9 weeks: we have a grape!!

baby block is now a little under an inch -- about the size of a grape!

from babycenter.com:

How your baby's growing:

Your new resident is nearly an inch long — about the size of a grape — and weighs just a fraction of an ounce. She's starting to look more and more human. Her essential body parts are accounted for, though they'll go through plenty of fine-tuning in the coming months. Other changes abound: Your baby's heart finishes dividing into four chambers, and the valves start to form — as do her tiny teeth. The embryonic "tail" is completely gone. Your baby's organs, muscles, and nerves are kicking into gear. The external sex organs are there but won't be distinguishable as male or female for another few weeks. Her eyes are fully formed, but her eyelids are fused shut and won't open until 27 weeks. She has tiny earlobes, and her mouth, nose, and nostrils are more distinct. The placenta is developed enough now to take over most of the critical job of producing hormones. Now that your baby's basic physiology is in place, she's poised for rapid weight gain.

How your life's changing:
You still may not look pregnant even if your waist is thickening a bit. You probably feel pregnant, though. Not only are morning sickness and other physical symptoms out in full force for most women, but you may feel like an emotional pinball as well.

Mood swings are common now — it's perfectly normal to feel alternately elated and terrified about becoming a parent. Try to cut yourself some slack. Most women find that moodiness flares up at around six to ten weeks, eases up in the second trimester, and then reappears as pregnancy winds to a close.


yeah... no joke... can we say sybil? =)

just to show how my belly is "thickening", you'll see me at 8.5 weeks below. (excuse the weird shadow from the photo... dave's got to figure out a better spot). i look like i have a little bump, but i don't. it's just the thickening and bloat from this stage of the game. hey, at least i still fit into my clothes!

steps towards reorganizing...

a view of one of the difficult areas of the room, where all my office stuff will have to fit. we're putting up the last cabinet this weekend.

so, in doing more measuring and rethinking the office/baby space, i've come up with a few possible solutions to the problem.

first, while i don't want to give up my office space, i think i will have to sacrifice my big desk. i have a very long desk, about 71" long, which is wonderful for all my equipment. however, i need to put all my office stuff on one side of the room in order to fit the baby furniture on the other side. and, of course, the desk will be impeded by the heater on that wall.

so... i need a desk no wider than 49" long. eek! i found one on target.com that i think will work well though. it's a trestle desk in white, with shelves on one trestle side, so that i can stick my scanner down there and get it off the main desk surface. that helps a lot!

area where new desk will have to fit... there's not much room in between the butcher block and the heater. grrr.... please ignore the missing cabinet. it'll go up this weekend.

trestle desk option that will fit well into the space.

then there's the crib/dresser/changing table problems. i think that in order to get the most storage space out of the room, my best bet is to get a crib/changer combo piece. most come in at 71" long, the same length of my desk that is currently on that wall, so that will work out just fine. and i can place it so that the changer is the part closest to the window/air conditioner, so that the baby is away from the draft and dangerous grabbable/climable curtains.

current wall where my desk is... this will become the crib/changer wall.

the below crib is the type that i'm talking about... it's the daphne crib by AFG, found at walmart.com. i like it a lot, and prefer it in the white, with similarly clean lines. guess i have a lot of shopping to do!


now i have to figure out the dresser options... as you can see below, the wall where i will put the dresser is a difficult one, to say the least. there is a closet, which we took the door off of to give us more space. we'll cover that with curtains. then there's a door to the kitchen! annoying... we'll have to use it as a dead door, and put the dresser up against it. right now the office is disheveled to say the least, with an old metal stand there holding books and paper goods. all of that will be moved out to the "library" bookshelves, as soon as we buy them.


i was thinking that a taller dresser would work best. we'll need a lot of storage for baby block since the closet will have to be shared between him/her and some house stuff. which is why i think a changer/dresser won't work. they're too low and don't have enough drawers.

i always liked the hemnes chest of drawers from ikea. it's sturdy, the drawers move well, and it's a great deal! we can get it in white too, which is wonderful for the room.

ok, so that's all for now. i'm sure i'll change my mind 50,000 more times before we register... but we'll figure it out. =)

scary dreams...

i had my second dream last night about miscarrying... they're so scary because they feel so real. to the point where i can feel things happening, and wake up to see if i'm actually going through it. it's awful and horrible and scary. i hope it's not a harbinger of things to come. =\

panic moments... where to fit baby block?

so, um, i know it's a little early to panic about where to put the baby... i have about 31 weeks left to figure it out. but since we painted this weekend, i have the entire equipment contents of my office on my dining table, and i don't want to move them back into the office. why? because we need baby space in there, and i'm trying to figure out what options we have. and there aren't many!!!

my office is small. about 11x15 or so. now, i'm insistent on keeping my office in there. call me selfish, but it took me forever to get my own space. even if i have to share that space with my child, that's a minor detail. baby block won't need much room -- he/she won't know anything beyond the crib for a couple of years. so i know i can make it work. the only thing is, the arrangement of the room is really difficult to work with. there is an air-conditioner on one end, and a heater on the perpendicular far corner. there are also TWO doors in the space to contend with, as well as a closet. can we say, impossible to arrange???

after doing some measuring, i'm realizing that there isn't really enough room on one wall to fit any more than the crib. i have to put a dresser/changing table somewhere... i'm looking at combo units, either with the dresser or with the crib, but those are hard to fit as well.

what's an expectant mommy to do? panic, i guess, is the answer.

crib bedding...

so we painted the office/future nursery and kitchen this past weekend. both rooms are the same gorgeous orange color. i love it (i mean LOVE it), but it will be a bit of a challenge when it comes to crib bedding. yes, i love orange and it's perfect for neutral nurseries, but where to get simple bedding that works with it (without having too much orange in it as well).

today i happened on this urban crib set from super natural baby. i love it!!! it's so perfect for a city baby, and the colors will go nicely with the orange and are not too earthy. granted, i probably can't use the bumper, but the bumper can be saved and used as a kid's floor mattress later. yay!

only issue is that it doesn't come with a crib skirt. hmmm... can one switch around the position of the bumper so that it's on the bottom?

the color on my walls... orange zest from behr.

the crib set as it's meant to sit.

another use for the bumper afterwards.

i'm lonely...

that's all. this no-one knowing thing is really wearing on me.

8 weeks -- we have a kidney bean!!

baby block is now the size of a kidney bean!

from babycenter.com:

New this week: Webbed fingers and toes are poking out from your baby's hands and feet, his eyelids practically cover his eyes, breathing tubes extend from his throat to the branches of his developing lungs, and his "tail" is just about gone. In his brain, nerve cells are branching out to connect with one another, forming primitive neural pathways. You may be daydreaming about your baby as one sex or the other, but the external genitals still haven't developed enough to reveal whether you're having a boy or a girl. Either way, your baby — about the size of a kidney bean – is constantly moving and shifting, though you still can't feel it.

all this and my fatigue too! gosh, i'm tired. i can barely concentrate on my work, and i'm just beat from the minute i get up until the moment i get to sleep. sigh... but yay for the baby block growing!!

no heartbeat, just a chat

so, my first pre-natal appointment went much as i expected. it's too early to hear a heartbeat (damn!), and i had just had an exam with them in march. so... dave and i just had a little chat with roseanne seminara of park slope midwives. she's a sweetheart, much like the assistant midwife i met at my first visit in march. very sweet, very encouraging, very open about the process.

i'm not all into the hippie-dippy-trippy approach to birth -- like no drugs, a birthing center or *gasp* birthing at home instead of hospital, etc. i know it works for some women, and i have nothing but the utmost respect for those brave souls. but, um, i'm not that brave. i want an epidural for my pain. and i want a hospital ** just in case **. still, i LOOOOVVE the way midwives work. i do have a very good friend who is a midwife, so i'm a bit biased. in my experience, i find them to be more in tune with their patients and take more time with them on their visits. they are aware of all aspects of the birth -- from the most natural forms possible to the hospital to emergency c-sections -- and are able to advise on all situations. and the park slope midwives practice is great because they are more than open to anything you may want. they don't push you in any direction, which i feel really good about. because i, like most mommies-in-training, know my ultimate goals and limits with this pregnancy. and i don't want my doctor doing anything else other than advising on those goals and making me feel good about my decisions.

dave really liked roseanne too. he found the office to be really warm, which it is. so we're happy with the decisions thus far in this early stage.

i do have a bigger decision to make though. there is a series of screenings that help to check for down's syndrome and spinabifida. they are non-invasive and take place from 11-13 weeks, 15-18 weeks, and 19-20 weeks, respectively. when roseanne first informed me that these tests were available to me, if i wanted them, i was sure i should go for it. i mean, why not check to see if the baby is ok? i'm not high risk, so everything should be just fine, but still it'd be nice to know for sure. dave, however, felt differently. we have no plans to terminate regardless of the results, so he doesn't see why we would want to "make ourselves sad" for the remainder of the pregnancy if we were to find out something is wrong. then i was confused.

there are arguments to be made for both sides. dave's right in a way -- why make yourself upset early in the pregnancy if you don't plan to terminate? that being said, there are arguments for the other side -- regardless of plans to keep the baby, early testing would help prepare us for specialists, special equipment needs, etc. so what's a new mom to do?

well, i've done some reading on the tests since i got home. and there are aspects that make me not want to take them. a lot of women have reported false positives from the screenings, making them worry needlessly. the only way to alleviate these very real concerns completely is to get an amniocentesis, which i have absolutely no desire to do. an amnio is scary, and carries with it it's own risk of miscarriage. so unless i have my second child at the age of 35+, i really don't want one.

with all of this, i'm starting to lean against having the screenings. dave and i will talk further about it tonight, and i'll come to a decision by this weekend so that i can make my appointment if i need to.

it's a boy!!!

no, no, not baby block. we're not finding out the sex, and anyway, it's waaaayyyy too early to know.

but my friend meredith just had her ultrasound yesterday, and found out she's having a boy! yay!!! so exciting. =) just wondering now if her baby boy will be dating baby block, playing ball with baby block, or maybe both. (yes, we're open-minded about that!).

i can't help now but think of the scene from sex and the city, where miranda finds out she's having a boy, and "fakes" her sonogram. LOL... i was looking for the clip but couldn't find it. what a shame! it's perfect for the occassion. =)

ok, i'm off to do more work.

getting ready for my doctor's appt.

so my first pre-natal appt. is tomorrow. it's also officially the start of my 8th week. don't really know what to expect though... i spoke to my midwife's office, and other than the necessary pelvic exam, blood test, urine analysis, and chat with the doctor, they weren't sure much else will happen. they'll try for a heartbeat most likely, but it's doubtful they'd be able to hear it at only 8 weeks.

but dave will be with me (yay!), and i'm looking forward to having the pregnancy all confirmed and the doc **hopefully** telling me that everything is looking good. i really want the reassurance at this point.

i write this from the waiting room at outpatient surgery, where the unaware grandma maria is having her meniscus surgery. =) can't wait till you know, mom!!

ok, off to rest my angry head.

baby-wear

in my rounds at the stationery show this year, i came across a booth for urban smalls. a line of onesies for baby gift wear, these bodysuits have uber-cute and funny phrases on them. my fave is the one above... if, of course, baby block is a boy. if she's a girl, then the below one has to be purchased!

i'm pooped

what a weekend. dave and i attended the ICFF on saturday with loren (who i successfully kept the secret from!), and sunday i went to the stationery show. whew. i can't even explain how exhausting they were! so much more tiring than they've ever been before -- and walking around the javitz center that much is always a feat. i'm glad i went, but i barely made it.

work-lauren, this message is for you -- i'm so sorry i couldn't make it to your birthday party! you know how much i love to go out with you to celebrate. but i was just not feeling good, and passed out completely by 10pm. i know you'll understand when you finally find out i'm preggo, but i just wanted to say it. i was disappointed too. =(

ok, i'm off to work. but i'll have stuff to post about later!

we have a blueberry!!!

i'm sitting here feeling a bit emotional right now, so i hope you indulge me...

i get my updates every week from babycenter.com on where my baby is at. i'm officially at 7 weeks today, and this is what i got:

How your baby's growing:

The big news this week: Hands and feet are emerging from developing arms and legs — although they look more like paddles at this point than the tiny, pudgy extremities you're daydreaming about holding and tickling. Technically, your baby is still considered an embryo and has something of a small tail, which is an extension of her tailbone. The tail will disappear within a few weeks, but that's the only thing getting smaller. Your baby has doubled in size since last week and now measures half an inch long, about the size of a blueberry.

If you could see inside your womb, you'd spot eyelid folds partially covering her peepers, which already have some color, as well as the tip of her nose and tiny veins beneath parchment-thin skin. Both hemispheres of your baby's brain are growing, and her liver is churning out red blood cells until her bone marrow forms and takes over this role. She also has an appendix and a pancreas, which will eventually produce the hormone insulin to aid in digestion. A loop in your baby's growing intestines is bulging into her umbilical cord, which now has distinct blood vessels to carry oxygen and nutrients to and from her tiny body.

can we say emotional? =)

growth chart!

ok, i just saw this on design mom, and i'm in love. i have to get it at some point. leave it to etsy sellers to come up with something this sweet.

photo of growth chart from miss natalie.

feeling lousy...

sorry i skipped a day yesterday in this diary. i haven't been feeling all that great, and i was so busy with work that i couldn't do both with my raging headache.

the headaches are rough this week. the baby must be growing fast and furious. thankfully, the nausea hasn't progressed any further, so i hope that it never does. i have my preggie pops at the ready just in case.

my mom is going through some pretty serious stress right now -- she's worried about everyone's health including her own (her meniscus surgery is next wednesday), her blood pressure is up, and on tuesday my grandfather's car was stolen. i'm trying to get her to keep things in perspective, but it's really hard. she's just having bad luck. i wanted to tell her so badly that a very good thing is coming, but i stopped myself. if god forbid something goes wrong with the pregnancy, i don't want her to know. it'll upset her more and make her even more concerned with my health than she is now. so, mom, sorry! but when you know you'll understand why i waited!

on a happy note, i met up yesterday with my friend meredith. she's about 10 weeks ahead of me. i hadn't seen her since her first trimester, before she was showing. now she has a pronounced baby bump, and looks so beautiful! i can't wait until i'm at that stage. just 10 more weeks to go! =)

that's it for now. back to the salt mines.

my savior hurts my eyes

so, like many other pregnant women who experience nausea, i love preggie pops. they really help. but oh my -- the packaging is horrific!!! who designed this thing? you'd think that, for as much as it costs ($4.99 in babies-r-us for the preggie pop drops) they could spend some money on the packaging! maybe i'll court them when i'm feeling better and offer my services. someone has to fix this -- or else all design mommies will have the side effect of their eyes bleeding whenever they go for their nausea relief.

ps: their website is equally as awful, but i don't have the skills to change that. maybe a web-designer/mommy will want to get in on a joint proposal. =)

homemade green cleaning solutions

image from fineline custom woodwork, inc.

since i'm concerned now about everything that goes into my body, i'm worried about the cleaning products i use. i don't want to breathe in the fumes or deal with the products getting in through my skin. i had already bought a shark steam cleaner for my hardwood and tile floors -- it only uses steam, so it's better for you and cheaper in the long run -- but i needed options for the rest of my house. especially my bathroom. the bleach fumes are bad.

so i came across this article online, with all the recipes for homemade, chemical-free cleaners. it's awesome! so i figure i'll buy the ingredients soon and start my concoctions. my bathroom is in need of a good scrubbing!

secret kept -- with a great deal of difficulty!

well, i'll say one thing for my side of the family -- they are good at making me practice my restraint.

mother's day weekend was nice, but really tough on me. first, i made sure to buy my preggie-pop drops on saturday before picking up my brother, so that i could keep the nausea at bay. but my head was bugging me and did not stop for the entire weekend. thankfully there was no red meat served on saturday, so i avoided that catastrophe. whew...

still, not everything was as easily surmounted. my family just seemed to be all about bringing up "when you have a baby" or "when the baby gets here." yeah... tough. yesterday, when my headache was reaching catastrophic proportions, my parents said, "well, you'll just have to get pregnant, so that the headaches go away." i just wanted to scream, "but it's the baby that's causing the headaches!!!" le sigh...

but probably the most touching moments, besides my wonderful dave giving me a mother's day card before he went to see barb over the weekend, was when my aunt maria gave me a gift for our new apt. she gave me a bag with candles in it, and there was a book with the candles in the bag. before i took it out, she explained to me that the book used to be mine, and my mom had lent it to her for her kids. she was giving it back to me so that i had it for our children someday. it was this book...

except i had the hardcover, original 1983 version.

what crazy timing!!! i had this book when i was six -- my mom used it to answer my questions about babies and sex. i remember it vividly, and flipping through it really brought back memories. it's especially amazing timing since the book is about birth and babies, and i'm in the early stages of pregnancy -- which is outlined in the book. i almost burst into tears, but managed to control myself.

so, aunt maria, thanks for the book. it meant more to me than i could let on. =D

how to keep the secret?

this weekend, i'll be with my entire immediate family for mother's day. dave will not be there, as he's seeing his own mom. so i have to try to keep the secret myself. but i'm worried! my eagle-eyed mom -- soon to be grandma maria -- will be watching everything i do, as usual. now, i can always get away with not drinking... the headaches take care of that part. but what if...

1. i get really nauseous, to the point where i have to throw up?

2. my uncle bbq's tonight for dinner, and i have to tell him to cook my meat medium rare instead of bloody, the way i really like it (and my mom, for that matter)?

3. my mom notices that i'm not wearing the clothes i really like to wear, because i'm gaining weight?

4. another food note... i also can't eat certain fish, soft cheeses, etc. how do i explain?

basically, my mom notices everything. how will i get away with it? argh.

mom, i hope you realize how hard it is to keep this from you!!!!

nausea update -- thank god for acupuncture

so i happened to have acupuncture today for my headaches, the same day as i started to get nauseous. thankfully they can treat that too. so a few needles in my wrists to go along with the needles in my head, and i felt lots better.

then i came home and cracked my head on the freezer handle twice. my headache is back. grrrr....

nausea finally hits

it's not so bad, but i am feeling a bit nauseous this morning. even gagged a little. ugh. i was hoping to get through without it.

kinda first mother's day

card from sarahjanestudio.

i did my shopping for mother's day yesterday, and was struck by simultaneous sadness and glee... this weekend coming up is mother's day, and technically it's my first mother's day, but no one knows except me and dave. and dave and i will be separated for the weekend, since he's going upstate to visit barbara. so, i have to wish myself a happy mamma's day on sunday -- and find the strength not to say anything to my mother. =)

but, at the same time, YAY!!! IT'S MY FIRST MOTHER'S DAY!! and that makes me happy.

to sorta-celebrate, i also bought myself some clothes yesterday while shopping for the other ladies in my life. i'll need them for my slowly expanding tummy, since all my clothes are so form-fitting. so yay for clothes that make me feel prettier!

keeping my trap shut

this is for all my close girlfriends that i was with last night after lubin house -- I'M SO SORRY I COULDN'T TELL YOU!!! and it took everything in me not to say anything!!! after discussing children and babies and pregnancy and birth for over 30 minutes -- not to mention learning that fellow grad jennie is about 2 months further along than me -- it took so much restraint to keep my mouth shut.

so, ladies -- michelle, danielle, aileen, jenn, and roop -- i hope you read this after i tell you and accept my apology!! i really wanted to tell you, i did. **sniff, sniff**

the beginning of fat

blah. i'm starting to gain weight. not a lot (still wouldn't be noticeable to most), and i still fit comfortably into most of my clothing. but i put on a dress today that i LOVE, and it doesn't quite fit right. i can zipper it and all, but it just feels a bit too tight.

damn!

time to start looking for more flowing tops and dresses. on the cheap...

baby art

i'm not allowed to paint in oils when i'm pregnant -- my medium of choice. i would still like to make something for my baby, but i also would like to buy some fun prints for him/her. etsy is my store of choice for baby art -- i always find the best stuff there!

i think these are great. from john w. golden.

i've been eyeing this piece and others like it (there's one for each letter!) at strawberryluna for a very long time now.



it's never too early to start baby block's worldly knowledge! from mirabel.

frustration hits

pregnancy is frustrating.

i'm trying my best to go to the gym... i've been feeling so lazy since i hadn't been able to go for over a year because of my headaches. and i figure it'll make me feel better during pregnancy. but my stupid head is getting in the way again! my hormones are sending my head all out of whack. so, i woke up fine this morning, but as soon as i was about to get in the shower to get ready for the gym, it hit. and it hit hard. so i'm not going to the gym again.

i'm trying hard to stay motivated, and i really do want to work out. it makes me feel better. but i can't go if i have a headache, because it'll make the headache worse. so i'm stuck in the same place as before -- and eating way more than i usually do, thanks to my little one growing inside of me.

i'm just frustrated today. ::sigh::

gift for daddy

i wanted to give a gift to dave. he's so excited to be a daddy! so here's what i wound up getting for him:
and here's the baby onesie that i got to go with it:


tell me these aren't the cutest things ever! i gave them to him on friday night, and he loved them. i figure they work for both a boy and a girl. can't wait to see the gifts on the recipients in 9 (10) months.

just so that i can recall these details: i did the type myself, and then uploaded it and ordered the gifts from cafepress.

the appearance of "el preggo"

so, i was moving along fine with the pregnancy. except for the return of my headaches -- which have been really bad since the day before i found out about "baby block" -- i was ok. not really tired, didn't have the munchies, still trying to get to the gym... i was really doing well.

cut to about 3 days ago -- friday the 2nd of may -- and it's a completely different story! it started with being tired on friday, way more tired than i should have been. then i went to a friend's party, which was just a gathering of my girlfriends, and couldn't stop eating. saturday i slept late and soundly -- definitely not like me. and sunday i ate and ate and ate when going out to dinner with family, and then came home and fell asleep on the couch. plus, my boobs hurt and i am surely hormonal.

so, my other personality, "el preggo", has officially appeared. she's a ravenous but tired individual who is still trying to pretend that she is without child to the outside world. let's just hope that nausea never becomes part of "el preggo's" character flaws.

mocktails

so i am finding that the inability to drink alcohol is really bugging me. not because i'm a huge drinker, and never have been. but i do like a glass of wine with dinner, or a beer when we go out. and since i'm not "allowed" to have any (truthfully i don't think it's so bad to have a drink once in a while, but i won't do it in the first trimester), i resent it. =)

so... onto mocktails! i've never been a girly-drinker in my life, but now that i can't have my wine or my martinis, i think the mixed mocktails are the way to go! at least they taste good, and they make me feel better now that the summer is approaching.

i've found some fun mocktail recipes, so here we go:

Not So Dark & Stormy

The traditional dark & stormy is made with dark Bermuda rum, ginger beer, and a squeeze of lime. Ginger beer has no more beer in it than ginger ale has ale, but it tastes zippier. We've upped the lime and replaced the rum with a dash of molasses (what rum is distilled from in the first place, and a very good source of iron, calcium, potassium, and other minerals).

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp. blackstrap molasses
1 cup ginger beer
Garnish: lime wedge

In a wide glass, add ice, lime juice, and molasses, then pour ginger beer over all. Stir well, as molasses is thick, particularly when cold. Float the lime wedge on top. Your average bar may not have molasses on hand; see what else the bartender can offer!

Mock Mojito

The mojito was rumored to be Ernest Hemingway's drink of choice when in Cuba. It normally contains a good dose of rum, but tastes equally refreshing and complex without it.

4 or 5 springs of fresh mint
1 lime
1 oz. simple syrup
6 to 8 oz. soda water
Garnish: lime wedges and mint sprigs

Muddle the mint (reserve one sprig for garnish) with the simple syrup in the bottom of a tall glass. Add ice cubes. Squeeze half of one lime into the glass, reserving the other half for garnish (slice it into three or four wedges). Top with soda water. Stir, drop in lime wedges, and decorate with the last sprig of mint.

White Sangria

This refreshing and tasty recipe is perfect for your next dinner party, or just whip up a pitcher to have on hand whenever you need a bubbly beverage break.

Ingredients:
4 cups white grape juice
1 cup pink grapefruit juice
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 bottle club soda (750 milliliters)
Pink grapefruit slices
Preparation
In a large pitcher, combine all three juices. Refrigerate. Just before serving, add the soda water and grapefruit slices (and other fruit, if you'd like). Makes about 12 servings.

Cosmo-Not martini

Ingredients

• 6 ounces of freshly squeezed and very cold orange juice.
• 2 ounces of freshly squeezed and very cold tangerine juice.
• 2 orange rind twists.
• 2 very, very thin orange slices.
• 1 lime cut in half.
• 3 ounces of cranberry juice.
• 1 ounce of pomegranate juice.
• 4 drops of vanilla extract.
• 1 ounce of seltzer water.

The mix

• Add all of your juices and vanilla extract to a shaker 1/2 full with cracked ice.
• Shake for a full minute.
• Squeeze in the juice of your lime and swirl the shaker ten times.
• Strain into 2 large, frozed martini glasses.
• Top each glass with an orange slice and one orange twist.
• Slowly pour one tablespoon of seltzer into each glass (over the orange).
• Serve them up and watch the smiles.

Mint Edition martini

A minty, refreshing and cool looking martini.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of fresh spearmint leaves.
• 1 ounce of freshly squeezed lime juice.
• 1/2 teaspoon of powdered sugar.
• 8 ounces of cold tea (black tea works just fine).

The mix

• Crush your mint leaves.
• Rub a pinch of mint on the inside of the bowl of two frozen martini glasses.
• Pour your tea and lime juice into a shake 1/2 full of cracked ice.
• Add your crushed mint leaves.
• Shake gently, in a diagonal motion for a full minute.
• Add your powdered sugar and shake for another full minute.
• Strain into your martini glasses.
• If you are truly chic, you'd add one of our Cocktail Monkeys to the edge of the glasses!

Bouncing Baby Bellini

Mix it up:
Stir 2 ounces of chilled peach nectar with 2 ounces of nonalcoholic sparkling wine (or sparkling apple cider). Pour into a champagne glass and add a splash of grenadine. Garnish with sliced peaches.

Next Generation Ginger Soda

Chicago's Sushi Wabi adds a Japanese touch to a fizzy refresher. Mix it up:

Peel a ginger root and cut into pieces. Marinate them in an 8-ounce glass of soda water for a few hours. Strain 1/2 to 3/4 of the ginger mixture into a tall glass with ice. Top it off with a splash of Sprite (or caffeine-free Coke, for color). Garnish with a slice of starfruit and a lime.

can't you see i'm pregnant?!

just because i'm pregnant now, i feel like it must be obvious. i must look pregnant, right? i must have gained weight already. i must need more billowy shirts rather than my usual fitted wear, because of the new baby belly.

but no. i'm only about 5 weeks along according to baby center. i don't show yet. i look the same!

thank god... =D