week 26



baby and space needle

bday boy

Best Moment: This past weekend, while Evan’s parents were in town, Deb and I had the chance to do a little “baby bonding.” Because they live on the other side of the mountains, we haven’t had much of an opportunity to share the pregnancy with them, so we took advantage of having them here this weekend. Deb so kindly offered to make the window treatments in little bee’s room, so off to JoAnn’s (gag…although no hives were had) we went in search of the perfect fabric! Surprisingly (and thankfully), it didn’t take long for us to land on a cute little yellow with white polka dots print. Voila. Curtains-check. Next we were off to Target, where we spent about 45 mins oohing ahhing over all things baby. It was a great experience that got both of us even more excited about the impending arrival of little Sodi!

I’d be remiss to not mention Sunday was not only Evan’s big 3-1, but also his first Father’s Day! Baby was adamant about giving daddy a present, which made Evan’s day. Check out these adorable and appropriate onesies little bee picked out all by h/h self!

Symptoms: Mama is tired! It feels like first trimester fatigue, but this time, I’m pretty sure it’s due to my ridiculous lack of sleep. I mean, how comfy can you really get with a head of lettuce stuck in your belly? Not to mention one that wiggles and kicks throughout the night (although I really love that part).

Cravings/Aversions: Loving me some sweets and sours. Not necessarily combined, but if they are, it results in one happy lady. Still needing to stay far away from chicken, which is so weird, considering pre-pregs, Evan and I were a big, big chicken consuming family.

What I miss: My shoes. Apparently 4” wedges aren’t a viable footwear solution for me in these days of pregnancy…Eff. I learned this lesson the hard (and hilarious and mortifying) way, after taking a nice spill at work. Full on crash to the ground, swollen ankle spill. I know, I can’t even talk about it. Immediately following, I trotted my sorry, limping self down to Sears (sears….SEARS) to find a somewhat acceptable pair of flat sandals. Ugh. So now what the hell am I supposed to wear?

What I can’t wait for: Thursday’s doctor appointment. It’s nothing special but we’ll get to hear little bees heartbeat and that is always one of our favorite experiences!

Milestones:  Baby's now the size of a head of lettuce! Baby's soaking up your antibodies, getting her immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and she'll soon be practicing the blink...perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.



i love this picture because it looks like Isabella is trying to milk evan. and clearly, it's the funniest thing that's ever happened to him.

week 25



most handsome big brother



Best Moment: Evan finally felt the baby move!! It has been a long road, but alas, our little bee decided it was time to let daddy in on the fun and produced two “powerful enough” kicks for Evan to feel! (Coincidence that as I type this, I’m listening to Big Poppa by the Notorious B.I.G.? I think not. It’s all about Poppa this week)

Symptoms: Two painful words: leg.cramps. ugh. I mean really? In one of my previous posts, I mentioned something else as adding insult to injury, but whatever it was, I didn’t know what I was talking about. Leg cramps on the other hand definitely add insult to injury. Nothing like being awoken in the middle of the night by an intense seize of the leg. Waa waaa.

Cravings/Aversions: Chicken is a serious no-no on my list these days. We really haven’t been close this entire pregnancy, which is fine by me. The taste, the smell…there ain’t nothing about that little piece of poultry that I’m missing. Red meat has steadily moved towards the top of my craving list. We don’t need no stinkin’ white meat.

What I miss: A raging social life. Not to mislead the reader-  it’s not as if Evan and I were burning candles at all ends, dusk til’ dawn, but our social life has changed a bit. For instance, Saturday night? We were happily crawling into bed at 9:45. Don’t get me wrong, crawling into bed, regardless of time of day has always been one of my most favorite activities in life, but these days, I’m feeling more self-inflicted pressure to “live it up” before baby comes. Of course, living it up takes on a whole new meaning when alcohol is not involved. Perhaps that’s what ice cream is for?

What I can’t wait for: Surprise, surprise…new paint and carpet. I will say this until it’s done, damnit. We can’t get moving on the baby’s room until the floor and walls are all taken care of. Grrr….

Milestones:  Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half — isn't much more than an average rutabaga, but she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture.

week 24

and she keeps growing and growing and growing

Best Moment: This week had a couple bests. Top of the list was the 2nd annual Luizzo pizza party. Liz and Steve hosted yet another incredible night, complete with blow-your-mind homemade pizza, copious amounts of vino and one hell of a good time. Of course, this year was a bit different, not being able to imbibe and all, but incredibly, I still had a great time! Sobriety can be fun- who knew? We had so much fun with everyone and lil Sodi got to meet a new batch of friends. 

little sodi already has secrets to tell

freshman year was a long time ago...

g&g steppan

auntie sneaks

best hosts ever

workin' the dough

Another best was Sunday afternoon. After a massive cleaning frenzy (nesting anyone?), I pulled out the few items we have for the little bee and laid everything out on the baby's room floor, just to see it and soak it all up. Unintentionally, it turned out to be a very special moment. 

Symptoms: So apparently another side effect of indigestion, aside from heart burn is coughing. So fun. Thankfully, it's not constant, but consistently shows up first thing in the morning and at bedtime. But I must say, I don't have any sign of the linea negra (that gorgeous dark line that runs down a woman's stomach during pregnancy), which makes me very happy. Because that? Just seems like adding insult to injury, ya know?

obligatory heart over the belly photo-
i was forced into this

Cravings/Aversions: This past week has been all about dried mangoes from TJ's. I mean, the combo of sweet and tart? Get out of here. Incredible and makes mama and baby oh so happy. Another thing that makes baby happy? Peaches, blueberries and kiwi. Judging by the way our little bee reacts when I eat these fruits (among other things), I think h/s may have inherited daddy's dance moves. And if that turns out to be true, someone is getting dance lessons. Don't get me wrong, Evan can move, like, in the same way Elaine Benes can move. 

What I miss: Excedrin. Really, how am I supposed to fight a headache?

What I can’t wait for: Friday- the crib is expected to arrive (thank you ma and pa Soderquist)!

Milestones:  Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since he's almost a foot long (picture an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he'll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

week 23

melting hearts of the world unite.

Best Moment: As with many a Memorial weekends in the past, we spent the weekend with the Soderquist clan in Winthrop. The weekend was just what the doctor ordered- lots of catching up with the fam, sleep, and sunshine! It’s been long overdue for the 5 of us to get together and felt good to connect as a family again and share in the excitement of the newest addition to the Soderquist clan.  Little bee seemed to love it too, as I’m pretty sure h/s was dancing around all weekend.

Symptoms: Welcome back heart burn, hello Zantac. Why have I never heard of taking Zantac before? It wasn’t until our appointment last Thursday that our doctor recommended Zantac for heartburn and I’ll tell you what, that stuff is a miracle drug. A damn miracle drug. I’ve tried to stay pretty natural with meds and such, but if you’ve ever had heart burn, you know natural or not, you ain’t winning any awards for pushing through with it. None. So if it’s not harming the baby, mama is downing it!

Cravings/Aversions: Now that my craving for sundaes has been satisfied, I’m now onto the cupcake portion of this program. Funfetti and/or yellow cake w/ chocolate frosting is literally taking over my mind and logic.  Where’s Betty Crocker delivering me cupcakes when I need her? Get out of the kitchen and into my belly.

What I miss: Not feeling too deprived this week…imagine that.

What I can’t wait for: Evan to feel the baby kick. Lately I’ve been experiencing all of the fun and I can’t wait for the day (it should be soon!) for him to have his hand on my belly and feel our little babe kicking away.

Milestones:  Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With her sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that she's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see her squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking (yay Kirby!) or the roar of the vacuum cleaner (yay Hoover!) — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

week 22

Best Moment: We’re finally settled! It’s amazing what hanging a few pictures, a new rug and giving the place a good vacuum can do. Sunday night Evan and I were sitting on the couch, releasing a big sigh of relief that the place finally feels like home. Of course, I’m still waiting for the paint job and potential carpet replacement to feel completely settled, but for now, we’re in a great state.  Next stop, baby’s room.

Symptoms: Fatigue. Tired. Beat. Rundown. This week has been exhausting! Not quite first trimester exhausting, but nonetheless, mama’s been real tired this week. Sleeping is becoming less and less comfortable, which is my own personal idea of hell, so apparently I need to start packing in the pillows. We’ll see. Multiple pillows in bed, under the covers intimidates me. How is there room for them?! I’m sure next week I’ll be raving about the benefits of a pillow her, a pillow there…pillows everywhere! But for now…I’ll just keep trying to find the perfect position.

Cravings/Aversions: I finally caved into my sundae craving and all was well in the world. Berries have also made their way to the top of the list and I can’t get enough blackberries, strawberries and raspberries. Still trying to keep tomatoes, chocolate (aside from sundaes of course) and caffeine out of my life. My poor heart cannot handle any more burn.

What I miss: Sleeping comfortably. Of course, this is most likely nature’s brilliant way of preparing me for the many sleepless nights that lie ahead once the little bee arrives…but for the love, let me squeeze in all the good sleep I can now. Please.

What I can’t wait for: The nap that awaits me at the end of today.

Milestones:  At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His (finally…the male pronoun is used!) lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

week 21

I was browsing my phone the other day and realized I have batches of cuteness, via other people's children. Here are a few recent faves (moms- hopefully you don't mind my sharing your children with the world...or w/the 5 people who actually read this thing)

miss addy

lucy

cannot.even.handle (lu's piggies)



tink AND buddy (puppy and baby= cuteness over.load.)

Best Moment: Mother’s Day Kirkland getaway. I must proclaim how much I love my husband. Typically we don’t utilize the online space for declarations of love, but I feel it’s appropriate to make an exception with this one. I love, love, love my hubby! For my first Mother’s Day (and yes, it is considered my first…I have a child inside me…how much more maternal can one get?) Evan planned an overnighter getaway in Kirkland. We stayed at a beautiful hotel downtown, had a fabulous pre-dinner picnic, wonderful dinner and even better stroll around town enjoying some gelato. In the morning, he ran out and grabbed pastries before I even woke up and served me breakfast in bed. Who is this man and what have you done with my husband?! The weather was absolutely perfect and I couldn’t have asked for a better, much needed quality-time retreat with Evan. Coworkers joke that this was probably the best Mother’s Day I’ll ever have. And if that’s the case, thank God I’m documenting it now.

Also started prenatal yoga, which was a hit. I love me some yoga and this was just what the doc ordered. Apparently, I’ve been super tight. Because apparently, just walking doesn’t solve the world’s problems.

Symptoms: Symptoms? I ain’t got none. Aside from being a little more tired than usual, I feel great. The heartburn seems to have settled it’s fire breathing horses for a bit, or perhaps my elimination of tomatoes, chocolate and some caffeine has helped the situation, either way, I don’t want to rip my heart out like I did last week. So that’s good.

Cravings/Aversions: Cupcakes and ice cream. I’m a 5 year olds’ birthday. Fortunately, or unfortunately, I haven’t caved…well too much. Actually, that’s a lie. The cupcake part no, the ice cream part, yes. I’ve indulged, and it feels good. There. Guilty conscience, you can shut up now.

What I miss: Not feeling winded. They say that when you’re pregnant, you have like 50% more blood, which causes your body to work much harder to pump it all through you (or something to that medical effect) and they? Weren’t kidding. I find myself getting winded more and more and it’s rather quite embarrassing.  Sure I know I have a great reason, but no one wants to get winded going up one flight of stairs. Especially when I’ve spent my whole life trying to pretend that I’m totally in shape and fit.  This doesn’t support my case.

What I can’t wait for: Daycare hell to come to an end. Oh the joys of being a working mother, right? We have decided that I will go back to work after the baby is born (haha…we “decided.” As if we ever had a choice- thank you younger selves and your stellar financial decisions) which means that our little bee will need to be in some type of childcare. And this means? Competition, waiting lists, and an uncomfortable amount of money. Looks like we better start stocking up on Top Ramen now and that second car will come around the same time bee gets his/her first car. Oh and bee? Don’t worry about college, it’s overrated and a trade is fantastic. We totally support that.  If I sound bitter, it’s because I am.

Milestones: Baby's now the size of a pomegranate! Baby's digestive system is busy creating meconium (a tarry black substance made of swallowed amniotic fluid, digestive secretion, and dead cells), which will fill the first diaper after birth. And, if baby is a girl, her womb is now stocked up with her lifetime supply of six million eggs (the number will drop to around one million by birth).

week 20

omg...i'm pregnant!

Best Moment: This has been quite the week. Not only did we finally move into our new humble abode (cheers, cheers), but we saw little bee in full 20 week glory! Thankfully, h/s remained modest and kept h/h little legs closed nice and tight so mom, daddy and grandma couldn't sneak a peak. Naturally, I was obsessing over every little part "that's definitely a vagina....oh wait, no, that's totally a penis" and naturally, the sonographer (is that what they're called?) corrected that I was actually seeing things like heart chambers and the umbilical cord....

Baby Anatomy:1 Jamie: 0

5 little piggies

#1!

perfect profile

Evan and I are continually amazed each time we see our little babe, but what always gets us is the heartbeat. Seeing the little blip-blip of the heartbeat pulls at our heart strings. It's proof that this little creature we've created is alive and thriving. The feelings are just plain indesribable. And to top it all off, my mom came with us to this appointment which was so special. I know that when she was pregnant with Nick and I, my grandma took her to her appointments and I am so blessed to get to share the experience with her and my little baby. 

Symptoms: Heart.Burn. And boy does it buuuurrrnnnn. I know I mentioned this last week, but it seems to have increased ten fold this week. I'm staying away from the common culprits- caffeine, spicy/greasy food, and chocolate (for the most part) so this is obviously purely bee related. The books have warned me about it, and alas, tis my turn. 

Symptom may not be the most appropriate term, but the fabulous little flutters in my belly have increased and I'm loving it! It's so fun to see what the babe reacts to (so far bee loves passion tea- particularly iced, carrots and hummus, jimmy johns and ice cream) and when h/s is up and swinging. It makes me chuckle every time I feel the buzzing and I can't wait for the day when Evan can feel it for himself. 

Cravings/aversions: Ice cream. No further explanation. 

What I miss: Between the move and crazy days at work, I just need a glass of wine already!

What I can’t wait for: Starting prenatal yoga with my girl Sara who is a month behind me on the baby train. All aboard!

Milestones: Baby weighs about 10.2 ounces and measures about 6.5 inches (about the size of a banana). She's still got a lot of growing to do though. She's got working taste buds and is now gulping down several ounces of amniotic fluid each day.