BREAKING NEWS!

Los Angeles - In a stunning turn of events, Jamie and Jonathan have had a change of heart and decided they will learn the McNugget's sex. They arrived at this decision for a number of reasons and while they were looking forward to the surprise on July 14th, they think they are making the right choice.
No matter what they learn about the McNugget, they will certainly keep referring to him/her as "the McNugget" until he/she is born and receives a new name.
This story is still developing. Stay tuned for more updates. . .

More cute nephew reaction to the "baby in my belly"

Asher - "Jamie the baby is cooking in your belly, right? When I can see the baby I am going to feed it and tell everyone to shh! because the baby is sleeping." "I think it's a baby girl."

Zachary - "I think it's a baby boy. I want it to be a boy like me." Later on: "I think it's going to be a bunny-rabbit baby."

Week 20 update: half-way home!

Today I am 20 weeks pregnant which means I am exactly in the middle of this whole process. I can hardly believe that tomorrow I will be closer to the day I deliver than I will be to the day I wasn't even pregnant yet.

Here are some vital stats about the McNugget as we round this corner in the journey:

• Current weight: about 10.5 ounces
• Current length: about 6.5 inches long or roughly the size of a banana (wow!)
• Current mom-to-be craving: a warm baked potato with butter, sour cream and chives. This is interesting to me because until recently I hated sour cream.
• Current cute 3-year old nephew reaction to the news: Asher - "Is there a baby in your belly?" Me - "Yes." Asher - "Take care of that baby in your belly. Zach - "If there is a baby in your belly, why can't I see it?" Me - "It's still cooking, like in an oven." Zach - "oh, OK."
  

On Thursday Jonathan and I will get another sneak peek at the McNugget at our 20-week ultrasound. The neo-natologist will take a look at the McNug's development and let us know whether things are A-OK in there.

Is that a baby in your belly or did you just have a really big meal?

There is no getting around it; I have a real baby bump that I can no longer hide under a bulky sweater or coat.

However, I noticed on Saturday night that after a big meal, my bump seemed even bigger for the next few hours. I suppose this happens to most non-pregnant people after a big meal but it's funnier when you are already carrying almost a pound of baby plus extra fluids and other fetal "stuff" around your middle. It gave me a taste of what I imagine I will look like in a few more weeks. Thank goodness I was wearing a loose fitting dress.

Week 19.5 update

I forgot to mention a new pregnancy "side effect" I've discovered this week: acid reflux (also called heartburn, indigestion, etc). I've never suffered from it before and it's pretty awful. I will spare you the details.

Also, there was a request for "obsessive blogging about food cravings." I'll do my best. Here's what I can tell you for now:

My cravings have calmed down lately. And, they've changed their strategy. Instead of craving random foods I might not have eaten in a while, I now get obsessed with certain foods I've eaten recently. It all started with some Trader Joe's pita chips. I had them at a party a few weeks ago and then HAD TO HAVE THEM. Since Jonathan believes in a policy of "GET IT WHAT IT WANTS," we stocked up. I went through 4 bags in 2 weeks before settling down.

Last night, a new craving set in for Trader Joe's vegetarian egg rolls (what is it with me and that store?!). I had two for dinner last night and woke up at 4AM today (partially due to jetlag) and HAD to have another one. The craving was so strong that I had to stop off at Trader Joe's this morning to get some more to have for lunch today. While I was there, I of course picked up another bag of Pita chips (old cravings die hard). I'd like to think I'm done with the egg rolls for now but writing this only makes me hungry for more! When will this end?

Also related to food cravings, I dream about some foods these days. I remember two different dreams about ice cream while in Argentina. And now I am missing the ice cream in Argentina. Maybe I should stop writing about food. . .

Jamie's Newest Accessory

We are back from our amazing trip and in addition to Jamie's new jeans, she is also sporting a new pillow. After complaints of discomfort sleeping on a very stiff Argentine mattress, she came home to a surprise Snoogle waiting on our bed (I wish I could take credit for the surprise, but it's all Joan Rubin!)

Needless to say, I'm delighted that Jamie is sleeping better and she really does look adorable curling up each night with the big snakelike pillow. An added bonus of this new accessory: we find ourselves constantly yelling the silly name "SNOOOOOG-EL" around the house. I assure you this is much funnier in person, or perhaps it's really only funny to Jamie and me. . .

Also, it appears that we can save this important accessory for our old age. Granny looks pretty happy hanging out in the donut...

Many thanks to Snoogle for bringing peaceful slumber into our home!

-Jonathan

Mom Jeans

A few weeks ago a new friend revealed she was jealous of my pregnancy because it meant that I got to wear maternity jeans. She longed for the days of chowing down on a huge meal in elastic waist pants, or easily slipping on a pair of skinny jeans without having to stuff herself into an unforgiving zipper or buttons.

Unfortunately, I must deliver some harsh truth: maternity jeans are nothing special.

First and foremost I should concede that this is a completely biased report as I only own one pair of maternity jeans which I am wearing today for the first time; but I am willing to bet they are all about the same.

Those of you who know me well know I am not a huge jeans person. In part, I don't wear them often because I prefer the fun of black pants or skirts or even denim skirts to boring jeans but another big reason is the cost. I don't really like plain Gap jeans but I can not bring myself to spend upwards of two or three hundred dollars on the designer brands which I do enjoy. I just haven't been able to spend so much on a single item that is supposed to make me look relaxed. Who can be relaxed at that price?

But, like lots of you have before or will after me, I fell for the maternity jeans myth and got a pair hoping for the best. And, I don't own just any pair; I actually bought a designer brand (Paige Premium Denim for those of you who care). My friend Nancy who is an amazing dresser owns the same pair in a non-maternity style so I figured I couldn't go wrong with my own set. Also, they were on super duper clearance as the Liz Lange Maternity store in Beverly Hills is going out of business (again, for those of you who care, this is a great place to grab some deals) and, the decision was made a lot easier given the fact that my mom was paying.

So today I am trying out my materno jeans and I am so disappointed. The elastic band at the waist is supposed to sit below your bump and while this works while you're getting dressed at home, by the time I sat down and walked around my office for a few minutes this morning, my pants were falling off of me. Thank goodness I had the foresight to wear a long top or I'd be mooning the entire office each time I went to pick something up off of the printer. I took several bathroom breaks before lunch to pull them back up and when I did, they were fine for a bit, they're actually quite flattering if I do say so myself, but they just wouldn't stay put. They are simply too low for this prego to go.

Also, an important thing to note for you non-pregnant ladies who are dreaming of swimming in your jeans once you get here: maternity jeans are not actually bigger jeans. You buy the same size jeans you always did, the only difference is the top of the pant is replaced by an elastic band. You don't get any more wiggle room in the thigh or hip area. So, they might make Thanksgiving dinner a little bit easier but don't fool yourself, these are no sweat pants.

My only hope is that maybe one day my bump will be big enough that it will hold the elastic band up keeping the jeans up with it. Until then, it's back to the tried and true black pants routine.

Week 19 update

The most important week 19 update: the McNugget survived his/her first international trip. Jonathan and I arrived home from South America yesterday and I had a check-up with my doctor today. The McNugget's heart is still beating strong and fast. We'll get another look at him/her next week at the 20-week ultrasound. We haven't seen him/her since January so we're looking forward to some changes.

For those of you keeping score, the McNugget is now around 8 and a half ounces, about the size of a large heirloom tomato. I missed the week 18 update as we were somewhere on the border of Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay at the time but during that week, the McNugget was a mere bell pepper.

We'll add more once we get over jet lag and everything else we need to catch up on. Thanks for reading!!

The pitter patter of little feet

Over the last week or so, I was pretty sure I could feel the McNugget kicking me once or twice. Last night, I knew for sure it was trying to make contact (or, more likely, just stretching its legs) for about 45 minutes or so.

Sadly, it was kind of painful! I'm glad to know the McNugget is growing and maturing but I'm a little nervous about what the next few months are going to feel like.

Who knew?

I knew about a few of the quirky things pregnant women encounter before entering into this experience myself (odd food cravings, nauseau, etc) but have recently discovered a few surprises along the way. Here are things I didn't know I would deal with but are apparently pretty common "side effects" (for lack of a better term) to pregnancy:

• Shortness of breath. I get out of breath doing rather mundane things. Sometimes even just talking really fast for long periods of time can do it.
• Stuffiness. I sneeze and have to blow my nose all the time. Am I allergic to the McNugget?
• Extreme fatigue. I thought this was a phase pregnant women experienced for a week or two. I have found myself ready for bed by 9PM most nights for at least the last two months.
  
• Occasional dizziness. Pregnancy sure is one wild ride!
• Vivid and quirky dreams. So far they are all anxiety filled, which I am told is normal.
  
• Center of gravity shifts. I can't explain this one. It just feels weird to walk around these days.
  

Week 17 Update

Week 17 marks the first week where I really can't wake up forgetting I am pregnant anymore. This is in part because I have the beginnings of a real bump these days, but also because I have the most vivid and upsetting dreams and am often relieved just to wake up.

The McNugget is now 5 ounces which apparently makes it about the size of a turnip. This is not helpful information to me because I can not remember the last time I came across a turnip. Can you?