it's friday...

...and I've been a TERRIBLE blogger! Since I started this thing, I have never gone so long without a post. But as you all know, I was extremely busy last week with finals and paper-writing. I finished, and then this week was a combination of crazy and relaxing. Work was hectic, but I didn't have school stuff hanging over my head so it was a huge load off. I worked during the day, and then completely disconnected in the afternoons, barely logging in any online time.

I graduate on Sunday. Ever since I got married, I had a sneaking suspicion that I might be pregnant at my graduation. But as the months went on and May 2009 crept closer and closer, it seemed too crazy to be real. Being married made me feel more grown up...to an extent. It was still basically just Gaby and I taking care of ourselves. Yes, we have a condo with a mortgage, and we are solely responsible for keeping our two doggies alive and healthy, but that seems like small beans when weighed against the responsibility of being a parent. For all intents and purposes, responsibility-wise, we could have very well been just two college roommates living together. And at 25 and 28, we're still so young. We've wanted kids forever, and we always had the mentality that we would have them sooner rather than later, but if you had asked me in January or February or even March of this year that I would be pregnant right now, I would have laughed in your face. I figured maybe by 2010 I would be pregnant or a mommy, but not so soon. But lo and behold, here we, are soon to become a party of 5 (because you know I'll always count the dogs as part of our family unit). And I have my little buddy bean with me to walk at graduation and accept my diploma, and to sit for the Florida bar exam...my little lucky charm. He/she behaved soooo well during finals. I was exhausted the entire week, but my tummy didn't give me any trouble and I was able to concentrate and focus enough to do everything I had to do. I only hope he/she gives mommy a break and that I have as good of an experience while studying for the bar.

The wonderful Mrs. JL had the audacity to award me on her blog, despite my lack of posting for the past week. She is the sweetest and I love reading about all of her adventures with her husband, friends, and family. Thank you so much, Mrs. JL! :) That really brightened my day. The rules say that you are to accept the award and then award other bloggers. I would like to award two wonderful women: Steph of Confessions of a City Eater and Jackie of Jackie's Ever Exciting Life. Steph has been mentioned on this blog before...she is a wonderful friend, talented photographer and cook, and law student who just completed her first year. Jackie is a shopping diva and always has links to the best coupons and sales on everything under the sun.

So since I haven't posted in forever, this is going to be a long one (yeah, I know...it already IS long, but there's more...). I am just going to post a few things that have been on my mind or that have caught my eye over the past week. Here it goes!

1. My baby:

Hello, I love you, won't you tell me your name?

Or should I say, my little ghost-alien-tadpole looking thing?! They say it starts to look more and more like a "regular" baby every week, which I am looking forward to...the head becomes more proportioned to the body, the limbs begin to elongate, etc. But still, even at just 10 weeks, it's amazing how well formed the baby already is. You can clearly make out the profile, with the little eye sockets, nose, and mouth. And although you can't see them in this shot, you could clearly make out the little feet and hands, which were waving all over the place. The sonogram tech explained to us that at this stage, they are awake for a minute or two, then fall asleep for a few minutes, then awake for another minute or two, fall back asleep, etc. So when we started the sonogram, the baby was having a field day, doing flips and somersaults all around my uterus and waving his/her hands wildly. Then it settled into a little corner, curled up, and stayed still for the next several minutes. That's when this picture was taken. It truly is a miracle and the most amazing thing ever to see your tiny baby moving right before your eyes. The best part is that they sent me a week too early (because the damn doctor wouldn't listen to me when I told him when I conceived, so his timing was off) to conduct the NT scan, so I get to go back this coming week...yay! This last ultrasound was very exciting because it was the first one Gaby went to (and really the first one where the baby actually looked somewhat like a baby), and for the one next week, our moms will be joining me so that they can meet their grandchild. I'm so looking forward to it :)

Right now I am obsessed with knowing whether this baby is an Emma or a Nicolas. We all think boy, but it's entirely possible that there's a little girl in there waiting to surprise everyone. I would be lying if I didn't say a tiny part of me would prefer a girl - the dresses, the bows, the pink, the dolls, the ballet slippers and tutus - but I know how a little man would completely capture my heart and have me wrapped around his little finger. So really, it's a win-win situation. I just want to know!!! I want to decorate! I want to buy things! I want to paint the nursery! Here's to knowing in July.

I am still keeping up with my weekly belly pictures...actually, I forgot to do it last week, but I did it this week. I haven't uploaded it into my computer yet, though, and honestly it's kind of pointless to post it because it's identical to the last few. I think it'll be fun to post them once I start seeing some changes. I am up 2 lbs. from what I weighed the morning I found out I was pregnant, and so far it all feels like bloat and boobs. As the Imelda Marcos of bikinis, I am devestated to share that I am down to only three bathing suit tops that will contain the twins. So when we go on our cruise in June, I'll have to cycle around those three instead of having one for each day like I normally would. I know, I know...poor me.


2. Baby orangutan kiss


This series of photos from ZooBorns melted my heart.


3. Speaking of little girls...

Holy crap, these are cute.


4. Heidi fabulosity
If ever in the course of this pregnancy or any subsequent pregnancies, I find myself in need of a gown to wear to a gala, I think I'll phone up Mrs. Seal and ask her to lend me this from her closet.


5. Rocker obsession...
I saw this rocker on Ohdeedoh and now I'm in love. So simple and classic! I would refinish the frame in white and then reupholster it in a creamy neutral or the palest of gender-appropriate blue or pink. Ironically enough, it was posted by someone who wanted it but could not find it anywhere...there is no source to where you could buy anything like this. I will be scouring eBay and Craigslist, but in the meantime, if any of you spot anything similar, please give me a holler!


6. Great gift idea
My cousins bought my grandmother a Ceiva frame for Mother's Day. It's one of the most clever inventions I have ever heard of. It's basically a digital photo frame that is connected to the Internet via WiFi or a phone line. You register it, and then you send an invitation to all your friends and family, and they, in turn, can e-mail photographs directly to your frame. So basically, my grandmother, who is technologically challenged and would not be able to program or operate a digital photo frame on her own, has this frame displayed in her house, and any time one of us decides to e-mail pictures to her frame, they automatically appear in her little slide show. Ingenius, no? I think it's such a great gift for parents and grandparents. Gaby and I definitely want to get one for each set of our parents this Christmas so that we can constantly send them pics of the baby that will be displayed on their frames.

Whew...that's it. I hope I've made up for my lack of posting over this past week! I have a post on some t.v. shows that I hope to share over the weekend if I have time, and if not, early next week. Happy weekend, my friends!