35 Weeks

How far along: 35 Weeks

Baby Size:  Coconut

Total weight gain/loss:  22lbs

Maternity Clothes:  I do wear maternity clothes but mostly I wear maternity shirts and a size larger in leggings. I can still wear all my normal cardigans which means all this weight i'm gaining is in my hips. That'll be fun to work off in a month =)

Stretch marks:  None that I can see

Sleep:  I do have some hip pain some nights, even with the large pillow. But other than that pretty much all through the night except for my 3am potty break.

Best moment this week:  Going to the hospital and discussing everything with the midwife. She was british and awesome. She went through everything with us, and the standard stay is 5 days. It's really nice that you stay for awhile and the midwives' make sure you know how to take care of your babies needs before you leave. You also get 3 visits with their lactation consultant and a midwife comes to your house 5 times to check both of us and make sure we're doing well.

Miss Anything:  Eh not really!

Movement:  Yes, including his hiccuping every night as I lay down to go to bed. It's really adorable =)

Food Cravings:  No, I drink a lot of milk but otherwise I don't want anything specific.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nope, i'm over my egg issue which is great because they have lots of iron. He was stealing all of it for awhile there.

Have you started to show yet:  Hahahahaha oh yeah!

Gender:  Cute baby boy!!

Labor Signs:  None so far

Belly Button in or out:  Oh it is definitely hanging in for dear life but I don't know if it's going to win that battle.

Wedding rings on or off:  I gave up and they're off.

Mood:  Excited and, now, after being to the hospital and talking about it so nervous.

Looking forward to:  Finishing all this kid's laundry. Holy cow we have borrowed and bought so many items of clothing and blankets it's ridiculous. Also, looking forward to Adam getting out of his nesting period. He's been re-organizing all of my re-organizing since he's been off this week. =) We'll see if he reads this part of the blog hahahaha!!

Update: As of right now our sweet baby boy is still being stubborn and in the head up position. So he has until my new appointment on the 10th to turn around before they schedule a c-section for me. Of course if he turns before the c-section I will get to do a normal birth. 

Christmas in Zurich 2012

Our Christmas Tree!

Christmas this year was much different for Adam and I. Since i'm so far along we decided that it would be unsafe for us to fly home for the holidays. Our families made it very special, thanks to skype. So here goes the run down of a Christmas in Zurich.

T'was the day before christmas and all through the house all creatures were stirring in and outside the house.  Adam  got in daddy mode and put together all of baby ward's furniture. As you can see he even double checked the directions!

Adam starting work on the crib

Putting the crib together!

Just to make sure everything is together correctly

Baby Ward's changing table                                     

Things just got a whole lot more real for us!!

While he did his man's labor I was barefoot in the kitchen. I had many things to cook for our Christmas lunch tomorrow. Today was desserts and christmas breakfast which took forever. I finally finished late in the day, then showered and put my feet up while Adam ran out for dinner. Our normal tradition on Christmas Eve night is to get chinese food and watch a Christmas Story.

Christmas morning was really hectic. I finished the cinnamon rolls and we had a christmas breakfast together.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Then Adam worked on our Barbecue Chicken Wings and bacon wrapped dates for christmas appetizers at church. We went up to church and met so many new people. It was great to talk with more expats and spend the holiday with them.

We then headed home to start our Christmas dinner and wait for our families to wake up in America. First was my family in Oklahoma. My mom and sister shipped our stockings and presents to us earlier in the month so we would be able to skype and open our stockings together. Cash was of course having a ball with a bunch of his presents he had gotten to open. He was playing with all his toys while we opened our gifts. We talked for awhile then let them go play in the snow.

Next was Adam's side of the family. Everyone was gathering at Dave and Debbie's house for lunch so we were able to catch almost the whole family. Josh and Tatiana were there with sweet baby Judah, who was 10 days old and very cute. He snuggled and slept through most of the conversation then had a huge poop and it made us happy we were on skype  =)

Adam's parents had us open a box from them and they sent us some DVD's to keep us entertained during the cold and rainy winter here (not to mention our lack of social lives that will begin near the end of january).

It was so great to be able to see and talk to both of our families. They made such a huge effort to help our Christmas feel normal this year when it definitely was not. We really enjoyed staying around town for one christmas to see what everyone does here.

Annual Ward/Woods family picture!

It's sad to think that this was our last Christmas as "the kids." But next year we be so exciting since Baby Ward will be here, and I'm sure we will enjoy the holiday season that much more.

Merry Christmas from Zurich!
Love,
Adam, Abby, and Baby Ward

34 Weeks Baby!!!

How far along:  34 Weeks

Baby Size:  Butternut Squash

Weight gain/loss:  22lbs

Maternity clothes:  Yes, I love my leggings, long tank tops and long cardigans!

Stretch marks:  None so far but i'm religiously covering myself with cocoa butter

Sleep:  As long as I stick to my workout routine of 30 min a day i'm out like a log all night long..except of course for my 3am potty break =)

Best moment this week:  In keeping with my nightly tradition Baby Ward got the hiccups about a minute after I laid down to go to sleep. So I just scooted over to Adam's side and pushed my tummy agains him. So he got to enjoy the hiccups too. I figured if I can't sleep then he shouldn't haha. Luckily they only lasted a couple of minutes and then we were all 3 out.

Miss anything:  I want a sandwich...with lunch meat...piles and piles of lunchmeat =)

Movement:  All the time! As soon as I sit down to rest he parties like it's 2013.

Food cravings:  I still love dairy. I can drink a liter of milk a day ( I don't always and try to limit myself), plus yogurt for breakfast. I love milk right now.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nope

Have you started to show yet:  Please..everywhere is showing!

Gender:  Sweet Baby Boy!

Labor signs:  Nope

Belly Button in or out:  My bellybutton is fighting for it's life to stay in..so far winning the battle.

Wedding rings on or off:  On in the morning and off after lunch if it has too much salt in it. I haven't been salting my foods in this last trimester which has helped.

Mood:  Feeling good just a lot more tired and worn out so easily

Looking forward to:  Our next Dr.'s appointment in January hopefully my stubborn boy will show us his face.

Baby update:  This week we had a dr's appointment and the baby is breech. We had to schedule an earlier appointment in January to see if he will be head down by then. If not then we will be scheduling a c-section just in case. I will still have the option to do a normal birth if he turns by my due date. Hopefully he will turn by my due date, but I know, no matter what he is  healthy and will come out safely. That is all Adam and I can ask for.

Walkin in a Winter Wonderland - at 32 weeks

Well the weekend of my 32nd week we got a ton of snow. It was beautiful! It was the first snow of the season and hopefully not the last. Adam and I ran around the whole weekend playing in the snow and seeing our favorite places covered in snow.

Me and Baby Ward in the snow

A closer up version of me and Baby Ward

Adam and I at the Landesmuseum

The Christmas Market at HB

Our favorite winter snack Heisse Marroni (hot chestnuts)

Snow covered Uetliberg

Snow capped Opera house

31 Weeks - baby is a pineapple

How far along: 31 Weeks

Baby Size: Pineapple

Total weight gain/loss: 20 lbs

Maternity clothes: oh yeah!

Stretch marks: None that I can see

Sleep: Still sleeping thought the night as long as I stop drinking liquids around 8pm, otherwise it's bathroom time at 3am

Best moment this week: Bought some cute little blue mittens for him to wear during the winter. It's amazing how tiny they are.

Miss Anything: Adam was so sweet and brought lunch home today. He got sandwiches from the italian sandwich shop down the street which is really good. Mine was a caprese and his was the same but with parma ham. I can't wait to eat parma ham in a couple of months again.

Movement: Non-stop moving, kicking, and what feels like him tickling me. I really think I feel his fingers tickling me.

Food cravings: I still love dairy foods and spicy. I made this great buffalo chicken salad yesterday and it was delicious. Super hot and spicy!

Anything making you queasy or sick: None thank goodness

Have you started to show yet: hahahaha my belly enters a room before I do

Gender: BOY!!!

Labor signs: None

Belly button in or out: In

Wedding rings on or off: On

Mood: Happy and trying to enjoy my last couple of months before he gets here. I'm definitely starting to hit that 3rd trimester wall where i'm getting tired again. I'm exhausted after walking around town for an hour or two. Plus my belly is a lot bigger and carting him around is very tiring.

Looking forward to: The next doctor's appointment, it's in the late morning so i'm hoping he cooperates a little bit more so we can see his face in the sonogram. He has been sleepy and covering his face with his arm at the last two appointments. He has developed my love of sleeping in and Adam's sleep position of arm over face =)

Week 30 - Happy Birthday to Meeeee!

Well this week I graduated to 30 weeks pregnant on my 28th birthday.  The fun started with a skype call from my mom, followed by a skype call from Sarah and Cash.  I even got a happy birthday song out of Cash, until he realized his name wasn't in the song and he was not pleased. 

Adam made sure that since we are now homebound until after the baby, that I had a great birthday here in Zurich. We started off with our tradition of him cooking me dinner. He made Osso Bucco with a saffron risotto, which was fantastic. He also bought me a Longchamp bag that is Navy for our baby boy. It's my hospital bag for January and weekend trip bag when we can travel again. But the party didn't stop there. 

Osso Bucco and Saffron Risotto

Saturday was Abbypalooza. We took off early and he whisked me away up to the Dolder Grand Hotel. It looks like a castle sitting on the side of a mountain. We always see if from the park, but have never gone up there. Well he set up a prenatal massage for me which was just what my poor pregnant back needed. Then for lunch we had a high tea with sandwiches, scones, and a few sweets.

The Dolder Grand Hotel

The weather cleared and we could finally see the mountains.

 It has been a cloudy, foggy mess here for a long time now. We spent most of the day up there walking around the grounds and looking out over the city. The weather was fall like, 40s to 50s so it was perfect strolling weather. We even found the Ice Skating rink. It's the largest outdoor one in Switzerland I think. 

Ice Skating Rink

The Swarvoski Tree at HB

We finally made our way back down the mountain and roamed around HB christmas market for a little bit. Then came home to relax a little more and hangout. He definitely made this a very special birthday and kept me so busy.

How far along:  30 Weeks

Baby Size: a Cucumber

Total weight gain/loss: Alright it's truth time..I just went to the dr and i'm definitely at 18lbs, the baby is 3.3 of those haha. I need some kind of justification!!

Maternity clothes:  Yes, but I can still wear my  normal tank tops with my maternity pants

Stretch marks:  None where I can see them

Sleep:  Pretty much like a rock. I make sure to work out for around 30 min each day and it puts me straight to sleep every night.

Best moment this week: I was leaning back with my feet up on the couch and the laptop was on my lap. All of a sudden he kicked so hard the entire laptop moved. Also, today leaning back in my chair talking with Adam he kept moving my belly up and down and side to side, so Adam could finally see it. 

Miss Anything:  Cured meats and lunch meats that are uncooked. They are so dry when I cook them so it's not even worth it to make a sandwich.

Movement: Oh too much to keep track of. He had his first set of hiccups this week which was fun to watch on my belly

Food cravings:  All things dairy. I love milk, cheese, and yogurt. Can't get enough of them.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Nope all good

Have you started to show:  Please how about what part of me is not showing...my fingers aren't swollen and my feet have started either...that's about it.

Gender:  Boy

Labor signs:  None

Belly button in or out:  Belly button in!

Wedding rings on or off:  On

Mood:  Pretty good, i'm nesting like crazy and cleaning the house non stop. Until I get tired and have to sit down which is frequent. 

Looking forward to:  Visiting the hospital at the end of December and meeting our midwife that will come to our house when I get home from the hospital

27 Weeks

How far along? 27 Weeks

Baby Size? A rutabaga

Total weight gain/loss? 12ish lbs...actually I forgot to weigh recently. Maybe a more updated number next time =)

Maternity clothes? Yep!

Stretch marks? None that I've seen

Sleep? As long as i'm cuddling with my huge boppy pillow I'm sound asleep

Best moment this week? Watching my belly dance around when he goes nuts

Miss anything? Cheese and salami/prosciutto, we went to a party this weekend and it was a wine and cheese party..so wanted to eat and drink

Food cravings? Always salty foods

Anything making you queasy or sick? Nope thank goodness

Have you started to show yet? Yeah it's out and proud

Gender? Boy!!!

Labor signs? Nope

Belly button in or out? Belly button is in and will hopefully stay there

Wedding rings on or off? rings are on

Mood? Feeling good, just a little more tired. Carrying this extra weight has proven to be quite the workout for me

Looking forward to? Honestly...i'm ready to meet him. I have 3 more months, but i'm ready to meet him now =)

26 Weeks

How far along? 26 Weeks

Baby Size? Head of lettuce

Total weight gain/loss? 12ish pounds

Maternity clothes? Oh yes

Stretch marks? None that I can see

Sleep? Like a baby with my awesome boppy pillow

Best moment this week? Sticking my belly on Adam's back and letting the baby kick him out of bed in the morning.

Miss anything? not really

Food cravings? I love salty foods!

Anything making you queasy or sick? No not really, I still don't like eggs.

Have you started to show yet? Ummm yeah

Gender? Boy

Labor signs? Not that I know of

Belly button in or out? Belly button is in at the moment...lets hope it stay's in.

Wedding rings on or off? Wedding rings are on

Mood? Still feeling good, but i'm getting more and more tired

Looking forward to? Touring the hospital soon so I can check one more thing off the list

Baby Blog - Week 23

How far along:  23 Weeks

Baby size:  Grapefruit

Total weight gain/loss:  12lbs maybe? Haven't checked in awhile

Maternity clothes:  Oh yeah definitely!!

Stretch Marks:  None that I can see

Sleep:  Now that I have my body pillow I sleep like a baby

Best moment this week:  My baby shower! It was so much fun and so great to see all our family and friends.

Miss Anything:  Not since we've been in America. I have so many more choices for food.

Movement:  This baby won't stop moving, including 3 am kickings. They are oh so fun.

Food Cravings:  None really. I still prefer salty and spicy foods to sweet ones.

Anything making you queasy or sick:  Don't love eggs still

Have you started to show yet:  Hahaha oh yes there is a gigantic bump there.

Gender:  It's a Boy!!

Labor Signs:  None

Belly Button in our out:  In

Wedding rings on or off:  On

Mood:  Great! I'm feeling better in the 2nd trimester. The belly is getting bigger so standing up is getting a bit more strenuous. 

Looking forward to:  Getting through the flight back to Switzerland. It was rough getting to STL and getting back is going to be just as difficult.

Babymoon to Venice - Part 2

Day 2 started early with a visit to the Rialto Fish Market. There weren't a lot of tourists out yet, just locals buying fish for the day and restaurant owners getting their selection. So we were able to take lots of pictures and roam around this very cool and stinky market.

  There is a take away place called Pronto Pesce right next to the market. So we stopped in so Adam could try some of their unique combinations. I tried one as well and I can't say this pregnant lady loved it.

Adam got salted cod butter and a scallop I think?

I got a seafood arancini 

 There is a fruit and vegetable market right next to the fish market so we browsed around there for a few minutes too.

We have UPS trucks, they have UPS boats

 We left the market and ran to a local coffee place for breakfast. Then we hopped on a Vaparetto and took it down to St. Mark's Square in hopes of getting in to the Cathedral and the Doge's palace. Well we got one outta 2 in. The line for St. Mark's was very long so we got in line for the Doge's and we were in in 10 min.

Riding along in the Vaparetto

 The Doge's Palace was very cool. It was so ornate with lots of gold. You could see a lot of the Asian and Indian influence in the decor of the building. Much different than what we've seen in Rome, Tuscany, or Sorrento. The Doge's Palace is the residence of the past Doge's of Venice when it was a high trade power. The Doge was the supreme authority. The palace is now a museum of all the past Doges.

After a long tour of the Palace this preggo was hungry. We were a little late for lunch so many restaurants were closing down until dinner so we ended up at a snack shop for pizza and pasta to hold me over. 

After our late lunch we walked back towards the Rialto Bridge via shopping districts. We weren't impressed with anything so it was more of a window shopping tour. Adam dropped me off at the apartment to lay down and prop my feet up. He went for another walk while I rested.

Adam's favorite Cicchetteria Al'Forno

Mascarpone cheese and Tartufo cicchetti 

 We cleaned up for dinner and headed back to the restaurant we wanted to go to the night before. Ristorante Al Covo was on both Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern's shows so we knew it had to be good. The food was spectacular!

I started off with a squid ink pasta with clams..again. Adam had a seafood platter with tons of different things on it.

 My main dish was roasted Lamb and adam had this huge bag of seafood steamed together. Both were so delicious.

Of course we had to try the dessert, Ricotta Cheesecake, and a Dark Chocolate Pepper Cake. 

So needless to say we rolled ourselves out of there late that night and caught the last Vaparetto home.