car post

Were somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin not quite sure where but were 2 hours from Albert Lea MN which is our next hotel stop. Today has been a long day but at least there are a lot of pretty things to look at. We made a quick atop in Chicago so we could get some intelligentsia coffee. Its not our favorite of the snobby coffees but its pretty delicious. There is one in la but Its actually from Chicago so its pretty cool. I got a cold brewed iced coffee. I only drank a few sips cause I wasn't in the mood to stop at every rest stop. My bladder is already a huge problem but coffee just makes it a whole new level. Anyways I think I'm hanging pretty good. My ribs were killing me the first day but today its not too bad. Stopping a lot seems to help. I still can't grasp that were not just visiting California and were actually moving there. I think it will take awhile to hit me because well be So busy moving in and getting ready for the baby. I'm excited to see my family and let them See the belly. It feels So massive. I'm not kiddilg when I say it grows daily. She has been kicking like crazy too which is still so surreal. I've discovered That pregnancy and Last food do not mix. We eat pretty healthy normally so I think road food has been a bit shocking on the belly. Luckily we found a good veggie Burger in Chicago so that was nice. Tonight well see what Albert Lea will bring us
I need to take some photos but so far I've just shop photos of Sierra being super cute.
This post may have a shit ton of mistakes not so easy to edit on the Droid So beware.

stroller

My latest obsession is strollers. Before I was pregnant I was kinda anti stroller. In my hood in Brooklyn you have to dodge them or they will take you down. But now that I'm pregnant Blake and I will be sitting at lunch of something in a cafe and totally be checking out strollers. We know all the "hip" brands now and I can usually tell what they are from way down the street. My oh my life is a changing. Anyways in our quest for a stroller we kinda had our minds set on the Bugaboo Bee. Its definitely geared towards the urban parents but I think I just like the modern look of it and how easily it folds.



I recently came across the Teutonia which apparently Heidi Klum has. It's actually super similar to the Bugaboo but seems to have a few more custom things you can add to it. I need to borrow a stroller and a baby and take these for a test drive.



All my friends with babies have the Bob stroller which apparently is all the rage in Southern California. I think because it can go off road which means easy for the beach. I think its ugly as shit and I hate the 3 wheels but apparently its a good stroller but lets be honest I'm not buying an ugly stroller. So much out here. I hope my money tree starts growing cause babies are expensive!

Metal

I don't want to say its an experiment but its kinda turning out that way. Blake and I go to a lot of live shows and it just so happens that in the time I found out I was pregnant we have only gone to metal/hardcore shows. We usually mix it up a bit but it just happened that a lot of good bands were playing. I was kinda concerned about the noise hurting the baby but I don't think that's really possible. Anyways the point of this story was the other night Blake and I were driving home from dinner and Blake put on some music. I have no idea what band it was but it was kinda silly metal and all of a sudden she started kicking the shit out of my like really hard. I don't know if it was just a coincidence or she liked it?? Does this mean I'm going to have to rock my baby to sleep which listening to Converge??

Dirt

I can't even recall how many people have asked me if I've been craving dirt during my pregnancy? Um gross! So of course I have to google this shit and apparently its a thing.
http://www.babycenter.com/404_what-causes-pica-cravings-for-non-food-items-during-pregnanc_1186643.bc
No I have not been craving dirt. I think my weirdest craving was red Gatorade. Oh and I was totally staring at some kid in the subway yesterday eating a mcdonalds cheeseburger but dirt, really??

no sleep

Well I guess my days of sleeping are over. I should probably get used to it but being tired everyday sucks. I have no problem falling asleep but I wake up in the middle of the night and just lay there for hours. The shitty part is I'm tired but just can't go to sleep. I don't even feel overly stressed so its not like I'm laying awake thinking. So then when I finally get back to sleep its only a few hours and I feel exhausted when I wake up. I'm not too uncomfortable sleeping but I think tomorrow I am going to buy myself a body pillow and see if that helps.
I had a mini baby shower on sunday, just a few ladies at brunch but it was really nice. It was at Vinegar Ale House which might be my new favorite place to eat. Ashley even brought some Butterlane cupcakes which are my favorite. Sadly I did not take any photos, I know terrible of me. Anyways good times. I feel like I'm slowly saying my goodbyes and getting in all my friend time. Its fun running around all the time cause I kinda feel like I'm on vacation ( I can't remember the last time I made dinner at home) Oh well I'm just going to enjoy it while I can.
This week is going to be crazy, we need to start packing and figuring out what is going with us. Oh the fun.....

It's a GIRL!

Clothes

I just found this site via OHJOY
Seriously how cute is this? I think I need a trip to Europe.

http://www.luckyboysunday.dk/category/collection/

Boy or Girl

So tomorrow is the day we find out if its a boy or girl. I feel like I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight. It's funny cause I keep thinking its a girl but maybe its cause everyone else has said that to me and I have it in my head. When I look online I immediately look at girl things. I think cause there are a ton of cute things for girls. I dunno I don't really care. I mean it is what it is. Just as long as it isn't 10 pounds when I birth it I'm cool with it. I feel more beastly everyday.

I need to get a body pillow. Everyone keeps telling me that and I think I get it now. I've been sleeping with a normal pillow in between my legs and it helps a bit but overall its just uncomfortable. This is sorta weird, its like a noodle. Not sure Sierra will enjoy it but I guess it helps??

Diaper bag madness

I keep seeing all these cute diaper bags in my hood so I decided to look around online. Can't decide what I like. I have a Marc Jacobs bag that I was thinking of using but not sure how it will deal with baby poop and vomit but we'll see. If I use that I was thinking this out be a cute thing to add to it.



http://www.diaperbags.com/diaper-bags/floral/isokichangematclutchmoroccanvine.cfm



http://www.diaperbags.com/diaper-bags/solids/skiphopdiaperbagblackduodouble.cfm



http://www.diaperbags.com/messenger-diaper-bags/polka-dots/oioimessengerdiaperbaglimedot.cfm



http://www.laylagrayce.com/Products/Skip-Hop-Dash-Deluxe-Blossom__SK220012.aspx



http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=45974&vid=1&pid=709160&scid=709160002

kicking alien

So I'm sitting on the couch and I feel the little bugger kicking around. Its pretty intense so I pull up my shirt and stare at it for awhile cause this is much stronger than normal and I can actually see my belly move when it kicks. By far the craziest shit I've ever seen. Its super alien like. I'm seriously in shock, just so cool. Oh and here is a photo taken today. I'm getting massive.

fine I'll wear maternity clothes

I really really tried to avoid the whole maternity clothing thing. I think in the beginning I didn't really realize how fast I would grow and what other parts would bulge out too. My hips have for sure gotten wider so its not so much my pants don't fit around the belly as they won't fit over my hips. So fine I decided to go shopping the other day and came up with some pretty cute things. I wouldn't buy them if I wasn't pregnant but they aren't hideous.
This first find isn't maternity but I think I should be able to wear it for the rest of the pregnancy.I have them on today and they are super comfortable. And for $20 you can't really go wrong.

http://www.uniqlo.com/us/explorer.html#/code:061616-002-09/



http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6932&vid=1&pid=749766&scid=749766002

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=7275&vid=1&pid=749720

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=40114&vid=1&pid=749813&scid=749813002


I also got some shorts and a skirt from old navy but they aren't online. Trying not to buy too much and just a few basics to make my own but its hard cause I still wanna dress like me. So glad I will be really pregnant in summer and can wear a ton of dresses.

More Blogs I like

http://www.justbyliving.com/2010/05/happy-tears-in-coffee-shop.html

I just started following this blog but I really like it. This post especially was great. I think sometimes I find myself thinking about my life and what it will be like with a baby. Obviously this was talked about a lot before we decided to try but I think the reality of it and the funny talks over breakfast are totally different then standing here with a big belly and hospital bill filling your mailbox. Sometimes I worry if it was the right time. I think about traveling and that maybe I didn't do everything I wanted to do. I think about money especially. Can we really provide for this child when we both live paycheck to paycheck as artists? I look at a lot of my friends who have houses, steady income, and a plan and I wonder did I fuck up somewhere? Am I supposed to have all this too? Then I realize Blake and I did things totally different, it wasn't wrong just different. We chose to move to NY, to enjoy our lives and also do what we wanted (photography) and not sit in a shitty office and bitch about co workers and bosses. In that sense we are lucky but we've also had a lot of tough times where we didn't know how we would make it through the month. Stability vs happiness is a tough one. Can't a girl have it all?
All these things have gone through my head a bazillion times but I always come back to the place where I feel so lucky that I am experiencing everything I am right now. I have the most amazing husband a girl could ask for, wonderful friends, and a super supportive family. I've been so lucky to have traveled the world and seen the things I have. Plus I lived in NY and a lot of people can't say that. I've done what I wanted but I'm also a really ansy person so I always want to do more. I know having a baby won't stop me but I also do know my life will change.
I don't really know the point of blabbing but the post I read made me happy and I think the bottom line is we are all choose how to live our lives and one way or the other is not better.

Neato Blog

http://www.newscientist.com/topic/bumpology

Blake found this blog the other day and I'm fascinated by it! The video from today is crazy. I can't believe that is happening in my body too!

Half way there

Every time I say that I think of the Barry Manilow song "Half way over the Hill." Ya embarrassing I know.
Anyways I think I'm at week 20 or 21. I dunno. Its all confusing but will be cleared up at my next ultrasound. My midwife is trusting that I kept track but I could of been off by a few days. Either way I'm half way there! It's exciting that in 20 more weeks I'm going to have an actual baby. HOLY SHIT! I also can't believe that I'm going to have a huge bump for 20 more weeks. I can't say I love being pregnant. I always hear people talk about how much they love being pregnant and how wonderful they felt. I dunno I call bullshit on that. I mean I'm not puking up my breakfast or anything like that and I do actually have energy but I'm carrying 10 extra pounds (or something around that) I'm 5'1, 10 extra pounds is a shit ton of weight for a little one like me. Plus my back hurts a lot. I suppose from the extra weight. Ok I'm not complaining I'm so excited to be a mom but I don't know about this whole glamorized pregnancy thing.

Things I shouldn't of done today

Tried on bathing suits at Target. Yikes! Thanks to the surrounding mirrors in the dressing room I could see it all. Fat is growing in places that I never expected. On a good note I did get a cute bathing suit top but I think bottoms are going to be a big problem. Not that I'm actually going to skip around on the beach but I do plan on going to the beach and pool (but covering up).

fake shopping is fun

I've been on the babies r us site a dozen times and the same thing happens every time. I get completely overwhelmed and leave the site. I've managed to register for a breast pump and a boppy and that's it. We still don't know the sex yet so that makes it a little difficult since a lot of stuff is either pink or blue. I've been trying to find some sites that are a little more my style and I just came across Dwell Studio.

The prints are super modern and adorable. So far I found 2 that I love (depending on the sex of course) Although maybe the first can be for either. Anyways there are a bunch of other prints of love but these were my favorites......

http://www.dwellstudio.com/designer-baby-boutique/nursery-bedding/owls-sky-crib-set.html



http://www.dwellstudio.com/designer-baby-boutique/nursery-bedding/sparrow-lilac-crib-set.html