Kerstin's Blog

I had planned on taking part in the 3 day breast cancer walk in San Diego on Nov. 22nd www.the3day.org but since I will likely be giving birth right around that time, I have had to delay until next year. But, I wanted to remind everyone to get tested frequently and support the fight against breast cancer any way you can.  I am walking in honor of my mom Kathy who is, right now, kicking breasts cancers butt!  Here is a picture of her with us over the weekend.

She has gone through chemo and has her 1st of many surgeries in October.  I am also walking in honor of my co-anchor Bill Griffith, who is a breast cancer survivor.   Then, as if it couldn’t get any closer, I had to have a biopsy last week to rule out breast cancer.  It was a terrifying thing to have to do at anytime, but even more so when pregnant.  It just reminds me that it can happen at anytime to anyone, so please, take care of yourself and get tested!

In other news, baby number 2 is now 4lbs 7oz, and she is sucking the life out of me  We just started our new 4:30am newscast and that combined with being pregnant and having an infant is making me sooo tired.  You will have to tune it at 4:30 to get my full energy because by 6:30am I am ready for a nap!

Here are some pics of Grace at the beach this weekend.  She loves the ocean!

Yes, I am looking quite large these days on that Green Screen. Just remember the camera adds 10 pounds and the Green Screen adds another 5  I am trying my hardest not to let the baby cover up the temperature in your neighborhood but it is getting harder and harder.  Many of you keep asking if I am going to give birth any day now, but the truth is I still have about 8 weeks left. I am due mid November.  At last check baby is 4lbs and perfect.

We are getting some professional pictures taken this weekend so hopefully I will have some good pictures to post next week.  Any tips on how to get Grace to pose for pictures.  These days, this is her favorite pose.  Sucking on that hand of hers!

Grace and I (and the dogs) are doing all we can to stay cool in this late summer/fall heat!!

I am truly dreading next week!  It looks like temperatures will be back up well above where it is comfortable for a pregnant woman and an infant.  

I will be out at the Coastal Clean Up Day on Saturday, hopefully bringing Grace and my husband. Last weekend we went to the Paddle For Clean Water in Ocean Beach.

I usually take part in the paddle out but obviously could not this year.  Actually no one got to do it this year since the waves were way to high, they actually cancelled the paddle.  We still enjoyed the comfortable temps and helping to Sustain San Diego!  

I know you all love the photos of Grace and the dogs.  Here we are during a walk to the beach last weekend.  Pumpkin likes to bite the stroller if Grace is crying, Gourdie, as expected, is usually afraid of the stroller .

I have 60 days (yes I am now counting days) left until the second baby comes, and I am seriously getting bigger every day.  I never thought I’d have a hard time with getting around or doing day to day activities but boy was I wrong!!! This baby owns me!  She is very very active and I can feel her doing summersaults all the time.  Sleeping is very hard, plus I have a hard time bending over, getting up and down, you name it. No more power walking for me so I have taken up swimming and that feels real good.  I really want to stay active as long as I can, even when all I want to do is sit with my feet up. She is also taking away my brain.  Last week I put my feet up after the morning show and noticed I was wearing 2 different shoes…and not 2 of mine…one of my black flip flops and one of my husbands!  

Were hoping Grace will sleep through the night before the second baby comes.  She is almost there, going down at 6:30 then up to eat at 12 then sleeps until 6:30am  (well past when mommy has gone to work.)  If we could just get rid of the midnight feeding that would be Ideal. She loves to be swaddled, and of course being held.  Anyone have any other tricks?

It’s great to be back after another 2 weeks off to enjoy Grace.  When I found out Grace was coming I had planned on being off through the Labor Day weekend but then when I found out I was pregnant I had to cut that short.  We had already booked this trip to see the family in Florida and couldn’t cancel so I just had to split up the leave a bit.  So now I have 2 of my 3 part maternity leave finished!  Im officially 30 weeks pregnant and I will be on the air every day until the doctor or this baby makes me stop.

Florida was wonderful.  It’s amazing how “vacation” is very different with an infant, and even more so when you are 8 months pregnant.  It was very hot and humid in Florida but at least have air conditioning there (which we dont have here and with this heat that has been hideous) and we pretty much live in the pool or the ocean.  We already knew Grace loves the beach, but now she is a water baby too, just like her mom and dad. 

Grandma Gigi got her all the baby water gear, spf 100 clothing, hat and pediatrician approved sunscreen for the places that were exposed.  She looks miserable, but she really is loving it.  We had tons of help in Florida, lots of aunts and uncles and cousins so we actually got to relax a bit and I managed to finish a whole book.  Amazing!

We ended up buying her a baby pool that was shallow enough that she could just lay in there and splash on her own. She would do this for about 1/2 hour then fall asleep in the shade listening to the ocean, then wake up and eat in the pool and repeat.  What a life! Check out that purple thing she is sleeping on.  It is a cool pad.  Somehow, without using water or being in the freezer, it just stays cool on its own.  I guess they are used for dogs a lot (we need them for our poor guys with this heat) but it worked perfect to make sure she was cool as well.  Another find from Gigi of course.

Baby #2 decided to get MUCH bigger in the past couple weeks.  I am feeling VERY pregnant these days, super clumsy and I have to hit the restroom every 10 minutes! Lucky for me, in the monrings I give you the weather every 10 minutes, so I have breaks in between. 

We got home and Pumpkin (dog #1) licked Grace for a good 3 minutes.  They missed us as much as we missed them. But, Grace is a bit off with the time difference.   I am praying we can get her on a schedule and sleeping through the night before baby # 2 comes in 10 short weeks.  It has been so much harder than I imagined.  So many theories on how to get them trained.  Again, my husband is a saint for doing the night time feeding and being home with her.  We are so blessed for that!