33 Weeks!

There's been so much happening this past week it's a miracle I'm still standing. It was a really good week, for Bill, B and I (and the Hux) though and we were all able to manage the heat fairly well and survive the first full week of complete apartment demolition. I'll start with the best part though, how the mango is doing!

B is technically not so little anymore. This week s/he should be 17 to 19 inches long and between 4 1/2 and 5 lbs! And I feel that, trust me. Baby is still very active, especially when I'm up in the middle of the night, making it harder to get some sleep. Mango can possibly tell day from night now, as the uterine walls are thinner and more light can penetrate. Also, B has developed his/her own immune system now, which along with my antibodies will help protect him/her from mild infections.

33 weeks- 7/2/13 (also Aunt Teresa's birthday!)

In other news, last Wednesday was the Mama's dinner I organized and it was quite the feat! 27 ladies came and we all chatted it up over pizza and salads. Everyone's just so nice and so accomplished. At my table there was a doctor, a lawyer, 2 advertising gals (myself, and a girl that works at DDB) and another mama finishing up her PhD. There were Mama's who are due this week, and some Mama's who aren't due until nearly October, so the range in bumps was interesting to see. And plenty of FTMs but still, quite a few Mama's expecting their 2nd. I've said this before but I just love the support that comes with groups like this, it's great now, but I think especially in a few months from now and on it'll be invaluable.

Can you believe this is only part of the group?!?
Summer 2013 Mama's group- aka B's future playdates

Work has been just crazy these days. One of my clients is a healthcare, so getting ready for 4Q open enrollment, and this year with the HCR affecting even more of the population, I've been trying to cover off as much as I can while I'm here, but it's really exhausting. I have a meeting with my boss tomorrow to discuss my coverage and what'll go on while I'm out. Turns out he's been itching to get back into buying so he may end up taking over some of my markets/networks to help alleviate the other buyers' workloads, which is really the best-case scenario for me. My clients are also pretty demanding and my team is fairly junior so it's good peace of mind knowing that he would be stepping into my shoes.

On Saturday Bill and I toured the hospital where I'll give birth, along with our doula Lori. I was so pleasantly surprised with how open they were to just creating the best possible birth experience for the whole family. They encouraged Mom's to bring in any birthing props they needed, to wear whatever they felt most comfortable in, were a small hospital and said they didn't push women to birth within a certain time frame (at least unless the Doctor said they needed to), had huge labor and delivery rooms, a level 2 NICU (good if there are any complications) and had nice private rooms that are reasonably priced where Bill can stay over with me. The woman giving the tour also happens to be one of the 3 lactation consultants they have on call and she said there was no need to bring any props (boppy, pump, etc) as the hospital provides everything. I loved how small, quiet and intimate it felt (a real plus in NYC), it was clean and secure without feeling like a prison and of course, just 10 minutes away from our apartment by cab/car service.

Thanks to Instagram/social media- I also discovered a fun new app called Over!

I wanted to make some fun captions of  Bill and I along with other family members
to put near the baby's bassinet in the hospital so B could be surrounded by everyone who loves him/her.

Here's Hux being a goofball

That evening we also had dinner with Bill's parents who are just lovely people. They brought tons of baby gifts to spoil B, from them, his sister and his Aunt and it was just a very enjoyable evening. They were very excited to see ultrasound pictures, to get updates on the renovations and just so happy in general for their upcoming grandchild. It makes me so overjoyed to know that this little one is going to be so welcomed and spoiled with having great family members on all sides.

And speaking of renovations... it's a dusty mess. We're trying to stay out of the apartment as much as possible and when we need to be home, are holed up in the bedroom. I worry a little about the dust that's covering everything and seriously considering having a post renovation cleaning service come in once it's all done. The tile has arrived, though we're still waiting on the grout (grrr) and painting starts early next week.

Since our kitchen is MIA there won't be any what we eat... unless a lot of takeout counts. And this Friday I have my 33 week appt and since Bill and I are both off he'll be going as well. For the holiday we're heading over to my friend Preethi's rooftop for a BBQ, plan to see lots of movies and then visit with Bill's sister, husband and son Charlie, aka Mango's future bodyguard, when they make a quick stop in town. Happy 4th of July y'all!

I love this photo so thought I'd end on this note-
30 years ago today I was meeting my new little sister, Teresa!