late summer or early autumn

This past month, since we've returned from our big summer vacation, I've been shoring up our home. The homeyness of our home, the hygge, if you will. I love writing about all the stuff I bought because it makes me feel less weird for wanting that stuff. It helps me explain to myself why I bought it.

Well firstly, I'm keeping my son home from daycare. So that is saving us $1300 per month for June, July, and August. Last summer, I enrolled kiddo in art classes and swim lessons and gymnastics. This year it just made more sense to Not run around town all day and save money on gas.

I guess I could categorize my spending thusly:

Disneyland at home. Cold brew pot. Karo syrup. Creme de menthe syrup. Shave ice attachment. Aroma oils. Humidifier diffuser.

Upgrades to cottagecore. Blackout curtains. Narrow shelf. Mermaid nightlight. Flower stems.

Zhuzh the office. Keurig pods. Fancy clock. New labcoat. Teacher planner.

Fairy garden project. Tealight candles. Tiny gnomes. Preserved moss.

Halloween costumes. Racing PJs. Steering wheel. Pitcrew tshirts.

Gifts for myself. Wagon handle. Breastfeeding jewelry. Clothes and apron. Watch band. Sunglasses.

https://www.dictionary.com/e/how-to-speak-queer-eye/

Well, when I write it all like this, it doesn't seem so crazy. Yes some of it was a bit frivolous, but if you can't spend your money in a bit of a frivolous way then you are just "buying vitamins," or something else that is boring and doesn't really make you enjoy spending money.

In general, it looks like May was an unusually expensive month but June and July were less than average. We had a hiccup this month (August) when our Air Conditioner froze up. Luckily I had a stockpile of popsicles and a shaved ice attachment to distract us from the heat. We had a fun but expensive and unplanned 3-night getaway to Santa Clarita. We ended up having a great time just riding the bus and visiting local garden centers and swimming in the hotel pool.

I bought a Sous Vide setup because I wanted to try it and because there is a pre-made lunch that we like that is Sous Vide chicken and I wanted to see how difficult it would be to recreate at home. If I learned anything from my Disneyland cookbook, it's that some things are best left to the professionals. Gonna give it a try today.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/13aUa6scSGGL80OBDqfk8ybWuD-rrqBYb/view?usp=drivesdk 

I titled this post early autumn because Halloween stuff is everywhere in the stores and because Back to School gives me fall vibes and because I am ready for summer to end.

Two months ago

A little over 2 months ago, baby Albert refused bottles half the time. He had cradle cap and scratched his forehead, so we had to put him in a hat and mittens. I gave up the MOTN pump 3 months ago. I got rid of the bassinet, which we hardly ever used. We started using the white noise machine continuously throughout the night instead of just for 15, 30 or 60 minutes. I was thinking, "I just can't remember anything anymore." But that isn't true. I remember lots of things, just not the same stuff I used to.

Two months ago I had THE BEST day! Doughnuts for breakfast. Took LO to the swimming pool. He was using this float and sunglasses while wearing this swimsuit and hat and these aquasocks . My friend gave us two used swim diapers Aqua Leisure and Finis. Albert happily kicked around for a full 45 minutes. I wouldn't characterize myself as someone who LOVES swimming, but it's been so hard to be cooped up inside due to COVID, I splurged on all this swim gear. Our condo complex has a community pool. There were no other families there today so it was very peaceful. We spotted squirrels, hummingbirds and dragonflies. We had homemade enchiladas for lunch with homemade brownies for dessert. Yes, the baby missed a few naps and feeds due to all the excitement, which we tried desperately to catch up between 3-8pm. IMHO it was worth the trouble of getting all the equipment because now I feel confident that I can take LO down to the pool any morning until the water temperature drops below 80 deg F (it's 84 now, not a heated pool). I can tread water or walk laps with my baby and not worry about overheating or walking too far away from home and LO having a meltdown (which has happened). The pool is about 300 ft from our unit. I take him in a stroller because wet baby is slippery, and it's easier to transport our things in the stroller than to carry everything on my body.

Two months ago, we picked up our purchases from the online consignment sale, clothes and toys for the next several months. I feel so excited to be prepared for another season of quarantine! Not saying I am a "doomsday prepper," but maybe just prepping adjacent. The funniest thing about these COVID times is that I keep imagining the preppers saying, "I told you! See how our stockpiles have been working out? I knew there was a pandemic-a-comin." I grew up in Nebraska where there are lots of extreme weather events, so I tend to stock canned food, batteries and water, etc. I feel like Californians are kind of laissez-faire which is strange because "the big one" is coming and they do annual earthquake drills and have a disaster preparedness fair. But our stockpile of nuts, grains and beans has lasted us through the shortages at the grocery stores. And now I am thankful, as I said, to have 9m, 12m and 18m clothes. My baby is in 6-9m now. His feet are comically big for the 0-6m socks. I have no idea what toys LO will like, so I sent my mom the link to the online store and it was really fun virtually shopping with her. We spent like 2.5 hours scouring the inventory, and she gave me lots of ideas about what kind of toys he will need in the next 6 months. This consignment sale only happens twice per year.

Two months ago, I noted that our baby became OBSESSED with the dog.

Two months ago, I thought there weren't enough cute pictures of baby on my Instagram. I was awakened by a magnitude 4.2 earthquake. After feeding LO at 3:30 and having just gone back to sleep. DH gets up for work at 5 so I just laid in bed thinking about vintage baby photo shoots. We started calling the baby "earthquake cowboy" because he rides it out.

Two months ago, I celebrated Harry Potter's 40th birthday by doing Cosmic Kids yoga and watching the movies on iTunes. I think I got as far as year 3.

Two months ago, I had a nightmare that I was a gestational surrogate and I had to give up the baby. I think I was nervous about going back to work.

Two months ago, I put LO in a carrier and walked or danced him for 30-40 minutes to calm him down before nursing and putting him to sleep. I sobbed over his crib because I didn't know how we would manage taking care of the baby and working. 

Two months ago, I was so exhausted last about an hour before LO's bedtime that I put baby in a carrier and walked in circles around our apartment complex. Just to calm the baby (and the dog and TBH myself). I usually like "going somewhere" on a walk but for some reason, it felt good to walk laps. It did feel a bit like being 14 months pregnant. I was looking forward to mastering the "back carry."

Two months ago, baby was drooling so much I had him wear a bandana bib all day every day. I had to change it 3x per day. Don't know what that was about since he still hasn't cut any teeth yet.

Two months ago, I started back to work. Babywearing with a teething necklace. Singing songs and bouncing baby to keep him calm. Now Huckleberry is saying I'm 37 minutes late for LO's nap. It's so hard to get work done and still follow baby's hunger and sleep cues. I can get so focused on computer tasks that I completely lose track of time. All I did for work in those 2 hours was to download last year's syllabi from the cloud, upload them to Office 365 for editing, copy course content on the LMS from last year's classes into this year's shells, and send 2 emails to colleagues. I know it's progress, but there's less than 3 weeks until classes start. I always want to be a great teacher. I look at the way I structured the courses a year ago and I want to overhaul it to be more pandemic-friendly, but I don't see myself having time to do it.

Two months ago, I defrosted frozen breastmilk overnight in the refrigerator. Tasted it. Yuck! Baby wouldn't drink it. Maybe LO is just rejecting all bottles. Maybe milk is just yucky. Maybe defrosting technique is not right. Not looking forward to troubleshooting this problem. I felt sad and stressed about going back to work in less than 3 weeks.

Two months ago, we threw out all frozen food that we had prepared for the fourth trimester. If I haven't eaten it by now, I probably won't, right? Also did a 24h fridge thaw of frozen breastmilk and it was disgusting. Going to compare with a 5m quick thaw in boiling water. Then compare with freshly pumped milk. DH refuses to participate in taste test.

Two months ago, I did it. I did a breastmilk taste test. Fresh. 24h refrigerated. Frozen and quick defrost. Frozen and 24h defrost. OMG the frozen was disgusting!!! Bye bye freezer stash. 🤮 Edit to add: appreciate the supportive comments but my baby will not currently take a bottle. We ended up dumping the stash. Trying to work my schedule around breastfeeding and hoping for the best with my supply. Worst case, we can go back to formula. If you have a carrier and are EBF, here are some tutorials for how to feed baby in a carrier. [part 1] [part 2] I want to start doing this because my baby nurses to sleep and then I am naptrapped. If I could nurse him to sleep in the carrier, I think I could get some work done in the mornings. Has anyone else unlocked this skill? I am slightly worried about going back to work as a lecturer at a university. There will be MANY hours of computer work between posting content and grading student work. 2.5 weeks left.

Two months ago, I experienced the first bath with a happy baby. No crying. Cradle cap is gone finally! It seems like at every stage in LO's growth, there is a crisis which passes relatively quickly but seems like a big deal at the time. Yes, I did spend $10 on the 2-pack FridaBaby DermaFrida the SkinSoother Silicone Bath Brushes a month ago, but it was like a big problem then. Packing them off to my sister, who is due in October.

Two months ago, we were in flux. Nights are up and down. Days are mostly up. Sleep training is a completely foreign concept to me. We're in survival mode. And my LO is such a distracted eater during the day and especially at bedtime. I am thinking that he's waking more at night because he's hungry. He will eat and then go back to sleep 2-3 times per night. He used to sleep 10 hours continuously for weeks 3-18. 🤷‍♀️  Maybe he just wants to be comforted. Who doesn't?

Two months ago, we consolidated from 4 naps to 3. I've tried walking baby in a carrier outside around sunset to skip the 4th nap. Then putting him down for the night at his usual time. Alternatively, we put him down a bit earlier. Only problem with that is he wakes earlier in the am. I was up at 4am for the day today. He went down at around 6pm last night.

Two months ago, the baby was eating and sleeping ONLY with mom. Should I be angry with myself for allowing baby to reject bottles and not nap anywhere else other than next to or on me? My husband came back from the grocery store with all the stuff he likes and none of what I like to eat that is healthy. I am so sick of COVID and it is really hard to manage the baby AND my own meals AND the grocery list AND cooking and cleaning AND not let things go bad because we have no time or energy to cook them. We get fast food so often like twice a day and I know it's nutritionally poor, not to mention financially wasteful. I have GOT to get more efficient. I start back to work in 2 weeks. That will be 11 contact hours plus 2 office hours plus prep and grading time. I can barely find 3 hours per day to shower, exercise, cook and clean. Something's gotta give.

22 week check in

Briefly, things are going well. Albert is long and strong. He is 28.5 inches tall, which puts him in the 99th percentile for length. He is average weight (around 50th percentile) and still has a big head (90th percentile) that is mostly round now.

I had a revelation that "my weight gain is partly Albert and his weight gain is partly me." This has helped me be more at peace with my post-baby body. I also still use the affirmation "my baby is healthy, my baby is safe" which helps me navigate this pandemic.

He is waking 4-6 times at night to eat. I have grown to understand that I am an attachment parent. Back-to-school is going to be difficult since I have been attached to Albert for 5 months, 8 if you count my third trimester where I was working from home.

I picked up my copy of Cribsheet today. I had a bookmark stuck in it. Apparently I had read the chapters on coming home from the hospital, breastfeeding, safe sleep, naps, vaccinations, work-life balance, and day care. I had stopped at sleep training. When I picked it up, I knew it was time for the topic. 

Also the bookmark I had put there was my instructions from the chiropractor about the time required to heal from a C-section and I also needed to be reminded that I should do no crunches until Albert is 1 year old. Also that it will take 6-9 months after I stop breastfeeding for the relaxin to leave my body. 

My dear sister said that I should give it one year plus 5 months, at least that is the advice she gives her athletes.

What I wanted to discuss today is how we are rearranging the house to accommodate zoom spaces and Albert's new toys and the pack and play now that it is no longer a changing table.

Actual Places to put Baby

https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-GGD48-Sit-Me-Up-Floor-Seat/dp/B07FG5XQ49/

https://www.amazon.com/Fisher-Price-Infant-to-Toddler-Rocker-Geo-Diamonds/dp/B014D4HHQI/

https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Me-Playard-Mattress-White/dp/B004JU0H6O/
+ associated mattress cover and sheets

https://www.amazon.com/Munchkin-Secure-Waterproof-Diaper-Changing/dp/B00O64QJOC/
+ associated sheet covers

Toys & Stuff to do with Baby

https://www.amazon.com/Little-Tikes-Splash-Water-Table/dp/B00QGSMK8K/

https://www.amazon.com/Dream-Me-Playard-Mattress-White/dp/B004JU0H6O/
+ associated mattress cover and sheets

http://annesoddsandends.blogspot.com/2013/04/fisher-price-friday-milk-carrier.html

turning 40

I have devoted this month to my son, who has survived his hernia repair surgery and 4-month vaccinations. I will be keeping a close eye on him and doing all I can to promote rest and healing. I never really looked forward to turning 40, and had no expectations for how it would be, so I am completely content in how it has turned out.

A few little gifts I bought for myself are linked below. I have no regrets about these purchases!

comfy sweatpants

new slippers

cotton shorts

sleeping bra

Not only are these items COVID-19 quarantine approved, but they complete my postpartum essential wardrobe. Heather gray is my new favorite color. I used to think of it as drab but now it is the best at camouflaging dried spit-up. Thank you, Heather!

Also my baby's pediatrician kind of scolded me yesterday for not taking prenatal vitamins. She said my baby looks too pale. He's exclusively breastfed (EBF). I read somewhere that mom and baby store the iron from prenatal vitamins taken during pregnancy for 4 months postpartum so I was going to re-start the vitamins soon anyway, but it didn't feel good to be told there's something wrong with the way my baby looks. 

I read that babies shouldn't wear sunscreen until they are at least 6 months old, so I've been covering him head-to-toe if we go outside. Of course he's pale, right? I am terrified of him getting a sunburn and becoming super cranky or dehydrated. Do babies tan? 

Rashguard and hat

Aquasocks

Pool float and sunglasses

They told me to stop all supplements when I was discharged from the hospital after my C-section and then at my 6-week follow up OB appointment, my doctor was ambivalent about whether I needed supplements. She was like: it's ok if you want to. But she wasn't like: definitely start taking your vitamins.

Anyhow, last night I took the prenatal multivitamin, vitamin D, calcium/magnesium, DHA/EPA and lecithin. I think I need to buy a daily pill case so I don't forget to take these. I am having the worst memory lately.

Postpartum pandemic shopping to have something to look forward to is a real thing. I also got a silicone mold to start making & freezing baby food.

Pregnancy Part 30

This week we have our biophysical profile (BPP) ultrasound. I guess they will be looking at the baby's size and movements. I wonder if they will be able to see where the umbilical cord is and how the placenta looks. The technician will be checking Albert's muscle tone and if there is an adequate amount of amniotic fluid there for him. Also, how his heart rate changes over time.

I feel pretty miserable these days. Like not depression, just physical pain. It's hard to get in and out of chairs and beds. Pretty much all positions are uncomfortable. My wrists hurt. When Albert is active, it causes me to exclaim because he has run out of room. The heartburn is pretty much around the clock. I say that we collaborate on pooping because it feels like he has to help massage the turds out and make room to let them pass. His foot keeps sticking out under my right rib. When I push it back in, he kicks me. Ouch!

During breakfast, I had a bit of a crying session, then I got up and danced a bit to LCD Soundsystem. We reminisced about what was going on in our lives in 2010. It was really great to see how far we've come since those dark days.

When we went to our appointment for the BPP, the whole building had no power so we were told that we would be getting a call from the office to reschedule.  I sat in stunned silence for about 5 minutes before deciding that it probably wasn't a good idea to wait around in an area with poor air circulation with other potentially sick people. We have a NST on Thursday anyway, so I hope they get the power issue sorted out by then.

On a happy note, we went for a 45 minute walk in the park I love by our hospital. Did some birdwatching and enjoyed the hints of spring in wildflower-covered hills and fresh air. Went home and husband caught an afternoon nap while I did a bit more work on baby's quilt. Then dear husband finally agreed to go with me to a restorative yoga class and he admitted that it was nice! I feel so grateful for this day, even though it didn't go as planned.

Over the weekend, we washed the washable parts of the breastpump and the bottles that we have. It was overwhelming getting used to the idea that this new equipment will soon be a large part of daily life, but my sore breasts are a constant reminder that avoidance is a bad idea. Better to just face it and get ready. We had another visit from mother-in-law on Sunday and it was nice to chat and have lunch with them. We broke the news that my mom will be here in less than a week and MIL seemed relieved. I was worried that she would feel like we're pushing her out, but she was happy to "come visit later" and not be the primary person to help me while in labor.

We also booked our hotel for the summer trip to Nebraska. We found a "king suite" at a La Quinta that has an outdoor pool. I think it will be an ideal base of operations for us to host guests and relax. It felt strange to be planning for something that is only 3 months away because in my mind it's like the timeline of my whole life is on hold until the baby is born. Dear husband keeps reminding me that one way or another, this baby will be born soon, there's no way around it. Our regular OB is out of town this week, so Thursday's appointment is with a different doc. Hoping it goes smoothly!

I really thought I couldn't track one more thing. I never expected to be this number-obsessed during pregnancy. I count and track so many damn things. How many hours of sleep, steps in a day, days per week of exercise, calories per day eaten & burned, grams of protein, mg of calcium, is baby kicking, when did I eat last, when will I eat next, what to buy at the store, how much salt have I eaten, how many glasses of water have I drank, when is next doctor appt, when is next birth class, what is my blood pressure, what is baby's heart rate, what is my fundal height, am I gaining weight at the appropriate rate... I was looking forward to stopping all this tracking nonsense when baby is born, but maybe it will continue to escalate. There are apps and devices for tracking baby's breastfeeding and sleeping habits. And also, it will be important to have good nutrition to sustain my milk supply. My expectation was a blissful pregnancy. my reality has been a blur of numbers. and a constant fear of "doing it wrong." But I must admit, having a blood pressure cuff at home has put my mind at ease.

At 38 weeks + 5 days (based on LMP) I feel like cooking in the kitchen just isn't going to happen. I'm so tired. I have a few things I would like to make, but when I weigh the pros and cons of it, it's really hard to motivate myself to do it. It's tiring being on my feet and with this pain in my wrists, it's hard to chop veggies and to lift heavy bowls and pots and pans. I feel like I'm kind of giving up on my diet plan, and I also feel like that's kind of OK at this point. I've been following it for 27 weeks now (6.2 months) and I would say it "worked." My Fitbit says I've gained 27.3 pounds. The suggestion for healthy women is to gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy, while women who start off as obese should aim for 15 to 25 pounds. So overall I feel pretty good about this. It's not like I'm about to start gorging myself on anything I want, I'm still logging macros in MyFitnessPal, but as it's getting harder to eat due to constant heartburn, I'm kind of going back to my first trimester habits of just doing what I can even if it doesn't perfectly follow the diet plan.

Week 12 - 49%
Week 13 - 26% (one fast food)

Second Trimester
Week 14 - 28% (four fast food)
Week 15 - 28% (four fast food)

Week 16 - 26% (three fast food)

Week 17 - 31% (three fast food)
Week 18 - 37% (three fast food)

Week 19 - 31% (seven fast food)
Week 20 - 43% (four fast food)
Week 21 - 37% (five fast food)
Week 22 - 46% (five fast food)

Week 23 - 34% (seven fast food)

Week 24 - 40% (five fast food)
Week 25 - 34% (two fast food)
Week 26 - 29% (six fast food)

Third Trimester

Week 27 - 26% (seven fast food)
Week 28 - 51% (four fast food)
Week 29 - 37% (four fast food)

Week 30 - 54% (three fast food)
Week 31 - 60% (three fast food)
Week 32 - 54% (six fast food)

Week 33 - 50% (five fast food)
Week 34 - 43% (five fast food)
Week 35 - 63% (three fast food)
Week 36 - 43% (six fast food)
Week 37 - 69% (four fast food)
Week 38 - 51% (three fast food)

Pregnancy Part 28

The main symptoms I'm feeling now include pain and discomfort. I am feeling more aches in my pubic symphysis and to a lesser extent sacroiliac joints. When I roll on my birth ball it feels really weird now, like it moves the baby. Or like something is almost falling out of my vagina.

We got a visit from some friends who brought breastfeeding supplies, cloth diapers, disposable newborn diapers, a Halo sleepsack, a diaper pail and some wet bags, a newborn scale, padsicle supplies, and three birth balls. It was great so see them and spend the afternoon just hanging out.

We got a box of stuff from my friend in Florida. Cloth diapers, swim diapers, carseat mirror, board books, and a few items I'm not 100% sure what they are.

We had our baby shower at work. It was so overwhelming. The department decorated the hell out of the conference room and had the best food catered in. There were real games and everything. At the end, we unwrapped gifts and it was so fun oohing and aahing about all the cute little clothes. Our colleagues are so excited for us and we're so lucky to have our academic family who are all extremely supportive. They pooled their financials and bought the IKEA crib from our registry. So I guess we'll be assembling that over the weekend. It's all coming together.

We also had a 'baby shower' at Fit4Baby last night. My teacher gave me a gift bag with chocolate almonds, a room spray and baby wipes. She brought tiny yellow roses, which made the room smell lovely. 

This afternoon is our NST and I guess I'm starting to feel excited and ready to welcome baby. I mean physically and emotionally. Found out that baby is head down and that I'm not showing any signs of preeclampsia. I am so relieved I took a 2 hour nap and slept better than I have in weeks.

I tagged this post beauty because although I am having a surge of chin acne due to hormones, my hair is finally growing out past the mullet stage. I tagged it bikethevote because early voting starts on Saturday and I plan to go for it just in case. I used the tags cross-training and pool because with the swimming and Fit4Baby, I am feeling good and strong.

I used the tags dancing and music because I hope to be mobile during labor and I was grooving in the car yesterday and it really cheered me up. I used the tag learning because I'm still learning so much about how to care for this baby. I'm open to it and just trying to be as much of a sponge as possible. The love tag is for the main feeling I'm getting from those around me, as well as the feeling I have towards this baby.

I used the tag meditation because that's what I've been doing on Friday afternoons. I feel motivation and look forward to using teamwork to build the crib this weekend, to have it done and ready. We're in the home stretch now, and we've been fairly successful in keeping up with nutrition and vitamins, leading to a slow and steady weight gain.

Pregnancy Part 26

We had our breastfeeding class this week at the hospital. It was taught by a male nurse. There were 6 couples there, but I think 3 of the women attended with their moms. One was a second time mom who didn't successfully breastfeed her firstborn because she went I to early labor and there were lots of complications. It was very helpful to practice the holds and swaddling with a doll. The teacher had a beanbag breast so that he could demonstrate. He had a PowerPoint presentation with a lot of embedded videos. Dear husband said he learned that there was a lot more to it than he initially thought, and he was glad he attended the class. The class was free and lasted 2.5 hours long, plus there were free cookies!

I think it's kind of sad that the brick and mortar Motherhood Maternity stores are closing. How are people supposed to buy clothes that fit properly when they can't try it on?

I got the above top and bottoms for my hospital "going home" outfit. The pants I got are in black, in case of blood leaking out. But they're totally comfy. The first pair I picked out was so uncomfortable, but dear husband grabbed these and had me try them on. See what I mean? Sometimes you can't tell what will feel good until it's actually on your body. Got this whole outfit for $35. So many of my yoga pants are "over bump" and it's nice to add one to the collection that is "under bump." Since I don't know at this point whether I will do a vaginal birth or Caesarian section, it's good to have loose pants that don't necessarily have to go over bump.

Of course it doesn't look like this on me. I do enjoy when they use plus-size models because it helps e get an idea of what the garment will look like on me. I'm looking forward to the day when each store uses a body-scanner to generate a virtual version of you and then you can virtually try the clothes on and see how it will look on YOU. For example, the pants are very long and pretty much drag on the ground because of my short legs. But I just don't know if it will be cold on the day we're discharged so I'd rather have pants that cover just in case.

I think I picked up the shirt because it was a good price (on sale) and I liked the pattern. But also it was really comfortable and something I could see myself wearing even if I wasn't pregnant. I tried on a few nursing tops but they weren't really my size. This Motherhood Maternity was in a small corner of a Macy's store at Victoria Gardens. Even my husband was like, "this is it?" I know we're only pregnant for a short time of our lives, but it's so nice and comforting to wear things that look good and are appropriately tailored for our pregnant bodies.

I got this swimsuit and the one below at a Motherhood Maternity store closing sale at the Santa Anita mall. I don't think I would have paid the full price, but I am so glad I got this. It's messaging is kind of silly and won't work after I am no longer pregnant, but I like to let the lifeguards know that I'm pregnant in case something goes wrong while I'm at the pool. I like that this is a pretty traditionally cut one-piece bathing suit. It has a few smaller criss-cross straps in the back to keep the shoulder straps from falling down. It's gathered around the bump area, which you can't see from this picture. I want to say the suit was about $24. It's been a while since I bought it.

Again, I probably wouldn't have bought these swim separates at full price, but at 70% off it was really a steal. I mean a good deal. I think I can definitely get away with wearing this one after birth. I've never been much of a tankini person or a swim skirt person, but I just didn't know what kind of shape my body would be in by now or after the baby is out, so this seemed like a good option. And the top is very bra-like and has wide supportive straps that criss-cross in the back. I think the two pieces were like $12 each.

I don't LOVE buying new clothes, but it's necessary every once in a while. Especially for things like swimsuits. They only last so long and it's hard to find them secondhand. To pack our hospital bag, we wanted dedicated "going home" outfits that wouldn't be worn for any other purpose. It's hard to give up the yoga / PJ pants that I have because I only have 2 pairs that fit now and I wear them every day. Likewise with shirts. I have probably 4 now that make sense, so you can believe that I won't be packing them away for an indeterminate amount of time.

It also seems that maternity clothes aren't "made to last." Many are made of stretchy fabric that is very thin. I am washing them carefully (delicate cycle, Woolite) and line drying, with some hopes that they will become useful hand-me-downs for my younger sisters. It makes sense that the fabric is thin, though, because I do seem to be overheating much more easily than before.

Pregnancy Part 24

I feel like 24 is a lucky number so I will try to keep this post on the positive side of things. It is less than 40 days until our due date, and I always said that 40 is a magic number too. We're having a baby shower here at work in less than two weeks, so I will definitely been in "month 9" at that time (assuming baby has not arrived before then).

Our 34 week appointment is on Wednesday, and I don't have any major concerns. I'm just hoping for a "normal" blood pressure reading and that I haven't gained too much weight.

 

I have crossed the threshold into territory that I wasn't supposed to enter. The app through my hospital suggested I stop gaining weight at 215 lbs. I have definitely logged a few days at 216 lbs, so I think that goal has been met and exceeded. More alarming perhaps is the increase in heart rate. I kind of stopped wearing my FitBit because it was too alarming. My "resting" heart rate is now in the 80s and just easy walking to and from the bathroom gets me up into the 110s (beats per minute). Let's not even discuss what happens when I'm exercising.

I'm still enjoying my HIIT (Fit4Baby) workouts. We've been swimming 4 times already. It's been fantastic. I use the word "swimming" lightly here because it's not like I'm doing 30 minutes of actual lap swimming or even treading water. Instead we spend about 45 minutes doing a combination of walking laps and very easy swimming. We also do some stretching in the water. More than the exercise, what I enjoy is the meditative aspect of watching the sunset or sun's rays as they reflect and refract in the pool. The landscaping is a bit more mature than pictured below.

What I love is when you are standing in the middle of the pool, it has an infinity edge so you just see the surface of the water and no ledge around the pool. The other awesome thing is that when people are swimming, the water runs into the drains around the edge of the pool which sounds like a fountain or babbling brook. I find the sound very relaxing and I always sleep better on nights after we swim.

I feel very fortunate to be living in Southern California and to be at the zenith of my pregnancy during the winter. We have had some pretty warm days (70s and 80s) which make for great outdoor swimming. Even when it's cooler, the pool is heated and we can still use it. I'd say the water temperature is in the 70s because yesterday when it was 83 degrees ouside the pool, the water felt cool but most other days the water feels warmer than the air temperature.

I would feel scared to be pregnant in winter in a place where it's icy and cold. I would also feel pretty bummed out if I were pregnant in So Cal in the summer because it's so hot here in Northridge that it would be difficult to get out and walk. My dear husband has been doing a great job of getting me out on days that we don't swim. We have some funny names for our walks "103" or "303" where the first digit is the starting location and the third digit is the distance. If it starts with a 1, then the walk starts from home. If it starts with a 3 then the walk starts from school. If it ends in a 1, then the walk is short.

This week is on the busy side for us. Besides the doctor's appointment on Wednesday, we have a breastfeeding class at the hospital on Thursday night. Tuesday we are going to "divide and conquer" where Mike is attending the Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting and I will be going to the Ballet here at CSUN.

We scored a lot of cloth diapers this weekend from the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability (LARC) at UCLA. She so generously included reusable wipes and a diaper pail. Now I just have to re-wash them and take an inventory to see if we have reached the appropriate size stash to accommodate our baby when he arrives.

And now it's about time to get down to some actual work. I have been contacted by two faculty for help with making their documents ADA compliant. It's fun and kind of low-stress work, plus I know it's going to have the possibility of impacting students in a positive way so that motivates me to get on with the task.

Pregnancy Part 23

Found out that baby boy is breech. This is ok because while 1/3 of babies are breech at 32 weeks, that figure drops to 3/100 by delivery time. So I am doing some things to encourage baby to turn, but I'm not super worried about it yet.

I am happy for the moms that are doing lots of meal prepping. I have some meals in the freezer, but I eat them on days where I am too tired to cook, so I'm not doing a great job of stockpiling. We are trying to convert what is frozen meat into frozen meals. And we are slowly getting rid of stuff that I loved eating in 1st and 2nd trimester that I can't stand eating now. These include bagels (too many carbs, turns into heartburn) and chicken potstickers (too much salt, burns my tongue, leads to fluid retention).

This week was a good week in terms of "working from home." I started watching "Fix it & Finish it" on Netflix. It's so satisfying to see projects move that quickly when it feels like this pregnancy is a big waiting game. And the show helped me take out my sewing machine and do a repair on the upholstery for the rocking chair. I installed a zipper, replaced the foam pads on one armrest and washed all the cushions using Dawn dishsoap. Even though it's winter, I'm hoping all the cushions dry in the sun. The weather forecast is a few days in a row of sun and upper-70 degree temps.

I'm so excited because we're getting our gym memberships today. I got my two maternity swimsuits out and ready to wear. I washed one yesterday, but it was still wet today. So it's a good thing I have two. I can alternate them. There's something unsettling about putting on a cold, wet swimsuit.

At our the OB visit this week, my blood pressure was 135/85. She recorded it while asking me some pretty stressful questions. Albert measures in the 53rd percentile by ultrasound. His weight is estimated at 2100 g (4.6 lbs). I will not have to give urine samples at OB visits unless I start having high blood pressure readings. But if I meet with Dr. Peress, he collects urine at every visit. The next set of labs is a culture at 36 weeks to check for group B strep (GBS).

We got a prescription for the breast pump, so if we don't hear from insurance (text, email or letter) within a week, call again to follow up. We don't need to request medical records to be sent to the hospital yet because the GBS results are important and we should definitely wait until we know that before getting our records sent to Labor and Delivery. Dr. Marr will take care of it. We got to make all of the remaining appointments:

1/29 - Fit 4 Baby (wk 3)

2/4 - Ballet Gisele @ Soraya

2/5 - appt w/ Marr (34 wk)

2/5 - Fit 4 Baby (wk 4)

2/6 - breastfeeding class

2/12 - Fit 4 Baby (wk 5)

2/19 - Fit 4 Baby (wk 6)

2/20 - appt w/ Marr (36 wk)

2/27 - Marr (NST, 37 wk)

3/3 - primary election

3/5 - Peress (NST, 38 wk)

3/12 - Marr (NST, 39 wk)

We're going to bring our birth plan to the next appointment so that Dr. Marr can be sure we understand everything and that we're all on the same page. She asked us to think about induction. If we get to 39 weeks, do we want to induce or wait for labor to start naturally? She said we can talk about it at the next appointment. NST is a non-stress test where the fetal heart rate and contractions are monitored, each of those appointments take 45 minutes.

I am spending time on my Birth Ball nearly every day. I wanted to write about my pregnancy favorites, the things I spent money on that I absolutely couldn't have lived without. First, this tank top. I purchased 2 in-store and then 4 more online. I sleep in this every night. It's so supportive and breathable. I haven't regretted this purchase for 1 second.

I wear this sweater pretty much every second that I'm in my house, and sometimes I even wear it out of the house. It's so comfy.

I thought I would need this belt while teaching, but I didn't. I use it now for our walks. For 5,000 - 11,000 step days it is a real lifesaver. It has a pocket in the back for an ice pack, which is good for annoying back pain. My pain is generally up in my ribs, but putting ice anywhere kind of distracts me from the pain.

When I first bought nursing bras, I opted for two underwire ones. The saleswoman let me know that many pregnant women can't stand underwires. I was like, that won't be me... at 10 weeks. Now that I'm 33 weeks, I get it. I tried to put on a normal sports bra yesterday and was like: nope! These soft nursing bras have removable pads, which are annoying and I usually lose them in the wash. But they are kind of necessary now to hide my gigantic nipples.

I have these yoga pants in 2X and they are THE BEST. I would wear them all day every day. Not out of the house, but from the moment I get home, these bad boys are on!

I could also do a shoe review. There are two pairs that I bought to accommodate swollen feet (just in case) and they can be put on and off without tying. First of all, these slip-on walking shoes have been a game-changer. I got them at Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW).

The other pair of shoes I am living in when necessary are these slip-on boots. They are warm and waterproof. They have good grip and a firm insole with arch support. I bought them in a size up from what I usually wear just in case I had significant swelling in my feet. If my feet are not swollen, then I just wear a thicker sock to minimize slippage.

Pregnancy Part 12

Today I want to check-in. We have had our fetal echocardiogram at 21 weeks. We have had our 22 week appointment at the OB. Everything is looking good. No "holes" where they shouldn't be in baby's anatomy. Cervical length is good. Upcoming appointments at 24 weeks will re-check cervical length and at 26 weeks test for gestational diabetes. I thought my blood pressure was high at 137/77 but my birth class teacher says that something like 150/90 would be cause for alarm.

Here's the roundup of symptoms:

Week 19 - Oct 14-20 headache, neckache, heartburn, tender breasts, nipple soreness, increased thirst, appetite increase, shortness of breath
Week 20 - Oct 21-27 nipple soreness, bleeding gums/nose, headache
Week 21 - Oct 28-Nov 3 headache, abdominal (back) itchiness, heartburn, fatigue/exhaustion

Tonight is the fourth of my pregnancy HIIT workout classes (out of 6). I think it came along in just the right time of my pregnancy, where I had energy, which I am starting to feel is dwindling.

Last night was the second of our Bradley birth class. I am grateful for the information we get in these classes. Such as, the Babycentre diet I've been following lists papaya as a common food for the second trimester but I didn't know why. Our teacher explained that it is a natural source of digestive enzymes which can act as a natural antacid. The Bradley birth diet emphasizes eggs as a protein source. I also didn't know why, but our teacher explained that eggs represent complete protein that is easy to digest. As the baby gets larger, he will occupy more of the volume of my body cavity, leaving less and less room for my stomach. Hence, I will need to rely on eggs to get the protein I need rather than beef or other slower-digesting foods.

I started to google "bicycling while pregnant" this past weekend. The articles I found suggested that women experience a range of reactions from stopping entirely right from the moment you get a positive pregnancy test (like myself) all the way to biking until delivery. I feel comfortable with my decision, I don't regret deciding to step away from the bicycle, but some days I do miss it. For example, there is a CicLAvia coming up near our house and I guess I'll be supporting it in some way other than on a bicycle. Maybe we'll do some tabling.

We completed the third part of our three-weekend babymoon. First, Sept 13-15. Second, Oct 11-13.

Third, Oct 25-27: It was kind of sad because my nephew tore his ACL in a football game so he is out for the rest of the season. But we did have a great time walking around Dana Point. We parked at the corner of Golden Lantern and Dana Point Harbor Drive. Then we walked to the Ocean Institute. It was beautiful and so relaxing. On the map it looks small, but in person it felt like a very long walk. Luckily there were restrooms along the way so nobody had to be uncomfortable.

I've been assigned a nurse by my insurance company who follows up with me about lots of things. She gave me some dietary guidelines to follow:

• whole grains (1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw)
• vegetables (3 cup)
• fruits (2 pieces)
• milk (3 cup)
• protein (6 oz = 170 g)
• water (64 oz)

The Bradley method diet recommends similar things:

• whole grains (4 servings)
• vegetables (3 servings)
• fruits (1 serving)
• milk products (4 servings)
• protein (80-100 g)
• water (to thirst)

I have been feeling well when I eat 2100 calories and unwell if I eat 1600-1700 only. Last post, I wrote that I was afraid of gaining too much weight too fast. My birth class teacher suggested that I wouldn't need to worry about an overweight baby (9 lbs or greater) unless I start to show symptoms of gestational diabetes. So I think I'm going to stop worrying about gaining too much weight, because restricting my calories really made me feel like crap (bad headache) and I lost 2 pounds pretty quickly. A big take-home of yesterday's class meeting is that diet is something we do have control over so we might as well be mindful of it. And a healthy mom has more choices when it comes to labor and delivery. Next class, we'll be getting into drugs.

Another great thing about our babymoon holidays was that I got into the swimming pool. It felt good the first time in mid-October (pregnancy week 18). I mostly just stood there in the water. I also tried taking a shallow bath at the hotel. I was scared the water was too hot and I was scared to fall getting in or out of the tub so dear husband helped and supervised me. It felt really good getting in the pool during the third babymoon weekend at the end of October (pregnancy week 20). I actually did some light treading water and swam some very slow laps. This past Sunday night (pregnancy week 22), I took a bath at our house. My birth class teacher said that swimming pools and bath tubs, in general, are good for baby unless there is any reason to suspect that the cervical plug has been disrupted. If we get any leakage of amniotic fluid, then public bathing will have to stop.

I had a big technology scare last week. My work computer wouldn't turn on (semester week 10). This was a big problem because my home computer also wouldn't turn on and we got rid of it mid-October (semester week 5). Time is flying by so quickly yet slowly. It didn't seem like that long ago but it didn't seem like such a crisis because we were starting to consider nursery configurations. But to have both computers go out, I started panicking because I still have 5 weeks to go in the semester and I need to do a lot of grading and preparing lessons. I ended up using an old laptop from 2011 that had Word 2003 installed. It was crazy. I couldn't find any of the functions because they've all moved around. But dear husband found a PC that wasn't being used. We put my hard drive in there and it booted right up (after we bought a $30 cable to convert from DisplayPort to HDMI).

We finished-ish our baby registry. It was kind of fun trying on babywearing stuff. I bought a couple pairs of new shoes in 1 size up from my normal size. They are both slip-ons because tying shoes is getting trickier by the day. I got a few new pieces of maternity clothing. I started getting excited about the upcoming holidays (Thanksgiving and Christmas) and wanted to have a few nice things to wear. It seems like each month is more expensive than the one before it, there are just so many little expenses that we have as we prepare for the arrival of this baby. Tomorrow we're touring a day care. They don't accept children under 12 months of age and they want a deposit to hold our spot.

I am looking forward to that time in pregnancy when I can stay at home and lounge around in yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I want to take my dog out on dog walks and eat whenever I feel like it.

Fertility Part 14

It seems I can write about nothing else until we have an answer: Will our one AA embryo attach? We had an appointment yesterday. Here are our clinical lab results so far:

6/14/2019
Progesterone 0.170 ng/mL
Estradiol 247 pg/mL
Lining 10.3 mm

6/17/2019
Progesterone 0.084 ng/mL
Estradiol 426.5 pg/mL
Lining 11.1 mm

Our team says that these numbers are great! The uterine lining looks pretty much like the image from this paper.

I have been taking Estrace (Estradiol) 2mg tablets for 11 days. I have had two injections of Delestrogen (Estradiol Valerate) 20mg/mL x 0.1 mL and two injections of Delestrogen (Estradiol Valerate) 20mg/mL x 0.2 mL. The first few days it seemed like I was having mild headaches, but nothing near migraine. The last few days I have been feeling very moist. Like, I would take a nap and then wake up with my underwear feeling wet. After a bit of research, I have learned that estrogen regulates cervical mucus and the bump in hormones has resulted in an increase in mucus. After I deduced what must be happening, I felt much more relaxed about it.

Last night, I did my first Endometrin 100mg vaginal capsule. It was not bad at all. Pretty much like inserting a tampon. This morning, I added Medrol (Methylprednisolone) 4mg tablets. The dose schedule for the Medrol is a bit complicated, but I think visually the way the tablets are packaged helps. You load up on the first day and then taper after that. Medrol is a steroid that reduces inflammation. It also suppresses the immune system to prevent Natural Killer (NK) cells from attacking the embryo.

This morning we did our first progesterone injection. I warmed up the ampule about 30 minutes prior to using it. I had a heating compress ready. We have these fun pineapple bandaids. Honestly, giving or receiving a shot with a 22-gauge needle is not that fun. But I am definitely trying to make the best of it and just get on with the program. I climbed the stairs in our house ten times to help the 1 mL of Progesterone in Oil get distributed into the muscle.

There are few times in life when having a BIG ASS is a good thing. Maybe if you are trying to win a twerking contest. Also if, like myself, you are a Los Angeles Lane Blocker (city cyclist). Or also, apparently, if you need to get intramuscular injections in the dorsogluteal site. Our coordinator said luckily, we have a lot of real estate to work with. So this is good because from today forward, we will be doing DAILY progesterone injections.

I made a point this morning of programming in all the medications for the next week into my Google Calendar: when we need them my phone will send a notification. Today, I am going for acupuncture and then heading to Westfield Topanga & The Village (a mall) for an optometry appointment. Tomorrow, we have the Neighborhood council meeting. Thursday, I am meeting with my boss and the man who has been observing me in the classroom. Friday, we have an appointment for ultrasound and bloodwork. Saturday is transfer day!

I installed two new apps on my phone: FertiCalm and Headspace. FertiCalm is an app that has information and humor specifically for those undergoing fertility treatment. It also has some guided meditations that I have used. Headspace I do not fully understand yet, but what I think is that it has some other games to keep you calm. I have been using my Sacred Woman altar at home, so I am very grateful that I have a safe, quiet space to exist and convene with my ancestors, mother, sisters and higher power. This morning I burned a little white sage because I felt like I might want to purify myself before starting the progesterone injection.

Of course, still taking prenatal vitamins. I do not know why some people say to take them in the morning, at lunch or before bedtime. Does it really matter? Well, it is time to be heading to the shower and then to acupuncture and then to the mall to see the eye doctor and do some walking. Life is good.

Fertility Part 11

Today, Monday, is the beginning of another two-week cleanse (our fourth cycle). Two weeks ago we attended my aunt's wedding in Stinson Beach (Bay Area, Northern California), which I have written about in Fertility Part 10. One week ago, I attended my grandmother's funeral in Lincoln, Nebraska. 

For fitness, I've been trying to walk, bike and swim more than usual. At Stinson Beach, I tried boogie boarding for the first time. It was totally fun! I attended the Ride of Silence, honoring those who lost their lives due to cycling in the past year. I also participated in Bike to Work Day, even though I live really close to where I work. Normally, we participate in watching a stage of the Amgen Tour de California, but we just have too many other things going on right now. I haven't been doing much rollerskating, but maybe I'll go to Skateland for Adult Skate Practice tomorrow (10:30am).

It was a joy to be a part of these two important family events (wedding & funeral). I had not even unpacked from the wedding so it was no problem to pack very quickly and hop a flight to Nebraska for the funeral. It was tempting to eat in the airport restaurants, but I brought lots of food with me. On the way there, I had chicken and zucchini pesto and hard-boiled eggs. The hungover party animals in the Las Vegas airport were mystified when I pulled those out of my bag. On the way back, I had lentils and roasted root vegetables. I also had some dried peas and beef jerky.

It was hard to keep to the diet in the times of joy and sorrow, but we managed to celebrate Mother's Day with the most diverse and delicious buffet. My sister, Karly, made pulled pork and brought cocktail shrimp. My mom made a pear salad, Brussels sprouts and a celery salad. I brought a green arugula salad, lentils, roasted root vegetables. We had cole slaw and buns for people to eat the pulled pork as sandwiches and there were potato chips that nobody ate. For dessert, we ate sliced strawberries and yogurt with protein powder (for me) or Cool Whip (for everyone else) My sister, Steph, had just moved into a new house so it was good for her to just be there and enjoy the food and company. Cooking and baking are things we all learned from our mother and grandmother. 💓

Every day I was in Nebraska I had a smoothie, since my family was at one time on a NutriBullet kick, they each have one. I even thumbed through the NutriBullet recipe book for future reference. Lots of the smoothies on The IVF Diet follow the formula outlined in the NutriBullet nutrition plan. That's 50% greens, 50% fruit, some water, and a boost. The boosts include nuts, seeds and dried berries (superfood). I am so grateful to my family for taking this IVF diet seriously and making sure I had access to grocery stores and the tools and time to make what I needed to eat.

My parents even tried a high-protein pasta made with edamame. I thought it was good. It was definitely relaxing to be back in Nebraska. It was so much quieter than out here in California. I got lots of sleep (even though my FitBit died). I tried not to worry so much about losing weight and instead focused on spending quality time with family. In this time of hopefulness about the "AA" embryo, it is so wonderful to know that my family is 110% behind me and ready to help and support this fertility journey.

It also felt good to get back to California. It did take a few days to re-adjust. I got back on Wednesday. Immediately I went out for lunch with some of my female colleagues. It was nice to have some time to decompress and gossip a bit. Thursday I pretty much binge-watched Pose on Netflix. In the evening, we attended the candidate forum for LA city council district 12 at CSUN. Friday, we helped with the Chemistry & Biochemistry department graduation party. Saturday, my sister, Steph, came into town so we spent the day cooking and cleaning. I tried to finish my grading before she arrived so that I could go on some hiking and camping adventures with her and her boyfriend, Jeff. Unfortunately, it was not possible.

After sending Steph & Jeff on their hiking and camping adventure, we went to the Farmer's Market on Sunday morning. We found lots of great things including a European Sea Bass (Branzino). I had a bit of trouble removing the fins, but once baked it was pretty tasty. This morning I made another batch of Tumeric Seeded Bread. I decided that the one appliance we're missing (See Fertility Part 7 for the list) is a food dehydrator. I've been making kale chips and sweet potato chips in the oven, but they end up getting burned.

In conclusion, the IVF diet is working for me. My weight this morning was 195.5 pounds. I know that is still heavy, but sometimes when you get heavy, you start to think that there's no hope and nothing will work. I was tracking my calories with MyFitnessPal and attending HIIT workouts for a year and not losing weight. It was discouraging. But I am having success now that I've been following the IVF diet (loosely). I will admit I modify the diet plan to ensure that I am not getting more than 40% of my calories from carbohydrates and that I am getting more than 25% of my calories from protein.

Dear husband has come up with a system for pre-cutting the fruits and veggies. He finds this modular arrangement in the fridge to be less overwhelming. Another thing we have started doing is saving the containers from the commercial produce and refilling them with the loose items we get at the Farmer's Market. Hello Life Hack! And now, we wait for the next menstrual cycle to begin another round of hormones! As I stated in a previous post, my goal is to lose another 4 pounds before the embryo transfer (about 2 weeks from now).

Zion ~ Hiking Report

Our trip to Zion NP was awesome!  Below is a photo of the items that were necessary for the trip.

Camelback Daytrekker Hiking Backback + 2L hydration reservoir

Sunglasses, case and cleaning cloth

Swimsuit

1L drinking bottle

Heavy winter coat, hat, scarf, gloves

Heavy sweater, fleece pullover

Performance (thin) socks, 2 pairs

Ski (thick) socks, 2 pairs

Heat holder socks, 1 pair

Performance (thin) long-sleeved shirt

Long underwear, tops and bottoms

Hiking pants, tights, yoga pants

Tank top with shelf bra

PJs, sweatshirt and sweatpants

Windbreaker jacket

Clif bars, 3

Sunscreen, toothpaste, lotion, facewash, toothbrush, SPF chapstick, comb

Camera, extra battery, battery charger

Cell phone, charger

Things packed that were actually used

Hike #1: Angel's Landing  NPS Description:  (4 hours) 5.4 mi Round Trip, 1488 ft Elevation Change.  Long drop-offs. Not for young children or anyone fearful of heights. Last section is a route along a steep, narrow ridge to the summit.

Angel's Landing

From the picture here, it's difficult to see the people.  Maybe if you zoom in a lot.  This hike was a steep climb.  Someone else posted the hike on MapMyFitness and the grade was 15-20% for a significant portion of the hike.  It is an out-and-back with lots of switchbacks.  There's no way to get lost on this popular trail, in fact we ran into some old friends on our way down.

For this hike, we brought some muffins and grapes to eat at the turnaround point.  We didn't go on the part of the hike that required holding onto a chain.  We instead enjoyed the sunny vista-cum-picnic area just before the chain part started.  It was great to relax and rest our knees before heading back to the FREE park shuttle.

Hike #2: Lower Emerald Pool Trail - Kayenta Trail - The Grotto Trail  NPS Description: (Lower Emerald Pool) Minor drop-offs. Paved trail leads to the Lower Emerald Pool and waterfalls. Connects to the Kayenta and Upper Emerald Pool Trails.  (Kayenta) Moderate drop-offs. An unpaved climb to the Emerald Pools. Connects The Grotto to the Emerald Pools Trails.  (The Grotto) The trail connects the Zion Lodge to The Grotto. Can be combined with the Lower Emerald Pool and Kayenta Trails to create a 2.5-mile loop.

Emerald Pools

I have no idea which parts of these trails we hiked, but we spent the afternoon out there.  I think we started and ended at the Zion Lodge because we got a To-Go coffee there between Hike #1 and Hike #2.  As you can imagine, we were pooped after two big hikes in one day.  Also, someone slipped on the ice near the waterfalls and that was difficult to watch.

Zion NP is not a great place for those who have a fear of heights.  Although, there are some trails with less elevation change than others.  We stopped at the Emerald Pools to take some photos, which are some of my favorites from the whole trip.  The juxtaposition of desert and running water was so stunning.  There were also some areas along that hike that opened up into green meadows.  I loved the "weeping rocks" where water flowed through the porous sandstone, supporting ferns and other plants you wouldn't normally find in a desert environment.

Hike #3: The Narrows via Riverside Walk  NPS Description: (8 hours) 9.4 mi Round Trip, 334 ft Elevation Change.  Read page 5 of the park newspaper and check conditions at the visitor center before attempting. High water levels can prevent access to The Narrows.

The Narrows

I don't think we hiked the entire length of the Narrows but we may have reached "Wall Street."  We rented drysuits from Zion Adventure Company. This $53 package includes a short orientation video, drysuit, canyoneering shoes, neoprene socks, and a walking stick.  I was scared before we actually got into the water: scared of the cold, scared of the rocks, scared of the current.  But none of these fears were ever realized.  From the moment I started walking in the water, I realized the neoprene socks were very insulating and the suit was completely water-tight.  The only downside was that it was difficult to disrobe to relieve oneself.  We also ate some grapes on this hike and some powerbars.

We stayed at the Cliffrose Lodge.  We used the pool and jacuzzi every night.  They have a fantastic continental breakfast.  The lodge is within walking distance to the park entrance.  There's a movie theater and Zion Canyon Brew Pub (where we ate after Hikes #1 and 2).  We ate at Wildcat Willie's after Hike #3.  Overall, it was a magical trip!

The elevation of Springdale, UT is 3,900 feet so a bit of low oxygen training would be useful.  Glendale, CA where we live is 522 ft.  The most useful thing we bought at Canyon Market was bottled water.  We reused the 1 Liter bottles continuously to stay hydrated on and off the trails.  Our souvenirs of this trip were a couple of postcards and EO Handsoap in French Lavender, which was in our rooms at Cliffrose Lodge.  The handsoap is available for purchase at the Lodge's giftshop.

Death Valley Preview

Packing List for DV: highlighted items will need to be purchased

Two days worth of meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) in a cooler.

• Breakfast:
• pre-cooked sturdy Irish oats
• schnitzbrot
• oranges & nuts
• Lunch:
• quinoa & string cheese
• POWER NUGGETS 
• Dinner:
• Camper's stew 
• Lentil burgers & yogurt sauce

Underwear, Sports Bras, Socks (8 days worth)

Comfy shoes (for around camp)

Long Pants (for hiking), long underwear (for sleeping?)

Long-sleeved shirt, Lightweight jacket

Swimsuit, Towel(s)

Yoga mat, Candles

Flashlight (+ extra batteries), Tent, Sleeping bag(s)

Bicycle, Cycling shoes, Water bottles, Lycra? + arm and leg warmers

Clothesline, Laundry rack

First Aid Kit, Toothbrush, Toothpaste, Soap, Chapstick

Camera (fully charged batteries!)

Water reservior (Camelback?)

Hat (stocking cap), scarf, gloves

Sunscreen, sunglasses, sun-hat

Hiking boots, hiking socks, sock liners, Daypack (for hiking), Headlamp

Goosedown vest, Rain-proof jacket?

Duct tape? Bungee cords?

Thanks Mary & Jamie Collie and MatadorU for their lists.

Taking the I-5N (20 mi) to State Route 14N (110 mi) to US-395 (42 mi) to CA-190E (97 mi).  And hello wilderness!