HO HO HO!!! 32 Weeks Pregnant

Who knows the difference between Santa Claus and Tiger Woods?

Santa stops after 3 hos...hahaha! I couldn't resist.

It's hard to believe we have less than 8 weeks before the baby is supposed to arrive. Tis the season to be jolly for so many reasons! Between Christmas and Hanukkah and holiday parties galore, it's all happening!

We have continued to prepare for our little one's grand debut. We finished our childbirth classes on Thurs. and earned our certificate of completion. I'm so glad we did that class. We definitely learned some things, but I think the ultimate advantage to doing a class like that is to educate the guys on what the gals are going through. It helps them be more sensitive and understanding to the woman's needs. It is probably easier for the pregnant one to emotionally prepare for the life changing events ahead since they are the ones carrying the child. And I felt like at every class I got 3 hours of Marc's undivided attention. And of course I liked that. :)

Marc is blowing me away with his preparations. He just came home with a stroller the other day. It wasn't the one I wanted, but it was a great deal and fits our infant car seat. He taught me how to use it last night and it was absolutely adorable. He wanted to make sure I did everything correctly so I didn't jeopardize the baby's safety or risk waking him up. Does this even make sense? Isn't it usually the girl convincing the guy that we even need a stroller? Although it wasn't the original stroller I had picked out, I quickly decided it was perfect.

Also, I asked Marc the other day if he would take maternity pictures with me this weekend. He said no problem in a flash. Really? He is so go with the flow and happy to do it. I've heard of many girls begging their guys to do stuff like that. So we are all scheduled to take pregnant belly photos on Sunday after he plays volleyball. People say that makes the pregnancy so much more memorable and can be a special keepsake for the baby one day in the future. I think all kids are curious about what their mommies looked like pregnant. I know I still am...There MIGHT be one whole picture of my pregnant mother in existence. And I still don't know where it is and if it really exists!

Next on the agenda is to find a crib. I'm looking for a white sleigh crib from Pottery Barn to match the white crown molding and the rest of my pottery barn furniture in that room. Marc is actively helping me find the best deal, so I'm sure we'll have a crib in the next few weeks. We're on a roll!

It's a party.....I mean it's the best baby shower I've ever attended!!!

Welcome to the best baby shower I've ever been to! This was less of a baby shower, and more of a royal celebration! Look at all the people who came! Our house was full of special friends and family for the exceptional occasion, and we had a fantastic time.

Marc invited more people than I did! And I can't believe how many of his guy friends came. I guess they knew that if Marc was involved that we would have never ending amounts of delicious food and football ready to devour and enjoy.

There were many aspects of this party that made it uber spectacular, and this homemade cake is just one component. I love how it says both of our last names, Perry and Newhaus and gives him the number ONE. Pamela baked it and Kristi decorated it. It was better than any store-bought cake I've ever eaten and there is no tool to measure the amount of thoughtfulness included.

I need to take a moment to rave about how marvelous my friends are. The two main hostesses are my dear friends Kristi and Pamela and they went above and beyond my wildest expectations. Pamela's mom and Nori also came bright and early in the morning to help the girls set up and worked all day on taking care of everyone's needs at the party. They set everything up from beginning to end...from the first guest's arrival to the final guest's departure. They didn't miss a single detail and worked their butts off all day long.

First of all, the decorations were phenomenal! The center pieces on the tables were the most adorable teddy bears. Each bear was dressed as a sports icon related to Marc or me. Each bear wore a jersey onesie that will ultimately be for the baby. Representing were the Cowboys, Yankees, Lakers, and Dodgers, and each bear held an array of balloons. So now little Perry Newhaus has more teddy bears than he ever could have dreamt of loving. My friends clearly put hours upon hours of thought and preparation into the sports-themed extravaganza. It was AWESOME!!!!


I just can't say enough good things. Marc and his friends had a great time despite the fact that they were technically at a baby shower. Between football and friends, I think it's safe to say they were feeling festive and fortunate. My mom was thoroughly impressed by our wonderful friends. And I was completely flabbergasted that all these people would do so much for us.

By the conclusion of the shindig, I was so overwhelmed and exhausted that I kicked off my heels and plopped down with all my new sporty companions. What could be more comforting at the end of the suaire. I was beat and I hadn't even done any of the real work. It's a tough job to have fun at your own party. Hahaha! I don't expect to get any sympathy there!

Now it's the calm after the storm and I get to relax for a minute. We have many magnificent baby gifts to organize before I start sending out thank you notes. This is the fun part because everyone spoiled us rotten with kindness and generosity. The yankees won out with the most common gifted sports theme, so it looks like our little one is predisposed to be a yankee just like Daddy Marc and Grandpa Bernie.

I hope all my friends and family know how grateful and appreciative I am for so much love and support. Thank you to all of you for being the best of the best!!!

Prepared Childbirth Series

Last night was a RIOT!!! I dragged Marc to childbirth class at the hospital. HAHAHA!!!

Originally, when he said he would go with me, it didn't seem like it was a big deal so I signed us up for the three Thursday evening classes for a total of nine hours. But when it came time to get ready and head out the door, he was full of regrets that he had ever agreed to such a thing. Thanks to rush hour traffic, I got to listen to his complaints for a full hour as I drove us to the dreaded classroom full of hormonal, pregnant women and their partners. He explained that this was just something women with nothing better to do sign up for. Of course that hurt my feelings a tiny bit and I wondered why he agreed to it in the first place if he was going to be so ornery about it. I told him he needed to get over it because I'm the one who paid the $150 for the classes and he can just relax while I chauffeur him there. Plus, I'm the one who gets to go through the pain of childbirth, so the least he could do was be nice and supportive.

Upon arrival to the hospital, we found our class full of expecting couples. I figured Marc was miserable being there so I did the honors of introducing the both of us and our unborn son. We found out that we don't get the maternity tour of the hospital due to the swine flu, and with the extra time we will practice more breathing exercises and relaxation techniques. That works out great for me because I am shooting for an all natural drug-free childbirth. In between texts and emails on his blackberry, Marc told the instructor that he was already prepared for me to go into labor because he watched a youtube video of an elephant giving birth. Needless to say, he wasn't the only less than ecstatic daddy in the room, and everyone laughed at his comment.

By the second half of class, everyone seemed to be a bit more comfortable in that room. I mean, hey, we're doing it for our future children, right. I don't want to go so far as to say we enjoyed ourselves, but honestly I really did! It's helpful for me to think of having a baby as a natural process rather than a medical procedure. And I find comfort in the fact that Marc will better understand what I am going through.

Believe it or not, when we got home Marc said that he was GLAD that we went to the class with me! WHAT?! He said he appreciated how informative our teacher was and that it was a good thing to be prepared. I think it also made him appreciate me a little more. He saw that almost every single mom-to-be was quite a bit heavier than me and that I am very healthy in comparison. He told me several times that I was the cutest girl in there! Maybe he just felt bad about his previous complaints, but I'll take the sweetness any time!

So, for next week, we are going to get an early start over to childbirth class to beat rush hour traffic. And to kill time, we are going to do my favorite thing and have a bite to eat across the street at Jerry's Deli. Marc definitely realized that childbirth class was the least painful thing about having a baby, and I'm grateful for his reluctant compliance! Whew!

Happy Thanksgiving!!! (29 Weeks Pregnant)

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and this year ranked up there with the best of them. We shared the special holiday with Marc's family in Florida. I love his parents and am so excited that our unborn child already has so many family members and friends that love him with all their hearts. He has no idea how lucky he is!

Marc told me, "Congratulations! You survived Thanksgiving. Not many turkeys made it through Thanksgiving!" I had told him how when my mom was pregnant, my dad called her Butterball at one point. So now I'm also getting compared to a butterball turkey....my mistake telling him that story. But I promise you I'm no turkey. ;)

Travelling was a bit more difficult than usual for me. I thought I was just getting so tired because maybe that is normal in the 3rd trimester. But my dizzy spells and fatigue were at an all time high, and my doctor called twice while I was away to tell me I was anemic again and to make sure I was taking iron pills. I felt like I could have slept through Thanksgiving week at the rate I was going. And I didn't want to take iron pills because of constipation. But now I seem to have it all figured out a week later. Lots of salads, fruit, and green drinks, and I'm taking the iron pill every other day instead of every day so I can go to the bathroom. Now I am feeling a little more energetic, but don't know how I'm going to manage getting on the airplane for Christmas.

Today I am 30 weeks pregnant and we are getting ready for our baby shower this weekend. My mom is flying in on Sat. and I'm getting everything ready for the festivities. This house used to be stuck in the 90's with grey carpets and grey walls from floor to ceiling. I've been warming it up with earth tones and making it a cozy place to live. We have hung curtains, painted walls, rearranged the living room, added throw rugs and plants, and hung artwork. It's looking better and better all the time. Turning a bachelor pad into a family home is a process, but I'm knocking it out one step at a time. With the high ceilings and all the natural light that comes in, it is a great palette to work with and I've been having so much fun making these improvements! It is becoming home sweet home!!!

Now Marc is installing a washer/dryer so it is my cue to leave before they solicit any more of my help.