The Date Is Set

Got great news yesterday. Baby has turned and is now head down. YEAH! The doctor said chances are great that he will stay down since the head is the heaviest part of his body and acts like an anchor. I think he must have turned when I had the stomach flu earlier this week. With all the turbulance going on in my stomach, it must have motivated him to make the move on his own.

Also, we have a date set and in the books to be induced on March 11th. I'll be checking in to UCSF at 9am for the festivities to begin. It is exactly 2 weeks ahead of my due date and both my OB and cardiologist feel it would be good timing to ensure my blood pressure remains low. I can't believe I have less than 2 weeks to go, but am busy getting everything in place and ready to go. My last day of work is this Friday and I'm going to try very hard and leave each night on time at 5:30.


We finished his room and just love it. It reminds me a lot of Jason and I and is something that I would find relaxing if I was a baby. My Dad and Bob finished the crown molding and it looks amazing. Clothes are washed and put away and we are busy cleaning every room in the house to minimalize the clutter. By next weekend, our goal is to have everything done, so we can relax and enjoy our last weekend with just the 4 of us (Jay, Marley, Serena and I).


We got his gorgeous crib and changing table in perfect condition on Craigslist for a bargain compared to what they originally paid for it. The family had one child and she never even used the crib. Definitely the way to go, but need to be patient to find the perfect one and act quickly once you find it.


The shelving is from the Container Store and we were so proud that we figured out how to put it together on our own.


The artwork is from Etsy, an online shopping network for artists. I have to recommend it since it is a hidden gem and worth visiting if you are looking for ANYTHING handmade.

The Man Shower

Last weekend Jason's friends decided to throw him a man shower. It was so sweet and thoughtful and couldn't have been planned better. All the way down to the adorable little cupcakes.

OK...I'm totally kidding about the cupcakes, but The Man Shower really did take place only a little different than the type of shower us women throw. Jason and his friends headed out to the city for a night of partying, dancing and god knows what else. I know they had a good time when I received a text message at 3AM to hear they had made it back to their hotel safely and were playing poker. Jason booked a suite at the Fairmont for them to stay (if only I was so lucky).




In all honesty, I'm happy that he was able to have a fun night out with the guys to celebrate the upcoming arrival of our little guy. I have a feeling "The Man Shower" concept may really catch on. I think Knute was the 1st to be honored with this type of shower and I can only imagine it will be a long running tradition that takes place with each new baby arrival among the guys.

35 Week Update

I went to the doctor's on Thursday and the non-stress test looked perfect, so that was great news. The ultrasound confirmed that he is still in a stubborn position (as he has been for the last 2 weeks), which is called a "transverse lie". A transverse baby is shoulder down or back down, lying sideways across the abdomen. Traverse lie occurs in only 1 out of 2,500 births (so pretty rare, not surprised that I happen to be one of them. Ha ha...what else is new?). The good news is this could be temporary and he still has a week or so to move into the correct head down position before they would even consider scheduling a c-section. If he stays in this position the only option is c-section. At this point, I'm so grateful for having a healthy baby that I'm not going to worry about something that I can't control and have to wait to see what he decides to do.


I also met with my cardiologist who confirmed that the plan is still to induce at 38 weeks, so I've got just under 3 weeks to go. My blood pressure remains to be low from taking the beta-blockers and all other signs point to my heart tolerating everything perfectly. He asked if I was taking things easy and I think he was shocked to hear that I was still working and that I plan to for 2 more weeks. Majority of his patients decide to take months off before since disability kicks in early for pregnant cardiac patients. Little does he know that after work, I'm still keeping busy until 10:00 each night. I promised him that this week, I would start slowing down and taking it easy.

I can't believe I only have a few more weeks to go. I really feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas morning.

The Shower of My Dreams

Last weekend Betty, my Mom, Jen and Heidi threw me the most amazing shower. I couldn't have asked for anything more special and felt so loved. They went all out with the Noah's Ark/Animal theme and walking into the shower I was so touched at how every detail was thought of. From the decorations to the cake to the food and the favors...it was all so perfect.

The Lietz Ladies. Do you think there is a family resemblance?

Jen made this gorgeous diaper cake. In addition, she helped me with opening gifts. I couldn't have gotten through it without her expertise.

3 Generations, almost 4. This will be Jason's grandma's 1st Great-Grandchild.


My Dad made this cake that was modeled after the cake my Mom had at her baby shower. He is so creative with cakes, I think he should get into a side business.

I was so moved by how many friends showed up. There is something very emotional about being in a room filled with all of your favorite people in one place. I loved that I did one big shower since it allowed friends from all different parts of my life (high school, college, work, bible study, family friends) to all meet each other. Looking around the room, I was constantly reminded of how blessed I am to be bringing a baby into the world that includes so much support from friends and family.

I feel so blessed with so many wonderful girlfriends.

Our little guy was showered with so many gifts and I think he is sure to be one of the most fashionable babies around. He got the cutest clothing and I am already imagining him in all the outfits. I also got all the necessary toys, books, gadgets and gear so I feel that I'm all set and ready for him to arrive.

One of my favorite parts of the day was going home and sharing all the gifts with Jason. He felt so blessed that friends were so generous with all their thoughtful presents and he even wanted to read every card.

Thank you to everyone who came or sent a gift. It was such a memorable day that I will remember for the rest of my life and made me feel so special.

Valentine's Day

I love Valentine's Day being on a weekend. You actually get to spend the day with the one you love and do what you love together. For Jason and I that meant a lazy morning at the house, cooking breakfast, doing some chores, relaxing and then dinner at night. I guess when you are married for 5 years, your expectations of this romantic holiday turn more into a day of just enjoying each other. We have never been big gift givers for this holiday, but the day before I came up with a brilliant idea.

It went something like this:

H: Have you bought me anything for Valentines Day yet?

J: No, have you?

H: No.
Want to go see Coldplay as our gift to each other.

J: Definitely.

So that morning, I got pre-sale tickets to Coldplay for this July. Couldn't think of a better gift than a concert we get to enjoy together.



Last night we went to dinner at Montclair Bistro. I felt like trying somewhere new and this place looked so cute. It is in Oakland and was perfect. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quaint location with amazing food. They have a Sunday brunch that looks great, so we are excited to bring our family back.

Our Week of Tests

Let the monitoring begin. Starting at 32 weeks, I began to go into UCSF weekly for non-stress tests. This test consists of a quick ultrasound to check the amniotic fluid and then monitoring of the babies heart rate and contractions for a half an hour. This test is done to monitor the activity of the baby and to ensure that as the baby moves that the heart rate also increases. They consider you to "pass" the test as long as there are 2 increases within the timeframe.

Last week, we didn't pass the test as the babies heart rate stayed constant throughout the entire time period. This worried the doctor's a little, so they had me go back 3 times this week for further testing. Luckily by the next day, the baby was back to responding as he should be and they were reassured by Friday since he had 3 positive tests. Now I'm back to only going weekly...YEAH!!! I have to thank my Dad for bringing me to my appointments this past week. He picked me up at work, drove me into the city and sat with me as they did the tests. As he would see the heart rate rise on the monitor, he would give me the updates, it was very cute. I'm so lucky to have him and am constantly reminded of how blessed I am to have such an amazing Dad. He also got to come with me for my ultrasound this past week and I think it was fun for him to experience. My doctor has been doing monthly ultrasounds to check for growth. The baby measured right on and was even a little on the big side, so we were thrilled with that news. I asked the tech at the end if they could see the face, but due to his positioning and timing his face is no longer visible. So all we were left with was his little ear. I was kind of happy that we couldn't see him since now we have a real surprise to look forward to. I can't wait to meet him and see what he looks like. Only a few more weeks!!!

Danielle's Bday In Santa Cruz

One of the best things ever about working at Diablo Publications, was meeting Danielle. She was my cube neighbor where we instantly became the best of friends and we had so much fun together. Yesterday was her birthday and she rented a GIANT land yacht to head up to Santa Cruz to go wine tasting. This is my 2nd wine tasting birthday excursion while being pregnant. As I definitely miss trying all the wines, I still had a great time and most importantly I know she had a fun and festive birthday.



I never realized how many wineries are in the Santa Cruz mountains. Beware...if you are planning on going definitely have a designated driver. The roads are very windy and you have to drive on a 2 lane road with steep cliffs for part of the trip. A few people got carsick and our driver was pretty talented to manuever the 30-seater bus through the mountains. But once you make it up the mountain, it is gorgeous.



Here are some photos of the winery we went to. It was 70 degrees and the mountains were so green. It truly was so peaceful and the surroundings were amazing.


I am always reminded of how many gorgeous places there are to visit in California. We are so blessed.


The vineyards


The ladies of the party


The ride home was very eventful. Especially as being a sober participant. Jason made a mix tape that got everyone dancing. I had a great time watching everyone have fun. The craziest thing I saw was a guy who looked a pale shade of green smash a wine glass over his head. I'm not sure if it was on purpose or an accident, but luckily the only injury was to his hand.


Here I am 8 months pregnant. I think it is inevitable that our little guy will have a love for music. He has had his fair share of rocking out at some recent parties.