How far along:  33.5 weeks! 6 to go.
The baby is the size of:  A pineapple. A PINEAPPLE!

Maternity clothes:  Haha, oh yes. Even maternity jeans are getting a little uncomfortable. Loving stretchy pants and dresses.

Best moment this week:  I went on my first shopping spree for the babe yesterday. We'd been so spoiled with clothes and gifts that there was really no need to buy more, more, more. I'm trying to resist since those early days are so fleeting and they grow out of the itty-bitty stuff so fast. But the kid needed some tiny white onesies, and who am I to say no to Columbus Day sales?

Movement: We've moved on from flutters to full on martial arts jabs, punches, and rolls. The best way I can describe it is like those massage chairs at the nail salon -- only in the front, not the back -- and not controlled by the push of a button :)

Food cravings/aversions: My body must be telling me something because I've been craving so much dairy. Ice cream and lots of it, cottage cheese (took my first bite after probably 10 years and haven't stopped since!), and yogurt. Aversions = chicken. Blech. 

What I miss: Chardonnay.

Sleep:  Thanks to our new mattress, huge bed and pure exhaustion, I've been sleeping like a champ. Just wish there were more hours in the day for more of it.

What I'm looking forward to: Everything in the next few months. I can't believe we'll be meeting our lil dude soooo soon.
Symptoms:  A little back pain here and there, but only (ironically) when I'm relaxing on the couch. Other than that, a shrinking bladder and that's about it!

20 Week Update: It's a Boy!

How far along:  20.5 weeks
The baby is the size of:  A small cantaloupe (the length of a banana)!

Maternity clothes:  Yup, lovin' em! Still mixing up maternity pants and some regular ol' shirts. Just got a fun shipment from LOFT (thanks Mom and Dad for the birthday gift).

Best moment this week:  Well, my bike and I made it over the Golden Gate Bridge... so that's an accomplishment. Just took one little spill down a mini hill. Bike's fault, totally :) Robby and Joe were visiting from OC and spoiled the babe with some cute gifts. Makes it all feel so real to share this time with family!

Movement:  Feeling some flutters! I love it. Rumor has it it'll be full-on martial arts in a week or two. Can't wait for Todd to feel it too.

Food cravings/aversions:  Can't seem to get enough fruit. And ice cream... always ice cream, but trying to stick to the healthy stuff. Not loving meat but nothing new there...

What I miss: Margaritas after a long bike ride. Goat cheese. White wine. But I'm sure my hips don't miss any of it! 

Sleep:  I'm feeling pretty rested most of the time -- just tossing and turning trying to get comfortable throughout the night. Ended up the couch a few times.

What I'm looking forward to: We're more than half way there now, and I'm just really looking forward to meeting the lil' dude!
Symptoms:  Nothing really yet!

17 Week Update!

How far along:  17 weeks

The baby is the size of:  A turnip!

Maternity clothes:  Still wearing a mix of maternity and regular clothes. Maternity jeans are oh-so-much more comfortable than regular jeans.

Best moment this week:  Sharing the excitement of baby with so many friends and family (and friends who are like family!) at Dani and Kyle's wedding. It was one of the best days EVER!

Movement:  Maybe a flutter or two -- still not sure if it's nerves or movement, but I guess I'll know soon.

Food cravings/aversions:  Still loving ice cream and fruit all the time, but nothing new there. Not totally in to home-cooked chicken or fish, but when am I ever? 

What I miss:  Not much. Everyone wants to know how hard it is not to drink at an occasion like my sister's wedding, but I can't say I really wanted any alcohol. 

Sleep:  I want it all. the. time. This crazy jam-packed weekend really threw me for a loop. Can't seem to catch up so I'm realllly excited for the weekend.

What I'm looking forward to:  Todd starts a new job on Monday, and the week after that we'll find out if this little nugget is a he or a she ;)

Symptoms:  Nothing to complain about.

Look out world, Baby Degnan is coming!

I never thought I'd add "mom blogger" to my title, but I already feel like this pregnancy is flying by

and I want to remember all the little moments and the big ones. Overall, I feel extremely lucky and blessed with how we got here and how I'm feeling.

How far along:  14 weeks

The baby is the size of:  A lemon!

Maternity clothes:  I sported maternity jeans and a maternity tank for the first time this week! I've played around with the Beband a bit, and it's nice not having to button my regular jeans. Ouch.

Gender:  Your guess is as good as mine.

Best moment this week:  Picking up my dress for Dani and Kyle's wedding and seeing that it fits! Phew!

Movement:  None.

Food cravings/aversions:  I'm not sure if it's a legitimate craving or not since summer fruits have always been my weakness, but I can't get enough of strawberries, peaches, and delicious oranges! Yum! And that whole pickles and ice cream thing? It's real.  

What I miss:  Really, nothing. The warm nights make me crave a delicious cocktail or cold glass of white wine, but Todd has become a mocktail master and they (kinda) do the trick. Overall, the thought of alcohol has actually made my stomach churn anyway.

Sleep:  It's all good -- I've noticed a huge change since I hit the second trimester. I suddenly feel like a human and not a walking zombie.

What I'm looking forward to:  Seeing friends and family in Orange County in two weeks for the nuptials of a very special couple :)

Symptoms:  Nah. Feeling good!

2013: A Year in Review

Last year, we rang in the new year in Belize with the most colorful and awesome fireworks show on our little island in the middle of the Caribbean. Sure beats this year's end: horizontal on the bed/couch with maybe the worst flu I've ever had. As they say, man plans and God laughs.
But after a year full of tremendous adventure, countless blessings, and lots of fun, worse things could have happened. A look back at 2013:

January

We returned from an incredible trip to Belize and Guatemala just after we rang in the new year on
Caye Caulker. To date one of our favorite trips, and the most perfect way to start a year.

February

A short month packed with a whole lot of good. I started working with a new social media client, Justine. She's a phenomenal filmmaker and though it was a quick stint, I learned so much about how I work as a freelancer and finally felt like maybe, just maybe, I could do it one day. We headed home to Orange County to celebrate Danielle and Kyle's engagement, spent Valentine's Day at home with lobster and good wine, and welcomed good friends to San Francisco (Jessica and David).

March

The highlight this month was visiting Nicci in Portland. We packed so much fun and games into a few short days, and of course enjoyed every minute with my favorite gal pal. The Supreme Court took on gay marriage, and our little family launched another small campaign to find Dad a kidney in honor of World Kidney Day!

April

This month we celebrated the long-awaited end of grad school for Todd! We drove down the coast to Monterey for a quick getaway, checked out the aquarium, had an awesome dinner on the water, explored the local beaches, and enjoyed time away from papers and computers. We were also spoiled rotten with a trip to Napa with Thom and Diane to celebrate our 30th birthdays, belatedly. It was such a treat. Raffi visited us at the office, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at the amazing Twin Peaks one day, and tragedy struck at the Boston marathon. It was a crazy and emotional event, one that is forever etched in my mind.

May

We said goodbye to Kyle and Dani, who left San Francisco for good :( Todd finally convinced me to start Yiddish lessons with him, I got a quick visit in with Galit at the Ferry Building, and we traveled down south (once again!) for Kevin and Robin's wedding in Temecula.

June

One of my most memorable nights in San Francisco happened this month when the Supreme Court struck down Prop 8. We joined tens of thousands of people in the Castro for celebrations on the street, and I don't know if I've ever witnessed such camaraderie in one place before. We walked around for hours trying to find a place to eat and ended up a couple of miles away before we could get seated! It was a night I'll never forget. We also celebrated Father's Day in Orange County, and took a separate road trip down the coast to begin our adventure in Puerto Vallarta. The drive was invigorating, and an incredible reminder of how lucky we are to live in California. The scenery just blew my mind over and over again. Another highlight from the month was being given the opportunity to share our "Find Jeff a Kidney" campaign on Beth Kanter's blog, and educate readers about how social media is helping people find organs!

July

After a few days in Orange County to celebrate Mom's, Dad's, and my birthday (at Mastro's no less!), we enjoyed five blissful days in Puerto Vallarta for Kayla and Matt's wedding. Other fun summertime activities included a visit to Point Reyes (and Marin Sun Farms, where Todd bought goat for the first time - ew!), a Counting Crows concert at America's Cup with an old friend Becca, aaaaand that one time our work building was on lockdown thanks to a crazy killer on the loose.

August

August was a big month! Robby and Joe came to visit for a fun 48-hour adventure, we hosted Jen, Marsha, and Diane for an awesome weekend, Kerri and Lee got engaged (!) and we surprised them down in San Diego to celebrate. We also did an incredible hike along the Matt Davis trail in Marin, and swore to get in better shape after we limped around for three days following.

September
It's hard to believe we celebrated two years of living in San Francisco this month. We started the month still in Orange County at a Dave Matthews Band concert, hosted friends for Yom Kippur break fast, and I got to spend a few days at the Exact Target conference in Indianapolis. It was honor to hear Jim Collins and Condoleeza Rice speak there.

October
October brought the anticipated surprise visit to Connecticut to celebrate Grandpa Bernie's 90th

birthday. It was really a trip to remember. We also snuck in a couple days in New York to see friends and foliage, and got some really unique east coast experiences in -- like trips to family farms and a fun day of miniature golf with the whole Horowitz/Degnan/Lodge clan.

November
This month was all about family and celebration. We took a trip down to Orange County (notice a theme here?) to attend Todd's graduation ceremony, and then took the whole family out for an awesome meal to celebrate. We felt so proud being able to do that for everyone. We also hosted a huge bunch of college friends (and babies!) for a BBQ in Irvine which was such a blast. So great reconnecting with everyone in person. And then came the best week of the year, Thanksgiving at the cabin, where I promptly caught a bad cold and was mostly miserable, give or take a few games of Cards Against Humanity and Mexican Train :)

December
Aside from all the usual holiday merriment -- work parties, lights galore, and latkes, we spent most of the month counting down to a two week vacation at the end of the month! My dear coworker Molly left San Francisco for greener pastures, Shawn came to visit for over a week, and Todd and I spent an entire week curled up on the couch with bad flu. It certainly wasn't what we had planned for New Year's Eve and the start of a new year, but life goes on... looking forward to our biggest adventure yet, Thailand in 12 days!

A Love/Hate Relationship with Matt Davis

On Saturday, after a bit of a rough week on the homestead, we decided it was time to get the heck out of dodge and hit the sunny trails of Marin County for some sunshine, exercise and fresh air.
We had no idea what we were in for when we parked the car at the head of the Matt Davis trail but four hours later, we emerged. We were sweaty, exhausted, sore, and craving frozen yogurt. Ha! The views were beyond breathtaking and the time outside in incredible weather was the best thing ever, but 48 hours later we're still limping around like old farts.

we can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

adorable Stinson Beach!

eeee a snake!

California. Ain't nothing like it.

when nature calls...

Paleo Sometimes: Thai Summer Salad

I dabbled in the paleo "lifestyle" for a solid few months before the summer, but it wasn't until we returned from our trip to Puerto Vallarta in July that the hubby was sold on it too. He sat by the pool, sipping on cucumber margaritas, devouring lobster burritos and fries, and read The Paleo Diet for Athletes under a cabana for days. Oh, the irony of staying at a luxury, all-inclusive resort and planning a paleo lifestyle for when you return home to detox. But the book was a life-changer in so many ways.

We came back from the trip and got down to business buying fresh herbs, new spices, grass-fed meat and fish that could feed an army, farmer's market produce, coconut everything, and so much more. We've had so much fun trying new things (hello, okra! Chinese eggplant! Gray oyster mushrooms! GOAT!)

So for as long as I can make it last, I thought it'd be fun to start a "paleo sometimes" series. We're realistic about doing this thing, and about the fact that we live in one of the greatest cities ever for foodies like us. So for the sake of keeping our sanity, keeping cravings under control, and still enjoying the best of what the San Francisco restaurant scene has to offer, I'm calling our new diet paleo sometimes. We still eat out once or twice a week and allow ourselves a splurge here and there. Life's too short to say goodbye to french fries forever.

On tonight's menu was fish burgers, Chinese eggplant... and this easy, summery, deliciously made-up recipe that I didn't think to get a photo of until the leftovers were put away.

Thai Summer Salad
1/2 bag of Trader Joe's Broccoli Slaw
As much fresh mint, fresh cilantro, and parsley as you want.
Juice of one lime
1 teaspoon of melted coconut oil
A few pieces of chopped pickled ginger
1 can of bamboo shoots
1 cup of tomatoes

I used a mortar and pestle (because they're fun) to mix the mint, cilantro, parsley, lime juice, and ginger... and then just added the mixture to all the other ingredients. It was so flavorful, fresh, and super healthy!