Sammy

There's another update on Sammy's blog for all of you fans.

Circumcision

To circumcise or not. We've been throwing this question around in the event that Baby P arrives with a penis and have yet to come to a solid answer. After talking to bunches of people of various religious and social backgrounds there doesn't appear to be a side that is jumping out at us.

When we look at circumcising all of the reasons are sort of the 'wrong' reasons. So Baby P will look like Mario, not be assaulted and teased in the locker room and there's always the outdated medical information on UTI's, and a general comfort level.

On the side of not doing it we realize that it's not at all medically necessary, we don't have any religious reasons to go ahead and do it, and not circumcising your child is becoming more and more routine. One article I read showed the breakdown in circumcision rates by region based on 2002 data. 81% circumcised in the Midwest, 69% in the Northeast, 64% in the South, and 33% in the West.

So it's something to think about and it does make for interesting conversation. We haven't decided yet what to do if Baby P is a boy, but we've got 2 months to make up our minds.

The Sweetest Thing

Throughout this pregnancy so far I've craved one thing in particular: watermelon. And, I've really missed and wanted an ice cold dirty martini. Terrribly missed and desperately wanted.

Tonite Mario's office hosted a happy hour at Jillian's in the Vista for staff and significant others. I put on my best 'pregnant lawyer's wife' attire and joined them for a few club soda and cranberry juice mixers. I was doing okay until everyone started ordering fun drinks in sexy martini glasses and then the jealousy set in. I shared my desire for a dirty martini with the group and Ryan offered up his olive soaking at the bottom of his glass.

Talk about heaven. The next martini he ordered came with 3 glorious olives which he also shared. Sharing an olive from a martini glass is quite a sacrifice. Pete, watching this exchange, found my craving quite amusing and proceeded to order a small glass of chilled vodka filled with olives. The waitress returned and I savored all 4 chilled vodka coated olives. He sent her back for an 'olive refill' and won my heart over.

I still look forward to my dirty martini post-baby but tonite took a bit of the edge off and made me a very happy girl.

Sammy Update

I talked with Mom and Stan for a short bit this afternoon and here's what's going on up there.

1. Sammy has a vet appointment Friday afternoon for a check-up and evaluation.
2. He continues to take pain medication and anitbiotics. His puncture wounds from the teeth marks are also treated daily to expedite healing.
3. He still crosses his front paws while walking slowly and has trouble standing.
4. He went on a short walk with Stan today outside.
5. He bit Mom's nose tonite while they were snuggling and playing.
6. He has an appointment with a doggy physical therapist for an initial evaluation on Tuesday.
7. His overall long term progress remains uncertain at this point.

Lots of love and hugs to Sammy in his recovery process!

The Weekend

I'm back in South Carolina after quite the adventure in Buffalo/Boston. Though I delighted in sleeping with the windows open and using a blanket, it is really nice to be home.

After a VERY long ride in the car from Boston we arrived in rural Delevan, NY where Mario's mother and stepfather live. Things were good for about 2 hours and then all hell broke loose when one of the gordon setters attacked Sammy the poodle. Needless to say, many emergency vet visits later, visits to Sammy, and tears it looked as though he would live but we are still unsure about the degree of spinal trauma from the attack. Worrying about Sammy pretty much tempered the rest of the visit and subsequent baby shower.

On Sunday, Aunt Carol, Rena, Junie, and Gina hosted a fabulous shower for Baby P. We enjoyed super food (though no tiny Southern cucumber sandwiches), a real rain shower, and tons of fantastsic gifts. The whole baby thing feels a bit more real as I look at the ever increasing piles of clothes and gear in the baby's room. Baby = Stuff is proving to be very true in our house.

After the shower Mom, Stan, the puppies, and I drove back to Boston. The trip seemed much shorter and Sammy slept most of the way. We were exhausted emotionally and physically from the journey and all crashed on Sunday night.

Yesterday I sorted through our bags of shower treats since a great deal of the shower was a blur. I love all of the soft snuggly gear and the under the crib is great storage spot for now!

32 Weeks

We had another OB visit yesterday. All remains well and on schedule.

Baby's heart rate: 150's
Position: head down, body to the right
Approx. baby weight: 4 lbs.
My BP: 116/72
Weight gain: 3 more lbs!
Hospital Pre-registration: completed
Baby's Pediatrician: unknown
Next visit: 8/10/2005

Nesting?

After hearing about the recent early birth of a friend's child, Mario jumped into high gear for baby preparations! While I was gone in Boston, he arranged contractors to come in and tear apart our house! New tile countertops, light fixtures, roof repairs, refinishing of the hardwoods, and more.

Last night we bought new stainless steel appliances...a stove, range hood, refrigerator, and dishwasher. All to be delivered next week on August 3rd! I'm just not sure how the timing works with that and hosting the baby shower on August 6th. Could be an interesting sight around here...lots of yellow ducks, sawdust, misc appliances, and baby gear.

Don't Try This at Home

I just did a very bad thing.

We have our 32 week prenatal visit this morning and with great optimism I tried on my favorite pre-pregnancy low rise jeans.

Not a good move.

They really don't fit.

Maternity clothes exist for a reason.

Reading

Just Finished:

Dreaming Southern
by: Linda Bruckheimer

Currently Reading (for the book club):

Three Junes
by: Julia Glass

Back in Bean Town

We survived the road trip (sort of) and are back in Boston. More on the Buffalo adventure later tonite. For now you can read Sammy's new blog about his trip to Buffalo and recovery process from serious spinal trauma.

Road Trip

Me.
Baby P.
Mom.
Stan.
Sammy the Poodle.
Genny the Poodle.
Nissan Pathfinder.
DVD player.
No DVD's.
One iPod.
Snack bag.
GPS navigation system.
Dog bed and supplies.
Shower gifts.
Hostess gifts.
2 mini coolers.
2 pillows.
2 blankets.
4 magazines.
1 novel.
497 miles to cover.

Bonding 101

Mom took yesterday off so we could enjoy a 'girls' day downtown. After rising VERY early (my sleep clock is all out of whack) we snacked on scones and planned an adventure of shops, afternoon tea, and wandering.

We never made it to tea because we indulged in a massive lunch of cobb salads at Friday's just before hitting my FAVORITE shop in Boston: Designer Shoes on Newbury Street. It's a shoe botique for 'women who leave a larger footprint' and they specialize in sizes 9.5 -- 15. I felt short and dumpy in the store compared to the 6'7'' french woman who wore a size 13! I get the biggest thrill trying on the floor model shoes in the 'average' size 11...so much fun for a girl with big feet. I ended up with one pair and Mom landed two. I have shoe lust for the perfect black loafers, but they were $199. I fit comfortably in a few pairs of 12's...but I'm hoping/praying/begging that my feet don't grow because of Baby P.

We tried to find nursing bras at the department stores, but the largest size cup they carried was a 'D'. I passed that a few months ago, so I'll keep looking. Macy's did have a great maternity department where I picked up a few things and afterwards we both got free face massages at the Sheshido counter downstairs. The best part of the massage : getting to sit in this super comfortable chair with my feet up for 15 minutes.

When we returned, the three of us (four if you count Baby P) ate at the most wonderful Indian place I've been to since I've been back. REAL Indian food, with tons of spice, at the local Indian market. Entrees started at $4.95 and we stuffed ourselves with all of my favorites. I want to go back Monday nite before heading to S.C. on Tuesday.

For the Record...

I love air conditioning!

Northampton

Tuesday I took a short drive about 100 miles west of Boston to visit Christy in her granola/artsy-fartsy/country town. We took a walking air conditioned tour of the downtown (read this: looking for a/c anywhere we could find it for a bit of relief for me and Baby P) and enjoyed a pretty good Indian dinner.

Later in the evening, after several iced coffees and Slurpees, we met Christy's sweetheart Mike at the Northampton Brewing Company. A bit of chatting later we discovered his fear of flying, beliefs on circumcision, and were treated to a lovely air conditioned ride home.

It's always fun to see friends in their own environments. Loved the little town, next time I'm coming to visit before 6 p.m. so I can enjoy more of the artsy-fartsy element.

Braxton-Hicks

About 3 a.m. this morning I woke up with tons and tons of pain below my belly. The shooting pains lasted about 40-50 seconds each and came about every five minutes for a 1/2 hour. OUCH! These were the 'fake' contractions getting me ready for delivery...much longer though and I was ready to call Mario and wake my parents up for a ride to the doctor or at least some moral support!

Anokhi

Stan dropped me off in front of Anokhi this afternoon in Porter Square. By far my favorite shop in India, I loved the idea of taking a visit at their shop in Cambridge. I wandered around recognizing various patterns and fabrics I already purchased and found quite a few more I'd love to have. The downside? The cost. Tons and tons more. A headscarf in India was about $1-$2. At the Anokhi shop here in Boston, $15 and more. So I just looked. It's almost enough to justify the plane fare back to India!

I took the T up to Harvard Square and wandered for a short bit in a few shops. I got hot quickly and sought refuge in Mom's office a short while later to enjoy A/C, bathrooms, and the water cooler.

Tomorrow I'm off to Northampton to visit Christy...a short jaunt about an hour and half away straight west.

Photos

There are lots of photos posted below and a few more under My Photos in the links section to your right. Happy Browsing. More to come as I spend the next week here in Boston and the weekend in Buffalo for a family Baby Shower!

Deputy Christy and Tracy

Deputy Christy and Tracy
Originally uploaded by scindiagirl.

Tracy and Christy hang out at Jake Ivory's. Also known as our cheif photographers for the weekend events.

31 Weeks

31 Weeks
Originally uploaded by scindiagirl.

Me and Baby P in the kitchen Saturday afternoon. Baby P made lots of movements over the weekend and did very well with the unusual late nites and loud music!

Back at the Table

Back at the Table
Originally uploaded by scindiagirl.

Jen, Emily, and Gwen hold down the fort during the scavenger hunt at Jake Ivory's. Thanks to everyone who brought their digital cameras to assist!

Tim's New Boxers

Tim's New Boxers
Originally uploaded by scindiagirl.

Ready for a night on the town. Tim in handcuffs and tux boxers (courtesy of Tracy)after the Panty/Boxer exchange.

Something Blue?

Something Blue?
Originally uploaded by scindiagirl.

Becky's new blue panties (courtesy of Emily) from the panty/boxer exchange Saturday nite.

Becky's Kisses

Becky's Kisses
Originally uploaded by scindiagirl.

Becky earns double points in the Scavenger Hunt for her 2 for 1 kiss on the cheek.

Kudos to Becky for winning the hunt!

Tim

Tim
Originally uploaded by scindiagirl.

Tim after a few drinks at Jake Ivory's Saturday nite during the Scavenger Hunt. Tim and his deputy Best Man Joe did a great job approaching random strangers for favors all night.

Kiss on the Cheek

Kiss on the Cheek
Originally uploaded by scindiagirl.

Tim and a random bride-to-be at Jake Ivory's Saturday nite.

Bestest Mommy

Joe as the Bestest Mommy.

Boston Reunion

Hooray for reunion weekends! Eight of us from freshman year at William and Mary gathered in Boston for a little Bachelor/Bachelorette fun. We enjoyed a fabulous weekend filled with lots of fun including Joe as the Bestest Mommy, Christy describing firebreath orgasms, Emily exposing the inside secrets of Target, Jen unveiling her website, Becky opening lots-o-panties, and Tim in handcuffs.

We made our breakfasts and dinners in-house, wandered around Davis Square's Artfest on Saturday, and WALKED more than Baby P has walked in a very long time. I think most of us have blisters as battle wounds somewhere on our feet.

Saturday nite we went to Jake Ivory's for a bit of pre-wedding fun. Becky officially kicked Tim's ass in the scavenger hunt by completing all items on the list, including getting a pair of boxers from a random boy at a bar down the street. We all enjoyed the smoke free bar and I even won a free drink as a new VIP member! A few of the list items included:

• Find a $100 bill and photograph.
• Find 5 books of matches.
• Receive one kiss on the cheek and photograph.
• Get some very nice person to buy you a shot.
• Request a Celine Dion song.
• Bachelor: Find a pair of panties.
• Bachelorette: Find a pair of boxers.
• Find someone shorter and taller than you (opp.sex) and photograph.
• Find someone with your name.
• Earn $5.
• Sell 2 condoms.
• Find 3 people with tattoos and photograph.
• Collect 5 business cards with a "good luck" message on the back of the card.
• Steal a shot glass from the bar.
• Have 5 men/women write their philosophy on marriage on napkins.

Other than losing our bachelorette for about 40 minutes close to midnight, the evening was a huge sucess! Random lesson from a cab driver en route to the bar: Using the turn signal is a sign of weakness. Something to think about...

And this morning I awoke to a surprise breakfast and baby shower! Everyone picked out fabulous gender neutral gifts for Baby P and I can't wait to try them out when Baby P pops out! Presents are so much fun and I loved opening all of them.

Thanks to everyone for making the weekend so much fun and special thanks to Mom and Stan for letting us borrow their house and car!

Week 30

Mario and I flew through our 30 week appointment by arriving early, asking to be seen so I could catch my flight, and found out the MD was delayed in surgery. Instead we saw a CNW in record time, did the vitals, and hit the road.

Weight Gain: 2-3 more pounds
Blood Pressure: 128/62
Baby's heart rate: 156 BPM
Next visit: 7-27-2005

I'm starting to miss my waist but continue to have great faith that it too will return one day.

Flying

For some reason my seat last night on the airplane was in First Class! Baby P and I loved the foot rest and big comfy seat...we passed on the wine (why waste a good drink on bad wine?) but snarfed up the cashews.

I'm in Boston now for a few weeks. This weekend we'll have the big freshman William and Mary reunion/Bachelor/Bachelorette party. Should be lots of fun and I know we'll have plenty of kooky photos to share later.

The Best Part

I totally forgot about this babysitting perk: fridge raids.

Remember those? Sitting was totally worth it if they had good fridge stock...I used to babysit weekly for the folks that owned all of the Domino Pizza's in Centreville and Manassas. Lots of good pizza and stuff.

My best finds so far here in Atlanta: Godiva Chocolate and Cheetos.

Nanny 101

Bath for Two: there's lots of giggling and splashing involved in this too. Luckily Stacey warned me to stay out of the bathroom so I wouldn't end up drenched too.

Rainy Day fun: swimsuits, rainboots, lots of rain, and mud puddles. Somehow I'm drenched from the process too, but they seemed to have a good time.

Hungry Hippo

I am the reigning Hungry Hippo Champion!!

Poop

Saturday involved a lot of poop.

1. Monkey Poop. A delicious combination of mini marshmellows and graham cracker pieces dipped in dark chocolate. Served at the island coffee shoppe: Monkey Love.

2. Will's Poop. Mario and I drove to Jacksonville to visit my friend Holly Anna, her baby Will, and the rest of her family. I asked Mario what he learned about babies after spending 5 hours with Will and Co. and he replied 'that a baby can poop 4 times in a 1.5 hour timespan.'

Atlanta

Greetings from a very rainy Atlanta! I'm here visiting and playing nanny for my cousins, Savannah and Brenden for a few days. In the mean time it looks like we'll be doing lots of playing inside due to the torrents of rain (unless we grab our rainboots and umbrellas to stomp in puddles outside!)

I arrived last night from St. Simons and am amazed at how LONG the drive is between Atlanta and SSI. It took me over 5 hours (in part b/c I missed the exit I needed while talking on the phone), but still, it makes Columbia look like a driving cake walk.

Enjoyed my week on St. Simons but got lonely there too. It's much more fun when there are people around to hang out with to explore the island. On the upside, I did enjoy eating what I wanted to eat. My meals consisted of lots of yogurt, cottage cheese, cucumbers, cherries, watermelon, and ham sandwiches. Hardly meals by Mario's definition, but they made me happy.

Over the course of the week I also got domestic. I re-arranged all of the furniture, took down the horrible mirrors, painted the master bedrom bathroom (yes, with proper ventilation), learned how to work Mom's sewing machine, and made tons of placemat pillows. Maybe some of my domesticity will carry over to our house in Columbia?

The Fourth Weekend

Mario, Bailey and I are on St. Simons for the weekend living a strange combination of naps in the a/c, dips in the swimming pool, nightly walks to the beach, and soaring temps. Gloria, our neighbor, summed it up best when she told Mario that 'the island is full.'

It really is. The village is swarmed with people, lines at the Harris Teeter stretch for miles, the beaches are packed, and you can forget about getting a parking space. I even decided I would take a 'Stork Spot' if I found one at the grocery store, but they were all taken too.

So, we are taking day time refuge inside (Mario manages to brave the heat for a daily bike ride though) watching movies, reading books and napping as much as possible. After about six p.m. I can bear to be outside and it feels like the day is finally starting! I'll be down here for the week (probably floating in the pool on my tummy) with Bailey...I hope the crowds and temps die down a bit or I'll become best friends with the guys at Blockbuster.

Pack and Play

Pack and Play
Originally uploaded by scindiagirl.

Bailey hangs out in the new pack-n-play we scored to leave at the beach for Baby P.

He did really well in it, Mario airlifted him inside, he looked at us with a pathetic look, he scratched the side, and then we airlifted him out.

I wonder what would happen if we left Bailey and Baby P together inside?

Watching and Reading

Watching

Bewitched
(just awful...the best part was the air conditioning)

Sideways
(loved it)

Reading

Our Lady of the Forest
by: David Guterson

On Becoming Babywise
by: Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam

Bears on Wheels
by: Stan and Jan Berenstain

Stevie B. Sea Horse
by: Suzanne Tate

Yard Sale Shopping

T.V.
Originally uploaded by scindiagirl.

Mario and I scored a few items at the local SSI yardsales on Saturday morning. I lured him out of bed with the promise that we'd just go to one, come back and then return to bed.

Well, 2 hours later (and my favorite honey biscuits from Dressner's Cafe) we returned with our 'scores'.

1 pack n play to leave at the beach
A few blankets and lap pads
A baby Einstien DVD
A few other items

Mario and Bailey curled up to watch Baby Einstien together and promptly fell asleep.

Refrigerator Poetry on SSI

I want to make you a office diva.

I've seen heaven - they believe in love.

You'd be set

beautiful

directions to

an airport

in heaven

Fly me a piece of your dreams
What's a place come true?
My life come here-walk by again.
Don't I know you from before like this?
Is it hot or is it the moon?