Tests in Marriage

Every marriage isn't without its issues. And Lord knows it isn't perfect, but every now and then something so ridiculous happens that tests the limits of your love and wedding vows. I feel like that happened to me this weekend...

Saturday evening I went out with some girlfriends for a "Mommies Night Out". Don't get me wrong, we love our children but every now and then you want some adult conversation about the latest happenings in the world (or celebrity gossip) and cocktails without a baby strapped to your chest and one wrapped around your leg. I'm just saying. Well, my two girlfriends and I got together to do just that.

It was the first time my husband was going to be left alone with the boys for more than 2 hours. I figured everything would be ok and I wouldn't call because I needed him to know that I trusted him. If something was wrong, surely he would call. Yea, that wasn't the case.

After having an awesome time with the girls, I walked in the door and found my husband on the couch sleep with the baby on his chest and my six year old on the love seat watching Batman. It looked like a normal scene until my 6 year old told me he had a headache. From there it went downhill:

• I discovered my husband didn't feed the 6 year old any dinner because he was overwhelmed with the baby so the 6 year old had applesauce on his own 0_0
• The baby's diaper hadn't been changed since I left home...7 hours prior!
• The 6 year old started throwing up...and commenced to throwing up 3 times in 30 minutes
• The baby was wailing because he was soaking wet with pee
• And my husband looked overwhelmed and dazed

I had to explain, gently of course, that we needed to get the situation handled and get these kids together while he turned in circles. What is it about men and when things go haywire, they have no idea what to do? Anyway, I got both kids straightened and settled before sitting down. I was livid with him. I wanted to give him a piece of my mind and then I remembered something my mom said about picking and choosing my battles. Sigh. 

Honestly, the situation wasn't worth fighting about but doggoneit I wanted to. Instead, I walked away and did what I needed to do. I was still livid so I slept in the living room with the kids so I could stand vigil all night in case we had a stomach virus on our hands.

By morning both kids were just fine and I was slightly over the whole fiasco. It was during the night that I went back over our wedding vows and reminded myself that everything won't always be ok or handled the way I want it to be; it is during those times that I have put someone else before myself and do what I need to...even when I would rather fight :) 

Repost: You Just Had a Baby

Every now and then there is an article that speaks to me in ways I never saw possible. This article is one them. As the mother of a 9 week old, I oftentimes have to remind myself that I don't need to put on my invisible cape, or open my shirt to display the "S" on my chest proudly. It's ok for me to not have it all together all of the time. Huffington Post validates just that for me.

To myself, and anyone else who needs to read this:

You just had a baby.

I know your jeans don't fit. It sucks. I know you tried on 17 pairs at Nordstrom Rack last week and almost cried in the dressing room. I know you went to Gap after that and tried on 14 other pairs and almost cried in that dressing room. I know the only thing you bought that day was a pair of sweatpants and a loose white T-shirt. It's OK.

You just had a baby.

I know your to-do list is never finished. I know you're worried about things like savings accounts and college funds and life insurance and making a will. You don't need to do any of those things today. You'll do them soon enough.

You just had a baby.

I know you're trying to balance your dream job (which pays nothing, yet), and your regular job (which pays a little), and trying to figure out how to pay for daycare and how to find a daycare and how to not feel guilty about using a daycare. I know more than anything right now, you want help with your super active toddler who needs to run, run, run while you need to sit, sit, sit and breastfeed, again. It's OK.

You just had a baby.

I know you're trying to figure out how to cook meals that are not scrambled eggs and how to stop running out of milk at the end of the week and how to get your toddler to poop in the potty. I know you secretly just want 100 hours of babysitting so you can make a baby book and create a meal plan and go to Costco and organize your closet and shave your legs and write overdue thank-you cards and clean off your desktop and cut your fingernails and vacuum every room and maybe, just maybe, watch a movie? With popcorn? And Milk Duds? It's OK to wish for those things.

You just had a baby.

I know everyone is making 25 resolutions and setting goals and choosing one word for the year. I know you're eating peanut butter cups in the bathroom and making resolutions you don't even think you'll keep and trying to think of one word that isn't SURVIVE, but it's the one word you keep coming back to because damn, this two-kid thing is hard.

I know you're exhausted. And frustrated. And overwhelmed. And sleep-deprived. And thankful. And grateful. And happy. And tired.

You just had a baby.

I know everything feels undone. I know being a grown-up sucks. I know your house is a mess. I know you have writer's block. I know you feel behind. I know you wish you were superwoman. I know. I know.

But.

You just had a baby.

So, let's stop pretending like that didn't just happen.

And let's give you some grace and permission.

You don't have to answer every email, every text or every invitation that comes your way. You don't have to keep your house clean or make fancy dinners this week or plan your family vacation for the year. You don't have to take your toddler to the dentist or figure out how to save for college right now.

Let it be.

Eat a bagel. Heck, eat two bagels. Let your baby nap on your chest. Pretend to be a dinosaur with your toddler. Go to Target by yourself and look at all the things. WatchParenthood and cry a little. Go to brunch with your friends. Rest.

You're fine.

And when you go to bed tonight thinking of the 63 items left on your to-do list, feeling unaccomplished and disappointed in yourself, I want you to repeat after me.

I. Just. Had. A. Baby.

A baby!

Relax. You're doing great.

36 Things I Know After 36 Years of Marriage

Huffington Post has some great hidden gems when it comes to articles. I ran across this really great article that a friend posted on Facebook. It's called "36 Things I Know After 36 Years of Marriage". When you get a moment, check out the full article but the author lists some really great advice here about marriage.

As someone only a year and half into wedding bliss, I have to say, she has spot on with things. I plan to print this out and hang it on my vision board a reminder to us. I want to be able to look back 36 years from now and say, "remember that time we did this one..."

Enjoy!

1. If you think marriage would have been much easier with somebody else, you're probably wrong.

2. Most marital problems are fixable. Really. Even the tough ones.

3. The D word (divorce) is a dangerous weapon. I suggest the F word instead: frustrated. Nobody's heart will be broken if you say, "I'm so FRUSTRATED I could scream!"

4. The term wedded bliss should be stricken from every couple's vocabulary. Marriage is wonderful in many ways, but expecting bliss makes the inevitable rough times seem like a problem when they're simply part of the deal.

5. That bit about how your partner won't change: Wrong. My husband and I met in our early 20s. If we'd both stayed just as we were, we'd still be two naïve kids, stubbornly insisting we have to have things our way, thinking marriage shouldn't be as challenging as it is.

6. Marriage doesn't get good or stay good all on its own.

7. Every one of us is, in our own way, difficult to live with. Beginning to work on evenone of your own problem behaviors will make a big difference in the quality of your marriage. Added bonus: your spouse will greatly appreciate it!

8. People who are unhappily married sometimes think marriage is the problem -- that marriage is unnatural or outdated or impossible to do well. There's not a third entity called marriage. Everything that goes on between you is your creation. Each of you playing your part. Why not create something worthwhile?

9. Marriage is a "learn on the job" proposition. None of us comes into it with all the skills we need for success. When the going gets rough it's most often a sign that we need some new skills -- not a sign that we need a new spouse.

10. Struggle in marriage is not only inevitable, it's necessary. None of us can grow a strong and healthy relationship without having to face and resolve difficult issues.

11. Even the best marriage can't make up for the difficulties we faced growing up. We all come with childhood injuries. Thinking your spouse can make you feel safe and secure when you're wobbly inside is too much to ask. The sooner (and more effectively) you deal with your "stuff," the healthier and more satisfying your marriage will be.

12. Love grows as much from the challenges we face and surmount together as from the delights that we share.

13. Marriage is a long negotiation about how two people are going to run things. Money. Intimacy. Parenting. Chores. You can battle, or you can collaborate. Collaboration is a lot more rewarding.

14. Even the most stubborn among us can learn how to yield. Trust me on this one.

15. Most of your spouse's upsets and frustrations aren't about you -- but some are. The sooner you figure out which is which, the better off you'll be.

16. During hard times, commitment may be your saving grace. The fact that, way back when, you said "'till death do us part" may be the only reason you keep two feet in long enough to fix what's not going well. And that's reason enough.

17. Marriage can make you a better person or a worse person. It's your choice.

18. Complaints and criticisms aren't the same thing as requests for change.

19. Discouragement is one of the greatest threats to marriage. I've seen struggling couples give up on marriages that could quite likely be saved had they been given the proper guidance and encouragement to hang in there and fix things.

20. Thinking you have a 50-50 chance of ending up divorced makes it seem like a coin toss. It's not. There are some behaviors that nearly guarantee failure. We all know what they are. It's a good idea to not do them.

21. Being nice helps.

22. Saying thank-you does, too.

23. The happier I am about my own life, the less irritated I am about my husband's irritating behaviors.

24. A good marriage will have its share of conflict, frustration, boredom, unresolvable arguments, slammed doors and nights where one person sleeps on the couch. The key is to have enough good things to balance them out.

25. It's not always easy to keep your heart open.

26. Love matters. While love doesn't heal all, even (especially) during hard times, love is a touchstone, a reminder of why you got together in the first place.

27. Marriage is not an antidote for loneliness. While marriage provides companionship, closeness and connection are not a constant. Sometimes we're in sync. Sometimes we're not. It's important to be able to soothe and comfort yourself when need be.

28. It's easy to get into a rut when you're with the same person, year after year. Sex. Vacations. Dinner. How you spend Saturday night. Change things. Add some spice.

29. Most good marriages have one person who plays the role of the relationship "guardian": The person who brings up difficult subjects. The person who stays hopeful in hard times. The person who acts as a steadying influence when one or both of you are getting worked-up. In an ideal world, that role would be shared. In the real world it only takes one.

30. One of the best things to do in the midst of a fight is to stop fighting. Take a break. Cool down. Come back to it later. Hotheads are terrible problem solvers.

31. Some conflicts cannot be resolved by compromise. (We can't have half a child or buy half a vacation home). When there's no such thing as "meeting halfway," the solution becomes a matter of generosity, where one person says "yes" to their second choice and the other acknowledges that as a gift.

32. Fights are never about content. Where we store the dish soap, whether it's quicker to take the frontage road or the freeway, whether it's horribly rude not to answer a text -- none of these are worth getting ourselves all in a twist. Our upsets are about the larger meaning we make of that unanswered text, that resistance to influence, that refusal to take seriously the things we request. It's really helpful to accurately name what's setting you off.

33. There's a big difference between being happily married and living happily ever after. None of us are happy 24/7. Thank goodness we don't need to be.

34. When you think to yourself, I really shouldn't say this, you're probably right.

35. Learning how to make up is essential since you'll never, ever, get to a point where neither one of you screws up.

36. One of you has to go first. Apologize first. Be vulnerable first. Yield first. Forgive first. Why not let that person be you?

Product Review: Pure Belly Band

During my pregnancy, one thing that I suffered from was the weight of my belly. I don't remember my tummy feeling so heavy with my first son but this second time around was rough on a sista. Enter: the Pure Belly Wrap.

My manager was actually the person who recommended the wrap to me. I purchased it during a visit to Buy Buy Baby one day with my mom. It is functional, lightweight and gives you some support. I would recommend that you go a size smaller than what you think you may need. I regret not doing that because oftentimes I felt like my belt was too loose at times.

Another con on this belt is that I often felt hot with it on. Sure it was breathable material, I still felt hot and couldn't wait to get it off when I got home. But the fact that it took some pressure off of my tummy and back outweighed the heat I felt.

It comes in various colors but I stuck with black since you can wear it under anything. It is a machine washable and doesn't shrink. Over all, I would recommend this belt although it you want some super support, you may want to go with something else.

Unboxing an iMac

If you follow me on instagram, you know that my wonderful, sweet husband surprised me with not only a Macbook Air but an iMac for Christmas. I mean, this man literally left me speechless for the first time in my overly articulate life (thanks Miranda). Anyway, according to him, the Apple junkie, unboxing an Apple device is an "experience" and I made sure I captured every step of it. 

I have to give it to Apple, they are gangsta when it comes to their products. I will NEVER get an iPhone but I do love their other stuff lets get started...

This was my desktop PC. I had 32 inch monitor on my desk. Nevermind the nakedness of the desk; I cleared everything off just to step up the iMac.

The box was big. Not overly big but big. I suppose it would be to hold the monitor/cpu. Don't be fooled though: Apple does not include anything but the necessities in the box. You'll see what I mean in a second.

This is the entire system, still packaged, standing up. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. Apple keeps it simple and clean. I love it!

To remove, you simply slide the top piece of foam up.

Next, you remove the bottom but separating the two pieces. How freaking easy is that? Keep in mind, the monitor is just standing there chilling. 

Don't toss those foam pieces though. Your keyboard, power cord and mouse are in there.

Ah, finally, all foam is removed and the monitor stands alone waiting to be unwrapped.

I put the foam back in just to give you an idea of how simple yet effective the packaging is. 3 freaking pieces of foam. Amazing.

On the back of the monitor/cpu is an adhesive tape to cover up the circle that your power cord goes through. You can peel that off easily and toss it away.

Let's unwrap this baby. The covering, which I thought was tissue paper, was actually some sort of felt  It was SOOOO soft and easy to peel apart. 

It too came in two pieces so remove the first cover and then the second.

All felt removed and now the clear plastic remains. Again, don't be fooled by the picture. Its a very gentle, yet strong plastic covering over the moving. Remove that and bask monitor glory.

So I spent 10 minutes looking for the CPU before my sweet husband, who was recording the whole thing, explained that there isn't one and that the USB plugs are on the back. MINDBLOWING!!!!! You have a slot for (starting left to right): headphones, an SD card, 4 USB slots, a lightbolt, a ethernet and some other one. Y'all its gangsta!

So, I finally got around to pulling out the keyboard for this sucker. Its super lightweight in the box. Of course, its packaged simple and easy. 

Both the keyboard and mouse are in the sample box so just slide the whole tray out. And don't worry about batteries: Apple hooks you up.

Look that simple and wonder keyboard. 

Even the mouse comes in its own little felt wrapping. I mean, it doesn't get any cuter than this!

Here they are! Setup and ready to get this show on the road.

There was also a box that included a screen cleaner and a some stickers. 

Since I was first timer, I had to ask Hubby, "How do you turn this freaking thing on?" Don't worry, the power button is located on the back of the screen. Be sure to hit the power button on the side of the keyboard and the bottom of the mouse. They will connect to each other on their own. Gangsta!

And here she is! All unpacked and ready for me to create magic on. 

It took us 3 hours (!!!) to set her up and for Hubby to give me a crash course. I couldn't be happier. I'm in complete love with this baby and can't wait to put her to work! Actually, I have been putting her to work and plan on getting it in even more as I get familiar with the system.

Hubby was right about this being an "experience". Who knew!

DIY: Laundry Room

This is the current stay of my laundry room shelves. Pitiful, I know. Not only does it look messy, it isn't functional for all that we have going on. I have been nagging Hubby for months to install some shelves and we finally got around to going out and pricing them. I have a vision in mind for our laundry room and it looks a little something like this...

via Pinterest

...sans the chandelier overhead LOL I can't wait to post after pictures. Our plan is to purchase the cabinets sometime in the next month and then we will work on painting the laundry room, changing out the light fixture and then installation. Stay tuned for more pics to come!

Back to Reality...

So, I have about a week and a half left in my maternity leave before its back to reality. These 3 months have flown by at lightening speed and I'm not ready to go back. Pregnancy complications, a week in the hospital, an emergency c-section, a painful but fairly short recovering and readjusting to having a newborn in the house - yeah, its been quite a lively 12 weeks around here. But you know what, I wouldn't change it for anything.

I have a happy, healthy family that now includes a bouncing almost-9-week old little boy. I'm blessed beyond measure.

One thing being home on maternity has made me realize is just how much I enjoy being a full-time stay at home mom. Granted, I still worked my online teaching job while home but besides that, I truly enjoyed it. I was able to stay home for 10 weeks with my first son and this time I was able to stay home for 12 weeks. Since we planning on baby #2, I would like to take a full year off of work, but that's a story for another day...

As much as I'm going to miss being home every day and shopping online for hours on end, we have bills to pay that won't pay themselves so back to work I go.

Happy New Year's!

Happy New Year's to my fabulous readers! All of you LOLI hope this year is the best one yet. 2014 was an AMAZING year for me with a good balance of ups and downs but we survived it and will prosper in 2015.

via Google Images

I'll be back in few days with some new posts and new updates. 

The Chair

There's a story to this chair....

In 1981 when my mother was due to give birth to me, my father went out and bought her a rocking chair. Not just any chair but a chair he deemed "perfect" for her to rock their newborn baby girl to sleep in every night.

Fast forward 27 years and the end of the my pregnancy....

My parents decided to gift me "the chair" to carry on the tradition. I rocked my first son to sleep, soothed him when he got hurt and watched cartoons with him in this very chair. This chair was a mainstay in both of my apartments after Baby Boy was born. After 2 years of using this chair, it moved back to my parents attic for storage.

Fast forward 4 years later and my second pregnancy...

My dad, almost the sentimental type, decided the chair needed a facelift for the birth of his second grandson. He spent an entire weekend sanding it down, painting and it searching for the perfect cushions to replace it with. And here we are today with this chair of 33 years, sitting in my 2nd son's room.

There are some memories and items that never be replaced and this chair is one of them. I plan to hold on to it for many many years to come and more children.

Housekeeping

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I thought I would do a non-mom/parenting post while I pump. Hey, can't get away from that stuff entirely, folks.

Anyway, it's 7 days before Christmas and I thought I would do a little web housekeeping before New Years gets here. My process consists of clearing out my internet history, deleting some unused favorites and cleaning up my blog reading list. It seems my blog list is the most time consuming because I have so many that I read. Sure some I've been subscribed to for 4 years (Lawd!) and others just caught my eye and are on my "I'll read  later" list. Nonetheless, I do this about 3 times a year.

Cleaning up the list also gives me a chance to go back and read some oldies but goodies. Man, some of you have evolved LOL For example, I have watched one my blogger buddies go from a Sex and the City type lifestyle to now being married with kids. I've watched some bloggers marriages dissolve only to never believe in love again and ultimately find their soulmate. I've watched some people struggle with addictions, setbacks and hardships - some are victorious, others aren't.

Some bloggers are people I've actually had the pleasure of meeting in person and feel like family to me. I always credit Dave with being the reason I started blogging. His blog was the first one I ever discovered and I remained a loyal reader until he stopped about two years ago.

All this house keeping takes me back down my own memory lane with my blog. This blog has been deleted and restarted so many times I'm not sure where which version I'm on. What I am sure about is that I will be sticking around the Blogsphere for awhile. :)

Product Review: Graco Modes Click Connect Travel System Stroller

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The stroller for my first son was gifted to us by a girlfriend of mine. As a matter of fact, we didn't have to buy much of anything with our first son since everyone bought everything for us. This time I wanted to make sure I got the stroller I wanted so when I found this beauty at Babies R Us, I couldn't hesitate on it.

Allow me to introduce you to the Graco Modes Click Connect Travel System. This stroller has up to 10 different seating variations that is designed to grow with your child. Because I know we want more kids, I wanted a stroller I would be able to get some distance out of and use for the next kid.

This stroller is the stuff dreams are made of. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know my mom and I put it together and spent two hours trying to figure out how reconfigure it. I am confidently say I am an expert with this sucker now. I can modify it to fit my needs based on where I'm going.

To read more about the specs on the stroller, click HERE.

I highly recommend it as I do most of Graco's products.

*Disclaimer: These opinions are my own. I was not paid by Graco or anything other advertisers*

Repeat C-Section

With my first son, I labored a long time. Try 32 hours of laboring, 12 hours without an epidural. Yes, I'll wait while you pick up your jaw....

**checks my watch**

He was a term baby (translation: born at 39 weeks and 4 days), but the labor was anything but what I planned. I had this long detailed birth plan that I laminated (I'm an organizing junkie) with detailed instructions for everyone attending. Oh yes, I was serious about that delivery. Needless to say, my labor went nothing like it was planned and I had to quickly accept that I can't control everything.

With Baby #2, I threw the whole birth plan thing out of the window and decided to just roll with it. No plan, no expectations; just letting my body do what it does.

My gestational diabetes diagnosed confirmed that I was unlikely to make it to my due date and I was ok with that, as long as I was over 37 weeks. Welp, you guessed it: he came at 33 weeks. I'll provide my details about my labor and delivery but I had to admit I felt a little disappointed when the doctor explained that a vaginal delivery was unlikely due to my complications at that time.

My c-section went well and according to my OB/GYN, they may let me try a vaginal with #3. My recovery this time seemed shorter but my pain level was definitely up. With a week in the hospital before and after my delivery, the pain was awful but manageable with minimal meds. When I got home, I felt like myself  after about a week. I still had to walk slow and not laugh or cough but I made it through. I can sum it up to say that by week 3, I was moving like a normal person again.

With any delivery, there are risks for all sorts of complications and the recovery periods varied. What's most important is that you listen to your body and take the time to heal.

Body After Baby

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I am 6 weeks post delivery and I am ready to get back in the workout saddle. Just before I found out I was pregnant, I signed up for Weight Watchers. I was fully committed to losing 30 pounds and making fitness my focus before pregnancy. Well, I found Baby #2 was on the way and that pretty much put dieting on hold.

I gained about 17 total pounds with my pregnancy and lost most of it after delivery. Y'all, I was literally all baby. The weight fell off with the exception of 5 pounds. So couple my prior *ahem* few pounds that I never lost from my first pregnancy and tack on 5 pounds...yeah. See how the numbers add up?

Well, not anymore. I am ready to lose 30 pounds and keep it moving. Seriously. I really want to get back into running but with a repeat c-section, getting back into the workout routine is going to take some time. Last night I completed my first workout and it left me a little breathless and achy but I felt encouraged. I realize that I carried a baby for a 8 months and that I need to give myself that long to lose the weight.

I'm not going to put myself on some crazy strict diet where all I can eat is lettuce and drink water. Instead, I am going to focus on portion control, being active as much as possible (hard to do with breastfeeding and a newborn) and cutting myself some slack. Since we are planning for baby #3 in a year, I want to make sure I am physically fit.

Wish me luck and stay tuned for my progress.

Balancing it All: Mom of 2

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be a mother, let alone a mother of two boys. My husband and I were hoping for a girl (or twins:)) with this pregnancy but a healthy baby is what we wanted most. Since males are dominant in both our families, we weren't quite that surprised to learn that our little one was another boy.

*Cue male fist pump from the Husband*

After telling family and taking a little time to process the fact that there was going to be another boy in the house, I realized quickly that this was for real. This was life, folks, and I wasn't ready.

My fear wasn't having another boy (although with the stuff happening in the world, I feel some kind of way now); my fear was trying to figure out how to balance time and attention with both. Obviously the baby would need different and slightly more attention than my 6 year old, but how was I supposed to that without feel guilty?

I asked around to my friends who have more than one child and everyone came back with the same response: you will figure it out. And you know what? I think we slowly but surely are figuring it out. While the baby sleeps, I spend time with the 6 year old coloring, watching cartoons, etc. When grandma and grandpa come over, the 3 of us sneak out and go hang out for while. My husband is great about hanging out in the 6 year old's room with him each evening.

When you are a parent of multiples, don't beat yourself up if you don't get a chance to do every single thing with each child the way you want. Kids are forgiving and you should be too. After all, all we can do is our best. My advice to new parents of multiples is to take one day at a time. Find ways to incorporate everyone in an activity and designate child tag teaming so that they each get their quality time with each parent. Trust me, you will thank yourself and they will thank you.

So, I had a baby...

Hey there! Yes, it's me. Yes, I'm really blogging. Yes, I had a baby...7 weeks early.

One thing about pregnancy is that it isn't an exact science. You never know when and how things will shift at any given moment. I plan to do an entirely different post about my birth experience because my story is worth sharing. For now, I tell you that I am basking in the new mommy glow of having not one but two sons.

Midweek Mindlessness

1. Today is my mommy's birthday. She really dreads celebrating her birthday as of the recent years because there is always some family tragedy to occurs in the month of October. Last night she got a call that her oldest sister was being taken to the hospital. :( My mom is the strongest person I know and I know she hates bad news.
2. My ankles and fingers are swollen so typing at this point in the day is painful for me.
3. All I want to do is sleep and eat watermelon. That's it.
4. My husband and I had our first real marriage decision talk last night about a huge financial thing we needed to take care of. I felt so...grown up. I have to say, premarital counseling was the best thing we ever did. It has helped us find a productive and positive way to have difficult convos. I can tell him anything.
5. My husband massages my feet and ankles every single evening without complaint or me asking. I guess he figures since I'm carrying his child and doing the really hardwork, its the least he can do. Can I get you clean the bathrooms though, bruh?
6. I think its time for us to do a weekend getaway before the baby comes but I'm afraid I would spend it sleeping :(

32 Weeks Pregnant

How I'm feeling:
Heavy and tired ALL THE TIME

What I'm craving:
Carbs and Sugar because I can't them in excess

How I'm sleeping:
Sleep? What's that? You mean that thing I used to do before being almost 8 months pregnant?

Thoughts:
I apologize for my 4 week hiatus but you can only imagine how I'm feeling at this point. My pregnancy is on the downhill slide and I forgot how rough the last few weeks can be. Not only am I dealing with gestational diabetes (which I still need to blog about) but I'm also dealing with being bigger, a baby that moves a lot more and life in general. I love being pregnant but I can't lie, the last 8 weeks are ALWAYS the hardest no matter what. Unless you're like me and your 8 weeks is really 6 weeks.

My baby shower is in about 2 weeks and I am so excited. I can't wait to see all of my close friends and family. The plans are pretty much finalized and everything is taken care of. My awesome friends and family have outdid themselves and I can't wait to see the end result.

28 weeks pregnant

How I'm feeling:
Heavy. This baby is picking up weight!

What I'm craving:
No real cravings. Just thirsty all of the time.

How I'm sleeping:
I'm now in the insomnia phase of my pregnancy. I find myself wide awake during the middle of the night watching tv or cleaning something because my baby is having a party in my tummy, or because I'm anxious thinking about all of the baby stuff we need to do.

Thoughts:
28 weeks is almost over and we are just about 10 weeks away from D Day. In the midst of all, the baby is doing great, weighing around 2-2.5 pounds. I, on the other hand, are suffering from a little bit of pregnancy acne and just found that I have gestational diabetes. I will admit I felt devastated when I found out but I've met with a dietician and my OB/GYN and we have a game plan. I'll be doing a separate post about this whole situation. Right now, I'm just trying to get my head together for all of the things I have going on this weekend.

Quality Time

I'm still fairly new to this marriage thing and listen, the learning never stops. I honestly learn something new about my husband each week, despite the fact that we have known each other for 7 years. Its crazy. Anyway, the focus of this post is not necessarily the new quirks I learn about him but more about quality time - specifically, how to get it in.

Being parents to a rambunctious 6 year old is not easy feat. Our son is our world and we absolutely love spending as much time as possible with him but...every now and then we want to do something with just the two of us. I love hearing about all the new Transformers and Power Ranger shows but I do enjoy cuddling and watching a romantic comedy occasionally with my better half.

With both our busy schedules and a child raise, plus another on the way, finding time together has become challenging but we manage to make it work. Primarily because I force it to work, but a girl has to do what a girl has to do. I recently implemented "Friday Family Movie Nights" as a way for the 3 of us to spend some time together. I confiscate all electronics, we put on pajamas and cuddle up on the couch for the movie of the night. Usually the little guy selects it and we suffer through yet another Disney movie but that's ok; this is family time. Sometimes we find ourselves at my parent's house having movie night with them too.

As for my husband and I, we find time alone wherever we can. Sometimes we lounge in bed a little longer than normal and just talk. Other times we spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon catching up on our favorite tv shows. One thing we do make sure we do each day is eat dinner together as a family. Hubby and I tend to linger at the table longer and just talk about nothing in particular. It's times like those that I appreciate most. As annoying and messy as my husband can be, one of his greatest qualities that I love and attracted me to him is the fact that he is a great listener. He actually listens intently to every single thing you say. What man does that?!

My favorite time now are the foot and leg massages he gives me. My pregnancy has definitely made me slow down and my body is changing everyday. It helps to have a partner who understands that I may randomly go to bed at 8:30pm or that my feet hurt and will massage them for me without complaining.

With just over a year into this marriage thing, I never lose sight of the fact that it is work and that you must work to maintain it. With our family expanding (and planning to expand more next year), I know our relationship must always remain a priority.

27 weeks pregnant and catching up

Has it really been 4 weeks since my last pregnancy update? Sheesh! Well, Ive been busy. Correction: I've been in super nesting mode. Let's run down the list of things I've been doing:

• Purchased a new ceiling fan for the nursery
• The crib was delivered
• Hubby is almost done getting his stuff out of the baby's future room
• Purchased the travel system (carseat and stroller)
• Bought a wintersuit for the baby to wear home from the hospital
• Booked the hotel location for the baby shower
• Finalized the invitation design; one correction to go back to the designer
• Finalized my cupcake designs; placing order with the bakery tomorrow
• Reorganized dresser drawers and clothing for both kids
• Preregistered at the hospital

That's just the baby stuff. I have a whole list of other stuff that I've been doing as well but I won't get into that list. For now, I'm just going to take a moment to breath and reflect on the fact that I'm 89 days away from my estimated due date. Lawd!

My 6 year old baby lost his first teeth yesterday and last night the tooth fairy brought him 4 whole dollars.