Operation Induction has begun!

So, my impatience has totally kicked in and since there isn't much to do in this tiny little hotel, we decided to explore some "suggested" induction activities.

There is a place in Tujunga Village (Studio City) where they serve a salad for pregnant ladies close to or past their due date. The story goes, women who eat this salad go into labor by the next day! There is a lot of fanfare around THE Salad, and some good stories to go along with it. My favorite story is the lady who ate the salad and started having contractions only four hours later.
So, for lunch I had THE Salad. I wasn't sure whether the "half" salad would do, or if I would have better luck with the full size version - nobody ever wrote how much you had to eat for it to work! Since there isn't much room in my tummy right now anyway, I chose the half portion. It was pretty good - nothing gross about it - quite classy, in fact.It's officially been two hours since THE Salad and so far I don't feel anything. But we do have a doctor's appointment in a few more hours, so maybe he'll notice some physical changes? Because honestly, I have no idea if she's dropped, if I'm effaced or dialated, or if I'm having any "symptoms" of labor. I'm pretty sure it's all going to sneak up on me since I refuse to read about birthing stories and such.

Either way - I'm ready for her!

Check out the Caioti Pizza Cafe website and the fun stories about THE Salad at:
www.caiotipizzacafe.com
www.maternitysalad.com

Let the fun begin!

Ok, it's official. I'm on maternity leave. And boy am I having a ball! For the last three days, I've been able to sleep in, take naps, watch loads of TV and even hit the mall! Last night, Derek took me to my first Dodger's game. He's been to a dozen or so since we've been out here, and he said there was no way I could leave this town without experiencing America's pastime.

So, yes, at 9 1/2 months pregnant, I strapped on my best walking shoes and took the challenge. Parking miles away from the stadium, climbing the stairs to our upper deck destination, eating potentially super-contaminated Dodger Dogs - all of it. And here I sit this morning no closer to a labor contraction. Man, I was sure that would help throw me into labor!
We had a great time though - it was a night game, and the evenings in LA are the best weather I've ever experienced. We saw Blake (I'm pretending to know who that is) hit a homerun, and Derek swears he saw "Stiffler" from American Pie. I was in line for food, so I cannot actually confirm the star sighting, but highly possible he did. I mean I did sit next to Molly Shannon on Monday while getting a pedicure, so the odds are high that you will see celebrity.

Click here to see more Dodger game pics. Or paste this link into web browser: http://picasaweb.google.com/dpage14/KimSFirstDodgerSGame#

But the game ended with a Dodger win and we captured some more memories to share with everyone. Alright, I've been up a bit, maybe I should go take a nap now or something? Hey, the doc keeps telling me to rest now - something about never sleeping again once the baby is born. I'm just listening to orders!!

Stay tuned for more maternity leave adventures and this will be the place we'll post once the baby is actually here (here and Facebook - don't ya love technology).

Another Baby Shower!

Last Friday, May 1, my team threw me an incredibly fabulous (and generous) baby shower to celebrate the coming of little Baby Page. It was huge turnout and all of my favorite work peeps showed up for the event! We had great games and activities - not the normal baby games (yawn!) that can sometimes be the focus of such a gathering - they were quite fun to play!

Also, there were so many gifts, I could not believe how many generous people I work with. Everyone has been so incredibly supportive of me during this time. And really, I just work with the most amazing people - but I've always known that!

My sister, Kristy, was able to make it down for this event (she missed the one in Oklahoma), and I was so happy to have her here to lean on. You know how it's always good to have that one person to clutch to in the crowd! She ended up being an honorary host, helping decorate, passing gifts and even buying food for guests - THANK YOU SISTER!!

Check out pics from the shower here. Or paste this link into your browser: http://picasaweb.google.com/dpage14/BabyShowerCalifornia#

She spent the weekend with me and to thank her for her time and generosity, I tried really hard to wear her out with shopping and eating out - I think I succeeded! Here's a pic of us at the Beverly Hills Hotel for brunch on Sunday.

We also had some good times making fun of my big belly. She hadn't seen me since last October when I first started spreading the news! Here's a pic of us being silly as usual.

It was a great weekend, and now I'm so excited for this little girl to come so I can really play with all these new gifts!

See more HUGE belly pics here: http://picasaweb.google.com/dpage14/35WeeksPregnant#