2 lucky little ladies!

This past Sunday, I was honored to attend a baby shower for a dear friend Christi. I met her when I first started my position with my current job...she's always been such a positive, happy person and just a  joy to be around. Christi's been blogging about her journey over at "Anything 4 U Baby" and was also featured in a San Diego Examiner infertility article just 8 short months ago. She & her husband have been through SO much, more than I can fathom...but I'm SO happy to report that she's been blessed, after many struggles, with TWIN baby girls...due in just a few months!! These little girls may not know it yet, but they've got a great set of parents, ready to devote their lives to love & nurture them to the fullest!

My SIL, Amanda, & I decided to make her a massive, 4-tiered diaper cake for this very special & much anticipated day. We'd never done one like this before, so it was a challenge...but we pulled it off rather well I'd say!

We love our DCC nights (diaper cake central) - I think the wine, cheese & crackers helps fuel some creativity, haha! For the base, we used 3 pieces of poster board, taped together, then wrapped it up in some ivory fabric. The whole cake has approximately 300 diapers - which they will definitely need with 2 little ones! We hand-painted the "A" & "W" in their nursery colors and found coordinating flowers to match. I'm so proud of this cake...made for one deserving & incredible mother-to-be!

Love you Christi!!! Cannot WAIT to meet little A&W!  xoxoxo

Why are YOU smiling?

Well, I'm smiling because today was overall, a pretty good day (especially compared to the last few I've been having)...so here's why:

I found out I won an adorable 'scrabble tile' necklace, which is handmade by another crafty mommy, Jessica, who posted this giveaway on her blog, "Life Sew Good"! ME?! I never win anything...so this was a welcomed surprise! I think it'd be so cute for her to create a necklace for Kapri, with a little strawberry or something! I'll have to post a pic when I receive the final product...yayyy me! Thanks Jessica!!


Also, I'm loving this crisp fall weather, even if it is only short-lived...this weekend is supposed to be warm again. It's super confusing here in SD. Anyway, I got to wear my gorg new, cheap, super soft/light, blue/green scarf from 'Tarjay', I love it. Now I just wish we could use our fireplace...but that's a no-go, since we had the big screen mounted above it. Fire + expensive TV = no bueno. Oh well...a space heater will work too I guess, haha.

Lastly, I just got a fabulous deal on a hardly used jogger stroller I found on CraigsList... How cool is this thing?? It's the Jeep Overland Limited. I love it! It has speakers...SPEAKERS! I can hook my BB up to it (& James can use his iPhone)...score! Tons of pockets, large basket underneath, cup holders, a tire pump that's velcro'd inside the basket, and a rain guard that attaches to the front to protect K in case it rains! Sooo awesome! We went on a little 2 mile jog down to Trader Joes (fruit & cinnamon cookies for K, 2 buck chuck for me, thank you!) and the weather was perfect for running. Eve, if you read this...thank you for selling this to me!!!!!

YAY, it fits!!

I think she likes it  ;-)

Alexandria's Baby Shower

Last Sunday afternoon, I had the pleasure of co-hosting a simple, yet beautiful luncheon-style baby shower for one of my most treasured & admired friends, Alexandria...whom I've known since high school! She lives up in NorCal now, but came down to SD to visit her fam & friends...so of course we HAD to throw her a baby shower. And what better location, than at the delish Tomiko restaurant, where she both worked AND had her wedding reception at just 2 years ago...so the crew there are practically like a second family to her. How stunning is this bride???!

Alexandria ~ July 2008

Alex & Mitch....Mr. & Mrs.!!

We literally had like, 2 weeks notice that she was coming down...so we planned this in just ONE week...that's all folks! Can we get like a medal or something??

The Planners

I of course made her some stylish burp cloths...I had previously asked her to choose 4 patterns out of a bunch, without her knowing what it was for...so this was the end result...I love these things! They become quite a part of your daily 'shoulder' wardrobe, so why not make them cute!?

And of course I had to make her a diaper cake, as mentioned a few months ago...these things are essential!

Lastly, here's a pic of my little scrumptious bits of heaven that I found from Bakeralla - this chick is amazing! I made her cake balls before for Valentine's Day (here) - so when I saw these I thought they'd be perfect in 'baby' sized cones, for a 'baby' shower! I think they turned out pretty damn well!! They were a hit, so tasty & luckily I made a TON, so the ladies had lots of leftovers to take home  ;-)

Oh...and we had a Onesie Creation Station set up along the bar top...it was covered in the cutest stamps, paints, ribbon, iron-on patches, buttons, fabric pens & puffy paint - all the guest got to decorate a onesie & Alex picked her top 3, who won prizes. These ladies got SUPER creative - I was really impressed! We told Alex that she'd have to take a pic of little Ava in each onesie & send to us!!

It was such a wonderful day, a memory that I will cherish forever. Love you Alex!! You are going to be one of THE. most. incredible. mommies. EVER. I'm soooo happy for you & your new journey into parenthood! xoxo

My Mask...

...of 'pregnancy' that is. NO, I'm not pregnant again...but I do have (14 months later) the "mask of pregnancy", also known as "Melasma" - it's not cute. It's a large area of darken pigmentation in the middle of my forehead. I can't remember if I had it during pregnancy...I think I did...but I know I definitely had it after. And recently I feel like it's gotten worse, or darker I guess...because people (thanks hubby & sis) have pointed it out! Ugh.

So I asked my doc the other day about getting a cream to get rid of this crap. I asked her about it a few months after I gave birth, but since I was still breastfeeding, she said I couldn't use the cream. But now I can...however I have to apply it like 734289 times a day AND stay out of the sun/wear a hat/leave my bangs down...in the middle of summer. Um, no.

She called in the prescription for me, but I doubt it's even covered by my insurance since it's considered 'cosmetic' and not a medical necessity, pshhh. I'm seriously not going to stay out of the sun (or keep my whole forehead covered forever). So, we'll see...maybe after summer.

Until then...anyone know of a full coverage, yet lightweight foundation/cover up that I can buy to "mask" my "mask"?? I've been reading about Dermablend...hum...

I'm Shredded

Well, not really ‘shredded’, but definitely on the right path…this past Wednesday, I finally finished 30 days STRAIGHT of Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred, or 30DS as it’s referred to by avid ‘shredders’, haha!

I also completed my 30th day with my brand new *adorable* kicks that James bought for me as a Mother’s Day gift. I think he was sick of me whining about how sore my calves were (literally felt like the muscle was going to explode outta my skin), and how much my ankles & knees were hurting. Circuit training is seriously intense on your body, not to mention your poor joints trying to hold it all together!! And the right shoes DEFINITELY make a difference…so I headed to RoadRunner Sports to have them test how I run/stand and how my arch (or serious lack thereof) is. After trying on a few pairs that they recommended, I ended up with a pair of gray, pink & white Nikes:

Anyway – I lost 8 lbs & a few inches in that 30 days…and now (technically I'm writing this 14 days later) I’m down another 2 lbs. So 10 lbs lost in 44 days…I’m workin on it and aiming for another 11-16 lbs to lose within the next 70 days for our highly anticipated Vegas trip. Can I do it…is this really an attainable goal?? I’m sure as hell gonna try!! I think I may use the treadmill at work a few times a week on my lunch breaks...hummm.

Side note – I think I’m finally done with the infamous “rubber band” trick on my jeans that I’ve been using for seriously WAY too long…yippee!! Next goal: sqeeze comfortably into my True Religions!!!

Feelings of discouragement

So, I've been at this 30-day Shred for 16 days now (later today will be my 17th day straight)...and I feel slightly discouraged. I know I shouldn't, because at least I'm finally doing SOMEthing...even if it's only 20 minutes a day. Anyway, I weigh myself once a week, on Tuesdays...and so far in 16 days I've only lost 4lbs! Now, again, I shouldn't complain...I'm well aware that 1-2 lbs a week is great, normal, expected. But still. UGH. I've also lost only an inch pretty much everywhere I measure...arms, bust, waist, hips & thighs. IDK what's normal for inch loss though...hummm. Baby weight is a B!TCH to get off!!!

Anyway...all in all, I feel pretty good. Level 2 is INtense. She focuses a lot on arms/shoulders...I want to die....and I'm pretty sure she wants you to. Even while doing cardio & abs, she makes you use your shoulders...it kills, but after I feel like I did accomplish something in that small window of time. I sweat, I pant, I take a breather or two, the fan is on full blast...I just hope this pays off in the end. And I'm scared of what pain Level 3 will bring...YIKES!

I know if I was working out at the gym for an hour+, things may be different...but I don't have that kind of time, plus I'm not a huge fan of the gym by my house. However I'd love to get into spinning just a couple times a week...which then would require a gym membership. Blah. We'll see...maybe eventually I'll give in to those emails LA Fitness keeps sending me with a kick-ass special offer. I'm also searching around on CraigsList to find a used/inexpensive jogger stroller for Kapri & I. Running is so good for you overall...except my calves have been in crazy pain lately. They feel like they're gonna explode...I may have shin splints...I'm not sure. Last night was really painful because I did level 2 by myself, then my sister came over and we did level 1 together. But that was because I felt SUPER guilty for indulging in a 1,000 calorie LUNCH at Daphne's with that delishhhh pita burger & fries (yes, I'm slightly obsessed with looking at nutritional info now, because of the below paragraph)...OMG I couldn't resist...oh man, the fire feta mingles together with the burger juice & it. is. sooo. goooooood. So my sis told me since I was bad at lunch, that I should do both levels. And I did, plus some extra ab work. GO ME!! I love a challenge.

I've also signed up on SparkPeople - which for me, has been a great way to track my calories/food intake, fitness, and is filled with a ton of valuable info. If you're already on SP or sign up after reading this...My screen name is: CalistaMM. I also bought the "The Spark" book, so I'm sure I'll gain some good knowledge from that. Hope to have more SparkBuddies to hold me accountable for reaching my goals! Only 14 more weeks (and 17 lbs to go)  til our Vegas trip...so I have to make the most of this time & get toned up!

"EFF youuuuu"....Jillian Michaels!!

No no...I'm kidding, J.M. is awesome, she kicks butt...I mean really, literally kicks butt. I watch the Biggest Loser (or BL as we call it) religiously with James...it's so inspiring. I cry almost every episode. Yes, I'm a sap.

Anyway...I bought the Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred DVD, ohhh, let's see...about 9 MONTHS AGO!! It has collected dust ever since. I did it once, didn't even get through the whole thing because Kapri was hungry (I was nursing on-demand at the time). Needless to say, I was sore the next day even though I didn't finish the work out....and never played that DVD again...

Until yesterday.

TV...check

DVD...check

Yoga mat...check

Hand weights...check

Measuring tape...check (ugh)

Scale...check (major *sigh*...oh how I envy that "127.2 lbs" on that scale!!)

James watched on and tried to keep a very fussy Kapri calm...while mommy kicked her own butt, mimicking every move on the TV. I'm 30 seconds in doing freaking jumping jacks & I'm suddenly out of breath. Sweat...is that sweat...already?! OMG...seriously?? Yes, just admit it Calista...YOU. ARE. OUT. OF. SHAPE! Okay okay...just breathe, it's only 20-minutes a day - you lazy a$$...just do it!

I survived, I'm sore today...but it feels good. So good. This is my new goal...sticking to this DVD for 20-minutes a day, 30-days in a row. There are 3 levels of intensity...which you gradually move up to every 10 days. I measured my arms, bust, waist, hips & thighs. It's not pretty ladies & gentleman. So I'm not going to post those numbers for you to see....yet. If I get results and see a difference, then maybe I will enlighten you. I forgot to have James take a pic of me, so hopefully I can do that tonight really quick before he leaves for work. I'm curious to see how much this can tone me up in just 30-days.

Wish me luck!!! Gotta get rid of this extra baby weight that I'm still carrying around ALMOST a year later...sheesh.

Celebrating Baby R!

This past Saturday I was honored to be included in the planning & execution of a beautiful baby shower for my great friend Niki. She’s 34 weeks pregnant now with a baby boy (which is exactly how old Kapri is!!), so she’s due around February 24th, 2010…and we can’t wait to meet him!!

I helped plan the shower with 2 other wonderfully crafty people, Michelle & Kristy…and it was held at Niki's in-laws. We had a great time & were all extremely relieved to have pulled it all off successfully. No detail was spared and the time put into it definitely do not go unnoticed by all.

Niki scored big time with tons of gifts, keepsakes, baby clothes…and best of all (in my opinion of course)…this gorgeous 3-tiered diaper cake…constructed by yours truly (with the awesome helping hand of my sister in law, Amanda as well)….

It was so perfect, I kinda wanted to keep it all for myself, hehehe… “NIKI…you WILL use all of those diapers, and then some!” haha

My sister Chelsea also helped construct a framed shower ‘keepsake’ to match the colors/theme of Baby R’s nursery, which included bunches of leaves & bananas that each guest signed…as a background to a cute little monkey holding a beautiful poem that read:

When those tiny fingers curl

So sweetly around your own,

You’ll feel some of the deepest joy

That you've ever known


Because it doesn’t take so long

To understand how much

Your whole life can be transformed

By a gentle baby’s touch

All in all – it was a great day…exhausting, but sooo worth it for our dear friend Niki! xoxo

(click on the picture to see a bigger view of it)

Acupuncture anyone?

So today, I had my very first acupuncture session with a wonderful woman named Katie Mik (also pregnant herself!) at the Acupuncture Continuum - here in Encinitas. Like I said in my previous post, I began researching methods to help bring on labor naturally and came across "acupuncture". Of course never doing this before I was skeptical, but upon more & more reading about this over the internet...I found that it is a completely safe & beneficial alternative to helping 'induce' naturally. Another plus to this, is that my insurance covers this kind of treatment, YAY!! 

"Using acupuncture is a much softer and easier approach to inducing labor...rather than with a commonly used medicine called "Pitocine" - which can have unwanted side effects...like much stronger labor contractions. Acupuncture trigger points to induce labor include points on the back, above the ankle, and specific points on the hand. By needling these points, the body's qi (pronounced "Chee") is stimulated, and helps prepare the body to begin labor. The only rare side effect to using this treatment is potential light bruising at the needle points." 

So, I'm happy to report that I survived & it was great! I was definitely a little nervous upon arriving...but anxious to get started. I laid on my left side in a dimly lit room with relaxing music, as Katie inserted about 10 extremely thin needles in different places on my body. There was 1 between my thumb & pointer finger, 2 in my ear (not IN the ear canal or anything!), I think 3 around my ankle/calf and about 4 in my lower back. She was very gentle and constantly checked to see how I was doing. After they were all in, she 'stimulated' the ones in my back so there was a light pulsing sensation. Kapri was moving all around during this time...she must have known that something was going on, haha! Katie then turned off the lights & left me in the room to relax. A few minutes later she came back in, made the ones in my back stronger & also stimulated the ones around my foot & the one on my hand. The whole process took about an hour & I left feeling very calm and relaxed. I'm looking forward to next Tuesday's session & hopefully it'll help when I go to the hospital on Wednesday! Wish me luck :-)

9 days, 2 hours, 20 minutes & 16 seconds...O.M.G.!

Less than 2 weeks left...Really?!?! This pregnancy has gone by way TOO fast...however it has seemed to slow down a bit in the last 2 or 3 weeks...but overall it's flown past us and I'm almost sad to see it go. I obviously can't wait to meet Kapri, but I definitely think I'll miss being pregnant - mainly since it was such a wonderful time in my life & an exciting new adventure for James & I to share. It's one of the most beautiful things that a woman can experience and I'm so grateful that we get to bring a new tiny little life into this world.

Ahh, so...let's see, what has been happening this past week since I last wrote?  

Mother's Day - May 10, 2009 (my very 1st!) - Even though we don't have Kapri in our arms just yet...I still got to celebrate this day for the first time....I think I've done good so far, as she seems pretty warm & cozy in my belly!! So on Mother's Day morning, James & I had over his mom, brother (Steve) & his new wife (Amanda) at our home. We all made brunch and it was beyond delicious!! I got a few bouquets of pretty flowers that are still wonderfully perfuming our home! That evening James went to work & I went out to dinner with my mom & sisters...we always have such a fun time together & always make each other laugh over the most random things...love it!  

Doc Appt - May 14, 2009 - At this week's appt, there was unfortunately no progress...still 1cm - so after I got home, I started looking deeper into all the different ways to coax this little girl out! HOWEVER, the doctor did schedule me to be induced on Wed. 5/20/09, but we do also have a follow up appt with her the day before to see if I've progressed any further. So, the induction date is somewhat "tentative"...but we'll see what happens...fingers crossed people!!!  

Pediatrician Appt - May 15, 2009 - Today we met with another potential pediatrician...Dr. Anna Medenhall. She's just down the street from our house and is an AWESOME lady! James & I really liked her, she seems very passionate about her job & working with children. She was very caring & did not make us feel unimportant or silly for all of the questions we had. She's with the Children's Physicians Medical Group and their offices are great...we especially liked that there were separate entrances/offices for sick kids & well kids...so that was a plus! We're definitely going to use her & we think Kapri will love her too.  

Week 38 Baby Bump...yes, I know...I'm huge.

Finished Work of Art & a *blah* Doc Appt

My sister Chelsea & I finally finished Kapri's name that I wanted to put above her crib. It took awhile for us to get inspired & in touch with our creative side to figure out what we wanted to do on the letters. First they were all going to be different in style, but similar colors with ribbon to hold them on the wall...but then we decided to keep them all the same style without ribbons holding them at the top, haha! I'm very proud of them & hope Kapri loves them too! Pics are below... and personally I think they look better than anything I could've bought in a store!!
 

I also had another weekly checkup this past Thursday...unfortunately no progress since last week :-( I shouldn't have kept my hopes up, especially since I knew that women can be 1 or 2 cm dilated for weeks without any progress! We'd like to induce, and are hoping for possibly May 18 (exactly 1 week before her due date). So I have mapped out a loooooong walking route here around Village Park where we live...I'll just have to make myself do that once a day....which also means I have to just ignore the crazy back & foot pain that I already have!! So, we just have to be patient...but maybe that's a good thing, since there are a few final details I want to do in her nursery and STILL have to pack our hospital bag(s)!!! Other than that, we're pretty much set & ready for her arrival. The last week I was home relaxing and literally every time I thought I was being *lazy*, I had to tell myself that it was OKAY and to just enjoy it, because once Kapri is born...I may not have this kind of time all to myself (and time for just James & I).

Last day at work...and doctor's visit

I thought today would NEVER come!!

These last couple weeks at work have been pretty difficult...just getting out of bed is a major TASK...I sort of feel like a beached whale, on it's back, trying to flip & flop myself over. I almost need one of those huge white slings that they use to transport whales, no joke - you should see me (and hear the noises I make in my dramatic attempts) - I'm sure it's pretty hysterical!

 So, needless to say...I will enjoy about 2 weeks of NOT having to wake up at 4:30 a.m. & spend an hour getting ready for work...OH JOY!!! I plan on being as lazy as possible, because I know when Kapri arrives, I will never have time to be 'lazy' again! I would *LIKE* to walk on the beach with Mika a few times a week in the morning...we'll see though! We live literally 3.6 miles from Moonlight Beach - so I feel like I should at least try to take advantage of that. I'm also going to spend the time finishing the details/decor in Kapri's room and cleaning the house...I know..."ICK"...but it must be done, so maybe just little bits at a time ;)

 Today I also had my first "check" at the doctor's office to see if I'm progressing at all. I went into this appointment, trying not to get my hopes up that I was dilated at all...but James & I have been walking & I've been sitting/bouncing/stretching on my exercise ball every night - in hopes that it'll help move things along. This appointment was also important because if I'm moving along nicely, then our hopes for inducing in 2 weeks are better.

So...I found that I'm a whole 1 cm dilated & 50% effaced. Time to start walking more, eating spicy foods, ($ex), and whatever other 'old wives tales' that will help me move along more! Next doc appointment is Thurs. 5/7/09....stay tuned!

Belly Art

Last Thursday my sister Chelsea wanted to get a little creative on my basketball-sized belly...so we headed over to Michael's for some glue paint - I just got to sit back & relax, while she drew all over my belly, it was fun! Here are a few of the pics...the first artwork dedicated to baby Kapri!

The fine art of "Bowl Balancing"

It’s pretty fun being able to eat off your tummy! hahaha...I'm sure this is just one of the many things I'll miss about being pregnant.

Wk 33 Baby Bump

We had our checkup yesterday...the doctor says they 'may' want to induce, if little Kapri continues to gain weight at a steady pace. I still have 7 wks to go, so she could get HUGE by the 40th week. They want to avoid a c-section, so...we'll see what happens. Next appt is April 23rd, at which point they'll probably schedule another ultrasound to check her weight. We'll keep you all posted!!!!!!

Wk 33 Bump Pics:

Week 33 Ultrasound Results…

Yesterday we had our follow up ultrasound at the Perinatal department at Scripps Memorial in La Jolla. It went really well…Kapri is growing fast & is approximately 5lbs, 4oz!! Which we were told is slightly above average! They said it looks like her right leg is about 2 cm shorter than her left leg, but that it’s also slightly bowed…so that could account for the ‘shortness’, since they can only measure in a straight line. 

Other than that, they said everything looks great…she’s healthy & we don’t need to be seen there again, since there is nothing more they can do from a ‘prenatal’ aspect. So we’re just trying to stay positive… Only time will tell & we’ll just have to get her to Children’s Hospital as soon as she’s born so we can start looking at the foot/leg in person & finding the best possible solution. Here are some pics:

Last week was crazy busy for us…and this week we have a lot going on as well. Steve & Amanda got married last Friday…it was beautiful & she looked absolutely stunning!! Everything went so well & we all had so much fun. They are finally relaxing & sun bathing in sunny Cancun, Mexico…sooooo jealous!!! But they definitely deserve it. I remember after our wedding & the 17 months of wedding planning, we couldn’t WAIT to get out of town & do nothing for a whole week….wish we could do that now, before baby comes… I hear “babymoons” are all the rage these days!!

This week we had our ultrasound yesterday, a baby class tonight and a general doctor’s checkup tomorrow morning…maybe we’ll get lucky & get a few more 3D ultrasound pics while we’re there!! Lately I’ve also been going to the chiropractor…which I believe every pregnant woman should take advantage of. All the back pain is easily relieved at every appointment…they even have these tables where the middle piece folds down, so I can lay on my front side without squishing little baby! They start off with a hot compress on my back for a few minutes, then they use a machine to massage & loosen up my muscles/joints and finally the chiropractor comes in & adjusts me – I feel like a whole new person when I leave! 

Oh, one last note…Kapri’s crib & changing table should be delivered on April 14th…so hopefully we’ll have the room done soon (or close to it) and I’ll have pics up for you all to see! YAY, can’t wait to get everything organized & in its place!