Sweet Tooth!

While I haven't had any strange cravings during my pregnancy (i.e. no pickles with ice cream for me!), what I have experienced is an out-of-control sweet tooth. For those of you who know me well, you probably remember that before I got pregnant I was pretty vigilant about my diet and exercise, and rarely indulged in calorie-rich sweets. However, all is different now! Keep in mind that I do have a healthy, well-balanced prenatal diet, but I've also allowed myself to savor tasty desserts on a regular basis. Cookies, cake, pastries, ice cream....yum! I can easily rationalize my cravings by saying that "Zoey wants it....", but the truth is that I WANT IT. : ) But I figure that pregnancy is the one time in my life where I don't have to count calories or be mindful of every single bite I eat, so I might as well enjoy this time while I can! However, I still eat treats in moderation - which has helped me to keep my pregnancy weight gain in a normal, healthy range. Walking and swimming regularly appears to have balanced out my dessert intake. : )

Speaking of desserts, last night I made a box of Betty Crocker "Hershey Brownie Cookie Bars" - major YUM! The bottom layer is brownie mix, covered with drops of chocolate chip cookie dough....baked to perfection. And I was good and only ate one last night - so there are plenty more to enjoy over the next few days. : )

Sunday Baby Shower Luncheon

My mother-in-law Norma held a lovely baby shower luncheon for me yesterday at her house in El Cerrito, and it was so nice to meet and mingle with her friends and celebrate together. It was a warm day, but we all survived. We all had a nice lunch out in the garden, chatted and laughed a lot, and I received even more cute gifts and helpful supplies for Zoey. I feel so thankful to have such loving, generous people in my life!

Update on Zoey's Nursery

So we're almost done with Zoey's nursery! All we need to do is wash all of her new blankets, clothes and sheets, re-organize some of the supplies and gifts we received from our showers, and do a final cleaning before she arrives. It's a bit cluttered in there right now, but I love her room and I can' wait until she can see it and enjoy it too. : )

Happy Friday!

Molly, Aimee & Oliver wish all my readers a HAPPY FRIDAY! : )

Baby Hiccups

I've been feeling little Zoey kick, twist, turn and thump around in my belly since about 16.5 weeks into my pregnancy, but the last 6 weeks I've been feeling her hiccup almost everyday for a period of 10-30 minutes. It is such a cute yet strange feeling! From what I've researched this is a very normal thing for babies to do in utero, and is even considered to be a sign of healthy development. Zoey hiccups....too cute! : )
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Is It Ok For My Unborn Baby To Have Hiccups So Often?

Your growing and developing baby can create all sorts of strange feelings when she is inside your womb. She will kick, she will turn, and she will wiggle. Sometimes, it will even feel like she’s re-enacting a scene from Saturday Night Fever or Footloose! From the moment that a mom-to-be feels those first movements (sometimes known as “quickening”) that will occur at around 18 to 24 weeks of pregnancy, each new feeling can be a special moment of excitement and expectation. Your baby might even hiccup while she is still in your belly!

Hiccups for an unborn baby are completely normal. When your baby hiccups, it will feel like a small spasm in your belly. Hiccups will generally feel distinct from other sorts of movements. Some babies will not hiccup at all while still in the womb, while others may hiccup several times a day every day.

Hiccups in your unborn baby are just a fetal reflex that is remarkably similar to our own. Only the more mature fetuses will hiccup, as hiccups rely on the development of the central nervous system. Some experts think that hiccups in utero is a response to fetal drinking or fetal breathing, which causes the flow of amniotic fluid in and out of the lungs, stimulating the diaphragm to contract.

Hiccups in unborn babies do not seem to cause the same discomfort as it does in adults. Some research even suggests that hiccups are actually soothing to your baby, and help to relieve a variety of pressures on his growing lungs and organs. Your unborn baby may even start hiccupping as early as the last part of your first trimester, although you probably won’t be able to notice them until much later. If your baby has a hiccup while you are at a prenatal exam, you might be able to hear the hiccups with a Doppler heart tone machine. It is also fairly common for newborns to get cases of the hiccups, so don't be surprised when your little one who has been hiccupping in the womb continues to do it after he gets out!

Hi mom, look at us!

Misty & Oliver - our 2 craziest kitties. : )

Baby Shower #2!

We had so much fun at our co-ed baby shower with friends yesterday! A HUGE THANK YOU to everyone who came out to celebrate with us, and for all the generous gifts for baby Zoey. She is such a lucky little girl! We are definitely on the countdown now - just 6 weeks until my due date. We are so excited to meet our daughter very soon!

Cat Massage?! Oh man......

Now this is just RIDICULOUS (remember, I warned you!) haha...! (Found from "Everything is Terrible")

Altered Barbie - lol!

Although Leah and I used to LOVE playing with our Barbies when we were little girls, the more I think about it, Barbie is not the best choice role model for my daughter. However, most of our Barbies and their gear are stored in my parent's attic out in Manteca, and it's likely that someday we'll let Hayden and Zoey relive our childhood Barbie fun. : )

But in the meantime, this website and art show called "Altered Barbie" is hilarious - check it out! Unique, ironic, and artistic takes on the traditional Barbie doll. : )

My kitty baby

Aimee was so cute last night as she cuddled up on my belly - I hope this is a sign that she'll love and accept Zoey into her world! : )

Rubber Ducky, you're the one!

Ha Ha, I saw this on Cute Overload yesterday and I thought it was adorable! Hatched by Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman, this 9.5m tall by 11m long rubber duck has been spotted in Europe, Japan, and Brazil.

Molly & Oliver love their daddy!

I just love the way that Molly is looking up at David - too cute! : )

Baby Shower #1!

Saturday was my 1st baby shower thrown by my Aunt Karen and my mom out in Lodi, and it was such a fun filled day! We got some great gifts for Zoey, had a delicious lunch and chocolate cake, and more importantly we all had a lovely time hanging out and celebrating together. It is always a treat to spend a day surrounded by family and dear friends - I feel so loved and grateful!

Cute Animal Story!

My mother-in-law passed this on to me and it was so cute I just had to post it today. : )
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Trans-Species Friendship!

The Jesusita Fire in Santa Barbara, CA this year caused these two to take shelter together. The fawn is about 3 days old and the bobcat about 3 weeks.

They immediately bonded and snuggled together under a desk in the Santa Barbara County Dispatch Office for several hours. Animal Planet is reporting the bobcat kitten was rescued near Arnold Schwarzenegger's ranch, where it was dehydrated and near death.

They rescued the fawn during the wildfire as well. Although wild animals, especially of separate species, are never placed together due to regulations, in this emergency situation, they had no choice. During the mayhem of the fire, they were forced to put animals anywhere they could, since they had run out of crates large enough for the fawn. The kitten ran to the fawn, and it was instant bonding.

My beautiful, crazy niece Hayden : )

Leah, Lukasz and Hayden came over yesterday to play in the pool and enjoy a Labor Day BBQ with us. It was a nice, relaxing day with family. I forgot to take pictures, but here is a cute pic that Leah sent me of Hayden - what a doll! She is quite the spunky, curious, rambunctious 21 month old - so fun and full of life. : )

Labor Day Walk in Alameda

I took advantage of the gorgeous weather we're having to get out and walk along my lovely Alameda Beach every day this weekend. And today seems to be the nicest day so far! Even though it was still before noon, lots of people were already out getting ready for a day of sun and holiday bbq's. I also ran into my friend Scott while he was out jogging, which was a nice treat. Thank goodness for sunny, relaxing 3-day weekends! : )

32 Weeks....the countdown begins!

I hit 32 weeks of pregnancy today - just 8 more weeks to go until my due date on Nov. 1st! I know that a due date is just an estimate, but it's still very exciting to realize how close we're getting to meeting our baby girl! And I have a feeling she might make an early appearance....we'll see. : )

Hungry Friday

This is what I'm looking forward to eating for dinner tonight! David and I are going out to Chili's to enjoy their 3-courses for $20 special (assuming it's still going on - I hope so!) We rarely go out to dinner these days since we're trying to save all our pennies, so this will be a nice treat for us. I know it's not the finest culinary experience in the world, but heck I can't think of anything more delicious to eat right now. : )
Yum.....can we go now?!