Gathering Mode

I have this need lately to just buy stuff for the baby and C. I want to have everything in my house RIGHT NOW. I’m not necessarily in nesting mode where I want to clean and put everything away, it’s just this need to have everything and know it’s there! I’m trying to curb this need by looking online and making wish lists…I have a wish list probably at every store that has one I can keep private (Babies R Us, Target, AbbysLane, etc.)

I am also researching all I can. I’m a big researcher. You know that kid in school who was always in the library looking things up and had lots of note cards? Yeah, that was me; however, I was usually the person who turned in all papers late because I got burned out on research and didn’t really want to put it into paper form! What am I researching? Everything I can think of…the best double stroller, whether I will really need a double stroller, raising two boys, potty training my toddler, the best baby products...the list goes on and on! It’s crazy!

(I remember doing a lot of research when I was pregnant with C, but never really looked into the whole giving birth part. I remember hearing I had to go to the hospital that night and I would be induced the next morning and thinking...Wait! I need to read a book really quick…it was crazy!)

This is a diaper cake my mom made me for my shower with C!

Now if only I could get in nesting mode…my house really needs it!

Eeeekkkk!

For some reason I thought buying white pants was a good idea.  I haven't worn white pants in a while, but they looked so cool in this weather and the leg even rolls up to make them carpi's.  Very cool, right?  Well, twice now...yes, twice...I have accidentally put a colored shirt in with my pants.  The first time it was a green tank top and I had to rewash the pants to get the green color (mostly) off.  If you look closely and in the right light, you can this see a green hue.  Then yesterday, I spilled chocolate milk on my pants on my way to work.  Luckily I was close enough to home that I was able to run in and treat them (and change clothes,) and the shirt I was wearing, and then throw them in the laundry when I got home.  Well, guess what?  The shirt is a blue tie-dye!  Eeeekkkk!  Halfway through the wash cycle, I remembered.  Grrrr...I had to rewash the pants in bleach because they turned so blue!  Aaaahhhh!  I am currently waiting for the dyer to finish to see if they are wearable.  They looked pretty good out of the wash, but we'll see. 

Oh well, I'll still wear them as long as they are completely blue, so take that pregnancy brain trying to ruin my clothes!

Have you ever made a laundry mistake?  (I will admit this isn't the first time, last year there was a white t-shirt mixed in with the reds incident!)

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7 Years!

Wow!  Today is our wedding anniversary!  We got married on July 26, 2003.  I cannot believe it's been 7 years!  Love you, Hubby!

This is us at Prom in June 1999!

At my niece's wedding in July 2008.

And I don't have any wedding pictures on this computer :(  I'll have to upload some after work and put them on. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful Monday!

Guest Blog: Wifey's TV

Hey everybody! For some time Wifey has been asking me to guest blog and I have something on my mind.

How do I keep getting caught up in Wifey's TV shows?

I love scripted TV, but for some reason I keep getting sucked into these reality based shows my wife watches. Lets take for example 'The Real Housewives of New Jersey.' Here is how I typically get wrapped up in these things.

Me: What are you watching?

Her: This new housewives show.

Me: Why? Come one this thing is dumb.

Her: Fine don't watch.

Me: *In my head* Damn, this is the only TV I can watch. I'll score some points if sit here and act interested.

Me: So who is that women on screen? What's her deal? No, the other one. Yeah the one with the fake boobs. (Now I'm really interested) Why is she such a bitch? Wait, how can they afford that huge house? There is no furniture! I'll get to the bottom of this. Look honey Wikipedia says they are in foreclosure. See they cant afford that house, told you. Ooooohhhh that one chick has a criminal record. She has kids! Poor kids. Uh-oh there is a cat fight brewing! Wow they are pulling hair! Let me just add this to the TiVo in case we want to watch more later.

Her: *Rolls Eyes*

 

Thanks Hubby!  Anyone else find their TV time being overtaken by having to explain everything? 

 

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Names, Names, Names

Even though I am not yet over my last name obsession, there are a few other names we are thinking of.  Here's a few...

Colby: this was actually a favorite when I was pregnant with C, but once we found out we were having a boy, we didn't really like it any more.  However, we've started really liking it again.  The main problem?  We don't want another C name.  We have C, and our dog's name is Copper...plus, how confusing would the blog posts get :)

          Origin: English
          Meaning: Coal Town
          Rating on babycenter: 162

Marshall: this is a name that Hubby suggested one day and we both really like it.  No problems with the name, just not ready to say "It's the one." 

          Origin: French
          Meaning: keeper of the horses
          Rating on babycenter: 353

Dean: another name Hubby suggested, and I really like, but do we like it enough for our child?

          Origin: Latin
          Meaning: Presiding official
          Rating on babycenter: 273

Vincent: I suggested this name because I really like the nickname Vince.  I love Vince, but don't really think it's substantial enough for a first name.  But we both really like the name.

          Origin: Latin
          Meaning: Conquorer, Victor
          Rating on babycenter: 126

Travis: this is another name that was suggested when I was pregnant with C.  We both like the name, but haven't really talked about it much, it just always get brought up when people ask what names we are thinking about. 

          Origin: Latin
          Meaning: from the road crossing
          Rating on babycenter: 151

There are more, but that's enough for now.  Any thoughts?  Suggestions?

Name information can be different according to different sources, I went with babycenter, because well, I just did :)

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To Register or Not to Register...

It was never a question when I was pregnant with C, we had our 20 week ultrasound and found everything was looking great and we were having a boy!  It was right before Christmas, so we waited until we got home to register, but we headed into Babies R Us to become overwhelmed and look at all the wonderful things they make for babies.  We picked out a few things and decided to wait for another weekend to finish because it really was overwhelming...but a registry was made! 

Now, I'm 23 weeks, there's talk of a possible baby party (shower,) but I still don't know...do I register?  I can see both side so of the argument, not only is this our second baby, but they will be the same gender and only 2.5 years apart.  Yes, we have most of the big things still from C, and are planning on reusing everything that we can.  Sure, there are a few big things (double stroller, some things that we never had for C, that we would like this time around) but we don't expect others to by them for us.  Of course, there's always those small, every baby needs items like diapers, wipes, lotions, breastfeeding items, etc.  And of course, there are those friends and family who want to buy a gift, but don't know what we already have, what we need or what we like.  So a registry would help them.  (Of course we know that a lot of people don't shop off the registry, but it's there for those that need it.)  But, do you register?

I've tried looking it up online and of course the opinions on varied!  I'm the first in our immediate group of friends to have a second child, so I am setting a precedent here...talk about stressful!  I do know of people who have had parties for their second (or more) child and have registered, I also know people who have not.  So, do I register? 

What do you think?  Is registering for a second (or more) child tacky?  Or is it super helpful?  Or does it make no difference either way? 

For the record, I think that a party for every child is okay, every child is different and deserves a party.  Would registering make it look like you are only after the gifts?

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Bed Rest and a Wedding

Ahhh...bed rest.  Luckily, mine is over, hopefully for the pregnancy.  I'm hoping my body had it's little freak out and is now all better.  I watched so much TV, I'm not sure I could even tell you what!  I mainly focused on catching up on Seasons 1 and 2 of The Real Housewives of New Jersey.  It makes me want to move to Jersey, get bigger hair, and start some fights! 

I did miss the wedding of two really good friends though.  It sounded like an awesome time, lots of friends, lots of food, and lots of drinking to be had!  Hubby was a groomsman, so he still went...no reason for both of us to miss the wedding.  I will admit that by Saturday night (even with the visit of a great friend) I was lonely and just wanted him home!  I have to say, he did a great job of keeping me included.  He sent lots of pictures (which is the only way saw him in his tux!) and called whenever he had time...he even called and read us (Darcie and I) the toast he was going to give. 

Handsome Hubby!

The car stuffed with a monkey (actually from our wedding!) and balloons.

I am still trying to take it easy so I don't have to be put on bed rest and miss out all the other fun things the summer has in store. 

Very Thankful

I am very thankful for a great Hubby, great family and great friends.  Without them, I might be going crazy!

I have been put on bed rest.  It really does sound like fun at first...what?  I'm not allowed to get out of bed?  I'm not allowed to change diapers?  I'm not allowed to cook dinner?  Great!...not so much!  I am lucky that as of now I am only on short term bed rest, so hopefully by Saturday afternoon/ Sunday morning, I will be able to walk around without fear of pain. 

Everything is fine with the baby, I had some spotting and then bleeding starting on Sunday night.  The bleeding has nothing to do with the baby though, it has to do with my "special" uterus (meaning the doctors don't really know what is up with my uterus, it's just different and causing problems!)  The biggest fear though is that if it happens again, it might start affecting the baby.  I have decided to just think of this as a reminder that I can't do everything.  I need to take breaks, I need to ask for help, and it's okay if I don't do everything on my own. 

I will admit that I am bummed though...really good friends of mine are getting married this weekend, and because it's 3 hours away, the doctor doesn't want me to risk going.  Hubby is in the wedding, so he's already on his way down so he can make the rehearsal.  So, C is at my sisters house for the weekend, Hubby is at a wedding for the weekend, the dog is at my parents, and I am home with peace and quiet with my feet up watching TV, reading books, and finally blogging.  As much as I always wish for a weekend alone, with nothing to do but what I want, this is not the weekend I would have picked.  Luckily, my friends are awesome.  The Bride and Groom were awesome about me missing the wedding, and even the possibility of Hubby missing it if things didn't start to look up.  And other friends have been great about offering help and support...and to take lots of pictures of the wedding!  And offering to come keep me company over the weekend!

So, while I miss C and Hubby, and wish I was at a wedding, I am going to try to enjoy the time alone.  Hopefully I will be off bed rest for good after Sunday and everything will be smooth sailing after that!

Why do you blog?

I was reading a message board recently and someone posted this question.  It got me thinking...why do I, personally, blog?  I don't think there is really one set reason for why I, personally, blog.  Honestly, I enjoy talking about my family and know that "in real life" people don't want to hear about moving C to a big boy bed (a post will come soon!) or the dog being sick or the frustration with food allergies...or any other thing that comes in the day to day.  So blogging is a good way to get my stories out there, and if someone doesn't want to read it, they don't have to! 

I've always loved writing (even if I'm not the best writer,) but never found a way to that I enjoyed.  I don't want to write a book, diaries have never worked for me, but a blog just seems different.  I like to help people.  If someone might learn from my blog about egg in milkshakes or pick up tips on potty training their toddler (not that we are there yet!) then I want to blog about it!  And if I'm getting frustrated about something, or need help, maybe someone out there can help me.

Once I did decide to start a blog, I had to talk with Hubby about what he thought.  He's always been very particular about pictures of C being out there, just ask Becky about the "facebook picture tagging" incident :)  And there are so many people on the Internet, you might not know that someone is looking at your blog.  We decided to set some boundaries, but still wanted it to be fun for me to share stories.  We decided pictures were okay since I wasn't using C's whole name (I am waiting for the day I don't catch a slip though) and I try not to give any identifying information (where I work, specifically where I live.) 

So basically, I blog because it makes me feel good.  I get to talk about what I want to without worrying about boring people, and if I help someone along the way (and I get help as well)...awesome!  Also, there are great bloggers out there who I would love to get to know! 

Why did you get into blogging?

Congrats!!

A big congrats and shout out to Becky!  She has been blogging for one year over at Love Everyday Life!  Wow, a year, it's gone by so fast!  Becky is one of the people behind me starting this blog (Darcie is another) and I have been following her blog since the beginning.  To celebrate, Becky is hosting a giveaway!  There is some awesome stuff up for grabs, be sure to check it out!  Also, if you don't follow her blog (which you should!) mention that you heard about the giveaway from me, HC, at this blog, please :) 

Congrats Becky!!

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Guest Blog!

My very first guest blog is over at my good friend Darcie's blog, Traveling This Path.  Check it out, hope you enjoy!

Eye Opening Allergy Reminder

Hubby and I had a reminder last week to always check before giving C anything to eat.  It wasn't a scary experience, just eye-opening.  My mom and dad have been eating lunch out more, which is fine because they are really good about only feeding C things that we have already given him at any given place. 

The issue came with milkshakes.  I had mentioned that we've given C milkshakes before.  What I failed to mention was that we make our own, so even though we had lunch at McDonald's, the milkshake was made at home.  Two days during the week, C came home with very red lips, redness around the mouth, and increased eczema on his body.  He had a runny nose, so my mom thought the redness was just his rubbing his face a lot, and he had played outside so she thought that was the reason for his eczema.  However, after observing him for a few minutes, I noticed he wasn't rubbing his nose, he was rubbing his mouth specifically.  So, on the off chance, I gave him Benadryl.  It cleared everything right up and he stopped rubbing his mouth.  After the second day (not in a row, just in the same week) I decided to see what he ate and recheck everything.  The only thing different was a milkshake from Chick-Fil-A.  We have just recently added Chick-Fil-A to his okay list because of his peanut allergy (very limited what he can have and watched very closely,) and never thought to check their milkshake.  Guess what?  There is egg in their milkshake, and egg cross-contamination in McDonald's milkshake.

I asked why they were giving him milkshakes (he wasn't getting his own, he was sharing with my mom) and they said because we have before.  That's where the slap on the forehead came in!  My mom and I both learned to ask more questions, and to be more clear on what we tell the other.  Just another reminder to ALWAYS check, no matter what.  My parents are still new to food allergies, even though C was diagnosed over a year ago, it is harder for them to understand completely, and that's okay.  Hubby and I have been living with it, so it's a little easier for us understand that everything needs to be checked, no matter how silly it seems.  Would I have expected McDonald's milkshake to have egg cross-contamination?  No, I would have expected peanut cross-contamination, because I know their ice cream itself is safe. 

I'm just glad his reaction was so mild, it is an improvement from when he was diagnosed.  Back then he got hives all over his stomach and back if he ingested anything with egg.  Maybe this means the allergy is getting better?  Not that we will be testing this ourselves anytime soon!  We will still be just as careful.  With food allergies, you can never let yourself get into a false sense of comfort. 

C eating a safe treat at a friends house.

Water is Evil!

C used to love water!  He would ask to take baths and he loved spending time in the pool.  The last month or 2 though...not fun.  The word "bath" in this house brings on crying and shaking.  We're not sure why he's afraid of water, he's never been dunked and as far as we know, he's never drank a whole bunch of water while in the tub or pool.  I know water is a common fear in children, but it's so hard to see your child shake with fear at the mention of taking a bath or going to the pool.  My parents took C took the pool the other day, he started to cry when he saw the pool.  They finally got him into the baby pool, but he wouldn't sit down, he would only play standing up.  When one would mention him going in the big pool with them, crying and shaking would commence.  Right now, giving him a bath is so hard and stressful for all of us, that he is only getting the bare minimum. 

Any tips on how to help C get over his fear?  Or at least make bath time more enjoyable for him?  We've tried letting him take his favorite toys with him, take a shower with us, even just sit in the tub with his clothes on and no water!  Please help!!

          These are from a trip to the beach in April, right at the beginning of the water fear.

This is the closest he got to the water, and I'm pretty sure it was an accident!

It's Official!

...we're having a boy!!

The "money" shot!

Everything went great!  We are so happy.  All measurements seemed to be good.  I did have a moment where I was a little worried because the ultrasound tech was taking a long time looking at the heart, but then she said he was very active, and wouldn't stay still long enough for a good measurement.  *whew* 

I go back in 3 weeks for another ultrasound.  One of the proteins in my blood came back a little low at 12 weeks, and it can indicate a risk of low birth rate and pre-eclampsia.  I had the same low protein with C, and I went for ultrasounds every 2 weeks with him until 32 weeks (for this and other reasons.)  But the doctor said that now they understand what might cause pre-eclampsia better, so this next ultrasound should answer those questions, and then I will only have to go once a month for ultrasounds. 

I must really be showing now, I had a little girl on Friday ask me why my belly was getting so big.  I love little kids, they are so honest.  I had a little boy tell me I looked like Santa Clause when I was pregnant with C. 

Not the best angle, but look at that belly!

Sweet Tea-Country Style

Warning: this is from Hubby's great-aunt and is super sweet.  She actually makes it in the sun and with real sugar (yum yum!)

This is for 1 gallon:
I boil as much water as will fit in my large pot.  Once the water boils, I put it in my container and put in 16 tea bags.  Put the lid on and let it steep for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, take the tea bags out and add 2 cups of sugar (I use Splenda.)  Top off with cold water.  (I always add and stir the sugar before adding any extra water, I think it helps make the tea sweet.)

To Breastfeed or Not

To breastfeed or not is a big question for many new moms.  But for some, it's not a question at all.  I admit that when I was pregnant with C, it wasn't that big a question at first, I wasn't planning on it.  My mom hadn't breastfed any of us (there for 4 of us) and we all turned out okay (for the most part!)  Sure, we had our fair share of childhood illnesses, but no more than other children, even those who were breastfed.  But as the pregnancy went on, and I read more books and talked to Hubby about it, I started to change my mind.  I never got to the "I WILL breastfeed no matter what" frame of mind many women get to, but I really wanted to try.  I already had such a connection to the little human growing inside of me, and I wanted to continue that bond as long as possible. 

A pregnancy blog I read regularly talked about an article about how one woman chose to formula feed from the beginning.  She was trying to get the word out that it's okay to formula feed.  While I think she chose to get her point across in a way I would not have (calling breastfeeding "creepy") I think she has a good point.  At 6 months I was on antibiotics that made it so I could not nurse while I took them, and my supply dropped a lot even though I continued to pump, and I was not able to get my supply back up (in all honesty, I didn't try that hard) so I stopped pumping.  That means that once my frozen supply was gone, when C was not with me, he got formula.  I did nurse whenever we were together until he was almost 10 months though.  However, whenever people would ask if I breastfed (yes, that is actually a very popular question) and I said yes, but supplemented with formula (this was usually a follow up question,) I got some really interesting responses and comments.  Some of them really hurt my feelings.  I was already a full-time working mom with a lot of guilt because I was leaving my baby with someone else all day, even if that someone else was my mom.  I didn't need the extra guilt over what my very healthy, happy and handsome little boy was eating. 

People can be very judgemental and while I welcome advise and help when needed, I don't think women need extra guilt put on them, by other women especially.  Would I encourage another new mom to try breastfeeding?  Yes, I had a wonderful experience and wouldn't change it for anything.  Would I judge a new mom for choosing not to even try?  No, it's their choice and it's not for everyone.  There are many reasons why women can't, or don't want to, breastfeed and I have no right to expect an explanation for such personal decisions.

Will I breastfeed again?  If the baby and I are both able to, absolutely!  I won't say I had an easy time with C.  I had days where I cried, where I wanted to stop, where it hurt soooo bad I was sure nothing would ever be the same again, but with support and determination, I continued.  However, if I am not able to for some reason, I hope other women will lay off the guilt.  I am after all, just a mom trying to raise two wonderful, well-rounded, well adjusted, non-criminal, good humans in this crazy world.