Tag / baby

by Meagan

The last 7 weeks…

Android bumpie! April 10, 2015.

Android bumpie! April 10, 2015.

The last 7 weeks have been a whirwind! I can’t believe I’ve fallen so far behind on updating this blog. But then again, during the last 7 weeks, I’ve taken two trips to the west coast, had two baby showers, moved offices, celebrated my birthday, hunted for an apartment, found an apartment, packed an apartment (well, almost packed an apartment), and plowed head first into the third trimester. Needless to say, it’s been just a tad busy 🙂

I had all these grandiose ideas of posting individual recaps for each event, but alas, you’ll have to settle for one big summary while I catch my breath! Here are a few photos of the various trips, celebrations and events:

Family came from near and far to celebrate our little one.

Family came from near and far to celebrate our little one. April, 2015.

My mom threw us a beautiful shower at her home in Laguna Beach, and my Aunt Monica, Uncle Will, Aunt Charlotte, brother Mark and his fiancé Stephanie, all flew in from Washington to be there. Together we celebrated with about 40 of our closest friends and family from LA and Orange County. It was a heartwarming reminder of how lucky we are to have such incredible, loving and generous people in our lives.

Some snapshots from our Laguna Beach shower. April 2015.

Some snapshots from our Laguna Beach shower. April 2015.

Two weeks later, my good friend Mee threw us another shower at her place in Gramercy Park. It was a beautiful, sunny day filled with delicious food and great friends. My mom even made the trip out from California to spend the weekend with us.

A few of our closest friends at our NY baby shower. April 2015.

A few of our closest friends at our NY baby shower. April 2015.

Amidst all the wonderful festivities, we had a few frustrating medical challenges and an exhausting apartment search to cope with. Thankfully we made it through both and are set to move into our new place at the end of the month. While we didn’t get exactly what we were hoping for in an apartment (who does in Manhattan?!), we will be staying in our building which makes many aspects of the move easier. Unfortunately for Jimmy, it means he’s in charge of moving the heavy stuff since we wont be hiring movers.

This weekend we have one more trip out west to Santa Barbara to celebrate my cousin Monica’s wedding. I’m so thrilled and honored to be a part of this special day, and can’t wait to see her walk down the aisle. Monica has been like a sister to me and I’m amazed every day at what a beautiful person she is – both inside and out. I also happen to adore her fiancé Justin. It’s a match made in heaven ❤

So with that, I leave you with a little pregnancy update. Our baby girl is growing every day and boy is she a mover! I can feel her most at night, tickling and jiggling inside my belly. She’s currently in transverse position, so send us good vibes so she’ll move into head down position soon. I really want to avoid having a c-section.

I passed my second (not so fun) glucose tolerance test a few weeks ago, but I’ve been following a fairly strict low carb, low sugar diet and living off of protein smoothies (thank you for the Blendtec Mom!). I’m still feeling pretty good over all, but have been having some shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate the last few days. We went to the hospital on Friday to make sure it wasn’t something more serious, and checked out fine, though the feeling is back today. I’m hoping it’s just because she’s sitting a bit high and that it will ease up in the coming days as she drops lower.

30 weeks and 3 days. Just under 10 weeks to go!

30 weeks and 3 days. Just under 10 weeks to go! (Please excuse the moving boxes!)

Sending all of you lots of love and hugs for a happy and healthy spring.

by Meagan

23 weeks.

Spring has sprung, but you’d never know it in New York. We received another couple inches of snow yesterday, and I’m still piling on my winter gear. I joke with Jimmy that the weather better warm up soon or I’m moving to CA. I absolutely refuse to buy another coat, and mine are getting mighty tight. Below is a photo of Jackson Square during this morning’s walk to yoga. As much as I complain about the cold, it really was quite beautiful. The photo on the right Jimmy snapped on our way to Trader Joe’s this afternoon (my coat still zips – just barely!).

23weeks_duo

On Thursday I had a second anatomy scan. This time at my new hospital and they had the fancy 4D video equipment. It was really incredible to see our little girl move about in such great detail. She is definitely a squirmy little one. My favorite pic is of her pointing her index finger. Her knuckles are just so tiny and precious.

3D image from our 4D scan on Thursday.

3D image from our 4D scan on Thursday.

Here are a few more from the visit:

22weeks_4dscan_sidebyside

Sending lots of love for the week ahead.
Meagan & Jimmy

by Meagan

22 weeks.

I know I haven’t been the greatest about updating the blog, but it’s been for good reason. I’m two weeks into my new job and keeping plenty busy with the new schedule. I’m loving the company and my team, and it feels great to be back in the swing of things, contributing to something bigger than my latest knitting project ;-). The hardest part so far has been the general tiredness (especially in the afternoon), and the feeling that I’m operating with about 1/3 of my usual brain power. But alas, millions of women work while pregnant so I can’t complain.

22 weeks and counting!

22 weeks and counting!

This isn’t the greatest bumpie photo but I can tell our little one is getting bigger every day. Her movements have become more fluid and graceful. I like to refer to her as my little lava lamp, as that’s what it feels like when she shifts from one side of the womb to the other. I’ve also noticed she gets the hiccups at least a few times a day. Jimmy had the pleasure of seeing them in action last night during our date night marathon of House of Cards.

Later this week I have another detailed anatomy scan. I’ve switched Dr’s so that I can deliver at NYU Langone – a Baby Friendly hospital in Manhattan. I’m feeling great about the decision to switch from Mount Sinai (not a Baby Friendly hospital) and really like my new Ob/Gyn. She has one of the lowest C-Section rates in the city and is a stickler for weight gain (she recommends 20-25 pounds at most). While I know this will be tough to achieve (especially during Girl Scout cookie season), I’m trying my hardest to stay within the range. Thankfully we’re finally seeing signs of spring in the city, so walking to and from work and yoga should help burn a few extra calories!

That’s all from me for now. Hope you are all enjoying the weekend!
Xo, Meagan

by Meagan

Midpoints & New Beginnings.

It’s hard to believe, but I’m officially at the midpoint of pregnancy: 20 weeks. I keep hearing that time slows down as you near your due date, but with spring on the horizon, and so many big things coming the next few months, I feel like it will just fly by.

I’m still feeling great, holding steady with around 12 pounds gained, and I have continued my yoga practice with 3 prenatal classes each week. I really can’t recommend prenatal yoga enough. It’s been wonderful getting to know a diverse group of other pregnant women, and learning new poses and chants to help with laboring.

My energy will be put to the test this week when I begin my new job on Monday. I’m excited to be joining an ed/tech company called Teachers Pay Teachers as the Vice President of Communications. TpT is a marketplace for educators to buy and sell learning materials and has around 3.5 million active users (mostly K-12 public school teachers). Education is something that affects every person on the planet, and I can’t wait to get started and help share the stories of those shaping future generations. That said, it has been a few months since I’ve had to go to an office every day, so it will certainly be an adjustment 😉

20 week bumpie!

20 week bumpie!

Wishing you all a lovely weekend and first week of March!

Meagan

by Meagan

13 weeks (and so begins the second trimester).

IMG_4139

One of the inspirational signs we came across yesterday. “Catch a dream and nurture it.”

I can’t believe it: The second trimester is here (or almost here, depending on who you ask). While I didn’t experience many of the first trimester woes, I am looking forward to gaining some of my energy back. Taking a nap a day has really cut into my daylight hours 🙂

I decided to take a break from the bumpie this week and instead share an update about our time in Amsterdam. Jimmy and I are 10 days into our 2-month adventure and have truly made this place our home. We spend our free time walking around the city, exploring the side streets, picking up fresh produce at the market, stopping into cafes, and cozying up to our fireplace in the evenings.

Being in a place so modern, yet rich in history has been really wonderful. Yesterday we visited a medieval village in the heart of Amsterdam called Begijnhof. This private courtyard, hidden behind secret entrances, was founded around 1150 as a religious home for women. It is still in use today and provides a serene and peaceful escape from the bustling city.

A row of perfectly manicured houses in Begijnhof.

A row of perfectly manicured houses in Begijnhof.

During the week, Jimmy’s consulting work keeps him busy, giving me time to explore galleries and museums, take knitting classes, and practice yoga. I found the most amazing yoga studio near the Rijksmuseum called Delight Yoga, and can’t wait to sign up for more sessions. The studio is flooded with light, 14-foot ceilings, ornate 17th-century molding, and elegant crystal chandeliers. (I may do a separate post just on this if I get a chance to snap a few photos during my next class.)

Continue reading →

by Meagan

Embracing the bump.

After getting some advice from a friend to “embrace the bump,” I decided to head to De Bijenkorf  today, in search of some more fitted maternity attire. It’s winter here in Amsterdam, so I’ve gotten quite used to piling on a sweater (or three), a couple of scarves, and my wool overcoat, making me look – and feel – more like a marshmallow than a petite pregnant woman. But when I got into the fitting room and started striping off the layers, I was quite surprised to see a much more noticeable baby bump than I recall seeing before. Granted, it could just be the angle, or the sandwich I ate just before shopping, but my god it popped out of nowhere!

bumpies_jan7

Starting to believe there’s a baby in there! (12.5 weeks)

For anyone who’s ever been pregnant, you’ll know what I’m talking about: there’s a moment some weeks into being pregnant that your belly starts to feel a little like a baby bump, not just uncomfortable bloating. I got a little sense of that today. It was pretty magical actually, and made me feel incredibly proud and happy to be experiencing the miracle of procreation. And needless to say, I bought the shirts!

by Meagan

Happy Holidays (from the 3 of us)!

IMG_5315

After 3 years, I’ve returned to my holiday card ritual (albeit modified to make room for the baby news and a very short turnaround time). There are few things I love more than getting crafty with stationery, and there’s something so satisfying about sealing and stamping stacks of envelopes for snail mail delivery.

But this year felt like an almanac of news I had to cram into one tiny card: falling in love, leaving my job, heading off to Europe, planning a move to California, and most importantly, expecting a little one. So being the digitally savvy folks we are, we thought we’d break the monotony and create this little blog to keep everyone more up to date.

Over the next several months, we’ll do our best to share the big milestones, and the little ones. We feel incredibly blessed to have so many wonderful people in our lives, and thank you for all your kindness, love and support during this exciting time.

Wishing you and yours a very happy holidays.

Peace & Love,
Meagan + Jimmy (+ Baby!)

by Meagan

11 weeks.

This morning we had our second ultrasound and wow, it’s amazing how much they grow in just 3 weeks. Our little one was active and bouncing around in the womb. Watching him/her move about, I couldn’t help but feel thankful for all the ways technology has helped us to see and connect with the world around us. First to see inside ourselves (literally), and then to share it with the world around us.

11 week ultrasound.

11 week ultrasound.

And here I am this weekend, taking my first “bumpie.” Excuse the bedhead 🙂

11 weeks.

11 weeks.

by Meagan

8 weeks.

Today we had our first ultrasound and just like everyone says, it was a totally surreal experience. Hearing the heartbeat for the first time was magical and overwhelming. I instantly felt protective over this perfect little thing growing inside of me. I’m sure our 8 week ultrasound looks much like everyone else’s but here’s a preview of our forthcoming little one:

Our little one at 8 weeks, 4 days.

Our little one at 8 weeks, 4 days.

And here’s a photo of us after I had 10 vials of blood taken. Good thing the doc had some apple juice handy.

IMG_0008_2