hiking runyon canyon

On Saturday, I was itching to get out and exercise, so I decided to go on a long walk. Which turned into a hike to and in Runyon Canyon. At 7.5 months pregnant. All told, I covered about eight or nine miles, which actually sped by quickly — hooray for third-trimester energy. Another late pregnancy perk: Everyone cheers for you! I felt like I was running the NYC marathon, with all the smiling faces and encouragement I got along the way. Anyway, it's so nice to have all that nature and sunshine just a hike away.

my pregnancy must-haves

Now that I'm the home stretch of pregnancy, I thought I'd share all my pregnant-lady recommendations. The truth is that I've barely bought anything these past (almost!) eight months. In fact, my overall lifestyle hasn't changed dramatically — except that I stopped surfing and running in my second trimester and I need more sleep. That said, here are the things that I swear by:

1. Prenatal vitamins. Duh. I bought Nature's Made off of Amazon, plus some krill-oil omega-3's for baby's brain. I've also been loading up on chia and flax in my smoothies and yogurt.

2. What to Expect When You're Expecting. There's really nothing in this book that you can't find online, but it's been fun to read the week-by-week descriptions with Erik. Plus, buying it made me feel like I was being a responsible pregnant lady. Sure, I may be moving cross-country, homeless, and buried beneath deadlines, but, hey, I have a guidebook!

3. Maternity jeans. One of the perks of working from home is wearing leggings all day and not having to invest in maternity wardrobe. I wasn't a fan of those full-belly-panel jeans, so I bought a pair from J. Crew and have pretty much worn them every day since. I also got a similar pair of black skinnies from J Brand to wear to work events. Figure I can wear these post-baby (and tempted to wear them for the rest of my life, since, hello, stretchy waist).

4. Long tops. I have five of these Everlane tank tops in different colors because I love them so much. They're also one of the only shirts that I own that's long enough to stretch over my baby belly. I've mostly been wearing those and Erik's old shirts as a pajamas. I did buy a striped long-sleeve shirt and nursing top from ASOS, and should probably get some shorts soon.

5. Trader Joe's jojoba oil. I think stretch marks are mostly genetic. So far, I've been spared, but I still moisturize with this lightweight oil. I've been showering more often because the heat feels so nice on my muscles, so it's become my moisturizing best friend.

6. Workout DVDs. I got Hilaria Baldwin's yoga for moms-to-be off of a giveaway table at some point, and I've actually been using it! It was a little too slow for my taste during the first two trimesters, but now it's my speed. I also Denise Austin's prenatal cardio workout on YouTube, which is cheesy but gets the job done.

7. Prenatal (kind of) massage. During the second trimester, my back constantly ached; it was adjusting to the new weight of my belly and boobs. So I searched for a good pre-natal massage and learned that they often cost way more, which is annoying. Just for the pillow? In desperation, I went to my local Chinese place. Dude seemed as if he'd massaged pregnant ladies a billion times, and had me lie on my side instead of face-down. It was so good that I literally had tears in my eyes. So worth the $50.

afternoon in malibu

After such a hectic few weeks, we decided to take a mini-break and check out Malibu on Saturday. After a leisurely breakfast at home, we made our way to Santa Monica and then drove north up the Pacific Coast Highway. The city quickly melted into a beautiful coastline dotted with gorgeous homes. In about an hour, we pulled over at a fish shack to eat tacos and soak up the beautiful view.



Surfline said one to two feet, but it looked like perfect two to four feet peelers. I watched as graceful long boarders danced down the waves. I can't wait to get back into the ocean!



Then we headed to El Matador Beach State Park, which is a gorgeous beach set beneath a dramatic rocky ridge. We explored the rock outcroppings, caves, and tide pools. Although it was a spring-like day, a handful of people sunbathed and frolicked in the turquoise ocean.

Afterwards, we feasted on clam chowder and fried oysters and then drove home on a scary, twisty mountain road straight out of a sports car commercial. The scenery was breathtaking, but I was glad Erik was driving. We hit a little traffic coming home, but got home before 7.



What a lovely and relaxing afternoon at the beach! I can see why people call this the Best Coast. I can't wait to explore more of this gorgeous coastline.

6 things… (California edition)

It's been one thing after another over here, but we're rolling with the punches and finding a lot of joy in life. Here are some things we've done recently:

1. Become chain-store regulars. Between setting up our home and buying baby gear, we've become regulars at Target, Babies R Us, IKEA, and Ralph's. Who would've guessed, but we love it! After 15 years of shopping at the local Brooklyn C-Town, I can't stop freaking out in these big box stores: "Erik, look at the selection! Look how cheap this is!" I feel like an alien, or maybe Crocodile Dundee.
2. Gobbled down tacos. It's like we've died and gone to taco truck heaven! So many delicious and fresh options for only $1 a piece. There are two amazing trucks a short walk from our house.
3. Went to yoga. My husband has gone full-on Los Angeles (Angelean?), and I was able to talk him into trying out a class at the studio up the street. We took a beginner class that was a little too gentle (we barely left our backs), so I think we'll step it up next time.
4. Saw our new ob-gyn. I was sweating this, because I'm too far along to find a new one. I was so relieved as soon as she walked into the exam room. She's the kind of woman I'd want to be around if the world was coming to an end.
5. Caught up with my friend Ana. She's another amazing person that I'd want to be around during a crisis. I can't express how awesome it is to have a friend in the city, and one that's a cool surfer mom to boot. She's the best.
6. Bought a stroller, our first major baby purchase. We're totally clueless, so we crowdsourced friends, acquaintances, and random people on the street. We wound up with a Britax travel system … we'll see how it goes!

yesterday...

…Erik's father passed away. Since he lived in Ecuador for the first part of our relationship, I've only got to spend time with him during a handful of holidays, after old age and dementia had taken a toll. But I was always drawn to his kind, mischievous eyes; his affection for animals; and Erik's stories of him as a vivacious character, the life of the party. It's a testament to him that he created the amazing human that's now my husband, my calm guy who has weathered this hectic, tumultuous month with such grace, steadiness, and humor.

pregnancy lately: 28 weeks

Hello, third trimester! I can't believe we're in the home stretch now. (Full disclosure: This pic is from the end of my 27th week, but you get the idea.)

How I'm feeling: Besides my huge belly, I'm feeling like my old self again. Erik and I have been running around Los Angeles, exploring our neighborhood and setting up our home, and I haven't missed a beat. I'm a little slower on my feet and get breathless when walking up stairs. One weird new development: My hands are really achy, almost arthritic-like, in the mornings. I think it's because I always wind up on my back during sleep, restricting circulation and causing swelling.

What I'm wanting: I've read that pregnant women have an innate desire to nest, but that was pushed to the back burner during our move crisis. Now that we're mostly settled, it's kicked in … and I'm on a mission to get baby gear. My rational brain knows that we still have a few months, and there's no need to get everything at once since newborns don't need much. But lately my emotional brain has won, which is why we went to the baby store yesterday. Doing my best to not succumb to marketing and the culture of consumerism, but it's tempting to fall into the "but I want my baby to be safe and happy, so I NEED this $200 electronic warmer thingie!" trap.

What I'm surprised about: The other day, I heard Erik saying, "ohhhh!" from the other room, while I was Googling baby gear. My immediate reaction: "Man, he's watching a music video while I'm doing all the research." I wandered over to his office, and caught him saying "ohhhh!" in reaction to a YouTube video of a V-blogger shutting a stroller with one hand. That man. I love him. (And a reminder that I should never jump to huffy or irrational conclusions.)

What I miss: Our new place is surrounded by so many delicious Japanese restaurants, and I've been so jealous of Erik's spicy salmon rolls and bowls. I also miss my friends, of course, which has got me thinking about making new neighborhood friends for the first time in forever. Should I join a mom's group?

What I love: A few of our dear friends/family are also pregnant/new parents. It's been so wonderful sharing updates and getting advice. Also loving: hearing my mom's joy; feeling baby's kicks inside; and watching Erik become the best dad already. It's also been fun getting congratulations and encouraging smiles from random strangers, now that I'm obviously pregnant.

At the start of this pregnancy, I thought it'd be an experience that I'd want to end as quickly as possible … but I'm actually enjoying this journey. As a tried-and-true tomboy, I've never felt more womanly. What a scary, exciting, and beyond special time … I can't wait to become a mom!

finally home

Well, that was a doozy of a move! Where should I even begin? Let's start with two weeks ago. I was wrapping up loose ends and having a good-bye lunch with a friend when a text from Erik pinged on my phone: "Huge issue with the apartment." My heart skipped a beat. Our worst-case scenario had come true: The place we signed a lease on fell through (looooooong story), so we were essentially homeless in two days. We were packing up all of our worldly possessions, flying cross-country with a cat, and landing in Los Angeles with no place to stay. Gahhhhhh!

Thank heavens I married a level-headed rock of a man. Erik kept me from freaking out, and I've never been so grateful for my Polyanna temperament (although I did fluctuate like a crazy person): "Holy crap, Erik. This sucks! Well, it could be worse. At least we're both healthy and no one is sick. Holy crap, Erik. What are we going to do? "

The next week was spent in full-on crisis mode. We arranged to have our stuff moved to storage; re-routed all of our mail and payments; put the furniture we bought on hold; cleared out our old apartment; scrambled to line up viewings for new apartments; booked temporary housing at an AirBnB; and said good-bye to the best friends in the entire universe. Oh, and stayed up late to meet some deadlines in-between.

Our cat gave us some solace from the mess that was our lives. Although she's terrified to leave the house, she was an angel the entire move. She purred on my lap for cross-country flight, which I'm sure breaks every FAA regulation in the book. (Thank you nice Virgin flight attendants for letting us slide.) We landed late Friday, and on Saturday morning, we hit the ground running. Erik and I were the Amazing Race of apartment hunting; we saw 20-plus homes over the weekend. As it turns out, being desperate and seven months pregnant makes you desirable tenants. We wound up getting our two top choices, and decided on a sweet place in a Spanish-style home. We signed the lease on Tuesday and moved in Wednesday morning.

We're still unpacking, but we love it so far! Our place is surrounded by greenery, flowers, and hummingbirds, but we're a short walk away from delicious restaurants, taco trucks, Trader Joe's (!), parks, and the art museum. There's enough room for Erik and I both to have our own offices, plus a little extra room for baby. So all's well that ends well, but what a time! There's nothing like a crisis to make you truly appreciate your amazing and supportive friends, family, and husband.