It's 4:30 AM and I've been up for three hours. For someone who has never pulled an all nighter and completely struggled with the late night party lifestyle of college (oh how I couldn't wait until I was old and settled!), this middle-of-the-night pregnancy insomnia is just weird. Tonight's wake-up was prompted by some mild whimpering from Bella. She was back asleep within 5 minutes, but it was enough for me to suddenly notice the reflux and then to be fully aware of someone's snoring. I won't name who the someone is to protect his identity.
Or maybe I don't want to name the someone to protect MY identity as a woman with Brother Husbands.
You are wondering now, aren't you?
(Heh. Brother Husbands.)
Anyway, I usually lay in bed (after peeing of course) (getting up and going pee OF COURSE as I am not weeing in the bed) (but while we are on the topic - chamber pots? I think it's time they make a comeback and I'm happy to get that trend launched.) OK, quite off track now, where was I? Oh! So I usually lay in bed and listen to my relaxation/Hypnobabies/sleep tracks on my iPod for at least 30 minutes if not an hour before saying f-it and getting up to go prowl the internet. Sadly, my internet prowling is quite limited these days given my whole Lent thing. So I putz around on the internet and eventually go back to sleep where I get woken up by B at some annoyingly early hour and then spend the day exhausted and crabby. Which in turn gets me all sorts of anxious and stressed about how I'm going to possibly manage sleep deprivation with a toddler and a newborn.
I don't even know the point of this post other than to whine. Sigh. I'm sorry, y'all. Pregnant whining is no fun and I really am having an easy pregnancy now that the puking is over and done. I mean - I've yet to have to pee more than once during the night! That's some rare pregnant bladder power, there!
Since I do feel nominally better having complained in a written manner it's probably time to get back to my first Brother Husband (the legal one) and catch a few zzzs. And I really mean a few - I have about an hour before the toddler rooster crows. Cock-a-doodle-dooooooo!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Up, Up and Away: On Pregnancy Weight
During my last pregnancy, I found myself gaining 26 lbs in the second trimester alone (and 53 lbs total). I found this somewhat baffling at the time, although I could kind of see how it happened. While my base diet was a fairly healthy one with fruits, veggies, and whole grains, I didn't usually put much thought into portion size and I allowed myself plenty of snacks and desserts. Because, hot diggity damn, I was hungry. Plus, back in those days I did have the ability to eat any and all food FOR FREE at my job on the campus of a gigantic university. Seriously. It was kind of nuts. Sometimes I would get to work and head down to the cafeteria directly below my office for a second mini breakfast. That or stop by the dorm convenience store and pick up a water and some trail mix to much on in my office, often finding myself eating the whole 4-portion bag in one day. Or I'd go a coffee shop and get a decaf vanilla latte and sometimes a danish or something. And that was just in the AM. There were daily desserts from some campus place for lunch in addition to desserts at home with Husband in the evening. Also, my second trimester coincided with Christmas/Valentines/Easter so there was chocolatey candy on top of all that! And let's not forget the fizzy, fruity N/A beverages most nights. As far as moving around, I would mostly sit on my bum after a day at my sedentary job. So, I gained way too much weight. My own fault, right?
This time I did things differently. My base diet is now even healthier - I eat a mainly organic/local/free-range diet that includes few processed foods, make a lot of stuff from scratch, generally eat my requisite 5-9 fresh fruits and vegetables a day, choose low-fat dairy and plain yogurt, and I eat meat/poultry only a few times a week. I don't have much in the way of juice or caloric beverages besides the occasional weekend or out-to-eat treat. Sure I still indulge in desserts most days, but just once a day - not three times. I am eating more snacks (darn you, pregnancy hunger!), but I think I'm choosing healthy ones and they are certainly more portioned controlled than they were during my last pregnancy. And let's not forget that I'm exercising very regularly -5 days a week right now - at levels that I would have considered to be "true" exercise outside of pregnancy. So I'm treating myself better this pregnancy. Two points for me.
However, after gaining a shocking 5 lbs in one weekend in early March after visiting my sister (I did over-indulge, but certainly not THAT much), I cut my intake back further and began tracking everything I eat, like a good little dietitian would advise. More fruits! More vegetables! Protein at all meals & snacks! Smaller portions! Measuring food! Desserts only a couple times a week! No candy!
The result? I continued to gain, gain, gain - averaging a couple pounds a week. In fact, I gained 10 lbs in the past four weeks, bringing my total pregnancy weight gain to 24 lbs. And because I lost a few lbs in the first trimester, this means I gained 27 pounds in the second trimester alone.
Hang on, weight a minute here.
Did you catch that? (And I don't just mean my hilarious word play.) I mean did you catch that I made all those changes for this pregnancy and yet went on to gain a full pound MORE in the second trimester. When I look at this situation from a strictly mathematical perspective, something is really, REALLY not making sense. My caloric intake paired with my caloric expenditure is simply not matching the rate of weight gain. I could see where I might be gaining a couple extra pounds above and beyond the pound a week recommendation (the hunger, man, the hunger), but gaining 10 pounds in the last four weeks? Doesn't compute.
What does compute is that this might simply be what my body does during pregnancy. There is something called the set-point theory, which I read a lot about during my days of working as an eating disorder dietitian. Basically the gist is that your body wants to hang out at a certain weight (or within a small weight range) and it can be hard to force the body beyond that weight. While I don't think this theory is universally applicable, I do think it has some validity. I know for myself that it is true. During the time of my worst eating habits and least activity (which was, ironically, during my dietetic internship) my weight didn't go much past 160 lbs (I'm over 5'8"). I am certain I was eating just as much during that time of my life as I am currently eating while pregnant, and yet my weight didn't take off on a runaway train. Then during a time of eating a much lower calorie diet combined with high levels of activity (a situational thing involving a bad breakup that left me without much of an appetite and a huge need to rage-ersize with kick-boxing), my weight never dipped below 145 lbs. For the most part, my body wants to hang out around 153 lbs - interesting that that lies smack in the middle of those two other numbers, isn't it? So if my body has a set-point for non-pregnancy, could it be that I have a set-point during pregnancy? I'm thinking yes.
My midwife actually mentioned that exact idea to me today at my appointment last Friday after I expressed concern about my weight gain. She was not worried about my weight gain at all and told me it was likely that I would end up gaining "too much" weight again this pregnancy. As she pointed out - I gained over 50 lbs last time, yet still delivered an average-sized baby of 7 lbs, 12 oz at 41 weeks pregnant. My excessive weight gain never resulted in a gigantic baby, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, or any of the other potential problems that can occur with gaining too much. I went on to lose the weight and then some within months after having Bella. She noted that sometimes some women really are practically binging during their pregnancies, resulting in excessive weight gain, but other women like me find themselves gaining a lot of weight in spite of a healthy lifestyle. I found her words comforting and reassuring, especially since attempts to keep my intake down have resulted in me waking up in the middle of the night with terrible hunger pains recently. It seemed really weird and wrong that I was being much more restrictive with my eating now, during pregnancy, than I ever was in the past several years.
So what to do? I probably could really tweak my diet back to the bare minimum and slow the weight gain, but that would take a crazy amount of effort and careful planning on my part. And I don't think it would be worth it - at all. That type of dietary micromanagement would certainly trigger some weird dieting thoughts and behaviors that I would prefer to leave in my past.
And so this leaves me with the sense that I need to just keep on being reasonable with my intake, while still allowing for a love of food and sweets. I won't go nuts like I did during my first pregnancy, but I won't say one dessert a week when I NEVER live like that outside of pregnancy. I do think it's a good thing that I'm treating desserts with more respect now as I'm really enjoying them and not just having them everyday out of habit. I also think it's good for me to keep half an eye on portions and keep pushing myself to choose the spinach salad as a side dish over a small handful of tortilla chips at lunch. Plus the protein and water and all that. Good things to maintain. But I'm not going to try to force myself to stay under X number of calories if it means waking up hungry at night.
I won't lie and say I'm totally at peace with the fact that I'm going to gain above the recommended amount again. Gaining all that additional weight does make life a little more challenging and tiring. Plus, it takes longer to lose the weight post-partum. And I struggle against feeling like a failure of a dietitian for not being able to stay within the guidelines. I mean, of all people, shoudn't I be one who can manage pregnancy weight gain without much thought? There are also some body image things that creep in as I see my thighs get bigger and my jawline get wobbly and that number on the scale go up, up, up. But there is no use focusing on that stuff. It is what it is and I'll go on to lose it all again without too much effort. And in the end I'm going to get a healthy, wonderful baby boy out of this. That's what actually matters.
Any of you experience something similar during your pregnancy? Maybe you were on the other end of the spectrum and couldn't gain over 25 lbs to save your life prompting unnecessary concern from doctors and midwives? How about the set-point theory in general? Does it ring true for you, also?
This time I did things differently. My base diet is now even healthier - I eat a mainly organic/local/free-range diet that includes few processed foods, make a lot of stuff from scratch, generally eat my requisite 5-9 fresh fruits and vegetables a day, choose low-fat dairy and plain yogurt, and I eat meat/poultry only a few times a week. I don't have much in the way of juice or caloric beverages besides the occasional weekend or out-to-eat treat. Sure I still indulge in desserts most days, but just once a day - not three times. I am eating more snacks (darn you, pregnancy hunger!), but I think I'm choosing healthy ones and they are certainly more portioned controlled than they were during my last pregnancy. And let's not forget that I'm exercising very regularly -5 days a week right now - at levels that I would have considered to be "true" exercise outside of pregnancy. So I'm treating myself better this pregnancy. Two points for me.
However, after gaining a shocking 5 lbs in one weekend in early March after visiting my sister (I did over-indulge, but certainly not THAT much), I cut my intake back further and began tracking everything I eat, like a good little dietitian would advise. More fruits! More vegetables! Protein at all meals & snacks! Smaller portions! Measuring food! Desserts only a couple times a week! No candy!
The result? I continued to gain, gain, gain - averaging a couple pounds a week. In fact, I gained 10 lbs in the past four weeks, bringing my total pregnancy weight gain to 24 lbs. And because I lost a few lbs in the first trimester, this means I gained 27 pounds in the second trimester alone.
Hang on, weight a minute here.
Did you catch that? (And I don't just mean my hilarious word play.) I mean did you catch that I made all those changes for this pregnancy and yet went on to gain a full pound MORE in the second trimester. When I look at this situation from a strictly mathematical perspective, something is really, REALLY not making sense. My caloric intake paired with my caloric expenditure is simply not matching the rate of weight gain. I could see where I might be gaining a couple extra pounds above and beyond the pound a week recommendation (the hunger, man, the hunger), but gaining 10 pounds in the last four weeks? Doesn't compute.
What does compute is that this might simply be what my body does during pregnancy. There is something called the set-point theory, which I read a lot about during my days of working as an eating disorder dietitian. Basically the gist is that your body wants to hang out at a certain weight (or within a small weight range) and it can be hard to force the body beyond that weight. While I don't think this theory is universally applicable, I do think it has some validity. I know for myself that it is true. During the time of my worst eating habits and least activity (which was, ironically, during my dietetic internship) my weight didn't go much past 160 lbs (I'm over 5'8"). I am certain I was eating just as much during that time of my life as I am currently eating while pregnant, and yet my weight didn't take off on a runaway train. Then during a time of eating a much lower calorie diet combined with high levels of activity (a situational thing involving a bad breakup that left me without much of an appetite and a huge need to rage-ersize with kick-boxing), my weight never dipped below 145 lbs. For the most part, my body wants to hang out around 153 lbs - interesting that that lies smack in the middle of those two other numbers, isn't it? So if my body has a set-point for non-pregnancy, could it be that I have a set-point during pregnancy? I'm thinking yes.
My midwife actually mentioned that exact idea to me today at my appointment last Friday after I expressed concern about my weight gain. She was not worried about my weight gain at all and told me it was likely that I would end up gaining "too much" weight again this pregnancy. As she pointed out - I gained over 50 lbs last time, yet still delivered an average-sized baby of 7 lbs, 12 oz at 41 weeks pregnant. My excessive weight gain never resulted in a gigantic baby, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, or any of the other potential problems that can occur with gaining too much. I went on to lose the weight and then some within months after having Bella. She noted that sometimes some women really are practically binging during their pregnancies, resulting in excessive weight gain, but other women like me find themselves gaining a lot of weight in spite of a healthy lifestyle. I found her words comforting and reassuring, especially since attempts to keep my intake down have resulted in me waking up in the middle of the night with terrible hunger pains recently. It seemed really weird and wrong that I was being much more restrictive with my eating now, during pregnancy, than I ever was in the past several years.
So what to do? I probably could really tweak my diet back to the bare minimum and slow the weight gain, but that would take a crazy amount of effort and careful planning on my part. And I don't think it would be worth it - at all. That type of dietary micromanagement would certainly trigger some weird dieting thoughts and behaviors that I would prefer to leave in my past.
And so this leaves me with the sense that I need to just keep on being reasonable with my intake, while still allowing for a love of food and sweets. I won't go nuts like I did during my first pregnancy, but I won't say one dessert a week when I NEVER live like that outside of pregnancy. I do think it's a good thing that I'm treating desserts with more respect now as I'm really enjoying them and not just having them everyday out of habit. I also think it's good for me to keep half an eye on portions and keep pushing myself to choose the spinach salad as a side dish over a small handful of tortilla chips at lunch. Plus the protein and water and all that. Good things to maintain. But I'm not going to try to force myself to stay under X number of calories if it means waking up hungry at night.
I won't lie and say I'm totally at peace with the fact that I'm going to gain above the recommended amount again. Gaining all that additional weight does make life a little more challenging and tiring. Plus, it takes longer to lose the weight post-partum. And I struggle against feeling like a failure of a dietitian for not being able to stay within the guidelines. I mean, of all people, shoudn't I be one who can manage pregnancy weight gain without much thought? There are also some body image things that creep in as I see my thighs get bigger and my jawline get wobbly and that number on the scale go up, up, up. But there is no use focusing on that stuff. It is what it is and I'll go on to lose it all again without too much effort. And in the end I'm going to get a healthy, wonderful baby boy out of this. That's what actually matters.
Any of you experience something similar during your pregnancy? Maybe you were on the other end of the spectrum and couldn't gain over 25 lbs to save your life prompting unnecessary concern from doctors and midwives? How about the set-point theory in general? Does it ring true for you, also?
Random Things + Target Giveaway Winner
- Congratulations to Cara for winning the $10 Target giveaway. Happy shopping!
- You have until Thursday, March 31 at midnight CST to enter the Amazon.com Giveaway!
- Speaking of Amazon, yesterday we received a package that was addressed to all 3 of us and contained a Philosophy gift set. No gift note and the order slip was for two diamond women's watches. Amazon can offer no information since they sent the wrong order slip. Did one of you send this to me? If so, thank you! Or was this possibily the most random Amazon mix-up ever (aside from the time that Amazon awesomely sent my BIL a super fancy light saber from my mom by mistake)? So mysterious.
- Bella just started that fun game where she takes off running away from me. Excellent timing given my lumbering state of being. GAH. Tips? Leash her and only let her off-leash at dog parks? Help!
- Yesterday a lady at the grocery store commented on how Bella looked just like her mama and then IMMEDIATELY followed it up by saying, "with that chubby face!" Haha - we have matching mother and daughter chub faces! I am pretty sure she didn't mean to make that all once sentence, but it sure did come out that way. Had she said that at 38 weeks pregnant I'm thinking I would have found it less funny...
- I'm being kind of a poop-head when it comes to my Lent resolution. I have completely avoided Twitter & Facebook (pats self on back), but did check the Bump last weekend when I was feeling grumpy about the cold & tired from solo parenting. I've also been checking email/blogs while Bella is awake, but occupied with her creepy Kids Singing video. She's been sitting still with it for 20 minutes each day...makes me feel a little guilty, but I so need her to learn to do that with the baby coming. In fact, I'm blogging now while she watches it. Is this cheating? Maybe not, but kind of. Part of the problem has been that my attempts to give myself some time on the computer before she wakes up have been thwarted (seeeeeeriously with the 5:45 AM wake ups, Bella????) Maybe I will limit myself to blogging only while she is occupied as that is something more hobby related? Fine lines, schmine lines. I will continue to not tweet/FB/bump until April 23, though.
- Forgot to mention yesterday that I passed my gestational diabetes test. Would it surprise anyone to know that I don't really have much of a problem with that super sweet glucose drink? I think not...
Monday, March 28, 2011
Bumpdate: 26 Weeks
Due Date: July 2, 2011. 14 weeks to go!
Weight Gain: 24 lbs, another 2 lb gain this past week. Le sigh.
Symptoms: I think the rapid weight gain (post to come about this specifically tomorrow-ish) is making me feel more bulky and awkward, and well, pregnant. Other pregnancy symptoms are still the back pain, tailbone pain, pressure on the lady bits, endless peeing, and reflux. But, once again, I'm not puking! So all is well.
What's different this time: Nothing notable this week.
Cravings/Aversions: Fruit & I remain best buds and I've been making (and chowing down on) beautiful fruit salads on a daily basis. I also put the fruit salad on a bed of spinach with a homemade citrus poppyseed dressing at most lunches to help me get extra veggies in. Nevermind the small fortune spent on organic fruit to maintain this habit - better than daily bakery cupcakes or something, right?
Sleep: Sleep is hit or miss, but I only had a couple nights with the up for two hours in the middle of the night problem, so that's not too bad. I think the sleep hypnosis track is helping a bit.
I am loving: I bought one of those super fugly maternity belts to hold up ze belly and reduce back pain and it does help, especially during exercise. It's fantastically beautiful.
I miss: Bending over with ease.
I am looking forward to: Average temps...someday. Actually, I think we might hit 40 tomorrow! Snow be gone!
I'm spazzing about: Husband recently told me about a 3-day business trip when I'll be 37.5 weeks. While the chances of me delivering that early are slim (I really think I'll go a week late again), it's still well within the realm of possibility, so I'm not very happy about the timing of that trip. I might see if we have enough FF miles to fly my mom in for a few days, but again that is not ideal since she would be coming out again a few weeks later when the baby arrives. What to do?
Best moment this week: Not so much a moment, but Sunday was a good day. I was solo parenting as Husband went to visit a friend in Virginia last week and was pretty much pooped out by Sunday. Good to have time alone to recharge and get some stuff done and also good to have my wee family reunited.
Milestones: I passed the 100 days left mark!
Movement: Yes. Especially when Husband or Bella is talking to the belly. Bella sometimes refers to the baby as her "bruzzah" (brother). Ahhhh, so cute.
It's a...: Baby boy. A bruzzah, if you will.
Exercise: 5 times: one run/walk and the rest was a mix of the elliptical machine and brisk & easy walks. I think I'm done with the running, though. The belly is too bulky and I was cramping afterwards (sort of a Braxton Hicks type cramping). Plus, my midwife thought it best to switch to the lower impact stuff now that I'm this far along. Adieu running. We'll meet again soon.
Diet: Did better with my goal of veggies at lunch, so-so with the water consumption, and had desserts/sweets some days, but not all. I did OK.
Exercise goal for the upcoming week: 5+ times
Other goals: Focus on getting water in!
Belly Pic:
Someone wanted another photo shoot after taking the belly picture. Actually, she didn't want me in the original belly picture and tried to get me to leave so it would just be her in the frame. DIVA!
Weight Gain: 24 lbs, another 2 lb gain this past week. Le sigh.
Symptoms: I think the rapid weight gain (post to come about this specifically tomorrow-ish) is making me feel more bulky and awkward, and well, pregnant. Other pregnancy symptoms are still the back pain, tailbone pain, pressure on the lady bits, endless peeing, and reflux. But, once again, I'm not puking! So all is well.
What's different this time: Nothing notable this week.
Cravings/Aversions: Fruit & I remain best buds and I've been making (and chowing down on) beautiful fruit salads on a daily basis. I also put the fruit salad on a bed of spinach with a homemade citrus poppyseed dressing at most lunches to help me get extra veggies in. Nevermind the small fortune spent on organic fruit to maintain this habit - better than daily bakery cupcakes or something, right?
Sleep: Sleep is hit or miss, but I only had a couple nights with the up for two hours in the middle of the night problem, so that's not too bad. I think the sleep hypnosis track is helping a bit.
I am loving: I bought one of those super fugly maternity belts to hold up ze belly and reduce back pain and it does help, especially during exercise. It's fantastically beautiful.
I miss: Bending over with ease.
I am looking forward to: Average temps...someday. Actually, I think we might hit 40 tomorrow! Snow be gone!
I'm spazzing about: Husband recently told me about a 3-day business trip when I'll be 37.5 weeks. While the chances of me delivering that early are slim (I really think I'll go a week late again), it's still well within the realm of possibility, so I'm not very happy about the timing of that trip. I might see if we have enough FF miles to fly my mom in for a few days, but again that is not ideal since she would be coming out again a few weeks later when the baby arrives. What to do?
Best moment this week: Not so much a moment, but Sunday was a good day. I was solo parenting as Husband went to visit a friend in Virginia last week and was pretty much pooped out by Sunday. Good to have time alone to recharge and get some stuff done and also good to have my wee family reunited.
Milestones: I passed the 100 days left mark!
Movement: Yes. Especially when Husband or Bella is talking to the belly. Bella sometimes refers to the baby as her "bruzzah" (brother). Ahhhh, so cute.
It's a...: Baby boy. A bruzzah, if you will.
Exercise: 5 times: one run/walk and the rest was a mix of the elliptical machine and brisk & easy walks. I think I'm done with the running, though. The belly is too bulky and I was cramping afterwards (sort of a Braxton Hicks type cramping). Plus, my midwife thought it best to switch to the lower impact stuff now that I'm this far along. Adieu running. We'll meet again soon.
Diet: Did better with my goal of veggies at lunch, so-so with the water consumption, and had desserts/sweets some days, but not all. I did OK.
Exercise goal for the upcoming week: 5+ times
Other goals: Focus on getting water in!
Belly Pic:
Someone wanted another photo shoot after taking the belly picture. Actually, she didn't want me in the original belly picture and tried to get me to leave so it would just be her in the frame. DIVA!
 |
| The picture that Tyra would have liked best. |
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Starbucks Winner!
Congratulations to Stephanie for winning the $10 Starbucks gift card giveaway. Enjoy your mocha, my dear!
There's still time to enter the other two giveaways:
There's still time to enter the other two giveaways:
- Target Giveaway (closes on Monday, March 28 at midnight CST)
- Amazon Giveaway (closes on Thursday, March 31 at midnight CST)
Friday, March 25, 2011
Reader Appreciation Giveaway #3: Amazon.com
Hello, Friends. We have one last giveaway to celebrate your readership of the Mothership, before we return to our regularly scheduled programming. But first! It's not too late to enter the first two giveaways:
To enter the giveaway for a $10 Amazon.com giftcard - leave a comment with something fun you are doing this weekend/upcoming week. I am in need of some cheering up what with the below-freezing temps and all (there may have been a slightly hormonal moment of actual crying at the sight of heaps of snow taking up full lanes in the road once again). So humor me by telling me your hopeful tales of fun! joy! warm outside doings! Kthanxbye.
Don't forget to leave contact info if there isn't something I can click on to get to you (a blog link is sufficient) and you have until Thursday, March 31 at midnight CST. Good luck. May the force be with you.
Disclosure shiz-nit: Contest sponsored by me and I received no worldly possessions for hosting it.
- Starbucks Giveaway (closes tonight - Friday, March 25 - at midnight CST)
- Target Giveaway (closes on Monday, March 28 at midnight CST)
To enter the giveaway for a $10 Amazon.com giftcard - leave a comment with something fun you are doing this weekend/upcoming week. I am in need of some cheering up what with the below-freezing temps and all (there may have been a slightly hormonal moment of actual crying at the sight of heaps of snow taking up full lanes in the road once again). So humor me by telling me your hopeful tales of fun! joy! warm outside doings! Kthanxbye.
Don't forget to leave contact info if there isn't something I can click on to get to you (a blog link is sufficient) and you have until Thursday, March 31 at midnight CST. Good luck. May the force be with you.
Disclosure shiz-nit: Contest sponsored by me and I received no worldly possessions for hosting it.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Now is the winter of our discontent
Alternative Title: MotherFbombassholebuttholepiggypiggyMAKEITSTOPshitpoop
Yesterday there was no snow left on the ground outside our house. This morning? Well.
Yesterday there was no snow left on the ground outside our house. This morning? Well.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Reader Appreciation Giveaway #2: Target
First: Have you entered the reader appreciation giveaway for Starbucks? I should hope so. If not, you have until this Friday at midnight. Can I say how fascinated I've been by your drink choices? We are all very unique snowflakes when it comes to our favored Starbucks order.
Now onto the second giveaway. As a reminder, I'm doing this to thank you all for coming to visit me at ye olde blog and for getting me a few BlogHer bucks. Kiss kiss, hug hug. I'm maaaaaaaaaybe also doing this for ego boost I get seeing comments come in. WHEE! Comments!
So what is today's favorite thing that I'm giving away? It's a Target gift card! TARGET! Far and away the best of the best places to mysteriously find yourself spending an extra $100. And - bonus fun fact - Target was born and is headquartered right here in Minneapolis. [Cue shooting star and The More You Know! music.]
To win yourself a $10 gift card to Target I want you to comment with ONE of the following (no need to do all - just giving you options!):
Disclosure stuff: Sponsored by me and I am (sadly) receiving no compensation from Target.
Now onto the second giveaway. As a reminder, I'm doing this to thank you all for coming to visit me at ye olde blog and for getting me a few BlogHer bucks. Kiss kiss, hug hug. I'm maaaaaaaaaybe also doing this for ego boost I get seeing comments come in. WHEE! Comments!
So what is today's favorite thing that I'm giving away? It's a Target gift card! TARGET! Far and away the best of the best places to mysteriously find yourself spending an extra $100. And - bonus fun fact - Target was born and is headquartered right here in Minneapolis. [Cue shooting star and The More You Know! music.]
To win yourself a $10 gift card to Target I want you to comment with ONE of the following (no need to do all - just giving you options!):
- Your most random purchase combo. Mine would be something like condoms, a pregnancy test, tampons, anti-diarrheal meds, with some candy thrown in.
-or-
- What frivolous purchase would you buy with $10? Mine would so involve some Red Vines and possibly a magazine and maybe lip gloss.
-or-
- Favorite Target memory. Mine is a toss-up between hiding under the clothing racks during a tornado watch in Fargo as a child (it was like a dream come true) or the time last year that I witnessed a wandering troubadour singing Elvis songs being pursued by the Target security guard.
Disclosure stuff: Sponsored by me and I am (sadly) receiving no compensation from Target.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Bumpdate: 25 Weeks
Due Date: July 2, 2011. 15 weeks to go!
Weight Gain: 22 lbs
Symptoms: I am really starting to feel 100% pregnant and things are getting a little more symptomatic up in this joint. Things like back & tailbone pain, cramping/mild belly soreness after exercise, constant pressure on the lady bits, reflux, peeing frequently, and middle of the night insomnia. I still refuse to let it bug me (yet) as I am thankful every single day that I'm no longer in morning sickness hell.
What's different this time: Interestingly, I think my two pregnancies have been very, very similar as far as symptoms, how I am carrying, how I feel, and even my weight gain. (Husband disagrees, he thinks my morning sickness was worse this time. I think he just had to do a lot more and therefore he found it harder for HIM.) I am treating this pregnancy somewhat differently (eat better & less, much more active, allow myself some caffeine), but it seems like my body just has one sort of blueprint for baby growing.
Cravings/Aversions: I still think about candy a lot, specifically licorice and cinnamon bears. I was able to resist it for a couple weeks - I even persevered after an awkward moment where I fondled a $1 package of Red Vines at Target. But then I treated myself to a small bag of Australian licorice on Saturday and ate the whole thing. It's not even the licorice I crave - it's the texture. It's like PICA, but without the rocks and laundry detergent. I'm getting my iron levels tested this Friday with my glucose tolerance test for diabetes - maybe it is a weird low-iron symptom? Or maybe (more likely) I am just having a temporary candy problem. Other craving news - I am eating LOTS of fruit. No aversions.
Sleep: OF COURSE the week after I post about great sleep I start having sleep issues. It's nothing too bad, but once I am woken up I really struggle to fall back asleep. There were several nights that I was up from 3-5 AM (this happened last time, too). I ordered a sleep hypnosis MP3 from Hypnobabies to help - the last couple nights have been better. Oh - and I also pulled that big old pregnancy pillow back into bed and I don't know if I could sleep without it anymore.
I am loving: That the snow is melting! HUZZAH! We got outside a few days, which was great (other days were still pretty cold).
I miss: Non-maternity clothes. There is a lot of cute stuff this spring season. Of course, it's easy to pretend like I would actually go and enjoy clothes shopping while I'm pregnant and can't go shopping.
I am looking forward to: The snow and highs of 32 in the forecast this week. JUST KIDDING! (Not about the weather. That, sadly, is the truth.) Um...I'm looking forward to watching some girly movies that Husband would refuse this weekend while he is visiting a friend in Virginia (though I will miss Husband).
I'm spazzing about:I can't think of anything, so I'm not going to rack my brain for something to be anxious about!
Best moment this week: I had a lot of fun shopping with my oldest friend Lindsey & fellow bridesmaid, Hannah, for bridesmaid dresses for Lindsey's October wedding. The look on the store clerks faces when they got a glance at Hannah's 34-week pregnant belly and my 25-week pregnant belly was hilarious. I was able to try on some of the dresses, but nothing would zip up, of course. Oh - and we ate at Olive Garden, which I secretly adore and hadn't had for two years. Soup, salad & breadsticks for the win!
Milestones: I'm now leaking colostrum and I can now feel and see hands/feet/knees/elbows move across the belly. How random is it that I'm all Joey Lawrence WHOA about the colostrum leaking, when I only stopped nursing two weeks ago? I'm a weirdo.
Movement: Yes and it's actually getting to the point where it's a bit painful at times. Seems like that didn't happen until later with Bella. Maybe Baby 2.0 is going to be HUGE (Husband was nearly 10 lbs at birth)?
It's a...: Baby boy.
Exercise: 6 times: one run/walk, pre-natal yoga class, Zumba video, and the rest was a mix of the elliptical machine and brisk & easy walks. Exercise continues to go really well and the new gym membership certainly helps. I'm starting to think I need to get one of those belly holder-uppers while exercising, though. A sports bra for the belly, if you will.
Diet:I relaxed a little bit on the no dessert policy this week and ate out a few times (which is unusual), but my diet was still pretty decent. After carefully tracking my intake I could use more water & veggies. I'm going to work on that this week.
Exercise goal for the upcoming week: 5+ times
Other goals: 8+ glasses water/day, include veggies at lunch
Belly Pic:
Weight Gain: 22 lbs
Symptoms: I am really starting to feel 100% pregnant and things are getting a little more symptomatic up in this joint. Things like back & tailbone pain, cramping/mild belly soreness after exercise, constant pressure on the lady bits, reflux, peeing frequently, and middle of the night insomnia. I still refuse to let it bug me (yet) as I am thankful every single day that I'm no longer in morning sickness hell.
What's different this time: Interestingly, I think my two pregnancies have been very, very similar as far as symptoms, how I am carrying, how I feel, and even my weight gain. (Husband disagrees, he thinks my morning sickness was worse this time. I think he just had to do a lot more and therefore he found it harder for HIM.) I am treating this pregnancy somewhat differently (eat better & less, much more active, allow myself some caffeine), but it seems like my body just has one sort of blueprint for baby growing.
Cravings/Aversions: I still think about candy a lot, specifically licorice and cinnamon bears. I was able to resist it for a couple weeks - I even persevered after an awkward moment where I fondled a $1 package of Red Vines at Target. But then I treated myself to a small bag of Australian licorice on Saturday and ate the whole thing. It's not even the licorice I crave - it's the texture. It's like PICA, but without the rocks and laundry detergent. I'm getting my iron levels tested this Friday with my glucose tolerance test for diabetes - maybe it is a weird low-iron symptom? Or maybe (more likely) I am just having a temporary candy problem. Other craving news - I am eating LOTS of fruit. No aversions.
Sleep: OF COURSE the week after I post about great sleep I start having sleep issues. It's nothing too bad, but once I am woken up I really struggle to fall back asleep. There were several nights that I was up from 3-5 AM (this happened last time, too). I ordered a sleep hypnosis MP3 from Hypnobabies to help - the last couple nights have been better. Oh - and I also pulled that big old pregnancy pillow back into bed and I don't know if I could sleep without it anymore.
I am loving: That the snow is melting! HUZZAH! We got outside a few days, which was great (other days were still pretty cold).
I miss: Non-maternity clothes. There is a lot of cute stuff this spring season. Of course, it's easy to pretend like I would actually go and enjoy clothes shopping while I'm pregnant and can't go shopping.
I am looking forward to: The snow and highs of 32 in the forecast this week. JUST KIDDING! (Not about the weather. That, sadly, is the truth.) Um...I'm looking forward to watching some girly movies that Husband would refuse this weekend while he is visiting a friend in Virginia (though I will miss Husband).
I'm spazzing about:I can't think of anything, so I'm not going to rack my brain for something to be anxious about!
Best moment this week: I had a lot of fun shopping with my oldest friend Lindsey & fellow bridesmaid, Hannah, for bridesmaid dresses for Lindsey's October wedding. The look on the store clerks faces when they got a glance at Hannah's 34-week pregnant belly and my 25-week pregnant belly was hilarious. I was able to try on some of the dresses, but nothing would zip up, of course. Oh - and we ate at Olive Garden, which I secretly adore and hadn't had for two years. Soup, salad & breadsticks for the win!
Milestones: I'm now leaking colostrum and I can now feel and see hands/feet/knees/elbows move across the belly. How random is it that I'm all Joey Lawrence WHOA about the colostrum leaking, when I only stopped nursing two weeks ago? I'm a weirdo.
Movement: Yes and it's actually getting to the point where it's a bit painful at times. Seems like that didn't happen until later with Bella. Maybe Baby 2.0 is going to be HUGE (Husband was nearly 10 lbs at birth)?
It's a...: Baby boy.
Exercise: 6 times: one run/walk, pre-natal yoga class, Zumba video, and the rest was a mix of the elliptical machine and brisk & easy walks. Exercise continues to go really well and the new gym membership certainly helps. I'm starting to think I need to get one of those belly holder-uppers while exercising, though. A sports bra for the belly, if you will.
Diet:I relaxed a little bit on the no dessert policy this week and ate out a few times (which is unusual), but my diet was still pretty decent. After carefully tracking my intake I could use more water & veggies. I'm going to work on that this week.
Exercise goal for the upcoming week: 5+ times
Other goals: 8+ glasses water/day, include veggies at lunch
Belly Pic:
 |
| Bella isn't showing, but she is right next to me on the floor. |
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Breastaurant Temporarily Closed
Closed for a whole three and a half months, that is. For remodeling, I suppose you could call it. Let's just say we are currently working on an expansion - DDD & counting! - to better serve future clientele.
Over two weeks have passed since Bella was weaned. Yes, my friends, it finally came to an end. My overall reaction to the entire breastfeeding experience, from start to finish, is contentment. I feel really happy with how it all went and beyond fortunate that there was never any major hiccup in the road. I also feel quite OK with it being over.
I thought after suddenly resuming night nursing while in San Diego (which, as you might recall, occurred only as desperate attempt to make her sleep, for the love of God) that we would have to extend our original weaning schedule. Turned out that wasn't necessary. As soon as we arrived back home in Minneapolis we easily resumed the two very short nursing sessions daily before naptime and bedtime. When I would put her in her crib she was inevitably asking for more milk, but could put herself to sleep within a few minutes. This told me that she could probably tolerate not nursing and still put herself to sleep without much trouble. And I was right. It did take some leap-of-faith-ing on my part to actually try it out, as I always dread any situation that feels like it is going to be a napping or nighttime sleeping failure, but one day I took a deep breath and decided no more naptime nursing.
She adjusted without any issue and to call that a pleasant surprise would be an understatement. And after a week of that it seemed like it would be easy enough to drop the bedtime feeding, too, since her routines are very similar for both times of day. I let Husband take care of officially implementing that when I left for the weekend to see my sister, and it all went off without a hitch, and she is now weaned. She half-heartedly requested to nurse on a few occasions since that time, but seems fine with being told that it's not an option anymore. I think she was pretty much ready to wean, too.
The last couple night feedings were a bit emotional for me, but that was tempered by the fact that breastfeeding is still a painful endeavor right now. Nonetheless, I was choking back tears during our last nursing session and remained a bit teary for a few minutes following that final time, but since then I have been fine. There has been no physical change and I don't think I had much of a hormonal flux since cutting out breastfeeding as my supply was super low due to pregnancy. Besides, there are currently PLENTY of hormones to go around, thank you very much.
In the end, it seems our weaning was more of a joint effort instead of me pushing my agenda on her before she was ready. How nice to have it be this way. I'm sure I could have gotten the weaning process going a lot sooner, but, to be honest, I wasn't quite ready. I'm glad I waited until now, sore nipples and all. I have also loved the cuddling time that has come without the hassle of her wanting to nurse. Now she will let me simply hold her sometimes. I love that.
So! I have my body back! What should I do to celebrate?
HAHAHA. I kid. There is really nothing I can do to whoop it up besides reupholster the ladies in some gigantic, fugly non-nursing bra that I could only use for a few months, and that doesn't really sound like a whole lot of fun. I'll just enjoy these few months of non-sore nipples before the grand re-opening of the Breastauant come July. Rumor has that the menu will feature only one item and that's hot milk on tap. Delicious, no? Better than mango, even! Sure to be featured on the Food Network, anyway.
Over two weeks have passed since Bella was weaned. Yes, my friends, it finally came to an end. My overall reaction to the entire breastfeeding experience, from start to finish, is contentment. I feel really happy with how it all went and beyond fortunate that there was never any major hiccup in the road. I also feel quite OK with it being over.
I thought after suddenly resuming night nursing while in San Diego (which, as you might recall, occurred only as desperate attempt to make her sleep, for the love of God) that we would have to extend our original weaning schedule. Turned out that wasn't necessary. As soon as we arrived back home in Minneapolis we easily resumed the two very short nursing sessions daily before naptime and bedtime. When I would put her in her crib she was inevitably asking for more milk, but could put herself to sleep within a few minutes. This told me that she could probably tolerate not nursing and still put herself to sleep without much trouble. And I was right. It did take some leap-of-faith-ing on my part to actually try it out, as I always dread any situation that feels like it is going to be a napping or nighttime sleeping failure, but one day I took a deep breath and decided no more naptime nursing.
She adjusted without any issue and to call that a pleasant surprise would be an understatement. And after a week of that it seemed like it would be easy enough to drop the bedtime feeding, too, since her routines are very similar for both times of day. I let Husband take care of officially implementing that when I left for the weekend to see my sister, and it all went off without a hitch, and she is now weaned. She half-heartedly requested to nurse on a few occasions since that time, but seems fine with being told that it's not an option anymore. I think she was pretty much ready to wean, too.
The last couple night feedings were a bit emotional for me, but that was tempered by the fact that breastfeeding is still a painful endeavor right now. Nonetheless, I was choking back tears during our last nursing session and remained a bit teary for a few minutes following that final time, but since then I have been fine. There has been no physical change and I don't think I had much of a hormonal flux since cutting out breastfeeding as my supply was super low due to pregnancy. Besides, there are currently PLENTY of hormones to go around, thank you very much.
In the end, it seems our weaning was more of a joint effort instead of me pushing my agenda on her before she was ready. How nice to have it be this way. I'm sure I could have gotten the weaning process going a lot sooner, but, to be honest, I wasn't quite ready. I'm glad I waited until now, sore nipples and all. I have also loved the cuddling time that has come without the hassle of her wanting to nurse. Now she will let me simply hold her sometimes. I love that.
So! I have my body back! What should I do to celebrate?
HAHAHA. I kid. There is really nothing I can do to whoop it up besides reupholster the ladies in some gigantic, fugly non-nursing bra that I could only use for a few months, and that doesn't really sound like a whole lot of fun. I'll just enjoy these few months of non-sore nipples before the grand re-opening of the Breastauant come July. Rumor has that the menu will feature only one item and that's hot milk on tap. Delicious, no? Better than mango, even! Sure to be featured on the Food Network, anyway.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Reader Appreciation Giveaway #1: Starbucks
So at some point a month ago I realized I had never been paid for my BlogHer Ads thing that you see over there on the right. I notified them about the mix-up and promptly forgot about the whole thing.
Until a check arrived in the mail yesterday. YIPPEE!
Sure it's not much and amounts to $0.13 an hour or something, but YIPPEE! Money!
And because it's you kids, with your clicking on the ads you see and viewing my blog and whatnots, that made it happen, I thought I could thank you with a few giveaways of my favorite things. Look for them in the days to come.
First up we have Favorite Thing #1: Starbucks.
Oh man, I love the 'bucks. A bit too much, really, so it's good that there isn't one right in my vicinity.
So if you would like to win yourself a $10 gift card to Starbucks (AND WHY WOULDN'T YOU?!), which would earn you a whole 2.134 drinks or something ridiculous, then all you have to do is comment below with what you'd buy. A tall non-fat half-caf caramel macchiato like me? Or maybe one of those new whoopie pies so you can say WHOOPIE PIE? Or a freakishly large raspberry mocha with extra shots of espresso and mocha and raspberry syrup AND whipped cream on top, thankyouverymuch? (That last one might cost you a full $10. Just sayin'.)
Tell me what your heart desires via commenting (and make sure I have a way to contact you!) and you might find yourself the recipient of a very shiny new gift card which will arrive tucked inside the creepiest dollar store card I can find. Fun, fun!
Thanks again for sharing in my life, reader friends. Good luck!
Contest ends next Friday, March 25 at midnight. And disclosure stuff, blah blah: Starbucks giftcard sponsored by yours truly.
Until a check arrived in the mail yesterday. YIPPEE!
Sure it's not much and amounts to $0.13 an hour or something, but YIPPEE! Money!
And because it's you kids, with your clicking on the ads you see and viewing my blog and whatnots, that made it happen, I thought I could thank you with a few giveaways of my favorite things. Look for them in the days to come.
First up we have Favorite Thing #1: Starbucks.
Oh man, I love the 'bucks. A bit too much, really, so it's good that there isn't one right in my vicinity.
So if you would like to win yourself a $10 gift card to Starbucks (AND WHY WOULDN'T YOU?!), which would earn you a whole 2.134 drinks or something ridiculous, then all you have to do is comment below with what you'd buy. A tall non-fat half-caf caramel macchiato like me? Or maybe one of those new whoopie pies so you can say WHOOPIE PIE? Or a freakishly large raspberry mocha with extra shots of espresso and mocha and raspberry syrup AND whipped cream on top, thankyouverymuch? (That last one might cost you a full $10. Just sayin'.)
Tell me what your heart desires via commenting (and make sure I have a way to contact you!) and you might find yourself the recipient of a very shiny new gift card which will arrive tucked inside the creepiest dollar store card I can find. Fun, fun!
Thanks again for sharing in my life, reader friends. Good luck!
Contest ends next Friday, March 25 at midnight. And disclosure stuff, blah blah: Starbucks giftcard sponsored by yours truly.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
The B Word
Last week, while the winter kept on being a big a-hole and I was dying for some mock-spring, Bella and I headed over to the Como Conservatory to walk around among the flowers and ferns. Bella saw one of the statues and yelled, "Nakee Bottom!"
She was absolutely right. The statue did indeed have a nakee bottom. Then she studied it further and followed it up with a loud, "Butthole!" And still, there was more. Out came, "Mommy butthole! Daddy butthole! Bella butthole!"
Thank you, Husband, for making that random reference to blind-cat Stevie's butthole that one time ("Stevie! Get your butthole out of my face!"). Thank you also to Once Upon a Potty, for introducing the concept of a hole in one's bottom that poo comes from.
It's pretty much been a butthole-palooza (is that really what I mean to say?) with much talk about them and requests to see them. While I'm trying to downplay the b-word, in addition to re-directing her to call it the more P.C. term of "bottom", I gotta say that I think the whole thing is hilarious. I can only hope the elderly ladies sitting on the bench at the Conservatory can agree.
If they don't agree? Then they are just buttholes.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Bits & Pieces
- All those with toddlers should definitely read all the excellent comments on the Indoors Activities for Young Toddlers post from last week. Super helpful. Two cheers for my commentors.
- After I wrote that post I realized that what I really wanted was something magical to teach my child the art of independent play. I want to do some zero-effort parenting while indoors. So, uh, any lazy parenting ideas if you kid won't watch more than 7 minutes of TV at a time? Seriously, I've tried out several shows on different occasions and after a few minutes she is all, "All done TV. TV off." RIGHTY-O, you weird little creature!
- For a while I was thinking that her lack of independent play was a reflection of something I was not doing, but on second thought (and after a conversation at an ECFE class), I am now thinking it's her personality. The child is extremely social and wants to be social all the live-long day. And let's not forget who her daddy is. Husband quite literally wants me to watch him do things like fix a bathtub faucet or file paperwork. I kid you not. Apple doesn't fall far, etc. But obviously I still need her to keep working on playing by herself so that I can get little things done here and there. So, I guess I have another question - how do I teach my child AND Husband the art of independent play?
- I should mention there is one video Bella will watch for 15 minutes. It was this $6 DVD I picked up at Target in San Diego in a desperate response to the long hours trapped in our hotel room. It's the scariest video ever. It's called ABC Sing-a-long and it features a woman in her 30s wearing a freaky renaissance-meets-clown costume along with several children. The best (worst?) part is that she must have injured her foot during filming so she will skip-hobble around. She also tends to be very cutesy to the camera, but it comes off like she is trying to be sexy. It's so freaky and gross. And yet, THAT is the one thing Bella will sort of pay attention to on occasion. Not Teletubbies, not Barney, not Dora, not Thomas, and not The Fresh Beat Band. WHY? So creepy!
- I joined a gym and it's kind of the most awesome thing that has happened to me in a while. Actually, I have wanted to join a gym with childcare for months, but thought I was SOL given our location near downtown (options ranged from no parking to icky facilities to sketchy childcare). Then last Friday I realized that there actually a Lifetime that met my slightly picky needs not too far away (a 10-minute drive). Hurray! I'm loving it and really loving the chance to get my exercise done outside of naptime. And Bella loves the toys and chance to play with other kids. Oh - and the price turned out to be less than expected (also includes 6 personal training sessions to be used post baby!) and it's a women-only gym, which I consider a major bonus. No super-sweaty men leaving puddles on the floor and grunting is at a minimum by the weights! Well, grunting by others. Grunting by pregnant me? Sorry, fellow gym-goers.
- So the no Twitter/Facebook/Bump Message Board thing is going well as is limiting the checking of email/blogs to naptime/after Bella goes to bed. It was weird at first to realize that I had done all I was "allowed" to do on the computer and then just walk away to do something else during naptime, but now it's becoming second nature (the time I'm reclaiming is kind of crazy). In fact, it's been going so well that I don't even want to blog anymore. It's like I'm just over spending time on my computer. I guess that makes sense since I don't have blogging on my brain all day from checking Google Reader 20 times. I wonder if I will want to go back to Twitter/FB when it's all done? Maybe not. (But probably yes, who are we kidding?)
- I'm having latent feelings for
DawsonJames Van Der Beek after seeing randomly seeing him in a couple things: a weird/funny Ke$ha video and this Funny or Die "Vandermemes" video. I can't say I'm particularly comfortable with these feelings, but the heart wants what the heart wants. And my heart likes weird with a side of witty.
- I suppose this would be an appropriate time to share that I also have similar feelings towards Josh Groban. Dude is funny and yet he sings delicate ditties for the light-rock listening folk. Life is very complex sometimes.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Bumpdate: 24 Weeks
Due Date: July 2, 2011. 16 weeks to go!
Weight Gain: 20 lbs
Symptoms: I feel good as far as the pregnancy goes. As far as general well being goes? Eh, I've had better times. This winter depression is at an all time low and I'm kind of plodding through the days constantly reminding myself to keep things in perspective/stay positive. If I'm still struggling like this in a month after things have warmed up, then I will seek more help. However, I'm pretty sure it has to do with being really, REALLY ready for spring and the chance to get outside. Maybe I'll just go tanning! KIDDING(ish).
What's different this time: I eat better.
Cravings/Aversions: I'm all about my homemade egg salad sandwiches lately. And I still really, really want candy, but have lived a candy-free existence for over a week.
Sleep: Fine, although I've had to pee in the middle of the night a couple times this week. Pretty sure most other pregnant woman are always dealing with that, but I seem to escape that symptom for the most part.
I am loving: That I'm drinking fake Brut out of a champagne glass that almost tastes like the real thing (it's called Ariel Brut Cuvee). Of course, maybe having been alcohol-free since October is skewing my ability to judge these things.
I miss: Same as last week: Grass, green trees, blue skies and sunshine.
I am looking forward to: See I miss question.
I'm spazzing about: Managing to get both kids in and out of their car seats in our itsy-bitsy-teeny-weeny garage. Like I have been pondering it as I lay in bed first thing in the morning. And if you don't recall it's smallness - basically Husband and I both park inches away from the wall and we leave a 2 ft path in between the cars. Tricky, tricky.
Best moment this week: The photo shoot Bella just insisted we take of her after doing the belly shot picture. That girl is such a ham! I don't even know where she got the idea to do some of the poses she was doing. I mean, the child was yelling, "Pose! Pose!" Is she watching ANTM when I'm not looking? Exhibits A through C:
Milestones: 24 weeks! I've reached viability (i.e. where a baby can survive outside the womb, albeit with major complications)! This also means that there are only 16 weeks left, which is actually not long at all. EEP!
Movement: Si. I think I'm going to remove this question from here on out, because it's full of "le duh."
It's a...: Petit garcon.
Exercise: 5 times: two run/walks, yoga, two brisk walks. I did really well with exercise. Go me.
Diet: Dudes, my food intake was way too healthy for my own comfort level this past week. As in, things like fruit for dessert (OK, OK, still with freshly whipped cream and mint leaves). Lame and real dietitian-y.
Exercise goal for the upcoming week: 5 times
Belly Pic:
Last time at 24 Weeks
Doesn't look all that different to me. Except now I have arms. And a head. That is different. I've found it very useful in life.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Indoor Activities for Young Toddlers
Ahhhhh! How lovely to wake up to a fresh layer of snow on this fine March day.
This has been one of the hardest winters I have ever lived through, which doesn't really make sense when you consider the whole grew-up-in-North-Dakota thing. I think it is because entertaining a toddler indoors day after day gets really hard and monotonous. We do a couple classes each week (ECFE and music) in addition to playdates & library storytime, but there are still multiple hours left to fill. The short attention span of a toddler makes it extra tricky, because you are always looking for something new to do after 20 minutes or so. I figured I could share a few of our more creative activities, in case you are also looking for time fillers as the winter-that-never-ends drags on. And on. And on and on and on. [Collapses into a weeping mess on the floor.]
Other ideas of things to do? Because there is absolutely more snow in the forecast. Of course.
 |
| Hate. HATE HATE HATE. |
The Thrill of Dried Beans & Pasta
Pull out the dried beans & pasta along with some containers of various sizes and place them onto a large tray (a plastic storage container works even better). Allow child to scoop & dig and dump it about until they consistently threaten to eat it. Probs best to only do one type at a time, unless you find sorting small pieces of dried goods to be a soothing and productive use of your time.
Gluing Random Things to Paper
Provide your spawn with a glue-stick and various bits of colored paper and ribbon. If you scrapbook you probably have way cooler things to use. Bella is a big fan of collage art and she is just so darn proud of her final project that it's way too cute not to let her do all the time.
Homemade Play-Doh
For some reason I was always under the impression that homemade play-doh only lasted for one use and then you had to throw it away. Not so! I made this cooked flour recipe and it will last up to three months. Adding the rolling pin, cookie cutters and other kitchen items will make it even more thrilling. Like, your toddler might stay interested for long enough so that you can get a few dishes washed. Jump back!
Other ideas of things to do? Because there is absolutely more snow in the forecast. Of course.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Bumpdate: 23 Weeks
Due Date: July 2, 2011. 17 weeks to go!
Weight Gain: 20 lbs, which is 5 lbs more than last week. Uh...what? I mean, I did have a breakfast called "He-Man Breakfast" and ate most of it on Saturday (plus A LOT of cupcakes while visiting my sister), but 5 lbs? Ay-yi-yi. Duly noted, scale.
Symptoms: My cold is almost gone. I have several mild pregnancy symptoms, but none of them are bugging me much. I did just notice tailbone pain for the first time this past week, but that might be related to sitting on the teeny-tiny plane awkwardly trying not to touch the guy next to me. Oh! Can I share with you how that same guy decided to CLIP HIS NAILS during the flight. Dude was really lucky my morning sickness is over.
What's different this time: I consume far more caffeine & diet soda. I only had it once in a blue moon while pregnant with Bella. Two thumbs down.
Cravings/Aversions: Nothing out of the ordinary.
Sleep: Much better now that my cold is nearly gone.
I am loving: My niece! I finally met baby Vivian in person and she is the cutest and sweetest 7-week-old baby.
I miss: Grass, green trees, blue skies and sunshine.
I am looking forward to: SPRING. Someday! Two months from now maybe? (Smashes fist into snow in a winter-fueled rage.)
I'm spazzing about: Not too spazzy this week. Just call me mellow yellow. Quite rightly.
Best moment this week:When Husband showed me what he bought at the mall after I got home last night. I would tell you now, but I am going to make a whole blog post about it.
Milestones: I can never think of one and the Baby Center email didn't reveal anything too exciting as far as baby development. Let's skip it this week.
Movement:Yes. I love it.
It's a...: Boy!
Exercise: 3 times (walk/run, yoga, mall walk). I ordered the Zumba workout DVDs after hearing how much my sister loves it. Should be good now (though I will likely have to make modifications) and even more awesome post-baby. I tend to prefer taking classes at gyms, but this is more practical both financially and given my SAHM-lifestyle.
Diet: Clearly needs some tweaking. Specific goals have been made and food records resumed. BOOOOORING.
Exercise goal for the upcoming week: 5 times
Belly Pic:
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Cloth Diapering 101 *NEW and Improved*
It's high time for a cloth diapering update since some things have changed in the Mothership's magical world of cloth diapers since I originally wrote that info post over a year ago. Magical is code for poopy, of course.
I decided to re-vamp that original post and you can find it here or click on the diaper tower picture titled Cloth Diapering 101 in the sidebar. Here are the biggest updates to that post, if you are the kind of person who gets your kicks off cloth diapering information.
I decided to re-vamp that original post and you can find it here or click on the diaper tower picture titled Cloth Diapering 101 in the sidebar. Here are the biggest updates to that post, if you are the kind of person who gets your kicks off cloth diapering information.
- I learned this trick for washing pocket diapers that keeps the velcro (a.k.a. hook & eye tabs) from getting worn. You attach the tabs to each other and then they don't get curled back during the washing process. The velcro on my diapers has remained in great condition and I attribute it to this step.
- BumGenius has since come out with a newer version of the diaper we purchased. You can buy the BumGenius 4.0 with either snaps or the velcro. I am fully in the velcro-preferring camp, but I have friends that swear by snaps-only. Definitely a matter of personal preference. The velcro version are easier to get on and off (good for diaper changes, not so good for the baby/toddler who likes to take their diaper off), but get worn more quickly. The snaps version will last longer overall as it is sturdier, but the snaps can be hard to get on a wiggly toddler. If you are trying to decide which is right for you I would HIGHLY recommend trying both versions before committing to a full set.
- We gave up on cloth diapering at night. I tried a lot of things to make that work and the closest we came to success was putting two large Bum Genius inserts along with two Hemp Babies inserts into the diaper and then adding one more Hemp Babies insert folded in half into the front of the diaper. Bella's GIGANTIC butt was a sight to behold in that get-up, but it kept her dry. So we have a back-up plan should we run out of disposables, but for the most part it's just easier (and far less bulky) to stick with disposables at night. I'm mostly okay with this. When I'm feeling purest, I go with a "whole wheat diaper" (as Husband likes to call them) and use either Earth's Best chlorine-free diapers or Seventh Generation chlorine-free diapers. But the truth is most of the time I got with the Target brand.
- I have fully mastered the use of the diaper sprayer for poo removal and two things have made the job easier. 1 - Remove all inserts before spraying diaper. 2 - Don't expect to be able to keep the diaper from getting dunked in the water. You can control the spray of the water much better if you stick the diaper halfway down in the water and spray down into the toilet bowl. It would be nice not to get the entire diaper wet, but this way there is far less mess overall (i.e. no accidentally spraying poo on the wall). I still find the use of a liner convenient for poo removal, too.
- I now have a few Bum Genius Organic all-in-one diapers in my collection after I got them on super sale last summer. I would say I find them to be an okay diaper, a solid C if you will. Pros include the fact that you don't need to stuff them and they are a bit sleeker than the other diapers and cons include their longer drying time and less absorbency. I've also noticed stink problems with those diapers, but that was probably my own user-error. I tend to forget that they are mixed in with the other diapers and one dryer cycle isn't enough. So then they sit half-wet overnight and voila! stink issues. Nothing a little diaper stripping can't solve, though.
- Speaking of using the dryer...Yeah. I gave up on the idea of line drying the diapers, even though it is the most eco-friendly option. In theory I love it and I will do it one we have a house, but right now it is such a THING given our townhome in Minnesota. In the winter all drying must be done indoors and I don't have the patience for that and in the summer we (1) aren't allowed to have a clotheslines outside and (2) the diapers pinned to a small drying rack either falls over in the wind and or gets covered in small bugs & cobwebs. So it's just not ideal and I have resorted to using the drying almost exclusively. [Hangs head in shame.] You can take away my status as a eco-friendly person now. THE TRUTH IS OUT!
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Stepping Away
One part of my Project Organization/New Year's resolution has involved a serious look at my time and how I spend it. And there has been one glaring area of time suckage/waste: time online.
I don't know exactly how much time I spent online each day, but it's more than I should. As a general rule, I try not to be on the computer during the time that Bella is awake, but the pull of quickly checking Facebook/Twitter/Pregnancy Message Boards/Google Reader blogs is all too alluring on a stuck-inside winter's day. As a SAHM, it is nice to interact through these mediums - or at least give myself a sense of interacting with adults. These places online give me a sense of community, but as fellow blogger at This Dreamcrossed Twilight points out - is it really meaningful?
And that is where I get stuck. I don't know if all the blogs I read are a positive contribution to my life. I can't say that scrolling through tweets necessarily adds something to my day. And Facebook has an irritating way of filtering out most people so I only see the same updates again and again - most of them from distant acquaintances. Did you know Facebook does this? Has a weird formula so you may never see some people and see others all the time? Annoying. I know for a fact that the pregnancy message boards do NOT add anything useful to my life and yet I'm drawn back to The Bump again and again and again. Why? I've only actually posted on the boards there once or twice so I'm only going to lurk and get irritated at women. What is the point? How is that a healthy thing?
Another thing I've recently observed is that when I am trying to read blogs that I really do enjoy (and there are many), I am only doing it with half-attention as the other half of me is trying to get Bella to occupy herself with toys/prevent her from attempting to pick up and squeeze the blind cat for the zillionth time. If I truly enjoy reading blogs then I should let myself truly enjoy them. Which means saving blog reading for naptime/evening. What I would love would be getting up before everyone else and having some time to myself in the mornings, but setting my alarm for 4:30 AM or something to do this? HAHAHAHAHA. No.
Anyway, here is what I'm going to do. I'm going to take a break from Twitter, Facebook, and The Bump. Since I was raised Catholic I feel a pull to give things up for Lent, although a part of me feels a little guilty (ha! a former Catholic with guilt issues!) for practicing a religious act when I am not a part of that religion. So if my giving something up for Lent offends you, I am sorry. Regardless, I am giving it up for that period anyway. From March 9 through April 23 my Facebook page and Twitter feed will go silent. The Bump will remain un-lurked. I will also limit internet use to times when Bella is not awake, with the exception of a quick email check in the morning. That last part is going to be H-A-R-D. Husband and I already have "tech-free" Saturdays where we (try to) avoid going online, which has proved to be challenging though not impossible. This certainly takes it to the next level.
I think this will be really good for me and will quiet my mind and bring some focus to my life. It will also help me to evaluate just how I want to spend that free time online - and my free time in general.
But you can totally expect some blogs posts written in 140-character updates. Like the poet who thinks in iambic pentameter, I think in tweets and status updates and am constantly narrating my day as such. Or maybe this internet break will allow my brain functioning to go back to normal? We shall see.
I don't know exactly how much time I spent online each day, but it's more than I should. As a general rule, I try not to be on the computer during the time that Bella is awake, but the pull of quickly checking Facebook/Twitter/Pregnancy Message Boards/Google Reader blogs is all too alluring on a stuck-inside winter's day. As a SAHM, it is nice to interact through these mediums - or at least give myself a sense of interacting with adults. These places online give me a sense of community, but as fellow blogger at This Dreamcrossed Twilight points out - is it really meaningful?
And that is where I get stuck. I don't know if all the blogs I read are a positive contribution to my life. I can't say that scrolling through tweets necessarily adds something to my day. And Facebook has an irritating way of filtering out most people so I only see the same updates again and again - most of them from distant acquaintances. Did you know Facebook does this? Has a weird formula so you may never see some people and see others all the time? Annoying. I know for a fact that the pregnancy message boards do NOT add anything useful to my life and yet I'm drawn back to The Bump again and again and again. Why? I've only actually posted on the boards there once or twice so I'm only going to lurk and get irritated at women. What is the point? How is that a healthy thing?
Another thing I've recently observed is that when I am trying to read blogs that I really do enjoy (and there are many), I am only doing it with half-attention as the other half of me is trying to get Bella to occupy herself with toys/prevent her from attempting to pick up and squeeze the blind cat for the zillionth time. If I truly enjoy reading blogs then I should let myself truly enjoy them. Which means saving blog reading for naptime/evening. What I would love would be getting up before everyone else and having some time to myself in the mornings, but setting my alarm for 4:30 AM or something to do this? HAHAHAHAHA. No.
Anyway, here is what I'm going to do. I'm going to take a break from Twitter, Facebook, and The Bump. Since I was raised Catholic I feel a pull to give things up for Lent, although a part of me feels a little guilty (ha! a former Catholic with guilt issues!) for practicing a religious act when I am not a part of that religion. So if my giving something up for Lent offends you, I am sorry. Regardless, I am giving it up for that period anyway. From March 9 through April 23 my Facebook page and Twitter feed will go silent. The Bump will remain un-lurked. I will also limit internet use to times when Bella is not awake, with the exception of a quick email check in the morning. That last part is going to be H-A-R-D. Husband and I already have "tech-free" Saturdays where we (try to) avoid going online, which has proved to be challenging though not impossible. This certainly takes it to the next level.
I think this will be really good for me and will quiet my mind and bring some focus to my life. It will also help me to evaluate just how I want to spend that free time online - and my free time in general.
But you can totally expect some blogs posts written in 140-character updates. Like the poet who thinks in iambic pentameter, I think in tweets and status updates and am constantly narrating my day as such. Or maybe this internet break will allow my brain functioning to go back to normal? We shall see.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Full of Random
A bunch of things that could technically be their own blog post, but would probs be lame on it's own. So united they stand. Or something.
- I jumped on the bandwagon of bloggers who put oil on their faces in place of using conventional cleansers & moisturizers (for more info see these posts by Honey Rock Dawn and All & Sundry). Guess what? Totally works and better than anything I've ever used. I have dewy skin when using it and dry & haggard skin without it. Plus - safe for baby! I use a pure Jojoba oil and since my skin is so super dry I don't bother to do more than rub it in at night and sometimes in the morning. I also use it to take off make-up. Pretty sure Husband prefers the face-oiling to my previous practice of slathering on 1/2" of heavy-duty moisturizer at night.
- I'm feeling pissy about a mom at storytime this morning who did nothing while her kid's tantrum progressed from trying to grab a block away from Bella to wildly swinging and hitting and attempting to go after Bella. I tried a few things first - giving the kid another block, switching Bella's block & his block, trying to move Bella & I over a few feet to play, but the kid pretty much just wanted to beat Bella up. The mom did NOTHING. Seriously, she did nothing the whole time and the situation went on for a few minutes. By the end Bella was sobbing & scared and I had to leave. I get the awkward that comes with trying to manage toddler sharing & tantrums, but SERIOUSLY!? The mom was acting all meek and helpless. Call Nanny 911, stat.
- [Insert annoying and ubiquitous comment about wanting to punch the still freezing cold weather in the nut sack here.]
- Tomorrow I fly out to CT to meet my niece! Packing & traveling sans toddler will be a joyous and leisurely experience to be sure. But I'm gonna miss that little nutter.
- Several months ago there was a spider caught between the window screen and the window on our second floor. In an effort to get him out of there as it was already late fall and I didn't want the spider to slowly starve to death in the window and then look at it's corpse all winter long, I ended up spraying him with the condensed air thing. I did it in front of Bella and it totally traumatized her (whoops). She talked about it for days and then finally forgot about it. Or so I thought. She brought it up again yesterday and has mentioned it several times since. Ruh-roh. Two points to Bella for good memory but negative 10 points to her mama for exposing her to early spider abuse.
- I started my Hypnobabies home-study course this week and am now doing my daily relaxation/meditation homework. Super good for me and Baby 2.0, but WOW that's a lot of my time (35-40 minutes relaxation/meditation daily plus listening to a 40-minute affirmation CD in the background at some point each day). Need to re-evaluate my time management skillz once again to fit everything in. So perhaps I shouldn't have just wasted the last hour reading stupid pregnancy message boards that only serve to irritate me, yes?
- I feel like this post is so crabby! Is it so crabby? Can you feel the crab? I apologize. [Insert additional blaming-type comment about winter here.] Promise to not be such a poop-head in the next post, friends.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Fighting the February Doldrums: Week 4
The last of the doldrums photo series. While I can't say that I feel much happier at the end of February compared to the beginning, I certainly don't feel worse, so perhaps it did help to lift my spirits a bit? I know it helped to keep me a little more in the moment as I had to look for things that made me happy in the midst of not-so-happy circumstances (see - messed up travel plans involving a non-sleeping toddler and a nasty head cold). But do you know what really makes me happy? MARCH. March makes me happy. Because March is average temps above freezing and hot diggity dog, I could use me some days like that.
Here is what made me happy, laugh or simply feel grateful this past week.
I am grateful for my morning half-caf despite the mild guilty feelings it causes. This mug was given to me by a client when I left eating disorders work. The other side has a sleeping cat with the caption "Decatf." Bella interprets this caffeinated cat as happy and will hold her arms up and squeal, "HAPPEEEEEEEE!" when she sees it. I'm with her 100% on caffeine = happy.
We had a MAJOR dance party when daddy got home early from work on Friday. Thank you Club/Dance on Pandora.
The outfit that happened when you combine a serious need to do laundry + toddler making their own fashion choices (outside underwear! Daddy's dress socks!). I love it.
Here is what made me happy, laugh or simply feel grateful this past week.
February 22
Bella slept a straight 9 hours in this hotel crib on our last night in San Diego (still waking up before 5 AM, but whatevs) and for that I was so very, very grateful. Actually she did sit up in the middle of the night, but Husband said, "Go back to sleep, Bella!" and she popped right down and did just that. Why that didn't work the first 10,000 times when attempted over the past week I will never know.
February 23
I actually do not have a picture from this day as I was super sick. I do remember, however, being terribly grateful for the ability to take a nap when Bella did. So imagine a picture of an unmade bed and a sloppy-looking pregnant lady sleeping.February 24
February 25
February 26
This was the moment it became clear to me that Bella views Stevie as a peer and not as a pet. She was so upset when he sat in her basket that I had to empty a second basket for her to sit in. Once I thought about it, there have been a lot of sharing conflicts with him in recent days (i.e. taking away his toy mouse or pushing him off her giant stuffed tiger). I think the whole thing is funny even though it does mean a lot of re-direction with how to share/not push kitty. Good practice for getting a sibling soon?
February 27
February 28
I finally got my hair highlighted on Saturday and I no longer have 7" of roots making me feel ugs. A fairly small change, but somehow it was enough to really boost the ol' self-esteem.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)