WBW (well, not WAAYYY back)
Two weeks ago, at 27 weeks pregnant, my friend Shannon was super cool and asked if I wanted to do a maternity shoot with her. I said “hell yea, don’t you know I’m a huge ham?” and off we went to Woodward Park. It was a really fun time and there are loads of pics, these are just a few of my favorites. This was just a practice for her to build up her experience and I think she did a wonderful, professional job. Shannon is in Tulsa and if you’re interested in hiring her for future use please contact me (not comfortable giving her personal info out on my blog).
Thanks, Shannon!
I Used A Lot of Quotation Marks in this Post
Well, today didn’t play out like I thought it would, but that’s okay. Not necessarily good or bad, just boringly unexpected.
I didn’t get nearly as much work done in our downstairs bedroom as I wanted too but I did get quite a bit done before I halted all operations for a mandatory nap. I just could NOT work any longer…my body gave out and I listened. I slept from like 10-12 which was awesome because I got like four hours of sleep last night.
When I got up I went to the grocery store to pick up items for dinner tonight which is spaghetti. I have been craving spaghetti with “shake cheese”, as Alicia calls it. Then it was off to Target to pick up an oscillating fan for the new bedroom. Of course I wandered around Target aimlessly for an hour because I’m a marketers wet dream: I have to touch and feel and read and pick up every promotional item out there and then debate whether or not I need it. I “needed” some Scrubbing Bubbles and two cat scratching posts with organic catnip and some Stride Gum. My willpower held out for cosmetics, hair products and bath products as I’m currently on a buying strike. Folks, I seriously have too many cosmetics and toiletries.
So yea, when I got home I had to put together the fan and I am just not a “some assembly required” type of girl. In my experience the word “some” in regards to assembly always means “a lot of cursing and frustration” and it held true in this case. I won’t even get into all the boring details but the instruction manual stated it would take 10-15 minutes and it took me more like 45. It works, it blows, it’s cool, whatever.
By this time it’s 3:30 and I just figure it’s a lost cause to do anymore on the bedroom plus I’m tired, just tired and I don’t want to do it anyway. So I don’t. There’s always tomorrow!
I forgot to mention that when I peed for like the 89th time this afternoon when I went to flush the toilet the handle just fell right off and onto the floor. I stood there thinking “What?!? Did that really just happen? I know how to flush the toilet manually but it completely baffled me that this would happen. And why it would happen when we just moved upstairs and I have to pee every 15 minutes is the at the height of all irony and I’m kinda done laughing now.
The Inside of My Belly Button Gets Easier to See Everyday!
The Inside of My Belly Button Gets Easier to See Everyday!
Just a pregnancy update.
I am 29 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I really, really cannot believe I am that far along. Craziness.
The funniest question I get all the time is when people ask with a sweet little smile on their face, “Is your nursery all prepared?” and I just laugh and laugh and say, “No…no IT’S not!” We’re working on it though. See, the plan is to move upstairs closer to the babies room and before we can do that we have to move all of the crap out of the room we’re moving into, move it downstairs, move our stuff upstairs, move the office downstairs, move the guest room to the room next door and THEN, only THEN, can we concentrate on the nursery. We partially moved upstairs today. One room switcharoo down, two to go. This is causing me to stress out if you couldn’t tell by the tone in my writing.
So yea, back to the pregnancy.. (sidetracked!)
One more thing before we get back to that. Do you think it’s a good idea to watch Alien III when you’re pregnant? I’ve only seen it once when I was a lot younger and it’s on right now. I’m about to get sucked in. But with my dreams and all being as vivid as they are right now I’m not sure it’s a good idea. Plus having a child inside you feels like what I imagine an alien inside you would feel like. (sidetracked again).
We’ve narrowed the names down to three we really like: Henry, Lincoln and Augustus. I really like one syllable names so it’d be Hank, Linc or Gus. What do you think? We’re working on middle names now.
My little boy’s kicks and punches that were once so awe inspiring are now not so cute and sweet all of the time. Sometimes they hurt and sometimes I just think he’s going to pop out of the side of me. It is pretty cool though. I like to lay on my back and feel him rolling around, kicking and punching me. Alan likes it, too.
My last appointment was the gestational diabetes test. I passed! I am anemic though which is no big deal, I just take an extra vitamin. So far my weight gain has fluctuated between 12-15 pounds which is great for someone of my figure type. It’s right there withing my goal of not gaining more than 20lbs. One thing I am noticing is that this whole experience has turned completely physical. It takes loads more energy to stand up, sit down, walk, go up stairs, go down stairs…anything remotely physical just takes me longer to do. It’s not a complaint, just an observation.
I hope I don’t sound too stoic about this whole experience. Today may have not been the best day to write about pregnancy. It’s been a rough day for us. I am seeking help for my anxiety levels and I’m not sure how much of that I want to share on this blog, but the important part is that I am learning new ways to deal.
I am currently reading Secrets of the Baby Whisperer and The New Mother’s Guide to Breastfeeding. Both are really informative, as you can imagine, but not very entertaining.
So there you go, that’s what’s been going on with the whole baby thing! Keep your fingers crossed that my pregnancy continues it’s healthy path!
The Great Cosmetic Revelation
I’m quitting!
For the past 7 years I have been using self tanners in the spring and summer to get that summer glow. Jergens, L’oreal, Neutrogena, Coppertone…I’ve used them all. It’s like a tanning addiction only you’re not really getting UV exposure, you’re just dying your skin. It’s fake and I’m tired of it. I am so over it.
I started thinking about it this afternoon. Why I was doing it. Why am I so uncomfortable with the color of my skin that I religiously slather it, after every shower, with self tanner for 5 months out of the year? That’s weird and unnatural. It’s almost the same as someone who is African American whitening their skin to appear “white”. It just really made me think.
I don’t even dye my hair anymore, why would I dye my skin? It stinks when it develops, it clashes with any perfumes I use, it stains white clothes and when it wears off it makes your skin look mottled. That’s what I am going through right now. My skin looks like crap because it’s shedding all the dyed skin. Pretty gross, huh?
This doesn’t mean that I’ll be laying out by the pool to get that glow I crave. I’ll use my spf 50 as I normally do. It just means I’ll be a little pale and I’ll have to get used to it and like it.
Meh
I have not felt like writing this week and I’ve been too busy anyway, so I apologize for the lack of posts. I bet everyone else is just as busy, if not busier.
This summer is so different than last summer! Last summer we were holding parties or get togethers at our house almost every weekend or going to them. This year, not so much. It’s too much for me to clean up after parties these days and it’s really hard to do it when you don’t even get to participate in the liquid libations that make said parties so much fun, as I learned at Alan’s birthday party. I also think that my social group has grown up a lot over the past year. But it’s kind of sad because we don’t have these parties and get togethers anymore. The reason that most people don’t want to host the parties is that we’re SO MESSY that it’s such a disaster cleaning up the next day no one wants to do it. So we’ve all kind of grown apart these past few months. I don’t know what to think about it. Part of me is saddened by it and part of me just thinks it’s life. With a baby on the way we won’t be doing too much more partying anyway. Bittersweet.
I just don’t have much more to say right now. Not inspired to write at all! I’ll catch up with you all later.
Just Another Panic Sunday
What a cluster*uck of a day. Just emotional. No one is hurt, everyone is fine, all is well, you know, the normal.
Pregnancy hormones got the best of me again or at least that’s what I’m blaming it on.
I could not sleep at all Saturday night going in to Sunday morning. I know, big surprise. I’m 7 months pregnant and I am not a phenom. The strangest thing was I was so comfortable and at ease, sleepy and content and all was perfect, I just could not stay asleep for more than an hour and a half, max, at a time. Of course every time I woke up I felt it worth my time to visit the toilet since I was awake anyway. Then I was worried I was waking everyone up in the house with my toilet flushes and door closes all night long. Did I mention I’m at my in-laws this weekend? My little 11 week old nephew is here too and the last thing I wanted to do was wake him up.
So yea. Didn’t get a good nights sleep. Woke up chipper around 7am and Alan and I got a cup of coffee. Had breakfast around 10am and that’s when I just felt weird, funny. Like I was going to pass out. So I excused myself and went up to take a short nap before we had to go to noon Mass. Took my blood pressure and it was low (117/68) and that made me feel better. I am super paranoid about developing preeclampsia.
Wake up from my mini nap and we’re running late for mass. I’m driving one of three vehicles and I back right into my new brother in laws brand new Passat. Okay. So I flip out. Several reasons: One; we are taking 3 car loads of people to mass. The other two car loads saw the incident including my NEW brother in law, Two; last time I was at my in laws I completely backed over two huge garden trays (not sure what you call them) that they had just planted and Three; my Father in Law is ANAL about his lawn and I always accidentally drive in the grass a bit. I have a complete flip out in front of my brother in law and his girlfriend and jump out of the car and make Alan drive. I’m sobbing all the way to Mass while they’re assuring me everything is okay. It really was okay. No damage done to either care, I was just so embarrassed and mad at myself.
Mass was the same old same old…I never get anything from it but I think that’s because I’ve tuned out due to my dislike of organized religion. It is what it is, just being honest. I’m totally grumpy in Mass, especially when we have to kneel and I get a cramp in my calf.
After Mass we stay for the Baptism for my nephew, Nathan. He is NOT excited about the whole thing. Let me take that back, he’s STARVING and is not happy he has to wait. He’s wailing, and wailing, and wailing…the priest is giving us prayers to repeat and I feel so left out because I don’t know them or believe in them and everyone else does. Then they do the confirmation deal where everyone repeats why they are Catholic, and again I’m left in the dark. I feel so isolated. And the baby is crying, crying, crying. Then I just start thinking “Oh my God, I will have a wailing baby in 13 weeks or less and how am I going to handle that and why haven’t Alan and I talked about the whole religion thing before now” and my breathing gets heavier, they’re taking pictures, I have tears in my eyes and I just want to escape before I have another melt down. The whole time I’m feeling guilty for being this way on my nephews baptism day which is totally unrelated to me and people are picking up on my energy and can tell I am not okay. I leave the chapel, sobbing, running to my car, Alan behind me. I’m hyperventilating, full panic mode. Not good for baby. On top of that it’s 97 degrees outside and I’m already feeling faint.
I calm down. Alan assures me everything is going to be okay, there is nothing we can’t handle together. I pull myself together.
At this point it’s 1:30pm. I ate breakfast at 9am. I’m starving. I’m told dinner is at 3:30. I cannot wait until 3:30 so I fix a plate of cantaloupe, cheese and pasta salad at which my Grandma in law glances at and loudly proclaims “Well, you’re not going to need to eat dinner after eating all of that!!!” I don’t say anything. I just call Alan in the kitchen for reinforcement because I think we all know what happens when someone stands between a pregnant woman and food when she’s hungry.
So..that was my day. Not the worst. And keep in mind I’m a bit of a drama queen but I really wanted to record the happenings of the day so that I can laugh about it in a few days.
Insert Clever Title Here
I started writing this blog and it was all about bitching about cleaning house and I decided how boring is that and scrapped it. I will just say, and I am not complaining because I expected no different, that in the 3 weeks I was gone no housework was done. There you have it. And if you know my husband you can imagine the mess I came home to especially after he held a “rib” party. Think BBQ sauce dripped all over the kitchen floor, 3 weeks petrified. Okay, well I just did what I said I wasn’t going to do – complain, but that’s all folks. As Mom says “Never complain about what you allow”.
We’ll be gone all this weekend and I am happy about that. Exciting to see family and spend time with everyone. My mother in law has assured me that they’ll turn the AC down for me upstairs from the normal 80 degrees so that I can sleep. This is why we don’t visit Alan’s family as much in the summer. I can’t take it, seriously! Am I high maintenance?
So, I have to take these slow release iron pills and I have a major stomach ache this morning. I look up the drug. Turns out you’re not supposed to take within 2 hours of coffee OR antacids. Guess what I had for breakfast? Coffee, whole grain waffle and a drug cocktail of a prenatal vitamin, preventative antacid and you guessed it, my iron pill. So I guess from now on I’ll be taking my iron before I go to bed. Geez…..
Does anyone ever feel guilty when getting a manicure or pedicure? I always feel like it’s demeaning work and feel guilty while I all but fall asleep while getting the treatment. It doesn’t really stop me though. Lately I have been craving manicures. I feel like it’s such a treat an indulgence. Since I won’t get to do that when the baby comes I’ve been going for it.
28 wks!
And You’re Done
Pee in a cup, put it in the small, secret aluminum door in the bathroom. Life in fast forward like 4 overly pregnant women wobbling in and out of the drs office while you sit vibrating from the glucose drink they made you drink and wait it out. I look around the office. Everyone is reading a “health” type magazine or “Parenting”. I am reading Elle, the new one with Gwen Stefani on it and she’s looking fierce. I feel smug about this. Like somehow I’m cooler than everyone else in the waiting room when in fact I’m actually just a magazine addict with too much time on her hands. Too much time waiting. At the doctors office.
The doctor tells me I’m anemic and that it should be easily remedied by taking a slow release iron pill. I am hoping this will cure some of the weakness and faintness I’ve been feeling lately. Blood pressure was normal. Weight – maintained since last appointment. Baby – heartbeat of 142 (normal). Will find out the results of my blood sugar levels in two business days.
In and out, another appointment. I am getting used to this by now.
Piece of cake. 27wks, 6 days.
The Ancient Elderlies
Again, skipping out on WBW this week. I’m here! Home, that is. Raleigh is way cooler than Tulsa was which I’m enjoying. My MIL emailed me a few days ago warning me about the heat wave in NC (of 90 degrees) and I was like “Yea, I’m pretty sure I can handle it”. Now what I’m not sure I can handle is sleeping on an air mattress at my in-laws for 2 nights. I take that back. I CAN handle it. Just not sure if I will be the most pleasant person to deal with if my hips and back don’t take kindly to it.
Operation SIL wedding is underway! Today Alicia and I are going to go find a dress for me to wear and since I’m a bitch on a budget we’re going to Target. I’m excited. SIL called me yesterday to say I may need to stand in for her other bridesmaid as her grandmother is not in the best shape. I’m honored to do so, but it’s too late to buy the David’s Bridal matching dress AND I’m not even sure I’m going to have to do it….so, we’ll just see.
So, the wedding is on Saturday…
and then,
On Sunday my nephew Nathan is getting Christened. Weee! I’ll also need an outfit for that as well. A church outfit. Now, the grandma and MIL frown upon khakis at church but they may just have to let it be depending on what I can find at Target. $$$ I <3 my maternity khakis.
I am writing this at 3:16 am. I am wide awake. I am also hoping to get sleepy after writing this so I am not a zombie tomorrow.
I sat next to the cutest, most ancient, historical couple ever on the flight yesterday. He was 87 and a Korean war vet with a purple heart on his baseball cap and she was 20 years his junior and a complete (but sweet) nag. They had not flown since the 80’s. Obviously a lot has changed since then. The wife was all “ooohhhhs” and “aahhhhs” when we took off and landed and kept asking me about landmarks that we were seeing outside the window. He reminded me more than once that because of him we’re not a Communist nation. I’m always hesitant to ask my elders what role they played in their war because I’m afraid they’ll have a flashback and go crazy. Or cry. Insensitive? Just being honest. But I asked Bill. He was a fighter pilot (eek!). I thanked him for his service. He welcomed me. Then we talked baby names. Out of all the names I like right now he liked Henry the best because he likes Hank. (I do too). He says “It’s a real guys name, Hank!”. Anyway, although I’m not usually a flight talker I enjoyed my time with this elderly couple and got the biggest kick out of them.
27 wks, 5 days (third trimester!!)
I Got My Kicks on Route ‘66 Yesterday
My poor sister in law. I think she’s about 12 weeks pregnant and she’s getting married next Saturday. Well, the final fitting of the dress…it didn’t fit her anymore. Can you imagine? Poor baby had to go pick out another dress at the last minute. I can’t imagine going through that with first trimester pregnancy hormones. The happy ending is that she loves the new dress even more than the last. My step grandfather is not doing well at all. Long story short, this is the grandfather that has not been the best person or man. I kind of disassociated myself from him years ago. I realize that sounds cold, but it’s really what I had to do. Forgive and move on. He’s 89 and been in a nursing home for 2 years or so and fell and broke his hip yesterday. This is not good of course, and possibly the beginning of the end. Yesterday his heart was enlarged and potassium too high for surgery and today was the same prognosis only with pnuemonia. We are assured that he’s pretty much out of it on morphine of course and comfortable (from what they can tell). Really, it’s a waiting game. It’s stirring up a lot of tension and emotion in the family. It’s hard to explain without giving too many details as to respect everyone’s privacy so I’ll leave it as saying I just hope that he is comfortable and he knows he’s in a good place with no pain.
Annnnnnndddddd moving on with happier things now,
Mom and I spent a few hours in her sewing room today repairing some maternity clothes. I’m telling you – maternity clothes are so CHEAPLY made, especially those I have bought from Motherhood. Of course, this may just be my experience but we had to re-stitch several unraveled seams on several different pieces of clothing. I also de-hemmed my maternity jeans and added an extra inch or possibly inch and a half to the 31′ inseam. Doesn’t exactly get me out of nerd territory…but it’s an improvement. Yay! But that’s not the point. It was cool to hang out with Mom in that realm and I really think that I’d like to take a sewing class sometime in the future. I do have a sewing machine, you know.
Yesterday was a great day! I we went to a small town in OK called Arcadia to eat at a unique restaurant/gas station called Pops. They have over 500 different type of POP you can choose from. They have burgers and stuff. But really the best part was getting to see my brother who is doing AWESOME in Job Corps. He’s taking his series of tests to get his GED and doing very well. He’s grown up so much over the past couple of years. He’s really a new person and excelling at all he’s doing. Yay, Kyle!
