Goodbye June!

Last week I was LOVING the fact that I was feeling better.  I even took a day to clean out my Yukon, which is never something I like to do.  I really needed to de-fur all of Sadie's lovely hair in there and I am so happy that I did. I broke a sweat trying to get those darn little pieces out of the back!  Definitely counts as a workout.

Ta-da!

I even broke out that juicer, like I wanted to and made some delicious apple, beet, carrot w/ lemon!

I wanted to fill up on some healthy goodness before we headed over to my in-laws for dinner.  I got my Chicken French wahoo!!

Daddy and Brooke playing on the steps he used to when he was a kid.



Ok, so maybe the extra energy is mixed with a little bit of 'nesting' because Friday came and I just had to make jam.

The strawberries were so sweet!

This darn thing took forever to boil and I have to say that is the "hardest part" haha.

I just made a small batch, 5 jars.  Not really enough to give away, sorry everyone!

Shortly after our jam making sesh, little miss took a tumble and had her first bloody lip.  We felt so bad! Thank goodness Joe was sitting next to her and kind of caught her with his foot, otherwise her whole face would have landed on the driveway.  She's a trooper!

Saturday she was full of it, running around, singing, dancing, and playing with Daddy's shoes.

Sunday we went to my dad's and hung out with everyone since our step brother is in town, and my sister will be gone for the fourth. It was a laid back pool day!

We had to take our pic since we were all rocking the 'ray ban' look.

My loves!

This pic cracks me up!! We are shoving our faces and Joe made sure to snap pictures.

She LOVES to feed people. Gets all excited and claps, "yay!"

Brooke just loved the pool-- she's in the "sunshade float" in the orange.

Love her little suit.

The only "downer" of the week is my poor husband and his poison ivy! We have tried everything and it just keeps popping up in more spots.  He was so uncomfortable Saturday night [after trying Apple cider vinegar] I grabbed a bowl of cold water, ice, and dumped a packet of baby bath --Aveeno's colloidal oatmeal and soaked some washcloths and wrapped him up.

Ugh! The worst.  Luckily neither Brooke nor I have it, but Joe has it pretty bad.  Go away stupid poison ivy!!  We have too much Summer fun to enjoy without you ruining it!

So here we are Monday, and I have lots to do to close out June, get ready for July and all its festivities! It's my faaaaaaavorite month for many reasons, and I can't wait to get this party started. 

To kick of the first day tomorrow, we get to see baby #2 again!! First trimester screening already! Yay!

We are Having another Baby!!

So, as per the usual, my hubby likes to tell the world as soon as possible that we are preggars! {Ya, I'm totally not offended by saying "we are pregnant" Sorry Mila. It took two to tango, and I have bigger fish to fry than being upset about that.

Anyway! It was just before our faaaaabulous St. Martin getaway that something just felt, different.   Looking at back at some posts, it 's actually rather comical.  I really stepped back from other areas in my life and innately felt the need to just focus on Brooke. Intuition much? [here] I also wrote a post about how fun it was going to be going away with hubby without kid(s). [here] Ha!  So let's take a look back, shall we?

End of April/First week of May

Week 3 - Tuesday night I took a test, but it was negative. I had been feeling tired more than anything and didn't want sushi [what?!]  I was kind like ok, I just have a feeling…but when it didn't show 2 lines, I thought, huh, ok…I guess I just need more sleep?!  I am VERY in-tune with my body, which is great, but the slightest thing throws me and I know something is up.

Week 4-That Saturday I was feeling kinda crampy [tmi] and still felt sooooo tired. I had one more test left and after running to the store for a bunch of things, I reeeeally had to go, so I quickly did my biz on the stick and set it by the garbage because I figured it would say no…

But it didn't.  The faintest of lines showed up and although faint, it was still a line. I quickly face timed Joe and showed him and his words were, "GO GET A DIGITAL" haha, gotta love men.  So I packed Brooke back into the car, ran to Walgreens, grabbed an expensive digital and came home, only to find, yes dear, we are having another baby!!

Mind you, this was, as I kept referring to it, "The perfect storm."  My sister had her birthday and we were all going out; we had a beach vacation (to St. Martin no less) planned, and it was the month of April/May.  I was eating SUPER clean, like virtually no drinking, no cheat meals, as I was planning to splurge on vacay.  I was also working out 1-2 times a day.  I did the SAME thing when I got pregnant with Brooke!! Something tells me there just may be a coincidence there...

OH yes, because the really funny part?  Baby #2 is due the day before Brooke's second birthday.  Who does that?! Haha apparently we do.  She was acting extra goofy right before we left, maybe she knew something was up?!

Monday we took off for vacation and thank goodness, although tired at night (like 9pm bed time) I felt GREAT!  A few times I thought I wanted fish, but then smelled it and didn't want it…but other than that, no real aversions, nausea etc.

Week 5- Saturday (my weeks roll over on Saturday) I started feeling icky.  I don't know why but the smells in my home (kitchen especially) really get to me. I started infusing my lemon and peppermint essential oils and I really believe they help… I napped every day and was in bed early.  I would force myself to eat my 'normal' routine 6 clean meals a day, but then I just started feeling so awful..

I did make ONE vlog so far--I want to make more I have just been feeling so gross, it hasn't happened.

Week 6- I pretty much started spending more time on the couch.  I feel bad I felt so sick and couldn't play more with Brooke, but I know I have to listen to my body and grow this second bean!  I don't want anything I cook. I can barely cook; when I do it's windows, vents, fans, etc.  Other than that I can eat takeout, and I know that's not the healthiest, but man…it has been brutal!! It's been different this time than with Brooke because I will get nausea AFTER I eat, and with Brooke I felt sick if I didn't eat.  So it didn't matter what I was eating, but about 20 minutes later, I'd be feeling so ill.

Week 7- More bad days than good; MMC has become a lifesaver and I just cannot wait until Joe comes home or if my sister offers to help out with Brooke!  I try not to let feel guilty, but it stinks not being "the best mom" to Brooke [in my head] while I feel like poo.  I know it will pass soon!

Week 8- Our first Ultrasound!!  We had it on a Wednesday and we were so excited to be able to see baby this early on!  With Brooke we didn't get a look until 12 weeks, but this time my Dr had the equipment to do it early.  Nothing sweeter than seeing that lumpy little image on the screen! I didn't hear the heartbeat, but we saw that it was 163 and you could see it flickering! It was so cool.  I have been feeling better--as long as I eat well. If I have anything that is not really healthy I feel sick, so that's good.

OMG We are having another bebe!!!

Week 9-  Takes us to this week. I am noticing if I overdo it one day (like don't nap) then the next day I feel sick…so I try to really rest a lot, which is SO HARD for me. I am always doing something, but I know I need to listen to my body.  I seriously feel like a sloth laying on the couch watching tv or reading, but it is what it is. A few more weeks and I'll feel better I know it!  I also feel my worst at night; in fact the mornings are where I feel my best! I am trying to really utilize that time and take Brooke to different library classes and story times to get her out of the house…so that later on when I don't feel well, I can rest.

I will admit this week has been long, mostly because Joe's working his crazy June Tent Sale and it's what he refers to as his "Superbowl".  They sell an insane amount of cars in a short amount of time, which means lots of financing to do for these people!! I love how excited he gets and I am very supportive; the paycheck is worth it in the end…but we miss him!  TWO DAYS LEFT.  Woop!

I feel my best in the morning so I try to get the most housework and I have even tried getting Brooke out and about first thing.  It's hard though, because girlfriend loves her morning nap.  She can skip her afternoon nap, but missing the morning really throws her off and so I try not to do it every day.

Loves: Lemonade, early on it was fried chicken (say whaaa?) sour prego pops, grandma's meatballs, and I am still jonesing for my mother in law's chicken French!!

Turn-off: Strong smells--all my bath and body lotions are too much, the dogs both had baths I couldn't take them any longer, changing Brooke's poopy diapers, cooking--especially garlic/onion… I can do eggs, but I have to have the vent on and window open.

So I am not sure how I will document baby #2…maybe a little vlog maybe mini weekly updates. I love looking back on my pregnancy with Brooke and seeing how I felt, so it will be great to compare the two.

There ya have it folks, we are just doing our thang up here in New York!! I am so excited to have a family of four. I truly believe it will make ourselves feel complete…or will there be a third baby? Haha who knows.  Let's get through this one first.  I am thinking a family of four may be just perfect for us.

TGIF my friends!!  What are you up to this weekend?

My Pregnancy Essentials

It's already Wednesday?! 

I had my husband home with me from Friday evening until just a few moments ago...

It was AWESOME!!
He finished painting the nursery, we spent some QT with my fam,

and he has logged many hours into his Madden '13 game.

Baby & I are doing well, still needing to watch what I eat...

heartburn is a biotch that sneaks right up on me!!
As I near the 23 week mark, 

I really wanted to share what has been so helpful to me.

I saw a few of these early on in my pregnancy, 

and it's always helpful to see what tools other pregos use to keep themselves

as comfy as possible during these beautiful, yet uncomfortable months.
I know there are many awesome products out there,
I simply narrowed it down to what I deem most important during these months.
{I also tried to include a link at description if you're interested in seeing more about the product}

My top ten faves include:

1.  Pre-Natal Yoga.
 I prefer to go to a weekly class, but even the DVD is great.  

The class surrounds you with other positive pregnant women, a helpful instructor, and a wonderful

environment for you and your growing baby. 

Learning the proper yoga moves help with funny aches/pains that come with the growing belly.
I got the above DVD at Target.

2. Maternity Tanks-
  Liz Lange maternity tops from Target are heavenly.
They've helped me stay cool in this unbearable summer heat,

 and I look forward to layering them come fall/winter.
I will be investing in a few t-shirts soon as well.

3. Strappy Sports Bras-
 I gave up on pretty/regular/underwire bras. 
They hurt and I only last in them a few hours.
I live for any tank top/sports bras. It doubles as a cami (or appears as one) under some of my dresses or tanks that I am falling out of, since the girls just won't, stop, growing.
I found cheap, cute, & comfy ones at Wal-Mart. 

4.  Water.Water.Water- 
I seem to drink more when I have the cute tumbler/straw handy.

Some days I am just so parched!!

If I don't drink enough H20, it's easy to get backed up...no bueno.
I would love a super cute monogrammed one.

5.  The Snoogle-
 I personally see a difference in my sleep. 

I tried shoving pillows all around, but this thing just curls up in all the right places.

I highly suggest it!

6.  TUMS (or whatever knock-off brand).
 I have been getting pretty bad heartburn,

especially at night when I lay down...the burning creeps up on me!
I just take one {or two} and it seems to do the trick long enough so I can fall asleep.
7.  Old Fashioned Glazed Donuts. 
 Good luck finding them around here!
I seriously went to two different Timmy Ho's last week and they were out.
That's like KFC being out of fried chicken.
I settled on a sour cream glazed, but I digress...
8.  Maternity Leggings from Gap- 
I am putting tremendous faith in these suckers,
as I ordered 3 pairs and I am anxiously awaiting their arrival.
I love leggings and I have heard wonderful magical things about these.
9.  Burt Bees Mama Bee Belly Butter-
I have tried a few different lotions, but this so far is my absolute favorite.
It contains no parabens!!
I love that it doesn't have a smell (particularly no funny smell!)
It lathers right on and soaks in my big ol' belly so nice.
I love that I can scrape every last morsel out of the tub and not feel like I wasted any.
10. A pregnancy journal-
I just picked mine up at Buy Buy Baby last week when I registered.
I love being able to write down all the different emotions, feelings, thoughts that have gone through
our minds as we enter our journey into parenthood.
It also helps keep a pregnant gal busy, as she anxiously counts down the days
until her little bean is finally here.
***
Of course I highly suggest a support group of a caring partner, family, & friends.
More than any gadget, it's times when I feel like I'm falling apart,
my sweet husband kindly reminds me, I'm not falling apart, I'm simply pregnant.
On that note, I must get cleaning since we basically lounged aruond
all weekend and I barely touched any sort of cleaning.

Baby Bean Love

I have been waiting two loooong months to share this;

my husband Joe and I are so very excited to be expecting our first child

ETA January 4, 2013.

EEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!!

Some of you may follow me on instagram, where I shared a picture Friday.
Some of you may have guessed from my lack of blogging or hints from posts like,

"Going Natural" or maybe you follow via Pinterest and saw that I have been pinning

baby stuff like crazy!

Either way, we had our 12 week ultrasound and heard our baby's heartbeat,

and I am so thrilled to be able to share this news with you!!

To back track a bit...

It was end of April and I was all about my little sister's bachelorette...

Literally, I spent over a hundred in alcohol and was fully prepared to get down and par-tay

{I actually said us Bliss girls were going H.A.M.}

However, I only went as hard as peeing on a stick, and seeing this meaningful word:

Ok, so I had to do two because hubs was shocked and wanted to make sure...

bahaha

It was two days before my sister's bachelorette party and something inside me said, just take one and see...
Better to be safe than sorry...

The bottle of Santa Margherita, that I may or may not have kissed, because I was so excited to break it open...before I found out, {Hey, I figured I was busting my booty with my sister's party, I deserved some vine vino!} was pulled from my fridge and placed onto my shoe-wine holder, and now patiently awaits for me to celebrate the new year & baby! 

Now, those of you who know me, know we have been trying since September 2010.

To be honest, I didn't expect it to happen that month.

In fact, I stopped 'counting days' like a crazy person,

went to acupuncture only for stress relief,

and was working out/eating healthy...losing some pounds for the big cruise...

So when I took that test, it was more than a delightful surprise! 

I had it in my head that after we returned from the cruise, we'd have to start seeing infertility specialists etc. 

However, it happened, the old fashioned way...

and I am so, so, SO, happy!

Now, of course everyone said, "I told you, when you stop thinking about it, it will happen."
But, those of you who have been in my shoes, know that is no easy task.
Every where you look, you see pregnant women and babies.

So I know that it can be frustrating and not easy.

My advice? Plan a party/parties for someone!!

Seriously, all I thought about was the bridal shower and bachelorette party...

 and bam along came baby!!

Here's his/her first photo shoot!

 :::Waving at us:::

Everything measured perfectly and I was indeed right on the dot with being 12 weeks last Friday.

The first trimester was a bit rough...

being on the cruise didn't help much.

I never threw up, but I was nauseous all.day.long.
I wasn't cooking for awhile because the smell of everything made me feel sick!
I started taking pre-natal vitamins right before bed, and that seemed to help!

I hated all veggies, chicken, meat, eggs, bacon, basically food.

I was living on yogurt and carbs.

Luckily, my appetite has returned and I have been feeling fabulous these last few weeks.

I think the best advice I've been given is to listen to my body.

If I'm hungry, I eat.

Tired? Sleep.

For workouts, I have slowed it down, no Jillian Michaels...

I walk the dogs, do yoga, and some weights.

I am starting to show a bit...

a few weeks ago my step-mom and I went shopping and I bought some maternity clothes:

 and they had a fake lumpy bump:

This was last Thursday:

Clearly, more so when I wear tight-fitted clothing as opposed to lose flowy dresses.

I couldn't think of a more perfect timing!
I won't be so huge and uncomfortable, especially since this summer seems to be hot hot hot!

I will be pleasantly round by the fall, yummmmm---donuts!

And when I am a huge, I can snuggle in by the fire with a good book and wait for baby!

I should probably start shopping for Christmas now, otherwise December is going to be cray cray!

Ok, enough with the exclamations...but I am so excited.

We find out boy or girl August 14th, what do you think baby Bean will be??

I love advice from other mommies, so anything you feel like sharing, send it my way!

Yay for Baby New Year
:)