39 weeks

After 39 weeks of pregnancy, I've crossed over from anxious and nervous to something more resembling the mentality of 'I'm as ready as I'll ever be.' I can tell I'm slowing down a bit and getting out of breath even at the sight of a small incline. I've been getting all kinds of goofy smiles from people on the street, especially when I walk with Izzy.  I don't know if it's a pity smile or an 'oh you poor girl, you don't know what you're getting into' smile, or maybe something in between the two, but people definitely think I'm funny looking.  Also, a firetruck came to a screeeching halt today once I turned and the driver realized I was pregnant. I wonder if this kind of treatment continues when you're pushing a stroller around?? My guess is that the pregnancy hospitality runs out pretty soon.

The week(end) started off with a surprise UPS delivery on Thursday night, bringing me about 5 lbs of baked goods, including almond bread from THE BEST AUNT JEANNIE EVER!  (I hope you're reading this and if you feel so inclined, you can send more). I can't remember the first time I had this, but I love it. It's addicting. It's almond-y, it's just a littttttttttle bit gooey, it's flaky, it's buttery, it's perfect. I mean, I eat more than my fair share in one sitting and I feel ill every single time, but I do it anyways. The first loaf didn't stand a chance of being savored -- or frozen -- because I ate it within a week. But the second time, I intentionally cut it in half and stored it in the freezer to help portion myself.  Luckily for me, Sean doesn't care for it, so I literally get the entire thing to myself... and I'm not ashamed to admit that I do a fine job of eating it all. 

Aunt Jeannie's Almond bread

 This weekend, we also went blueberry picking today at Indian Head Farms and Izzy enjoyed napping under the bushes while we did the picking (and sampling).

We also briefly ventured out to the Nashoba Valley Vineyard since it was a 10 minute drive of the farm and (Sean) sampled some of their beers. This is a place I'll definitely re-visit once I can take advantage of their wine and beer selection.

37 weeks and the big 'dirty thirty'

Here's the bump at 37 weeks. As much as I would like to say the time has flown by, it really has been a long time. I mean, I found out I was pregnant right before Thanksgiving, and Sean and I brought up Thanksgiving travel plans this weekend -- so that's a long time.
The doctor's office has reiterated the importance of having my 'overnight' bag packed to take with me to the hospital. So, I'm packed and ready to go. Now, it's just a waiting game.
The same weekend I was proclaimed 'full term' is the same weekend I exited my twenties and entered my 30s, or as Sean's brother put it: the dirty thirty.

30th birthday cake -- thanks to Crystal

And, as hard as I thought it was going to be, man, did my friends and family really come through. I got a FaceTime date with Annie, Ashley and Mellie, then my friend Crystal came into the city to bring me the world's most beautiful and delicious cake (see below) and we got our toes done and went out to lunch. And to top it off, Sean and I went to Castle Island which is right on the water in Boston and walked around for a couple of hours before the sun went down. It's right beside the airport so we could watch the planes take off and land -- which was actually pretty scary considering how frequently planes land and take off.

Birthday flowers --- thanks to Mom

Also, I arrived home with flowers waiting for me from my mom. It was quite a surprise and the flowers smell awesome. The lilies make the entire house smell -- which is a great improvement over the normal smells which permeate our place.

The Moseman's return to Boston

Just last weekend, Annie, Ashley, Mellie and Marvin all made the 8+ hour drive from DC to Boston -- in the middle of the night no less. Annie and Anne co-hosted a Baby-Q shower for Sean and I in our backyard and it was completely awesome. 

BaBy-Q invite

I'm still getting comments on how delicious the food was -- but just to be clear, Sean and I literally did nothing. We took showers, walked downstairs, ate and hung out. Our friends gave up their free Saturday afternoon to celebrate our new adventure and boy, was I completely overwhelmed with their generosity. We got everything from registry items to handmade quilts and blankets, to baby fishing poles and clothes for me, to Starbucks cards for Sean. I guess there's nothing like a baby shower to make you realize you've got a pretty sweet group of friends. A group of friends who would probably rather spoon their eyes out than sit and watch you open presents, but spend their Saturday with you nonetheless. 

Annie and I at the BaBy-Q

Anne, Abel and Sean and I at the BaBy-Q

Mellie, Marvin, Izzy and Annie at the BaBy-Q

To top off that following week, Sean's co-workers all got together and took us out for an awesome multi-course lunch at the Italian restaurant Toscano's in Beacon Hill. It was delicious and they even made us a pink, strawberry cake to top off the meal. They gave us a gift from the whole group, but even beyond that, Sean continued to come home with gifts from various people. 

Visit to Bloomington

My little brother Warren graduated high school a couple weekends ago and I was lucky enough to get home to help celebrate the occasion. It's always nice to leave Boston, but especially nice to leave for the homeland (Indiana).

Warren-dog's graduation; Warren, me, Alex

While I was home, my mother threw a shower for me -- on top of throwing a graduation party for my brother the very next day. She did an awesome job and somehow convinced relatives and friends, and even friends who've never met me before to drive some distance to attend.

shower invite

Everyone was so incredibly thoughtful that I think I'm set for all things baby-related, probably until our little girl is a year old or maybe older.

I've decided that baby showers and other events where one person is the center of attention are awesome, because you get lots of cool stuff, but also kinda overwhelming because there are lots of people you'd like to catch up with and what you end up doing is just getting maybe 5 minutes with each person  (if you're lucky).  So, I've decided that for future events either for myself or Sean, I'll make a mental note of inviting over all those people in attendance for a proper 'catch up' session at a later date.

~33 weeks

between 32 weeks and 33 weeks

Despite my small bump, it seems as though all is well with our little girl growing in my belly. Here's her right foot! It's approximately 7 cm long. My ultrasound technician handed me lots of photos this time, but I think the foot is probably one of the best. They guess she's about 4 lbs 3 oz right now.
So, after 2 weeks of anxiety and listening to women tell me 'your bump is SOOOOOO small' it seems that everything seems normal for now. I'll continue getting ultrasounds at each appointment (so about every 2 weeks) just to make sure, but at least I have some peace of mind until the next photo shoot.

face

profile shot

Pregnant Girl at a Wedding

Among my long list of 'firsts' while pregnant, today I attended my first pregnant (sober) wedding. My friend Blanche tied the knot today in Providence, Rhode Island, and I was among the fortunate few to attend the ceremony. It was beautiful, the food was delicious, the company was even better and to top it off: Blanche had a GIGANTIC smile the entire day.  She also thought it would be funny to get a comparative belly shot and so the least I could do for her on her special day was to indulge. Below is Exhibit A: said belly shot. 

In my defense, I had just eaten my 2nd piece of cake which I justified because I hadn't had any champagne to toast. If pregnancy gets me 'seconds' of all wedding cakes, I could be talked into having multiple children.

Third Trimester: 29-30 weeks along

So far the third trimester has been uneventful and pretty much the same as the second trimester -- but with more night time movements and a little slowing down on my part.  Sometimes I glance down at my belly at work and notice that it's completely shifted to one side or the other. Also, lounging in the La-Z-Boy chair at home seems to awaken baby girl (BG) Pfalzer and I see clear punches or at least some body part poking out. I'll be honest -- this still kinda grosses me out... I'm supposed to be bonding right now, right??

I've been incredibly fortunate to have sister-in-laws and a mother-in-law and friends giving me their hand-me-down maternity wear. I have seriously only purchased 1 pair of maternity pants and the rest has been from family and friends.  Hah! I just realized in the shot above, I'm sporting Naglaa's white skirt. I'll say I've been really impressed with the kindness and generosity of people and I'll make sure to pay this forward when I get the chance.

Last week I spent a few days out in San Francisco with my in-laws. The weather was beautiful and I got wined and dined -- well, dined at least.  Here's Tom Pfalzer (TP)'s first appearance on the blog:

Me and TP in Tiburon, CA

TP did an excellent job touring me around San Francisco and the surrounding areas.  If anyone reading this blog is ever in the area, I really recommend you hiring the chauffeur services of this guy... You will see lots of beautiful places, homes and taste lots of good food, and of  course, if you're able to, you'll drink delicious California wine.

Sean and I had our first childbirthing class last night and there were some points where I wanted to cover my eyes. All the stuff to remember is a little overwhelming, but I did make a special note about the part of the 'support person' and their role to do 'whatever helps the laboring partner'. So, MANY backrubs and footrubs will be in my future, in fact, I am considering feigning labor every night around 9pm to see just how many backrubs I can score. :)