Thursday, August 30, 2012

7 Weeks

7 weeks

Sorry it's so dark. Not sorry for the cuteness that is the Goose.
Maybe/Maybe not sorry for the TV babysitting going on while I get ready for work.


How far along? 7 weeks

Total weight gain? Still no weight info.

Maternity clothes? Nope. Pants are getting tight on this bloat. I'll have to start considering pulling out the maternity clothes. I had mostly summer clothes, so I'm thinking I'm going to have to be making more purchases than I'd like for a second time around-er.

Best moment this week? The Goose did amazing in his bed transition. It was as though nothing had changed. M said he had a bit of trouble with naptime one day, but that's it. In fact, it's only been an improvement (he went back to sleeping a little later). He never ceases to amaze me. I cannot be grateful enough.

Symptoms? Sore boobs kicked in, but nothing serious. Also picked up a bit of nausea, but again, nothing that doesn't go away. Tired, but no more than before. I find the more I do, the more energy I have. If I succumb to the exhaustion, I can't find a way out. Overall, very happy and no complaints.

Cravings? Still on an american cheese kick. I definitely crave not so healthy foods all the time, but I'm trying my best to balance my cravings with what I know I should be eating. I think I'm doing better this time than with my last pregnancy. I gave into every craving right away. This time around I want to be a lot more focused on nutrition. Trust me, I'm not talking about a diet. I'm talking about focusing on great, healthy foods. Something I should do all the time. I don't know how well I'll do (I'm not setting super high expectations, I know myself), but I think if I always at least keep it in mind, I will do better than last time.

Sleep? Glorious

Milestones/What's going on with Baby? The little has doubled in size since last week - amazing. Some form of feet and hands are showing up. The brain is growing (duh) and the liver is making red blood cells for the makings of bone marrow. He/She is the size of a blueberry - watch out!

What are you most looking forward to this week? We go on Tuesday for the level one sonogram. This is exciting for a few reasons, besides the obvious  - we *with every prayer I have* get to see the little Goose#2 and the heartbeat. First, I wasn't sure I'd get a level one sono when going to a midwife. I know many people who didn't. She gave me the option and it's covered so, no brainer. Two, the sonogram takes place in the hospital/birthing center where I'll be set to deliver at. Obviously it's early on, but it will be great to creep around and check the place out in person. Three, this will totally put everyone's reservations at ease over me using a midwife. My paren'ts and M were worried about what kind of care I'd get with a midwife vs an OB. They all seem relieved that the care, so far, seems the same. In my mind, whatever it takes to make them feel more at ease makes me happy. I know this is all different to them and they have their doubts. It boggles my mind why this train of thought exists for us today, but I understand. And I just want to open everyone's eyes and fully trust my midwife the way I do. So a win-win on all accounts.
Also on the agenda this week: getting my first full sit down with the midwife, getting all the nitty gritty of what she'll expect and what I can expect and all that good stuff. My first meeting with her was just a "let's see if this fits" type deal. Now we're on to focusing on this baby and this pregnancy. I couldn't be more excited. Although I hope there's no bloodwork. I hate needles and they suck. I'm a giant baby about it.

Planning: Car Party

I promised it, and look at me! Coming through on a promised post.

I wen't back and forth on whether to do a music-themed or a car-themed party. Cars won out because he just doesn't seem to get tired of them. He especially loves the little and medium sized metal cars we pick up at the local pharmacies. Anytime we go to a park or the beach he's always trying to swipe other kids' cars. Kid has a musical inclination and loves to dance and sing, but he's simply obsessed with cars, wheels, trains and any moving object, really. Cars it is.

I'll try to move this along (less words, more pictures) and show you my "Pinspiration", and what I'm specifically planning. Like last year's party, I'm sure I won't get to all my planned ideas, but I'm hoping to get at least most of them. I've kept the colors to navy blue and orange, though I'll also be using a lot of kraft paper and burlap, so I'm hoping to go for a bit of a vintage feel with pops of navy and orange (the Goose's colors, at least in our house). We'll decorate with streamers, balloons, lanterns and some fabric pennants. Let's get the planning started...


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How simple but "statement" making is this? Black plastic tablecloth roll taped to the floors with yellow duct tape lane lines? A must, the roll and duct tape is already ordered. And what's a big road without a car? I've been saving medium-large boxes and plan on making some cute cars for the kids to throw on and "drive" around in.



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Love those Rice Krispie traffic signs. I thought at first of doing these, but then thought they might be cute as graham crackers with nutella/frosting - a few less steps than making rice krispie treats.



 
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Adorable. Simple. Done. I also hope to make chocolate covered pretzels for "dipsticks".



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Easy. PB&J or whatever assortment. Maybe grilled cheese too. Have the cookie cutter, along with two or three more car shapes.


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These are too cute. These are a must as well. Pulled pork/chicken in hero/sub rolls - easy to make in a crock pot and a few minutes cutting the bread. I think I'll try to also do something similar with hot dogs for the kids, along with homemade chicken nuggests (no theme there). We'll also have adult food that won't be car themed (think 6ft hero or sandwich/wrap party platter)


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I love the idea of setting up a "Feuling Station". Drink dispensers, jugs, juices, water bottles. However it's done, it's cute.


We'll definitely have cupcakes and a small birthday cake, along with my famous chocolate chip cookies wrapped in cute kraft baggies. Of course, there are so many more adorable ideas out there, but I was trying to limit myself to what I think I could easily handle. I'll be making almost all the food, and some of the snacks. The decorating will probably be done a little before the day of, but mostly the setup and decorating will be done the day of. Being that I'm a procrastinator and am usually CLEANING the day of the party, I have to mentally force myself to clean in the days before (even though I'll be working), and also do some prep. I cannot procrastinate. I CANNOT procrastinate. The real kicker at this point is the invitations. Haven't picked them out or made them yet. I'm leaning towards making them, mostly because of time contstraints. We're looking at a little over a month away.

We'll hand out favor bags with snacks, crayons, bubbles and small wooden cars for each kid to decorate. And we'll probably plan for some low key activities, if any at all. I'm thinking red light green light 123, maybe set up a craft table?

So that's about it. I'm sure this will evolve into something a little different as time goes by.

PS: Did I mention that we'll also be doing a small party section and hosting some folks for our city's annual Irish Day...the very same day? Yes, we've decided to have our son's b-day party on a day when our friends (and sometimes us) and other adults normally get drunk and debaucherous and take over our town. We figured that way our friends without kids won't feel obligated to stay for the kiddie events, but they'll atleast have more of a reason to stop by, other than out of obligation. None of my friends have kids, or are even married. So while they love the Goose to pieces, I won't torture them by making them stay at my house for the length of a kiddie party. And if they do, they will at least have some Irish Car bombs to keep them company. Entertaining the crowds in two different way folks. We party hard, x's 2.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Commuter Chronicles: Newly Pregnant Edition

Stuffed subway cars with a killer sense of smell: bad. Very, VERY bad. I don't remember this from last time. Probably because I was newly pregnant in the winter last time round. I can normally withstand various bodily odors from the hot, sweaty summertime crowds (not without complaining, as proved in my previous posts). But today's ride downtown to catch my train home, it just about had me loosing my lunch. Luckily, it's only the first time. Hopefully it's also the last.

Friday, August 24, 2012

6 weeks

6 Weeks 

How far along? 6weeks 1 day - already posting these late, yikes!

Total weight gain? Still no weight info.

Maternity clothes? No, but the bloat is out of control. I could very well be paranoid, but I think people are literally checking out my gut.

Best moment this week? figuring out the midwife situation. I met with the midwife covered by my insurance, because no matter how things played out, I'd have to see her for at least my first trimester until we decided to switch insurance (if that's what we decided). It turns out, I loved her. Her bad reviews were all based off of personality and aspects of her protocol - both of which are a fit for me (she's deep, deep into the holistic stuff. It was clear the reviewers did not appreciate this). I cannot put into words what a sense of relief and excitement it is to meet with someone who sees things exactly as I do. It's as though I was speaking a foreign language to M, my parents, and doctors about my birth the last time around, and I've finally found someone who speaks the same language as me. I literally cried. M thought I was crazy, but I've never expected him to completely understand how important a natural birth (and a natural lifestyle in general) is to me, so I wasn't shocked at his reaction. It's like finally being able to breath. Dare I say I'm looking forward to this birth??? Quite dramatic, but totally true. Luckily, M is totally on board, and I feel that everyday he understands more and more.

Symptoms? falling asleep at 9:00 at night is different, but definitely a symptom I'm enjoying.

Cravings? Anything with american cheese. Grilled cheese, preferably. But everything else I'm eating is pretty healthy and somehow the last thing I want is chocolate or any type of "treat". Also craving seafood, but obviously taking it easy there. It doesn't help that M just picked up a fishing habit and comes home with fresh fish regularly.

Sleep? Glorious

Milestones/What's going on with Baby? The nose, mouth and ears are taking shape, as are the intenstines and what will eventually become his/her lungs. Little one is about the size of a lentil bean. Gotta love those fruit/food comparisons!

What are you most looking forward to this week? The Goose is beyond ready for a big bed. We've been noticing that he's slowly looking more and more uncomfortable in his crib. He tosses and turns looking for a comfy spot. Our observations point to the hard  crib mattress. He's always looking for softer things to lay on - blankets and stuffed animals. Seriuosly, kid has become a stuffed animal bedtime hoarder. And I'm not crazy about him being surrounded by stuffed animals in his sleep. Overall, his sleep is starting to suffer: he's always trying to get in our bed (which he's slept in all of one time for a nap, ever), he's waking up an hour earlier but not making up the time, and he just seems a little tired all day. I honestly don't know how the transition will go. He thoroughly enjoys putting himself to sleep, but he's always loved his crib. I hope the new bed doesn't mess with his great sleeping habits more than his discomfort in the crib does now. He's always transitioned to new situations very well, so I'm hoping this will go mostly okay. We'll be buying it tomorrow (Saturday), so hopefully, if there's a bad transition it will only take one night (one can dream right?). That way, if we have to suffer on no sleep, it will be a Sunday. Back to work on Monday! We're skipping the whole toddler bed and going straight to a twin bed. We don't have a need for more than necessary in this bungalow, and we often buy things that will be used for a longer time, rather than for certain phases.


I promise I'm putting together a post for the Goose's birthday...it's coming, it's coming!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

iPhone Disaster

I nearly lost EVERY SINGLE picture that I had ever taken on any of my phones over the last 5 years. Nearly. Thank God! Joe from Arizona, working in the 5th Ave Apple store - I love you.
Maybe a cellphone-pic-hoarder dump in the near future???

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Sharing a little & Week 5

We've told my parents and my MIL. We've also told my brother, and M's sister and BIL. We've held off on telling M's father because the last time around he told the ENTIRE family as soon as he hung up the phone with us, and we know he'd do the exact same thing again. He'll be mad, but we don't want to risk it. We might tell friends or other family if we feel it's right or we have to (many people take notice when a lush isn't drinking at a party), but otherwise this is it for now.

I realize I forgot to mention this kiddles estimated due date. From my own timing calculations, we're looking at April 17th/18th as the due date, but my guestimate says this one will come about a week or more late. The babies in our family like to cook themselves up nice and good - no one's ever come early or on time. No one. In fact my mother was due with my brother on May 18th, only to be told a third of the way through her pregnancy that she was, in fact, due on April 18th - they had miscalculated. Guess when he was born? MAY 31st!!!! That's 6 weeks of thinking you're going to go into labor at any moment. I would have wished death upon my doctor if that had ever happened to me. Thank God medical technology has improved. Even if you look at her reality, he was 11 days late. I was 9. Luckily, she pushed us both out in under 3 hours, from very first labor contraction to baby, naturally. My.Dream.

I debated whether or not to do a "weekly check in", or just keep it to monthly. I know I don't post here a lot. And I realize that, for the very small amount of people reading this blog (if any), to go from a very few posts having to do with house stuff, or pictures, or very light topics, to then going to a weekly post only related to pregnancy, well it may just be too much. But then I realized that I wanted to see the changes week to week - for myself. When considering just doing monthly check ins, I thought to myself that I would end up wanting to do one/do one anyway elsewhere. And what's the point of this blog if I'm not going to post it all anyway? So weekly check ins, it is.

5 Weeks



How far along? 5weeks

Total weight gain? Still no weight info.

Maternity clothes? Nope, my pooch is still proving to be helpful in hiding the bloat - which there is plenty of.

Best moment this week? telling our parents.

Symptoms? Other than the bloat (dear lord, the bloat), a little tired.

Cravings? Broccoli and cheese. Weird, but half healthy so I'll take it.

Sleep? Sleep has improved dramatically. Pretty much back to normal.

Milestones/What's going on with Baby? Little one's heart and circulatory system is developing and they're now the size of an orange seed. Still pretty small, little one.

What are you most looking forward to this week? Setting up doctor appointments. I'm having some difficulties because I'd like to see a midwife this time around. Nothing totally against my previous OB, I just want a different "experience" this time around. Being that I wasn't high risk last time and had a vaginal birth, I think this move should work out. The problem is nailing down my midwife, plus I'm being told I need authorization from my PCP to go to a midwife and he's giving me pushback on it. There's a practice I'm dying to go to that delivers at the birthing center closest to us (there are two other hospitals, but I really want the birthing center), but they aren't covered by my insurance. There's only one midwife covered that delivers there, and she doesn't have the best reviews. So we're going to see if I can get authorization to go to an out of network midwife given I don't have any choices, really. Plus with M's insurance, we can switch once a year with no penalty during the month of October. If we choose to do that, we have to make sure everything will be a smooth transition, plus I'll have to get some type of prenatal care before then since I'll be on my way out of the first trimester by October. A lot of bases to cover, it's overwhelming.

I'll need to update you soon the Goose's birthday plans. I feel like it was not too long ago I was posting pics from his 1st birthday. I know I procrastinate, but really, a year later already????

Friday, August 10, 2012

The Deets

So I promised that I'd be sharing everything over here as it happened - in real time. I know in part of my mind, I feel like I could be "jinxing" things. But this is real life, and I'm so happy. If something bad were to happen,I'd always still want to remember this feeling of happiness. What better way to remember it than to have it documented.
Scarily enough, we haven't told anyone yet - ANYONE. As in, not even my mom who would kill me if she knew I put this out into the interwebs before she knew. She's going to kill me, as it is, that I didn't pick up the phone and dial her the second that pee stick showed two lines. But, this is just how I'm doing it this time around. I'm positive that I don't want to share this on a grander scale with people we know IRL until we've hit the second trimester. We'll probably share with close family and some closer friends before that, but overall, the news won't get out to the crowds until we're good and ready.

So here's some of the details...

You already know that we've been trying, for longer than I'd hoped or thought we'd be. So it's no surprise that my patience got the best of me and I started testing about 4 days too early, only to be faced with negative tests. Also, all other signs from my temperature monitoring were pointing to another busted cycle. So I convinced myself I wasn't, and started mentally preparing for another month of waiting. And then a morning or two later I woke up and my temperatures fell right back in line with those that normally point to a pregnancy, so I took a test. And it looked negative. I just put my mindset back into "not pregnant" mode.
And then the very next morning, my tempeture was still in line with a pregnancy, so I took another test. And there it was. The second line. My heart raced and I started to tear up. This was it. The moment I had been waiting and wishing for.

The phrase that pops into mind is "I coudln't believe it". But that's not true. I could -- I can. I'll never forget the complete and utter shock I felt the first time around, when I found out I was pregnant with the Goose. I literally started shaking and could not get my mind to focus. It was so unreal.
This time. It's so different. It's as though it was meant to be. And as corny as it sounds, I know it's true. I don't feel shocked, because I've wanted it more that I can remember wanting almost anything, ever. It's as though all is right with the world. I couldn't be more at peace, yet so excited and in awe. We are so blessed and I cannot express that enough.
M is already over the moon. Of course there's all the logistics of the next 8-12 months or so, given that we currently have nowhere to put this baby, and of course he's still in hypothetical career limbo. But we will figure it out. Because life happens. And we embrace the chaos. We want to build a family, and logistics, in the end, don't matter. Life and love matter and babies and children and more of them all is what it's about. We'll figure out the rest. (Of course, we're not stupid. We can financially manage all of this. It will take some creativity and hard work - but we're on top of our ish, people).

So so kick it all off, here's my very first weekly check in...

4 weeks - Month One


A few items to pretend you don't notice:
1-The curtains that were yanked off the wall by the cat. M has since fixed the brackets
2-If you look out that window - why yes, that is how close our neighbors house is
3-You'll notice the "pooch" I speak of below that is always there. Don't judge.
How far along? As of this post, 4w1d. We found out "officially" on 3w6d (13dpo for those in the "charting" know. If you read correctly above, there's still hope for a 12dpo BFN, ladies!)

Total weight gain? That would assume that I know my weight. I do not own a scale. My guess is around 155.

Maternity clothes? Umm, no. Although I should mention that I've been unable to lose my pooch from when I was pregnant with the Goose. So many people probably have been curious for quite some time whether I was pregnant or not. Finally, this works in my favor.

Best moment this week? Do I even have to say it? We're pregnant!

Symptoms? I have to say, nearly none so far. Slightly crampy, but nothing major and pretty normal for what would have been a period. I didn't have any this early on the first time around either. The only thing that stood out was my sense of smell going into overdrive. Oddly, it was what kept my sliver of hope going again this time around. And then just today I smelled the ink on the printer cartridge at work - EXACTLY like last time. That all said, it's because I'm thinking about it.

Cravings? Grilled cheese, but again, that isn't too atypical for me in general.

Sleep? This is the one area where, in the very very beginning, I suffer. I think it's mostly b/c my brain just won't shut off from all the excitement, but I typically can't fall asleep until after midnight and wake up before 5:00am. But I do pretty okay on little sleep so no complaints here. At least not yet.

Milestones/What's going on with Baby? Baby's not even a baby yet. The little miracle is just the size of a poppy seed.

Girl or Boy? I'll just say it now - we're going to be Team Green. We were last time until our ultrasound tech ruined the surprise and told us. This time around, I think it's going to be harder not finding out the gender of the baby beforehand now that we've experience a pregnancy that way, but I'm dying to have that whole "It's a Boy/Girl!" moment at birth. I love when people don't find out what they're having. It makes the birth of the baby that much more exciting, at least to me.

What are you most looking forward to this week? Probably telling my mom. Part of me wants to wait, but she's my best friend. I think it will be that much more real if I tell her. It's hard to keep this excitement bottled up between two people! Other than that, just being pregnant!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Are you ready?

It took more than 8 long months, a lot of prayers and wishes, a select few tears, and some loving on M, but we finally made a miracle...

It's hopefully going to be a long road, and I'm literally in heaven and can't shake the perma-smile on my face.
We're so blessed!
I'll update tomorrow with more details

Friday, August 3, 2012

Fill in the Blank Friday

Jumping back on this bandwagon. Kind of loving these blanks. They're deep, man. Join the fun and head over to  Lauren's place - The Little Things We Do. Before I leave you with the fillin' fun, let it be said that my lack of a wisdom tooth is still causing me a world full of pain. It's not infected, so my only assumption left to make is that I do not in fact, contrary to my lifelong belief, have a high tolerance for pain. That can be the only answer. Because I am told by every person I meet that I should not be in pain anymore. Thoughts? Am I wuss or could this be legit? In fairness, I did have a pretty gnarly extraction, but is this normal?
Okay, on to the fun...




1.  I am proud of   M. He’s been through a very emotional rollercoaster, not to mention physically, as well. He’s the best husband and father and is always so selfless. It’s been especially tough on him lately and I’m just so proud to be his wife  .

2.   This weekend I will   Maybe see some family and looking forward to seeing some friends I haven’t seen in a while    .

3.  A secret dream I have is    but that I also don’t really think I would totally enjoy as real life, is to have a large troop of kids and live on a farm in the middle of nowhere. It’s a non-realistic dream, because I’m such a city girl and would most likely not last more than one day. But doesn’t that just sound so sweet?
4. I can't handle    drama. I know everyone says that, typically people who actually live in a world of drama, but I truly mean it. I like to live my life very low key, and have quickly lost touch with people who involve themselves in drama. There’s nothing exciting about confrontations and I’d rather back down and walk away knowing I was right, but not having to prove it. I’m very private and try to stay out of others’ business as well.

5. The most annoying thing in the entire world is   ignorance. What is the purpose of thinking you know it all or that your way of thinking is the best and only way?

6. The most relaxing thing in the entire world is   
taking a nap midday. I’ve probably taken about three since I was pregnant (I slept all the damn time). I just can’t manage to fall asleep midday, but on the rare occasion that I have, I remember thinking it was the most peaceful feeling. My latest was with the Goose on a day visit to LBI shore and I literally teared up at how lovely and peaceful the moment was.
7.  I think everyone should   aim to live more simply. I’m no expert, by far, but it just seems like everything today is so out of control – the electronics, the gadgets, the toys, the processed foods, the STUFF. I know we’d be lost without modern advancement, but all this greed and STUFF is driving me crazy!



Have a great weekend folks!
PS - how is it August?
PPS - I am not pregnant...that I know of yet. Just thought I'd update.