28 Weeks

Officially in the third trimester now…ahhh!  I seriously have no idea what happened to the 2nd trimester – the time has flown by.  What I do know is that the first trimester tiredness is back in full force.  I feel like I hit a wall over the weekend and I’ve been exhausted ever since.  I was hoping for at least a few more good weeks before I felt really tired again :(  I’ve been napping and doing a lot of lounging in bed/on the couch.

Yesterday I met with the anesthesiologist at the hospital to talk about my back and the options for pain control during labor.  An epidural is definitely out, which I knew was most likely the case.  She explained that where they stick the epidural in the back is like putting a needle into a deflated balloon and since I have scar tissue on either side of the balloon, my balloon most likely won’t inflate and will not work to give me any pain relief.  There’s also a high chance of infection because the catheter sits in your back and that could affect the metal rods already in there.  She said a spinal could possibly work if I end up having to have a c-section, but it may also not work.  Same idea with having to inflate a balloon, but they stick you higher up so the chance of mine inflating is higher, and the needle is in and out versus having a catheter in.  The benefits are higher than the risks, though, so that’s good.  However, if it doesn’t work, that means I have to put completely to sleep for the surgery.  Basically I have to plan on having a natural delivery with the assistance of meds through an IV unless I want an elective c-section.  She said that the IV meds work very well for some people and for other people they don’t have as much as an effect.  Let’s hope they knock me out :) 

It’s funny because I was going into this thinking it wasn’t necessary to have a birth plan since anything could happen and it really depends on how far along you are when you get to the hospital that will determine the course of action.  But now I’m really hoping I can deliver naturally and not have a c-section.  If I do have to have a c-section, I’m praying the spinal will work but I have to prepare myself that I may have to be put asleep which means me and hubby miss the birth (he can’t be in the operating room if I’m completely under).  The doctor tried to assure me that baby and dad do leave the operating area together, though, and then they are waiting for me to wake up in recovery, but it’s still not an ideal situation.  The positive thing about having this appointment early on is that I can prepare myself by paying attention during our upcoming childbirth classes (especially for breathing exercises) and also pick up some books for laboring techniques. 

How far along?: 28 weeks

Baby is the size of a:  rutabaga  

Total weight gain/loss:  +15-17 – was pretty close to 20 last week but now I’m down a few today.  Must have had a major bloat issue last week or something.

The Bump: I feel like I popped again.  I have caught a few strangers smile at me, but no one really has come up to ask me when I’m due or anything like that.

Symptoms: Exhausted.  Which is disappointing because I was getting into a good routine with walking and doing my workout DVD.

Food Cravings:  Orange juice.  I treated myself to an Orange Coolata last Friday and then have had at least 5 glasses of OJ since then. 

Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: Nope. 

Sleep: It’s been better this past week but it’s taking me a little longer to fall asleep after having to get up to pee.  And the weird dreams are back.

What I miss:  After doing some errands during lunch today, I found myself out of breath.  From just walking a little fast!  Ugh. 

Weddings Rings On or Off: On

Any Names Picked Out Yet:  I think we have picked THE one :)  It’s a secret until he’s born, though.

Movement: Still moving around like crazy.  And if I pay close attention, I can feel him when standing up now.

Maternity Clothes: Basically all maternity.  The nice weather last week meant I wore only dresses which were SO comfy.

Labor Signs: Nothing.

Best Moment of the Week: Getting some presents in the mail already from a few people who can’t attend our shower!  The Jeep stroller is set up and ready to go, and we also received a sleep/noise machine today.

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Our upcoming shower in a couple weeks :)

28 Week Pic:

And what I wore to work…maternity top from Old Navy, maternity pants from Target.  Guess this shirt doesn’t show off the bump as much :)

And a comparison from the end of my 1st trimester (13 weeks) with the end of the 2nd trimester (27 weeks):

Wow…and some days I think I don’t have much of a bump still.  HA!

Preggo Reviews

I had been getting a little bored with my power walks on the treadmill, so I started searching for a pregnancy work-out DVD.  After reading some reviews on Amazon, I decided to go with this one:

 

image source

I’ve done this video twice now and am pretty impressed with how much of a work-out it actually gives me.  My heart rate  definitely got going, but not so fast that I thought it was unsafe – it was on the level of doing a fast walk.  I can tell the exercises really stretch my muscles, as the next day I always feel a little sore in my legs, most likely from the squats.  My favorite part is that she makes you pause to do kegels every so often – I always forget to do them!  I also like how she includes options for beginner, intermediate, and advanced on most of the exercises.  I’ve been doing the beginner ones for now with the exception of doing a few intermediate for the arm sculpting movements.  The only negative is I wish there was more than one 40 minute workout to choose from, as I tend to get bored with videos like this really easily, but I’m still into it for now.  I wish I started this earlier on as I think it would have helped me to feel more toned as I started to gain weight.  I definitely recommend this as a video to try out at home, especially since the only equipment you need are a chair, a few pillows, and hand weights (if you want to do the intermediate exercises).

The other review I have is for a book I read a couple of months ago.  Jenny McCarthy’s Belly Laughs is another popular pick on Amazon and since it was only $7, I figured I would give it a try. 

image source

While some parts are funny, my overall feelings of the book were just “ehhh…”.  She tends to end every single chapter with a sentence ending in an exclamation point which really started to drive me nuts.  And most of what she had to say were things I’ve already heard or read in other books, so nothing really surprised me.  I also didn’t like how most of the chapters were only 1-2 pages long – way too short, in my opinion.  I’m glad I didn’t spend more than $10 on this one – while it’s not a horrible read (there are some funny parts), it’s one I would recommend just borrowing from your library instead of actually purchasing.

27 Weeks

Yesterday I had to take my glucose drink…that was interesting gulping it down at work right before I left for my appointment.  It just tasted like flat Sunkist and I didn’t notice it affect me on my half hour drive to the office.  I checked in at the lab, got my blood drawn and then they told me that they would call me if there’s a problem with my glucose.  So I guess no news is good news if I don’t hear anything back this week.  I don’t know if it was the drink or if I was super tired to begin with, but when I got home, I took a long nap which I haven’t done in awhile.

My appointment with my doctor went very fast, though I did get to hear Baby C’s heartbeat (still strong).  The bump also got measured and he said it’s right on target.  I go back in 3 weeks for a 30 week check-up and then I will start going every two weeks after that point.  Ahhh how did so much time fly by?!  I’m more excited than nervous at this point, but I have a feeling that will change as it gets closer and closer to delivery time.

I haven’t had any pain in the past week and have overall been feeling pretty good.  Hopefully it stays this way for a few more weeks :)  For the most part, I have really enjoyed being preggo – I’ve been lucky to have such an easy pregnancy. 

How far along?: 27 weeks

Baby is the size of a:  cauliflower

Total weight gain/loss:  +15-17

The Bump: Like last week, the belly button is oh so close to becoming an outtie, which just disturbs me.  And I didn’t notice how messy of an eater I was until this week.  The bump has become a crumb catcher, for sure.

Symptoms: No back pain this past week = a happy mommy!  Only new symptom is I’m having to pee more but I had a feeling that would happen soon.  It must be the way he’s sitting on my bladder now. 

Food Cravings:  Nothing in particular. 

Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: Nope. 

Sleep: Some nights it’s good, some nights it’s not so good.  It will probably be like that from here on out. 

What I miss:  Oh the usual…blueberry beer. 

Weddings Rings On or Off: On

Any Names Picked Out Yet:  Still have our 4 maybes, but I think it’s been narrowed down to 2. 

Movement: Such a mover, but I’m loving it.  Last night he was actually quiet before I went to bed and it made me a little sad he wasn’t up like he normally is.  And then of course I got worried he wasn’t moving until I felt him again this AM.

Maternity Clothes: Basically all maternity stuff, but I’m glad that my regular rollover waist skirts and yoga paints from Old Navy still fit. 

Labor Signs: Nothing.

Best Moment of the Week: Seeing some home videos of Hubby when we went to my in-laws over the weekend.  Haha our kid is going to have the curliest, darkest, thickest hair ever.   

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Next week I have my appointment with an anesthesiologist at the hospital – basically I get to find out if I can have an epidural or not because of the scar tissue from my spine curvature surgery.  I’m glad I’m finding out now so I’ll have plenty of time to prepare myself in case I have to deliver all natural :)

27 Week Pic:

And what I wore to work – ultra comfy dress from Motherhood Maternity Outlet (on clearance for $2o):

Nautical Nursery – Sneak Peeks

More progress has been made on the nursery in the past couple weeks – here’s a few sneak peeks. 

First up is a new lamp I picked up at Christmas Tree Shops.  I love how it has a seaglass sort of feel to it and the shade is beige which goes perfectly with the room’s palette.  Best part – it was half the price of the original lamp I found at HomeGoods (that I now need to return).

Next is the latest project I completed.  I had found a large frame at Christmas Tree Shops (yup, one of my fav stores) a couple years ago that was meant to be used for the rehearsal dinner, but I totally forgot to pack it.  It’s an autograph frame, so there was plenty of room around the edges of the actual spot for the picture.  Instead of using it for the autograph purpose, I decided to make it more of a statement piece.  I designed a 8.5x11 photo mat on Publisher with the lyrics from “My Wish” by Rascal Flatts.  This was the song we danced to at our wedding and has always been “our song”.  I like to think it’ll now be our family song, since the lyrics work so well for parents speaking to their children.  I then added some scrapbook paper around the edges, but kept it gender neutral so I’ll be able to put it in other rooms in the future if I want.

We hung the frame above the changing table and left enough room to also put up some pails that I picked up at Ikea a long time ago.  They were originally meant for my scrapbook room, but I’m glad I saved them for the nautical nursery.  I plan on putting creams, small lotions and other diaper accessories in these.

The glider came in last week – it was much faster than the 7-14 day turnaround time.  Hubby and a friend picked it up at the local Toys R Us and put it together right away so I could make sure I liked it.  While I’m not loving the color, it’s fine and is neutral enough.  Looks like I’ll have to share the glider with someone, though, it’s her new favorite spot:

Perfect fit.

And my favorite part…the wall decals I ordered from Etsy came in!  Super fast shipping and she included more decals than what’s pictured here (I still have 2 other sailboats and more waves and birds, but I’m not sure if I’ll put them somewhere else).

I’ve slowly been getting stuff organized, but I still have a ways to go.  This is Baby C’s closet – hanging organizer is from TJMaxx, the smaller organizers on top and boxes on the bottom are from Christmas Tree Shops (they were only $1-2 a piece!)

 

I don’t have too many more projects to work on at this point, but I do need to start thinking about what to add on the other side of the room, which is where the guest bed and a couple nightstands are.  The wall above the bed is completely blank right now and just begging for some kind of art…don’t know what yet :)

Sharing at Someday Crafts, I Heart Naptime, Six Sisters’ Stuff, Tatertots & Jello, Be Different…Act Normal

26 Weeks

I’ve been starving lately which means more snacking at work and then eating more out on the weekends.  Normally I would be good and eat only half of my dinner at a restaurant but my appetite has grown so much that I can eat my entire meal with no problem.  I’m surprised I haven’t gained more than I have in the past couple weeks, but it makes me nervous when I track my overall gain and it says I’m above what I should be right now if I want to aim for a 25 pound total at the end of this.  Sigh.  I’m going to try counting calories again and drinking more water this week to see if it will help even things out.  I really need to get back on the treadmill again, too.  Though, I do need to remember that this time last March I was just starting to lose weight and was still 20 pounds heavier than I am today. 

On a more positive note, I’m loving my bump this week.  I feel like I’m in a good spot – I’m big enough so that strangers notice but I’m not too big yet where I feel uncomfortable all the time.  It’s tough trying to figure out when I want maternity pictures taken, though, because I still want to be a little bigger for those.  I’ve heard sometime around 30 weeks is good, but the time that works better for us is 34-35 weeks.  Not sure if I’ll be really swollen by then?

How far along?: 26 weeks

Baby is the size of a:  head of lettuce

Total weight gain/loss:  +15-17.   

The Bump: Getting bigger…let’s just say my belly button is oh so close to becoming an outtie – NOOOOO! 

Symptoms: Back pain that’s off and on.  Not fun, though.

Food Cravings:  Food in general.  So hungry.

Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: Nope. 

Sleep: Not so good the past few nights…which has made me extra cranky with the daylight savings crap.

What I miss:  Beer.  Margaritas.  The past couple weeks I’ve really just wanted any kind of drink.  Oh, and wedge salads.  Can’t wait to have some blue cheese this summer!

Weddings Rings On or Off: On

Any Names Picked Out Yet:  Still have our 4 maybes.  But we did discuss them more.

Movement: I’m getting more used to his movement so I don’t get really startled anymore.  And I keep making the mistake of eating cold stuff before bed…that really gets him going.  I sort of have his schedule down now, so we’ll see if he follows this once he’s born.  He tends to wake up in the AM on my way to work, then is quiet for awhile, then gets going again after my lunch, is quiet for a couple hours, then moves like crazy when I’m making dinner or relaxing after work.  And then usually throws a few more kicks in while I’m trying to fall asleep.  I still can’t feel him move when standing up, though, only when laying down or sitting.

Maternity Clothes: Really sad that most of my non-maternity dresses are too short in the front and look stupid!  Luckily I stocked up on maternity ones on clearance, but I thought I could get at least some use of my regular dresses.

Labor Signs: Nothing this week.

Best Moment of the Week: Working on the nursery more…the wall decals I ordered from Etsy came in and they are SO cute.

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: Next week I have my glucose test.  Not really looking forward to it, but more just getting it over with.

26 Weeks:

What I wore to work – maternity tunic & leggings from Motherhood Maternity Outlet, non-maternity cardigan from Target

Monday Musings

Source: studerteam.blogspot.com.au via Emily on Pinterest

 

25 Rules for Mothers with Sons

 

Babymoon in San Diego – Part 3

Our third day in San Diego started off with a tour at Petco Park.  One of our goals is to eventually visit all the major league ballparks in America, so we wanted to make sure we did a park tour while on the West Coast. 

This tour was definitely the best one we’ve been on.  The guide was very knowledgeable, funny, and we spent the right amount of time in each part of the park, so it wasn’t boring at all.  I like how he explained that when building the park they wanted to borrow ideas from other favorite ballparks, so there’s bits and pieces of the park that look familiar.

Can’t wait to start bringing Baby C to ballgames :)  Baseball is really the only sport that Hubby and I like watching together (with the exception of basketball).

After the tour ended, we walked back through the Gaslamp Quarter (the ballpark is located on the edge of the district) and wandered around for a bit.  We decided to take ferry over to Coronado Island, so we waited on a bench on the pier until the ferry departed.  Got a little too much sun from that :)  The ferry ended up being a water taxi since we were leaving from the smaller pier but at least it was only a five minute ride over to Coronado.  Below is what the view was when we were on the island looking back at the San Diego cityline.

We were starving by that point, so we decided to walk downtown to the Coronado Brewing Company.  Yet another place where I couldn’t try their own brew :(  We will have to come back to San Diego in a few years when I’m not preggo so I can enjoy all the brew pubs there.  Hubby had the “best” French dip of his life, while I had a tasty Hawaiian burger.  After lunch we walked around for a bit and then decided to rent one of the surrey bikes, which looks like this if you’re not familiar:

image source

I don’t think we realized how much work it takes to push one of these things…let’s just say we would probably not rent one again haha.  At least it was only $12 for a half hour.  We rode it around part of the island and got to the famous bridge that connects San Diego to Coronado.  I jumped off to take a break and to also get an opportunity of the bump with the bridge in the background.  And then we also tried to take a picture of both of us, but it’s hard when not using a point and shoot camera.

I also learned it’s really not easy riding a bike in a skirt.  Hope I didn’t flash anyone!  We returned the bike and then had to wait a good hour until the next ferry departed, which was kind of a bummer.  By that time, it was starting to get windy and cooler and there was nowhere else to explore that was within walking distance.  I wished we could have seen the famous Hotel del Coronado, but I think we would have had to take a taxi to get there because it looked far away on the map.  Overall, Coronado was just okay – I was expecting a bit more.  Looking back, we probably should have just driven over the bridge instead of taking the ferry, but Hubby is afraid of heights and didn’t want to drive on the bridge.

We got back to the hotel and I promptly fell asleep.  When I woke up, we were debating on what to do for dinner and I eventually decided to suck it up and go out even though I was feeling pretty tired still (the sunburn on my chest and arms also wasn’t helping my mood).  We ended up driving to Old Town, and I’m so glad we went there as it ended up being my favorite neighborhood in the city.  Old Town is the birthplace of San Diego – it includes a national park and then there’s a few different streets that have a ton of restaurants and shopping options.  It’s like a combination of being a touristy goldmine town and a Mexican marketplace. 

We decided to eat at Cafe Coyote, which was hands down the best food we had the entire trip.  Everything was so fresh, service was outstanding, and we even got a free dessert.  I indulged in a non-alcoholic coconut lime drink while Hubby tried a shot of tequila and then a Mexican beer.  We sat outside, which was such a relaxing atmosphere:

After dinner we walked around, but since it was already late, a lot of the shops and little stands were closed so we knew we’d have to come back. 

Part 4 of our trip will include some cute sea animals :)

Recipe – Fiesta Chicken & Rice

Ready for an easy recipe that rivals Chipotle’s burrito bowl?  Try this Fiesta Chicken & Rice – very filling and still healthy.  The cheesy rice and tomato mixture with the chicken is flavorful and so good.  Chipotle’s chicken is seasoned a little differently but I liked how juicy this chicken came out since it absorbs a lot of liquid from the salsa and diced tomatoes.

Adapted from Tracy’s Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inch pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 package of ready-made brown rice
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1/2 cup medium salsa
• 1 red pepper, chopped in small pieces
• seasoning for chicken – pepper, salt, chili powder
• reduced-fat Mexican cheese, enough for topping (about 1/4 cup for each serving)
• reduced-fat sour cream, enough for topping (about 1 tablespoon for each serving)

Let’s Get Cooking!

• In a large skillet, heat up olive oil on medium heat.  Add chicken breast chunks.  Season chicken with pepper, salt, chili powder (I actually used a chipotle lime rub so you can use whatever seasonings you like). 
• Allow chicken to lightly brown and then flip.  After the other side has lightly browned, add diced tomatoes (with all the juice), salsa, onion, pepper, and rice to the skillet (it’s okay if the chicken is not cooked through yet).
• Keep skillet on medium heat and cover for 15 minutes.  Stir every few minutes to ensure all the rice is getting cooked.  My rice and chicken was completely cooked through after 15 minutes, but you may need to cook a few more minutes if all the liquid is not absorbed yet.
• Serve in bowls and immediately top with cheese and sour cream (I used about 1/4 cup of cheese and 1 tablespoon of sour cream for each bowl, but that’s up to you).  The cheese should start to melt – mix everything well so the chicken and rice is well coated.  Enjoy! 

Unfortunately there’s no picture to go with this…but I’m sure I’ll be making it again within the next couple weeks so I’ll update then :)

25 Weeks

25!!!  Crazy to think that 105 days from now, give or take, Baby C will be here :)  Reminds me of the countdown for our wedding.

This past week’s big purchase was the glider.  The one I posted in my inspiration board was not available at either local Babies R Us, so we had to drive an hour away to the next closest store to see it in person.  After waiting a good 45 minutes for some rude people to FINALLY move, I sat down.  My first thought was, “wow, this will be good for my back”, but then I decided I wasn’t a fan of the slender arms.  I was hoping for something more plush.  I absolutely loved the style and dark gray color, though.  It would have been perfect with nautical theme.

Source: toysrus.com via Emily on Pinterest

 

I tried out a lot of the other gliders, and ultimately decided on my favorite one.  It was tall enough so when I sat down it was very easy to get up from, but it was still cushioned very well.  The back was upright enough so it provided good support.  The arms were wider and had a lot more padding, and the bonus feature was it swiveled.  Also, it was nice that it was $50 cheaper.  I think this is it from the website:

image source

I decided I liked the dark brown fabric the best instead of the tan/beige shown above, which was the floor model, so we started the ordering process.  Right away the employee told me that ordering a different color than what’s shown on the floor will take 3-4 months to build and then ship to the store.  3-4 MONTHS!  Um, my baby is due in 3-4 months!  I had a mini heart attack and tried to decide what I wanted to do.  She said the best thing would be to start the ordering process now and then worst case scenario if we had to cancel, they would give us store credit.  I wasn’t really happy with that option so I debated on whether I wanted the gray chair instead.  Hubby convinced me that wasn’t the best option so then I decided to suck it up and settled for the tan/beige color in the glider I actually wanted.  I figured I could always get a brown pillow as an accent.  So now the chair will be here in 2 weeks instead of a few months :)  We can return this one and get all our money back since it’s not a special order, but I do think it will look good once it’s up in the nursery.  And it’s neutral enough that we can use it in a living room or family room in the future, or maybe another nursery later on.  My advice for future parents…start looking at gliders at the end of your first trimester so you have plenty of options! 

How far along?: 25 weeks

Baby is the size of a:  eggplant

Total weight gain/loss:  +13-15.  Holding steady, but that may change after all the mini peanut butter cups I had the past couple days.  Should not have gone to Trader Joe’s with a chocolate craving. 

The Bump: Non-maternity tank tops are not covering it anymore…annoying. 

Symptoms: Feeling more tired.  Luckily no hip or back pain this past week.  I’m really lucky that I haven’t had any swelling, heartburn, or the other typical symptoms books and websites say you may have by now. 

Food Cravings:  How about any kinds of food?  Really just sweets in general, though.

Anything Making Me Queasy or Sick: Nope. 

Sleep: Not bad, yay!

What I miss:  Nothing in particular. 

Weddings Rings On or Off: On

Any Names Picked Out Yet:  Still have our 4 maybes.

Movement: He has turned into a night owl, as he’s been refusing to stop moving the last few nights when Mommy’s been trying to sleep.  I’ve tried rubbing my belly but the massaging does nothing to stop the kicks. 

Maternity Clothes: Can’t wait for warmer weather so I can start wearing my dresses more (and without leggings and boots).

Labor Signs: Nothing this week.

Best Moment of the Week: Hubby talking to Baby C last night in bed.  “Hi Buddy!”

What I’m excited about/looking forward to: When does the nesting kick in?  Haha our house is a mess and I have no motivation to clean or organize right now!

And what I wore to work…maternity top from Old Navy, maternity pants from Target, belt from NY&Co.

Weekly Menu 3/5/12-3/11/12

Monday – Fiesta Chicken & Rice

Tuesday – Southwest Pinto Bean Burgers

Wednesday – Salad & Chicken Pesto Cups

Thursday - Homemade Hamburger Helper

Friday – Butternut Squash Ravioli’s (from Trader Joe’s) & veggies

Saturday - Hawaiian Pizzas on English Muffins

Sunday - Lasagna Roll-Ups

Babymoon in San Diego – Part 2

Catch up with the first San Diego recap here.

On our first full day in Cali, we decided to wake up early (which wasn’t hard at all since we were still on Boston time) and head to the zoo.  I read a lot of reviews on Trip Advisor that recommended getting to the zoo as soon as it opened so you could stand in line for the first bus tour.  The tour lasts a little over an hour and brings you through about 70% of the park so you can check out a lot of the exhibits and get a feel for how everything is set up.  The tour was pretty good but we were extremely distracted by a family with 3 young kids seated behind us…really looking forward to misbehaving kids in the future haha :)  We sat on the top level of the two-tier bus, so I was able to get some good pictures of a few different animals, including the giraffes and kangaroos:

 

After we got off the bus, we first went to the Outback section because I was dying to see the koala bears in person.  Little did we know that the koala bears were off exhibit because they’re in the process of renovating their space.  NOOOOOO!  Oh, I was so mad since they were the number one animal I wanted to see.  I pouted a bit and then we kept walking through the Outback to continue on to the Asian Passage so we could at least check out the Pandas.  On the way, you get to see some exhibits with “big” cats, including this guy, a black leopard (black on black spots):

 

We were so close to his space, that it was a little freaky.  The best thing about the San Diego Zoo compared to other zoos I have visited is most definitely how close you are able to get to the animals.  You can tell they designed the spaces very well.

We finally got to the panda’s exhibit and saw one of them being fed.  It was cute watching him on his hind legs begging for bamboo shoots.  The other panda was just hanging out and being a little shy.

After we finished viewing the pandas, we decided to eat lunch at the Asian-themed restaurant nearby.  I had a rice bowl with chicken and veggies in soy sauce, and it was really good considering the quality of park food.  Food is a little pricey, but that’s to be expected.  We do recommend buying a souvenir cup, though.  For $5, you buy the cup and soda, and then if you keep your receipt, you get free refills for the rest of the day.  This didn’t help me so much since I’ve tried to stay away from diet sodas while being preggo, but Hubby definitely took advantage of refilling a few times that day.  It was known as his “pail” later on; it’s also a cute cup to save for Baby C when he’s older.

We continued to keep walking (the Trip Advisor reviews were not kidding when they said wear comfy walking shoes), and ended up in the Arctic exhibit, where the polar bears hang out.  They were so fun to watch, since one of them was playing with a little red ball in the water.  The other two were more lazy and napping in the sun.

 

We saw a ton of other animals, including some orangutans, monkeys, crocodiles, turtles, hippos, snakes, peacocks, exotic birds, reindeer, tigers, and many others.  We visited a couple of the gift shops before leaving, as I really wanted to buy a onesie for Baby C.  Wow, kid’s clothes are EXPENSIVE and total rip-offs at tourist places.  The cheapest one I could find was $16.  However, I was tempted to get this:

But it was $30 and the smallest size was 24 months.  I instead bought a stuffed lion that is wearing a miniature version of the zookeeper outfit – I figured that was a better investment.  We ended up leaving the zoo around 3ish, so we spent almost a whole day there (they close at 5 or 6 depending upon the time of year).  Overall, it was very worth the $40 per person to get in (bring your AAA card for a 10% discount).  And considering the weather was perfect that day (in the 70’s with lots of sun and a little breeze), it was nice spending so much time outside.

After the zoo, we searched around for a frozen yogurt place and then headed back to the hotel for a bit.  The sun was starting to set and I wanted some pictures of the marina, so we did that before heading out for the night.  Let’s just say the bump had a serious growth spurt while on the babymoon – some outfits I wore really showed it off:

The views on Shelter Island were so pretty.  Our hotel was in such a good location.  Love how the blues and purples came out in this one:

 

Of course the one thing I forgot to bring with me from home was my prenatal vitamins.  I tried finding the kind I take in a local CVS but they didn’t stock them, so we searched for the closest Walmart.  Luckily it was only about 15 minutes away and was kind of on the way to the restaurant we were planning on going to that night, so it worked out.  For dinner, we headed north and ate at the Pacific Beach Ale House.  The food here was great, servers were very friendly, and the best part was sitting on the top level patio which overlooked the ocean.  It was already very dark out by the time we got there, but I can only imagine the views must be great during the day.  It was a casual atmosphere, and I’m glad we ended up there instead of going somewhere more “fancy”. 

After dinner we walked over to the beach (known as Pacific Beach) that was literally right behind the restaurant.  One of my goals on my 101 in 1001 list was to swim in the Pacific Ocean.  However, we didn’t have plans to lay around on the beach at all for the rest of the trip, so I decided sticking my feet in would count :)  The water was a little warmer than it is in Maine during the summer.  I tried to take a picture but it was way too dark out by that point.  We checked out a couple shops and then drove back to the hotel since we were both pretty tired.  It was a great Day 2 – I was already impressed by how much San Diego had to offer.