Bump Watch: Week 20

HALFWAY THERE, BABY!

Although I thought I'd never make my way out of the extreme sickness of the first trimester, (maybe that's because it lasted well into the second?), time seems to be moving by at a pretty quick clip.  It's hard to believe that we've reached the halfway mark.

Of course, the most exciting part of the 20 week milestone is the ultrasound that comes at this time.  And, in case you haven't already heard the news...

We are having a GIRL!  We are truly thrilled about this.  In the beginning, I really, really didn't care if this baby was a boy or a girl.  Of course, I definitely wanted a girl someday, but I also thought it would be great for the nugget to have a brother so close in age.  But this all changed when we had our first trimester ultrasound.  The perinatologist told us at that appointment that we were "probably having a girl this time."  After hearing that, both mine and J's minds were set on a little girl.  Needless to say, we were beyond excited when we got confirmation this week.

The shopping has begun!  I ran out this week and bought some baby girl clothes, and also some of the bedding for the nursery.  When I heard that this was most definitely a little lady, my brain couldn't rest.  I needed to firm up ideas about her room and get a start on her wardrobe.  After making a final decision about her room decor and buying several large bags full of clothing, I slept GREAT last night.

In other exciting news this week, J has finally been able to feel a couple of kicks.  Little lady's movements are getting really strong, and a few I've even been able to see from the outside.  Soon, J won't have to work so hard or be so patient in order to feel kicks and punches.  

A picture of the little lady at 20 weeks.  See her kicking her little legs up?

Nugget Update: He's One and a Half

Well, my boy officially hit the year-and-a-half mark.  Let me tell you, 18 months is so much fun!  It's been awhile since I did a true update on that light of my life, so I thought I'd give you all a little peek into Gabe's world as of late.

Likes:

• Cars.  I'm not sure how little boys just innately know how to be little boys, but my son is obsessed with cars.  And trucks and motorcycles.  He pushes them around and makes a "vroom" noise.  He would also sit and watch cars and trucks go by on a busy road for minutes upon minutes (which is a long time for one so small).  If he hears a vehicle pass by outside, he runs to the window and says "ooh."  Lately, he's branching out to trains, boats, planes, and all other forms of transportation.  Yes, he is all boy.
• Sesame Street.  I am so happy to say goodbye to his former favorite, Yo Gabba Gabba, and say hello to an old friend from my childhood.  Sure, the show has changed a little since I was a youngin', but A LOT of it has stayed the same.  Elmo is Gabe's favorite- what is it with toddlers and Elmo?
• Books.  My heart is so happy that my child loves books.  There are few things in life that make him happier.  Unfortunately for us parents, he wants to read the same book over and over and over and over and over.  Then he'll switch to a different book, and want to hear it over and over and over and over and over.  Being the reading teacher that I am (if not in the school system, then in my heart always), I hate to dissuade the little guy from wanting to read, but sometimes Mommy needs a break! We've instituted a designated reading time during the day.  Other times, the books are upstairs and we are downstairs.
• Water.  Be it the pool, the bathtub, his water table, or the dog's water bowl.  He doesn't discriminate. He's an equal opportunity splasher.  If I leave my water glass out, he'll even stick his little hand in there and splash around.  Charming.

Dislikes:

• Talking.  The boy is pretty quiet.  We've been around a few others his age who will talk circles around him, but he's just not that into the words.  He has recently started to say bear, bar (as in Nutri-Grain), car, dog, Dad, no, yeah, go, and all gone.  And just yesterday he came out with Mama and I know he actually meant it.  He repeatedly pointed to me throughout the day and said "Mamama!"  So he adds an extra 'ma'.  I don't mind!
• Food.  Yes, believe it or not, my once chubby, eat-anything-you-put-in-front-of-him boy has become persnickety.  He eats only a few things, and even within his chosen few, he will sometimes refuse.  He loves hot dogs, FRUIT, fruit, and more fruit, cereal, and yogurt or applesauce pouches.  He'll sometimes go for PB&J, mac n' cheese, or "bars," but sometimes not.  An occasional pancake or waffle here and there, we'll sometimes treat him to a Pop Tart, and he'll inhale some McDonald's.  Healthy, no?  But try as I might, I cannot get him to eat anything else.  We often offer different foods, he rarely accepts.  What's a mom to do?  The doctor assures me this is to be expected, and he'll eventually grow out of it.

We had Gabe's 18 month checkup this week.  He weighs 27 lbs 2 oz and is 32 3/4 inches tall, hovering right around the 65th percentile for both.  He is very healthy, and very happy.

And good, for the most part, which is lucky, because he couldn't give a rat's patootie about being placed in time out.  Seriously, the boy is so good that on the rare occasion that we've put him on the stairs for time out, he just happily sits there without moving, because that's what we've told him to do.  Oy.

He's a good egg, that one.  We can only hope that we are so lucky with our impending arrival!

And since we spent all that money on the good camera, I logically only have a few crappy phone pictures to share with you at the moment.  I try with the camera, really I do.  But to maintain control of the camera and maintain control of the boy simultaneously is some trick.

His Bear.  Actually, my bear from my sorority days, but Gabe has adopted him.  He sleeps with him, and carries him around.  He points excitedly and says "Bear!"

"Feeding" the ducks.  Not much feeding was happening, as Gabe was having far too much fun chasing.

Clean finger painting.  The paint is contained inside a plastic bag, so his highness doesn't have to dirty his fingers.

First lollipop!  He ate it like a pro after a hair cut.

Playing with the iPad.  Of course he's playing with an iPad.

Surrounded by (and giving kisses to) stuffed farm animals at the children's museum.

 

Bump Watch: Week 19

19 Weeks: Bring on the weird skin stuff. How bizarre is it that pregnancy causes such strange skin issues? I've noticed that some of my moles are looking darker- no big deal. But this week, I found a skin tag. Eewwww. I know these are harmless, but they just gross me out. I was lucky enough not to sprout any of these when I was pregnant with nugget, so I'm not sure what my best course of action is. Anyone have a great way to remove these at home? I suppose I should just be thankful that I haven't been plagued with the horrible acne that adorned my face during my last pregnancy.

In other news, baby is really kicking up a storm now. I've felt a couple of kicks from the outside- so exciting! Unfortunately, baby is stubborn, and seems to cease all movement as soon as J rests a hand on my belly. We're hopeful that in the next week, he'll be able to feel his first movement!

Best news? This was the first week in the past 15 weeks that I've been barf free!

Appointment Monday- fingers crossed that baby's legs aren't crossed. This mama is ready to know for sure wether we are having a boy baby or a girl baby!

Eat Mor Beef

Very rarely do I get political on my little blog here, but when something is really important to me, I feel the need to get it out there.  Now is one of those times.  I am aware that I may lose a few readers in the process, but quite honestly, if you find this offensive, good riddance.

And I know I’m a little late to the party here, but it has taken me some time to really think this one through…

This whole Chick-Fil-A thing has been weighing heavily on my mind for the past few weeks.  When I first heard that the company’s President and COO had come out and announced to the world that he and his company were against gay marriage, I had an immediate reaction.  I thought to myself that I would no longer support this business, because I am a strong believer that marriage should be about the love between two people- any two people.

But then I read several posts and comments here and there about how boycotting this business simply because one doesn’t share the beliefs of this man is silly.  After all, this is America, where we are lucky enough to be able to believe in whatever we want to believe, without fear of persecution.  We also have freedom of speech, and can put things out there in the media if we want to.  So should I boycott a business just because I don’t happen to share every part of this man’s belief system?  When surely, even some of my best friends have different beliefs about some things than I do?

I really had to think about this.

 

And then it came to me.  I don’t care that the President of Chick-Fil-A does not have the same values and beliefs as me.  In reality, it’s no surprise that this is the company’s stance.  They are a Christian based company who forgoes Sunday profits so that their employees are free to worship and rest.  And in this great country, we don’t all have to believe the same things.

 

However, I will still be boycotting the restaurant.

My real problem is tied to the money.  Chick-Fil-A uses company profits to help fund organizations that are actively fighting the fight against gay marriage.  And I don’t want one red cent of my (husband’s) hard earned money to go toward supporting a cause that I find ignorant, hateful, and am so vehemently against.

In my mind, this is akin to me saying I’m going to open a lemonade stand, but I’m going to use a portion of my profits to kill puppies and kittens.  Now if I had just said I don’t like puppies and kittens, I’m sure people would still feel okay to buy my lemonade.  Not everyone likes pets.  But when I go a step further and tell you I’m going to use your money for this heinous cause, it just becomes wrong for you to give me your patronage.

So there will be no more Chick-Fil-A in this house.  In the interest of full disclosure, my decision to boycott will have little to no affect on me, as I’m not a fan of the restaurant in the first place.  It will, however, hurt J, who has a serious crush on those spicy chicken sandwiches and creamy milkshakes.  Nonetheless, we feel that for us, this is the right thing to do.

Also, I really a lot of love the Muppets.  I stand with Kermit.

Bump Watch: Week 18

18 Weeks: The big news?  I believe I am finally over the worst of it.  I'm down to only barfing once a week.  HUZZAH!

Although I am feeling much better, I still don't have much of an appetite.  (Except for those chips at lunch, that I still can't seem to put down.  BAD mama.)  I am still down 7 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight, but I am a-okay with that.  I am secretly hoping that when I arrive at the hospital to deliver this peanut, I've only just made my way back to my original weight.  Can one be that lucky twice?  Fingers crossed!

Baby is moving around A LOT these days.  I can feel lots of kicks and rolls, which is wonderful.  I think I may have felt one kick from the outside, but only once.  I'm looking forward to when the kicks get a little stronger, so that J can feel, too!

SAHM Success

I'm finding my groove.

The nugget and I have had some fun times in the past couple of weeks.

We visited the coolest park in the world, and rode the train (twice!).

CHOO CHOO!

We painted a picture.  I know it looks like he used his fingers, but my little man does not appreciate the feeling of anything foreign on his delicate fingertips.  We had much greater success with the brush.

We went to the children's museum- which was absolutely amazing.  Seriously, locals, if you haven't taken your kids to Marbles, they are missing out.

All of this, and I have managed to accomplish at least one daily chore around the house and get dinner made most nights.

Yes, I am finding my groove.

Book Review: Fifty Shades of Grey

I'm sure you've all been wondering why on earth I haven't updated that "What I'm Reading" link over there on the right side of my page.  For months now, the cover of Fifty Shades of Grey has been featured.  And folks, it's taken me that long to get through it.

It's true that I don't have the time to read like I used to.  Having a youngin' in the house eats up most of my free quiet time, and by the time I get into bed at night, I just want to sleep.  That being said, reading a really good or fun book will force me to make time to read.  Clearly, I did not find myself making time for this book.

I picked it up because I keep hearing about it, everywhere I turn.  It seems like every woman in the world has read this.  So I thought I'd see what all the hype was about.

I am sad to say that I was so disappointed.

I'm not sure what everyone is seeing in this book.  Yes, it has some very spicy sex scenes.  I've heard this series referred to as Mommy Porn, and it's definitely on the erotic side.  Maybe that's the appeal?  It's dangerous?  But the rest of the story is so lacking.

The writing is bad.  The premise is blah.  And the character development is seriously lacking.  Oh, right...did I mention there isn't really a plot?

The main characters are Anastasia Steele, a recent college grad (and virgin) who finds herself in a kinky relationship with hot billionaire S&M enthusiast Christian Grey.  He wants to tie her up and spank her, and she wants more.  If I had to read about this chick's inner goddess or saw the fifty shades reference one more time, I was seriously going to barf.  And really, I've been doing that enough on my own these days without the help of bad literature.

This weekend, I forced myself to sit down and finish the darn thing, so that I could move on.  I realize that this is only the first book in a trilogy, and I have been told that the character development and plot really get going in the second and third books, but I will be passing on the remainder.  To me, even taking the story (or lack thereof) out of the equation, the writing was just so bad that it was painful to get through.

I tried, I really did.  But alas, I found this one to be fifty shades of crap.

Bump Watch: Week 17

17 weeks: The week of the disturbed dreams.  There are a lot of weird things that happen to a woman's body during pregnancy.  Some are obvious, and some are creepy little things that hide beneath the surface (metaphorically speaking- although at this stage, the baby is also kinda a creepy little thing).  The bizarre dreams are one of these symptoms.  These dreams can range from funny to sexy to weird.  Unfortunately for me lately, they've been terrorizing.  Scary is not really a strong enough word to use.  One night earlier this week, I had to wake J up in the middle of the night, as I was sobbing over the terrible visions I had seen in my sleep.  Never in my life have I had that type of reaction to a dream, but friends, it was B.A.D.  Needless to say, I've had some tired days of late.  Whatever hormone surge is causing these night terrors, be gone!

In other news: I commented to J last night about how much more pregnant my body feels at this stage than it did with Gabe.  My lower back is already sore (possibly from lifting my 30-pounder on top of being pregnant?), I can already feel my hips spreading, and- TMI ALERT- I am already producing colostrum and experiencing the tiniest bit of leakage.  Crazy, huh??

Yep, there's definitely a baby in there.

Bump Watch: Week 16

16 Weeks: All is well with baby #2 as of my appointment this week.  This was quite possibly the quickest baby appointment I've ever had!  I guess they figure since I've done this before, I know what to expect and don't need a lot of hand holding.  And since this is true, I'm not bothered!

A quick review of first trimester tests- all normal- then a quick listen for baby.  Nice strong heartbeat in the 140s.  Baby was a little hard to catch this week.  There was a lot of moving around while the doctor tried to catch that heartbeat!  Doc commented that baby must think it's in the Olympics.  :)

We also had a quick chat about the pertussis vaccine.  I'm sure you've all read a lot about this in the news recently, since whooping cough seems to be all over the place lately.  I will be getting a booster during my third trimester.  J will also get up-to-date on this vaccine before baby arrives.  Better safe than sorry around here, folks!

Still waiting for the morning sickness to disappear.  It's getting better and better, but not entirely gone.  I have gained about a half a pound back, so that must mean things are looking up, right?  Of course, that half a pound may have come from all of the chips I have been eating lately.  Lunchtime is my best time of day- and I often eat the lunch to prove it.  I'm ashamed to say that I polished off a bag of cheddar & sour cream Baked Lays in only two days this week.  At least they're baked, right?  I assuage my guilt about this by reminding myself that I eat a small breakfast (which often comes back up) and not a very large dinner, either.  Lunchtime is where it's at.

Until next week!

P.S.- I promise to post a bump photo soon.  We haven't actually taken any yet...second baby syndrome?

Product Review: Moisturizer

Here's another one of those products that I am forever searching for "the one."  Like mascara, I try many, MANY varieties before settling on what I deem to be perfection.  And after I've found perfection?  Well, something new will come out, and I'll feel the need to give it a try, and we'll start all over again.

Moral of the story?  Don't expect this week's perfection to stick.

HOWEVER, here is what I am currently digging:

Cetaphil Daily Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15

In recent years, I have come to realize that although I love the look of sun kissed skin, I value my youth MUCH, MUCHLY, MUCHLIEST more.  I now shun the sun, and want to protect my skin from it at all costs.  I'd like to be one of those women in her sixties with enviable skin.  I'd also like to be able to pass for 29 for-um-ever, since that is the age at which I will always remain in my mind.  SO I look for an SPF in all of my facial products.

My biggest pet peeve with facial products containing an SPF is that they are often too "sunscreeny."  Weird, you're thinking.  I thought that was the point?

Well, the problem is, I don't want something too thick or heavy on my face.  Many daily moisturizers containing an SPF tend to stay on the surface of my skin, feel greasy, and frankly, not do a great job of moisturizing.  They can also cause break outs, which is the opposite of what I'm going for here.
 
But THIS product has is all.  It leaves my skin feeling hydrated, and not the least bit greasy.  It is so light.  It doesn't have that sunscreen smell.  And it is also incredibly gentle.  We have been using Cetaphil lotion on Gabe since he was born, per the ped's recommendation.  I figured that if it's gentle enough for a newborn, it is certainly gentle enough for my finicky pregnant skin.

Ladies (and gents?), this one is worth a try.  The best part is you can pick it up at your grocery store for under ten bucks!  Small victories, friends.  Small victories.