I’m loving the colorful Marimekko Kids collection available at Crate & Barrel. Is it too soon to buy this adorable Marimekko Karkuteilla Kids 3-piece place setting for our little man? I know he won’t be eating off a plate or drinking from a cup any time soon, but I can’t resist those brightly hued boot-wearing zoo animals. Perhaps the set of two Valpuri bibs in eye-catching patterns would be a more practical purchase right now.
is there such a thing as too much red mango?
My dad flew into Omaha to join us for the holiday weekend, and on July 4th we went to Red Mango for a late afternoon treat. After sitting down with my cup of tart yogurt overflowing with chocolate candy, Fruity Pebbles and mini gummy bears (bottom right), I had the following exchange with my dad:
Me: I think my eyes are bigger than my stomach.
Dad (looking at my baby bump): I don’t think your eyes are bigger than your stomach.
Touché.
{my photo}
happy 4th of july
Had to pull out the ridiculous white sunglasses and bold Russian Red lipglass to complete my patriotic ensemble.
{striped tank top from Target}
kick to pick
Since we haven’t shared the baby’s name with anybody, we still have time to change our minds. Perhaps we should let our little man choose his own name with the Kick to Pick app for the iPhone!
Did you share your baby’s name with family or friends before he or she was born?
{via A Cup of Jo}
baby bump viewing session
Two weeks ago we took maternity photos with Corrie from Kameron Bayne Images, and tonight we get to sit down with her for a viewing session. I’m jumping-out-of-my-skin excited because she recently posted a couple of sneak peeks, including the above shot of the two of us facing one another. I’m kind of obsessed with it and can definitely see it blown up on a canvas hanging above our bed. Nothing’s sexier than a baby bump in the boudoir, right?
This portrait of me blows my mind because I think I look better in the photo than I do in person! Ah, the magic of photography — and the talent of Corrie Suhr. I didn’t think I would be comfortable flaunting my pregnant belly for the camera, but I truly love how these preview shots turned out. I think this one in particular may need to be framed and displayed in the living room!
By the way, how do you like my ombre hair? My colorist recently added some highlights to my natural brown “roots” so that they blended better with my blonde ends, but I think I still have a long way to go until my hair looks as effortless as Rachel Bilson’s.
{images via Kameron Bayne Images}
my platelets on steroids
Friends, you must have been sending lots of positive energy my way because yesterday I got some very good news from the doctor. Because of your good wishes (and the low dose of Prednisone I’ve been taking for the past week), my platelet levels jumped from 90 to 114!
This is exciting for two reasons:
- If my platelets stay above 100, I can have an epidural if I so choose.
- If my platelets barely budged, I would have had to gone back for multiple blood draws throughout the week. If they inched above 100 on any of those days, my doctor would likely suggest an induction to make sure I gave birth while they were high enough for pain medication. While I’m OK with the idea of an epidural, I’m not sure I’m on board with being induced–especially not before my due date.
But for now, I don’t have to worry about that second scenario. Phew!
xx
{Rosie the Riveter image via Wikipedia}
a long lasting pedicure
Since the baby could potentially come any day now (but my fingers are still crossed that he waits his due date: July 9th), I decided on Sunday to treat myself to another pedicure. This time I ventured west with a friend to a new salon called V Nails that offers Shellac pedicures. (Actually, they used Gelish polish. Shhh…) Since I won’t know how soon after having the baby I’ll feel like going out for an afternoon of pampering, it seemed like a good idea to invest in a pedicure that could possibly remain chip-free for 3 weeks. One of my friends even commented on Facebook that her Shellac pedicure lasted 8 weeks!
I splurged on the Sparkling Spa Pedicure for an extra $5 because I wanted my calluses scrubbed away but was surprisingly upgraded to a Hot Stone Spa Pedicure at no additional cost. Bliss! Check out my tootsies all wrapped up in warm towels after having my feet and calves massaged with smooth, hot rocks. They look like mummy legs.
I chose my color, coral, relatively quickly, and now I can’t stop staring at my toes. The bright orangey red makes me wish I were heading on vacation to Mexico rather than to a hospital to push a baby out of my hooha!
Sometimes it’s the little things in life like painted toenails that make me the happiest.
{my photos}
pumping up my platelets
So I got some disappointing news last night. My platelets dropped from 104 to 90 in a week (normal “low” would be above 150). Since they are now below 100, my doctor prescribed me a low dose of steroids to try to boost my platelets. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous about what this might mean for my labor and delivery. What if I can’t have an epidural if I really want one? What if there are problems with controlling how much blood I lose?
As a writer, I have a very active imagination, which is now going through all possible worst-case scenarios…
Sadly, consuming more beef or receiving donated platelets wouldn’t help in this type of situation, but I appreciate all the offers!
packing for the hospital
I have been putting off packing my hospital bag for the last couple of weeks for fear the baby would take it as an invitation to come early. (Can you tell I’m still feeling more anxious than excited about meeting this little guy?)
But per my doctor’s recommendation at Tuesday’s appointment, JB and I finally (over)packed our clothing and toiletries bag. We also made a list of what will go in our “last minute” bag, mostly electronics including cameras, our phone chargers and my iPad.
My sweet Briscoe is hoping I’ll be able to take him with us, too. Sorry, puppy!
{my photo}
