The Name Game

Everyone has been asking if we have chosen a name for BBF (Baby Boy Fein) so I thought we should just confirm that YES, we have chosen a name. Furthermore, NO, we will not tell you! :) We have elected to keep the name a secret so everyone will have a nice surprise on his Birth day. Additionally we would like to keep our options open, just in case another name comes along... we would hate for people to send us blankets with a name embroidered only to have us change our fickle minds. So basically we are keeping it a secret for your benefit. That's right, this secrecy is all for you.

Also, no, we will not give you a hint. Not even the initials. We are using the English alphabet so that tells you there are only 26 letters it could possibly be. And No, if you guess we will not tell you if you are right, wrong, hot, cold or close. Don't expect us to slip up either because we have spent the last 5 months affectionately referring to BBF as "Barry"and will call him that until his birth.

Ok, how about if we tell you that we are NOT naming him Barry. According to my Baby Name book The Very Best Baby Name Book; 60,000+ Names, that means there are only 59,999 possibilities and half of those are for girls. I know, that was a generous hint. You're welcome.

Snow Everywhere!

Yesterday (Wednesday) I woke up early to check on "Winter Storm '08" (duh, duh , dummmm...) and found there was no snow on the ground and the news channels said there was not any snow in the Seattle area (it was all further north or south). Driving to work, the news reported that the Kirkland and Bellevue school districts would be closed... while i was driving through Kirkland and Bellevue with no snow in sight. Most all my coworkers made it to work and we all laughed at the weatherman and scoffed at how they were making a mountain out of a mole hill. Well, i woke up this morning to 3 inches of snow and big, fat flakes falling. I was unable to get off of the hill we live on so it was a "snow day" for our family as Mike worked from home. My house is now pretty clean and nearly every piece of fabric in the house has been washed, dried and folded and I started on a baby quilt. Very productive.

After I called work, I got back into bed with Mike and Winston and while they snoozed i watched the flakes fall past the bedroom window. The house was completely silent... the furnace was between cycles, the refridgerator was not humming, people were still inside at 7am... it was so peaceful and it made me think that this was one of those perfect moments in life. Absolutely beautiful to all my senses. And then I thought about how this moment may not happen again for a really long time with a baby who does not understand snooze buttons or snow days. And so I decided to stay in bed for a couple more hours cuddled up with the family. It was wonderful.

Now, Seattle does not have many snow events, maybe just 1 a year or 1 every other year but snow isn't that much of a novelty, especially becuase you can hit a ski slope about 60 minutes from town. Oddly enough, my sister Chyna called me this morning from Las Vegas and said "IT'S SNOWING! AGAIN!" and that the schools in LV had closed today. In my 18 years living in that town, i only recall it snowing twice and I didn't even know what a snow day was. I just flipped on the tv and the national news is showing pictures of The Strip with palm trees covered in snow. Weird. It's like hell freezing over. Now THAT is a novelty and Chyna can tell her kids about the "Winter Storm '08."

It does look like we will be in for bad weather and driving for the next several days but it will warm up before Christmas so no White Christmas this year. Mike played with Winston a little bit out side... Winston LOVES snow and ice and so he was in heaven today.

Kid Brother And Meeeee!

Here's a photo of my little brother Jonathan and I at our PreSchool probably about 1984... i think Jon is about 3 here. I can swear I remember taking this picture, but then again it is one of my favorites so I can't be sure that I am not conjuring this memory from the photo. Thanks for scanning the pic mom. I miss my lunch box. I also miss being bigger than my little brother (he is more than 6 inches taller than me now... but I got him in girth!)

Additionally here are some costumes that my mom sewed when we were kids (in reference to my first post about the Roman Monkey costume).

Me & Jon in our panda and racoon suites; Cousin Terra as Mrs. Santa Claus and me as a snowflake in the Christmas pagent; Me as a Star during the Christmas pagent; cousins Terra, Derrick and me in a rabbit cosutme (this is the first Halloween I actually have memories of)

Bump at 30 Weeks

I know... you're speachless!

Hiccup-o-pot-a-mus

Although I have read that babies can have hiccups in utero, I had totally forgotten about it until someone brought it up late last week. At the suggestion, I began thinking about this funny series of movements I had occasionally been feeling and made a "note to self" to pay attention next time. Well, since last Friday I think this kid has had the hiccups about twice a day every day! I am sure that I am feeling hiccups because they are low in my belly where his head is and they are more or else rhythmic in frequency... the most similar sensation to compare it to is as if I can feel a little heartbeat. Very cool. Not sure if twice a day is more or less than usual so I will ask the doc when I see her on Wednesday.

My kid may be a hiccup-o-pot-a-mus but I feel like a hippopotamus! I'm still not sure how I can possibly get any bigger...

An End to Monkey Business

I wanted to share a picture of the completed Roman Monkey that I blogged about in November. If you click here you will be directed to a photo albulm of all the monkeys that were submitted; in the end they decided that "everyone was a winner" which upsets my competetive side however there were a lot of cute entries. The monkeys were taken to Ronald McDonald House which houses families of extrememly ill children that are being treated at Seattle Children's Hopsital. When they delivered the monkeys, they lined them all up on a large couch to take photos during which time a father without his child happened by. My coworker informs me that the man said he just had to get one for his son at which time he emphatically stated that our Roman Monkey had to be The One. Therefore my competivite side has rationalized that our monkey was clearly the winner. :)

Thanksgiving

You would think that with a long weekend I would have plenty of time to post to the blog... and actually I did have time however I find that my desire to sleep is increasing again. On weekends I enjoy going to bed early-ish and sleeping in late (it's so easy to sleep in when Michael doesn't get up either!) and then inserting a nap whenever possible. In fact, as people ask me "how are you feeling" my reply is "Great, just tired!" I do really feel great other than a little bit of discomfort from my muscles and ligaments stretching apart... I keep asking myself, "how can I possibly get any bigger!" Well, this baby is a Fein so I have no doubt that my body will make some big adjustments to come!

Thanksgiving weekend was busy but fun. On T-Day we met up with Michael's family at his parent's house and had a delicious meal (great turkey Dres & Steve!) and also celebrated sister Rae Ann's birthday; the last time Rae Ann's bday fell on T-Day she was about 12 and we were all at Disneyworld and I remember her just glowing the whole time since it was as if the whole vacation was planned just to celebrate her big day (that was a great trip). The best part of her birthday (from the pregnant girl's point of view) was the Princess Torte cake from Hoffman's Bakery... I LOVE this cake! Had we been married in Seattle i would have ordered a 4 tier version of this for sure! Layers of sponge cake, whipped cream and raspberry, covered with marzipan... mmm... marzipan...

Additionally, it was also Winston's 3rd birthday (our little boy is getting so big!) so as a special treat we allowed him to sleep on the bed and he was in heaven! The next morning he refused to even open his eyes when we tried to wake him up... he literally pretends to be asleep and a 70 pound dog is hard to just push off the bed so he manages to get some extra cuddle time in when he plays this game (and honestly we don't mind so much, he's so snugly!).

On Friday after work, we met up with Michael's clan to take the annual Kids Christmas Photo at the Macy's in downtown Seattle; this has been Dreslain's tradition since Alexis was born and she reports that every child has been in every yearly photo as they were born (except 1 year were Alexis couldn't make it) - that's very impressive! Here is a picture we took with our camera; unfortunetly the tendency to blink runs in the family.

Saturday we went to the Pink Door (in Post Alley at Pike Place Market) for dinner to celebrate our friend Brian's 30th birthday. It's always great going out with friends although someone asked "who's next? Who's still under 30?" and the answer is basically James is next and then I realized in my head that his wife Krissi is next and then it will be ME! UG! Of course 30 is just a number and no big deal but it is one of those milestones you never think you are going to reach when you are 16 or 21 or even 25. Actually my goal was to have a baby by the time I was 30 so thank you Baby Fein for complying! It actually makes the whole milestone feel like a good thing.

Sunday I spent 2 hours at Babies'R'Us finishing up my Baby Registry (thank you Ali & Darcie for your lists!) and was just exhausted when I got home (so i took a nap!). That evening we headed to our favorite Mexican Restaurant in Redmond for din-din and tried out the new movie theater in Redmond Town Center. I had heard it was nice but we certainly didn't realize what we were walking in to. It is a "luxury" movie theater with a lounge, concierge service, a server during the show to order drinks, dinner or dessert and HUGE comfy chairs that recline to nearly 180 degrees. Click HERE to take a tour of the place. It was expensive but it was probably the most comfortable this pregnant girl has been in awhile.

I neglected to mention that my dear husband painted the hallway (twice!) and painted the ceiling in the new bathroom and gave the walls another coat. Home Depot is his home-away-from-home these days but the good news is that we project the remodel should be mostly done by this Saturday. I have been taking pictures throughout but thought I would do one post about the whole thing so you can see the progression in the pictures. 5 days and counting until I get to soak in the new jetted tub!!!

Bump at 27 weeks

Hey, hey, hey... it's FAAAAT Raina! I am actually 28 weeks this week but i can only take pictures and post them so fast!

More Monkey Business

This monkey is literally "business." At work we have teams that were each assigned a stuffed monkey to dress up for a contest with the monkeys going to deserving children during the holidays. Long story short, all the monkeys are named "Roman" so our team agreed to make our little guy a Roman Gladiator. Considering I am on a sewing kick, I volunteered to sew the costume, however i have never made such a thing in my life. Despite this small set back, I managed to do a pretty good job as you can see. My team mates are going to make him a helmet and shield and we really want to build him a chariot, although none of us has any idea how to pull that off. In any case, yeah for me, I'm proud of this costume. There is a red cape that's hard to see here and the "kilt" looking thing is buttoned on... i tried to make this costume interactive for the kids so parts can be removed with buttons or velcro.

My mom used to sew our costumes every Halloween and we even won a city costume contest the year she made me a Court Jester. I got a VHS copy of E.T" and like 50 bucks, but i just recall being bummed about ET becuase i always thought that movie was boring as a kid. My husband reports that ET scared the crud out of him so he hated that movie. I think it still scares him. I, on the other hand, just crave Reeses Pieces when i watch it. Well I hope to be able to sew some cool costumes for Baby Fein eventually.

Sock Monkey Curtains

I was very relieved to finish the sock monkey curtains today. I enjoy sewing projects, but I realized I don't like things that I can't finish in one weekend. Since I am too busy and tired to sew during the week, the unfishished project just looms overhead like a storm cloud and this project took 3 Sundays, about 15 hours total. But then again I was figring out how to make it as I went along (I didn't find anything on YouTube that would teach me my vision).

Dawg Days

On Saturday we got together with a bunch of our friends to tailgate prior to the UW Huskies vs. UCLA and we were excited to have Winston join us. Thanks to Brian Coyle for the awesome Husky jersey he gave to us last Christmas! Mike is wearing his beloved "FUCLA" shirt the guys had printed Sophomore year in college. Here are my boys hanging on the stoop taking a breather after packing the Saab to leave for the game

All our friends at the tailgate!

A Wedding from a Wedding

Friday night we attended a wedding that was a result of our wedding 3 1/2 years ago. Our buddy Steve met his bride Sonya when she attended our wedding with a freind of Mike's from college. Had they both not attended, there would never have been another situation (at least in our circle) where their paths would have crossed. Their wedding was beautiful, held at the Lake Union Cafe which has great decor and fantastic food. Weddings are also one of the few times we can get all our friends together for a party since some have moved out of state. Webers & Hansens, you'd better find Khoo a girlfriend or move back here otherwise we may not see you altogether again any time soon!

Sir Kicks-A-Lot

A few days ago I was sitting at my desk at work, as usual clacking away on the keyboard when the baby started kicking. I have been feeling his kicks for some time, however he evidently prefers the breach position so they are usually really low in my abdomen. However on this particular day he must have turned around becuase his kicks were really high up, seemingly just below my ribs. What was amazing to me was that becuase of the position and the strength of that little leg, I suddenly noticed the skin of my belly protruding with each kick! I know this is old hat for those of you with kids, but this was a milestone for us so I immediatly called Michael so we could be amazed together. Sunday night I was lying on the bed and we stared at my tummy for a few minutes watching the little guy play soccer with my uterus, making my belly dance around.

I will post a belly shot shortly... never fear it's plenty big and won't disappoint (I just need to download pictures from my camera)!

Dawn of a New Era

All of you know by now that our President Elect is Barack Obama. Michael, Winston and I watched the election returns Tuesday night eagerly anticpating the annoucement (all the while eating "Election Night Fajitas" from the local Mexican joint) . While it was obvious to us that the networks refused to call the election even though the math worked out in Obama's favor, it was still amazing at 8:01 PST when they annouced the polls were closed on the West coast and that Barack Obama would be the next president of the United States. We couldn't help but acknolwedge that this historic moment brought a tear to our eyes, not only becuase he would be the first African American president but also because our son would be born under his administration, which we hope will be a time of positive change for our country and our society. Without stirring up a political discussion, I have to say we have President Bush to thank for Obama's election... I honestly believe that if our country were not in such a mess that our citizens might not have been ready for this step forward. In any case, whatever your political beliefs, I hope that you are looking forward to the change that is at our doorstep.

Sew Busy

On Saturday, I busied myself with sewing a couple "Hooter Hiders" which are basically modesty covers for nursing mothers. There is a piece of boning at the top that causes it to bow out enough for mom to see the baby and allow air flow while the strap around the neck keeps it from slipping off. I made one for my friend who recently had a baby and one for myself (the brown/turquoise one). I feel a remarkable sense of satisfaction knowing that I made something myself at a quarter of the cost and the item is unique so I won't see every other mom with the same item. My Sunday project it to make curtains for the baby's room.

Following in his father's footsteps, Michael became politically active Saturday volunteering for the local Obama campaign. He and Jerremy Hunley spent four hours canvassing Bellevue in an effort to ensure people get out and vote (hopefully for Obama and local Dems). In the late '70's & early '80's, Earl Fein was an activist in the local Democratic party meanwhile Dreslaine was a "Michael P. Keaton," active with the local Republicans; evidently they were even featured in the local paper as the "Odd Couple" in the life section. Dreslaine was here at the house when the campaign called asking for volunteers so when he agreed she said, "Your father would have been proud." I am sure Earl would have been proud, but Winston, baby and I are as well.

Saturday night we had dinner with Jerremy & Jessica who introduced us to a Greek restaurant on lower Queen Anne called Panos Kleftiko Greek Taverna. Great food and atmosphere with great friends. I would certainly recommend it, the only catch is you need to take me there with you... baby Fein is definitely a fan of Greek food.

Mmmmm... Pumpkin Cookies...

You can try to write this off as a "pregnancy craving," however those that really know me know that I LOVE anything made with pumpkin and the cravings begin every September. Pumkin Pie, Pumkin Ravioli, Pumpkin Bread, Pumpkin Flan. Today, I may have met my match, thanks to Martha Stewart's COOKIES. Michael said they reminded him of carrot cake with the spices and the frosting and the delciousness involoved... oh, the deliciousness. For the recipe, click here: recipe.

Bump at 23 Weeks

Prego in a Bridesmaid's Dress

Last April or so, my wonderful friend Ashley asked me to be her bridesmaid in May 2009 and I felt so honored! So when it came time to plan for baby Fein, I had hoped that we could time it so that I wouldn't miss out on the wedding. Luckily Baby Fein was quite cooperative and is due February 20th so I will have about 3 months post birth to work on squeezing into a bridesmaid's dress.
On Sunday, several of the maids got together with Ashley and her mom to try on dresses; they sweetly said I looked cute with my bump while I just tried to smile at the fact that I couldn't zip up the dresses. It didn't take long to find the perfect dress we could all agree on, which is the green dress in the picture (it will be espresso brown for the wedding). To my amazment, I barely look pregnant in this picture (although I assure you if I turned sideways you would say "Whoa!"); this gives me some hope that even if I can't breastfeed all the fat away in time I might still be able to pull off wearing this dress! Ashley, the bride, is in the other picture with me.

It's a Boy!

Welcome to my first post. I have no idea if I will be any good at writing interesting content, but I figure that my main reason to start this is so our family can see the kiddo; therefore I know someone will read it.

It's official. Baby Fein is Baby BOY Fein. We would have been happy no matter the outcome, but Michael is very excited. He hasn't admitted it yet but I wouldn't be surprised if he started scouting out the local Little League to find a competitive team with a good coach that feeds into a great high school program. Now he officially has an heir to (a) carry on the Fein name (b) inherit his nice watches (c) teach how to throw a curve ball (d) inherit the Drill he specifically bought with the intent to last to pass along to the next generation and (e) take to Husky Football Games. Winston, our dog, is excited to become a big brother and looks forward to much face licking and eating the scraps of falling food from the high chair. I am looking forward to coming home each day to "the boys" and am just elated to start this journey.

Michael has painted the baby's room a loverly silver-sage green color I found in a Restoration Hardware catalogue and matched at Home Depot. My maternal instincts have already driven me to commit to making curtains, pillows, etc and I bought a serger off of Craig's List (I'm not messing around); of course I'm not much of a seamstress but I already learned how to hem my new maternity pants by a watching a very instructive video on YouTube. I also have plans to do some simple paintings for the room as well. These are just some of my planned projects.

On the other hand, Michael's "nesting" instinct is in overdrive. Monday we start a major remodel. We are blowing out our master bath and turning it into a walk through closet and making the adjacent "office" into a master bath. This is a lot of work that makes me nervous however the thought of a jetted bath tub calms my anxiety. We have decided to hire a contractor to help ensure it is done on time and this project will mark the last of the major renovations on this house (most of you know about the 2006-2007 Kitchen expereince).

I will post some pictures eventually, I just wanted to get this blog going before I didn't do it at all. Enjoy!