The excitement just keeps getting bigger and bigger...I'm leaving lab in about a half hour, and I'll be free (FREE!!) for the next week. Oh the joy of it all...

 

Last night was very productive. Our dining table is covered in piles of clothes that are just waiting to be put in their place today. I paid the bills, did all the laundry, cleaned the bathroom, mowed the lawn; Jay ran a couple of errands, cleaned the litter box, vacuumed upstairs, and generally got himself organized. When I get home I'm going to get the suitcases put together, go to the post office, and then get my nails done (I'm such a girl these days). Should be a pretty easy afternoon and evening. Woo-hoo!!

There's a lot to do, but 36 hours from now we'll be at the airport waiting to board our plane. Yay! It's going to be a long morning: 2 hours to San Fran, then an hour layover, then 5 1/2 hours to Honolulu. We'll be flying on a 777 (huge plane - we're in row 47) over the Pacific, so I reserved one of the two seat aisles for Jay and I on the way there and back. No middle seat for me for 5 1/2 hours! I have my books, my iPod is charging...I should be all set. No scenery, though, for that leg of the trip.

 

We get into Honolulu at 11:30am (they're 3 hours behind Pacific time), so we'll have a huge amount of Saturday left to enjoy (the only reason we booked a 6am departure). Check-in is at 2:00, but hopefully our room will be ready a little early. If not, the bellhop will hold our bags while we explore the 23 acres of the resort. We'll probably also be starving...I guess we'll check in when we can and then hit the pool or beach - what's the sense in waiting? The only sightseeing we're planning on doing is Pearl Harbor, so that will be at least part of one day (I'd bet Monday). The rest of the time we're just going to be lazy slugs, enjoying the sun (although not too much of course - sunburn causes cancer! don't forget!). I have to re-read our guidebook to see what the snorkeling situation is around Waikiki. We won't have a car, so we won't want to go too far from our hotel. I'd love to snorkel at least once. It was so fun when we were there for our honeymoon. I can't believe we'll be in Hawaii again in 2 days!!!!!

 

My thesis writing has not gone according to plan. I've spent most of this week doing experiments and helping Leo put together a grant application, so my writing has been pushed down the list. I had never told Leo about my deadline to get him my intro before I left town, so I'm just going to extend it ever so slightly. I got a motivational boost last night at dinner with Jess, so I think I'll be able to really crack down and get some serious work done when I get back. It's going to require long hours eventually - it might as well begin right when I get back. Chapters 2 and 3 are actually looking ok, so I am feeling optimistic (probably foolishly). I've been trying to get my committee to let me know what their schedules are like at the end of July/beginning of August, but I swear it's like pulling teeth. I'm waiting back for one of them now, but I think she's out of town. It'd be great to get that nailed down, because then I'll have real dates to aim for. I function at my best under pressure, so wishy-washy deadlines just don't do much for me. I don't know where I learned that stupid tendency, but it seems to be here to stay.

 

I'm taking off in a few minutes to go home. Tonight is laundry and lots of random things so that tomorrow is relatively easy. I don't think I'll be going out tomorrow night. I'm going to get up at 3:30 Saturday morning, so I'll need to be in bed by 10 to have any chance of functioning then...it doesn't seem like going out is really going to fit into the plans. Anyway, tonight has a bunch of tasks on the to-do list: bills, mow, laundry, prep for the cat sitter (including purchasing cat food), clean the bathroom, yada, yada, yada. You know how it is when you try to leave town - it's always a little harried at the end.

 

Honolulu today: 81 and sunny

I'm feeling like we've got the trip preparation under control at this point. I went to the library on Monday and to the bank last night to get some traveler's checks and cash. Jay figured out his clothes last night, and I did some cleaning. Thursday and Friday will be busy but very do-able, I think. Tonight I'm meeting a friend out for dinner, and I think Jay is going to try to tackle some of his to-do list. We're both so excited about the sun and relaxation...ahhhh.

 

I was complaining to Laurie and Angela about my complicated outfit today (I have an undershirt to tuck in, the bella band to arrange, and then my normal clothes on top). I lifted up my shirt to show Laurie the undershirt and bella band, and she said, oh my god, you're going to be huge! Now, Laurie isn't always...tactful, let's say, but it's true that when you see my round tummy at 15 weeks, you have to wonder what the heck it's going to be like at 40. You all saw that it's not really that dramatic, but it is pretty different than normal for me. I think my uterus is definitely up and out now - not only will my pants not button, most won't even zip up all the way. Thank goodness for the bella band! I tried on some maternity shorts at Target on Sunday and they wouldn't stay up. I need to try on the stuff I have at home, but I really don't think they'll fit yet. So, see, the bella band was definitely worth it.

I have an outfit on today that I think makes me look about as pregnant as I'm gonna look right now. The shirt is not a maternity shirt, and my pants are nowhere near being buttoned.  I had Jay take two photos this morning to appease my rabid audience!  You'll notice that I don't look particularly pregnant. I should have had Jay take a photo of my profile immediately after we found out that I was pregnant, but I didn't, so I just went back through old photos looking for something that might work (it's from '03, so take my figure with a grain of salt). Oh, and for the record, the flash made a big shadow around me today - my hair is not that crazy!

This weekend was really great. Saturday was nice, and I had a lot of fun out for Stacy's bachelorette party. Yesterday was stunningly beautiful outside, so I did get to the nursery to get some geraniums. I got those planted and took care of some of the weeding that needed to be done. It was great to be out in the sun. Jay went and played basketball with some guys across the street, and the cats enjoyed having the door open again. I sat on our patio and talked to my mom just to get some more fresh air. Soccer was great in the sun as well. Ahhh...

 

Jay and I made a list of all the toiletries and various sundries we'll need for our trip, and then I took an inventory of what we already had. I made a trip to Target to stock up (fresh sunscreen, for example), so I think we're all set for the little things we'll need for the trip. I got the suitcases out and started tossing in things as I thought of them, too. So exciting!! I'm hoping to get to the library tonight - I have to have something to do while I'm lounging on the beach, right? My clothes are pretty much ready for packing, and Jay will be getting his together soon (I hope). I have a list of things to do each night, so hopefully it'll all be manageable this week.

 

The woman who cut my hair on Saturday used a flat iron after she dried it in order to check her lines, and my hair looked so different than normal! She took a long time to straighten it, and man, it was straight. I had Jay take a picture of it.

I love Saturdays (who doesn't, I guess?). Nothing too much going on today, but it's beautiful outside, just like the forecasters said it would be.  I have the front door open with the baby gate (purchased in Sept for Claire's trip out with the girls) in it. The cats could, of course, hop the gate, but I think it'd be weeks of constant exposure before they even considered it. They're not really into the jumping thing (lucky us!!), and Cleo is seriously scared of heights, so...they won't get out. Besides, they're so anxious when they're near an open door because they're afraid they'll get in trouble. They're hysterical. With windows and the front door open we have a nice breeze and some fresh air in the house, and they're walking around just smelling the air. Is it really that big of a deal?

 

I made egg salad for lunch with the remaining easter eggs. Matt and Carmen insisted that they wouldn't eat them, so we brought home the dozen last weekend. We ate 6 during the week, so I took the rest for the egg salad. I cooked the eggs last weekend on the stove - something I haven't done in years. I have an egg cooker, and it's the single greatest invention for cooking eggs. To cook a dozen, though, I would have had to make two batches in the egg cooker, and that seemed silly. Well, these stove cooked eggs are impossible to peel. Huge chunks of egg white come off with each bit of shell, and I never have this problem with my egg cooker eggs. I have no idea what happened, but man, it was annoying all week and then today when I peeled the rest of them. To make these eggs even more annoying, the dye comes off on your hands when you're trying to peel them. What the heck is that? I don't ever remember this issue as a kid...

 

I'm getting my (freshly dyed) hair cut at 1:00, and I cannot wait to be back to normal. No gray, good cut...ah, it's going to be heaven. I am a little nervous though because my stylist is on maternity leave...I hope this woman she recommended doesn't butcher me! I'm not too worried, really.

 

I don't know what I'm going to wear out tonight. The clothes I bought last weekend fit well but are too casual. My nice clothes don't really fit very well...I guess when I get home from my hair appt I'll have to seriously think about this issue. Oh, and I just want to clarify: this is a bachelorette party, but there won't be strippers or any other debauchery. Jay is going to the corresponding bachelor party, and the same goes for him. Just so no one thinks there's too much fun to be had tonight.

 

Honolulu today: 80 and mostly sunny

I just got back from taking a nap. I had the worst headache this morning and was even a little sick to my stomach, and it just wasn't much better after lunch. I decided that some sleep might help, and it seems to have done so. I don't know what was going on earlier - I hope it's gone for good.

 

In response to Claire's comment, maybe I'll have Jay take a photo of me wearing my bella band. That would kill two birds at one time - you could see the band and my belly. And everyone needs to stop freaking out - I promise to post photos of my growing belly once there's something interesting to see! I'm figuring that when I get back from Hawaii Jay and I will start regular weekend 'photo shoots.' OK? Does that satisfy all of you? Sheesh.

 

I was thinking about Cathy and J this morning - I wonder how their transition to parenthood is going. I felt bad (for both Cathy and J) that J had to work today. I think that Jay will probably take off a full week (or maybe two) once our big day rolls around. Anyway, I hope that Cathy is feeling ok and loving having their new little girl around!

 

This weekend is going to be fun. I have some beauty plans for the evening. Tomorrow afternoon I'm getting my hair cut, and tomorrow night I'm going to a bachelorette party at this cirque theater we have in town - I'm very excited. Sunday I have a soccer game in the evening. That's about all that's planned, but it's supposed to be gorgeous outside both days, so I'm hoping that we'll get out there - maybe basketball will be in the works again. It should be an enjoyable, relaxed weekend. There's some yard work to do, too. Maybe I'll finally get my hands on some geraniums.

 

Alright, I'm going to go do some work. Have a good weekend!

I put on my jeans this morning and...couldn't button them. That was partly because they were just washed last night, but mostly because of my belly. I can button them now that I've stretched them out all day, but it's not particularly comfortable. I have my bella band on, and I think it might become my new best friend.

 

Not too much going on here. Jay went to the Mariners game last night, so it'll be good to see him tonight. He wants to grill something, so I guess I'll pick something up on my way home. We, of course, have lots of meat in the freezer, but nothing thawed. He's been working late so much these last couple of weeks that I've gotten out of the habit of thinking ahead about dinner. It seems kind of goofy when it's just you, but I guess that's only because it seems weird to me. I suppose that if I was single I'd think nothing of cooking for just me. Anyway...

 

I have a little more labwork to do and then I think I'm going to head home to work on my writing in a peaceful setting. One more week...

 

I've been more tired again this week for some reason. I've taken naps almost every day and am still sleeping a full 8 hours every night. Maybe that was just a brief respite that I just went through. I'm hoping to be perky in Hawaii.  I've started thinking through how next week is going to go. Because we're leaving so early Saturday morning, we'll have to be on the ball the rest of the week to avoid panic Friday night. To top it off a bunch of girlfriends want me to go out at least briefly Friday evening, so it would be great to be super organized. I'm having dinner with a friend on Wednesday, too...so much stuff! I'm feeling like it's all do-able, but it might get a little nuts, particularly as I try to finish up my intro for Leo...

 

Honolulu today: 75 and cloudy

Today is the first day of the second trimester, and I'm so happy about that. I'm most looking forward to dying my hair this weekend...whew, does it need it!

 

Life isn't too interesting out here. The weather is improving again, and I'm making progress on my introduction for my thesis. I'm aiming to get Leo a draft by the time I leave town next weekend, and it's looking like that isn't going to be a problem. The first chapter and the first half of the second chapter are already written - they can just be pulled verbatim from my published paper. The intro is actually a pretty big task, so it'd be great if I could feel like that's really gone well before we go to Hawaii. The whole thing will be due mid-June (ideally), so there's not a whole lot of time, but I do think it's do-able. I'm kind of ignoring my experiments right now, though.

 

Honolulu today: 79 and sunny

Jay and I got our cats from a woman that I play soccer with. At one of the first soccer games I played in (fall 2000) she announced that her cat had a litter of four kittens that she wanted to give away. That night I went to see them, and Jay came to see them that next weekend. A girl that I didn't know at the time took the other siblings (also a girl and a boy). I met Denelle the next summer on another soccer team - we got married on the same day, in fact, in 2001 - and since then we've kept up on each others cats. I got an email from Denelle this morning telling me that her boy cat died last night. The vet thinks that he might have had a heart problem...

 

Jay and I love our cats, maybe even a little too much. I just can't imagine waking up this morning to find Cory dead. These cats are only 5 1/2 years old! With this knowledge about their brother, I guess I'll mention it to the vet the next time we're there. *sigh* I dread the day that our cats start to show signs of age or get really sick, but the thought that they might just prematurely die in the night...it's more than I can bear to think about.

It just occurred to me that I had a few photos to upload, so here they are...

 

Samantha's blanket: here it is, in its finished form before I sent it off to New Windsor. I got a nice note from Deb saying how much they like it.

 

Easter: the scene at the egg dying counter. Tyler is 5 months old - isn't he cute??

 

My new purse: For my birthday I told Jay that I wanted to order a custom purse from this adorable little company here, and I got to pick it up last Saturday. I chose all of the details - the shape, the microsuede, the decorative fabric, the accent color, the lining, the straps...it was terrific, and I'm thrilled with how it came out.

Tomorrow is the first day of week 14, the official start of my second trimester! Yay! It feels like the last 8 weeks have been the slowest of my life - when you wait for each week to pass they all start to seem really looooong. I know, I know - October will be here before I know it, so I should be happy that the time isn't flying by too quickly yet. The second trimester is the 'honeymoon' trimester, but since I haven't had any major symptoms in my first trimester I'm expecting to just keep with the status quo - with the exception of my ever-expanding tummy. (I actually have a maternity t-shirt on today, and it's the first time in weeks that I don't feel like I look chubby. It might be a little early to move over, but I don't care - I'm more comfortable this way.) Oh, and regarding my bladder...a couple of weeks ago I started waking up in the middle of the night to use the potty (which I never do), but I was attributing it to me getting so much sleep and just waking easily. Maybe that was actually my squished bladder...it just never seemed to be an issue during the day - that's just started in the last 4 or 5 days. It sounds like my uterus should 'pop' out sometime in the next week or so, so maybe the bladder issue will end pretty soon. That's hard to believe, but I guess we'll see. I can just see me on Waikiki Beach, constantly getting up to run to the bathroom - that's something to look forward to, isn't it? 

 

Cathy had her baby last night! My Aunt Carol sent around pictures a couple of hours later - what a cutie she is! Thanks for sending the photos so quickly, Aunt Carol - that made my morning.

Well, I think I'm finally in that (long) phase where I'm going to be going to the bathroom quite frequently. I'm, strangely, kind of happy about it. Isn't that strange? I guess I'm just happy to see that things are moving along at the expected rate at the right time in my timeline. I'm sure I'll get over my happiness pretty quickly as the reality of having to pee all the time really sets in. Claire came out to Seattle for New Years 2003 when she was in the fourth month of her pregnancy with Anna, and I remember being stunned at how often she needed to find a bathroom. I guess that's my new reality.

Well, I didn't end up working at all this weekend - I'm so lazy. I'll get my act together pretty soon...

 

Yesterday morning I did some food shopping (Costco was closed, by the way ). I called Carmen around 11 to see if they wanted to dye easter eggs, and she asked us if we wanted to stay for dinner. So fun! So I prepped the eggs and got the dye kit, and then around 1:30 Jay and I dropped in on them. Tyler is so cute! I took some photos and will post them later...Carmen made a ham dinner, but we ate early (3:00) because I had soccer at 5. Dinner was yummy, and it was a lot of fun to spend the afternoon with those guys.

 

Soccer was pretty good. The weather dramatically improved yesterday, and that was a relief because Saturday was disgusting and yesterday was supposed to be as well. It was a pleasant surprise to have it be sunny all day. So, soccer was good although it was my first game in which I was actively trying to avoid heading the ball. That was far more challenging than I had anticipated - I really thought that I only headed a couple of times a game, but apparently that's really wrong. I was constantly adjusting my position so that I could chest trap the ball or control it with my feet instead. I felt ridiculous, frankly. I took a sub quite a few times, too, so my heart rate never got very high. For those of you worried about me playing, don't worry, I'm not being foolish. Only two more games now...*sniff, sniff*

 

Alright, that's enough for now - I should go write!

 

Update: I forgot mention earlier that Carmen sent me home with four pairs of pants and a cute dress - yay for free clothes!

I just got back from quite the shopping excursion. I went to the local maternity store and bought the bella band - the store manager told me that it's their most popular item. The store was cute, with a lot of nice things. If I need to buy something on the nicer side (think, my thesis defense, Tracey's wedding), I'll definitely head back there. Their prices were a little high for just plain old clothes. Anyway, I have the bella band on right now and I'm loving it.

 

After that purchase was complete I headed downtown. I mainly wanted to stop at Old Navy and Victoria's Secret, but I ended up hitting a few others. The ON maternity stuff was a little disappointing, although I bought 4 t-shirts that are great. I also got a pair of jeans for $17, but they're a little big right now - I figured for that price, it was worth knowing that I had a pair of jeans to bank on two months from now! The cute knit skirt that I was counting on to work of course didn't. It was cut for hips that I don't have (even pregnant), so that was a no go. I decided to stop in the 'regular' clothes dept just to see what there was, and man am I glad I did. Shirts with empire waists and flowy fabric are trendy right now, and that's what maternity clothes are, essentially. I found a couple of cute tanks that will last me at least most of the summer, but the best find was a knit skirt that was nearly identical to the one in the maternity dept. It fits great and has lots of room for me to stretch it, so I'm psyched. The only problem is that they only had it in brown in my size, and the only other color was black. I just looked at their website (to at least order the black one, if not more), and it's not there...very weird. I might have to make a call. Anyway, ON was definitely the place to go - their clothes aren't high quality, but they're not expensive either. Perfect for me right now.

 

I know I said I was going to wait until next week to handle the swimsuit issue, but I tried on a few at ON while I was there (not maternity). That session convinced me that I didn't want a bikini, but also that I need a maternity suit. I stopped at J Crew to see if they had any one pieces, and ended up buying a cute pair of flip flops that were on clearance. Then I went into Pea in a Pod to check out the maternity swimsuits, and I managed to find a cute one that wasn't insanely expensive. There's plenty of room in it for my expanding tummy, but it works now too. The best part was that I bought it with a gift card.  Then I went and bought a few new pairs of undies. What fun shopping, huh? I just came home and modeled it all for myself again.

 

While I was shopping I was thinking about my recent blogs, and I realized that I'm probably driving men away with all my talk about pregnancy and clothes. I'm sure that my Spaces team audience is gone for good, but maybe my dad is still sticking around. I promise that all of my posts won't be like this forever, but my body is really at the front of my mind right now - sorry if it's been boring.

 

One last thing...Trying on maternity clothes made me realize that my current clothes really aren't fitting very well anymore. I have enough of a tummy to actually look pregnant if I wear the right clothes, so I got a glimpse of what I'm going to look like for the next few months. That was kind of fun. I'm in my 13th week right now, and week 14 is when my uterus is 'supposed' to pop out of my pelvis and be more prominent. It's all so fun.

My weekend, unlike Claire's isn't going to be filled with fun and family.  I miss my family all the time but it's always particularly bad when they're together. *sigh* 3 more months until I graduate and get to have visits...

 

I think I'm going to - eek! - work this weekend, at least a little bit. I've been slowly working on my dissertation, and I'm feeling like I need the quiet and solitude of the weekend to really get into it. There are other, more enjoyable things going on, in theory. If the weather improves we're going to play tennis tomorrow afternoon with friends. If Matt and Carmen are free on Sunday we'll spend some time with them. I have a soccer game Sunday evening. I think I'm going to do a little clothes shopping as well...

 

One of the local maternity shops carries the belly band that I've been considering getting, so I'm going to go check it out (and the other things in the store, of course). Old Navy has a great selection of maternity clothes at pretty reasonable prices, so I'm going to try to head downtown to check out their stock. They have these cute knit skirts that I'll bet would fit me now and last through the summer. I'm really a skirt person in the summer - shorts are not my thing if there's any possibility of me being seen by other people. Anyway, I'm going to go look around some because it's clear that I either need to bridge my clothing will some larger sized 'regular' pieces or start considering moving into the maternity world. And, since we're leaving for Hawaii in two weeks, I need to get on the ball to make sure I have some summery cute clothes for the trip. I'm still going to hold off on the swimming suit issue until next weekend.

 

So, that should be the weekend. Pretty unexciting, but nothing to complain about either. Jay and I are so excited for our trip (as you can imagine). Two weeks from now we'll be home in the afternoon getting organized and packing! Then, just 3 days after we get back I have another ob appointment. Life is not slowing down any!

 

I wonder how my cousin Cathy is doing - she's due any day now...

Our beautiful warm, sunny spring has turned into a chilly, blustery, overcast one. Brrr. I managed to mow last night - I made myself do it because it was dry out, although it was not warm - so I'm feeling good about having a decent looking lawn again. It'll probably need it again this weekend...maybe it won't rain. We have two decorative planters at the front gate with these nasty tropical-looking plants in them that didn't do so well over the winter (I'm not sure if that's unexpected or not). I was looking at them yesterday and thinking that some happy geraniums might just be the way to go. Maybe I'll take a look for some this weekend. There are also a set of 4 huge planters along the side of the house that are currently empty. When we moved in they were each overflowing with petunias, and that was pretty cute. Maybe I'll start scoping out the flowers this weekend. I also bought these dahlia bulbs a while back, and I'm wondering what to put those into...I have some big pots from our old apartment that I might just put onto our (empty) patio. Can you tell that I like flowers?

 

I've been feeling like each passing day brings a little relief in my level of exhaustion. Last night I think I pushed it a little too far, though - I read in bed for about an hour and didn't turn off the light until 10:45. It was a little hard to get up this morning - maybe I've just gotten used to more sleep in the last few weeks. I'm hopeful that the sleepy thing is on its way out, though. That would be fabulous.

 

OK, I guess I really don't have much to say, but I felt like I was overdue for a post. Have a good one!

add it to the list of things that are too unbelievable for real life...

 

We all have routines, and mine when I get home is to unlock the house, toss my keys into my bag, and go on my way. So this morning I put on my raincoat  grabbed my bag, and headed out the door after locking the door handle. As I'm pulling the door shut I reach into my bag, and...no keys! AUGH! Yes, I had locked the door. Yes, I needed to drive my car to catch the bus. Yes, I'll get home before Jay tonight. Then I remembered - Jay had just driven away on his way to work. Luckily I was able to catch him on his phone and he came back to let me in. I guess if I hadn't been that lucky I would have called our landlords, but man, what a pain. It's making me wonder if it wouldn't be a good idea to have an extra key tucked away somewhere outside...anyway, that was a slightly anxious way to start the morning!

 

Thanks for all of the responses about the belly band. I think I am going to order one - I'll let you all know what I think. Here's the link to the item, btw, in case you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about...

It's feeling like this might be one of those long, drawn out weeks that we all hate...I'm kind of stunned that it's only Tuesday - ugh.

 

I just wanted to mention how much I love daylight savings time (sorry Meim). I love leaving work while it's sunny and knowing that there are still a couple of hours of light left. Last night I went for a brisk walk for about 45 minutes, and it was gorgeous out. I came home and used my exercise ball. That little workout reminded me that there are many ways to get effective exercise - you don't have to be working your butt off to achieve intensity. I was easily able to work my muscles to exhaustion just by doing targeted exercises; there was no need for weights. Now, clearly, intense workouts have their place, and I even enjoy them, but it was nice to know that I could work for a little over an hour around home and feel good about it. Tonight I'm going to mow the lawn and then work with my ball again.

 

Today I have on my favorite skirt, and I'm doubtful that I'll be able to wear it again (maybe once more). I'm going to try to rotate my clothes tomorrow night - out with the sweaters, in with the tees. My spring clothes are mostly upstairs in storage, so I want to get them down soon so that I remember what exactly I own. Oh, and I have a question for all of you pregnancy-experienced women: have you used a belly band? I saw some online last night and I like the idea; basically it covers up the top of your (unbuttoned) waistband while you are transitioning into maternity clothes. It sounds like a good idea, and the customer reviews were really good, but I'm looking for more opinions...