Virgin margarita, por favor

I've spent the last 3 hours in my room sorting through borrowed maternity clothes to find some clothes (that fit and flatter the bump) for our VACATION! We're headed to sunny Mexico on Saturday ~ it has been a whole of 5 months since we last left the country so we're both getting the itch. The trip has come at a perfect time! I feel energized and healthy, ready for some sunshine and excited to spend time with my husband, just the two of us with no other responsibility.

I had a self photo shoot the other day. I found my picture quite artistic. Geoff laughed at me.

(A little shout out to my friends who passed on bags of maternity clothes ~ it really helps a lady feel better about herself when she can do a shopping spree without spending a penny.)



Almost 22 weeks

Half way cooked!

Baby girl is half way baked and she's celebrating this morning with lots of kicks! Definitely a party in my belly - how fun!

To celebrate our Baby Is Half Way Cooked Day I put the maternity jeans on for the first time and documented it with a picture ~






So, how DO you stand to take the best belly pic? Hand up? To the side? Hmmmm....

(That really wasn't the best place for a photo for many reasons, including showing the mess. Sorry fans.)

Maternity Jeans

OH MY GOODNESS! Yesterday I spent a good three hours at the mall and it was like learning how to walk again. So many new things to learn!

At nearly 20 weeks my regular jeans are just NOT working for me. The bella band and the rubber band move were cool for awhile (a very short while), but I'm sure my co-worker was sick of looking at my crack so I figured it was time to jump into the maternity jeans world. I had NO idea there were so many options! I walked away with one of everything for a few reasons - 1, it was 50% off at the Gap and 2, I have NO idea what is really going to work for me.

We have three types of panels to choose from ~

No Panel: These are meant to go under the belly. They don't have a visible panel, but the waistband is elastic and will stretch with your growing bump.



Full Panel: One thing I noticed is that Gap's Full Panel is MASSIVE, while Old Navy's Full Panel is not as long.



The Demi-Panel/ Under Belly Panel: Hugs the bottom of your belly. Kind of gives me a case of the muffin-top, but I think it might be nice not to have the big panel on my belly sometimes.



And then there is the CUT of the jean. All ladies know how many options out there for a cut of a jean - almost too many, but of course never the perfect one, right??

The other stress of yesterday's shopping extravaganza is that I really do not know how I'm going to grow from here on out, making it difficult to find just the right size. Obviously I know the belly is going to pop (which there will be plenty of room for with my new pants), but are my hips and butt going to follow suit or stay the size they are now? Hoping for the latter, obviously ;-)

Speaking of which, off to the gym now! Have a great weekend!

Weeks 15 - 18

Not much to report in Prego Land, which I see as a great thing really! The biggest change over the last month has probably been emotional. Each day that passes and as I watch my belly grow I get more excited to hold my little miss. I find myself day dreaming about what she's going to be like, what kind of mom I'll be and what kind of family we'll become.

No Fun: Not fitting into my regular clothes very well, but being too small for maternity clothes. Oh, and the bella band, totally over it. People saying "you don't look pregnant!" Really, well, I've put on weight and it's going somewhere, so I must just look fat. Great. :-)

Loves: Feeling my baby kick/stretch/punch... whatever it is she's doing in there! Now, I must say I'm like 98% sure it's baby girl I've been feeling... but sometimes I wonder if it's just gas or something. Hmmmm.

Aversions: Still not enjoying meat all that much, but it has been a lot better. Chicken is probably the only real no-no at this point. Stinky people is still high on this list as well.

IT'S A....

GIRL! A sweet, precious, healthy baby GIRL!


Let me back up....

A few days ago we had our 18 week Ultrasound and it was AMAZING! We were absolutely in awe of our little baby girl squirming and moving all around! She is perfectly healthy and measuring exactly to date (even her head size, yay!).

When we went in we really did not know if we wanted to find out the gender. We KEPT going back and forth and so we decided to have the tech write it down and seal it in an envelope. Going in we had three options set; 1. Open that evening, just the two of us sharing the moment together. 2. Wait and open on Christmas morning! 3. Keep the envelope sealed.

I am so happy we did it this way. We were on such a high after the ultrasound just for the fact that we could see our little one moving all around and that everything looked just as it should! It was so special and great to ride that out while awaiting another great surprise.

So that evening, after dinner, we looked at each other and decided we REALLY wanted to know! Our ultrasound was all recorded and given to us on a DVD so we decided to find out that way. It was really a great moment. Baby girl was very cooperative and appeared to spread eagle when the tech went down south. Cutest little vagina ever! :-) BTW, I knew it was a girl all along... she let me know early on :-)

(My ultrasound pics are on PDF and I can't figure out how to post them... I'll work on it.)

THE bella band

Today was a big day for this mama-to-be. I wore the BELLA BAND for the first time! It was official this morning when my jeans would not comfortably button (and my student told me that I looked like a football player yesterday...), I knew it was time to put it on.

It's GREAT! It is basically a stretchy band of material that fits around your regular jeans concealing the unbuttoned top button and making an all around better fit. I mean, who wouldn't want a bella band - pregnant or not! Indulged in Halloween candy? Had a few too many servings at Thanksgiving? Can't fit into your wedding summer jeans (yes, this is me.) Try the bella band!

So, nearly 18 weeks into this pregnancy I think it's time to switch up the wardrobe!

My favorite nephew

I get to see this little man this weekend.... how lucky am I!?

Go Giants!

What a great season! Geoff is number 1 Giants fan, so when I found this shirt I had to get it for our baby-to-be. Kaira broke it in for our new little one, which I think is now lucky since the Giants TOOK IT ALL this year!

Lands End

Yesterday Geoff and I woke up early with nothing planned for the day (a rarity) so we decided on a date day in SF! We stopped by the library, picked up a few San Francisco guide books, and hit the open rode (ok, just 101).

We went on a walk starting near the Presidio around Lands End. It was a beautiful day, great to get exercise somewhere new and lovely to spend time together. Our goal over the next 5 months is to do as many spur of the moment activities as possible, since those opportunities won't be nearly as easy with a little minute in our lives. (That's what I called newborns - minutes - not sure why, so don't ask!)

After our walk we stopped at the beach for a snack picnic and rest. Beautiful!

It was a great day in the city!

Summary: Last 15 weeks

I have been a happy prego mommy, that's for sure.

I've had very little symptoms and been feeling pretty dang good. I try not to complain about anything, since there is so little to complain about, but I have been exhausted and recently found out that I'm slightly anemic - so that explains that! I have been taking an herb called Yellow Dock and I'm starting to really notice an increase in my energy level and proud to say I can now keep my eyes open past 8pm. Yay!

Let me break down the 1st trimester for ya!

No fun:
Exhaustion, gas (really bad - poor Geoff), heartburn (from about weeks 7-10)

Loves:
Cottage cheese, veggies, tofu, thai food, prenatal yoga, Geoff telling secrets & kissing baby, talking to baby in the car/shower/gym - wherever really, sharing our news with family & friends, listening to the heartbeat, feeling my belly grow - oh man, the list goes on!

Aversions:
Meat, especially chicken (this is getting a little better - thankfully) & stinky people.

The day we found out! August 14, 2010

Today we went in to meet our referring doctor (more on that later) and the nurse offered to do an ultrasound. Since we hadn't had one yet we decided to go for it and it was the most AMAZING thing ever. All my lady friends told me it would be, but I didn't really understand until I saw it. It was breathtaking, emotional and seeing baby overcame Geoff and I with pure joy. I have to say, he/she is definitely the cutest 15 week old baby EVER, especially when the little one stretched, moved around and gave us what looked to be a high five. :-)

I hope you follow me as I share my adventure with you!

Halloween 2010

For Halloween this year our costumes not only showed off our creativity (!) but also announced something VERY important and fabulous!

First try and guess what we are....

Did you get it?

A sperm and an egg!

And we're happy to tell everyone "it worked"!!

Baby Beckstrom

Due April 24, 2011

More info to come... :-)

Student reaction...

I wrote this post a while back, but never posted it!

______________


This afternoon I announced to my students (only half the class were there and I only chose this time to share the news because I needed to somehow kill 20 minutes!) our good news! It was very exciting and I loved the reaction from some of the students. Of course, to make it a teachable moment, I immediately asked "how did I get pregnant?". They blushed, squealed and told me that they couldn't answer that question because it was their teacher that did "it"! So, I changed it to "how does a woman get pregnant?" and they were happy to give their answers. I got some great ones, including "the guy puts their thing with the girls thing and POW" ~ Yup! Doesn't get much clearer than that.
So after a good lesson about the birds and the bees, including how they can help me be more comfortable during pregnancy (hey, teachable moment!), we asked them to brainstorm a list of baby name ideas. Here is their list. Gotta love em.


Jeohna & Suji are the King & Queen of Korea ~ definitely top of the list! But really, some of them aren't too bad and possibly even in the running!

Welcome Fall

I am so happy that Fall is finally arriving here in Cali! This year more than ever I've really been looking forward to the cooler temps and changing seasons.... and it's here!





I love Fall for the same reason that everyone does, really.... Evenings on the couch under blankets, crisp fallen leaves outside, long walks where your insides are warm but your skin is chilled, warm food (welcome back Crock-pot) and cute boots. :-) This year I am especially fond of most things pumpkin, which now that I've opened my world to that I've noticed it is EVERYWHERE. I even heard Krispy Kreme has Pumpkin Spiced Doughnut Holes (thanks Holly!) so I've been tempted to take a trip there to see for myself.

Here's to a fabulous Fall!

A sleepover with Auntie

Kaira had her first sleepover at our house last weekend! We had a great time and she just LOVED spending time with us, away from mom and dad. :-)

I told Kaira that if she signs "eat" than I'll give her....

Cake and Mimosas for breakfast!!!!


(Just kidding, it was eggs and water. It was tempting to give her sugar for the first time...)

Zeke & Adina's wedding

We just returned home from a weekend in Carmel to celebrate with Geoff's cousin Zeke, who married his high school sweetheart, Adina. Geoff was the officiant for the wedding and did a beautiful job.... he reminded me a lot of how elegant, well spoken & thoughtful my brother was as he officiated our wedding. The wedding was held at a beautiful home in the hills of Carmel. When it cleared the view was amazing, but even with the thick fog the scenery was absolutely stunning. The bride and groom were glowing and their love shined through all evening ~ so much fun to watch.

Geoff & I before the wedding

What a romantic!

The officiant (handsome husband), best man (cousin Nate) and groomswoman (sister Monica) all looking lovely as they wait for the bride and groom.

Such sweet love!

Officially Mr. and Mrs. ~ Relaxing on the beach this afternoon.


Congrats Zeke and Adina! We love you both!

Larios' Visit

Our dear friends Erica, Hector and Noah came to visit last week and we enjoyed a nice (HOT) evening playing and BBQ'n. Geoff and I decided that they live WAY TOO far away and need to move back to NorCal, pronto.

Noah and Geoff has a great time together ~ he is a sweet little monkey, that's for sure.

Why is pretend sleep so fun for kids??

Ohhh Uncle Geoff, you are so funny!

Ohhhhhhh Mexico....

How about a dip in a cenote?


Or a tour around the ruins of Tulum?

Or how about just relaxing, romantic moments with my husband?!

YES PLEASE!

Mexico... December... Two Weeks!

Well, it's not our cat....

We put signs up just to make sure our cat doesn't have another home... and it turns out she DOES!  So, it was a sad day when we got the call from the cat's owner, but we were really happy that we put the signs out so we didn't adopt him and then find out later!
The kitty still comes for loves every day and MUST spend more time with us than she does with her owner.  I must say, I like it.... she comes for alittle TLC and play time, but we don't have to feed her or change her litter!

Is this your cat?

A few weeks ago this kitty adopted us... he was so thin and wanted love so bad!  He obviously is somebody's pet because he has a flee collar - but he appears to be lost and is trying hard to be "ours".  We recently began buying cat food and feeding the poor little guy, but we also posted signs in our neighborhood so little Suzy can have her cat back - but to no avail.  So, it's looking like we have a cat now!  We are trying to decide if we are going to allow him inside or just keep him an outdoor kitty - but he REALLY wants to come inside!  If Geoff had his way, this cat would probably sleep in our bed.  He is in love.

Hallelujah!! Pictures are uploading!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY to my sweet love Kaira Moon! 

It is hard to put into words how much I LOVE this little girl - she is good for my soul, that's for sure!  Each day that goes by I love her more and more.... she's learning so quickly and becoming such a fun little person. 

Enjoying Fro Yo on Auntie's birthday!

At her party!  They even let her have cake - okay, it was sugar free!

Arggghhhh

I STILL can't upload pics onto the blog....  If I can't troubleshoot this it looks like my blogging life will come to an end.  Sniff, sniff.  Any ideas, anyone?

End of summer

Sigh, it's the end of an amazing summer... This was definitely a summer for the photo books with all of our traveling and celebrating our first anniversary.  So it was back to work today and next Monday the students come ~ hoping for another great school year!

Arrrghhhhhh ~ Blogger won't let me upload pictures ~ been trying for days! Anyone else having probs?!  Sorry friends.

Family Camp

Another great year at Family Camp... 

Geoff amazed me once again with his energy, enthusiasm and commitment to this very special place.

Happy Anniversary to my LOVE!

We had a FABULOUS day celebrating our FIRST anniversary! After a slow start and a delicious breakfast at our favorite joint, we headed out to 3 Mile Beach near Santa Cruz.

It was a bit chilly, but beautiful and we had the whole beach to ourselves!

Back to our house where Geoff whipped up one of my favorite Lebanese meals ~ Kibbee!

While we enjoyed dinner and a nice bottle of wine from our Napa trip we watched the full version of our wedding video. WOW! What amazing memories.... and it's hard to believe it was one year ago. When we were at the beach I said to Geoff "I love my life with you".... I think that sums it up!

Mmmmm.... Wedding cake!

AFH 4

This year we celebrated our 4th Abodeely Family Holiday. Each year it gets better and better! I absolutely LOVE being with my family and it's so special to be able to make new memories, especially with our babies. Oh man.... I LOVE my babies! They are amazing little people and I am in awe of what great parents my siblings are.

Feeding the fish in the pond.

Porter LOVES Uncle Geoff

Morning play time

They both loved the red wagon!

My sis and her hubby decided to leave baby with grandma and grandpa and aunt and uncle for a few days.  It was soooo much fun and she loved her time away from her parents ~ she is such a party animal.  She especially loved all the ice cream we gave her. :-) 

All this fun meant that we travelled back on the plane with little bunny.... boy, was it fun!  We read Elmo 943 times and for every kiss that Elmo got, I got one too!  I'm amazed by all parents out there, especially those that fly with their children!

While we read Elmo, Geoff enjoyed the view.... must be nice.

 (J/K... he was a great help!)

We loved Bangkok ~ Pics

 The reclining Buddha at Wat Pho ~ forty-six metres long and fifteen metres high, decorated with gold plating on his body and mother of pearl on his eyes and the soles of his feet.  So cool!

Having lunch outside the famous (crazy) weekend market.

The Temple of Dawn from across the river.

Getting ready to JUMP (literally) on the local water taxi - fun and super insane experience!

Well hello!

We made it back safely.... just to pack up and leave the next day for an amazing Abo family vacation up at Whidbey. We're back for a few more days before heading out AGAAAAIN for Family Camp with Geoff's family. For now, I thought the best way to post pictures would be to add on to the posts that I did while we were travelling. So... go back and check 'em out ~ be patient though, our internet is slow and taking awhile to do its thing.

Thailand????

Our original plan starting at Surat Thani prooved to be a bust with horrible weather, no place to rent a scooter and most importantly.... A super dodgy "safe room" to store our bags. So the next day we packed up and took a ferry to Ko Samui. We are pretty sure this is actually the Hawaii for Euros with just the zip code showing Thailand! So we are here but of course making the best of it with somewhat successful scooter adventures to find the true Thailand. It really is a gorgeous island and offers a ton to do, including a McDonalds and plenty of ladies looking for rich white men for long walks on the beach!
We have one more full day here and then we will head to Bangkok, which at first we were so-so about seeing but now we are really excited to go back to the real Thailand!

(Look closely at the picture of me ~ see the creepy guy?! That's a whole separate post....!)