Photos of the Growing Belly!

I'm having technical difficulties posting multiple photos with text, but the photos are in order:
*4 months (that drink is virgin!)
*5 months
*6 months (yes, I love the white tank top!)
*7 months

June 25 - Old Fashioned Game of Tag

Okay-Lisa 'tagged' me so I will complete this little quiz and will keep it focused on Hot Lips. Here it goes!

3 JOYS
--just being pregnant (after trying for so long!)
--growing our family (I can't wait to see J.D. as a daddy and Amelia as a big sister!)
--knowing Hot Lips has an amazing set of family and friends who already love her to pieces

3 FEARS
--teenage pregnancy (may be a premature fear at this stage, but have you read about those students in MA??!!)
--that Hot Lips is allergic to animals (keep your fingers crossed that this is NOT the case!)
--rodents (doesn't have anything to do with the baby..but anyone who knows me knows I cannot stand rodents of any kind..including mice, rats, gerbils, squirrels, rabbits, etc)

3 GOALS
--Fully organize the baby's room (before week 35)
--Sign up for the infant CPR class (before week 35)
--Read a book to Hot Lips every night until she arrives (we started this the other night, she LOVED it..of course, we'll continue this once she arrives as well)

3 CURRENT OBSESSION/COLLECTIONS
--all things penguin
--children's books
--hanging out in the baby's room (it just gets me so excited!)

3 SURPRISES ABOUT ME
(hopefully Hot Lips will read this one day and will find some interesting nuggets about what makes me tick!)
--I love all things bran (cereal, muffins, I even put wheat germ on bran flakes for an added 'kick')
--I love cleaning (ask me in 10 years and I'm sure I'll have a different opinion!)
--I love listening to the radio (I don't purchase CD's or download music online)

June 16 - I Heart NY

Baby Yamo and I traveled to upstate NY this past weekend for our baby shower. Although I had a nasty head cold, we still had a great time!! It was fabulous seeing Grandma Cook as well as all my old friends and neighbors!

The big event was Saturday afternoon. Grandma Cook decorated the room with the help of Grandma Yamo (Grandma Yamo traveled up with me from Florida to attend) and the room looked amazing. The tables were decorated with flowers, butterflies, dragonflies and Disney stuffed animals. It was beautiful. Everyone ate a delicious lunch and then it was present time...I can definitely say that Hot Lips is a spoiled, spoiled princess! We received the most beautiful gifts-many adorable outfits (she will be the best dressed baby in Gainesville), stuffed animals, a fab diaper bag, many books (there can never be too many!), a car mirror, toys, and essentials like bibs, wash clothes, diapers, wipes, bottles, first aide kits, breast feeding essentials, etc. Oh-and I can't forget to mention the cute baby shoes (so tiny) and little swimsuits!

So, thank you so much to everyone who was able to come, it was so great seeing all of you! I hope you all had as much fun as Baby Yamo and I!

June 9 - The Home Stretch

30 weeks and counting..Hot Lips will make her grand debut in 8-12 weeks (the doctor always says our due date is 8/20 plus or minus 2 weeks, although I'm measuring perfect for 8/20). From everything I've read, first babies generally arrive late. If that is the case, we may have a September bambino on our hands! Either way, J.D. and I are super excited to finally meet our little one!

It is interesting, sometimes I feel like I have been preggers FOREVER while other times I feel like it was just yesterday that I was jumping around the house screaming 'woo hoo' after seeing the plus sign. Now, a human baby will be in the house soon (I say human because Amelia holds the title of furry baby) and I'm officially going to be a 'mommy' (yes, I will definitely be a 'mommy' and NOT a 'momma'. I may currently live in the south, but I'll always be a Yankee at heart!).

Before I sign off for today I would like to give a BIG congratulations to Lisa and Eric on baby Cooper. He is absolutely gorgeous! Lisa-I am so proud of you and I know you will be the best mom ever. Your dad also looks so proud in the photos, I have a feeling Cooper will be be watching all the Giants games with him this fall! (at the same time, Baby Yamo will be cheering on the Bucs in her little chearleader outfit down here).

Tootles!

June 8 - Hot Lips First Crush

Tall - check
Blond - check
Successful - check
Young & Age Appropriate - mmm, not so much

She's a little young to already have a crush but I must report that Hot Lips has a thing for....brace yourselves...Al Trautwig. For those of you unfamiliar with Al, he is an NBC sports commentator. You may be familiar with his work on the pre and post-game shows for the Knicks and Rangers. However, my little chiquita was introduced to him this weekend via the US National Gymnastics Championships (he commentates with Tim Daggett and Elfi Schlegal). He's been working the gymnastics circuit since 2000 and doesn't really know what he is talking about, but every time he made a comment Baby Yamo did a somersault. And I mean every comment-this went on for during the men and women's competitions Saturday and Sunday for a few hours each day! So I determined she either has a thing for Al or she has already fallen in love with the sport of gymnastics and just happened to 'flip' with excitement every time he spoke.

May 19 - Third Trimester!

The third trimester is here-only 13 weeks left until Hot Lips makes her grand entrance!

Here are my stats so far:
Weight Gained: 16 lbs
Inches Grown: +5" bust, +5" waist (yes, the tummy is growing but I still have a waistline)
Food Cravings: none
Food Aversions: no food aversions, but I am VERY sensitive to cigarette smoke, even a small whiff makes me nauseous
Exercise Routine: walk approx. 12-15 miles per week with the pooches, climb the stairs at the stadium twice a week (approx. 2.5k steps per visit), perform (low weight) arm exercises 5 days a week as well as lunges
Look Pregnant? yes! Especially in tight clothes. I'm waiting for a stranger to ask if I'm expecting but it hasn't happened yet (only a matter of time). I still fit in a few pre-preggo pants, t-shirts, shorts and dresses... otherwise I'm wearing mostly maternity clothing now.


All in all, the 2nd trimester was one of great growth (both for me and the bambino). I feel huge already (note that I'm not measuring my hips..because I'm afraid to know how much they are widening!). Thinking about doubling in size in the coming months in combination with the FL heat and humidity is a little intimidating, but I know I'll handle it. Hot Lips health is the important thing, and I had an appointment today and the doctor said everything is perfect so far!

May 7 - Dessert? No thanks, I just ate a volleyball & I'm full

Hello fabulous peeps-you may be happy to know that I officially 'popped' and finally look pregnant. I look like I swallowed a volleyball!! I'll post some photos soon (I know some of you are anxious to see the growing belly that is Hot Lips). I'm not sure if I posted this earlier-but for the last few weeks you can see her moving by looking at my stomach. She seems to enjoy kicking on my right side...just as I'm laying down to sleep at night!

In other news-J.D. completed an Olympic distance triathlon this past weekend in Miami. He did AMAZING. Please congratulate him next time you see him. Hot Lips is already proud of her daddy!

And..don't forget to play the name game! We've only received a few entries so far. If you are confused as to how to play, you have two strategies:

*guess a name that you think we will choose OR
*submit a name that you think will be a great fit for Hot Lips (someone could submit a name that we never thought of before that we fall in love with).

Either way-this is a FUN contest!! Remember, yummy baked goods if there is a winner!

April 22 - The Name Game, Start Playing Now!

The Name Game

Do you think you know what moniker Hot Lips will end up with? Or maybe you have a fab name you want to suggest..either way, this contest is for you!!

Submit your entry via e-mail per the instructions below. Only 1 entry per person! We don’t guarantee that anyone’s submission will be used-but you never know!

The winner (or winners if multiple people guess the correct name) will receive delicious homemade baked goods from yours truly. Depending on your geographic location, you’ll receive banana bread, chocolate chip cookies, and/or yummy cake. You’ll also be the happy recipient of an adorable framed photo of Hot Lips once she arrives (seriously..with all these great prizes, how can you not enter a name??)

Naming Suggestions (encouraged, not required)

1. Incorporate wit, whimsy or thoughtfulness into your entry.
2. Consider a character name from a book, TV show or movie, or an historical figure. The name should have a story behind it, something we can sink our mental hooks into.
3. The baby's name should not be too crazy because her last name is uncommon (she should be able to spell her full name in kindergarten without trouble). I urge you to use the name lookup services at the US Social Security Administration to gauge the popularity of the name.
4. Avoid names meaningful to you because of your own family history. We really don't care that your grandmother was named Wenceslas. Sorry.

How to Enter the Contest

1. Send an e-mail to Christine.yamokoski@gmail.com with the word "CONTEST" in the subject line

2. Propose a first name for Hot Lips. (We already have ideas for the middle name but you are welcome to make suggestions)

3. In your own words, tell us about the baby name.

**The contest is open until August 1^st**

The Winner

The winner will be announced after Hot Lips arrives. Remember: J.D. and I will not be disclosing the name until she arrives to anyone (for those of you who attempt to pry the name out of us, our lips are sealed!)

Happy Name Guessing!!

April 7, 2008 - Sisterly Bond

Fab news everyone-Hot Lips is kicking!! Both J.D. and I felt her for the first time on Friday, April 4th. It was very exciting-I have been waiting to feel the light 'fluttering' that everyone talks about but never did (which I'll admit was concerning me a little) but I'm definitely feeling firm kicks now. If you put your hand on my stomach you can totally feel them. It is unbelievable! She is swimming circles in there having a great time.

However, the most amazing thing is that Hot Lips seems to have bonded with Amelia, they are on similar cycles! She sleeps when Amelia sleeps and is active when Amelia is up and about. Even more incredible-she kicks strongly when Amelia cries (yes, our canine baby is very vocal). They are forming a sisterly bond already!

April 1- A Universal Adventure

Baby Yamo isn't born yet but I suspect she has done more in utero than most kids under age 5. Seriously, a cruise, road trips, business trips, visits to various cities in the southeast. She is an accomplished traveler already. Now we can add "Orlando Vacation" to her list.

This past weekend, one of my friends from Austin came into town and we went to both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Of course, I am limited due to my current state, but I was able to do a few virtual rides (Shrek and Terminator) as well as catch some shows (Fear Factor, special effects and makeup, singing and dancing monsters [which was cheesy, but I'm a total cheeseball so I loved it]). Although I couldn't ride any coasters, we still had a blast. Needless to say, I can't wait to take Baby Yamo on the real rides (the kid rides in the next 5 years or so, and the real rides when she is tall enough, assuming she is like her parents who LOVE rollercoasters).

In terms of the pregnancy, I am thrilled to report that the nausea has more or less passed. I even cooked last night for the first time in four months (stuffed peppers, they were delish. I even made a fruit salad!). Physically, my lower stomach ligaments feel like they are stretching. Well-to be honest, they are definitely stretching-I've woken up in pain the last few nights!! I think I'll be sporting a basketball belly sooner rather then later. I will not be one of those women who doesn't show until month 7 (if they truly exist). I continue to meet women who tell me they didn't show until month 7...but I'm beginning to suspect some consider 'wearing maternity clothes' synonymous with 'showing.' Because I'm pretty certain I can buy bigger regular clothes for a long while without going maternity, but I will definitely be growing in the midsection!!

Have a great April Fools Day everyone!
*Tootles*