We are focusing on contentment in the Crozier household because, well, we have a whole lot to be thankful for. This topic has come up a lot lately surrounding conversations about our home. Although we would LOVE to sell it and get into something bigger with a yard for a family of four, we have made the decision that we will continue to call our lovely abode home for the next while. Define "while?" Well, I wish I could. We sort of assuming we are on a 3 year plan at this point, but who knows? Hopefully we will be pleasantly surprised with the means to make a move sooner than that but for sure we aren't planning to make any housing changes until Graham is done with school.
And so, in the spirit of thankfulness, I would like to share with some some of the many wonderful things about our place:
1) The square footage is limited. Though some might view this as a negative, I am growing more and more grateful for the reduced surface area I am and will be required to clean as I prepare to be an even busier mother of 2 with a husband who is gone most days of the week. 2) I don't have to mow the yard. And neither does Graham. We have landscapers who do that!!! And it's a good thing too because I'm pretty sure we'd have grass up to our ears if this wasn't the case. 3) I have a master bathroom to call my own. Many of the popular craftsman Seattle houses aren't so fortunate. 4) We currently have no next door neighbors. This means we can be as loud as we want (not like we ever are really that loud) but more importantly, we don't have loud neighbors banging on our one potentially shared wall. 5) I have space for a small patio garden. And let's be honest: could I really keep up with the full blown garden of my dreams at this point in my life? I think not. All I really need are some fresh herbs and some flowers to cheer me anyway. 6) I live in Kirkland!!!! I love this city. 7) I have green walls. And that makes me very happy. 8) There are some great walking trails and parks within a 5-10 minute's drive. 9) One of my favorite walking buddies lives 5 minutes away. 10) I could walk to Trader Joe's if I wanted to. I can also walk to Safeway, Albertson's, the dry cleaner, Starbucks, Dairy Queen, Blockbuster etc. And there is a swimming beach an easy 15 minute run away. 11) We can afford to pay our mortgage!! Enough said?
(photo taken 3/24/11 although I was technically 17 weeks on the 23th...)
Never let the pregnant lady go grocery shopping is the moral of the story. On this space I shall confess what I purchased this week: a whopping total of 6 pounds of strawberries (on two separate trips), 2 miniature watermelons (YESSSSS!!! It's almost watermelon season!! Almost.), a pineapple, a couple peaches, a few plums, pounds and pounds of apples, 4 pounds of oranges, too many grapefruits to carry, 3 pounds of grapes and 2 bunches of bananas. Am I forgetting anything? Oh yeah, a bag of frozen strawberries (ya know, just in case I ran out of the fresh ones) and a bag of blackberries. Wow. I'm only now realizing how crazy that might seem. But, I am loving, LOVING fresh and frozen fruit! It hits the spot right now where dessert is lacking. And hey, I could be buying worse things. Like popsicles, bags of candy, stuffed pretzel snacks and ice cream like the pregnant lady behind me was.
I think I can say with confidence now that I'm feeling the baby move!!!! I don't know why I'm so hesitant to say this (probably because I hate being wrong) but, it's pretty hard to deny now: there has been a LOT of action in this belly of mine. And I don't really think I can blame it all on ligaments and gas anymore. I have had quite a few hard pangs in my abdominal region that literally make me jump. I have a hard time believing that a baby this size could possibly be kicking that hard already but what else would it be? Ladies and gentleman, I'm scared. If this child is already moving this much, I'm afraid I am going to have yet another busy child on my hands. Only time will tell!
We've started throwing around some name ideas which makes this all feel more real. And for all inquiring minds, we won't be finding out the gender at our ultrasound appointment on April 14th nor will we be sharing our tops names (right Graham?) Believe it or not, we actually have a couple that we actually agree on!!! We have a running mental list which I'm sure won't be finalized until D-day. Graham does not want to look at any baby name books; he wants the name to "just come to us." All I can say is that I'm glad I work with babies primarily because I'm pretty sure that's how any new name ideas will "come to me" as I don't really dream up new ones automatically. :)
I am loving this no-nausea thing! I am also really loving strawberry lemonade. I had it once and now I crave it all the time! Maybe because it soothes my very-much-missed sweet tooth.
I was greeted this week with much belly-itching. I remember itching in my 3rd trimester when I was pregnant with Isla but not this early on! I hope that doesn't mean I'm going to be absolutely huge. I've been using Palmers Belly Cream (even if just for the placebo effect) to try and soothe the itching but it doesn't really make it go away. After my whole stomach turned into one giant, itching, red rash, I called my OB office and got permission to use some Benedryl cream. Sweet relief! I was feeling like such a monkey, standing there scratching my belly all the time.
Pregnancy insomnia is also now a recent addition to my life. I'm waking up every couple hours most nights which is not my favorite but so far it's tolerable. Sometimes using the restroom helps and then I fall right back asleep. Other times, I lay there wide awake for hours. I've started wondering at what point I just get up and read or "accomplish something" until I can fall back asleep. I switched out my pillow for a firmer one since I'm now attempting to sleep on my side. I usually prop myself up with 2 pillows and read a bit before I hit the sack and have found that I'm actually falling asleep on my back (in a propped up position) which I've never found comfy before!
Because of my low-ish hematocrit, I took the liberty of eating red meat 4 (or was it 5?) days in a row this week. Delish! If I keep this up, there's no chance I could be anemic. :)
Isla has had somewhat of a rough month but she continues to bring us joy and laughter every day.
She has started giving us "love pats" which are gentle pats on the back, usually in combination with a hug. I started it as a sly way to get her to stop and give me a hug without realizing what she was doing because she has not been much of a hugger or cuddler to begin with! Lately though, she's started running over to me (and others) and giving them a big hug while saying "Hi!!!" in her cheeriest of voices. It's so wonderful to see her begin to initiate!
One of my favorite things that Isla has started doing is saying "whoa, whoa" in a playful, dizzy sort of way. She likes to say it while spinning herself in circles, when she almost trips and falls, and (embarrassingly) when I slam on the brakes in the car or take a corner a little too sharp.
We added a lovely ducky potty to our decor in the guest bath. Isla sits on it daily, sometimes with clothes and sometimes with a naked bum. We're not pushing anything yet, but just getting her used to the idea. There was one time where she actually went potty but unfortunately it was after she stood up! I think it was just coincidence though as she hasn't done anything similar since.
Isla hit one of what I'm sure will be many eating jags this month. For a bit there, she wanted pretty much bread and bread alone, with maybe a few berries thrown in there. It was really hard for me but I did my best not to make a big deal out of it and continued to offer her what we ate and if she chose not to eat it, the meal ended. If ever she saw bread though, she would start saying "Be, be, be" in her most pleading voice. But now this week we've had about 5 straight good days of eating again. Persistence pays off!
Isla's vocabulary is ever-expanding. New words that I can think of right now include: ice, potty, side (outside), light, wall, teeth, rice, mail, trash, help, bubble, clock, happy, no, pop (as in the sound, NOT the beverage!), read, down, papa (Grandpa), Oliver (sounds surprisingly similar to owl), Clover, wipe (she pronounces it "weep"), cheek, nose, eyes and ear. She now actually says Cheerio too instead of the former "che-che." The words we hear the very most are "help" (because we are teaching her to ask for help instead of whining) and "uh oh."
Isla loves to read. She will bring us book after book after book until we finally tell her that we're "all done." Sometimes if I am sitting on the floor, she will grab a book and back herself into my lap and say "read." I love it! She also really likes doing puzzles and has become quite good at it. Other favorite activities include wiping things (with wipes, napkins, TP, kitchen rags or paper towels) and caring for her baby. The other day she pulled an extra wire oven rack out of one of my cupboards and laid her baby on it, grabbed a diaper and proceeded to "change" her. Why on an oven rack, I'm not sure. She also had a pot and spoon nearby. I'm not sure if she was planning to feed baby or cook baby....
Isla has more or less mastered most of her animal sounds. She knows the cow says moo, the kitty meow, the dog woof woof, the lion roar and the monkey eee-eee. My favorite though is her sheep sound. Ask her what the sheep says and she replies "bah bah" in the most monotone voice instead of "baaaaaa baaaaa."
Isla loves to be sung to and is even starting to sing a bit herself. Her favorite songs are Jesus Loves Me, the ABCs, and Happy Birthday (she sings "Happy Day!")
Poor Isla spent 2 weeks of the last month sick. She spiked pretty high fevers and was pretty miserable at times but also remarkably cheerful all things considered. Poor girl had such a runny, stuffy nose and her eyes watered constantly for days so tears would just fall when she wasn't actually crying (almost like she has allergies!) I just had to get a picture so we'd remember....
As of March 2nd, our house became binky-free, as I mentioned in a prior post. I'd like to say the transition went well but I can't say so with confidence. Honestly, I have no clue what is responsible for what anymore but Isla basically quit napping this month (right after we established such a beautiful 2-4 hour afternoon nap only a month ago!!) She'll cry for over an hour, fighting, fighting, fighting sleep. The result has been an extraordinarily cranky and sensitive kiddo who cries at a drop of a hat and has utter and complete sobbing meltdowns/tantrums in the late afternoon because she is so tired. I don't know whether she's still adjusting to self-soothing without the binky, whether her teeth are hurting, or whether it was this rough bout of illness that threw everything off. All I can say is pray, pray, PRAY we get a nap routine in place again soon for my her sake and ours! We are totally at a loss. Thankfully (!!!) nighttime is going ok. She continues to sleep solid from 6:30 PM to 7:30 or so AM!
I found Isla's 2nd molar (upper left) cutting through on March 6th and then a third molar (bottom right) on March 20th. The girl may not have front teeth but at least she will have molars!!!
It's been a beautiful week here in the northwest! The sunshine has warmed my heart and body, reminding me why I continue to live in this city that can make me rather gloomy during the long fall and winter months. Picnic season has started for us, a few things are popping up in my garden and Isla is loving tromping around in her adorable lady bug boots. Happy Spring!
Please oh please can you bless me with a good sleeper in baby #2? I know you promise to not give us more than we can handle and you apparently believe I can handle A LOT of crying and A LOT of sleep battles. I feel like I'm about at my max. If it looks like I'm "handling" it fine, I might just be faking it. A good sleeper would be so lovely! Please?
This past Thursday-Saturday, Graham and I enjoyed a luxurious getaway in celebration of our 4th wedding anniversary. It was the longest amount of time we've spent ALONE together since Isla arrived and I'm happy to report, we still really like each other!! This much-needed mini-staycation came in the middle of a particularly hard season both with school and parenting challenges and so we were thrilled to get away. Given all this, I had very high expectations for the trip (which is always very dangerous for me) but I was not disappointed. Not one bit.
We caught the Anacortes ferry to Friday Harbor for our first night. We spent the drive listening to a parenting book on CD, "Love and Logic" for toddlers (wow, we sure know how to get the romance going don't we!!?) It seriously was awesome though. We are rarely home at the same time so it was our one chance to listen to the book together and discuss strategies. It sparked great conversation and we sort of have our plan of attack, so to speak, for the next month or two.
Our hotel is the highest building in the picture, up on the bluff overlooking the harbor and ferry dock.
Lovely bed
I spent a great deal of time reading which was particularly enjoyable in front of the fire!
The view from our room
We spent the, may I mention, SUNNY (!!!!!) afternoon wandering the shops in town before our dinner reservations at our hotel's restaurant, The Bluff. We had an incredible soup to start: Blue Moon hubbard squash soup with beet chips and rosemary cream. Both of us are desperate to attempt a recreation of it as it was more brothy and savory (very complex flavors!) than a lot of squash soups. Next we had a salad of warm spinach and brussel sprout leaves with pancetta, berries, hazelnuts, fresh housemade cheese and a sherry vinaigrette. The salad was definitely lacking in the salt department but at least we got some veggies in us! For my main course, I had a bone-in pork chop along with sweet potato and yukon gratin, balsamic figs, mustard cream and a cider gastrique. Graham had the cider-braised short rib with parsnip mash, and Honeycrisp apple and fennel slaw. We like to compete when we eat over who orders the best entree. My meal definitely "won." The package we'd booked came with a $50 dining credit. We most definitely spent more than $50 for our meal but somehow they still didn't charge us. This was only the beginning of our string of good deals.
The next morning was a bit more overcast (but not rain!) so we ate our hotel's complimentary breakfast and caught an early ferry back to the "mainland."
We took a spontaneous detour to La Conner because the pregnant one got a severe craving for either clam chowder in a bread bowl or fish and chips. And she wanted to eat them by the water. My dear hubby happily obliged. We ended up at this adorable little place, The Calico Cupboard, where I indulged in chowder and homemade bread. Graham even splurged and bought a berry lemonade to share because he saw me eyeing it on a neighboring table. I blame the hormones but I totally teared up because it is so unlike him to spend $$ on stuff like this when we don't have a coupon! Awe, true love.
It was at this point that I decided I needed to find some cute mason jars juice cups to pull out come summer. They just making drinking so much more fun!
The 2nd night of our getaway was a "surprise" except for the fact that Graham left his email open a few days prior. Trust me, I don't read his email but I just happened to glance at the wrong time and see a confirmation from the Woodmark in Kirkland. I put on my most surprised look when we pulled into the hotel but I don't think he bought it. Our friend Amy is a manager at the hotel and must have gone to all ends to get her staff to absolutely spoil us. When we walked up to the front desk, we were greeted with "Oh it's the famous Croziers!" by some nice man we'd never met. "Ummmm. Yes? I guess?" We were given the key to our room, a water view SUITE on the 3rd floor! And look at the goodies that were awaiting us in our room: chocolate-covered strawberries*, sparkling cider (for the preggo), a stuffed dog "Woody" for Isla, a hand soap and lotion set, a porcelain to-go mug and lid, cupcakes* and A FRAMED WEDDING PICTURE OF US!!!! We have yet to figure out how on earth they got that picture!!
The suite felt bigger than our house and had a least 5 bay windows overlooking the water. Graham was pretty excited about the room. Sorry Amy. I promise he only jumped on the bed once. :)
Our living area
I couldn't get a good picture of the bathroom because it was so huge but this is the view of the water from our bed. The whole ordeal was divine.
But get this: it gets even better! So we head downstairs to Bin on the Lake for dinner (with the buy one entree, get one free coupon that Amy had left for us in hand). As we are deliberating over the menu, our waiter comes up to tell us that, not to make our decision any harder, but that we must order a starter as Amy had instructed them to provide one on the house for our anniversary. Sweet! We chose the corzetti (handmade coin pasta with winter squash, sage brown butter, almonds and ricotta) which was rich and wonderful. Next we ordered and salad Rogue blue, almonds, pancetta, winter squash, brioche and balsamic. Our waiter insisted on some champagne "to help us celebrate." He brought us bubbly even after I told him I was pregnant and then whispered than mine was non-alcoholic. He was probably one of the best servers I've ever had. He sold us hard on the filet mignon. I figured that since I'm borderline anemic and all, I should have the beef. :) This time both of us ordered the same thing (I think Graham was secretly worried I'd "win" again if he didn't order the same thing as me). It was probably one of the best pieces of beef I have ever had. Oh yummy yum!
After our leisurely meal, our waiter returned to offer us dessert. We declined, telling him we had cupcakes* waiting in our room but did they have any ice cream* we could take up to the room to make them a la mode? He said they didn't have ice cream at the restaurant but what kind would I like? They would make sure they got us some. WHAT?! Really?! By this point, I started to wonder if I actually was famous and didn't know it or something. Who does this kind of thing? We were told just to be sure we put our room number on our bill and "someone" would be up to deliver it to our room shortly. We headed back to our room (only to be stopped at the front desk so they could offer us still more champagne) and it was only 20 minutes later when our waiter of all people knocked at the door with a pint of ice cream!! It was so nuts. I felt like royalty. Amy must have given her entire staff a pep talk before we arrived, telling them to make sure we got whatever we wanted. Wow, wow, wow!
We had another lovely, sunny day on Saturday including coffee and reading at Zokas, followed by some maternity shopping attempts downtown Seattle and closing with Piroshky Piroshky down at Pike Place. We met up with my parents for dinner in Marysville to retrieve Isla and closed out the evening by watching our wedding DVD at home.
A huge THANKS to my parents for watching Isla and to Amy for making our weekend incredible. And now, thanks to my readers for still reading (if there are any of you left....)
*For those of you who may be wondering why dessert was consumed on this little getaway, Graham and I pre-agreed that we would have a brief Lent sabbatical during our anniversary celebrations. :)
It's been a bumpy week (no pun intended!) here at the Crozier's but things are definitely looking up! Pregnancy-wise, things have been quite good. I have had a nasty little cold all week that sent me to bed for a couple of days but I'm feeling much better now!
I had an appointment last Monday and got to hear the heartbeat. Well, sort of. Turns out, the babe was kicking up a complete storm and causing tons of interference which was awesome. In the 30 or so seconds that he listened, "WHAM!!!" the baby kicked about 7 or 8 times. My doctor said that this "is definitely a very active baby." He was convinced he even felt one of the kicks but I'm not so sure. I've been trying desperately to feel him/her all week and I think I may be starting to feel some action. Lying in bed or on the couch sick for a couple of days gave me lots of time to focus on movement. I can't wait for it to be more obvious though!
I had some more blood work done and am happy to report my increased thyroid meds have normalize my hormones. My TSH is now down to 1.71 and my Free T4 is more or less stable at 1.5. They checked a hematocrit also since I said I'd been tired (Ha!!! Isn't that normal in pregnancy!!??) and it was 35.2 which they said is fine but I know to be borderline low. At my hospital, we educate patients on high iron food sources for anemia when their Hct drops below 35 so I'm gonna have to get me a steak! Fine by me. Red meat sounds great right now.
I had a coworker tell me this week that she thinks my baby is a boy since I "look tired and haggard." Apparently that's what boys do to you? Make you tired and haggard. Awesome. I had a cold and was running super low on sleep at that point so I'm chalking the whole comment up to that (oh yeah and maybe also to a cultural miscommunication!) :)
Otherwise, we're just chugging right along. I'm still waking up daily with bad headaches but Tylenol seems to do the trick. I just feel bad because I think I have literally taken it every day for at least a month now. My nausea is GONE though which is such great news.
It's probably important to note that Lent started this week. I don't usually give things up for Lent but this year Graham and I both felt called to choose something for the other to give up. The idea is that when one creates a void by giving something they love up, then they fill it with something else. And the intent is that that "something else" would be God be that in the form of prayer, devotions etc. I tried to convince Graham to choose wine for me (since I'm already not drinking that) but he didn't buy it. At first, he picked ice cream and I was devastated. Then he realized that I'd probably just start binging on brownies and cake and stuff so changed it to all desserts. I seriously thought I would die but so far, so good. This was really needed for me I think. My hubby knows me well!
Oh and lastly, I rearranged some furniture in Isla's room and am happy to report that we can fit both kiddos in there! That's a relief.
It's been a rough, rough week in the Crozier household. So much crying! And no, I haven't been the mass producer of the tears! It's funny though because I was just boasting to Graham on Tuesday "Do you realize we are almost at the end of the quarter and I haven't even had my usual 'I-can't-do-this-anymore' school-related breakdown?" Ha. And then of course it happened. The breakdown. There definitely was a really good reason that set me off initially (the details of which I won't go into on this public space but basically may affect how the rest of grad school plays out for us) and then it seemed all down hill from there.
For some reason, yet to be determined, we decided to also pull the cork, so to speak, and take away all of Isla's binkies last Wednesday. It needed to happen but this might not have been the best time. Did I mention that she's cutting two molars AND seemed to be suffering from a minor cold? Or that we'd just finally gotten her back into a beautiful sleep routine? Graham reassured me that "there's never going to be a good time" and so we forged ahead. I'm proud to say that she hasn't sucked on a piece of plastic since! But, she also is waking hours earlier (including some overnight crying) and basically hasn't napped at all for a week and spends almost the entire time sobbing in her crib which has been so hard on me. At this point, she never asks for the binky so I think we're experiencing more teething symptoms than binky withdrawal as she more or less is acting like they never existed.
Graham has been SO busy this week, finishing up numerous papers and projects before the quarter's end on Saturday. Last Saturday, he disappeared at about 9:30 AM and I didn't really see him until the next morning. He spent the entire day writing a long research paper that he successfully submitted 18 minutes before the midnight deadline. He's such a trooper! And the rest of his days he's either working or off finishing other school stuff so I'm sorta flying solo with an extraordinarily cranky kiddo who is crying at the drop of the hat.
Phew, but I didn't intend this to be a sob story. Actually, I more wanted it to shed light on some of the strange ways I'm coping. And some of the little joys I'm finding along the way. Like the closet for instance. It definitely wasn't on today's agenda to pull out the tool box and create the organized bliss pictured above. But oh boy does it make me happy! I've been opening that closet for far too long only to be met with feelings of panic related to the piles of shoes lying in disarray before me. It looks so much better now! Oh and then the day before yesterday, I was overcome with stress due to the cease-less crying coming from the wee one so I did what any sane mother would do: I sanitized and scrubbed the inside of the kitchen trash can. Some may call this nesting, others....OCD??
Anyway, there have been a few precious and memorable moments this week that I continue to savor as we push ahead to make it to Saturday. The Lord continues to bless and sustain us in the midst of our weariness. Last Thursday night, after an especially hard day, my dear brother and sister-in-law came over to watch Isla so Graham and I could run away to The Barking Frog in Woodinville for a much-needed date night and dine around Seattle deal. I ate the best meal I can recall in quite some time: Truffled Celeriac Soup, Wild Boar Ravioli (it came as one giant ravioli!) and Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Ice Cream. Then on Saturday morning (before Graham's paper-writing marathon), we went out to The Brown Bag Cafe as a family for breakfast and it felt so wonderful to all be together sharing a meal. Graham came home Saturday night to work on his paper which allowed me the freedom to get out of the house. I felt a sudden "need" to shop and so donated Target a few of my dollars by purchasing some adorable clearance clothes for Isla. She doesn't have a lot that fits her right now and I haven't really gotten to shop much for her since we've been blessed with so many hand-me-downs. It was really fun to go buy some girly stuff! I even splurged and bought some belly cream for me and some natural sunscreen for Isla (in hopes that the sun will soon be here to stay). I came home with milkshakes (ok, maybe that was the REAL reason I went "out") to finish up the day.
I'm so thankful for my beautiful family and cherish every minute we have together in this busy and challenging time!
I guess that means I am officially in the 2nd trimester now-yippee! The persistent nausea seems to have departed along with the 1st trimester (hallelujah!) as the last time I felt really bad was late Sunday afternoon. I am still hesitant to proclaim myself as nausea-free but I'm hopeful!
New things this week are that I'm feeling huge and my belly is itching like crazy. I found an older pair of jeans that are one size too big that I can still zip up without problem. So far I've gained 6 pounds (ok, maybe 7) which I consider miraculous after my 12 pound first trimester put-on with Isla. Regardless, I'm still feeling ginormous and like I'm gaining in all the wrong places. Such is life I suppose.
I continue to be pretty tired but am loving the fact that I can fall asleep almost instantaneously once in bed. Or at least I was. We took away Isla's binky this week so I'm not sure whether my increased sleep fitfulness is more pregnancy related or because of the toddler crying in the next room. Difficult to say really...
I honestly can't believe that we are going to have a baby in less than 6 months (LESS THAN 6 MONTHS!!!!!!) I told Graham the other day, "Did you realize that I'm pregnant!?!" That's sort of how it feels around here. The whole thing still hasn't sunk in for either of us. I can't wait to start feeling some fluttering in there to help cement it in my mind that this is really happening. I try really hard to pay attention when I lay still but I'm sure it's still too early to feel anything, even with this being a 2nd baby.
My junk food binges have calmed recently which is quite reassuring. I'm back to drinking coffee without trouble (caffeinated even because my doctor said it might help with the headaches I've been having!) My latest craving has been movie theater-style buttered popcorn (ok so maybe I still like some junk foods) but I have yet to indulge this desire. I'm feeling less and less of a "need" to eat the boxed mac n cheese or salty Filipino ramen noodles which were my staples in weeks prior. I'm off the lemon water kick but am enjoying Trader Joe's sparkling flavored waters (not sweet at all), particularly the orange one. I've also been wanting milkshakes a lot this week too.
I touched briefly on the headaches but I'll expand a little. Not sure what these are all about but I have a headache almost all the time. Sometimes I wake up with them; often I go to bed with them. Thankfully, they are tolerable but not enjoyable. My doctor thought they might be due to the increased salt intake that is common in the first trimester (guilty!) but now I'm not sure since I'm no longer eating salt in excess and still getting them.
I pulled out my pedometer this week and have been trying to use it regularly to make sure I stay active. I walked so much when I was pregnant with Isla (I was doing a 10,000 step/day challenge at work) and I think that helped curb excess weight gain so I'm trying to get back into that at least 3-4 times a week for starters. The only trouble with this plan is that Isla has decided she no longer enjoys the stroller. Hmm....
I had my first person ask me if I was pregnant last Thursday, soley based on my physical appearence. WHAT? Is it THAT obvious already?? I mean obvious enough to outright ask someone? It was a coworker who asked and I was standing on the other side of a waist-high desk so I'm wondering if she'd heard rumor and was just trying to casually confirm it? Who knows? Those closest to me can call me out on it if I'm totally in denial. (By the way, I REALIZE I totally look pregnant in the pic above but I'm also wearing a maternity shirt and accenting my belly, neither of which I was doing this past Thursdays...) Maybe I am in denial.
Man, the belly sure does pop faster the 2nd time around! I've had to start using the rubber band trick to make my regular jeans looser so I can still wear them. I REFUSE to pull out maternity pants while only in the first trimester!
My food cravings have been a little out of control. Graham foolishly introduced me to Starbucks' Chonga bagel with cream cheese and I've been wanting them every day since. I finally broke down and bought some similar "everything bagels" from the grocery store in attempts to appease my yearnings while abiding by my budget. Another food that I'm loving is Filipino ramen noodles, courtesy of Graham's coworker. I've used these deliciously calorie and salt-laden packets to fend off nausea now in both my pregnancies and it really does seem to make it go away. I don't know where to buy more once we run out because they are definitely a specialty item. I've also started buying processed boxes of mac n cheese because they just sound so good (GASP!) I like to snack on nachos occasionally too. Oh and goldfish crackers. These are all foods that were NEVER on my pantry shelves before...so there ya have all my secret confessions. Oh yeah and I'm LOVING anything with red sauce, pizza and spicy foods (I'm adding loads of fresh ground pepper or red pepper flakes to everything). Salads in particular make me cringe, especially the ones with fruity dressings, cheese and nuts (formerly my favorite salad). Now the only kind of veggie I can really get down are green salads or fresh vegetables with ranch.
Afternoons tend to be the hardest time for me as the nausea really comes around with full force. When Graham is home (which is rare!), I try to sneak away mid-day for naps because I am just so stinkin' tired. I usually do fall asleep which is new since I've never been a good napper.
My emotional responses have definitely heightened over the past few weeks. I feel tears forming and my eyes begin to sting at the littlest things: tv shows, touching stories on the radio, Sandi Patty songs (yes, we've been listening to these because Isla has a CD of kids music) etc. I seriously think I need to bring a box of kleenex to church too. I think I'm four for four--I've cried (like tears streaming down my face crying) the last four times in a row at some point during the sermon if not more.
The other new pregnancy "symptom" is that yucky taste in my mouth that never seems to go away. I usually have to brush my teeth at least 3 times before bed to try and get the icky flavor out of my mouth. During the day, I often just chew gum to cover it up. Pregnancy does the strangest things!
How could I have possibly forgotten this!? Seriously, the brain is amazing. Selective memory loss is what I should probably call it. Uggg. Graham says I felt like this last time but I don't remember the sickness being this constant. It's like this dull ickyness that is always there, just bad enough to steal my motivation to do anything yet not quite bad enough to completely debilitate me, at least most of the time. But pretty much all I want to do is lay on the couch and sleep or watch tv which is obviously impossible with a busy toddler. So I basically lug myself around the house to keep her in eyesight and then plop myself on the floor of whatever room she lands in and just stare off into space while she plays. Those are my feeble attempts at interacting with my daughter right now. Really, it's about all I can muster.
I feel like I should be getting to work and making preparations for the baby. The house needs to be sorted and simplified and reorganized to make space for this little one but the idea is so overwhelming that I don't know where to start. (Oh and did I mention that all I want to do is lie on the couch and watch tv?) I'll feel better once we've decided our room situation because that'll at least give me a starting point. I really don't want to give up our guest room because I'm hoping my mom will more or less move in with me for a month or five after baby comes until I've adjusted to two kiddos. Plus if we convert the guest room to a baby room, we lose our extra storage closet and the dresser that has become our "office" (since we have no space for a desk). On the flip side, the idea of putting a baby and a 2 year old in the same room sounds NUTS, especially given that Isla only spent 4 weeks in our room before we moved her to her crib (she was just too loud). I don't have a clue how it would work to have a crying/waking baby sharing with a light sleeper like Isla. But I think that idea is the most appealing to me because it involves the least amount to reorganizing. We shall see!
Over the course of our marriage, I have developed a great dislike for Fridays. Weird, I know. Most people love 'em and trust me, I used to! It's just that Graham has worked every single Friday since the day we got married (which is 4 years minus 13 days by the way). "Yeah, yeah, yeah" is I'm sure what most of you are thinking "I work every Friday too." Well, sure, but you probably don't work an 12 hour shift and get home at 8 PM, do you?
So basically, for 4 years, we did almost nothing on Friday nights. Who wants to host a dinner if your guests can't arrive before 8:30 PM? Pre-Isla, I could at least go do something on my own whether it be dinner with a friend or shopping. But now 6:30 PM bedtimes and me being the sole parent "on duty" gets in the way of such excursions.
Anyway, I promise there is redeeming value to this post. I finally decided that I needed to DO SOMETHING about my Friday night dread and create some sort of fun that I/we could look forward to so that it could indeed feel somewhat like a weekend night. And so was born pizza and a movie Friday nights (original I know!) It started off with my making homemade pizza every week but then we've had a couple nights where we picked up pizza as a special treat. We limit our movie options to whatever is available in the Redbox up the road (we're on a budget people!) and alternate who gets to pick the movie each week. This week Graham requested homemade Pad Thai for our meal so I'm wondering if we should change the title of the event to Takeout and a Movie so that we aren't strictly limited to pizza (maybe he didn't like my pizza???) Anyway, we aren't exclusive so if ever you feel like takeout-type foods and a movie, come on over! Showtime's at 8:15 PM!
From what I could tell, Isla enjoyed her half birthday. I sang her "Happy Half Birthday" probably at least 12 times which she loved! Towards the end of the day, she was hum/singing what sounded like "Happy, happy day."
Graham had to work so we didn't give her a present until Sunday but I took her shopping at Target on the day of and let her help pick out her gift. She has been enjoying her Aquadoodle (a mat that you color on with a water pen) immensely ever since.
She likes to say "I, I, I, I" while coloring. I have to wonder if she's trying to spell her name because we've "helped" her write her name numerous times, saying the letters as we go.
I didn't make a cake for her since she'd enjoyed a rather indulgent ice cream cake in celebrating a couple weeks prior. But I did make her homemade spinach pasta with pesto and broccoli for her half birthday meal. It was a little green in appearance but she happily gobbled up 2 whole plates full. And of course there was a candle in her dinner for tradition's sake (don't mind my singing and note she was probably cutting that molar as I was filming...)
Isla had her 18-month well check up yesterday and can I just say that I left feeling exhilarated? Is that weird? There is something so affirming about hearing that your child is healthy and that you are doing a good job. She weighed in at 23 pounds, 11 ounces (almost the 50%ile), her height was 31 inches (~50%) and her head measured 18 1/2 inches (50-75%ile). Her weight trend on the growth chart has definitely been climbing the last few appointments (formerly the 10%) which makes sense since she is now actually fitting into 18 month clothes when she hits 18 months, sometimes even earlier. Last visit she cried when they did her length and head measurements (I think she's finally associating the doctor's office with shots) but this time she did great! I'd been practicing measuring her at home with my sewing measuring tape just to get her used to it so I think that helped.
I was so proud of her! She interacted and talked to all the nurses and our doctor and didn't even cry when she got her shot. Our doctor gave her Minnie Mouse stamps on her hands after the check up with Isla LOVED. She thought the bandaid on her leg was pretty cool too. I love her doctor! I did a thorough check up of Isla's mouth before we left for the appointment because I didn't want to be "that mom" who totally misses that her child has cut a tooth. Of course, sure enough, the doctor found her first molar (right upper) in there which, you guessed it, I totally missed! Give me a little grace though! Who gets their molars before their front teeth?!? Apparently the front top ones have "a ways to go" so it looks like Isla will be sporting the fangs for a while. But, now that she has teeth, we get to make our first dentist appointment! Too bad she somehow didn't get added to our dental plan during open enrollment in November. Oops. Not sure what we're going to do about that one...
Our doctor gave us the go-ahead to introduce both peanut butter and shellfish--woohoo! I wasted no time and fed her African Chicken and Groundnut Stew tonight with peanut butter and she survived! This news is quite timely as we were planning to declare next week "Fast Food Week" and prepare a bunch of healthier renditions of some of the most popular fast food items, courtesy of my latest Cooking Light magazine. One of the dishes includes shrimp and peanuts so now we can actually make it and eat it as a family!
In lieu of the upcoming arrival of a little sibling, we have opted to begin "Mission: de-binky" but not until next week. Pray for us! Graham thinks it'll go fine and it probably will but I'm still dreading it.
Apparently it's already time to start orienting Isla to the idea of the potty so I came home and ordered one off Amazon yesterday. Wouldn't ya know it, they make ducky potties(!!!!), which of course, I ordered. :) We aren't going to do any full-fledged training but just start getting her used to sitting on it.
Graham wanted to be sure I asked if Isla was on track with her vocabulary. Our doctor confirmed that she continues to be WAY ahead of the game on that front.
Lastly, Isla is graduating from her daily liquid vitamin D drop to 1/2 a Flintstones Complete vitamin so that she'll also get the iron she needs. Hopefully she can manage without front teeth....
