Mini Vaca & 29 Weeks

J & I at Boston Harbor!

Whoops, this post has been finished for about a week, I just never hit publish post!! I should never be given my own column, I am a forgetful blogger!!

This past weekend we decided to take a much needed long weekend getaway to Boston!! My mom and Gerry live up there so it was a great chance to visit them and TRY to have a relaxing weekend. I say TRY because if my mom had her way she would take us on the ultimate walking tour of the city and her pace is anything but slow. We were able to relax a little bit but we did have quite a hectic schedule. We got in late Friday night in the pouring rain so we ate takeout in BED, a bed that is not six inches off the floor!! On Saturday we went to this funky breakfast spot in Cambridge and decided what to do the rest of the day because the weather was less than desirable. We ended up touring the gardens/duck park and walking down Newbury Street. Before heading to Fenway we met up with J's old high school friend Miles who lives in the city. When we got to Fenway it was not raining so we thought the game had already started so we rushed to our seats only to find that there was a rain delay. We got dinner in the stadium and waited for the game to start!! We had amazzzinnggg seats that were right in the middle of home plate and first base -- about five rows back!! The game ended up being called in the sixth inning because of rain, but the Sox won 9-1!! The night ended with a late night trip to the only breakfast establishment open -- IHOP!!

J & I at Fenway Park !

Our amazing seats!

The next day we managed to have a delicious breakfast and head on over to my Uncle Frank's store. We went through a antique fair and farmers market where we snacked on homemade cookies and water ice!! That afternoon we headed back to the hotel to watch some Sunday football and get ready for dinner with J's old friend from HS, Miles. We went to a little pub where we had excellent food (to me nowadays everything tastes excellent.) Our trip ended with a brunch date on Monday with another one of J's college friends, Chad, who lives right outside of Boston.

We were able to squeeze a lot into a mini three day vacation and now I feel like I need a week to recover from this trip. This is probably my last "lazy" week -- I will be up in Hoboken all week with J because we are moving him out of Hoboken next weekend. There will be lots to update next week after the move!!

Love,
Dada & Mama J

Doctor's Updates!

This morning we finished what felt like a full week of being at the doctors office! I am happy to report that everything went great. Wednesday I got my monthly ultrasound, which I am always excited about because it is a chance to see my little man! They reassured us for a third time that it was a BOY, as if we didn't get the picture the first two times they pointed it out to us. He is getting bigger and bigger -- the ultrasound technician said I was right around 29 weeks and that he was almost 3 lbs. We left the ultrasound yesterday realizing that if anything was actually wrong we would not have been able to leave, so I was very happy!!

This morning we had two appointments, one with Dr. Weiner and one with Jamie from Lab Corp. Dr. Weiner came in and said that everything was progressing beautifully! I was experiencing no signs of pre-term labor, but just to be on the safe side we did another FFN test (determines if the baby is coming in the next two weeks.) From the ultrasound my cervix is no where near where it should be if I was about to go into labor. For all you med/nursing school kids -- it was at a 3.9 and when you go into labor it is a 0!! So the doctor is not worried, he said once I get to 35 weeks or a 5 lb. baby it would be safe to deliver. MY only concern is that the baby is breech, which would only be a concern if he is still breech at the time of delivery. It that were to happen I would have to have a C-Section (which might have to be scheduled, just to be on the safe side.) However, Baby J is such a mover and a shaker it wouldn't surprise me if he turned on his own in the next ten weeks!!

With Jamie from Lab Corp I had to do my glucose screening test, which consists of drinking a bottle of orange flavored sugar water in under a minute. This was a combination of Red Bull, Orange Fanta and pure sugar!! We had strict instructions not to go anywhere for an hour and after that she would draw my blood. We should get the results of that back sometime next week, just in time for another round of doctor's appointments and shots.

So overall, very good news from a week of doctor's appointments. Because I am going to be over 30weeks I am going to have to go in every two weeks -- so I have another appointment scheduled for September 24th. My next BIG task is to find a NEW doctor in South Jersey as well as a hospital to deliver at. I hate to leave Dr. Weiner, but I do not think I want to drive over two hours while in labor. With my luck J would be delivering on the side of the NJ Turnpike. I have great friends back home that have been helping me locate good doctors and hospitals -- now I just have to pick one of each!!

Keep you all updated, but thought you should hear the good news :)


Love,
Dada & Mama J

28 Weeks

We are cruising along now! Baby J is getting bigger and kicking much stronger. Jess gets pretty tired by the end of the day from all the movement!! It is pretty rare that we get a full night's sleep all the way through because Baby J is up and about so often. Jess says it is her body's way of getting her ready for when Baby J is waking up to eat every few hours. We have two big doctor's appointments this week to do another ultrasound and glucose test.

This weekend we were down in south Jersey for the extended weekend and everything is turned upside down. Jess' dad is tearing up the carpet, painting the walls for our room and Baby J's room, and all the furniture is in the hallway and guest rooms. I can't wait until everything is finished so that we can start decorating and organizing for Baby J!

Yesterday we went to the beach house to see if we could get a good beach day but it was too windy and chilly. Instead we had some great chicken off the grill with corn on the cob and potatoes. Jess' sister's friends were around for the holiday and we visited Jess' grannie too. Today she took us out to breakfast at the fabulous Borgata buffet which is one of Jess' favorite places to eat!

Jess and her grannie.

Me with grannie.

Jess looking pretty :)

Love,
Dada & Mama J

26 Weeks

Before going out in AC on 8/22

Sitting on the beach, getting some sun!

Myself, Mandy & Lea looking very patriotic!

Week 26 was spent saying goodbye to Florida family, cleaning out the babies room (thanks to Kelly who moved ... everything!) and spending time with college friends in Atlantic City. Despite being 26 weeks pregnant I hosted the 2nd Annual W-AC Reunion for all of my friends from Washington College. We spent a lot of time on the beach and they spent a lot of time drinking!! A little storm named Hurricane Bill came up the coast and managed to make things a little difficult for us -- flooding of ALL Beach Bars and creating quite a scene at the beach.

Regardless of Bill we all managed to have a great time and by Sunday no one was ready to go home!! I spent the next few days sleeping...realizing that my staying up until 3-4AM days were OVER for me (until November when Baby J wakes me up at all hours of the night!!)

Will post again in the next day or two...considering I am already in Week 27, just behind on blogging!!

Love,
Dada & Mama J

25 Weeks

Down in Diamond Beach, NJ for a girls/husband weekend!

My photo shoot at the beach house in Diamond Beach, NJ.

I am posting early this week so I do not disappoint any of you weekly readers and while I have internet access!! Not too much has happened since I last posted about my doctor's appointment on Thursday. I had been waiting on my FFN test results (the one that I get done every two weeks that tell me whether or not I will be having Baby J in the next two weeks.) I was supposed to get them back on Friday but when I called Friday and talked to the nurse they told me they would only call if the results were POSITIVE. So in my mind, no news is good news!!!

In the next few weeks things back in South Jersey will be in full swing ... getting our room painted and re carpeted, getting Baby J's cleaned out, the TEAM SAFARI border up, room painted and carpeted. I really have to thank my father who is going to work hard in the next two weeks to get all of this done before he goes back to Rutgers Business School. I am excited to post pictures once the rooms are complete!!

The cupcakes we had at Granny Lois's 91st Birthday BBQ tonight. I only hope that Baby J can help celebrate her 92nd Birthday with the family next summer!! She is really an extraordinary woman who is youthful enough to rock the Wii!!

Love,
Dada & Mama J

24 Weeks & Doctor's Appt!!

Very blurry, but you don't need great eyes to see that I have gotten bigger!

This was taken after a very large meal at the Borgata in Atlantic City!

It has been a busy week for J so I am at fault for not posting any sooner. I would have loved to but I have been in Brigantine where my mother refuses to get the internet and you have to pray that the only unsecured network, LINKSYS, is available. If not, then we are internet-less! I have only taken Week 24 pictures on my Blackberry so they might seem a little blurry (and I am sure J will be less than thrilled for me not using one of the two very sophisticated cameras that we have to take the pictures!)

Today we spent part of the afternoon at the OB's Office in Oradell, NJ. It was an important appointment because we began our Fetal Fibronectin (FFN) testing which we have to have done every two weeks. For those who are as clueless as me at first, it is a test that tells you if you are going to deliver in the next two weeks. My doctor is concerned about pre-term labor for a number of reasons, so we have to have this test done every two weeks just to be on the safe side!! We will not get the results of the test back until tomorrow, but Dr. Weiner does not think I have anything to worry about.

Other than the FFN test it was your typical OB appointment -- friendly greeting by every receptionist and nurse in the office...peeing in a cup... seeing how much weight I have gained since the last time (7lbs!)...meeting with the doctor, listing my symptoms and hearing him tell me how great I look despite the fact that I do not glow because the hormones have turned me into a 13yr old hormonal teen with acne!... listening to Baby J's heartbeat, which makes me melt every time I listen to it ... and scheduling the next visit and the hundreds of tests that need to happen!!

This visit we spent more time with the receptionist scheduling the next plethora of tests once we were done with the appointment -- Ultrasound, more blood work, Sugar testing, RhoGAM shot... all mind you have to be scheduled for different days but can not be done until certain tests are done or the tests come back negative!! You can see how that might seem overwhelming...but 20 minutes later we had everything scheduled and we were out the door!!

Next stop immediately following the doctor's visit -- one of NJ's finest diners so I could get what I am always craving, breakfast food!!


Love,
Dada & Mama J

23 Weeks!

23 weeks and still kickin'! Everything is going well and Mama J and I have completed a rough draft of a Babies-R-Us registry. We are kind of using it as a check list of everything we are definitely going to need. Hopefully we can finish it up sometime this week.

Love for Baby J.

I wonder how big Baby J is now!

This week, Mama J got tired of always being in the spotlight so I offered to let her take a few of me. This is her awesome photography skills at work.

Hints of a small bump.

Mostly filled with ice cream.

As long as there are smiles.

Love,
Dada & Mama J