2.5 years of Sal

At two and a half, Sal is full steam ahead. I often describe him as full throttle. The kid operates in 5th gear 24/7. He has more energy in his little toe than I have in my entire body. That being said, I'm endlessly pinning activities and games and projects on pinterest in hopes of keeping him challenged. 

He's taken a recent liking to puzzles, both on my iPad (try the tozzle app) and for real. His favorite is a Melissa & Doug fishing puzzle that has a magnetic fishing pole to place the pieces in their respective spaces. He still isn't the artsy type, but he did make his dad two pictures using bingo blotters (we use a brand of blotters called dot a dot) and narrated the entire picture for me to write captions to the different parts. I was quite impressed as this was the first time I can recall the coloring being his idea.

                   

                        [ buying skittles without help from mama with his potty money]

Two and a half kind of crept up on us. In the last few months, he has really gone from a toddler to a little boy reaching milestones like transitioning into a big kid bed, potty training ( He only wears diapers to sleep and if we are going out for more than an hour) and giving up his bedtime milk ( save me the "you know milk will rot his teeth, right?" Yes. I'm aware.) It turns out that the whole milk routine meant more to me than to him. I worked it up in my mind that he would go to bed screaming if we didn't sit on the sofa after bath (and brushing teeth) and have his sippy of milk. Little did I know that the night we told him we were going to read a story instead of having milk would be met with a "sure, guys!" attitude. 

Giving up milk? Not a big deal. 

Phew!

Sal still loves his blue blankie and his stuffed animals; Pluto, Figuero and Mickey. All three nap with him in my bed, and Figuero gets to sleep with him each night, lucky son of a gun. Naptime has been fairly consistent again, with Sal heading to my room around 12:30 and sleeping until 2:30 or 3:00. I don't really notice a behavioral difference on napping days vs non napping days, so it won't be too much of a change when he does give naps up. 

       

          [ favorites: r/c excavator, wallet, credit cards, pj shirt, Roadwork book and blue blankie]

One of the benefits of living in China and being in a high rise is the vantage point of many many construction sites. Sal loves excavators (he calls them escabators), dump trucks and cement mixers. He often perches himself in Carla's window seat and watches them come and go at the apartment complex near us. Sometimes we walk over to see them, but he's usually content watching from our windows. 

                     

                      [ Thank goodness for double window locks. Watching busses go by ]

We love hearing his little chatter, and it's getting clearer every day.  Some of our favorite sayings of the moment are:

"Dats not berry nice" (That's not very nice) I have no idea where he got that one from *wink, wink*.

"I have a idea!"

" Yet's find a suwution" (let's find a solution)

" Yet's go to Elemenfesh and have mac'n tees". Once at Element Fresh, he usually asks NZ , "can I have some your yamb dada? (Lamb)", "can I have you yaffa bed, mama?" (Laffa bread)

                    

                               [ Who put this broccoli in my Mac n cheese ?!]

"See ya guys"

"Have fun. Have fun at work dada" 

"I need a tiss!" (Kiss)

"She need milk" (said whenever Carla is crying)

"It's a emergency!" 

"Jus yike da big boys do it" ( He's discovered that he can stand to pee. Yes, baby. Just like the big boys. Now wipe off the seat for the ladies.)

"Not of you Carya!" 

He's made strides towards caring more for his sister, but he did get a mouthful of her leg and left his mark last month. He's also exhibiting typical two year old defiance and aggressiveness at times. He's usually loving, but we have encountered a few situations as of late in which he pushes, shoves and takes toys from a playmate rather than using his words. I know its normal, but it's really challenging for me as a parent to watch my kid behave in such a way. All I can do is stay consistent with the discipline that NZ and I have chosen to use to deal with the behavior and hope that as his vocabulary and self awareness develops, that the words get used more than the hands to make a point. 

                 

                           [ hangin at the playground in his favorite Mickey shirt]

Two and a half is great-but it's also so very challenging to parent. There's a fine line that I skate between micromanaging  and letting him learn cause and effect on his own. Sure, I don't want him to push his playmate down to take a toy, but at the same time, he needs to learn that the playmate might hit him back, cry because he is sad, or yell at him and tell him to wait his turn. I feel like I always have to be on watch, because I don't want him to become a bully, and I want to be able to model appropriate responses to unfavorable behavior when it happens. But man, oh man, does it ever wear me out some days!

Sal, you're gonna keep your mama on her toes...but I wouldn't have it any other way. Here's to being closer to three years old than to two!

FOURTEEN months

Where did my baby go?

Snack time at the park in his new shoes

I blinked and we've got a full fledged toddler in tow. (Tantrums included at no extra charge). He is a little spitfire with a laugh/cackle that will make even the grouchiest of people smile. He cracks himself up all the time. Thankfully he has moved past laughing at others while they cry to laughing as he throws blocks/sand/food and while playing peek-a-boo.

Cowboy boots and Camo- Grandpa Jet would be proud

 

Although he walks unassisted a few times a day, his preferred method of transportation is the one-legged-knee-scoot. He has the bruises to prove it. I dressed him in shorts on our first warm day of the month and was shocked to see just how bruised his shins are (from crossing the threshold of our sliding glass door with the knee-scoot). If I were a betting woman, he will prefer walking over scooting within the next week or so.

 

"mama, I wasn done talkin to you! Come back here!"

 

Other news...We've got a molar!....and two more on the way, plus upper canines. He's a drooling mess. NZ and Sal like to wrestle in the evenings and Sal usually wins because he stands over his dad's face and drools like a St Bernard right into his eye. Gross, but funny. With the new molar, Sal has now graduated to peeled apples (rather than peeled and soft cooked), cucumber and raw carrots. He's been grubbing on Greek salad all month.

"ditch the book dad, how bout we wrestle?"

 

This past month we have been lucky enough to have some sunny days. Sal and I still take a walk (almost) daily. On our way home, we usually walk past the playground in our complex. He gets really excited when he sees it, and yells "DUU-duuuude!" Unable to resist his enthusiasm, we stop for a bit so he can master the slide and play in the sand.

I've started calling him "bubba" and have noticed that he copies the syllables. He does this with a lot of words. He doesn't say the word, per say, but he does make his own sounds with the matching amount of syllables. "Dada" is still his favorite word, although "dude" is right behind. "Mama" has gotten some play as well as "zuhjuh" which sounds a lot like he's trying to say "Zaijian", or goodbye, in mandarin.

Look at all dem teeth! And that smile. Happy boy.

I love his chatter. It never gets old.

Sometimes he even talks himself to sleep...and when he sleeps, I am reminded that he is in fact, still my baby.

What was a napless day, turned out otherwise. Thank Goodness.

At one year...

At one year, Sal....

-weighs 10.4 kilos (just shy of 23 lbs) and is 78.5cm tall.

- takes 5-6 staggering steps on his own.

-is a chatter box. He  says "dada", "ma'am aaa" (he only says my name when he is upset), " bah" for ball, "tuh" for truck, "ftbftbftb" for vroom, and lots of slithering "s" sounds.

-sleeps from 7:00p to 7:00a

- takes two naps. First one at 8:15 after dad leaves for work, and another after lunch, around 1:00. Naps usually last 1-2 hours, or until our ayi arrives. I swear he has a 6th sense for her arrival.

- busts some serious dance moves.  "Whistle" by FloRida is still his favorite, although he made his mama proud breaking it down to Nelly's " Where The Party At" which took me back in time to Friday nights at the Grad.

-claps his hands together.

-nods his head "yes". We call it the "head bop". It's super cute.

- can climb up onto the couch, and back down. Over and over and over again.

- loves "Go Dog, Go!" and " The Little Blue Truck". He will sit and turn the pages by himself.

- wears 12 month clothing and a size 5 shoe.

- loves filet mignon. Pricey taste, that kid of ours. Thankfully, he also loves IKEA Swedish meatballs which are easier on the pocket book. His favorite veggie is green beans. Haaaaates peas. Haaates them. But loves all fruit, grilled cheese sandwiches, scrambled eggs and yogurt. Loves jiaozi, refried beans and frozen blueberries. He's a pretty good eater.

- his favorite place to hide is in our closet. Preferably in dad's pile of shoes.

- favorite toys and pastimes--- pulling toilet paper off the rolls, finding every cord and light socket in the house, rolling suitcases across the pantry, and sucking on stroller wheels. I wish I was kidding, but I'm not. I spend 75% of my waking hours trying to police the above formentioned "toys" and re-direct to something more appropriate. His favorite appropriate toys include stacking cups, cardboard books, demolishing wooden block towers, rolling a ball back and forth with mama or dad, pushing cars around the house and most recently, climbing on the couch and playing peek-a-boo under a blanket.

-speaking of blankets, Sal has a favorite. He sleeps with it every night, grasping it tightly.

- loves being around other kids. He has a buddy here that we do things with on an almost daily basis, and he loves to follow his big buddy around and tries to imitate him. I love watching him interact with other kids and learn from them. It's quite a special little relationship these two boys have built. They even have their own screeching language with one another.

I could go on and on about all the little things he does that just continue to amaze us, but the list above is the Cliffs notes version of just how wonderful it has been to watch him come into his own. I've felt a mix of emotions about him turning one this past week. For so long I waited for a child...and now it's hard for me to believe he has already been in our arms a year.

Vroom

I've mentioned a time or two that Sal has an affection for all things car related, and has even started making car sounds.

We love it.



(Note: turn the volume up)

It's really neat to watch him develop an imagnation--or at least we would like to think that's what's happening, as he spends up to an hour racing them back and forth, and up and down the sofa.

ELEVEN months

I can not believe that Sal is only a month away from his first birthday. Part of me wants him to stay a baby forever, and the other part of me can't wait to watch him develop into a little man with opinions & likes all his own.

Showing his personality..
Mama, I want to be outside with you!!! Why you lock me in here?

He has started showing little signs of his individuality this past month. He has never been a pacifier kid, or very attached to anything for more than a day or two at a time. However, we are seeing signs of favorite toys--he digs in his toy basket for them and plays with them above and beyond all others.

His favorite toy?

Trucks.

We also think that one of his words might actually be "truck".

Or, it could be "fuuuu--fillintheblank"...



Vroooooom goes the fuhk tuhk.

..we're going with "truck" since he is head-over-heels for anything with four wheels these days. He drives his trucks across the floors, over the coffee table, and our sofa making  little spitting raspberry vroooom noises.  

He has a best big buddy here that he tries his darnedest to keep up with. Both boys share a love of trucks and other four-wheeled-vehicles, and I love watching them interact with one another.

 

Sal has also taken a liking to a particular blanket that his auntie Charlee made for him. It's got minky dots on one side, and plaid on the other ( I take his monthly pictures on it/with it). I started hanging it on the side of his crib when December 1st rolled around because I thought it made his room more Christmasy to have a white cuddly blanket hanging on his crib to go with his red and white sheets. Well, he pulled it down one day during nap, and now it lives IN his crib. He grabs it as soon as we lay him down, and cuddles with it.



"the" blanket.



So darn cute and innocent.

Bedtimes have improved since last month. The 10:00p waking still occurs from time to time, but he seems to put himself back to sleep MOST of the time--It's about time. NZ and I have actually gotten to sleep through the night on a regular basis. I had almost forgotten what it was like to have a good night's sleep.  

Mama, please tell them how much I enjoy smearing myself with eating beans.
 

Our little man still loves goldfish  crackers, apple slices, green beans and meatballs. He prefers to feed himself, so I've been trying to make everything "finger friendly" that I can. He's got great dexterity, and has outsmarted our attempts of placing vegetables under a goldfish in hopes that he will swoop in for a handful. He is able to perform surgery to get his goldfish free.

Our ayi brought us a load of fruit last week, which included some fruits I wouldn't typically buy, and he liked them both. One of them is a dragon fruit, white fleshy inside with little black seeds...he loves them, but I'm gonna have to remember them as a great natural remedy if he ever gets constipated. We'll have to limit the amount of dragon fruit consumption from here on out after a couple near blow-outs.



A & Sal. Notice a trend here?
 Lots of stroller rides together.

The colder weather has limited our outings to Starbucks, indoor malls and friend's homes. We usually walk to the vegetable market once or twice a week, and on a quick errand or two on our own. Sal's great grandma gifted him a "footmuff" for our Quinny stroller, and he LOVES riding all cocooned up in it.



Mama,  I move this chair to your bedroom, okay?

He has thought about taking unassisted steps, but has yet to do so. He's a speed demon around the house pushing furniture to-and-fro, and his furniture pushing has evolved from dining room chairs to our sofa. He does balance checks every now and then--so someday soon, I'll be posting videos of my son walking like he's the only kid ever to walk in history.

Finally sitting still for a picture

Happy ELEVEN months Salvatore!

Inspection

This post almost doesn't need a narative...but I'll give one anyways, cause you know, I'm full of words.

Oh, we've got a curious little friend

He's thinking, " I've got to check these American made strollers out"

Good steering, maneuverability. Plush interior....Only one thing missing...a test ride.

                                     

And this is me, dropping my iphone to pull the kid out of the stroller.

                                   Yep. We got acosted by a 5 year old. It got to the point (after as stern NO! failed to get him off of Sal) that I straight up pulled the boy out with force, and started pushing forward to get away from him. His persistence was remarkable. He was back ast my stroller, climbing up the side as we rolled away. Again, I pulled him off, said Buyao ( Don't want!) and this time Sal and I made a run for it, rolling over the little guys Crocs. Without flinching, the little boy said, "Bye bye".

And off we went.

My guess is that he will make a really good TSA agent one day.

FOUR months old

When Sal was first born, the consensus amongst friends was that the first three months are the most difficult. Each week is a new challenge, and the days run into nights, and nights into days. Before you know it, your baby is 4 months old.

Nick and I took that advice with a grain of salt, and I always chuckled when he'd answer with, "Well, I guess we'll find out", because really, what other option is there?

For the most part, our friends were right. The three months fly by. I woke up today and realized that we have a four month old. Whether the first three months will be the most difficult-- I guess we will find out after we have something to compare them to. Speaking for myself, they weren't all that hard. Perhaps my view is skewed because I'd struggled so long to have a baby that I could be responsible for. I had sat through enough baby showers and overheard mothers talk about how tough the first few months were..I don't really know, but the first three months were totally what I expected, with the exception of a son who refused was superhuman and didn't need daytime naps. With the help of my pediatrician, we improved that issue, and other than that...I'd do our first 3 months all over again.

So, now that Sally Bananas ( he earned a new nickname this month)  is a whopping 4 month old, he's gained a few new skills to add to his repetoire.

Our favorite?

Babbling. Laughing. Happy Shrieking.

I can not get enough.

Sal made his first long roadtrip this past month, and met many many cousins in Yosemite. He attracted all sorts of attention from the Asian tourists..many would walk by and do a double take with no shame...finger pointing included..What I wouldn't give to know what they were saying. I'd like to think it was along the lines of " cutest baby ever!". Nick warns me that I should prepare for much of the same when we arrive in China. There's something about babies that make them go nuts.

Sal didn't seem to mind the attention, although he is becoming more aware of where Nick and I are at all times. He was slow to warm to many of our family members, but I do believe it was a mix of tiredness and overstimulation from such a new environment for him. By our last night inYosemite, he was tolerant of other people holding him.

So, what's month 4 have in store for the little guy??

Travel.

Lots of it.

Wish us luck!

THIRTY EIGH...oh wait.

He's here!!!!

Salvatore was born on Friday, January 13th, 2012

7lb 7 oz
21" long

Mom, Dad and baby Sal are doing well.

stay tuned for updates when we come up for air (=

Make it: baby leg warmers

Have you seen these?

I ran across Baby Legs, and love the idea of simplifying diaper changes ( no pants to take off) while keeping babies legs warm and protected while crawling.

However, at $12-$15 a pair, I thought to myself, they can't possibly be that difficult to make on my own. I was right!

I found a tutorial over at everything your mama made & more and made my own boyish version for just $2.

First I bought a pair of knee high socks at Target for $2

THIRTY THREE weeks

How far along? 33 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: 30 lbs (yikes!!!!)

Maternity clothes? Over them. Even the biggest hand me downs aren't fitting anymore. Hello, sweatpants, I love you!!!!! If only they'd be deemed appropriate attire for my office's holiday luncheon at the Country Club next weekend... After all, the dress code only indicates that collars must be worn, and denim is frowned upon. Nothing about sweat pants (=

Stretch marks? Knock on wood. None yet.

Sleep: Much better this week. NZ is finally home after 3 weeks of jet setting, so I always sleep better with him home, and also, my cold of the century is starting to clear up, so it makes it like totally possible to breathe again, which helps with the sleeping situation.

Best moment this week: Having the lady at Weinerschnitzel ask me if my order of 3 dozen chili dogs was "for here or to go" when I stopped by to pick up lunch for my husband's office. Yes, as if I was going to devour all 36 chili dogs on my own..I know I'm pregnant, and all, but really???! It gave me a good laugh. 3 dozen corn dogs, maybe...but chili dogs, no thanks!

Miss Anything? Being able to look in my closet and pick out a cute outfit, and knowing that it's going to fit. Seems like I am at the point where everything I put on just magnifies my big-ness these days. I miss my favorite pair of blue jeans!!!!!!!!!!

Movement: He's been super active this week. Lots of rolls..and he has an arsenal of different types of rib and bladder kicks. No two are the same, and they've forced me out of bed at 3 a.m. a couple times this week until he calms down.

Food cravings: Frozen lemonade, even though the only place it's available is at the mall, and I am avoiding the mall at all costs, therefore, my craving is left unsatisfied. Maybe it will pass?

Anything making you queasy or sick: Considering I bought steak for steak tacos a few days ago, and it is still sitting in our fridge because now I can't bear the thought of eating a steak taco...I guess steak is not my friend this week.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: After a stellar check up on Thursday with my OB, and a NST that he passed with flying colors, I was on top of the world and had energy to spare. I picked up lunch for NZ and his office mates, then decided that hitting up target and Ross was a great idea....until I got home, 5 hours after I left the house..which was my longest outing in about 8 weeks... and had contractions at 10 minute intervals for a good hour. I laid on my side, drank water and they were still coming. I finally called NZ who was working late, and he told me to call my OB and he headed home to possibly take me in for monitoring again. I called the OB, and by the time I received a call-back, they had subsided. The OB and I agreed that I had overdone it, and I was allowed to stay home with instructions to head to L&D if they picked up again. Thank goodness they went away. I want to meet the kid and all, but I'd like at least 3 more weeks of baking before we meet.

Symptoms: Sore ribs. Difficulty getting a deep breath when he is in certain positions.

Belly Button in or out? NZ says it's flush, I say it's out.

Wedding rings on or off? I can't get them off. I will be getting the baby oil out shortly so I can avoid having them cut off in the hospital. As a treat, I'll send them to the jeweler to be cleaned and buffed so that when I can wear them again, they will sparkle like the day we said " I do!"!

Happy or Moody?: Happy. So freakin' excited to have the weeks fly by.

Looking forward to: My last ultrasound with my fedora wearing MFM is on Tuesday!! How big will he be???

"Bun in the Oven" Baby Shower

Wow, the past week has been a whirlwind. Between coming down with the World's worst cold, and having out of town visitors here, I haven't had time to sit down and do a little bragging about the talents of my sister, Stephanie, and sister-in-law, Charlee who co-hosted ( along with my mom, the "silent partner") a baby shower for the boy.

The theme was "Bun in The Oven". I fell in love with it when my sister-in-law sent me a link to this party. I love the mod-ness ( is that a word?) that the party had--not too babyish at all. My sister then re-created the invites and decor off the inspiration party, using the navy, gray and orange color scheme that I adore.

The tables were borrowed from my husband's work, and beautiful floral arrangements that were put together by my sister-in-law sat on top of gray table runners. Inside the house, I hung some "subliminal messages" that I ran across on pinterest and recreated for our temporary nursery. The colors coordinated well with the onesies & bibs made by Coral Tree, that were hung on an opposite wall. Aren't they cute?

And the food....how could I forget the food?

The girls did a fantastic job incorporating all of my favorites into the shower grub. The sweet spot table, was full of lemon cut out cookies with the letter "Z", my absolutely favorite butterscotch oatmeal cookies, cinnamon "bun" cupcakes, chocolate dipped pretzel rods ( my granny loved them & took some for the road!), and rice krispie treats.

The main course had menus listed, "Between the Buns", and "Beside the Buns", to tell guests which kind of sandwiches were available, as well as what they could choose for the side dishes. Pretty clever play on the theme!

And of course, because of my lemonade infatuation, we had lemonade and water available as refreshments.

These girls know me too well!

My sister in law made a really cute backdrop for photos, from which she hung from a cafe curtain rod. With the leftover cardstock from the invites, my sister used her silhouette to cut out circles of differing sizes. My sister-in-law then hung them from string, making the neatest "photo booth" backdrop.

We played a couple non-traditional games, this one being my favorite.. The object of the game is to hold the baby, hold the phone, and use only ONE hand to remove as many clothespins from the line as possible..and you can't readjust them against your body..it was a handful! It was no surprise that the winner was a mother of 3 kids. Let's just say I need some practice.

The other game was played while I opened presents. In keeping with the shower theme of "BUN in the oven", the guests played "BUNGO", instead of BINGO. Each card had empty squares which each guest filled in typical items received at a shower. As I opened gifts, they could mark off a square if I had received an item they put on their card. I liked it because it sort of took the attention off of me and all those gifts!

And speaking of gifts?!

Holy mackarel!

The boy got a lot of gifts.

The best gift of all, though, I have to say...was being surrounded by the friends and family who have supported us on this journey. I got a little emotional while thanking everyone for their love and support, because it hasn't been easy. I truly appreciate the many lended ears, shoulders to cry on and shared experiences that so many of these women have offered me.

And check this out--Not only am I lucky enough to still have both of my grandmothers very much a part of my life, but they both made the trip south to celebrate their great-grandson.

[great-grandma Dot, Me, great-grandma Pat, and Grandma Sandy]

It was so very, very special.

For more information on the sweets, visit my sister's blog over at

www.sweetcreationsbystephanie.com this week.

She's providing tutorials on all the goodies she made for the shower.

If you like the appliqued onesies, check out my sister-in-law's etsy shop, Coral Tree.

Okay, I'm done plugging, but seriously, aren't those two awesome?

THIRTY weeks

How far along? 30 weeks! ( Crossing off another short term goal...fist pump!)

Total weight gain/loss: 27 lbs ..a little higher than what we aimed for at this point, but I'm an overachiever, what can I say?. I also found out that my thyroid took a nose dive for the first time during this pregnancy ( I have an endocrinologist watching me closely) and I am somehow VERY hypothyroid, so we upped my meds, which will hopefully combat some of my sluggishness, and the puffiness that has overtaken my face. I should have seen the signs, but it's hard to distinguish between the two.

Maternity clothes? I bought a couple of clearance rack Liz Lange long sleeve T's at Target. They should suffice for the remainder of this pregnancy.

Stretch marks? Still clear.

Sleep: Better this week. I can sleep all day. I am reallllllly perfecting the art of a 3 hour cat nap mid-morning.

Best moment this week: Being able to see the Boy's face. Up until now, he's been holding out on us. That's 29.5 weeks of hiding his face with each and every ultrasound we've had. Seriously, kid..I was starting to wonder if you had eyes, a nose, mouth and ears! And of course, hearing that his estimated weight is 3lb 7 oz., definitely put smiles on our faces.

Miss Anything? Sounds silly, but I miss my energy. I thought that by quitting work early, I would be able to galavant around town--make some trips to see friends and family, and basically be free from responsibility of work. Not the case-- I have ZERO excess energy to do anything, and every time I do, I find myself getting B-H contractions. So, this week, my OB swore off ALL exercise, and unnecessary trips out and about. Now, I'm not on bed rest, but basically, no strolling around the mall just for the heck of it, or taking any walks down the street.

She's erring on the side of caution, since we've gotten this far, and her goal is to help keep the stress levels down for me until we reach full term.. As much as I groan about it, and feel like this puts me in lazy a$$ category, I understand, and I am thankful she is looking out for us. Time to spend even more time with daytime TV and my iPad.

[ Remote, Phone, iPad & water. My "spot"]

Movement: Yes, we can even see him flip from front to back now.

Food cravings: Anything lemon flavored. Frozen grapes. Potato chips and cottage cheese.

Anything making you queasy or sick: Chicken. Blech.

Gender: Boy

Labor Signs: Braxton-Hicks when I do too much, but otherwise no. Our MFM said everything else looks great, baby is currently breech, but should flip in the next few weeks.

Symptoms: Hip aches, back pain. Pretty usual.

Belly Button in or out? Still teetering. I bet if I ate a huge Alamo Burrito, it would poke out.

Wedding rings on or off? On

Happy or Moody most of the time: Happy. We reached another of my short-term goals, of 30 weeks. Andd......drumroll.....I can lift my self imposed ban on shopping for the boy now! Which is great and all, since I am not supposed to go out shopping any more then necessary. I doubt that Gymboree counts as the Supermarket, eh? Actually, I admit to doing a little shopping earlier this week, which was 2 days shy of hitting 30 weeks. I made it to Carter's outlet and bought 3 onesies for $2.99 each!!! I couldn't pass that deal up!

Looking forward to: Still being pregnant for my Birthday (11/19), Thanksgiving, and the baby shower. Finegrs crossed!