Scout, QUICK! get your jacket and boots! Bus is here!

The Wall Street Journal decided it was time to alarm me about certain NYC facts http://on.wsj.com/hyCSQM. (Summary: Kindergarten Wait List Grows by 42%) SHIT! Wondering about asking patrons of Epstein's if they have any connections to local school boards probably isn't our best approach... we are now looking to see if Harvard has a day car or nursery school program in the City. Autumn continues to exceed expectations with how well she is handling everything. We recently went down and hung with our favorite little niece Nora for her second birthday bash. Little baby factory happening around Grandma Dede's house. Little Scout seems to really enjoy waking Autumn up around 5am every morning with sucker punches to the kidneys and lower ribs. March was a serious month of weather in NYC for momma Berrang and little Scout. It is March 31st, snow predicted for this weekend. Every time I come home Autumn somehow has found a way to get more clothes for her... and thank you to everyone who is helping to turn her room into Maria Carey's closet. It is nice to watch Autumn smile and see her face and how excited she gets showing me the outfits. Get on the bus Scouty! We don't want to be late!

a new cousin for the bean!

VERY exciting news- Eddie and I just heard that Tracy and Sam's little one is going to be a boy!! Congrats to them and future big sis Nora (whose birthday happens to be today). We could not be more excited to have a little boy cousin who will be the same age as the bean- he's due in August. How amazing and exciting...big hugs to the Emara family.

"and now we start with the measuring tape..."

Last week was wonderful. My Mom came in town on Wednesday night to spend the weekend with us. She got to see the bean's cute little room and all the sweet little dresses we have bought for her...so much fun! She also got to come to the doc with us on Thursday and meet Dr. Young for the first time.

The appointment went very well. I am still on the high end of normal weight gain at 18 lbs, but Dr. Young is happy with that since I was fairly thin to start with. My BP and and that jazz were great. The bean's little heart rate was perfect too- so much fun to hear. :) We asked the doc about the need to test me for whatever toxin cats can sometimes carry (our vet suggested it), but he felt confident that since they are inside cats, I should be fine (unless I wanted another needle- no thanks!). Also asked him about my little heart murmur. I have always had it, but I notice the skipped and double beats more now that I am pregnant- he said that is totally normal. In fact, some women who have never had that issue develop it during pregnancy and it's nothing to worry about. Oh, and apparently I am "now at the stage where we have to measure my tummy with measuring tape." So that's interesting. The doc said it's to check the bean's growth, and so far, she is growing like crazy!

We went to an early birthday dinner for Meg on Saturday night and she got to feel the bean kick for the first time! She was so so excited...it makes it so real when you actually feel it. MC also got to feel her kick the other night at the apartment. She said it felt like little tiny feet- to me, they feel HUGE!

I am still feeling remarkably good. Not too achy or exhausted, which I thought I might be by 25 weeks. Mom and I walked all over creation while she was here and it felt great! I do want to work out more, though. I walk a ton, but I need to get back in the gym and yoga and do some light weights and stretching...one day I'll get around to it....haha.

Also got everything squared away at work as far as maternity leave goes. The policy here is not the best, but my bosses are great and working with me to maximize my time at home with the bean. I'll be totally off in July and August on short term disability (we only get a week of paid official maternity leave...insane). And then I'll be working PT from home in September and October. I plan on working three days/wk and taking two days of vacation/sick time over those 8 weeks. So, overall, not too bad, even though part of it is only partial pay...it's worth it to be home while she is tiny. After that, Eddie and I are going to look for someone to take care of her at home...we really don't want her in daycare that young, but we'll see how it all works out.

Our next appt is 4/14 and, after that, we start going every 3 weeks instead of 4. Getting closer!!

peace and quiet

Eddie and I went to Montauk over the weekend to see the fam and get away from the city for a bit. I have had some trouble sleeping lately, but I think a trip to Montauk revealed why....Manhattan noise! It was so quiet in Montauk and I was able to sleep peacefully almost the whole night, rather than waking up ten times. I guess I'm not as used to the sirens, jackhammers and yelling as I thought I was after almost 5 years in the city.

The good thing is (according to my Babycenter emails) the baby will be used to the noise since she has been hearing it since she was a little gummy bear in my belly. So, even though I may be very unrested, the little lady will be sleeping soundly through the Coned construction and Saturday night 4 AM yelling breakups.

Also on the topic of sleep, I am not supposed to lay on my back anymore according to the doctor and everything I read, but, even when I fall asleep on my side, I wake up on my back! Never fails. Last night I surrounded myself with pillows and it seemed to help. Maternity pillow under my head and front and full body pillow down my back. It actually seemed to work. It didn't stop the wake ups due to sirens and such, but at least I was listening to the sirens from my left side where I belong...it's a start.

In other news, my wonderful Katherine sent me a fetal heart monitor!! Now we can listen to the bean's heartbeat anytime we want, rather than just at the doctor's office. I had no idea how much I'd want to hear that sound until I got pregnant and now I can anytime I feel like it- so so excited.

Mom gets in town on Wednesday and we have a doctor's appt on Thursday, so more updates then. :)

SIX MONTHS?!

I really do learn something new every day I'm pregnant. Today, I found out that I am 6 months pregnant, not 5 like I have been telling everyone! The weeks to months conversion thing is always confusing. The doctors talk in weeks and everyone else in the world asks "how many months are you?" Well, world, I have been answering you wrong all along!

I found this chart online, so now I will never accidentally lie about how far along I am again...

So, I'm SIX MONTHS PREGNANT people! Whew, I hope every month goes by that fast... ;)