Dexter Strikes..

Just a hilarious pic I took of Dexter- if you have a smartphone, you can follow me on Instagram (cdrista215)

Other then when he was a baby and took a few nibbles out of a table leg, he has never ever chewed anything he isn't supposed to...until now:

We refer to this as Dexter's crime scene (for anyone that doesn't know,our dog is named after the show on Showtime). Here's our theory as to what happened - you know, because he's normally an angel ;) There were two snowman that sat on the landing of our stairs - Dexter got a new bone and some toys for Christmas, he likes to flip them up in the air and I think he did that near the snowman, it fell on him, and he freaked out and tore it apart. That's the version of the story we're going with anyway. Although, he was eyeballing the other one so I put it away and hopefully spared it's life.

Christmas 2011

Christmas was so much fun this year - mellow, low key, and I was quite spoiled (definitely enjoyed that...considering next year I won't exist anymore :)

I've been good about keeping my blood sugar under control, I treated myself to a sliver of cake on Christmas Eve and my sugar went through the roof, so I know I definitely have an issue. I had to go to a class yesterday and another Tuesday, but have been doing really well so I'm happy about that. I have good days and bad, but I know the babe and I will be just fine. :)

Here are some pics from the holiday- The ones of me in front of the tree are counting as the 28 week baby bump. I'm officially in my last trimester - woohoo! Only about 11 weeks to go!

Dexter & the Tree

Sparkly!

Nick and I on Christmas Eve at Auntie Marlene's house

Me & the tree on Christmas Eve (28 weeks!)

Nick and I at Auntie Diane's

Baby Liam, born in November - so adorable - he just looked around and smiled at everyone, such a good baby. (Courtney & Nick's cousin Bryan's son)

Giraffe ornament I picked up in Mexico

Happiest babe on the planet, Quinton

2 days til Christmas!

So far the blood sugar testing has gone perfectly - it hasn't been over 100 since Thursday (which is a good reading). It's still overwhelming, but I will of course do whatever it takes to be sure that the baby and I are healthy. I'm trying different combos of food to see what does/doesn't affect the number as well...it's almost...fun? :)

I went to a new hair dresser last night and chopped off my hair. I'm not sure why I didn't go to my own hair dresser, I guess I just wanted to try something new. Here's the pics...

Before:

What I was going for:

And what I ended up with:

Here's a few with me and Dex:

I don't really love the cut, as it's about two inches shorter than what I was going for. But it's just hair, it'll grow back. It was certainly easy to style this morning.

I have a full day at work today and I think we're exchanging gifts on my team. Our boss always gets us something great and my two team mates always give me thoughtful gifts - so I'm really looking forward to it :) We also got to wear jeans today which is marvelous!

Hope everyone is doing well and going too crazy with the holidays so close.

xoxo

Why I love my brother's husband

Yes, you read that right :) Erik told Joe about my latest development and this is what he wrote to me:

Good morning- Erik told me the latest news- I am thinking about you and I know you will handle this with a perfect blend of finding all the best information and your own intuition-That plus all the love that is coming your way will be an unbeatable combination- much love

Wham-O!

Well, apparently I got too cocky with this whole “great pregnancy” thing. I failed my first glucose test on Monday and went through the three hour test this morning, only to find out I have gestational diabetes. Honestly, I’m ok with it and I’ll do whatever I have to do, but the woman that called me to tell me was incredibly condescending and really upset me. She basically made it out to be like I was a lazy slob who sat around and ate sugar all day. She gave me crap about not going to a diabetes class TOMORROW, and acted as if I wasn’t taking this seriously. I wish I had caught her name because I would mention it to the office the next time I was there. Honestly, I love my doctor’s office and have had nothing but good experiences until this woman called me.

I now have to check my blood sugar level 4 times a day and see the doctor every week until the end of my pregnancy. I know in the grand scheme of things this is very small, but it is still pretty upsetting.

Sorry for the not fun update this close to the holidays!

xoxo

Christmas is Coming!

I'm so excited that Christmas is just a week away. Today I'm also at 27 weeks, so I'm just about ready to head into my third trimester. It really is crazy how fast time has gone by! I am feeling great, I love the way I look, and I feel very lucky to have had virtually no problems whatsoever. I have noticed I'm getting tired a little easier, but that's certainly nothing to complain about. Plus, it also takes a few tries to get my socks and shoes on, but thankfully I can enlist Nick's help for that :)

Nick is currently painting what will be the nursery. We're having the carpet replaced in the room in early January and then we can really get everything together. We already have the crib, changing table (thanks Dad!), glider (thanks Mom!), valances, mobile, lamp, bedding (thanks Drista Mom!), and some other fun items (thanks friends, you know who you are!) so we'll have a nice little set up very soon.

Here's a few recent pics

Taken on 12/13, the day of my work Christmas Party

Maggie, Me & Brooke at Brunswick for the FCC party, bowling! People were SO surprised that I bowled...I felt like saying I'm not broken, just pregnant!

Relaxing..although Dexter doesn't really seem to be into it.

Dexter with Duncan's marrow bone

Me, Caroline, and Danielle - I ADORE these girls. Nick took a bunch of pics, half of which had a shadow across them because his hand was over the flash. We were out until about midnight...and my normal bed time is 8:30 ish. I was tired the next day, but it was well worth it. They're already planning a huge summer 'Crystal comeback' bash for when I'm able to have a cocktail again ;)

xoxo

Weekend Pics

This weekend was a pretty nice and lazy one, especially so close to the holidays. I had the baby shower Saturday, but other then that, I managed to sleep late and my dad and I did a little bit of shopping. I did a little bit of baking too.

I bought this tree on Friday at Target. I work with quiet a few Scrooges in my office and work has been a bit frustrating lately. I thought this tree was silly when I bought it, but every time I looked at it during the day on Friday, it made me smile. So, it was well worth the $5 :)

The BEST Christmas scent at B&BW

The peanut

Success, he liked them!

So simple - 70% cocoa chocolate (I used two 3.5 oz lindt bars) and chopped pistachios, and a dash of salt. Rich and delicious!

xoxo

26 Week Baby Bump

Since I completely forgot about the 24 week baby bump pic (it was Thanksgiving weekend), and Nick is in DC this weekend, I took this pic of myself yesterday, so here's an update on the bump :)

I wore this outfit to a baby shower yesterday, it's a size large long dress from Kohl's, and I'm really digging it. I like form fitting clothes as opposed to loose, flowy outfits. I like to accentuate my shape as opposed to hiding it. Since it's only going to get bigger for the next few months, I might as well be proud of it! (and I am).

The baby shower was nice, but it's kind of making me dread mine. We know alot of people and have alot of family, and let's be honest...it's not easy to make those things fun. I'm having a small baby shower in NY that my mom is hosting, so my grandma can come (she is 84) and my MIL and SIL are hosting a much bigger shower for me up here. I'm looking forward to it...mostly for the food ;) Plus it'll be nice to have everyone together and get lots of loot for the babe! I'm sure Tami and Alexis will do an amazing job.

I've been super tired this weekend, I slept until 9:45 today which is very unlike me. Maybe I'm finally starting to feel some side effects of being pregnant. And if being tired is what I get, I'm just fine with that!

I have yoga again this Wednesday and I think I've decided to not sign up again in January. I like going, but with bad weather coming and me missing some classes here and there (due to a wake and then I was sick this week), it makes more sense for me to exercise at home. I have one DVD that I like and just bought another yoga dvd recommended by a friend that I'm going to try out this week.

Hope everyone is well!

xoxo

Visiting with Dad

My dad got here on Tuesday night and will be visiting for the next week or so. Last night he got to feel the baby kick for the first time and he was amazed. I asked him if he ever felt Riley kick when he was in Krista's belly (my brother Dylan's ex-wife) and he said "No, that wasn't my daughter." I think it's sad that my parents missed all of these milestones with Riley. For a long time I didn't know if I wanted children so Riley might have been the only grandchild. Luckily, I changed my mind ;) Krista is very close with her own family, so I don't "blame" her for anything - it's just the way it was. I always tell my parents and brother Erik how different it will be when our baby comes - and I'm really looking forward to that.

A co-worker got me sick on Friday, and I had to take a half day on Monday. More than anything, I'm annoyed because I don't get sick very often. I'm feeling better but skipped pre-natal yoga last night because I didn't want to risk getting any of the other moms sick. I went to the gym instead and worked out for about an hour. I'm pretty tired today but I'm glad that I went.

The holidays are always hectic, and I have plans almost every night from now until Christmas. I'm glad my Christmas shopping is just about done (I need to pick up a few random gift cards), so that's a big relief. Nick and I don't go overboard at the holidays - I told him I bought about 10 things, but nothing is over $30 :)I just love finding fun, inexpensive, thoughtful gifts, that are tailored for the person and will (hopefully) be appreciated.

Work has been very frustrating lately. Just little things going on with co-workers, not even worth typing about. We recently started a "check in-check out" time clock type thing, apparently to comply with the Department of Labor. It is no problem for me because I always get to work on time, and leave when I am supposed to. I'm not opposed to staying late, and have often done it, but it is frowned upon. I always feel like I have more accounts than anyone else, but I have no issue getting the work done. I can't explain the way I operate...maybe I'm just a wee bit crazy obsessive compulsive? :)

xoxo

Morning Hug

Getting kicked from the inside

I took a bath last night and was relaxing when all of a sudden my stomach started rippling! It's sticking up much higher now and the baby kicked and I actually saw the movement, it was pretty amazing. I called Nick into the bathroom to tell him. Of course the first thing he says is "let me see your boobs" (haha), but then he put his hand on my stomach and really felt the movement - he was so excited! I was so glad he was home to witness it.

This morning I didn't feel well so I made some tea and drank some oj. Then I got sick and threw up both of them! I felt a little better afterwards so I ate an english muffin and then went to the gym. It felt good to go (it had been a few days) and I am feeling better now. The other day my brother in law (Dan) and I were talking about labor and all the fun stuff that goes along with it, and he said to me "you're tough as nails, you'll be fine." I took that as a huge compliment. I've been lucky enough to never have a serious injury, no broken bones, falling from trees as a kid, etc., so I really have no idea what labor is going to be like for me. I am honestly not afraid of any of it. I know it's going to be more painful than I can imagine, but I see it as something millions of women go through, some stronger and some weaker than myself, and I will be fine. The end result makes it all worth it. :) My dad is one of the toughest people I know, so maybe I'm a bit more like him than I thought. I know I certainly got his lack of patience, so hopefully I have some of his toughness too.

xoxo

Quinton Photo Shoot

I took a few (billion) pics of Quinton for Dan & Kingsley's Christmas card. Here are a few of the adorable little guy:

He really loves Nick, he's looking at him in this picture.

I think this is my favorite!

Such a handsome lil man!

All smiles!

Dexter was so good with him- all he wanted to do was lick his face off but stayed in his bed when we told him to.

Heck of a night

Last night I started up prenatal yoga again which I was really looking forward to. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m further along and getting bigger, but it wasn’t as relaxing I was hoping it would be. There were about 5 girls in the class and I was the furthest one along, so I was excited about that! I laughed and said finally I’m more pregnant than someone else! (We have a handful of friends and family members due in the next few months).

I’m sorry to write about this here, but I need to get it out – on the way home from yoga I saw a dog get hit by a car and it drove me to hysterics. I’ve always been an animal lover and if I see a squirrel on the side of the road, even that makes me upset. I was so mad and upset because the driver was going WAY over the speed limit and just kept going. I got home and almost got physically sick because I was so upset. I didn’t sleep well because I just kept thinking of Dexter and that poor puppy and that it could happen to him. So it was not a good night!

I’m not sure if I mentioned this already, but my dad has not been feeling well again. I talked to him today and he’s waiting for an appointment, so we’ll know more once he has it.

On top of all that, I’ve had some pretty severe headaches for the last month or so which I attribute to hormones (thanks baby :)

Ok, enough of that! I’m happy to say I’m just about done Christmas shopping and almost everything is wrapped. I have a few more shopping dates with friends and I should be able to finish up. The credit card is looking pretty ugly, but isn’t that what Christmas is all about? Heehee. I’m looking forward to being in MA this year and having a nice low key holiday.

Hope everyone is doing well!

xoxo