Last Hurrah

Today marks 37 weeks, so the baby is now considered full term! Basically, the baby could come any day now, which has been so exciting and scary to think about. My pregnancy has been pretty good for the most part and I’ve been staying really active, but this week there's definitely been a shift. The baby dropped making me much more uncomfortable and I’ve been having sporadic contractions most of the week. Sleeping has become pretty non-existent, and I know I need to get used to that. So right now it’s just a waiting game, which is making us a little nuts. Now, every time I call Jody at work I have to start by saying, “Not in labor yet” so he knows this is a just a random call.

So last weekend instead of putting together a nursery or reading any more baby books, we decided that to prepare for this huge life-changing event by enjoying some time with friends and family and getting out and about for a last little hurrah.

On Friday we tried out Hackney’s in the Printer’s Row neighborhood with Chris and Karen. Jody was also talking up the burgers and the onion loaf so we had to try it out. It was such a cute, cozy bar-restaurant with a pretty laid-back crowd. Of course, we got the onion loaf and the three of them got burgers and it didn't disappoint. At the end, though, I think we were all regretting eating so much of the gigantic onion loaf because we were totally stuffed. All in all a good, fun night with the Stierwalts.

Saturday we headed to Andersonville for drinks at Marty’s and dinner at Anteprima with Steve and Jeremy. It was one of the coldest nights of the year, but both places were totally packed. The martinis at Marty’s looked so yummy and made me excited thinking about being able to enjoy a chocolate martini soon enough. Jody got the Godfather and even though it was free of brown liquor, his reaction to it was quite similar! The restaurant was really cute and had really yummy Italian food. Andersonville has so many cute bars and restaurants and we always have a good time with Jeremy and Steve up there.

Then Sunday we went to Second City with Jason and Heather and Jody’s dad and his new girlfriend. This was our Chanukah present from Jody’s dad and it was so much fun. The show playing right is called America: All Better and it's hilarious. So much better than the one we saw back in October. They have a ton of good material to play off of right now. There was some good Blago bashing, and I thought their bits about Rahm Emanuel were hysterical. Almost all of the actors were really good too, so we'd definitely recommend this show to anyone looking for a good laugh.

Even though I was pretty exhausted by the end of the weekend, it was really fun getting out and getting our minds off things before we enter the Land of Baby and parenthood.

Happy Birthday, Pa!

Happy Birthday to the Number 1 dad (and grandpa) in the world! I hope you don't work too hard today. We wish we could be there to celebrate with you, Pa. Love you mucho!

Not Much Longer Now

Bump watch:36 weeks

10 Signs That We’re Almost There

1. People have pretty much stopped saying, “Aww, you look so cute.” Now I mostly see very wide eyes followed by every 9-months pregnant lady’s favorite thing to hear, “Wow, you’re ready to pop.”

2. It’s easier just to walk forward when making my way to the bathroom in a bar or restaurant rather than turning sideways. And forget about the whole sucking in reflex—that’s just pointless.

3. Total strangers—whether it’s the ladies in the gym locker room or the 16-year-old checkout girl at Jewel—have a theory about whether we’re having a boy or a girl. Even though it’s been pretty split, everyone is very sure of themselves.

4. Jody is constantly checking out people’s strollers everywhere we go. Forget noticing hot girls, he’s only got eyes for sweet strollers.

5. I’ve stopped tying my gym shoes. Sliding them on and off works out much better even if they’re a lot looser.

6. I’ve mastered the ability to pick up things on the floor with my feet.

7. My Blackberry has been dropped so many times that it is now taped together to make sure the little ball thingy stays in place.

8. I look like a baby mamma because it feels better not to wear the wedding ring at this point.

9. I’ve fully embraced the waddle.

10. I’m praying that the zipper on my pre-pregnancy dog-walking parka stays strong for just 4 more weeks. It’s a tight squeeze and doesn’t look too hot, but it's quite necessary.

Saying Good-Bye

Edin was so lucky to get to meet her great grandma in late 2007. Here are four generations of the awesome women/little lady in my family: Gram, Lisa, Mom and Edin.

It's been a really sad past week/weekend for our family. On Sunday, January 18th my Grandma Ar passed away. She was 85 and had been living courageously with Parkinson’s for many years. My Grandma was an amazing woman. Sharp until her last days, despite her physical suffering, she was an inspiration to everyone in our family and beyond.

My favorite thing about Grandma was her quick wit. My grandma was a strong lady and was always put together and composed. I rarely remember her without lipstick, without her earrings clipped on or without her hair perfectly done. But, there was way more to Grandma than all that. She had this dry wit that totally disarmed people. That charm and natural spark made her loved by so many. She had a great laugh and knew just what to say to crack people up with her funny comments and smart sarcasm.

She was also such a warm and nurturing grandma. One thing she used to say that has stuck with me and Lisa is that if you think of something nice to do for someone, do it. No need to over-think, over-analyze or worry about what people may think. Just do it. And I often find myself remembering that and listening to her words.

I feel so lucky that I had so much time with her, getting to know her so well and loving her so much. I know Grandma Ar will continue to be felt and seen within all of us.

Here are some old pictures I found from our visits to Cleveland with Gram:

Happy Birthday, Jody!

Happy Birthday to my favorite person in the world! Here's to a great year ahead. I love you loads!

Bootie Bust

Charlie and the evil booties

With this subzero weather, I've been so worried about poor Charlie freezing his paws off. Last year I bought him these fancy schmancy Mutluk doggy booties, but, he wants nothing to do with them. When I put them on him, he looks at me like I am the meanest person in the world. I was able to get him to wear them on his front paws for a short period of time last winter, but this winter he's being way more stubborn and refuses to have anything to do with the booties.

So this year I bought him some cheaper booties, thinking the Mutluks were just uncomfortable. I busted out the cheapy ones today and got the same reaction. Total torture. I got one on him, but then he wouldn't put that paw down on the ground with the bootie on. Instead he just stood there on three legs looking terrified. I just don't get it. The booties are a good thing, but he just doesn't get it. Instead, we went outside today bootie-less. He walked half a block and started limping and trying to pull me back home. I got him to go a half a block more to do some business and then finally we turned around. He then proceeded to bolt all the way home, almost sending a very pregnant me toppling. I think I need to officially pass all dog duties on to Jody until this cold passes. Sorry, J. Blame Charlie and his anti-bootie ways.

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose

I've never been one of those people who claims not to enjoy TV. I love TV. Always have. Always will. Sadly, though, I have been totally underwhelmed by most of what's on TV these days.

Grey's used to be must-see TV for me. And now, not so much. Ever since the ferry accident last year the show has been going down. Now with the whole dead Denny storyline I'm saying see-ya to Seattle Grace. I also used to really like Eli Stone, a cute, thoughtful show that Jody and I discovered last year. But, like many quality shows, Eli Stone got the axe in the middle of its season this year. Sure, I enjoy the overall smut of Gossip Girl. And Brothers and Sisters has offered up some soapy goodness. But really no TV dramas have grabbed me this year.

That's all gonna change come Friday. Yup, Friday Night Lights is back, baby. This is my absolute favorite show these days. If you haven't watched this show, give it a shot. It has everything you want in a show. It is smartly written, well acted and one of the best dramas I've seen in years. And believe me, I've watched plenty. The show offers up the perfect combination of drama and comedy, which is always a plus in my opinion. And did I mention how pretty the cast is? Seriously, Tim Riggins puts McDreamy to shame.

When I first heard about the show, I was turned off by the concept because I'm not really into sports, and Jody wasn't into it because he thought it was just another one of my lame teeny bopper shows. But we were both wrong. Yes, there is football, and yes many of the main characters are portraying teenagers. But, the show goes much deeper than touchdowns and teen angst. It's all about relationships and life in small town Texas, and it is really gripping. Plus, the relationship between the coach and his wife is one of my favorite TV marriages hands-down.

So give Friday Night Lights a chance this Friday. DVR it. Tivo it. Watch online. Watch it live. Whatever. You won't be sorry.

Getting Real

Well, it's getting real now. This weekend we spent Saturday and Sunday in childbirth class. I was kind of dreading this weekend because I didn't want to get too freaked out by the birthing videos and all that good stuff. But, it was actually a great weekend. Both Jody and I are feeling a lot more prepared and even more excited. Obviously, I'm not really eager to experience all the pain and all that stuff, but we're definitely feeling so eager for the big payoff: meeting our little boy or girl!

We took our class at my yoga teacher's house. I've been taking Dee's yoga class once or twice a week since the end of my first trimester and it has been one of the best parts of pregnancy for me. Not only do I enjoy the nap and cookie at the end of class, but Dee is an awesome teacher. She's such a warm, nurturing person and really understands what pregnant women need to feel good physically and mentally. Thanks to Chris and Karen for urging me to go all the way across town to Lincoln Square to take her class. It's totally been worth it. Dee is their good friend and neighbor, and they are quite lucky to have her right next door now that they're starting their own baby journey!

Dee holds the class in her home for five couples once a month. Pam, a labor and delivery nurse who used to work at Northwestern for many, many years before recently moving to D.C., comes in each month to teach the classes, and I'm pretty thankful she made the trip--even in the crazy snow this weekend. Pam was great. She had that same nurturing energy as Dee and was so knowledgable, patient and personable. Learning all the ups and downs of labor and delivery was much easier to handle in the comfort of Dee's home with just a few other couples. All of us in the class are due within about a week of each other; we are all delivering at the same hospital; and none of us know the sex of our babies. It was really nice being around these other couples who are at the same stage as us. Who knows, we may even run into each other at the hospital!

All in all, we both feel much more prepared to actually have this baby, which was the point of the whole weekend. I was expecting to end the weekend really freaked out with a whole new set of fears of what could go wrong or happen during labor, but I think doing it in such a comfortable environment with such great teachers really helped put my mind at ease. If anyone is interested in the class or prenatal yoga with Dee, you can check out her web site at www.yogawithdee.com.

Movie To Make You Think

This past weekend, we went on a movie date. It’s not totally comfortable sitting through movies at this point in pregnancy, but we don’t have much time left to enjoy our family-of-two freedom. We went to see “Milk” and it was pretty good. Before the movie came out I had never heard of Harvey Milk, but after reading a bit about the movie I wanted to see it. Plus, I’m a big James Franco fan, so I like to see whatever he’s in.

“Milk” was a really good movie, and all of the actors in it were great. Very believable and effective at playing real people, which I think is always tough for actors to pull off. The story was pretty interesting too. I never knew a thing about the gay rights movement of the ‘70s, so it was definitely eye-opening. It’s actually kind of strange to me that we never learned about the gay rights movement in any classes in school (not even in college) because we learned about pretty much all the other rights movements that were going on at the time, like women’s rights and civil rights. I know some people don’t agree with the comparison between gay rights and civil rights, but I think the similarities are clear. When one group of people is being discriminated against in any way, they are being stripped of the equal rights that we are promised as Americans.

The movie centered around Harvey Milk becoming the first openly gay person to ever be elected to public office and his role in fighting Proposition 6, a proposition on the California ballot in 1978 that would allow employers to terminate employees on the basis of sexual orientation. After the movie, it hit me that now 30+ years later they’re still fighting for equal rights. And that’s sad. The timing of the movie couldn’t have been more relevant with the whole gay marriage fight going on in California, and the passing of Proposition 8 that banned same-sex marriage this past November. Knowing all of that and realizing that the country hasn’t come so far on this issue since the ‘70s made the movie that much more powerful.

Big Changes in the New Year

Here comes trouble. My niece and nephew are kicking off the new year with a bang. Adam recently started crawling, which is something totally new for Lis and Avi since Edin never really crawled and went straight to walking. Chasing after a crawling baby has created a whole new level of excitement in their house, especially since this little guy is quite curious and has been dying to be able to move on his own for a while now.

In other big news, E started preschool today! I really can't believe she's such a big girl now that she's actually starting the whole school thing. This will be another big change for their family, but I'm pretty sure E's going to love being around all the other kids and learning so many new and exciting things.

Good luck to Lis and Avi with all this! It's going to be a fun year!

Closet Success

And the nesting continues...With all this time off between Christmas and New Years, we've made some serious headway in getting our house in order.

The first order of business was the closet in our 2nd bedroom/office/soon-to-be baby's room. This is huge closet that spans the entire length of the wall, and we had been totally wasting the space for four years now. We just had the original clothes bar hanging across the whole closet and we threw whatever junk we found onto the closet floor. Believe me, it wasn't pretty. Since we're combining the office and the nursery, we realized the need for a more efficient use of space, and it all started with the closet. Jody and I talked about what we wanted to do with the space--half office stuff, half baby stuff--and then Jody put together a rough closet floorplan. We took the plans to the Container Store and got a pretty sweet Elfa closet system (thank you annual Elfa sale!).

I give Jody all the credit here for this project. He put it all together himself, since I'm pretty useless these days in the lifting, holding and climbing departments. Really, Jody has been the one leading our nesting efforts. So anyone who thinks that I am the one influencing all of our getting-ready-for-the-baby stuff, you're totally wrong. Jody's the one reading things, building things and influencing me to really start focusing on things to prepare, and I am just lucky to have him.

We haven't filled the closets yet, but here are some pictures of the system:

Office side

Baby side

Long view