Golden Globes 2011

A few days late...but apparently that's how I roll these days. 

To sum up this year's Golden Globes red carpet- WILDLY disappointed!  I believe I told J more than once that I was disgusted with what the stars were wearing.  These people have lots of money!  Hire stylists, people!!!  Wait, what's that?  You have stylists?  Well then you should promptly fire them and hire someone else.  I PROMISE you that I could do a better job!  Throw some of that money my way!

TRENDS OF THE RED CARPET:

Emerald Green- Clearly the "it" color of the Globes!

Angelina Jolie in Versace

Catherine Zeta Jones in Monique Lhuillier

Elisabeth Moss in Donna Karan

Mila Kunis in Vera Wang

Asymmetrical and Cut-Out Red- some good, some bad, some ugly.

Christina Hendricks in Romona Keveza.  This dress was met with mixed reviews- I happen to love it!

Edie Falco in Valentino

January Jones in Versace.  Another dress with mixed opinions.  My opinion, January?  Yuck.  Again.

Drapey neutrals- boring and matronly.  For shame.

Jennifer Lopez in Zuhair Murad

Sandra Bullock in Jenny Packham- and HEAVY bangs.  Yikes.

Scarlett Johansson in Elie Saab

And as if her gown wasn't bad enough, she added Bride of Frankenstein hair!  This was J's first thought, although I've heard the exact same comparison from many a fashionista.

BEST AND WORST DRESSED:
Unfortunately, friends, I've had an extremely difficult time choosing best and worst for this event.  Bear with me and my many finalists.

Best Dressed

Kyra Sedgwick in Emilio Pucci.  I LOVE the bold, tangerine color, and the cut of this dress is just gorgeous.  Well done once again, Kyra.

Eva Longoria in Zac Posen.  This dress makes this petite woman look downright curvy.  Amazing silhouette. 

And my #1?  Anne Hathaway in Armani.  Such a glamorous, sexy look.  Perfection.

Worst Dressed

(Yes, there are many!)

Halle Berry in Nina Ricci.  Such a shame to see such a beautiful woman in such an utterly ridiculous gown.

Heidi Klum in Marc Jacobs.  Wait, doesn't this woman host a show about fashion?

Julianne Moore in Lanvin.  It broke my heart to see my favorite Ginger movie star looking lopsided and silly in this one-sleeved atrocity.

Leighton Meester in Burberry.  Long sleeved and beige?  Really?

Tilda Swinton in Jil Sander.  No surprise to see her landed on my worst dressed list- or ANY worst dressed list, for that matter.  At this point, maybe she's just comfortable there?

Michelle Williams in Valentino.  She usually makes such good choices...which is why these absurd daisies confuse me so!  Michelle, unfortunately, was my biggest disappointment of the evening.

BUT, I couldn't leave off the perennial Helena Bonham Carter in Vivienne Westwood.  Believe it or not, her dress wasn't even the focus of the well-deserved ridicule.  Check out the shoes...two different colors??  Good ole' Helena never disappoints.

From the Peanut Gallery- Week 34: The Cantaloupe

So THAT'S why it feels like I'm carrying a bowling ball around on my bladder.  Cantaloupe, bowling ball- who can really tell the difference?

Current Stats:
Weight: -2 lbs
Waist: + 9 inches
Baby Appointments: Only 4 more to go!
Days Until Due Date: 36

Well, friends, I just returned from my most recent ultrasound and baby appointment.  Turns out, this pregnancy is completely perfect and uneventful, after all!

We started with the ultrasound.  I was so excited to get another peek at my little man- and my fingers were crossed that I didn't have to start referring to him as my big boy!  Alas, I DO NOT.  Gabe is currently only in the 31st percentile for weight (who knew they kept track of that kind of stuff for fetuses, right??).  He's weighing in right at 5 lbs now.  So my fear of an extra-large baby was unfounded!  (At least for right now.)

My fluid levels were also perfect.  Turns out, I must just have a big uterus, as I was still measuring two weeks ahead today.  But absolutely no worries.  Gabe looks perfect.  He is head down now, which is also good news!  My fears of a breech baby and an automatic c-section were also eased.

My favorite part?  He has hair.  We could see it on the screen.  I'm not sure why this is so exciting to me, but it is!  J was born with a full head of hair...I was bald until I was three.  So it could have gone either way!  But somehow knowing that he has hair makes him more of a real baby, and less of a fetus.

The doctor said that if I were to go into labor right now, no one would try and stop it.  At his weight, he'd be good to go on the outside.  We'll still hope for at least another couple of weeks, so that we can make it to that magical "full term" number (and ensure that his lungs are fully mature), but I've essentially been given the green light to deliver a healthy, happy, bouncing baby boy!  (Which, by the way, was confirmed one more time today- definitely a boy!)

Here are the few pictures that we got to take away from today's appointments.  It was much more difficult to see much of anything today, as Gabe is so big in there!  But try your best to decipher what you're seeing- even the nurse I saw today needed help to figure out what she was looking at!

A profile shot of Gabe's face.  See his nose and lips sticking up?

He's looking right at us.  You can see a shadow of an eye, his nose, and an open mouth.  LOVE this picture.

In other news, we've been busy preparing little things here and there in anticipation of Gabe's arrival.  We are TRULY ready for him to come anytime now!

Not what I'm used to using my stove top for!  Pacifiers are sterilized and ready to be popped into screaming baby's mouth.

Look what I've got in my back seat!  J has a base installed in his, as well.  We took a field trip to the fire station this weekend to make sure everything was installed safely and correctly.

I don't have a belly shot this week...but I have ultrasound pictures!  That's gotta count for something, right??

Until next week!

From the Peanut Gallery- Week 33: The Pineapple

Pineapples make me think of Jamaica...Jamaica makes me happy...ergo, I'm a happy mama this week!

I hope you all caught yesterday's "Special Edition."  In case you missed it, definitely go back and check it out, because THE NURSERY IS FINISHED!

In other baby news:

Q: How was this week's baby appointment?
A: Great!  Everything still looks pretty perfect, with the exception of that whole fundal height debacle.  This week, I measured 36 centimeters.  Yep, three weeks ahead.  My next appointment is next Monday morning.  This appointment will include an ultrasound, so we can check out Mr. Man's growth and make sure there's no weird and crazy reason for my larger-than-average uterus.  Can't wait to get another peek!  And if you all are lucky, next week's update will include the boy's most recent pictures!


Q: Have you finally made it back up to your pre-pregnancy weight?
A: Nope.  Still two pounds shy.  Which is extra amazing, since I feel like there's been a recent growth spurt.  I looked down at my belly yesterday and thought that it was suddenly GINORMOUS.  But hey, apparently I'm the size of a 36 weeker (probably 37 by now), so it's no wonder I look big.


Q: Are you getting nervous about the impending birth?
A: Yes.  I am starting to get a little scared about that whole pushing-a-human-being-out-of-me thing.  But I am trying to keep an open mind going into the experience.  I keep telling myself that my body was designed to do this, and that millions of women have come before me, and that I, too, will survive.  There are moments when I feel truly calm and at peace with this thinking- then there are moments when I fear that Gabe will be a ten pounder and I get a little panicked. 

Q: Are you planning on drugs during delivery?
A: The answer is, I'm not sure.  Again with the whole open mind thing.  My official plan is to hold out for as long as I think I can before asking for the good stuff.  But if the moment arrives where I feel like an epidural is necessary, then I'll ask for one without feeling any shame.  Hey, there are no medals given out for natural childbirth.


Q: How is Childbirth Education going?
A: Well, our first class was last week (this week's has already been canceled due to the threat of inclement weather).  I have to say, it was pretty much what I expected.  J and I definitely giggled several times, but our instructor, Mary Sunshine, didn't seem to mind.  Seriously, this lady is all rainbows and unicorns.  I told J that if I learned one thing from that class, it was that I definitely do not want a doula present when I give birth.  To each his own, but I really just want J there to support me.  Plus, the uber-positivity of this woman isn't calming to me, it's laughable.  I'm not really sure what that says about me as a person!!

In all seriousness, even though I'm extremely well-read and well-informed about pregnancy and childbirth, I did get a few things from this class.  And I expect each of the next four sessions to be about the same.  If nothing else, these classes are a rite of passage for new parents, and they are exciting because they bring us one step closer to meeting baby.

One final nursery image for the week: these blocks didn't arrive until today, so I couldn't include them in yesterday's nursery post!

And, of course, the weekly belly shot.  Me in my glider, hanging out in my new favorite room!

From the Peanut Gallery- SPECIAL EDITION: The Nursery

I know that I'm only a day away from Monday, when I normally post my updates.  But this was just too exciting to sit on for even one more day.

THE NURSERY IS DONE!

My mom arrived on Wednesday night, and worked tirelessly all day Thursday, Friday, and Saturday to help bring my vision to life.  J's mom drove into town on Saturday to help out, as well.  (Isn't Gabe a lucky boy to have his grandmas put so much love into his little room?)

I'll keep the words short and sweet, because I am HEAVY on the pictures.  But basically, I am in love with this room.  As a matter of fact, I have hardly left it since it's been completed.  Sitting in the glider and admiring this sweet space, all the while envisioning my baby being here in a few short weeks, is now officially my favorite past time.

Enjoy!

Remember a few short weeks ago when the room looked like this??

Then my friend Amanda and I painted the bottom half of the walls white, to help my mom get a head start on the huge transformation ahead!

Now we start to paint the top half of the walls light blue.

Supplies are ready, and light blue is coming along!

I go to work one morning, and come home to find the chair rail up!  Just needs finishing.

Grandma, the happy, handy helper.  Seriously- she's really handy.

Uncle Scott (and Delilah) helping to tape the wall for stripes.

BOTH Grandmas hard at work!

Stripes are done!

Room's still pretty empty, but Daddy is hard at work assembling many pieces of furniture!

And we have a crib!

and a glider...

and a dresser... (which is full of washed, folded clothes now, by the way)

and a bookshelf...

AND a changing table!

Still really loving these tiny shoes.

Pictures are hung! 

The dogs aren't quite sure what to think.

Grandma Clark knit this little sweater.  So sweet!

Of course, I had to get Gabe a personalized clock.

All in all, this is one happy mama.  I simply can't wait for Gabe to get here and call this space his own!  Until then, I will be here, happily gliding away.

Grammar Police Strikes Again

Okay, so I guess this time I would technically be classified as the Spelling Police...but equally important, in my mind.  At least with these common errors.  (By the way, I really wish I were cool enough to have written this poster myself.)

Hey, if you need a dictionary to help you spell prestidigitation or antidisestablishmentarianism, I'm cool with that.

From the Peanut Gallery- Week 32: The Jicama

Jicama, huh?  You know, I occasionally like to take a gander at these fruits and veggies in the grocery store.  Not sure if I'll find a jicama on the shelves at the Teeter.

Week 32.  Also known as the week I've decided I'm ready to be done being pregnant.  As in, get this baby outta me.  I know I still have a few weeks until we can safely do that, and I will most certainly take one for the team and let him cook in there a little longer.  However, the countdown is ON.  And I'm not gonna lie...I'm really hoping this guy wants to come early.  As in 37 weeks (which is officially considered full term).

And just a little tidbit to make you go WHOA...that happens to be only 28 days from today.

Week 32 was also the week that I lost any and all remaining grace that I may have had left.  Aside from feeling like (and moving like) a whale, I've also become excessively clumsy.  During a trip to Target, the cart literally had to be taken away from me, as I continuously ran it into anything in my path.  Come to think about it, the shelves and items may not have even been in my path, but they were getting rammed into, anyway.

Although I may not be thrilled about the clumsies, I'm sure that my pooches are beyond excited.  Daphne and Delilah have learned to stay at my feet in the kitchen, as I am sure to drop food, and maybe some more food, and perhaps a little bit more food on the floor as I prepare meals.

Major accomplishment of the week?  I hosted (and stayed awake for) our annual New Year's Eve party.  THANK THE LORD for our visitor (whom I am blaming my tardy post on :) ) Mimi, otherwise I'm not sure I would have made it!!  She was a HUGE help getting the house together and preparing all the food.  And a good time was had by all!  Unfortunately, I could not partake in the Jell-O shots this year, but I'll be back in fighting form to ring in 2012!

And after the ball dropped, J reminded me that it was officially January.  Which means that now when people ask me when I'm due, I can simply reply "next month!"

I know I've been slacking on the fetus updates, but the truth is, he ain't doin' much.  Just getting bigger and fatter (at this point, he's probably in the neighborhood of 4 pounds), and finishing up that final lung development.  I'm guessing by the frequency of his hiccups (at least twice a day) that Gabe is doing a fine job of expanding and contracting those lungs in preparation for the real breathing!

Also, go ahead and call me a liar.  I know that I promised more pictures of progress in the nursery, but I have none.  There was some minuscule progress made- see last week's pics, and imagine white below the painter's tape.  But this week, the real work begins.  My mom arrives tomorrow to help me finish up!  I will take pics as we go, and next week, you can look forward to seeing the finished product!

First "Labor and Birth Education" class at the hospital tonight!  J and I are hoping to be able to keep it together without too many giggles.

AND, the belly pic of the week.  Happy New Year everyone!