Getting Closer?!?!

A couple of weeks ago (the day before my birthday), I started experiencing some early labor symptoms, e.g. cramping and contracting. The contractions are called Braxton Hicks and are essentially prepping me for real labor. This past week however, I've been feeling great. My energy is back and I am much less emotional than I was last week.

Today I had my first appointment where my doctor "checked" me to see if my body was making any labor progress. I learned that those contractions have been doing the trick! I know this information means little to nothing, but I am between 2-3 centimeters dilated and 70% effaced. It was just so exciting to hear that something is actually happening! I do realize that people can walk around for weeks at this stage, but I'll take whatever exciting news I can get.

I'm feeling a little more hopeful that Quinn might come naturally as opposed to needing to be induced. Only time will tell!



36 Weeks (well, tomorrow I will be...)

Quinn's Room!

Quinn's room is nearly complete! We're just missing one integral piece, Quinn!

It has been so fun for me to watch Pat transform this room. We are both quite excited with how it has turned out. As you can see, we are working with a small space, and I think we have definitely maximized every square inch.

Here is a shot of the mural Pat painted on the crib wall. It is difficult to tell, but the style of the tree matches the bedding. To the right you can partially see my one contribution, the green picture board (however, Pat did end up helping with that as well so I really can't take much credit).




Inside the crib!



Here is the swing that Grandma Cathy bought for Quinn. We hope he loves it!



The changing table is set and ready for use! We'll see how long I keep each burp cloth, towel, and blanket neatly folded for display purposes.



Our newest addition is this simple art that Pat created for the bed wall (opposite the crib). The original plan was to use these frames for Quinn pictures as soon as he's here; however, I'm loving this so much I think we might find other places for our Quinn pictures. We'll see!



Pat and I really wanted to keep the guest bed that we invested in a few years ago for our guests. So, if you want to come visit, just let us know! Quinn will be in our room for the first few months and so the room will be available for use.

Spamalot

Today Pat and I enjoyed a day in the city and saw the musical "Spamalot". Pat is a huge Monty Python fan, and I didn't really have any experience with the movie. Regardless, we both enjoyed the quirkiness and randomness of the show, and laughed nearly the entire time. It was so nice to get away and enjoy the day together without any chores!

Thanks Megan, Ryan, Mom, and Dad for the birthday idea/gift!

Birthday Weekend

This year, somehow I managed to figure out how to be spoiled all weekend for my birthday! On Saturday, Pat and I invited Jamie and Ritchie to join us on a trip to a dog beach (Manresa) near Santa Cruz. We have tried to visit this beach in the past with Zach and Asia, but something always seemed to go wrong. It was a little bitter-sweet, because we would have loved to experience this beach with Zach, but we enjoyed our time in his honor.

Lucy and Gracie (mainly Gracie) enjoyed their time on the beach as well. Lucy spent most of her time lounging around, despite our efforts to get her to play in the ocean. Pat and Ritchie enjoyed throwing a frisbee around and Gracie did her best to join in on the fun. Jamie and I spent most of our time just relaxing and enjoying the ambiance. San Jose was scorching hot, and so it was great to get away to some more comfortable weather. Each time I'm at the beach I wonder why we don't go more often. It's so peaceful for me, and definitely one of my favorite places to be.




Jamie and Ritchie with their adorable pup, Gracie.



Pat and me with our little love, Lucy.



Then, that evening we went out to dinner for Mexican food in Los Gatos at Pedro's. Mexican food for my birthday with the Lincolns is becoming a tradition!



Jamie and me with our baby bumps!



Pat and me trying to get a nice maternity photo (34 weeks).



Us with our great friends, the Lincolns!

Then, on my actual birthday, Pat and I went out to one of my favorite places for brunch. Again, it was terribly hot in San Jose and so we ended up buying an AC for our bedroom. We justified our purchase with a fear of suffocating our son in our bedroom this summer. It works great, and of course, we haven't needed to use it since the day we bought it!

For the rest of the day, I enjoyed some time relaxing with a book in the pool at our complex while Pat set up the AC. Then, Pat happily ran some errands with me. We bought a few more items to help us finalize the decor in Quinn's room. I also had my car detailed (something I've been wanting to do for a couple of years now).

As you can see, I was thoroughly spoiled for my birthday this year!

Baby Shower!

On May 2nd, Jamie spoiled me with my first baby shower. She told me early on in my pregnancy that she wanted to throw a shower for me. I felt touched that she would even think of such a thing, but I had no idea how much work she would go through to make the day supremely special for me. As I walked in, her entry table was decorated with a baby shower plate that all of the guests would sign, personalized Quinn M&M’s, and a book that Pat had picked out for Quinn. Jamie had the idea that the guests could sign the book as opposed to a standard guest book. It was a creative idea and I loved it! Then as I turned the corner, I was greeted with a huge sign that read, “Congratulations Kimberly! We can’t wait to meet Quinn Zachary Gillette”. Every time I see his name I love it even more, so that was fun. She even served my favorite pregnancy beverage of choice, watermelon Italian cream sodas! Each little touch made the shower feel very personal to me. Thanks Jamie!




Then, most of my female coworkers came and supported me. It was so nice to spend time with the staff outside of work. Mom made the trip down to support me on this day, and she was surprised by the bond and family-like atmosphere that we all had. I blame our principal, Trinh, for this. She really does a nice job of making every person feel valued and cared for. This in turn creates an unusually positive work place, and family-like feel!

After the shower I was feeling far more prepared for Quinn’s arrival. People have been telling me not to buy too much because I will receive shower gifts, particularly clothes. They were right! It was so fun to see the different clothes that people pick out.



This was a special day that I will not forget. Thanks again Jamie and friends!

NYC

Pat and I had the opportunity to meet my parents and Ryan in New York City for my spring break in April a few weeks ago. It was Pat's first time in the city, and we all had a great time. We were able to do and see everything that we were hoping for (with the exception of walking the Brooklyn Bridge). I did fairly well, considering I was 30 weeks pregnant on the trip. Thanks Mom and Dad for a great pre-Quinn vacation!

Our itinerary for the trip was as follows:

Wednesday:

* Travel Day
* See Mom and Dad (YAY!)
* The Little Mermaid (This was a cute Disney show, but it didn't compare to The Lion King)
* Delicious Dessert (New York cheesecake and chocolate, chocolate cake)



Thursday:

* First Subway Ride
* Kevin Bacon Breakfast (This restaurant is not known as this to anyone but us, but we nearly sat with him here once in the past and so now we always make a stop just in case he wants to hang out again. We walked by Seinfeld’s apartment on the way… but didn’t really know it at the time.)
* Central Park (We walked the width of the park. It was beautiful, but my feet really started screaming later in the day due to this walk. It was worth it, though!)
* FAO Schwartz (Pat was in heaven, and we realized that the boy toys were all pretty fun!)
* Disney Store
* MOMA
* See Ryan (YAY!)
* Avenue Q (Fun, adult puppet show.)
* Empire State Building (It's an amazing site from the top, but boy was it COLD!)




















Friday:

* Boys: Yankees Game at the New Stadium (Yankee’s won... bummer)
* Girls: Shop at World’s Largest Macy’s/Visit the Brooklyn Museum
* Rock of Ages: 80's Rock Musical, weak story, but entertaining to see Pat (and feel Quinn) rock out for a few hours!




Saturday:

* Belgium Breakfast in Greenwich Village (Possible celebrity citing... for those of you Desperate Housewives watchers, Pat is POSITIVE we saw the guy who used to be married to Gaby. I felt sorry for his dog who was tied up to a tree, and when he came out to feed the dog we chatted a little. Of course, I had no idea who he was.)
* Battery Park/Statue of Liberty (from a distance)
* World Trade Center/St. Paul’s Church/Trinity Church (There's nothing to see at Ground Zero right now, but looking around and realizing that the tallest surrounding buildings were half of the size of the WTC buildings was pretty powerful.)
* The Met (Pat realized after about 2 hours that he would not be able to actually see the whole thing... by this time I could barely stand though!)
* Rush to The Lion King (great special effects!)











Sunday:

* Tom’s Restaurant Breakfast (made famous by Seinfeld)
* Times Square Photos/Shopping
* Attempt to Visit Rupert G. from the David Letterman Show (but learned that his deli is closed on Sundays)
* Travel Day

On the trip I also learned that there are a few perks to traveling as a pregnant woman! Here are a few:

1. Flight attendant makes as much room for you as possible on the plane. For example, the flight attendant had another man move so Pat and I could share three seats (2 ½ for me and ½ for Pat) as opposed to being crowded with all seats occupied. FYI: This only works if the flight is NOT full. ☺
2. It’s true, you don’t have to wait in long bathroom lines (well, sometimes).
3. You never have to stand on the subway. Apparently pregnant woman are considered disabled, because whenever I stood at the end of a train near the disabled section, people ALWAYS volunteered to stand up and let me sit down.
4. Constant congratulations… and for some reason people (homeless men) all hoped we were having a boy.
5. Husband and family members spoil you frequently.