Creativity or lack there of .......

I unlike my mother do not have the crafty gene.  I can not draw or color let alone design a room.  I remember all these years ago when my mom made my sisters room so unique and different.  B and I decided on a dresser, changing table and rocker.  Thanks to a dear friend we got them for an absolute steal!!! My dilemma is that we still don't know if bean is a bull or a heifer, making it difficult to finish the nursery.

The pieces we have chosen are cream and perfect for gender neutral themes.  I already feel bad if bean is a girl, there will be no princess pink themed garb here.  Ultimately I have to find a way to tie in cream, brown, light oak, white and green.  Fortunately for me the perfect solution is a cow skin rug under the crib.

See how wonderful it is????? If you don't its fine I won't take offense because it is not a typical nursery theme.  I personally just have a love for cows, and I have always wanted an awesome rug.   Another piece of info that might be helpful in visualizing the space, there are currently two large bass, a set of horns, a HUGE tackle box and fishing rods in the room.  My goal is for bean to be a boy and to have an awesome Bass Pro Shop type room!  I'm excited just thinking about it.


I have the idea, however putting it all together is not my forte.  Meaning that one lucky family member will be assisting in production while I eat cupcakes.  See picture to the right -------->
That would just be so awesome, no boy would be ashamed of that room.  Bean if you are a girl, the room idea will most likely be the same.

Off topic I would like to publicly apologize to B for suffering through two hours of Pregnant in America.  While it was informative, it was boring and way too long.  Because said boring movie was so long we didn't even watch Hart of Dixie last night, that is B's favorite show, do not judge!  Continuing off topic, I feel great, no more sickness.  Still slightly tired and no appetite but I will take that over all day sickness.  Enjoy the week everyone......

Black Friday

My original plan was to attempt the crowds and get some baby stuff.  My actually plan ended up being sleep.  I woke up at nine and my first thought was " oh shit I missed black friday" my second thought " I guess I can go back to sleep".  So once again black friday wins and I loose.

Thanksgiving is over and now the countdown to Christmas begins.  I will not be making turkey, maybe a ham or pizza? Something I will actually eat.  After spending countless hours pre-planning thanksgiving I managed to forget to bake the rolls, over cook the turkey( partially because B insisted there was crispy skin), and only offer myself dessert.  Even with the mishaps we had a wonderful day.  Next year the boys are requesting more liquor, that should be interesting.  I managed to send most of my left-overs out the door, no turkey hash here!

We have 26 days until we find out what kind of bean is growing, I get more impatient every day.  Bean is now slightly bigger than a lime.  Our next appointment isn't for two more weeks :(  My newest obsession is cloth diapers, I am constantly biding on them, buying them or attempting to get them from other moms.  Also on my to do list is furniture and other storage for Beans things.  Even though I have time it seems like June will be here before I know it.

Still no weight gain even with the cookies and cakes! Pre-prego jeans fit somedays still.  Craving sweets and more sweets.

Parenting102

Earlier this week I posted about parenting, actually I believe it was yesterday but anywho.  On our way home from dinner I asked B if he had given any more thought as to how he would like to parent.  Typical male response " no I haven't thought about it".  I calmly replied with " ok, let me give you an example"...( honest I did respond like that, no bitchy mean dig either).  My example went like this " a mom is having trouble with her son who keeps biting.  He bites for fun and when reprimanded he laughs and bites more.  This said mom can not stop her son from biting, she has tried every approach in the book.  Said mom walks in on son and dad playing, dad is biting son.   Whether it is in play or the dads idea of showing the kid I'm not sure, but the message is clear: One parent is the rule breaker and one is the rule setter." After the brief story B somewhat understood what point I was trying to make and agreed to go to the nice mommy school if I liked it.

I think that is one of my biggest fears about parenting.  I want to be the cool mom but have the Bean understand that I am a parent too.  These days it seems like one parent tries to keep order and the other is just another rule breaking kid.  Is it too much to ask for the parents to be on the same page? I can already see the Bean being grounded me saying no to an activity and B saying sure go ahead and go.  His discipline or lack there of works well for him but not for structuring a home.  This is something we must work on.

On a lighter note, Thanksgiving is tomorrow and everything is made but the stinkin turkey! I thought that being pregnant on thanksgiving was going to be awesome and I would actually eat.  I was wrong, I feel like I have been eating it though osmosis.  I just want sweets.  Every night I complain that I want a cake. B does not give into these preggo rants and says too bad.  I ate a sleeve of cookies yesterday! I also have more desserts for tomorrow than sides.  Awesome for me, sucks for the boys.  Everyone have a safe and happy holiday.

Parenting 101

So since joining the Crunchy Moms Group, I have been invited to parenting seminars.  One I think this is awesome, two I will be honest and say I need it.  For those that know me in a day to day setting I do not have a role model mouth.  Dear Aunt Nancy has never heard so many fowl words before.  While I don't try to be be down right nasty, I have a habit of speaking my mind.  For everyones sake hopefully this class will teach me to be nice. 


As so as I became pregnant I started thinking about parenting and how I was going to go about being strict with boundaries yet have a home full of love.  B is the care free relaxed one who never gets upset.  He never yells and has more patience than anyone I know.  To this day I have only heard him say the F word a handful of times.  I on the other hand would have already said F*** before thinking of a word to replace it.  I have an awful mouth, a temper and little to zero patience even when I'm really trying.  I'm really not the soft and fuzzy mom that I want to be, so time to go to mommy school.  


B and I were generally raised the same.  We both have work ethic, responsible, contributing members to society ect.  So the foundation of what we want our child to be is the same, the way we get there is different.  Back to the differences of the first and second child for a moment.  As the first child I was independent, focused on excelling, I wanted to do it right the first time every time.  Leading to frustration because not everything is perfect the first time around... I get it now! B on the other hand had no rules, was loved and encouraged to have fun as a kid. So even in relaxed parenting, successful children are raised.  Two people, two paths, same outcome.  I want the second path for Bean. 


As I mentioned before I am the mom who would use the phrase " what the F happened" before I could calmly ask Bean why something happened.  For B and the Bean, I want to be better.  I want to change my mean judging side into a calm understanding one.  In mommy school I will be learning attachment parenting.....The essence of Attachment Parenting is about forming and nurturing strong connections between parents and their children. Attachment Parenting challenges us as parents to treat our children with kindness, respect and dignity, and to model in our interactions with them the way we'd like them to interact with others.


Hopefully this will help and I will learn some great things.  The more I read and the more I learn I really want to parent with love rather than authority and anger.  Granted Bean is not here yet and I have no idea what my job entails and Mom.  Check back when Bean is here I know myself and I'm sure that the F word will always be handy.  I do apologize in advance Bean, I do want to be nice and gentle, and I am working on it.  Be patient and I promise I will be the best mommy I can be. 

Belly Flips

Call me crazy but I think I felt Bean last night.  All the critics will say there is no way and it was gas.  I know my body and I know what gas pains are, not what I felt.  If I wasn't driving it would have stopped me in my tracks.  It felt like I went up a big hill and came back down real quick.  Right below my belly-button there was this quick somersault feeling and then it was over.  I felt it once more and then it was gone.  It was the most surreal feeling.  I wish there was a way to describe it better, to emphasize how unique and special of a feeling it was.  I can't wait to feel it more often.  

Results of the baking soda test came back girl.  While the test means nothing and is merely a wives tale it was a fun experiment to try.  I am so impatient to find out what we are having.  I have been dreaming that Bean is a girl as well.  Less than month until we find out! 

Happy early Thanksgiving to everyone. I have tons of prep work to do here at our house as well as cooking, cleaning, and storing my own energy.  Technically its already Bean's second holiday.  This week I am also meeting up with another mommy, building my cloth diaper empire as well as celebrating my little sisters 18th birthday.  What a busy busy week, and then black friday! 

Kumquat

So baby is now the size of one of these, which seems so big compared to the ultrasound picture but who am I to judge. The good news is that he/she keeps growing! 

How far along? Depending on what app I use I am between 10 and 11 weeks

Total weight gain/loss: maybe gained 1/2 a pound but its hard to say

Maternity clothes?: wore pre-preg clothes all this week!

Stretch marks? none

Sleep: very difficult, my right arm has been going numb easily making sleeping on my side difficult 

Best moment this week: going to mommy group

Miss Anything?: my old boobs, these new ones are heavy 

Movement: to early still, although my lower belly gets tight in certain spots 

Food cravings: carbs, sugar, salt 

Anything making you queasy or sick: most things 

Gender: not yet

Labor Signs: Negative

Symptoms: nauseous, sore boobs, rounding belly 

Belly Button in or out? in!

Wedding rings on or off?: none

Happy or Moody most of the time: happier this week 

Looking forward to: being able to want to eat again, second trimester, gender scan( far away still) 

Mommy Group

So after five weeks of trying I finally made it to a mommy meeting.  I am so glad I went! It was so nice to be able to talk freely about home birth, cloth diapering and getting our significant others on board.  I met a young mom who brought her 5 week old son, he was so adorable and didn't make a peep the whole six hours we stayed.  Yes, I said six hours! Its supposed to be from 10am to noon, I arrived home at almost 4pm.  I forgot how much I missed being able to converse with other women.

 I was able to see first hand how the cloth diapers work, see the different types in person and hear feed back about what works best.   I am so excited to start getting them! To all baby shower participants we will not be having diapers unless they are cloth and from specific retailers.  Sorry to be a B but its a special bum we are talking about and cancer filled gels will be no where Bean.  Instead of eating dinner I watched an hour of cloth diapering videos on youtube, boring to some fascinating to others.  For less than $500 we could diaper our baby until preschool with the same set of diapers, no size n to 3 here!  Studies also show that cloth diapered babies potty train faster, yes a perk that is awesome.

The uproar in vaccinating kids was more intense than I expected.  Granted there are benefits to vaccinating, breast fed babies get all the protectants they need straight from the boob.  While I still have plenty of time to research all infant vaccines I will strongly decline any that contain aborted fetal cells.  Most vaccines have other baby cells in them, to host the strain of virus.  The medical society if benefiting from the loss of these children, its disgusting.

I also need to start looking for a pediatrician because most refuse to take home birth babies.  Really????? What is different about my baby than a hospital baby? It's still a baby is it not?  Ridiculous, I know I could never give birth in a hospital, I am entirely too combative and would call them on there money hungry ways.  I get fired up just thinking about insurance and hospitals taking advantage of women and using the line " its best for you baby" to get a pay out.

Gender update: Yes we have it scheduled for December 20th.  Yes you all will have to wait until Christmas morning to find out! Sorry loves its just the way it has to be.  Baby Girl you still don't have a name :( hopefully you have boy parts instead.

Picture Time: Before anyone laughs, yes I have ballooned this week, and yes I say the every week but check out my new and improved speed-hill.  

Nothing New

This week there has been no new material that has to do with me or baby.  We are in the blob stage, yes I'm pregnant, yes the baby is growing but no one can tell! Baby Bean no longer has a tail, which is great because that would just be plain ugly.  I have been better about exercising, however today I will not be walking due to a thunderstorm.  I have been taking my folic acid but mostly forgetting to drink my tea.  I still weigh the same but my fat pooch is growing.  Ace and Coon still push my buttons daily to remind me they WON"T be forgotten when Bean comes.  I did the dishes this morning which completely wore me out.  At least I feel like I accomplished one thing today.  I should be getting ready for mommy group, but that requires me to get dressed.  I set out a wheat blueberry bagel to eat for breakfast when all I want is a big mac.  I justify eating a bowl of oreo frozen yogurt because its yogurt and I added a banana.  Baby Bean still has no name and B is still gaining weight.  Thats all folks.

Gender Bender

Since agreeing to find out the sex of the baby it has driven me insane, more so than I already am.  More than anything B and I want a healthy baby no matter what.  With that being said, we really would be blessed with a boy. Six weeks just seems too long to wait to find out for sure. So.......... I have been doing all kinds of crazy old wives tales, quizzes off the internet, baking soda test ect.  Half say boy half say girl.  Good to know since it was already 50% chance either way.

My fear is that it will be a girl and I will feel disappointment, since we have looked forward to a boy. I don't mean to sound ungrateful, I would just rather have a boy.  Girls seem like such a difficult task, to raise a feminist that is independent or to have a girly princess? Neither really fit with me :(  The next problem i have is names, for those of you who think its too early just zip your lips! We have picked a boy name that I love, we refer to my belly by only that name.  I have always had a favorite girl name but sadly does not flow with Morris.  Maybe thats part of the reason I am put off by having a girl, because dear Etta will never be an Etta.  If it is a girl I hope that a name we both agree on falls into our laps because I'm tired of searching.  I want a name I love and am proud of, not just a name I like.

Baby needs a name and a gender asap! Not just for mommy's sanity but also to give the bean and identity.  I firmly believe the bonding process starts in the womb, the sooner the better.  Anyone that has name suggestions please send them my way.  If its a name that still allows me to call her Etta as a nick-mane, you will win hands down!

Pregnant Friday Nights

Friday nights have forever changed at our house.  We used to go out drinking with friends, bar hop until 2,  drive out to the beach and not have a care in the world.  Now they consist of indecisive dinner plans, birthing videos and early bed times.  Baby Bean isn't even here yet and its been close to a month since we went out for a date! Granted I should be taking much of the blame seeing as I am the one who can't get off the couch, BUT.......... I still want to have fun!  Sexy has now been replaced with sweatpants and sweatshirt.  Cuddling is a thing of the past, " don't touch me while I sleep".   Instead of sweet perfume we have flatulence contests to see who is more repulsive, gross I know.

How far along? 9 weeks and some days 

Total weight gain/loss: zero for me 10-15 for B

Maternity clothes?: Yes, have not got dressed to leave the house though 

Stretch marks? none yet

Sleep: nap throughout the day, night sleeping is more difficult 

Best moment this week: Technically this was last week but hearing Bean's heartbeat 

Miss Anything?: sushi 

Movement: gas bubbles 

Food cravings: none this week

Anything making you queasy or sick: everything food related 

Gender: scan at the end of december

Labor Signs: Negative

Symptoms: Rounding belly, gas, nausea still, sore boobs 

Belly Button in or out? in!

Happy or Moody most of the time: constant form of cranky I think, Sorry Dear 

Looking forward to: The second trimester, I want my old self back 

Baby's first portrait

Last night B and I got to see Baby Bean! Its crazy to be able to love something so small and precious.  Two weeks ago we saw Baby Bean, yesterday we heard Baby bean.  As a person who hides feelings, I was caught off guard to feel tears forming every time I heard the heartbeat.  There is truly no words to describe how amazing and wonderful it is to see the heart flicker on the screen.  

The appointment went well, baby is measuring on track, and has a healthy strong heartbeat.  Mommy is doing great with the exception that I need to eat more spinach and dark leafy veggies.  Daddy also got told he has to clean up after Coon, due to the possibility of toxoplasmosis.  Personally I think some people over exaggerate things, I was a technician for crying out loud! I have been exposed to everything from bats with rabies, sarcoptic mange, and plenty of parasites.... I will be ok!

We return in 4 weeks for another check up.  No more baby scans until 20 weeks, what a bummer.  B asked why we had to go if they won't even show us the baby? See even though he plays tough guy he looks forward to seeing our baby just as much as I do.  At our next visit I will have my blood pressure taken, fetal doppler to hear baby and measurements of my tummy.  Over all we had a great visit and are thrilled to know that the baby is growing rapidly and is healthy!

Baby Bean at 9 weeks!

The little baby above is the culprit for all the bloating and nausea

The speedhill is now a speedslope :(

Walking

I read constantly about pregnancy and how to prepare myself for the best delivery, so when the common denominator was walking I thought no problem.  Boy was I wrong.  I always liked to walk, walking is relaxing without being overly tiring.  Since becoming pregnant walking has not been so easy.  B and I have walked a few times here and there but not consistently. Everyday I tell myself to get off my rear and do one lap around the block ( 3/4 of a mile) it rarely happens.  Yesterday I thought I would kick my sickness in the butt by walking.
Trip 1: I got all prepared, changed out of pj's into workout pants, got the ear phones so I could listen to pandora, and had breakfast.  Not even to the end of my driveway and I'm feeling tired.  I make it all the way around and talk my weary self into going around once more.  Two laps total a mile and a half, not to bad if I could do it everyday twice a day.  The second lap was a little more difficult, fighting the urge to hurl at each step, sweaty profusely, and dying of thirst.  I made it though! I was so impressed with my earlier performance that I thought I would do it again.

Trip 2: After Dr. Phill, I told B that I was going to walk two more laps before he got home since I was feeling good and it was about to get dark.  What started out as an easy 30 minute walk turned into over an hour of torture.  After my first lap, I ran into my neighbor who is very sweet but talks forever and has a very unruly bulldog.  After running into them going one way I was determined to steer clear the second lap ( my mistake).  I took a left at the end of the road not a right, not a big deal except only certain roads come back to our house.  Instead on turning around and going home after walking down the road I took another dreaded left.  Now an additional mile from home I have ended up in the ghetto and its getting darker.  This second left leads me out to a main road, similar to a highway in the country at 6 o'clock rush hour.  I walk a ways on the highway and make a right at the next subdivision.  Stupid considering this street does not go to my house either.  Bammm back at the highway just closer to home this time.  By now I have been walking for an hour, blisters have started forming on my feet and its dark.  I finally make it to a street where I know I can get home, yay! approximately one more mile and I will be home.  B finally calls and asks where I am since he has been home for quite some time and I am no where to be found.  Beyond exhausted I arrive home.  What may have been a fun walk before I was pregnant, is now a joke and would not have been attempted had I used my brain when making a left or right choice in the beginning.

To reward my 6 mile walk I thought frozen yogurt would be a great idea, tastes like ice cream but only a hundred calories.  I talk B into taking us to the store, even bribing him with the idea that I would pay.  We get to the store which turns into a shopping trip, yogurt, foil, water, frozen pizza, ect.  In the same parking lot as the store there is a dairy-queen, B suggests a blizzard and food since the dinner we had an hour ago has worn off.  I say to him that I will eat a blizzard too.  Yes we did just buy yogurt, pizza and snacks but none of those compare to DQ.  You know your pregnant when you make a late night food run, get what you need and still order fast food.  I ordered my small blizzard, B ordered a blizzard and a chilli-cheese dog(yuck). I ate half of my blizzard and was finished, B devoured his whole meal and was still hungry..... Who is eating for two now? In conclusion B in now going to be called Tempelton, and I will remain at zero weight gain!

Confessions

This past week I confess I only drank my prenatal tea twice.  I confess I have eaten nothing with nutritional value.  I confess saturday I ate garlic bread and a tray of cookies.  I confess I nap on and off all day. I confess I have not been walking.  I confess I am spoiled rotten.  I confess my mood swings are out of my control.  I could go on and on but will stop there.

I was absolutely spoiled this weekend.  Thanks to B we went shopping, got pedicures and saw a movie.  He really is the best! Thanks to him all my maternity shopping is done! I now have a dozen tops, pants, shorts, and dress pants. I am in the process of purging some older clothes to make room in my over stuffed closet.

So far this week I have mommy class, day with the cousins and a baby appointment.  The rest will most likely consist of sleeping and attempting to eat.

Stat update
Weight-132
Bust-bigger
Waist- another inch bigger
Belly-continues to grow
I will provide inch measures when I find the tape measure
Food that tastes good- bread, cookies
Food that tastes bad- everything
Symptoms- tiredness, nausea, thirsty
Clothes- grey shorts, big tee shirts

8 Weeks and 1 day

Friday I succumbed to my growing belly and purchased maternity pants.  Not only was this emotional in itself the clerk had to mention that I was showing quite a bit.  Thanks b****, like I don't know my pants don't fit.  Any-who, I sacrificed my mental state for comfort.  The items were on sale, free gift baggie and the store was empty so I guess it worked out.  My second appointment is in just four short days!

Last night while at a bbq with friends I got asked the usual questions: how am I feeling?, am I puking?, and then one I wasn't prepared for was who my doctor is.  I replied confidently that I had a wonderful midwife and did not need a doctor.  That caused quite the stir, I was not anticipating such negativity.  It is my choice after all.  Are all women this ignorant? Woman have been having babies for millions of years!!!!!! While those of you that may disagree with my decision it is not your place to give input, quietly refrain or stop asking questions.  At the end of the conversation I knew that in my heart I believed and trusted in the natural birthing process.  While I may have been offended at there comments, I never wavered in my decision.  I continued to throw fact after fact about why my choice worked for me.  

On the topic of natural birth B and I spent friday night watching the documentary of "The business of being born" a great example of how birth should be.  It also gave B and insight on why I want a home birth as well as the less is more approach.  Amazon has gotten my allowance this week, as I eagerly await a butt-load of books!

The holiday season is getting closer and closer, my list of things to do keeps growing.  I am impatiently waiting until next month to start working on christmas gifts for close friends and family.  I have cards to get, pictures to take and gifts to make( literally).


 Belly is growing soooooo fast

Very round belly from the front

Pecking Order

Fo those that have read previous posts, I have one dog and one cat.  They are both equally attached to each other, play like brothers, fight like brothers ect.  Ace, the dog, my pseudo first born acts like the first child.  For those that don't believe me here are some examples: he is an over achiever always doing what I ask, he is the leader, like things in order, like to boss others around.  Since we brought Coon home, pseudo son number two Ace has been acting up.  Ace now shows jealousy, acts out for attention and tries assisting B and I with punishing Coon for misbehavior.  I wish I could have caught it on tape when B was reprimanding Coon, and Ace was reprimanding B for being mean to his poor brother Coon.  

Coon, the cat is everything thing that resembles a second child.  The "Baby" that gets away with everything, has no rules, and the spoiled one.  This works for Coon and causes pouting by Ace.  I try to keep Coon in line and expect the same from him that I do from Ace.  FYI - it never works. Coon continues behaviors "just because", he knows he is bad but continues to do it out of spite, much like a second child who pushed boundaries.  

In my mind I have a choice to make that could disrupt our already difunctional pecking order. 

Current Order:

Coon

Ace 

B and I 

It should not be this way, but it is.  Coon rules the roost, he is the baby, the one with no rules.  Ace depicts what everyone does through-out the house, if its not the way he likes it barking and circling ensue.  Lastly B and I are on the bottom, we should be on top, we let them live here, feed them, clean up after them. But our one problem is we can't stay on top for more than a day, the manipulate situations to show there dominance and whoosh back to the bottom we fall.  

The biggest problem I have with this is where will Baby Bean fit in? Before anyone thinks I'm crazy it is a very serious question.  With B and I of course we will be on top, we are the parents, with the pets it will be different.  The cat who has no rules will ultimately turn into the middle child, Ace will remain at my side continuing to build jealousy but wanting to remain in my good graces he will behave.  And lastly the baby will be the baby the third child but first human one, who will be wrapped around our fingers the second we lay eyes on him/her.  

Stay tuned for my post about how to be an effective fair parent.  ( this is a joke in itself as I have never been a parent, but 5 years from now I will be able to laugh at what I thought would make a great parent)

Sexy Speed-Hill

Current dilemma....I can no longer wear the majority of my clothes.  Last night after B got home he mentioned to me that I had developed a "speed-hill" technically not a bump but no longer flat.  Ouch, boy do I feel fat.  I still have yet to gain one stinkin pound yet my mid section is growing daily.

Today I spent hours searching for pants that I could actually button over said speed-hill.  No luck as the only parts that seem to be growing are my ass and belly.  I would give my left arm just to feel free in jeans instead of bursting at the seams.  In addition to my growing belly my top seems to grow daily as well making tops too snug for comfort.

In conclusion I have added a picture to show my updated wardrobe that could cause the "What not to wear" crew to show up at any minute.  Granted these shorts are not spandex or skin tight but do elicit the same response: "Never leave the house in these".  However in my current I don't give a rats ass state of mind I will be wearing them where ever in the hell I choose.  One they are comfortable, two they cover all parts of my caboose, three this is the only pair of bottoms I can wear from my closet.  No judgment in the picture below, I actually did wear a decent top today, making the bottoms all that more repulsive.  Sorry Dear I will be meeting you for lunch in this outfit as well :)


Notice speed-hill in picture.  Thats what 8 weeks looks like folks.  Bloated, puffy and as attractive as an ant hill.

It is far too early to even consider maternity clothes, yet my entire closet is too small.  This in-between period sucks.  Kind of like when I was a kid and was in between sizes.

Day 53 and counting

First off I should apologize for my lack in posting, second- todays post will be less positive and more or a bitch session.  When getting pregnant everyone is so excited, happy and tells you all the great wonderful things that happen.  Where is the devil to sit on my shoulder and tell me reality? Yes I am still over the moon excited and could not be happier to have this baby, but the acne, morning sickness, and fatigue can leave at any time.  Lets address these issues in more detail......

Acne, WTH? I didn't even have acne as a teen.  I have always had good skin, oily and sensitive but good.  I get pregnant and whammo- red blotchy bumps all over (not even the freckles can hide these babies).  With sensitive skin comes a routine that can not be disrupted, my previous system is no match for my current face.  Straight crap if you ask me, I am now washing this face three times daily, applying same acne medication and night cream to fight the bumps.  Apparently my efforts are not making a difference, B reminds me daily, thanks dear.  Maybe the acne will go away in the blessed 4-7 month window that everyone raves about.  

Morning sickness or in my case all day sickness.  Technically I still have not actually thrown anything up, that might actually cause some relief.  There are many tricks that I have read about or been told, saltines, sprite, ginger ale, small frequent meals.  Let me just give two cents, when feeling like s*** the last thing I want to do is make small meals all day, soda is not my friend (causes  even more bloating and gas), and saltines taste like cardboard.  I suppose I could be more diligent in trying to relive this constant nausea expect one more thing is lacking..... ENERGY!

Fatigue- getting eight hours of sleep a night is simply not enough.  I feel like a cat some days, I sleep get a drink, eat, sleep repeat equally 16hrs of sleeping give or take.  I feel like I run a marathon just from walking to the kitchen.  Increased blood volume= increased dizziness and shortness of breath.  I wake up and muscles I didn't know I had are sore.  Today my abs or lack there of feel like I participated in a sit up competition over night.  In an ideal world I would have energy to continue walking and staying active, but this is reality........

Food- When nothing sounds good and I have not nourished myself or baby I should be allowed to eat whatever I can stomach.  I try my hardest to eat fruits and veggies, whole grains, limited sugar ect.  Sometimes I just need to cheat and have grease without being reprimanded for it.  My logic may be irrational due to raging hormones but at then end of the day bad food is better than no food.  If I didn't have to eat to sustain life I would opt out until week 14.  There are too many restrictions, do's don'ts  and judgements for what I put in my mouth.  

Fluids- Water, water and more water.  My midwife advised that I increase my 3liters of water to a gallon.  She has to know that I live in the bathroom with the amount of trips that are taken daily so why not add a few more.  In addition to water I now drink organic pregnancy tea.  This stuff tastes like hot pickle juice, awful.  To indulge my rebellious side I brew my tea in a malibu bucket, it tastes better that way.  The gallon of water couple with 64oz of tea = permanently fixed to the "Lou".  

On a positive note I am excited to see our Bean in a week.  We actually have baby stuff in the house now.  The baby room is somewhat ready for a make over.  Bean got his/her first present last week from Grammie, adorable halloween socks.  Aunt Jim and Uncle Judy supplied a beautiful bassinet, swing and jumper-roo thingy.  Daddy and I are eagerly planning christmas presents for everyone.  Daddy has become increasingly excited since I caved and agreed to find out the gender.  Its time to start planning a special way to tell everyone.  Until next time, adios