Apple Retchless: Week 14

No, we are not going all Gwyneth and naming our baby after a fruit. Baby R just happens to be the size of an apple this week!

I swear I have had a lot more doctor visits with this little bean than with Noah up until this point. And the really odd part is that everything is going perfect so it is just kind of lucky! So far, at each appointment we have been able to see Baby R which, of course, always makes me happy.

This week I had a normal OB visit and was expecting to just get a little Doppler action to listen to the heartbeat. However, we got to talking about the gender and Dr. R said, "Let's try and see!" and zipped down the hall to grab the ultrasound machine. Made. My. Day. Unfortunately, Baby wasn't cooperating and tucked the umbilical cord between its legs so we weren't able to find anything out. 

But, I got to see the little bean and confirm that at my next appointment before we leave for St. Louis for the holidays we get to try again. Absolute worst case, we'll find out New Years Eve. Fingers crossed Baby cooperates before that.

In other news, I am up a total of 3 pounds which is some kind of miracle because last night I made cookies with 14 tablespoons of butter in them. In reality, that sounds horrific but most cookie recipes call for two sticks which is actually more. But, seriously, 14 tablespoons!?!?! They tasted heavenly and hit this preggo's sweet craving right on the head.

What else did I learn today? Oh, I can have two of my very favorite things...sushi and wine. Don't freak out...the guidelines are:

     Sushi - my doctor has done a lot of research on this subject and said the raw fish component is not the issue as almost all fish that comes into the United States has been sanitized and doesn't carry a risk of listeria. That said, he gave me some guidelines for picking a reputable restaurant and I took those down and made a date for lunch with my raw fishy friends tomorrow (update: I stuck to salmon and it was every bit as wonderful as I had hoped)! There is still the mercury concern so I have to be cognizant of what kinds of fish I choose and what quantity I eat, but I'll take those restrictions happily!! 

 Wine - I got clearance for a very occasional glass of wine. This came as my 30th birthday is fast approaching on Sunday and all I really want for the big day is a big glass 'o red! Permission granted with the guideline, "make sure it's a really good bottle!". Thanks, Dr. R, I will!

Otherwise, I got a ton of reassurance that everything is going great and to keep up the good work.

Our hot water heater is on the outs so please excuse my awesome hair! I borrowed some hot water from Kristina this afternoon and feel much more like a respectable member of society!

As far as how I am feeling...pretty good. I am actually starting to be interested in healthy foods again and so far this weeks mission to eat healthier is going great (aside from my butter laden indulgence). I have swapped fruity pebbles out for bananas, apples, and yogurt as snacks. I have not, and have no intention of giving up my beloved animal crackers though. That is my pregnancy, and breast feeding, treat and I will not let those little carby crackers go!

Ok, that's enough blabbering. See ya next week.

Lemon Retchless: Week 13

Going to go with the old fields this week:

How Far Along: 13 weeks. Baby is measuring about 5 days ahead though. I have determined that my new due date is "May" as it keeps moving around so much!

Size of Baby: Size of lemon.

Our little thumb sucker.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 2ish pounds? I have decided I need to get off our scale and stick to my doctor's scale exclusively. Scales and I aren't best friends when I'm not pregnant (I get really mental watching the numbers fluctuate day to day, morning to night) and I just think I need to focus more on how I am feeling versus what the scale says.

Maternity Clothes:  Nope and not really needing them. So far all my normal pants fit!

Movement: I swear I can feel this little peanut rolling around. It isn't so much kicks but just little butterflies. Not sure whether people say they feel the baby earlier the second time since they know what to be waiting for? I feel like with Noah I second guessed everything as gas but with this little one I would say I am 99% sure I can feel him/her.

 
Symptoms: Really starting to feel like I am coming out of the first trimester funk. My energy is back at Bar Method and in general I feel really good.

What I Miss: My normal appetite/food choices. See below under cravings. Oh, and wine. Always wine.

 
Girl or Boy: ?? At the latest, we'll know on New Year's Eve.

Belly button In or Out: Innie.

Stretch Marks: Nope. Never got any with Noah so I am hoping that is my good fortune for this pregnancy, too.

 
Cravings: Pizza. Animal Crackers. Fruity Pebbles. Cake. Carbs, carbs, carbs. Honestly, I'm getting frustrated by this. I want to want healthy food but it just sounds horrible and my ability to have any self control is just out the window! Hearby declaring next week "eat better week". Fingers crossed.

Best Moment This Week: Seeing the little peanut at our NT Ultrasound on Monday. Baby was flipping and flopping all over the place and we had to stare at our cute little Lemon for quite some time to get the pictures we needed (no complaints here)! We ultimately got all the measurements we needed to confirm that everything is going great so far and we have a healthy little bean growing away!

This little peanut was sitting straight up!

Noah @ 12 weeks. Do you see a family resemblance? Kind of crazy to think that this is a now two-year-old

Since I am posting this late, I will tell you that my normal jeans are only comfortable for about an hour and then I feel like a sausage. I see a trip to the attic to pull down my maternity clothes happening sooner than later.

First Day of School

I know, I still owe you a birthday party post. But, I am just so excited about Noah's first (and second) day of school that I had to get this one up first. 

While I will not share publicly where Noah goes to school, I will say that we made the decision based on the fact that the school has a 2s program and has a rolling start so he was able to start right after his second birthday even though classes actually began in September. So, while we found our school by default, it has turned out perfectly. Of course, we liked the curriculum and staff too!!

The few days before Noah actually started school we talked about it a lot. We got his new shoes and talked about his "school shoes" a lot. I don't think there were any major surprises going in to the big day, but I was definitely still nervous. Of course, there were the obligatory first day of school pictures:

First Day of School, 2013!

Scott came along for drop off the first day and we learned the lesson that being early for preschool does no one any good. The teachers don't open the doors until exactly 9am so we were left in the hallway for a good 10 minutes. Noah got a little clingy during this time as the other kids were starting to fill the hall and the energy became a little hectic (parents must walk all kids in so there were a lot of people around). We did see some familiar faces from gymnastics and soccer which was great though! 

Finally, the big moment came and it was time for Noah to go in. He walked in, saw some PlayDoh, and that was it. I asked for a kiss and he obliged (Dad, too) and then headed straight back to his craft. At that point, all that was left was for us to leave. 

It was all fairly anti climactic. There were no tears and no phone calls (by either the school, or Mom!). I was definitely anxious as I drove away. It is odd to spend pretty much every waking moment with your son for 2 years and then suddenly leave him in someone else's hands without knowing his every move! Add to that that he doesn't really talk and there is really no telling what he does all day! We got an agenda so we have some clue, but never get a lot of additional information from our little guy. 

The important part is that he loves it at school. When I picked him up on Tuesday he was happily participating in story time and had the biggest smile when I went in to get him. 

My mom came up with the idea for the P. I will have one for each grade he enters and I added the chalkboard paint so I could write the year. Unfortunately, Noah+chalk=smudges. I imagine as he gets older we'll have better luck!

I figured Thursday would be the big test as he knew what to expect and could react with some historical knowledge. We pulled in the parking lot and I started hearing, "school, school, school"! We were early so I made the decision to just let him play in the car versus the hallway scenario. Nope...he wanted "out. school.". He was ready for his second day and headed in without a second thought! 

The only funny thing that I have found is that each day when I have picked him up he has a cow puppet in hand. He shows it to me very excitedly each day but then gladly puts it away before we go home. Something tells me it might be a bit of a security thing that he likes to hold on to. Seems like age appropriate behavior (especially starting a new school) and I appreciate that the teachers just go with it and let him have it. 

Also, today was picture day (I know...could it get any cuter?!). I didn't have high hopes for him actually smiling, but got him all dolled up anyway. Side note, watching parents get their kids ready for school on picture day is hilarious. There was more face wiping, hair brushing, straightening of clothes than I could imagine (of course, I participated as well!). Turns out, he would absolutely not sit for a picture. His teacher recommended I take him down for another try and I got the exact same reaction. He wanted nothing to do with the picture man. So, what's a mom to do? Remember Halloween? M&Ms for the win. Again. 

Picture taken. School loved. Win. Win. Win. 

He definitely wasn't sure why I wanted him to stand in front of the door with that P!

Can't wait to see all his little mind learns this year! I'm sure I'll share more funny school stories as we go but I am just so happy that this is going so well. It truly is great for everyone. I can get so much done, including my work out, freeing up my time with Noah for real quality time, and my evenings for pure family time. Again, win. 

Noah News: 2

When did I become a mom to a 2 year old?! Noah turning 1 seemed very real and normal. Him turning 2 is kind of blowing my mind. I feel like time is moving at warp speed!! I can only imagine what having a second baby will do to this!!

BUT, this post is all about Noah.

My boy.

Food: Noah is a pretty typical toddler when it comes to eating. He is a fairly erratic eater and vegetables are a challenge to get into his cute little bod. His favorite foods are hot dogs (if you ask him what's for dinner, the answer is always hot dog), macaroni and cheese, Knorr pasta, pizza, yogurt, and granola bars. When he is truly hungry, he can put away food like a teenager, but most of the time it is a bite here or there and then off to the next thing. He has found his sweet tooth since his first birthday which works out nicely as a bribe from time to time. In the beverage department, he gets his water with a smidge of apple juice, almond milk, and as a special treat...a sip or two of Dad's Gatorade ;-).

French Onion Dip is a food group, right?!

Physicality: Holy smacks is this boy physical. To finish up the food topic...Noah hasn't sat in a high chair since he was maybe 18 months? He prefers to stand in a big boy chair to eat. At restaurants this works great, however, at home, it poses a challenge as we have trouble getting him to stay and focus on his food for more than 2 minutes. He prefers to take a bite, run around and burn it off, and then return for a second bite. This is something we swore we would never allow...but live and learn I suppose. In addition to his mealtime antics, Noah is constantly on the move and testing the limits of his little body daily. He jumps, hops, gallops, flops, crashes, climbs, and runs perpetually. The only time he is truly still is first thing in the morning when we snuggle to watch a show, and when he is in his crib.

Jumping off couches (right onto Mom) is a favorite pastime.

Sleep: One thing Scott and I did succeed at is making Noah a good sleeper. Noah takes a 2-3 hour nap daily (1-4pm) and sleeps through the night, every night. Currently he is sleeping from about 8pm-7am. He is also a rockstar about being flexible about sleeping. He can push through without a nap when needed and has stayed up much too far past his bedtime on a handful occasions with no ill behavior to show for it. He does tend to get a bit spun up when he is over tired, but he is happy as a clam and just tears around a little extra wildly. So far, he hasn't tried to escape from his crib, nor shown any dislike for his current sleeping arrangement. He always wakes up in a completely different position than we lay him down in so I think a big boy bed might be a ways off.

One thing that doesn't get to be too far off is saying goodbye to paci. Currently, Noah only gets paci (and bear) when he is sleeping and for about 15 minutes after coming out of his crib. It is actually a pretty powerful tool for convincing him it is time to take a rest. Just mention p&b and he goes running for his room. But, before Baby #2 makes an appearance, we hope to cut paci out of the equation. I'll be sure to post updates on that.

Noah also still sleeps in a sleep sack. Blankets are just not his jam (he tells me to take them "off!" whenever I try to cover us up in the morning) and he frankly doesn't like anything in his crib other than bear and 3 extra pacis.  But, again, we are nearly the end of this phase, mainly because we are running out of sizes, so we need to find a way to keep our little goose warm at night without his sack.

After his haircut. He's a perfect client for those lollipops!

TV: "No screen time until 2". Well, we broke that rule. Although, not terribly, and mainly because of Noah. Noah isn't really all that interested in TV. When he doesn't feel well or just wakes up, he'll zone out in front of the TV, but otherwise he takes a casual glance and moves on. I've tried to use it as a distraction at restaurants or on the airplane and he lasts about 5 minutes before wanting to do something else. 99% of the time, I am thankful that he would rather be catapulting himself off the couch than watching TV, but during that 1%, I sure could use the help!


When he will watch, his favorite shows are The Cat in the Hat ("Cat Hat"), Curious George, Sports Center (I kid you not...he is a sports fanatic), and any YouTube video involving trains, diggers or airplanes. By far, his most favorite thing to watch is "Ouchies" with Papa. Ouchies is a video of the Isle of Man motorcycle race where riders go flying off cliffs (presumably to their demise) among other not-two-year-old-appropriate scenes. He loves it, and the time with Papa is adorable, so we permit it.

This boy loves his Papa (and digger!).

Talking: Not a whole lot of action here. Noah can say a lot of single words and does a fairly good job of getting across what he needs. Well, he can tell me! I am pretty sure to the average person, he speaks a lot of gibberish, but I know what his funny words mean (i.e.- "nonny" means snail or tennis) and so we get along just fine. He isn't putting together two words yet, and doesn't really seem all that motivated. I'll be anxious to hear what our pediatrician has to say at his two year appt, but I imagine it goes something like this, "kids all talk at their own pace, and he is so physical that he is concentrating on that instead of talking". But, I'll report back.  Report: Dr. T said that when kids have around 50 single words, they typically hit the developmental milestone of starting to string a few words together. I did a count of all the words I could come up with that he says and we are right around that 50 mark so I imagine we will see some more combinations, soon. That said, he said we have nothing to be concerned about for at least another six months.

One hilarious thing has has done in the past few days is start calling me mom. He definitely uses mama and mom interchangeably, but it is just so funny to hear his little voice say, "Mom!". He is also getting quite bossy with Scott and I, but in a fun way. He makes demands about where we should sit, who he wants to play with, and who should leave the room (this is all communicated with "Dada" and a pat wherever he should be seated, or "Off" with a little hand gesture indicating that I am not welcome to join the boys playing!).

No big deal...just hanging out in my toy bench.

Activities: Currently we are consistently doing gymnastics and soccer. We were really good about swimming lessons weekly this summer and early fall, but now it is just too cold to think about hopping in the outdoor pool where our program is held. The pool is seriously heated, but the getting in and out part is just not really appealing. Plus, three days after Noah's birthday, he starts school! I'll do a separate post on his school after his first day, but we are really excited for him to spend time with kids his age and have some structured activity sans mom & dad. 

He knows his Sambas are his soccer shoes and loves to get them out on Fridays.

Injuries: Nothing major enough to send us to the hospital, but with all the crazy running, the boy has had his share of falls and bumps/bruises. Most recently, he pulled on one of my potted plants and brought the entire thing crashing down onto his head (this one had me calling my mom to make 100% sure I didn't need to take him to the ER...mind you he was back up and running 5 minutes after the incident), and he also slipped and slammed his head into my parent's bathtub during our visit. It is pretty amazing what their little bodies are designed to withstand, but it still sends my heart racing every time we have a big fall. The little ones (knocking his head on a table, running and falling straight forward, getting knocked down by Nana) are no sweat and he just dusts them off and moves on.

I could seriously eat him up.

Heart: My boy has the best heart. In the midst of running like a banshee, he will run over and give the biggest/best snuggle in the whole entire world. He gives kisses constantly and loves to have his boo boo's kissed, as well as give anyone/anything else with a boo boo a kiss (he has been known to knock his stuffed animals into things on purpose just to give them a kiss). He also has a funny habit of "food snuggles". Lately, whenever he is eating, he like to tuck in for a big snuggle with me while he chews. It starts about half way through his meals and just makes my heart melt.

He also loves his friends and his Nana (and Harvey!). He has started giving everyone hugs and is a great sharer. He rarely gets upset if someone takes his toy, he just moves on. His love for animals is amazing and he is always extremely gentle and, if anything, just tries to over snuggle sometimes. That said, he is not immune to the occasional toddler outburst of giving Nana a swift smack or kick. But, it is few and far between and on the whole I am so proud of the sweet, loving, generous little two year old I have.

Waiting for Dad to come home from work.

Terrible Twos: I don't really think two is terrible for us. There are definintely moments when I have to say, "oh, man, are you two!!!!". This is usually the result of him being frustrated by not getting what he wants, me taking something away that he wants (because he is throwing it, or it's not kid approved), or him not being able to communicate what he wants. We haven't had any need for time outs and most of the time if I can take a minute to sit down with him and talk calmly, we can diffuse the situation and he rebounds great. Again, there are moments where I lose my cool and just have a little tantrum of my own, "Noah! Stop whining! What do you WANT?!". Even at 30 we all have our moments.

Freeze! His favorite game and most effective tool for stopping his very fast running!

Potty Training: While Noah is starting to become aware of all things potty related, I think we are a ways off (like, a year!) from actually using the potty. He has a toddler potty and will sit on it from time to time, but has yet to do anything "formal" in there. He is aware of when he is going #2 these days and will often tell us when he has gone and needs to be changed. So, the good news is, he is becoming aware of it, and doesn't show any signs of fear of the toilet. In fact, flushing is one of his favorite things to do.

Loving his birthday present from Grandma & Papa.

Fears: Pretty much anything that moves without warning (i.e.-remote control cars, motion activated toys/decorations, garage doors, paper shredders). He tends to get pretty startled by these items and comes running. He much prefers wooden or plastic toys that make zero sounds!

Soaking up life as a family of 3.

Likes: Car, trucks, diggers, trains, helicopters, airplanes, buses...are you sensing a theme? His other theme, as I mentioned, is sports. He loves all things sports and can name pretty much any of them that are on TV, in addition to loving to play all of them.

We can't walk by PBKids right now. He pretty much glues himself to the window!

Obviously, I could go on and on and on. But, I think that gives you a pretty good picture of what our boy is up to as a two year old, and serves as a great reminder of this amazing time in his life. I am sure I will feel this way at every age he hits, but this age is my favorite so far!

The #1 reason I am not looking forward to taking paci away...he doesn't make a peep on the plane!

Stats:
Height - 33.5"
Weight - 25.5 lbs (up to the 25th percentile from the 5th)
Haircuts - 12
Airplane Flights - 20 (possibly 22...I think we had layovers on one of our flights to/from St. Louis)

Up next...an actual birthday recap. But just to give you a glimpse:

The table waiting for the birthday boy to wake up on Saturday!

It took him all of about 20 seconds to realize that those presents were to be opened!

CAR!!

More soon...

Apricot Retchless: Week 12

Hello, 12 week mark! Where on earth did this first trimester go? There was a fairly entertaining conversation that happened this week:

Scott: You know, the baby will be here SO fast.
Kristina: Yeah, after the holidays, it's January...
Scott: And then February, March, April, May
Kristina: And then baby is here!

This from two of my favorite people, drinking my favorite wine, while I guzzled my Diet Coke and gave them the stink eye. However, while in that moment I had every motivation to grab the wine bottle and take off running, I think they might be on to something. Time is flying and I have a feeling it is not going to slow down. I mean, my baby turns 2 tomorrow! (Or yesterday...a bit delayed in getting this post up)

Anyway, now that we are moving into "safe" territory by pregnancy standards, I am looking forward to a little more normalcy in my life. My hormones have had me an emotional wreck (I almost bumped into a cyclist while walking the dog and started crying) and I have had some serious bouts of feeling completely awful this past week. Hoping this next week we turn a corner and I get to start enjoying the glorious second trimester happys!

Other than the random hangover feeling, I feel pretty good. I am still a sucker for sweets, pizza, pasta, and animal crackers but I am committing to eating better starting next week whether it sounds good or not. This bod and baby need more veggies and overall well rounded meals.

Honestly, this week has been one big focus on getting ready for Noah's big birthday. I have already drafted a post that is pretty much a summary of his every move for the past year (i.e.-it's looooong) and I can't wait to share details of his special day. I'll break that into another post to spare you the eye fatigue from reading...plus, he starts school next week so we have yet another important post coming up. 

Wait, this is supposed to be about pregnancy. Sorry, friends, more next week as we have our big NT ultrasound on Monday and I will be slightly less preoccupied by the events of my first born!

I opted for Black and White. Scott admitted to seeing the bump this week ;-). Grow baby, grow!

Lime Retchless: Week 11

News for week 11 (Written November 1):

Biggest news this week is that we shared our news with the world! Carving the pumpkins was so much fun and the response was amazing!

Sweets cravings - Holy moly! I have never in my life craved sweets like I am with this little Lime! Every night after dinner I want a GIANT piece of cake. With Noah, I had a bit of a sweet tooth, but this is a whole different level. The other night I even let Scott make a 9:30pm run to Safeway for some ice cream cake! This is completely unheard of for me...both the want for cake, and the actual giving in to the craving. Scott loved the chance to make a run for me as it was his first official pregnancy craving run (I never caved with Noah). Hopefully, it will also be his last as I threw away half of the cake and hopefully won't have another completely weak moment! I would also really like some Pop Tarts...seriously, who am I?!

Weight update - Cake, pizza, pasta, animal crackers. That pretty much sums up my food groups currently. Somehow, I am only up 1 pound so far though. Sometimes it feels like a lot more as I am definitely starting to get a little bump, but I am still very comfortably in my normal clothes and the scale says so far so good (wouldn't it be great if instead of a number the scale actually said that?!).

Activities - This weekend Noah and I attended our friend's annual Halloween party! Noah was 100% not interested in wearing a costume at this point. We tried a lion and The Cat in the Hat and you would have thought I was trying to put him in a straight jacket. So, I threw in the towel and let him wear his skeleton PJs...he's two and we have a lot of years to wear costumes!

Last year I gladly donned the PCH cheerleading uniform (well, with a little liquid courage!)...

This year it just felt a bit claustrophobic so I pulled another relic out of the closet...my official sweatshirt. Any bets on next year? Maybe retire the red, black & white?!

My cute little skeleton.

love.

We also managed to squeeze the real Halloween into this week! With the use of  a lot of M&Ms we were able to get the little one into his actual costume and it was worth every second of the sugar high! We had such a fun night with great friends Trick or Treating. It really is amazing how much more fun holidays are with a little one. It is a different kind of fun than the pre-kids days, but it is truly magical to watch your little one take his first walk up a driveway to get his candy all by himself (last year he was walking but definitely didn't understand the concept)! 

Oh, this face. Like I said, worth every M&M!

A few more M&Ms did the trick for the face paint (which he actually loved).

After his very first house (we hadn't gotten the hat back on post car ride, but please note the Tootsie Roll Pop he scored...)

Sucker open...hat on! Candy for the win! He worked that thing over the entire time he was trick or treating and completely forgot the hat was on.

And marched right up for more candy! It was an amazing night.

But, back to pregnancy...Overall, I feel pretty good! My energy is coming back and the "hangover" has cooled off to, maybe, once a week. I have even been able to start doing push ups on my toes again at Bar Method (this is my bench mark for fitness these days).

We have started the process of the major first trimester screening (blood draw and NT ultrasound) so in the coming weeks we should have some great new pictures of Baby #2. And, fingers crossed, maybe a hint at the sex! 

Ok, picture time. It's funny, the past two weeks it seemed this little belly was popping. Then, this week, it went away! Oddly enough, the same thing happened last time. I think, in reality, my rib cage area is just filling out to be even with the rest of my waist. It is actually my favorite stage (other than a nice round kicking/punching baby bump) and once again, my favorite picture so far! 

I am having some issues deciding what to do with these pictures. Since Noah, Instagram was invented, and now the ability to mess with my photos is, seemingly, endless! 

The original. Next week I'll clean up the surrounding area a bit! Also, notice how there is a plant on one side and not on the other? That would be because Mr. Noah thought pulling it down on top of his head would be a fun way to end an evening! Not.Cool.

Instagramed...I think it makes me look a bit like an Oompa Loompa. Plus, if I commit to this filter, all of them have to be this way, right? #firstworldproblems

Less Oompa..a little more natural...

Toying with the notion of Black and Whites this time around. I kind of like the idea of not having to be crazy annoyed with bad light or bad make up days.

Any thoughts/opinions? The good news is I will always have the originals to go back to so I can't really screw it up. Wow, this is long...so long until week 12!

*We are all caught up now so I will be doing weekly pregnancy updates and hopefully some other fun posts here and there. Being back in the swing of it, I realized how much I really liked documenting out life here! 

Cashew Retchless: Week 10

I am still debating doing the same fields that I did for my pregnancy with Noah. I recently put together Noah's book from my pregnancy (just a couple of years late!) and I realized that it got a little redundant and boring. So, for now, I am going to stick with random ramblings on how I feel and what this little baby is up to.

10 weeks and starting to expand. Scott will take over weekly pictures from here on (and hopefully Noah will be able to live without his mom for a few seconds!).

From afar...

Overall, I am starting to feel much better physically. The daily hangover now seems to be a once every 3-4 days occurrence and my energy seems to be coming back. My emotions are another story. With Noah, I was a complete lunatic the first three months. Poor Scott couldn't say anything without my pregnancy horns coming out and tears streaming down my face. This time around I have felt pretty even keil. If anything, I have felt more out of it than anything. I have become a bit klutsy and just kind of zone out from time to time. In the past week though the tears are threatening a resurgence and I seem to be growing more sensitive. Hopefully all short lived as we are closing in  on the second trimester.

In other news, Diet Coke is pretty much my favorite thing these days. If I am feeling "off" or having a slow day, my lunch time Diet Coke seriously makes everything better. I could drink 10 a day but I am sticking to one. However, while my non-alcoholic friend is wonderful, I could sure go for a GIANT glass of Cabernet. With Noah I craved a crisp Sauv Blanc, this time, red. Maybe it's the opposite seasons?

One thing I find myself thinking about a lot is Noah snuggles. When we flew home from St. Louis he was all over my lap and curled up watching shows. While I know we have a long way before my belly gets in the way of the best snuggler ever, I am already trying to soak up as much time with him as possible. One thing I am having to change already is the assaults to my abdomen that Noah gives me daily. He is constantly jumping, flopping, or flinging himself at me and we are having to have a few chats about where Baby is and how he can't jump on my belly.

Is it normal to already be getting up in the middle of the night to pee? The answer is yes, but I don't remember this happening until much later in my pregnancy last time. I think it also has something to do with the fact I drink most of my water at night since I have a hard time keeping up with hydration and a two year old.

Ultimately, I already feel like this pregnancy is flying. Maybe it's because we aren't being as protective with the news or it could have something to do with the aforementioned two year old. All of my attention is focused on Noah and I don't have much time to sit and day dream about what is going on in my uterus. Plus, already having everything we need for this baby makes it all a lot less stressful.

Speaking of sharing the news...we saw the doctor again this past week and feel immensely better. It is amazing what a difference 3 weeks made in this baby's development. It went from a smudge to a wiggling little person with a super strong heartbeat. Our uneasiness after our last visit is quickly vanishing and the excitement is really starting to set in!

Looking good at 10 weeks!

Until next time...

Macaroni Retchless: Week 7

Written October 3

I am kind of all over the place with posts and keeping track of weeks. We aren't exactly sure when Baby was "made" so we are at the mercy of ultrasound measuring to date this little smudge.

We have had two ultrasounds thus far and apparently, so far, so good. Scott and I have both said we are just on edge about this pregnancy for some reason. With Noah, we were both on cloud nine, ready to shout it from the rooftops...but with this baby, we are feeling a little protective and nervous. This is pretty silly given that I had a completely healthy pregnancy with Noah and we got to see the heartbeat yesterday at the doctor. You would think we would be playing it cool this second time around, but unfortunately, we are just a bit edgy. Hopefully this will pass as Baby continues to grow and we continue to see good things at the doctor.

Doesn't look like much, but this smudge has a heartbeat!

Speaking of making this baby grow, I am doing everything I can to make sure it grows into a healthy little person. My doctor is a big fan of vitamins/supplements so I take what feels like a pharmacy of pills every night before bed. 

At least 7 per night. Plus two in the morning.

 As far as how I am feeling, you can find me curled up in the fetal position on the couch from about 5-7 daily. Let's talk about how inconvenient this is when you have an almost 2 year old running around! I still haven't actually been sick, but I feel like complete crap and the smell of food cooking is pretty awful. Once again, really fun this comes at dinner time for Noah! Baby #2 is already proving to be a very different pregnancy as I feel worse, but can't give in as much as I did with Noah. Being a mom is a full time job and there are no sick days. That said, I am pretty excited to be going to St. Louis for two weeks where my mom can take care of both of us ;-).

Other symptoms...how to say this delicately. I am backed up. Like more than I feel like is humanly possible. I have taken about 3 million Metamucil caplets which I am convinced work the opposite way they are supposed to.

I mentioned in one of my earlier posts that I was going to drag the Snoogle back out. Well, it has made a permanent home in our bed and I couldn't be happier. I don't need it right now, but I just sure do love it! I might not give it up after Baby makes an appearance. I have fondly started calling my side of the bed, "my nest". It is like a little fortress of pillows that makes for some amazing sleep. 

Other than all that fun, I feel pretty good. I am sleeping well and have a lot of energy when I am not convinced Baby is trying to kill me from the inside!

Lentil Retchless: Week 6

The smudge. We thought we were 7 weeks along...turned out it was more like 5!

Some notes about this week:

• Riding carousels is just not an option. I took Noah to Happy Hollow and when we boarded the carousel, the announcement made mention of pregnant women. I kind of laughed it off...it's a carousel, not a roller coaster. While Baby Lentil wasn't in any danger, I have never experienced motion sickness so quickly in my life. I had to take my sunglasses off and find a point to fix my eyes on. 
• Tired. Sleep and I are in a relationship best described as "it's complicated". I am officially feeling completely spent at least 3 times/day. The problem is, if I nap, I can't sleep at night, and if I don't nap, I am completely exhausted all afternoon and get a second wind around 9:30pm! So, I fall asleep around 11 and sometimes wake up around 5am. So, in summary, I feel like a narcoleptic insomniac (still). 
• I am also feeling the effects of how hard my body is working to grow a baby while I am trying to push, tuck, squeeze, etc. at Bar Method. My muscles are fatiguing much quicker and I just generally feel like I don't have quite enough energy for class. This is extremely frustrating because it makes me feel lazy or like I am not trying hard enough, but the reality is, my body is just busy doing other things. I remember this from my first trimester with Noah and look forward to getting my energy back in trimester #2. 
• I get the dreaded "hangover" feeling I had with Noah around 5pm and it lasts for about an hour or two. During this time, I swear off cooking, eating, or moving (which isn't an option with Noah running around). Then, once it passes, I am ready to cook dinner which usually means we eat dinner around 8:30pm. Poor Scott!
• So far I have been losing weight despite my less than stellar diet choices. I attribute this 100% to the fact that Baby Lentil has forced me to give up the wine glass. 
• Wine. Sigh. I miss it. As I realized last pregnancy, I really enjoy wine and would call it one of my favorite hobbies. Just knowing day trips to Napa filled with Gloria, crisp sauv blanc, and yummy cabs are out until May is slightly disheartening. All for a good reason though!
• I missed sushi for about a day. I'm sure I'll crave it again, but right now all I want is cheesy pasta and pizza. I forced myself to buy a ton of fruit at the store to keep my hand out of the animal crackers!

Well, all for now. I think I'll lay horizontally for awhile and if I fall asleep, so be it!