Oh holy vacation. Rod joined up with us in Ft. Walton Beach, Florida for a week of relaxation in the sun. We weren’t sure if we were going to get a family vacation in this year with the timing of my pregnancy and Rod’s work stuff. However, the God’s smiled upon us with Rod’s Nursing and Rehab Center’s survey coming early, and me not being too pregnant to travel (although at least 5 people on each leg of every flight we took seemed to be sure I was going to deliver on the plane…thanks for that, strangers).

The first three days of the week were absolute perfection. 80 degrees, light breeze, sugar white sand, good company. Ah. I think I sounded like a broken record with how many times I said, “I can’t get over this weather.”

A well deserved break for the man.

My mom and step dad have had a condo here since the 90s, so we lucked out with some free beach rent. Its not very touristy on this part of Okaloosa Island, and since we came a little off-season we never saw more than 10 people on the beach at a time.

My mom also came along to relieve us of childcare duties. I would recommend that everyone take her on your vaycay. It was so wonderful to have so many people helping with PML that I really felt like I got a vacation from motherhood. Thanks mom!

We invited my cousin Ryan and his family, who live in Louisiana, to join us for a few days. They have a son that is just a few weeks older than Landon and by the end of their stay Landon had deemed him “the friend my best.”

This one was living his bliss. He kept referring to this as “when he got married.” (buried)

PML got some good daddy bonding time while I played photographer.

Hanging out in the “tent.”

I can’t even stand it.

PML’s favorite activity was digging in the sand and chasing the surf.

Seriously, kill me now.

Floating in the salt water was the first time I didn’t feel pregnant in 7 months. It almost brought a tear to my eye to feel like my “old self” again for a few minutes.

This was the view from my belly. (The only picture I took of myself in a bathing suit. Wow, nice outey, eh?)

It gorgeous down here, but it’s called the redneck riviera for a reason…

And of course, it wouldn’t be a family vacation without a trip to the ER.

While we were out at dinner, Landon decided to jump off of the trundle bed and rolled his ankle. He screamed for a half an hour and couldn’t walk on his foot, so we thought he probably broke it. Turns out that it’s nearly impossible for a toddler to brake his foot. Their bones don’t even touch yet. The ER doc said it was either torn ligaments or a bad sprain and that either way they just said to keep him off of it.

And now we have our own personal Tiny Tim. It’s really bizarre when he starts to spout words of wisdom…(“God bless us, everyone”).

PML was pretty much bound to his stroller for the remaining 5 days of vacation. Which again, made me so grateful my mom and Rod were with me. He only suffered from one day of injury depression. He was pretty sad when we brought him out to the beach the next day to dig in the sand and he realized that he was in too much pain to move around and he just had to sit in one spot.

Also, the rain came for 2 days.

By the end of the week the sun came out and Landon was happy again, although he is still not walking, regardless of encouragement or bribes. So we’ll have to take him to the doc when we get home.

Update: ER doc was totally wrong. I took him to the Doc yesterday and they ordered more x-rays only to find that he had 2 broken bones in his foot. The orthopedist said that it’s impossible for a child his age to sprain because their tendons are so strong. Poor little buddy. Regardless, he was a champ and we loved the break from our normal lives.

The last two weeks have been spent doing our “summer vacation,” and since I will be homebound this summer (baby Z is due July 14), this belly of mine and I are trying to fit as much in as possible. Last week, PML and I ditched Rod to visit my Utah family. Below is my vampire son and his two twin cousins at the family ranch. Landon’s face is a perfect illustration of how unsuccessful I am at wrestling this badger of a child in my 7 months of pregnant state. (speaking of badger…that is the brand of sunscreen I used–all natural with no harmful chemicals and looks exactly like toothpaste on a baby’s face.)

I like to head back to Utah as often as I can, but this trip was especially important because 2 months ago my Grandpa Smoot’s cancer metastasized and he was given 2 weeks to live. I had plane tickets to go a few weeks ago but Landon got bronchitis and I couldn’t get on the plane with him. So, I feel really blessed to have gotten a personal visit with Gramps. We are thrilled that he is still around and not in pain (he has prostate and bone cancer). He has such a great attitude and continues to be such an example of faith and optimism even in the face of dying.

We had a family dinner for him and it was great to spend the afternoon enjoying the sunshine and mountain breeze with him and my extended family.

PML and his cousins spent a lot of time “working” during the dinner.

Hour 2: More “work”

In fact, when I went out to check on them and see if they wanted dessert. Jordan, who was clearly the alpha male of the bunch, piped up and said, “We do, but we have to get to work….We don’t want to get fired.” Landon and Finn got back to “work” without questioning Jordan’s authority. He is almost 5, after all. They must have a pretty rude pretend boss to withhold dessert.

After work, they did what most burly landscapers would do; unwound with a tea party.

Complete with the baby at the table. A very well fed, baby.

And now for a few photos from the rest of the week.

I worked on school, and designed a cleanse for a client.

PML had his first ice cream cone from The Summit Inn on the bustling Main Street of Kamas. He liked it.

My step mom, Sherri, made a delicious tomato and arugula pizza with dough from scratch (on the grill, no less!)

My Dad got me hooked on his breakfast cereal. He has invented quite a delicious concoction, as scary as this picture might appear. He was quite proud of himself. I’ll have to add it to the recipe section soon.

It wouldn’t be a trip to Utah without a pork salad (or burrito) from Cafe Rio.

The company was lovely. My dear friend Meredith and her little lass Coco (Colette).

My parents and I went to Gateway Grille a few times because I became addicted to their Salmon Salad. (It’s embarrassing to admit but this was the only pic I got of my parents!!!! Sorry, it’s kind of a weird angle Dad but Mom looks good.)

Okay, that’s better.

Landon became Super Man for a minute.

But was a little more thrilled to be Buzz Lightyear (he found that in Finn’s closet)

“I’m going to outer space, Mom!”

No Landon, you are actually going to Florida. Next post will be photo gangbusters of our follies in Florida. Thanks family, for a lovely week in Utah!

I once had a boss who would tell my co-workers and I that we were in “crisis mode” pretty much every day. At first when I heard the term, my brain (which has been known to imagine outlandish situations with full emotional commitment) would conjure a scene of an impending Tsunami-esque disaster with sirens blaring, government officials yelling into megaphones, and panic stricken people running in all directions. I would react accordingly with lots of stress, drama, and occasional anxiety attacks. It was quite the unhealthy work environment, until I learned we were never actually in crisis mode. Then it just became comical. Now “crisis mode” has become a phrase I hold near to my nostalgic heart. The husband and I use it as “the boy who cried wolf” gestures for all sorts of funny (to us) kinds of things.

For example, “Crisis mode laundry time,” or “Crisis mode diaper changing.”

Perhaps just to gauge a situation like, “Rod I am hungry, we need to stop for lunch.” To which he will reply, “Is it “crisis mode” lunch time or can we wait 20 minutes?”

27 weeks (because I didn’t look cute enough at any point during my 28th week to take a pic)

Needless to say, I’m in the midst of “crisis mode” nesting. I’m totally panicking with all the things I need to do before our little guy arrives because suddenly, I’m huge, and it feels like things are starting to move at warp speed.

In reality, I still have 11 more weeks to go before Baby Z #2 arrives, so I realize I just need to chill the freak out.

These are the things I did the last 2 weeks to assuage my crisis-mode pain.

1. Bought a crib. (we were gifted one with Landon that has actually been recalled, so instead of handing the crib down, time to buy a brand new one.)

2. Bought a double stroller. Oh my, nothing says “mom” like a double stroller (a minivan is a close second). I’ve never felt more full-on mom commitment than when I pulled that contraption from the enormous box. I trolled the Bay Area and LA Craiglist for a used stroller for days and finally found a brand new one on Amazon Mom for only $50 more than what people were asking for a used one. So we went for it. The rest of the day I had the phrase “Because you’re not a woman anymore, you’re a mom” on my brain from the SNL “Mom Jeans” sketch.

3. Buckled and bought the video baby monitor. I can’t tell you how many times i rushed into the baby’s room when he was just starting to whimper because I was a paranoid he was caught in his swaddle. I’m kind of excited to be able to spy on the sleeping baby from the comfort of my bed.

Now to just paint the walls, potty train PML (why would he ever do that when he gets so much joy from laughing at his mom gag?), paint the “big boy bed,” get L to sleep there, and clean out our office/guest room to make way for the baby.

Some pregnancy stats:

• Total weight gained: I’m up 20 lbs. Aaaand my appetite is out of control. There is a good chance my weight goes bananas by the next update.
  

• Workouts: If you count sprinting through the airport while pushing a toddler as a workout, then thats what I did this week.

• Medicine: Pretty much off zofran. Only occasionally do I pop one when I get a random wave of nausea.

• Cravings: Drumsticks. Not chicken legs. The packaged ice cream with the chocolate covered cone. Apples, specifically pink lady apples.

• Aversions: green smoothies. Karma, I guess?

• Weird Pregnancy Symptoms: Where do I start? Hmmm…A little bit of everything these days. I’ve got the crazy sciatic thing which hurts so bad and strikes at the weirdest times that I have to laugh out loud because I will be totally fine and then start hobbling around like the wicked witch in Snow White. Rod makes fun of me for my constant grunting and groaning. I’m milking it for all it’s worth. Oh, and I have sausage fingers now–(yee haw water retention!)
• PML adjustments: I’ve debated on changing his nickname to “The General” because he spends most of his time flip-flopping between barking orders at me or being really needy. We’ve been talking about the baby more lately and I think he is freaking out a little.

• Goal for next week: Vacation time Just trying to survive the 7 hours of flying and layovers with a toddler. It will be worth it when I’m beached on the sand like a whale.

29 weeks

Any advice for how to deal with the first child flip-out when the second child arrives? PML’s been really sweet with babies lately, but he’s also been SO SO needy with me, he won’t let Rod do anything for him. He wants me to get him out the his crib, get him dressed, get him food, put him to bed, bathe him, etc (which I normally do) but if anyone else even tries to help it’s pretty much nuclear warfare…which I can only imagine will increase when Z#2 arrives.

Well isn’t that the sassiest little pink dish you’ve ever seen?

It was actually a happy accident I whipped up when trying to clean out my fridge and use up my produce.  I call this “Quinoa for Lovers” because of the pink hue that reminds me of a festive dish for Valentine’s Day.  I realize I am a little late.  Either way, it’s a nice dish to eat with your lover…and if he won’t eat it because it’s bright pink, than it’s definitely something a girlfriend will appreciate.

Quinoa For Lover’s: Roasted Root Veggies and Quinoa

Print this Recipe!

Ingredients:

1 onion, chopped

3 small beets, peeled and chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

4 garlic cloves, chopped

2 new potatoes, chopped

1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup quinoa

2 cups broth or water

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Chop all the veggies, toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Spread the veg out on a roasting pan or cookie sheet so that they are all evenly distributed and not stacked on top of each other.  Place in oven on center rack and roast for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, Rinse and soak your quinoa for 5-10 minutes.  Bring broth or water to a boil and add the quinoa.  Reduce heat to low and cover, occasionally stirring.  Cook for 12-15 minutes, turn heat off and let sit for a few minutes. Fluff Quinoa with a fork.

When veggies are done, add your vegetable mixture to the quinoa in a large mixing bowl.  Add lemon zest, juice, and fresh parsley.  Salt and Pepper to taste…then stare lovingly into your lover’s eyes…

*This dish is even better as leftovers. Just beware that the beets will dye the entire entree a deeper pink the longer it sits.

Ah, it feels good to cook again.

Last week was a good one (as the finger gun would suggest).

24 Weeks

Up until this week I was enjoying a good couple of weeks. No puking. Good energy.  Not too big.  Getting excited for baby because I’m feeling the little guy kick and punch now.  I’m enjoying school so much, and am so grateful to have something to keep my mind off of how heavy my pelvis feels.  Such a welcomed change from the last 4-5 months of Hell.  The biggest triumph was that I managed to cook meals  EVERY NIGHT last week for my family.  This probably doesn’t sound too impressive to your average Betty, but I haven’t done this since November.  I think our crew has single-handedly kept the Visalia Chipotle in business.

I struggled week 25. I’m glad it’s over. I’m not sure if I caught some kind of a bug or I was just trying to completely come off of Zofran but I just didn’t feel right this week.  Rod’s building had their state survey show up on Monday, which meant he left every morning at 5:30 am and didn’t come home until around 10 pm every night.  It’s probably the most stressful week of the year for him because there are so many variables of what could happen if things don’t go well…(we think it went okay).

25 weeks

Side Note: If I could wear this dress everyday without it being socially awkward or unsanitary I would.  Most comfortable thing I own.

I’m starting to have TONS of Braxton Hicks contractions and feel crampy…which makes me nervous.  I was on bed rest for most of my third trimester with PML and was really hoping to avoid that this go-round. There are just so many things that can happen between now and the baby’s (god willing) arrival.  I’ve done a good job up until this week of not focusing on the potential catastrophes.  All that logic and reasoning went out the window. So yeah, I’ve been worried about everything from the baby’s health to tempering my need to buy 100+ baby items, re-do the decor in all three of our bedrooms, and paint every wall in the house IN THE NEXT 10 MINUTES.  Irrational, I know.  It’s tough to stay positive during this pregnancy marathon I tell you.

I’m grateful to be pregnant, just trying to weather the storm.  As Scarlett O’Hara would say, “Tomorrow is another day.”

Landon thinks he has a baby in his tummy too, and he will show it to anyone who will look.  I don’t want to spoil it for him, lately he’s been calling one of his bears his “baby sister,” rocking it, and putting it in a baby bed, so he might be disappointed when he doesn’t get to give birth to his own baby. However, he knows things are changing with mom.  He’s noticed that I can’t hold him unless I’m sitting down,  and the other day when I was helping him down from washing his hands, he wrapped his arms around my tummy because I told him he could give his little brother a hug if he did that.

Ah, sweet motherhood.  Although, I think if I remember correctly, this was the same day where he just decided to lay down in the middle of the Target parking lot, roll around and scream because he realized that he really wanted a different Buzz Lightyear toy than we got.  How’s that for Yin/Yang?

Pregnancy Stats

• Total weight gained: I’m up 16 lbs.  I won’t get into the status of my muscle mass (non existent)
  

• Workouts: I started doing Prenatal yoga again.  It’s been really helpful.  I walk with Landon to and from the park most days, but my heart rate hasn’t been up in the aerobic zone since the Turkey Trot I ran on Thanksgiving.

• Medicine: Still taking one Zofran at night. Still.  Tried to wean myself this week and got to 1/2 a pill at night.  I hope I’m off of it by next week.

• Cravings: Green Smoothies.  For some reason I have had a non-existent sweet tooth this pregnancy–sugar is usually my biggest vice.  Lately I just want to eat any kind of tangy fruit I can get my hands on.

• Aversions: None.

• Weird Pregnancy Symptoms: Just those contractions I mentioned above, which I know are “normal,” I just didn’t really feel them until my third trimester last time.  Oh, and I’m starting to wake up multiple times at night to hit the bathroom.  Baby is getting big.
  

• Goal for next week: Be positive.  I had a fleeting thought in my shower this morning about focusing on what my body can do (is doing) and trying to overlook the fact that I feel like I can’t do anything I normally physically can do (including sleep). I think I am going to try that thought out.  I have 15 more weeks and I’m so excited to meet our new little Z baby, it’s just daunting to be in “the best part of your pregnancy” and know that it’s only going to get worse until the baby arrives…and there are still 15 weeks left.  Oh mercy.

What do you do to stay positive?  During pregnancy or otherwise?

It’s nice to say that I am finally to the point in my pregnancy where I feel like I can actually participate in “other happenings,” but not to that point where idiots come up and say, “You’re HUGE!”  I’m feeling good.  This week I’m keeping the pregnancy update simple and I’m just going to fill in with some pics from the past 2 weeks of super suburban excitement.

22 week Pregnancy Stats:

• Total weight gained: 12 lbs.  This would have been more had I not been fortunate enough to get that glorious stomach bug that my son had a few weeks ago.  Either way, I’m right on track for the 25-35 lb weight gain if I do a pound per week.  If I remember clearly, I packed on sometimes 3 lbs/week in the 3rd tri w PML so I’m not getting my hopes up.
  

• Workouts: None. (wince)

• Medicine: Still taking one Zophran at night. Still.  At least the bedtime is back to 9 or 10 pm.

• Cravings: Grapefruit.

• Aversions: My appetite in general has been rather finicky this week.

• Weird Pregnancy Symptoms:  Baby is moving around a lot and I’m starting to get cramps in my belly.  I assume it’s just junior stretching out on my kidney or ovary or something.  
  

• New Habit: Nesting!  I’ve been cleaning out closets like crazy and even organizing my linen closet.  So not like me.
• 

I’ve been thinking about this strange/changing alien body of mine and this is something I came up with…

Random advice for small chested women who haven’t been pregnant before:  Don’t get a boob job.  Well, do whatever you want but consider this crazy TMI fact before you do anything drastic.  I used to have this little dancer chest.  Like, really little.  And back in the day when I was unhealthily skinny, living on protein bars and California rolls, and rather “affected” by Los Angeles, I had a boyfriend or two (as well as some agents/intrusive wardrobe people) pester me about getting a boob job.  It’s true.  I had considered doing this thinking that maybe I would get more work, or feel better about myself etc.  (I’m not criticizing plastic surgery–if you want it or have had something done that’s your business–but don’t do it because some idiot guy/agent wants you to).  Fast forward five years and two pregnancies later and voila! I have rocket launcher, torpedo boobs that I wish would go away.  If I was on a ship that went down, I feel like I could float everyone to safety.  I cannot even fathom what I would look like if I had decided to get implants on top of the flotation devices that are naturally mine and currently residing in my bra.  Just saying.

And that concludes the inappropriate portion of this blog post.

Did I mention it was spring over here?

Well, it is and last week we had some car trouble–meaning the car was in the shop for a whole freaking week.  However, Rod got to ride in a tow truck and it was a close second to Christmas when Landon saw his dad pull up in that thing and then actually get to sit inside.  Well…half fear/half excitement.

I bought some curtains and hung something on our wall (it’s only been 8 months that we’ve been living here)…small victories!

Even though I got the stomach flu, I was able to make it to one day of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition Mega-Conference in Long Beach.

The speakers I heard were amazing, and I was bummed that I was too ill to attend the first day.  But I was happy to hang with my friend, Lela (who is also going to school with me).

And my cousin Heidi (also in school) who was my hotel buddy and nice enough to join me for a mud mask (and document it).  I’m obsessed with this one from Origins (totally helping the terrible prego acne btw)

Back at home, PML finished his 2 months of 2 year-old soccer training.  While he loved running and chasing the ball, drinking Gatorade was probably his favorite part.

He also liked parading through the house in his shin guards (must be visible outside of his pants) and his pleats (cleats) that made him run like a “superfast boy.”  I was proud of the effort.

I randomly snapped this photo of Rod at the end of soccer and think that I may have found a new career.  If you think I am referring to photography, you are mistaken (I like to leave that to the professionals), but I was thinking perhaps becoming the “Wife-ager” to manage Rod’s middle-aged modeling career.  Doesn’t he look like he should sling his coat over one shoulder, strap on some Hi-Tec’s and walk in front of a mountainous back drop and strike a pose for the L.L. Bean catalog?  At the very least, perhaps a Cialis commerical.  Ha.

He’s going to kill me for posting that.

BOY!

Isn’t he cute? He’s a very healthy and strong little buddy and everything looks really great so far, so we feel very grateful. I was SO SURE I was having a little frilly girl, but there is no mistaking it, we have another little member for the family football team coming in July.

Rod is thrilled, he’s already talking about family Hudl analysis and weekend sporting events from now til forever–not to mention all the money we will save on baby clothes and toy tractors.  When my logical brain takes over I am thrilled, too.  We’ll have a little buddy for the Prime Minister to boss around and I have a sweet little boy to snuggle and hug.   But I would be lying if I didn’t say that when my hormonal brain kicks in, I’m a tiny bit disappointed (forget the dance classes and princess toys…have you seen how cute baby girl clothes are?!).  I really don’t want to have another pregnancy, and I am now vastly outnumbered by the men in my life.  Growing up I was the only girl with 4 brothers, my husband is one of 5 brothers and only one sister (thank the Lord for her), and now I will be the only girl living with three boys (husband included) in the house.

But it’s hard to be too sad when I think of getting to have another little boy declaring things like, “I look so cool,” when I put on his bike helmet so he can ride his tricycle around the neighborhood. PML pretending to be Buzz Lightyear and jumping off the arm of the couch onto the cushions yelling, “To infinity and BEYOND!” is also rather endearing when I’m not concerned about the well being of the couch.

I’m sure I have a sweet little guy in there who will be Landon’s best friend.  And I’m excited to meet him in 20 short weeks.  (HALF WAY there!!!!)

They say the baby is the size of a small cantaloupe and weighs as much as a can of soda.

14 weeks

20 weeks

Starting to see a pretty significant difference in that baby bump.

Pregnancy Stats:

• Total weight gained: 10 lbs.  The appetite is back!  Two weeks ago I felt like I had regressed with my nausea and just felt awful and then realized that I was just needing to eat more often.  I feel like a cow that just grazes all day long.  Except I’m eating Butterfinger/Oreo Sonic Blast’s  and McDonald’s ice cream cones in addition to the healthy stuff.
  

• Workouts: Did a little pre-natal yoga, and had a few minor dance sessions with PML.  I’m thinking I’m going to count chasing around a 2 year old as my pregnancy exercise.

• Medicine: Still taking one Zophran at night.  Although I think I am really close to getting off of it completely.  I’m feeling so much better.  It’s just that every time I don’t take the one at night I am really sick when I wake up.

• Cravings: Green juice and ice cream.  Not together.

• Aversions: Diaper changing.  Ugh–worst curse of an expecting mother with small children.

• Weird Pregnancy Symptoms:  I feel like my hips are literally braking apart sometimes.  I remember feeling like my stomach was really tight with Landon but I feel like this pregnancy my muscles and skin must be looser because the hips are really taking a beating.
  

• Emotions: Over all pretty good, not too much of a cry-baby or a raging lunatic anymore, but I guess you’d have to talk to my husband about that one.

• New Habit: Couponing!  Seriously.  I’m into it.  Not crazy, CRAZY like that “Extreme Couponing” show where I’m turning a wing of my house into a stockpiling room and loading up on 700 boxes of Kotex and spaghetti sauce, but I did take my Target bill from $130 down to $91 just buying things I always buy but using coupons, so I’m kind of addicted.

• Urgency: I am really feeling the need to get a family car.  Now that I am getting bigger, my back is KILLING me when I have to lift PML into the back seat and maneuver into a smaller car.  I’m thinking we are going to go for a minivan.  I swore I never would, but I’m telling you, the minivan envy is killing me.  The husband is almost convinced…now that PML likes opening the car door (and slamming it into other cars) those sliding doors never looked better.

I’m so grateful to be feeling well enough to eat healthy again and to cook a little here and there.  I find that my cuisine is a little Groundhog Day-ish.  I find a dish that I like and then just eat the same thing every day.

Breakfast is usually a scramble.  This one is my Kale and Red Pepper Scramble.

I usually eat that with some Beginner’s Green Juice and toast, if I am still hungry.

The key to getting the PML to drink it (ignore the fact that he’s 2 and drinking out of an infant bottle) is that he helps me make it.  After smashing down the celery and apples he is excited to give it a try.

Then 2 hours later I’m snacking on a Strawberry Parfait.  The berries are starting to taste so good and Greek yogurt is really high in protein.  I have one of these everyday.

Then it’s usually a few handfuls of Pirate’s Booty or some other snack.  Dinner varies, but I almost always swing by some fast food place for some ice cream at some point.  So it’s a good mix. I’m feeling good about the nutrients I’m getting and I’m also getting to enjoy a few desserts to up the calorie intake for the baby.  Win, win.

In other family news:

My mom came to visit.  Landon loves her.

Rod took me out for a nice Valentine’s evening at Fugazzi’s.  What a handsome Valentine he is, even when he’s pulling a funny face.  We love the appetizer’s there.

PML came down with a nasty stomach flu which only last about 24 hours (thank heavens).

We watched Toy Story three times that day.

Now that I’m not so sick and there are blossoms on the trees (this happens in February in Central CA), life is going well and my pregnancy is starting to go fast. 

Springtime always makes everything better.

What advice do you have for a 2nd time mom? Now that I’m halfway, what should I be doing?  I’m feeling the excitement of adding another member to the family while being simultaneously racked with guilt at the thought of not being able to give as much attention to PML OR give the new little guy the time and attention his big brother has received.  Any suggestions?

I’m still alive!  In fact, not only am I’m alive BUT I’m finally feeling better.  Cue the choir (Halleleujah!).  I mean, I’m still pregnant which means that I’m hobbling around exhausted most of the time, but I’m functioning and not teetering on the brink of survival.  I count that as a victory.

I’ve re-entered society again and am starting to see friends, run errands, and even cook a few times in the last week.  Also, my two year-old rediscovered the Bumbo.

Blog

As far as the blog goes, I’ve decided (as you can tell) to drop this on the priority scale in my life right now.  It’s actually been really good for me.  My focus is surviving the process of growing another human, being a good mother to Landon and partner for Rod, and focusing on school.  I don’t think I have any extra energy for anything else right now.  It’s been a good lesson for me in letting things go.  The blog is usually such a great source of purpose and an outlet for me but it’s turned into a rather large stress (or source of guilt) and that isn’t what I need right now, so I’ve decided to let the guilt go for not “accomplishing” this portion of  my former “goals” and it’s made me much happier.

I hope to pop on here from time to time with family, pregnancy, and school updates but I have no set “health blogging” agenda in the near future.  I hope to pick things up again in the next few months and will still be responding to emails and comment inquiries (please be patient if I don’t get back *right* away, I promise I will respond), as I do love the communication forum of blogs.

School

The last two weeks have been great, now that I have been well enough to really enjoy it.  I have LOVED this program.  I feel like I’m doing what I am meant to be doing in life…if that makes sense.  More so than I ever felt with even my passion for dance or acting.  I love the work and the potential that it has to really help people, so I am very excited for the future.  In fact, studying all the dietary theories (the school covers 100 different theories) has been very freeing for me.  I think I’ve become so much more open-minded about nutrition health than I was before and I absolutely love the holistic approach of the program (it’s more than just about the food we are eating).

Pregnancy

I’ve decided to include a little chronicling of the bump.  I love other blogs that do this, and I have literally 2 pics of me being pregnant with Landon, so I’m doing my best to take a picture regardless of how weird my body feels to me.

14 Weeks

“Hot dog” body is on the way out and the baby bump is on the way in…It’s a pretty impressive bump for being at the stage in pregnancy where most women aren’t showing yet. This was very exciting to me during my first pregnancy, (couldn’t wait to get the bump) but now that I’ve been through this rodeo once before (and the 50lbs I packed on with PML), I know what a brood mare I am at the end so I’m just trying to have a good attitude about what is to come.

I also busted out the sexy maternity wear at 13 weeks.  I remember trying to fit into my “regular” clothes for as long as possible the first time around. This time I couldn’t wait to get that stretchy fabric around my midsection.  Ugly, but comfortable.  At least it goes nicely with the sheet of acne on my face and the upper lip that has ceased to be waxed for a few months.  I wish I was kidding.

We visited my mom in Denver this week, I was still sick and enjoyed laying around someone else’s house for a change. Thanks mom.   Landon was obsessed with the vintage “United” hat from the 80s that I used to wear (my mom used to work for the airlines). Every time a gust of freezing wind would come blasting by us he would yell, “Oh mom! Chilly!  I need my hat!” which was pretty much every time we went outside.  Can I tell you how much I love 2?!

A few recent phrases: The other day he was going number 2 in his diaper and he yelled to me, “Hey Mom! This one is going to be a big one.” Literally.  He said that.  (It’s time for potty-training.)  Then, we were driving in the car somewhere and he yelled, “Mom! Mom! I love my family.”  When we were leaving Target he requested that we eat lunch at “Mi Potlays” (a.k.a. Chipotle’s) and then today we went to go see Rod at work for a minute and as we were walking in the building he said, “I’m so happy mama! I get to see my daddy at work!”  This age has it’s challenges but I swear I love that PML more now than ever.

16 Weeks

Yes! Showers and make-up are happening again. I really turned a corner this week.  Kind of a badly back-lit phone pic, but you can see that I have a belly that pops far beyond what would be normal for 16 weeks…but at least I had a maternity dress that made me feel cute.  (It’s the little things…)

Since I haven’t been cooking the last three months, Landon has become quite the exceptional lunch date.

We’re still working on table manners, but he totally understands the concept of “waiting our turn” until the food comes.

17weeks

Apparently clothes make a pretty big difference because I don’t think I look quite as pregnant here.  But I’m getting really excited about finding out the gender in 3 weeks (almost half way there!)

I also had my first round of green juice this week which made me feel a little bit more like the old Hilary.  My friend Lela got me hooked on this last fall and so we got a juicer for Christmas.  This is a really basic, sweet green juice made from 2 green apples, 3 stalks of celery, a cup of spinach, and a one inch knob of ginger.

On with the stats.

• Total weight gained: 8 lbs. I’m eating so much healthier than I was in the first trimester (and so much less than my first pregnancy) so I’m actually really pleased with the weight gain.  I was up about 20 lbs by now, last pregnancy. 
  

• Workouts: Heh…Well, let’s just say that now that I’ve had 11 solid weeks of laying flat on my back for the better part of the day, even pre-natal yoga wipes me out.  I’m hoping that since the nausea is starting to get better I can add some walking and more pre-natal yoga to the routine.   I think my wish of being one of those cute, fit, zumba-ing pregnant moms is probably not going to be coming true.

• Medicine: Still taking at least one Zophran a day.  I think this is why I’m feeling better than I did with Landon at this point (I didn’t take any medicine with Landon).  I still feel pretty nauseous at night and when I don’t take the drug I always throw up, but I am definitely starting to turn a corner.  Thank the pregnancy gods.

• Cravings: Oranges, Top Ramen, miso soup, berries, and meat. I have found that on the days where I don’t eat meat I almost always feel super nauseous.   You better believe that I’m have a little with nearly every meal.   Totally opposite to my nearly vegetarian pre-pregnancy diet.  Weird.

• Aversions:  Food prep in general is hit and miss.  Although I am starting to cook more lately.

• Weird Pregnancy Symptoms:  Worst acne ever!  Occasional pregnancy insomnia.  This never happened with Landon, but this has been going on for weeks with this pregnancy.  So weird.
  

• Emotions:  I’m definitely less emotional than I was a few weeks ago.  Also, I’m so in love with my little family.  I mean, I always love them, but I feel like lately I’m constantly thinking about how lucky I am and how much I love them.  Hormones or gratitude?

• New Habit: Still following politics, only I’m finding it more and more annoying.  Also, I’m obsessed with “House Hunters International” on HGTV. Obsessed!  Rod calls it clean “mom porn.”  I say it helps me to successfully fulfill my wanderlust (since we won’t be going anywhere very far away for at least a year or two).

• Gender guessing:  Only 3 weeks away til our 20 week sonogram!  We definitely aren’t waiting to find out.  I have zero patience.  I’ve been thinking it’s a girl since before I became pregnant.  I guess I have a 50/50 chance.  If it’s a little boy, that would be great too, but I’d love to have one of each.  This pregnancy is going by SO much faster than my first.

Goal for Next Week:  Stay positive.  It’s all about simplifying for me right now.  And maybe actually do some kind of exercise.

Thanks to all the congratulatory comments and FB posts on my pregnancy announcement as well as all the kind support you guys offered in response to my sickness.  Whether it’s from old friends, blog friends, family, etc it made me feel very loved and was a shining light in the middle of my dark cave of carsickness. From the bottom of my increasingly hormonal, emotional heart, I thank you.

On with the stats.

12 weeks: (from BabyCenter)  This week “(your baby) looks unquestionably human: His eyes have moved from the sides to the front of his head, and his ears are right where they should be. From crown to rump, your baby-to-be is just over 2 inches long (about the size of a lime) and weighs half an ounce.

Week 12

(I don’t wear make up anymore whilst puking…or taking photos it seems)

• Total weight gained:  Minus 1 pound.  This fluctuates depending on how bad the night before was but when I went in for my appt today, the doc said I’ve lost a pound from when I started this whole thing.  Obviously, I’ve been sick. However,this is actually kind of surprising because my body looks COMPLETELY different (And I had gained 15 lbs with Landon by this point).  The baby must be eating my muscles or something because I am in that favorite pregnancy phase that I like to refer to as the “Is that a pork burrito (enchilada style) or is she pregnant?”…also known as “hot dog body.”  Hot dog body is the tubular shape my body takes when I don’t have a bump yet but I have an impressive bloat and no waist.  It’s very sexy. (see above)

• Workouts: I did pre-natal yoga  (Shiva Rea DVD) once, and I felt amazing.  In fact, I ask myself (out loud) daily, why I don’t do this more often.

• Medicine: Zophran.  A complete game-changer for me (which didn’t work for my pregnancy with Landon).  I’m still throwing up usually once a night, but has made it so I can eat food other than McD and has taken some of the nauseous edge off.  God bless modern medicine.  I am having some side effects that I won’t mention (you can google if you’re really curious) but it seems to be worth it and has made me somewhat functional.

• Cravings: Won ton soup, Oranges, Chicken, Lemon Yoplait Yogurt

• Aversions: Kind of depends on the moment.  I can’t look at raw meat.  I still eat out for most meals (not all fast food) just because preparing food kind of makes me a little ill.

• Emotions: Still a total sap.  Today I cried 4 times before 9:30 am…for reasons like a “Today Show” segment, a country music song about some guy and his kid growing up to be just like him, a nostalgic thought.

• New Habit: Goodbye Scrabble, hello Politics.  I obsessively read 3 different news Apps throughout the day about the Republican Primary…It’s weird.

• Milestones: I felt the baby move all day yesterday.  ALL DAY.  I think I was 16 weeks when I really noticed PML.  I thought it was indigestion at first but then it just kept fluttering in the same spot for hours and it was confirmed in my ultrasound this morning when the baby was moving all over and I was feeling exactly what I was watching.  Yay! It’s really in there.

• Maternity Clothes:  Not yet, but probably this week I’ll be getting out the elastic-waisted stuff.  I’m not one to try to squeeze into my old stuff to the point of discomfort.  I’m definitely feeling my pants fit tighter around the waste and wanting to wear sweat pants more often.

• Goal for Next Week:  Catch up on school.  I’m about 3 weeks behind which is kind of a bummer. I’m gonna try to get into a regular practice of Pre-Natal yoga.  I’m hoping that now that I’m close to the 2nd trimester (is it this week or next week?) that my nausea will start to decrease and I can start to rejoin the human race.

Can you believe 2012 is right around the corner?  Yay or nay on resolutions? 

This is kind of a big one that will explain a lot about the “extra emotions” I’ve been feeling lately.

Yay!  We’re gonna have another little Z baby to add to the family!  I’m not quite out of the first trimester (I’ll be 10 weeks on Saturday), but I can’t keep it a cyber secret any longer…and I’m feeling good about letting the universe know so here is a big blog welcome to the 4th member of the family.

As I mentioned in my last post, I am right in the middle of pure Hell.  Don’t get me wrong, we are THRILLED beyond thrilled to have another baby.  We really wanted this and had been trying for several months so it’s a VERY good thing that we are extremely grateful for.  The Hell I am speaking of is the consistent worship of the porcelain God night after night, after blasted night.  I started puking multiple times a day before I even hit 6 weeks (which was even earlier than it started with PML) and during my last pregnancy, the perpetual carsickness and consistent loss of lunch and dinner lasted until I hit the 20 week mark.  (not to mention the 50 lbs I put on by the end of the pregnancy).

(Thumbs down for puke)

Needless to say, the second time around has been a little more difficult emotionally, just because I know the physical challenge ahead.  As well as “survival mode” turning me into a shadow of myself.  Luckily, I know this time is a season of my life and that it will end eventually, hopefully gifted me with a beautiful bundle of joy. I know that there are those mom’s out there who have had it as bad as me or worse, and I have to say, that actually makes me feel better because I keep reminding myself that I can get through this because other people have.  So, there’s that.

I also look at PML’s baby pics a lot.  It’s gets me really excited for another squishy, smiling, sack of flour baby.

Let’s talk about the fun stuff shall we?

It was so nice to see the little one today just to verify that I haven’t been suffering from 5 weeks of a terrible stomach bug and that there is, in fact, a wee babe in there worth all this sickness.

A couple of observations:

1. This baby was very still and had a good strong heart beat.  We were almost finished with the ultrasound and the baby hadn’t moved yet, and then suddenly he/she wiggled it’s arms and legs and it looked like it waved to us.  I actually waved at the screen, before I could catch myself and logically think, “Duh! The baby is in your body, not on the screen.”  This must be how Landon feel’s when I Skype him (He’s been with his grandma in Denver for a few days, while I lay on the floor and feel sorry for myself) and he wants me to hold him but I tell him that I’m in the computer and that I can’t give him a little hug.

2. When we went to PML’s 9/10 week ultrasound he was literally doing barrel rolls the entire ultrasound.  The doctor was having a hard time getting a picture of him because he was such a mover and shaker.  Kind of typical of his personality now, so I wonder if the ultrasound today is any indication that I am going to get a more calm second child.  I could be down with that.

Let’s talk health for a moment:

Ahem. (cough) So, this is kind of a health blog, right?  Umm, well I’d love to be the picture of pregnant health but actually I am surviving on McDonald’s, Coke, and Toaster Strudel’s at the moment.  I couldn’t keep down veggies if I wanted too.  How anti-evolutionary is that?  Everything I’ve ever read about the first trimester is about how important nutrition is, etc but I literally CANT eat healthy or I will probably puke so much I would be in the hospital.  I think “Natural Selection” is trying to weed my strand of genes out of the Human race.  It’s kind of a conundrum.

Advice please, if you have any?  What worked for you? (I know about ginger and it doesnt work for me anymore)

body shot from 7 wks, haven’t taken one this week yet. Obviously, any bump is pure bloat. lol.

Week 9

• Total weight gained:  2 lbs
• Workouts:  I ran a 5k on Thanksgiving and haven’t done a THING since.  I’m gonna bust out my prenatal yoga DVD this week to see if it helps my sickies.
• Cravings:  This is disgusting and embarrassing but McD’s Sausage McMuffin’s with Egg, Cheeseburgers, Coke. (I would NEVER eat that crap normally)…
• Aversions: Everything.  I can’t even look at food on blogs anymore.  So sad.
• Emotions: I cry at EVERYTHING. Yesterday it was because of these amazing break dancing kids on Ellen.  Then because of the protesting of Putin in Russia (!?!)   Seriously.  It’s kind of comical because I am not much of a crier in non-preganant land, but it’s like 20 times a day.  I remember being more of a witch when I was preg with Landon, this time I’m really tender.
• New Habit:  Cellphone Tetris and Scrabble.  It used to be Angry Birds, but I find that actually stresses me out and makes the nausea worse.
• Doctor Status:  I found a Dr I love but I HATE (yes, strong word) the receptionist.  She is the Devil.  It might be enough for me to leave the doc, but we’ll see.
• Baby Items Purchased:  Zip.  Already have stuff from #1, gonna wait to see what we are having (no way do I have the patience to wait) and then *maybe* get to stock up on girly baby things.
• Goal for Next Week:  Pre-Natal yoga.  Maybe try to keep the house clean (not totally committing to that…)

In other news, I cut 7 inches off my hair!

I still feel like I don’t look like myself, but the hair is SO MUCH more healthy.  It needed to happen.

And just in case this post wasn’t long enough for you, I am leaving you with some pics of Landon.  You tell me, is it Rushmore Academy or hipster toddler?