Depend-able

hahahaha...Wow.  Um...I just sneezed.  And I peed.  A bit more than usual...!!!!  OMG!

I can't stop laughing.  I know it's so disgusting.. but I'm friggin cracking up!!  I cannot believe I just peed my pajama pants! I need Depends!  hahaha  I'm definitely upping the Kegels tomorrow....

Pain in the...Rib?

Well it's back.  My rib pain in the right side is an all-too-familiar symptom of pregnancy for me.  Sadly one that's not as welcomed as the little kicks and ultrasound pictures! 

Dear Girl Who Punched Me in the Chest,
Thanks.  I really appreciate it.  Little did you know you caused the cartilage to separate from my ribs.  In big doctor terms "costochondral separation". It healed up at the time. (I was 11 I think. And she was an ogre-ish weirdo who just punched me for no reason...) However it acts up when I'm pregnant.  And of course I can't take the anti-inflammatory meds I need, or get adequate rest when I'm getting up every hour to pee and chasing my toddler around during the day.  So basically I'm screwed and in a ton of pain and can't take anything for it!  I would also like to say that if I ever see you, I would be sorely tempted to whack you a good one back.

Sincerely,

Sara

19 Weeks Pregnant



from http://www.babycenter.com/


Baby's Length: 6 to 6.5 inches
Baby's Weight: approx 8.5 to 10 ounces
The baby's brain is growing like crazy and all of his / her senses are being developed and getting fine-tuned.  The arms and legs are proportionate to the body now.

What's changing with me?  Round ligament pain due to my growing uterus and baby =)  They mention possible skin changes or reddening of hands but I don't have any of that.  Just alot of heartburn!  Thank you God for Tums.

Hi. I'm Pregnant.

I am pregnant.  It's really official.  I have to buy maternity pants.  Now when I go in the store I have people staring at my belly.  I'm feeling whale-ish today and not at all like those cute skinny pregnant chicks who never seem to gain weight anywhere else but their belly and who don't get pregnant arms and who lose the baby weight before they even leave the hospital.  Ugh.  I hate them.  Can we make it socially acceptable to wear pajama pants in public?  That's how I feel today.  Whining?  I think yes.

Christopher's Room Video: Before / After

Re-decorating ... It pays to be creative!

Cost: $5.00  (I already had 3 picture frames...otherwise it would've been $8.00)

-- I bought plain 8x10 picture frames from the DollarTree and painted them in dark brown, blue, and lime green.
-- Put puzzle pieces together from a collage puzzle that Christopher got for his birthday.
-- Attached colored construction paper to the puzzle animals

Framed them and VOILA!  New room decorations!  All of the baby-ish stuff is coming down and we're making room for his toddler bed which we will be getting in the next 2 weeks.  He's growing up too fast...seems like I was just decorating his nursery.

Maybe I will be bald by the end of the day

I love my child dearly...BUT SOME DAYS!!!.... RRRRRR!!!

He decided he was going to take his umbrella and whack our Christmas tree which shattered 2 ornaments.  So while I was cleaning those up I had to abandon the closet (which I'm organizing) and he pulled a bunch of stuff out and then sprayed foot powder all over.  There's another mess.  Somehow he then got into my craft basket that was on the table and dumped a baggie-ful of paper scraps in our back hall....putzy pain in the a$$ to clean up.  Now I'm flustered and he's thirsty / hungry after he just refused breakfast and a snack. So fine. I put him in the booster chair and give him his big boy cup (that's all he'll drink out of now) and some cut up apple bits.  I know it shouldn't bother me too much that he wanted to put his apples in his milk. Fine.  But then he friggin was trying to take a drink and the milk and apples went all over.  Needless to say he's playing in his childproof room where he can destroy away and mommy can have a time-out.  And guess what?  It's only 8:40 a.m.  He's only been awake for a little over an hour..........

Turkey Crafts



We traced our hands, then cut out feathers to glue onto the fingers, and lastly we wrote what we were thankful for on the back!  



Mommy's Turkey



Christopher's Turkey

Sunday Thoughts

I'm going to start making Sunday posts a weekly thing (hopefully as much as possible!)  I enjoy going to church and even if you don't believe there are still morals and lessons to be learned that are good to apply to your life =)  After listening to the sermon here's what I got from it:

* In life all things are transient.  Life has ups and downs.  Just when you think you have everything figured out, it's bound to turn upside down.  (So true...) only things of God are constant and when things get rough we need to lean on Him.

* Often Christians try to live separate lives.  They want to be a Christian and also continue to do things that they know are wrong.  It doesn't work!  You can't be a "cut flower".  A flower that is cut off from it's roots will be beautiful and then eventually die.  Stay true.  Be a flower and keep Jesus and God's Word as the roots.

*Sometimes being a Christian means being a "wimp".  Or what's perceived as a wimp by the rest of the world.  (With the whole 'turn your cheek' thing...)  Other people might ask -- why don't you do something?  Why don't you stand up for yourself?  Worldly weakness is also oftentimes being strong in what you believe.  Jesus turned his cheek to the soldiers and they spit on him and put the crown of thorns on.  He could've said a command and a million angels would've been at his side.  He could've ran away; but, thankfully for us, He didn't.

*Be a light wherever you are.  You don't need to sign up for mission trips (not that they're a bad thing!) or go door to door with Bibles.  Hold the door open for a stranger.  Say a kind word.  We don't even need to leave our town and travel to different countries when there are people right here in the U.S. ... maybe even our families...who don't believe.

* Being a Christian isn't something that comes automatically.  You have to train.  You don't pick up a pair of running shoes and expect to run a 15 mile marathon, do you?  Same principle.  You don't just pick up a Bible and expect that you'll do everything perfectly or that it will mean everything's going to be rainbows and unicorns from there on out.  No way.  But training pays off =)

* Isn't it disturbingly ironic how we have all of this freedom: freedom of speech, worship, to marry whomever we want?  And yet churches in the United States are closing down.  Congregations are losing numbers.  But Africa and China -- where Christians are tortured, oppressed, and killed for their faith -- have the highest conversion rates?  4,000 to 5,000 a day....Wow...

18 Weeks Pregnant



This image is taken from http://www.babycenter.com/

 Baby's Length: 5 1/2 inches
Baby's Weight:  7-8 ounces

Increased appetite and energy are common at this time.  Good to know...now I can have that extra slice of pizza and the extra energy to work it off!  WIN-WIN!  Pizza...mmm...I think that's my pregnancy weakness is homemade pizza.  No matter what it always sounds appetizing.  I've gained weight this week!  Now instead of being stabilized it's a pound heavier.  Oh well!  That'll happen when you're pregnant!  Nothing to worry about because I know I'm being healthy.  I will have plenty of time to exercise after baby gets here with Rob being gone.  I'm feeling the baby move during the night and it woke me up last night!  It's the cutest thing ever.  He/She must be turning over because different parts of my belly stick up when I'm laying on my back.  awwwww....

Shakeology

I'm so proud of myself!  (Almost) 18 weeks pregnant and working out 3-5 times a week!  Woohoo me! 

Monday: Shakeology w/ 5 lb weights
Tuesday: Shakeology w/ no weights
Wednesday: Shakeology w/ 8 lb weights
Thursday: Shakeology w/ no weights
Friday: Shakeology w/ 5 or 8 lb weights (I alternate depending on the exercise)
Saturday & Sunday: OFF!  Cardio by taking Christopher for walks etc.

I workout in the morning after a *light* breakfast to burn more flub.  I'm feeling so healthy.  I love it.

Time is precious

Cherish.  Every.  Moment. 

Sad news.  At the moment -- incomprehensible.  It can't be real.  It feels like my stomach is dropping into a black hole and pulling the back of my throat with it.  Did I swallow a rock?  ...or just terrible news.  I'm going to be alone.  He's going to be leaving.  I'm going to be alone.  I'm moving.  I'm going to be alone.  I will hardly get to talk to him.  He's going to miss so much.  My eyes are steaming.  *Deep breath*  It's going to be ok.

Fall Colors

Christopher and I got a bit of the fresh, Kansas air today!  Grabbed my camera, the stroller, and some blankets and headed over to a Wildlife area by us. 

17 Weeks Pregnant



This picture is from BabyCenter.com



Baby's length: 5 inches

Baby's weight: 5 ounces

Baby's cartilage is turning to bone and he / she is swallowing the amniotic fluid to develop taste buds.

Pregnancy Joys: As belly increases, balance decreases due to a change in the center of gravity.  (Ahhhh....that explains the recent clumsiness!)

Unfortunately at the ultrasound on wednesday we were unable to see whether Baby 2 is a boy or a girl.  He/she is SUPER active and the cord is wrapped around the thigh and between the legs.  Our next ultrasound is dec. 13th so we will hopefully be able to find out then!  The heartbeat was 160 and 152, though :)    Right now I am mostly feeling the baby move at night and in the morning when I first wake up.  I am feeling more and more pregnant every day!

Happy Veteran's Day

For some it was just yesterday,

for some it's been faded years.

But their sacrifice is not forgotten

as Veteran's Day appears.

 

Thank you for giving your time

a little piece of your life,

to keep us safe and happy

and keep our lives free from strife.

 

I know I'll never know

the extent of what you endured.

The many sleepless nights,

the heart that's never cured.

 

Just know that I appreciate

the things that you have done.

Freedom does not come free;

the price has to be won.

 

~~ This poem has a special dedication to my Grandpa Jack and my husband. Both wonderful guys who served our country and who I love dearly! ~~

Who Am I?

I am a:
-- mother (See also chaffeur, cook, maid, entertainer, magician, laundry service, singer, activities coordinator, teacher)
-- wife
-- student
-- Christian
-- 21-year old
-- individual
-- woman
-- daughter (See also niece, grand-daughter, great grand-daughter, sister, step-sister, cousin,)

Sometime's it's so easy to forget who I am; especially on days that demand so much of my attention!  I remember the days when homework was just homework.  When being a student meant that all I had to focus my attention on was my schoolwork (and what alcoholic beverage I was going to be consuming on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night).  When my biggest decision about dinner was whether or not to make Ramen, Mac-n-Cheese, or order a pizza.  Now, I'm doing homework while running the dishwasher, making sure the laundry is being switched out, feeding Christopher, and checking to see that the ingredients for dinner are thawing. 

 When Christopher lays down for a nap it could be my time to rest---or I could get the much-needed vacuuming done. 
              But, while I'm vacuuming, I'm thinking about the homework I have to do. 
When I'm doing homework, I think about how I should be out taking a walk. 
               When I'm out taking a walk, I'm thinking about how I should be at home spending time with Rob. 
 It's never ending!  I need to take time out of my day just to remember who I am.  I am Sara.  I am NOT going to get everything on my to-do list done every day.  And that's ok. 

Fruitsnack Jackpot

Sadly I had already eaten 3 of the fruit snacks from this magical bag before realizing that they were all GREEN! 

What are the odds?!??  ....I have no idea.  Trust me -- I looked.  But, I think I should probably buy a lottery ticket today.

NAILPOLISH MESS

NOTE TO SELF:

DROPPING A BOTTLE OF NAILPOLISH ON THE FLOOR MAKES A HUGE MESS.

Cleanup time     : 48 minutes
Cleanup supplies : 27 cottonballs
            : 6 paper towels
            : 1/2 bottle of nail polish remover

My little cutie monster



My beautiful little boy -- such a ham
Nov. 2010 : 19 months

He escaped his crib in favor of mommy and daddy's bed....

TOO CUTE =)





Flashing Lights / Loss of Vision 11.8.2010

About 9:30, while doing my makeup, I got these really funny lights.  Started in my peripheral vision as a white, silvery jagged line and I couldn't see anything.  Then my eyes started flitting around and I couldn't focus and then I totally couldn't see anything for about 4 minutes.  Everything felt like it was in slow motion or something and I felt like I was shaking up and down.  Called the OB and the nurse is calling me back.  I'm kind of freaking out.  It's gone now, but my head feels like it weighs 100 lbs and I just threw up.  I can't find anything on what could be causing it. 

16 Weeks Pregnant

How do I feel about being 16 weeks pregnant? 
:Crazy
:Nervous
:Chunky
:Excited
:Happy
:Intimidated... all rolled into one! 

 I'm getting a baby belly and buttoning pants is becoming much more challenging that before.  Although I can still button all of my jeans ;)  I just feel like a stuffed sausage afterwards.  The baby is flipping around like crazy in there.  Can't wait until the hubster will be able to feel it from the outside.  I have most of my energy back and am not feeling like I need to take the 3 hour afternoon nap anymore.  Baby is roughly 5 inches long and weighs approximately 3 ounces!  I can't believe how much it's grown already and how much more is to come in the weeks / months to follow.  I can't believe that in 5 months I'm going to be holding a baby.  A an adorable, pooping, crying, tiny little bundle of joy!  It's weird how only 9 months can change so much!!  Ahhh I can't wait until Wednesday to find out if we'll be picking out blue or pink.  Looked at names yesterday.  I really like the name Evander (Evan for short)...sadly Rob hates it.  Oh well -- I'm hoping it's a girl because at least we agree on that name!  I'm not telling what it is yet though....AHHH THE SUSPENSE!

10 Things I've Learned about Pregnancy and Motherhood

1.) No matter how much sleep I get...I'm still going to be tired.  Might as well embrace insomnia and do something productive!
2.) I need a stroller that can hold up to our "off-roading" adventures.  Cheaper strollers are cheaper for a reason.
3.) Dressy maternity tops were a waste of money.  I felt old and didn't really like them anyways!  Casual, comfy, and cute is the way to go this time.
4.) Breastfeeding ( . )  ( . )  is great;  but I shouldn't feel pressured about it.  I'm going to breastfeed / pump and use formula at night to keep (more of) my sanity.
5.) Stressing about having the crib up and ready right away was pretty pointless.  Besides (short) naps Christopher slept in the bassinet or pack n play for the first couple months anyways!
6.) S - t - r - e - t -  c- h     m - a - r - k - s    f - a - d - e
7.) Exercise is important.  Had it not been for my daily walks; I would've probably had gestational diabetes!
8.) 300 extra calories...nonsense. Eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm full.  I shouldn't worry about eating a certain number of calories / day.  My body will tell me what it needs
9.) Look at outlet stores for awesome deals. DollarGeneral?  Surprisingly has an adorable baby selection of (cheap) baby clothes.  When they outgrow them that fast -- who cares where they're from!
10.) Sit back and enjoy everything because it's not going to last forever!

Craving

First official craving: Fruit Snacks.  I honestly could not stop eating them.  My mouth was watering for them.  5 bags in 10 minutes... Thank God they're only 60 calories each and packed with vitamin C. 

Middle of the night insomnia.  Too bad the rest of the world isn't up and ready to start the day!  Because I am!

Infection somewhere...

Had a urinalysis done today before my OB appt.  Met with an OB specialist: found out I have a very high number of "leukocyte esterase" in my urine which is not normal.  More likely than not it means I have a kidney / bladder infection or UTI; but in rare cases means an infection in the amniotic fluid.  (I know they are obligated to tell me the worst case scenario...but I wish they wouldn't).  Also had a type of bacteria in my  cervical mucus (which could be caused by the infection...I'm waiting on the results of the culture) and they think I have either a kidney or bladder infection.  If it is indeed a kidney infection this could be the source of my back pain.  Right now they gave me the diagnosis of sciatica (he doesn't think it's a herniated disc, and even if it is there's no way to test for it right now because he won't do an X-Ray or MRI while I'm pregnant.  Totally understandable.)  Found the baby's heartbeat after about 3 min of searching and it was a strong 151 bpm.  Baby is laying directly on my spine at this point...also a contributing factor to back pain!  Found out that I did, indeed, have a shoulder dystocia while delivering Christopher and am strongly urged to have a C-Section for this baby.  They think it's going to be another large baby because my fundal height is measuring 1 week and 2 days larger than how far along I am.  Same as with Christopher!  As of right now I'm munching on fruit snacks...

OB Appt

I celebrated a bit too early I guess...by 8 am the pain was back.  Not as bad as yesterday, but I still couldn't put any weight on my left leg. I called the OB and they want me to be seen today.  So I have a urinalysis test at noon (I guess to make sure the pain isn't being caused by a kidney or bladder infection) and then I go to see the midwife. More than likely it's sciatica.  I'm just hoping there isn't some other underlying issue.  UGH! Pregnancy does not agree with me.  This only sucks so bad because Rob can't get out of work and I have no support system of family or friends around here that could help me out with Christopher.   

Strange...

So last night, I went to bed and my back was really hurting.  At that point I couldn't even stand on my left leg; due to the pain in my lower back, and literally crawled up the stairs.  I had a hard time getting comfortable before falling asleep.  Was woken up in the middle of the night and the pain was 1748x worse.  When I even put the tiniest amount of pressure on my leg I thought I was going to shoot through the roof.  (Unfortunately, due to my tiny bladder these days, I had to hobble to the bathroom anyways for the middle-of-the-night pee). Then I laid down and it hurt so bad my eyes were tearing up.  Finally I found a comfortable position on my left side (odd...since that's the side that hurt) and then I felt an air-bubble sensation going through me.  It felt as if a gigantic air bubble left my lower back and then lodged straight behind my right lung.  So I sat up in bed and kind of hit myself on the back / chest and let out a gigantic burp.  Strangely enough --- my back is 100% better.  It's 5 in the morning and I was able to get up without any pain at all and it's as if it never happened.  CRAZY!  But I'm grateful.  =)  I'd just like to say a big Thank You God! I don't know what I would've done....

Owwie

I'm not sure if this is Sciatica or what...I definitely need to go in and have this checked out: I can't stand for longer than 30 minutes without getting a shooting pain down my lower back and I can't sit or lay down without it hurting.  It starts at the left indent in my lower back and goes down the left side of my leg.  Thinking back to when I first noticed it, it was after I sneezed.  I felt a pinching in my lower back and what starts as a dull ache turns into a shooting pain if I step or sit incorrectly.  This is a huge problem because, as of right now, I can't lift Christopher up and I'm having a hard time going upstairs and getting the housework done.  I tried vacuuming, but gave that up after 2 minutes.  Rob's out training in the field right now, so I had to lower Christopher's crib so he could climb into it himself! Hopefully they can get me in soon.  My next appointment is November 10th for my 16 week...but I don't think I'll make it that long!  Ugh!  Pregnancy annoyances!   On a happy note:  I can feel baby moving around right now and that makes me smile =)