not the nursery, this is the Ikea display room with a crib in it that inspired my nursery)

What is a trip to Ikea without some meatballs!

Visiting Half Moon Bay. Had to get mom some beach time!

Notice all the fog rolling in... really took over!

Fog dancer :)

Celebrating the first official day of Mom's retired life! Champagne was absolutely necessary.

Visiting Ed at Stanford, playing in the trees!