'Tis the season

For cookies! (And cake pops...and gooey butter cake...and pumpkin pancakes with homemade whipped cream...) Mmmmmm!

It started snowing last night, thankfully after I made it home from work.  But by the time the Russian walked in, he had a light covering of snow on his jacket.

Today we awoke to more of the white powder.  It's been coming down, sometimes lazily, sometimes with determination, all day.  It's the quintessential winter afternoon for me.

And I just can't help myself.

I want - no, scratch that - I need cookies.  The ultimate comfort food in my book.  Ooey, gooey, scrumptious, warm cookies (maybe with a side of hot chocolate).  Yes, this is what today calls for.  I even ventured to the store for the eggs we ran out of.

The main problem is this - cake batter.  It somehow finds its way onto beaters and fingers.  My first inclination is to lick it off like I have for years.  (Would you expect anything less from the queen of sweets?)  But about halfway to my mouth, I remember I'm pregnant and the raw egg is a big no-no.

With a sad sigh, I keep washing fingers off in the sink, bidding farewell to small bits of deliciousness.  But now I finally have this:

Oops.  Looks like I broke one...or is that two?  Quality control time!  I'll settle for a side of regular milk for taste testing.  Maybe the hot chocolate will come out when the Russian gets home.

(The other problem with cookies and pregnancy...I grab one and walk away, forgetting to put the next sheet of cookies into the oven. It might take me a while to actually bake them all.)

(And before someone gives me a lecture on how I should be healthier during pregnancy, well, these are whole wheat cookies, so that's something, right?)

Gender results

Results are in!  Baby did cooperate for the ultrasound, which means the inside of the cake pops was not yellow or green.

(It also means that I went out shopping for clothes!  And found some really cute outfits, it was so hard to just choose one...well, technically, I got two, because there was a buy one get one half off sale.  I struggled not to buy another three outfits.)

Cake pops have been dispersed.  Well, most of them were.  The Russian ate a lot of them before they could be given away.  Every time I turned around, there would be another two (or 5) empty sticks creating a pile on the counter.

I've heard back from those who received cake pops in the mail, so it's now time for the moment of truth.  If you don't know, make your guess now before you scroll down...

It's a girl!

(And I found the cutest little blue outfit with monkeys - perfect - that I wanted to buy!  But it said "Auntie's Favorite," so  I couldn't buy it.  It also happens to be the only blue girls' outfit that I've seen!)

Cake pops and ultrasounds

Bright and early this morning was 18 week ultrasound day.  Dutifully, the Russian arose early to accompany me to the doctor's office.

Among the anatomy and measurements, pictures were taken.  Baby didn't want to be bothered by us, and had it's hands up by the ears.  (Maybe to tune us out?)  Baby also chose to face away from us for most of the scan...but here's the best face picture we could get.

See the elbows sticking out?

We also chose to find out the gender.  Baby cooperated in that regard, at least.  I know I could just tell you all, but I can't resist the urge to make cake pops.  (Or go shopping*.  Do you know how hard it is not to buy everything in the baby section?)

Using the cake pop maker I received from my fantastic sister for the wedding, sadly, no frosting was required.  (Sorry all of you who like the frosting/cake mix.)

Mmmm, tasty.  I'll post results in a few days for those who are too far away to get one.  If you want to know earlier, come grab one or three from me. :)

So what's your guess as to what we're having?  Think we're having a boy?  A girl?  For the very limited number of people who know the answer, don't give it away!

*The cutest outfit at Target is a little white bag-like coat-ish contraption** with a little brown bear and the words "snow cute."  Even the Russian told me it was adorable.  Anyone know what the little slits are for that go through the front and back?  It's like the perfect size to shove your hand in...but that seems a bit awkward...

**Unfortunately, it's gender neutral, so I didn't buy it, though now I'm tempted to go back...

Ever had a stomach massage?

Massage chairs.  Wonderful, luxurious massages.  I think I may have to get me one.  Arguably my favorite part of shopping at Bed Bath and Beyond is taking a break in the demo chairs.  Thankfully, I had a few minutes to spare while waiting for the Russian and settled into a chair.

About 30 seconds into my massage, I had the strange sensation of an echoing feeling in my stomach.  At first, I startle.  Then laugh.  Apparently baby likes the sensation and decided to extend it to my abdomen.  I'll take it (although it is really odd to feel pulses on both sides of my body).

The Russian returns and we try out all the demo chairs.  (Gotta know which one is the best in case one of the chairs is on a great sale or it's shortly deemed necessary.)

"Must be a girl," is the response from the Russian after hearing what happened.  Of course it is, if she likes massages.

Too bad we don't know yet.  Hopefully that's coming soon. (Very soon.)

The Pillow Saga, pt. 3

Sleeping with the body pillows worked for a while, but slowly I began to notice the back pain creeping back into my body.  Maybe I just don't know how to sleep with the pillows appropriately.  I don't know.

Needless to say, I needed to come up with a new solution.  Even having two body pillows wasn't fixing the issue.  Yes, I could simply roll over and use the a pillow on each side.  (No more stuck under my pillow wake-ups.) But the backaches were persisting.

I did happen to read online about sleeping in a recliner.  Well, well, well, what an idea.

The Russian and I found a great local sale on furniture and figured worst case scenario was that I could rock the baby and sleep during late-night feedings.  That alone makes buying a recliner worth it, right?

So we bought a recliner that takes up approximately half of what will be the nursery.  I don't care - we'll figure something out.  At least the chair matches the soon-to-be thematic decor of the room.

Last night, after the 4th straight morning of back pain, I decided to bid the Russian farewell and take up residence in the recliner.  Let's just see how this works.  I snuggled into pillows and blankets the Russian was kind enough to bring to me.  It's kind of odd falling asleep not completely laying down, but after a few minutes, it doesn't seem to matter.

My night haven

My night was filled will strange dreams about a family painting contest and matching the artist to their work.  The garbage truck came at too early an hour, and barely registered in a hazy almost-awake state.  I heard the alarm go off in the other room, yet I could not force my eyes open.

Finally, I woke this morning with no back pain.  None.  Not a twinge.  Victory at last!  Hopefully, this will last throughout the rest of the pregnancy.

(I might not sleep with the Russian again for the next 6 months.  Granted, he's not too upset, as I'm not taking up 3/4 of the bed with myself and the pillows...and sleep is a very important necessity.)

The Pillow Saga, pt. 2

After learning that my backaches are indeed pregnancy related (seriously, already?), I decided a body pillow (or two) was exactly what I needed.

A trip to my parents' house cemented the need for a body pillow in my mind.  My brother oh-so-graciously allowed me to claim his unused pillow, but I forgot to pile it into the car for the trip home.

The solution: buy a gigantic pillow as we near the house.  Fantastic!  A pillow, a couple pillowcases...all for less than the cost of a 'maternity' pillow.

Falling asleep with my log isn't a problem.  Unfortunately, I only have one.

This leads to a new problem... waking up flat on my back with the pillow clenched in my arms above me.  I feel like a beetle stuck on its back with no way to flip over.

Apparently, what is happening is that I feel the urge to roll, but the weight of the blankets is too heavy for my sleep-laden appendages.  I guess I do need two pillows.

The Pillow Saga, pt. 1

It started two weeks ago.  I woke up with a backache and a pulling on my side.  At first, I think I just slept too long on one side.  But then it happens again the next night.

I have a sinking suspicion that this is pregnancy related.  But all I can think is: Are you kidding?  I'm 11 weeks along there, 11.  I can't imagine what it will be like when I'm 8 1/2 months along with a ginormous stomach to boot.

Needless to say, by the end of the week, I'm looking into maternity pillows.  Anything "maternity" seems to mean insanely expensive, so this option isn't too thrilling.

Imagine my luck when I take a trip to visit my parents and find out my brother has a body pillow...one he doesn't use.  As we're stealing his room from him while we're in town, I have the opportunity to use said pillow to my heart's content.

As sleep weighs heavy on my eyelids the first night, I crawl into bed.  Laying on my right, I snuggle into my body pillow as the Russian props an extra pillow against my back for support.  Perfect!  This should be a great night's sleep.  I don't even mind as I feel the Russian cuddling the pillow at my back.

I groggily wake up and wrestle my pillows around to face toward the Russian at some point.  (Of course, I can't spend the whole night on one side.)  A few hours later, I wake again and stumble down the hall to relieve myself.  Climbing back in bed, I realize something unfortunate - the Russian has a new best friend.  I go to grab my pillow, but it's cemented in his grasp.

Sleep slowly comes back to me, but I am devoid of my new comfort.  I wake again a few hours later, an ache slowly claiming my back.  That's it.  I grab the body pillow and pull with all my might.  The Russian finally lets go, sighs, and rolls over.

Victory at last!

(That's not to say that I didn't wake up with a backache again from spending half the night without the pillow...)