A few old wives tales about pregnancy.

the good news is is that i'm slowly nursing this cold and feeling a lot better today.  the bad news is, is that i think john is now sick.  as i currently type this post, he is beside me and has a scarf around his neck, a beanie on his head, breathe right on his nose, and vicks close by on our nightstand.

i was looking at some photos i took at my friend's baby shower over the weekend and couldn't help but wonder in amazement how each woman "carries" her pregnancy so differently.

I started to google old wives tales about pregnancy and they all made me chuckle.  let's just say, i'm definitely having a girl!  just in case your curious, here's a few of them courtesy of justmommies.com

1. If you're carrying in the front, you're having a boy.  If you're expanding horizontally, you're having a girl.
2. If your fetal heart rate is consistently above 140, you're having a girl.  If you're baby's heart rate is slower, then you're having a boy.
3. Oh cravings...sweets, then it's a girl.  Salty/sour snacks, then you're having a boy.
4. They say a girl steals her mother's beauty.  Having pregnancy acne?  Then a girl it is.  If you have smooth, glowing skin, then it's a boy.
5. If your partner is gaining weight right along with you, then you're having a girl.  If he/she doesn't, then your having a boy.
6. This one's interesting.  If you put your wedding ring on a string and hold it above your pregnant belly...if it swings back and forth, you're having a girl.  If it moves in circles, then it's a boy.

there you have it, some interesting old wives tales about pregnancy and gender predictions.  do you think these urban legends have some truth behind it??? 

Happy weekend.

it is COLD outside!  a whoppin' 47 degrees out and i have ice on my front lawn to prove it.  see?

i started feeling under the weather yesterday at work.  so i plan to take it easy today to nip this cold in the bud before i get really sick.  i've got a baby shower to attend and i plan on helping john's cousin with wedding stuff, so i HAVE to feel better.  just curious, what are your weekend plans?  well, whatever your plans may be, stay warm, stay dry, and don't get sick!  have a good one =)

Shapewear..no...Supportwear for the pregnant mama.

who am i kidding?  shapewear, no...i mean supportwear.  a few weeks ago, i started feeling the slightly uncomfortable weight of baby gabriella around my pubic symphysis area, particularly after i  would work several 12 hour shifts in a row.  that, coupled by my achy legs and swollen feet after 3 shifts i knew i had to do something.  so i ordered the blanqi for belly and back support, and compression stockings for my feet and legs.  both purchases have been...for the sake of being dramatic...game changers for this pregnancy.  here are my reviews:

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the blanqi:  i ordered mine from amazon.  unfortunately i had to pay for S&H, which i always try to avoid at all costs but i was ordering several items and just threw this one in my "cart" as well.  isn't amazon so dangerous that way??  the blanqi arrived in a few days and i eagerly tried it on.  wowzers...it made a huge difference!  first and noticeably foremost,  it instantly gave "the girls" a nice lift.  now who doesn't want that ;-)  the blanqi also helped my posture and alleviated the lower abdominal weight that i was feeling.  i no longer have the pubic symphysis pain.  the blanqi does all this without being too tight or restricting.  and the fabric is soft and isn't itchy at all.  the downside is, is that it is expensive ($68), so i only bought one.  but i pretty much wear it everyday.  i wash it with all my other clothes and hang dry it.  once it's dry it's as good as new.  i highly recommend this for any pregnant woman who needs a little "support".  check out some YouTube video reviews.

next i'll review the pintoli style 1020 compression socks.

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pintoli style 1020 compression socks:  as with the blanqi, i ordered 2 pairs of these compression socks on amazon.  this had free 2-day shipping with amazon prime..score!  these socks give you 15-20 mmhg of compression.  this is the first time i've used compression socks, so i really don't know if the ones you can buy at walgreen's are the same.  but i can tell you that after working 12 hour shifts and being on your feet all day, i don't have achy legs or swollen feet anymore.  ask my husband...leg and feet massages aren't as frequent as they used to be  ;-)

in conclusion, these 2 purchases really made a difference for me.  i would highly recommend wearing supportwear, particularly the blanqi, and some sort of compression stockings during your pregnancy.  happy shopping.  the end.

Nesting and minimalism.

lately these 2 words seem to be an oxymoron to me.  is it even possible to prepare for a baby and have a minimalistic mentality?  i've been determined to think so.  but john and i ventured into buy buy baby today and i instantly got overwhelmed.  there is just so much stuff out there!  and i know, deep down inside, most of the items that are available are not needed.  particularly during the newborn stage.  right?    

we've decided to forgo the usual accoutrements of a swing, a bouncer, and a jumper.  we've even decided to ditch a crib, for now, and simply use a pack 'n play in our room for baby gabriella.  of course there are the necessities, such as a car seat, a stroller, wipes, blankets, a breast pump, diapers, etc.  which we are more than willing to buy.  but in the hopes of being as cost efficient as we can, i am planning to breastfeed for at least 6 months (buy hopefully longer) and use cloth diapers.  yes, that's right...you read it right...cloth diapers.  after much research i've decided on the bumgenious elemental one-size cloth diapers.  i'll be writing more posts on our experiences with cloth diapering once that journey begins.  but for now, i'd love to hear from experienced parents, what were your registry favs/necessities and what were the items you could've done without.

as for all you non-cloth diapering folks out there, here is what they look like.  they have come a long way from the sterile, white, pinned cloth diapers of the past.  i don't know about you, but the thought of these diapers taking our baby gabriella from a newborn all the way to toddler hood sounds amazing to me.

24 week baby bump.

i wasn't too keen on taking weekly baby bump photos.  but, as the weeks have come and gone, this baby bump of mine never ceases to amaze me.  it grows everyday! if someone hasn't seen me for a week, they always have to comment on how much my stomach has grown.  so here it is folks, every thursday, i'll be posting a baby bump bump update.  i can't believe i still have 4 months to go.  it's uncanny to me to think how much bigger i'm going to get...yikes!!!  baby ella, this one's for you =)

Orange October in San Francisco

the sf giants swept the detroit tigers and won the world series yesterday.  as i was driving back into the city, i caught all the fireworks and the wonderful orange lights decorating the buildings of san francisco.  congratulations SF Giants!

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Happy weekend.

i hope you have a great weekend.  i'm pretty certain part of your weekend will be watching the giants and the tigers.  my parents are coming over to watch the game tonight and i plan on treating them to yummy vietnamese food at ban tre. tomorrow i'll be heading over to the east bay for brunch with my girlfriends at a soul food joint.  so excited for that!!  i've been craving something sweet, so i plan on indulging tomorrow ;-)

i'll leave you guys with a baby bump update at 22 weeks.

john and i attended a greek and guatemalan wedding last week.  it was a blast!  the wedding was so beautiful and the bride and groom are seriously movie star material.

this picture doesn't even do them justice.  but you get the idea.

just in case you are wondering, i bought my dress at nordstrom in a size larger than i would normally wear and added the belt.  it was comfortable and it looked ok i thought.  remember when i posted about maternity clothes being ugly?  well, i ordered several maternity dresses from asos and they all let me down.  thank goodness for free shipping both ways!  i wore heels that night, but by the end of the night, my feet were killing me.  not sure if i'll be wearing heels to the next fancy affair john and i attend.  just curious, when did you stop wearing heels while pregnant?