Love and Marriage {blog}

Life Update, which really is all about pregnancy

2012-02-02T02:16:00.000-06:00

I'm 20 weeks pregnant now - hooray for half way! Well, for me I'm a little over half way since my spawn will always tend to arrive early. I need to take some good belly photos but I snapped a quickie with my phone this morning. Look at my little sweet boy. :)

Forking over the money for great shampoo and some silky shine stuff has seriously transformed my hair. I've never been one to have an arsenal of hair products on my counter top but I'm starting to change that. I bought Biolage and Biosilk (after a much needed haircut) and can't stop running my fingers through my hair. Finally something to tame all the frizz! (And the extra layer of pregnancy hair that is shooting out of my scalp.)

The baby girl attire is starting to flood in and I love it. I get even more excited to meet her everytime I get a new pink onesie or hair bow. And no, baby girl still has no name. Sigh.

Brady is going through a super fun stage right now where he throws vicious tantrums. I love it, its every mom's dream. He cries and screams during these fits for anywhere between 5 and 20 minutes, every once in a while throwing in an ear piercing SCREECH. My only defense is trying desperately to ignore him and pretend it doesn't bother me but it is so hard. All the hair I'm growing from this new baby I am certainly loosing from this one.

Even though he drives me crazy some days, he does things like this and I just laugh and laugh at him. He is such a ham!

I'm eating like a pig. As in, two full snickers bars a day, kind of pig.

I swear pregnancy has made me more clumsy than normal. I'm spilling drinks on myself left and right and dumped half a milkshake in between the seat and console of our SUV. Also? On several occasions I have parked my vehicle and opened the door to get out missing one crucial step: turning off the car and removing the keys. I don't know what is going on in my brain but I'm guessing it has something to do with trying to balance my child, my marriage, my relatively stressful job and pregnancy. Being a working mother is hard, hard, hard.

Motherhood Maternity is having a killer sale right now with their clearance items buy one get one free. I stocked up on a bunch of stuff since my wardrobe is very limited at the moment. It's always a frustrating time when you have long outgrown most of your regular clothes but a large portion of the maternity things are too big.

This post took me two days and three sessions at the computer to complete.

Playing the name game

2012-01-23T05:52:00.000-06:00

source

So it's time to name this baby girl of ours. I'm tossing them out there left and right constantly getting rejected by the husband. My requirements early on were to have a name that either started with a B or matched Brady in some way. I have long moved past that and opened it up to any name that we both love and feels fitting. Removing the stipulations should make this easy right? Funny.

Like I said years ago, there is one name he likes and one name only: Peyton. Back when I was pregnant with Brady we had made our choice that Peyton would be her name, only we would spell it Paityn. This time it just doesn't feel like her name. I still like the name, and may possibly use it, but it just doesn't feel like its for her.

I've thrown names out from Claire to Savannah to Aurelia and on and on. Mostly just to see if anything will stick. None do. My personal favorite right now? Millicent - Millie for short. Of course he hates it. A couple of days ago I threw out another one, Harper, and he actually likes it. But? He likes Peyton better. So right now we're just going back and forth Harper, Peyton, Harper, Peyton. What do you think? I have several middle names picked out that will work for each so I'm not concerned with that yet and really, shouldn't be worried about the first name yet either, I have plenty of time. But Etsy has me wanting to buy an insane amount of personalized and monogrammed clothing for her and I clearly can't do that without a name.

So - Harper or Peyton? Or any new suggestions? I mean, I've probably already heard them all since I spend almost every minute of my spare time on Nameberry but, I'm open to listening. Maybe you've heard of something awesome I haven't. Please share. :)

Babe #2's sex is...

2012-01-19T18:26:00.000-06:00

Monday was another trip to the perinatologist and we got good news on all accounts. My cervix length was 2.8 cm and baby was in a good position to check out the sex.

Take a look:

I'm crazy excited and can't wait to go shopping! I've been buying sweatshirts with footballs on them for the last 19 months and I love that I'm going to be able to shop on the other side of Carter's. I immediately went on Etsy and ordered this for our baby girl. I'm going to need to learn how to make these though because no way can I afford to keep buying these at $9 a pop with shipping.

Now to pick a name... Suggestions?

Damn you, cervical incompetence

2012-01-16T13:06:00.002-06:00

Incompetent: lacking qualification or ability. Yeah, that sounds accurate. Along with my misbehaving uterus I also have an incompetent cervix - go figure.

At my first perinatologist appointment last week they did a quick check on baby, who was not even considering showing us the goods, by the way. Legs were crossed and butt was down in my pelvis, completely blocking any possible view of its parts.

Can we pause for a moment to acknowledge that Blogger would like me to change the word perinatologist to paleontologist? I don't think that particular doctor has any clue how to run a sonogram machine.

Then, we moved on to the important part of the visit: checking on my cervix. As most mommy's and preggo's know, the length of the cervix at this point in pregnancy should be at least 4cm and I just knew that mine wasn't cooperating. Knew it, but didn't think it would be already down to 2.4cm - holy wow.

I loved that the doctor decided against doing a cerclage right away since I was able to carry Brady until 36 weeks. I think that fact is very important when making decisions this time around. What I do get to do now, is visit the perinatologist (which is a 45 minute drive) every. single. week for the next 10 weeks. If it shortens any more then the cerclage will be a go pretty quickly.

The good part about that is I'll be getting lots more of these to stare at:

~~Monday is~~ Today was visit number two (ed note - I forgot to post this so its coming in late) and I'm going to be walking in each time holding my breath and crossing my fingers while I wait to see what the measurement comes out to. Cross your fingers at about 3:20pm Monday afternoon for me? Thanks.

2011 Recap

2011-12-31T08:29:00.001-06:00

Started off the year with a small, un-mobile baby.

Watched him grow at rapid speed.
Then he finally slept through the night, after eight long months.
Ear infections.
Struggled a bit with my new mom image.
Considered baby number two.
Welcomed identical twin nephews to the world.

Brady cut his first two teeth. Went through lots of motrin.
Shot my first wedding.

Removed him from my boob.
Lost my job. Stressed a lot.
Brady learned to walk.
He turned one.

We went on our first family trip and visited the zoo.
Played outside a lot.
Went to the pool.
Read tons of books. All of the childrens variety.

Left my baby overnight for the very first time.
He chipped his tooth.
Went to the dentist.
Wondered how we made something so beautiful.

Spent our anniversary at the emergency room and a poor baby with second degree burns.
Taylor Swift concert.
Accepted a new job.
Had to start leaving Brady 9 hours a day. Cried a ridiculous amount.
Felt really sick and didn't know why.
Peed on a stick.
Got the results.

Doctor's appointments and ultrasounds.
The most fun Christmas ever.

Said "see you later" to 2011 and begged 2012 to be kind.

A high-risk pregnancy update

2011-12-30T06:18:00.000-06:00

Well, I'm 15 weeks pregnant now - out of the first trimester and moving along. Being labeled as "high-risk" hasn't meant much thus far (except an urgent ultrasound after the positive test to ensure baby was in the uterus and not stuck in a fallopian tube, a common side-effect of a unicornuate uterus). But now that I'm in the second trimester its time to start taking precautions.

The first thing on the agenda is progesterone injections. Weekly trips to the doctor's office to be stabbed with a needle - 21 trips to be exact. I am not looking forward to this at all, but my doctor really believes this works. Women with past premature babies that have taken progesterone the second or third time around, generally can carry them longer. The difference in a baby born at 34 weeks and 36 weeks is huge and every day I can carry baby longer is good.

Second on the agenda for now is another ultrasound, this will be my third already and it is a much more in depth scan than normal. What we will be focusing on is my cervix and making certain that it is not, as my doctor puts it, "misbehaving". The word cerclage has been bouncing around and although I don't need one yet, I know its a good possibility and I'm prepared for it at some point.

I'm pretty relaxed about it all, really. Had I known this prior to my first pregnancy I would have been a nervous wreck, but going through it once, blindly, and ending up with a healthy baby boy puts me at ease. I guess I sort of feel like since I held Brady in until 36 weeks, that I can do the same this go around. But I'm certainly not naive and I know this is going to be a bumpy ride. It sure is worth it though, I can't wait to add another little person to our family.

I'm alive..and sharing a video

2011-12-22T08:30:00.001-06:00

I'm here, guys. Alive and well and gaining weight at a rapid pace. (By the way is this not the season for pregnancy? I swear every day I check my reader there is a new pregnancy update. Congrats to all!)

I did this during my last pregnancy...became totally incognito during my first trimester. Something about those weeks makes me completely unable to focus on anything. Or care about anything. Or accomplish anything. I become a big blob, really. But, the second trimester has arrived (yay!) and I think I may be up to updating this poor neglected blog a little more.

I've been wanting to share the video we played for my husbands family to tell them the exciting news. They had no clue I might possibly be pregnant, so they thought they were just watching a cute video of their grandson. But it was really much more than that. :)

B names

2011-11-10T19:48:00.000-06:00

I have so much to talk about with this pregnancy, but not a single minute to do it, or the energy for my brain to turn this big jumbled mess of thoughts into sentences. I don't know that I've really even wrapped my brain around all of this yet. Like the fact that I am eight weeks along and my pants don't fit. Or the fact that for a couple short weeks I'll fall into the "two under two" category. Mind=blown.

What my over exhausted brain can discuss though is my list of baby name requirements. I have one name picked out, a boy name, but its one that the husband doesn't care for. I'd really love something with meaning behind it... something really unique. But for some reason, even though I constantly think about names, none come to mind... except the one. So here are my requirements, do you have any suggestions?

1.) I'd like it to start with the letter B. I know, I know, that can be annoying, but we are only going to have two, not twenty.
2.) It can't be another "Br" name - something like Brady and Brandon is too rhyme-y and just bugs me.
3.) If not the letter B, then something that matches with Brady in some way. Maybe they would both end in the letter y or something.
4.) Have a really great meaning.

Well, any ideas?

Another set of pink lines

2011-11-07T05:30:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it, looks like we are adding another Nieman to the world. :)

Baby number two should be making its appearance into the world at the end of May. Eek! All the details coming to the blog this week. Happy Monday!

Our fall photo sesh sneak!

2011-10-31T08:31:00.000-05:00

We got a sneak from our holiday mini-session with Sarah Maxey (the same lovely lady that did our birth and newborn pics) and of course, I'm in love!

I'll have more to share soon!

A work update

2011-10-24T06:58:00.000-05:00

Well, its official - I'm a working mother. I'm no longer a SAHM or a WAHM. I set an alarm for 5:50am, shower, get ready, spend a little snuggle time with my boy and out the door I go for eight hours. In that department, its been miserable. I loathe the fact that I am not the one taking care of my child all day. That is what a mother is supposed to be doing: raising her children. She shouldn't be away from them everyday, handing them over to someone else to do the work. Sorry, that just isn't how it should be. But, for me, its what it is.

I did make it through the first day with no tears, they actually held out for day number two. I think I was sort of in a daze that first day and was preoccupied with hand shakes and outfits, but day two it sunk in. I miss him.

In terms of work itself though, its great. Everyone has been wonderful, nice, open and I'm working for what I consider a really great government initiative for ending the war in Afghanistan. I don't feel comfortable talking openly about who or what I work for but my days should be exciting. Its taking a while to get into the swing of things and I've been occupied with in-processing paperwork, I-9's, insurance elections and Welcome to The Company! pamphlets.

My time for blogging is nowhere to be found, much like my time for basically anything. So the 'ole blog may look a bit neglected, but I'm still here, just working through life trying to find my new normal. But don't worry, my sweetheart's face can't go long without popping up here.

I don't know how the working mom's do it, but I hope to figure out the secret very soon. Suggestions?

October photo challenge update 2

2011-10-20T06:17:00.002-05:00

I really messed this up! I have missed a lot of days, but I'm not going to quit just yet. Here is what I have completed:

Day 3 - Clouds

Day 5 - From a high angle

Day 7 - Fruit

Day 8 - A bad habit

Day 9 - Someone you love

Day 11 - Something blue

Hopefully I can get back on track and finish out the rest of the month. :)

Today is the day

2011-10-19T06:19:00.000-05:00

Today I start my new job. Today I leave my child for eight whole hours and let someone else feed him, play with him and put him down for a nap. I can't believe this is happening, really. I'm trying to be positive and I feel like maybe it will help to remind myself of them here.

-Money (duh, we all need it)
-Health insurance (paying everything out of pocket hasn't been fun)
-Brady will get to stay at home most days under the care of his loving MeeMaw instead of going to daycare (that is really number one on the list)
-I'll be working only about 10 minutes from home (hopefully I can smooch him on lunch breaks!)
-I got to be with him every day for 16 months
-Cute work outfits

See, it's not so bad, right?

That didn't make me feel better at all, actually. I'm going to miss my little boy like crazy. Wish me luck today? It's like the first day of high school all over.

First trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-18T13:07:00.000-05:00

I thought I was going to have to push back this visit another week since Brady had an ear infection but he seemed to be feeling a little better Saturday morning and I knew it would be a low key sort of thing. I really wanted to go before the weather got nasty and I'm glad we did because the past couple days have been chilly.

This is the first time I've seen a turkey up close and they are disgusting. Gross birds.

Do you see that silly boy's grin? Melts my heart.

Brady's favorite part was the hay ride (so much so that he threw a fit when it was over) and all the samples of pumpkin and apple bread. My favorite part was time with my favorite guys. And, the caramel apple.

Don't forget to watch my mom on HGTV tonight!

2011-10-16T07:40:00.003-05:00

Tonight is the night the HGTV Special Endless Yardsale airs! If you haven't already heard my mom is one of the contestents on the show and I am SO excited to watch. It will be her first time seeing it as well. So, make absolutely sure you have your television on your local HGTV channel at 8p/7c tonight! My mom's name is Sher and her partner is JD - you can be sure you will get a lot of laughs from them.

Random thoughts and issues (and a funny video)

2011-10-14T08:12:00.001-05:00

- B has another ear infection complete with 103 fever and sleepless nights. I think we're going to be looking into tubes, unfortunately. Behold, the pathetic, sick babe:

- Sunday night my mom will be on national television! We are all so excited to watch her on HGTV's annual special Endless Yardsale. It's on 8p/7c - you should watch, I promise you'll laugh at least once. :) (You should read her blog too, it's funny.)

- I feel like it may be time to try and wean B from his bottle. I have a hard time with this because part of me just feels like who cares? I think this is one of those things I am letting society and other mom's make me feel like I need to do. And that isn't even them saying things to me, just me noticing that other babies don't have a bottle so I feel like mine shouldn't. He drinks his water from a sippy, no problem, but he refuses milk from any other container but a bottle.

- This week I've been taking pictures and documenting our days for a Week in the Life book like this one that Ali Edwards did. It is a huge undertaking but I'm looking forwarding to the final product.

- My husband hit a pot hole on a back road last weekend and yesterday we got an estimate for the damage. Yes, damage from a pot hole. The total is slightly over $4,000! Thank goodness for insurance and low deductibles.

- Sprint is finally getting the iPhone!! I've been waiting years for this announcement.

- Monday is scheduled as my first day of work. I feel like hyperventilating. I honestly have no clue how I'm going to get through it. Also, I have a hard enough time managing life without a full-time job - you know, the house cleaning, laundry, errand running - how am I going to pull all of this off? It is just overwhelming me right now in a really bad way.

- Don't forget to take a peak at all of my holiday card designs - the digital files are only $10 and I think they're pretty cute if I do say so myself!

- I walked in the other room for like, two minutes, left my laptop on the couch and came back to see that Brady had somehow made this our background image:

I don't know who this is, where he found the picture, or how he did it.

- We booked a holiday mini-session with our birth and newborn photographer and I can't wait to FINALLY get an updated family photo! I am crazy excited.

- Yesterday morning while watching Sesame Street they played a clip of a little cartoon girl blowing bubbles. We had to rewind and watch over and over because Brady laughed so hard. Luckily, I got it on video.

Happy Friday!

Custom Holiday cards by yours truly

2011-10-10T13:23:00.000-05:00

So on a much lighter note from yesterday, I've got seven new holiday card designs up in my Etsy shop. I'll probably end up adding more by the time its all said and done, but I'm not sure. I am realizing though, I don't have any Hannakuh cards so if you're interested in that please let me know!

All of these listings are for digital files (I email you the file, you print wherever you'd like) because that seems to be what most people want. But, my printing company has really wonderful cardstock packs that you can purchase as well. The price for those are $32 plus shipping BUT I have a promo code right now for FREE shipping! Just enter LOVEANDMARRIAGE when you order.

So anyway, here's what you really want to see, the cards...

Keep Calm

Peace. Love. Joy

Peace & Joy

Happy Everything

Happy Holidays

Colorful Christmas

Grey and Yellow

Thanks for checking them out!

Sad

2011-10-09T13:47:00.000-05:00

Last week I accepted a job offer. One that has all therequirements I was looking for: great pay and benefits. But has one huge, enormous downfall: working in an office 40 hours a week. Do you know what that means? No more staying at home each and everyday with the love of my life. Wow, it's hard to even type that. How am I going to live it? How will I possibly walk wave goodbye to him at 8am and not see him again until five? Not just once but every day.

My family needs the second income, we have always been accustomed to it, and more than the actual pay check, we need health benefits in a bad way. I applied for state insurance but I was denied. So that's why I've got to do this. When I interviewed for the job I began praying consistently for God to make the choice for me. If this was the right job that I would be given an offer, if it wasn't then I wouldn't. I didn't want to decide if I should take it or not because I feel like I really wasn't able to make the choice. Please someone just do it for me.

So I let Him decide and the answer was yes, take this job. I really thought I wasn't picked for the position after a few days of no response from the company and I was relieved. But alas they called and it is what it is. Back to work I go. Luckily Brady won't have to go to daycare, he will stay with my mom part time and with his normal sitter the other half. Hopefully I can work out my lunch break in a way where I can come home and squeeze him.

The hard part, well, one of them, is that I just never thought I'd ever be in this position. I thought I'd never work anywhere but from home. I definitely needed help and Brady went to a sitter a few days a week but that was just so much different. I always put him down for a nap, never had to rush him around and have certainly never had to leave him when he wasn't feeling well.

I guess my new prayer is that we both will be able to make the transisition and I make it through my first day without being a complete mess and my new employer thinking they hired a basket case.

Maybe one day I can be at home with my baby again. I'll be spending this last full week with him soaking up as many kisses and giggles as I possibly can.

Because I was up at 4:45am

2011-10-06T08:40:00.000-05:00

Not only was I up at 4:45am (HOURS before I normally am) but I barely slept the few hours prior to that. I have allergies borderlining a sinus infection, Brady went poo and I just couldn't get comfortable. So, after I changed his butt and he fell back into dreamland I made my coffee and popped open photoshop. I'm trying to get more Christmas cards into my Etsy shop but I'm really in the Halloween spirit so I made a quick card for everyone for FREE. Happy Halloween, peeps.

5x7 Halloween jpeg file | Click to open to full size, then save

30 Day Photography Challenge Days 1 & 2

2011-10-03T06:21:00.000-05:00

I joined a bunch of lovely ladies in an October photography challenge hosted by Our Wired Lives. You can follow along with everyone by following this link.

Yea, I took a cheesy "looking out the window" self-portrait. Sue me. I tried a few other things and they just weren't working and the light at that window at that moment was fab. I thought I was going to post today's photo as well but the challenge is clouds and the sky is crystal clear blue. I can't find even the slightest trace of a cloud. Hopefully I don't blow the challenge as early as day three!

Here's what you can be looking for this month...

Our Saturday morning scene with the chipmunks

2011-10-01T08:46:00.000-05:00

I don't know if Katie is linking up this morning or not but, hey, we are!

When your little baby sits down and sorts through the DVD collection, chooses his favorite, brings it to you and says "uh uh uh uh" (which in Brady means, "can I watch this please?"), it's hard to say no.

Alvin and The Chipmunks are his favorite. He LOVES them.

Brady is off to spend the morning with his Grandma and cousin Matthew at a fall festival and I will be busy worrying and thinking about the job interview I had yesterday. Yea, the job that I'm pretty sure I'm going to get, which is much needed and wanted, but also means I will be done with my SAHM/WAHM duties. SCARY.

My super duper banana bread recipe

2011-09-30T02:01:00.002-05:00

source

Yes, those are chocolate chips in there and yes, you can leave them out if you'd like. But I will advise you that is a mistake.

I have actually given this recipe to a few of you and had others mentioned they'd like to have it so here you are! This is a recipe my mom has used forever and given to me so I'm not sure where it originated from. I found a photo online that looks like my bread but isn't actually because I've never taken a picture of it. So, that means if you follow the source link you will be taken to an entirely different recipe.

Ingredients:

-2 eggs lightly beaten

-3 squished bananas

-2 cups self-rising flour

-1/3 cup vegetable oil

-1/4 cup milk

-1 cup sugar

-1 cup chocolate chips (optional, but highly recommended)

Directions

-Heat oven to 350 degrees - grease loaf pan

-Mix eggs, bananas, oil and milk

-Then add flour and sugar.

-Stir in chocolate chips

-Bake for 55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean

Editing photos - a blueprint

2011-09-29T04:58:00.005-05:00

Almost every photo that I post here is edited in some way or another - even if it is only a bit of sharpening. I thought I'd show you how I do it, so here is a list of what I did for this particular picture. I have bought several actions from Paint the Moon that help a lot and she has some freebies on facebook. I love her actions! I use Photoshop Elements 9.

In order - here's what I did:

-lighten shadows

-spot healing brush - erase the bruise on his head

-brighten

-adjustment layer

-PTM baby soft skin

-PTM twinkle eyes

-PTM vanilla pop

-PTM portrait sharpen at 40%

-crop

How do you edit? Do you use actions?

To see full size versions of each, click below.

Sometimes...

2011-09-28T03:52:00.001-05:00

Sometimes you are just cruisin' in the car on your way to the park...

And you are interupted by a parade marching right down the middle of the street.

You are super annoyed until you look in the back seat...

And see that this just made his day.

Advocare

2011-09-27T01:38:00.000-05:00

The husband and I have joined a great company called AdvoCare and became distributors of its fabulous health products. Advocare is a premier health and wellness company offering world-class energy, weight-loss, nutrition, and sports performance products. For those with husbands on supplements (protein shakes, post work-out recoveries), I encourage you to check out our stuff! And for those of you still trying to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight there are some great things to help! Go visit our online store if you are interested in looking at everything we have to offer.

Slim

Supports appetite management*
Provides support for long-lasting energy*
Helps fight occasional drowsiness*

MNS^® Max 3 Kit

Provides a comprehensive system for weight loss and weight-management

Offers excellent nutritional support for bones and connective tissue*

Contains a full gram of omega-3 fatty acids in each serving

Supports the digestive and intestinal system

Provides more than 50 vitamins, minerals, herbal extracts, antioxidants, and other nutrients for comprehensive health and wellness

And there's so much more...vitamins, snack/meal replaceent bars, energy drinks, healthy sleep aids, etc.