My new rules :)

Me at almost 14 weeks (a week ago)

My new rule of parenting is: Never have more kids than you can take care of in the event that you get a debilitating stomach virus that lays you up for 3 days with no other adult in sight to help.

I broke it and that's okay. Rules were meant to be broken, right? Right?

Jackson helping me listen to the baby with my doppler. HB is running in the high 150s, low 160s (between 156 and 162)

Thank goodness that Keelin's dad is a cool guy and took her to his house yesterday afternoon so that he could take her to school this morning looking nice for her spring, school pictures. I don't think the school would have appreciated my version of "mommy is sick / homeless chic" - so I was thankful for that. I'm also thankful that she missed the worst part of my illness. I was so sick last night that I got to the point where I didn't make it to the bathroom and ended up a pile of Mommy puking all over herself laying on the floor of the hallway. Jackson stood beside me mimicking the noises I was making as I retched in the floor.

Pitiful. And gross. Not my most dignified moment ever.

My new rule of grocery shopping is: Never allow yourself to be stuck with only powdered orange Gatorade in the event of debilitating stomach virus. You will come to loathe the stuff.

Brilliant discovery: After eating no solid food for 3 days, you will crave really strange things. Tonight, the first time I've kept food down in a while, I have felt an overwhelming desire for grapefruit, a Bloody Mary (maybe because the recovery period after a tummy bug somewhat reminds me of being violently hungover?), a cheese pizza, and a few other things that absolutely do not go together under any circumstances.

I had some grapefruit, which has stayed down. So far so good! I really really want a bite of vinegar based coleslaw, but I'm pretty sure I shouldn't put grapefruit and vinegar in my tummy at the same time. Will probably just hit the hay for now.

Hopefully tomorrow I will be more coherent, less emotional, and a more interesting blogger.

Orange Gatorade and Uselessness

That has been the last 24 hours of my life.

Last night, I started to feel weak and nauseated. I took my temp and it was climbing. I started throwing up and knew I was in for it. Jackson started running a temp and acting pitiful, so I made us huge smoothies packed full of probiotic powder, organic yogurt, flaxseed oil, orange juice, and lots of ice.

When I start to feel ill, I load up on Vitamin C and probiotics, because we all (should) know that your immune system is a colon thing! Every wondered why people who eat crap constantly are sick more often than those who are health conscious? Yep, you guessed it. You crap (lol) on your immune system, and it will crap on you.

Back to it...
All 3 of us got into bed with our smoothies, watched a movie, and I noticed that it had gotten really quiet on the other side of the bed :) They were little sleepy bedhogs! I didn't have the heart to move them, so they stayed in my bed.

We're hanging in, even though I feel like I've been hit by a bus. *sigh*
I'm desperately tired, so it will be an early bedtime tonight!

This weekend was

CRAZY!
That is honestly the only way to describe it!

I took this year off from school to spend more time with my family. I definitely have been! It's been great to not leave the kids for class, read for pleasure again, and being able to say, "Yes, we are trying to have another baby!" I couldn't be pregnant, be the kind of mom I want to be, and maintain my commitment to my classes. Something had to fall by the wayside.

I have found, though, that even though I tried to simplify my life, I'm still over-extended. I've started crafting for babies and children- making family cloth (reusable toilet "paper" that you wash with your cloth diapers), cloth baby wipes, etc. I took a few orders for friends and barely finished them. The first trimester fatigue just zapped my energy. I had none. So I finished the projects that I'd started and decided not to take on anymore.

I finished off the last of the baby wipes for a friend due in a couple of weeks. Those will be mailed off tomorrow. (That was Friday)

I (along with another Army wife) threw a baby shower for a friend. The feedback seems to be good, so I think it went really well. Will post some pictures of the decor I organized later. Think vases of flowers and bowls of lovely orange goldfish that my friend Patti's daughters and my kids took home after the baby shower to be loved (and fed regularly) as pets! $0.13 feeder goldfish getting saved from being fed to a bigger critter. I hope we can get them to last a while! (That was Saturday)

When I got home from the baby shower last night, I saw that Tim had finished up the kids teeter totter and swingset! Today, it was pouring rain allllll day! Keelin (our 4yr old) went outside in boots and a raincoat to play for a little while, but decided it wasn't a dry idea pretty quickly. I'm so thankful that Tim loves our kids like he does. He could have watched the History Channel and eaten Girl Scout cookies all day, but he showed his love for his kids on his day off. Absolutely precious.

As for today, I woke up when the kids started being noisy and immediately tapped Tim and started rattling off what we needed to do today. We ate some granola, blackberries, and almond milk for breakfast then got to work! The kids organized their toys, beds, etc. Tim cleaned the sunroom, dining room, and living room. I spring cleaned the kids toys/clothes, washed a ton of laundry, cleaned all of the bedrooms, bathrooms. It was a super productive day!

Right after I finished cleaning, my mom showed up for a visit that didn't prompt but certainly helped motivate the cleaning spree this morning. While she was here, a man stopped by to check out my car. Well, two hours later... after a test drive and a visit to a mechanic to check under the hood, he bought my car!!!!!

So this weekend was totally crazy, but amazing. I finished up my crafting plans, threw a baby shower that I've been planning for months, and cleaned our whole house!

I then realized that I'm now 14 weeks and 1 day. I cleared out my schedule, got my home spring-cleaned to a clean slate, moved outgrown toys and clothes to marked bags to pass on to friends JUST in time to start my second trimester of this pregnancy. My final pregnancy, I believe.

It seems like this weekend cleared my heart and mind of stress, worry, and brought me to a place in this pregnancy that makes me feel like it's time to start preparing for this baby to arrive.

It's time to start prepping our newborn sized cloth diaper stash, washing and freshening baby carriers (my Kozy and Ergo are begging to be worn with a wee one!), and getting myself centered... so I don't get to the point of feeling totally overwhelmed with things I've told people I would do. I certainly do not plan to stop doing things for others, making items, etc. but I do need to be mindful of my stress levels and pace myself. I just signed up to do way too much at one time. Moderation needs to be a word that I repeat to myself often throughout the day. I am not superwoman and do not strive to be. I just want to be a good mom and a good wife. And being stressed to the gills doesn't make me a better wife or mother.

It's Friday! I'm in love!

With Craigslist :)

We have had so many phone calls and visits about our car! I just wish that more people knew how to drive a 5 speed. The green machine would have been sold to the first visitor/caller if that had been the case! We have a very interested guy coming by in the morning, so hopefully he will buy it. That would be delightful!

I was productive today! Finished detailing the car with Daniel, did some yard work, ran a ton of errands, cleaned out the chick's area, washed a load of diapers, and now I am going to enjoy a yummy batch of sweet potato fries with spicy salt and no-HFCS (high fructose corn syrup) ketchup. Delicious!!

http://www.mamaeve.com/index.php/general-parenting/204-might-be-a-counterculture-mama-if/

This is a really interesting post. I found it through a parenting board I enjoy reading and I identify with most of the list. I guess I am a bit crunchier than I think I am! Which is definitely not a bad thing. I strive to be crunchier- getting back to the basics is never wrong, people. Anything you can do that is "mainstream" can be done in a healthier way. I promise- and you don't have to turn into a homebirthing, toddler nursing "Counterculture Mom." For example:

If you're addicted to tupperware, I can show you my amazing glass food storage that can go from baking in the oven to the microwave, to the dishwasher, to the freezer, etc. And no, it isn't more expensive than the plastic stuff! I paid $30 for a huge mixed-size of containers to start with and then added some Mason jars to the mix. They rock!

If you think little plastic tables and chairs are cute for kids, you should see the wooden ones! They are no more expensive and aren't going to off-gas or leach chemicals like a plastic set. They don't have to be handmade, either. We got our set from Ikea for $20.

Farmer's market produce that isn't organic might be better than organic, he or she may just not be able to afford what is required to be labeled organic. I pay less for farmer's market delights than people pay for Mexican produce at Walmart. Support your local little guy, stimulate your own little economy, love your earth, love your body... We bought some maple breakfast sausage from a farmer at our market that lives 20 minutes away from us. He handed me a dozen (free to us) eggs from his happy, free-range chickens and told me that he wanted to ensure that we would have delicious eggs to go with our delicious sausage. The egg whites were not pale yellow like store bought eggs, they were bright yellow/ almost orange, and the most flavorful eggs I've ever tasted. Cannot wait to visit him again and let him know how much we enjoyed his hard work and admired his commitment to his animals and to his customers. His free dozen eggs have earned him a customer- at least until our teeny chicks start laying themselves :)

Okay, my poor brain has had it. It is official, I need to treat myself to some sweet potato fries and then get some sleep before I drive 2.5hrs to do Elizabeth's baby shower tomorrow!

Randomness on a Thursday

So, it looks like my brother, Daniel, is saving me! He is detailing my car for me. Saves my back the 14 week-almost pregnant ache of bending for hours.

Happy 24th birthday to my friend, Kristin! Can't wait to give her the cute Etsy find I snagged for her birthday!

My dad leaves for Honduras in a few hours. I'll miss him! See ya in 8 days, Senor!

A friend Elizabeth snagged me ten cloth diapers from Craigslist today! $40 for ten pockets and a dozen inserts! I don't usually use pockets, but that was a pretty good deal, especially used twice! :)

I realized today that our chicks are seriously getting big! I can see now why I have to fill up their dishes twice a day!!

Met up with my tenth and eleventh grade English teacher's husband tonight to buy some of his organic, home roasted coffee beans! The proceeds will help fund their adoption. I wish Stan and Angie only the best. They deserve a child to love- and sooner rather than later.

A friend of our family's (love this lady!!) offered us her grandson's sandbox since he's a bit too old for it now. This thing is huge, in perfect shape, and saves us quite a bit of money. Thanks, Carol!!!

Okay, that's all I can swing today. My brain is fried and my eyes are closing involuntarily. Goodnight~

Hey, baby!

We had an ultrasound today. Our baby is measuring 13 weeks and 4 days, so just a few days ahead. Cool by me!

At my 12 week appointment, I'd gained 2 pounds. At my 13 week appointment (only made so I could have an ultrasound), I'd lost 4 pounds in 6 days. Nausea, please go away. Thanks.

So, at 13.5wks, I'm down 4 pounds and still wearing my normal clothes. I'm ready to show! I seriously don't look pregnant yet! Come on, baby!

Today

My friend Kate and I drove to Raleigh to test drive a mini-van. We called before we left and it was there. When we got there (an hour and 20 mins later) it had been sold. Talk about sadness when we saw it and realized just how nice it was! If only I hadn't been a hungry preggo and stopped for breakfast! Oh, well.

We went by two other car places to check out other vans listed for sale and were just NOT impressed. People tear up their cars, y'all. These things were beat up. And the dealers were asking premium pricing for them, too. I'm talking a 2000 Honda Odyssey that has serious interior and exterior cosmetic issues (155k miles, cracked paint, a cut seat, cigarette burns, a door that won't close evenly with the rest of the car) for $8,000. That is INSANE.

So, my husband got to Raleigh (we both drove an hour and a half from opposite directions, he was at work and I had been at home) and we decided to go back to the first place that had a few mini-vans to see if they had anything other than the grey Honda that would work for us.

There was a gold Honda that had caught my eye but was $700 more than we'd planned to spend (then throw on taxes, tags, etc. and it really adds up) so I'd really not given it much thought. And yes, when you're on a budget and have a set amount of cash you're willing to pay for a vehicle, an extra thousand dollars makes it not worth looking at. Tim and my friend both walked me straight over to it, we all looked it over inside and out, top to bottom and ya know what? It was perfectly wonderful inside and out. Almost no cosmetic issues considering it's age, engine sounded great, drove really nicely (just like a car!) and had the few "luxury" things I was hoping for- automatic sliding doors, electric seat adjustment, rear heat and air for the kids. I know that sounds kind of silly to some of you, but I'm a simple girl and my car didn't have those things. I drive a 12 year old Passat and adore it. It doesn't even have a cd player in the front! Only a cassette player :) and I'm at peace with the lack of Jones-appeal my car has. It is safe, reliable, and darn good on gas. It just has to function like we need it to, nothing fancy needed, really.

We knew that the Honda was more than we'd planned to spend, but Tim said that if I liked it, we'd get it. After seeing today what was out there, I decided (yes, my finance-conscious brain rationalized this) that it would be smart of us to buy this van. I then realized it has less miles than any other car we'd tested or seen and was two years newer. Nifty! Just an added bonus.

So, Tim talked him down a bit and we got out of there for only about $500 more than we'd have spent on the other car and this one was very different, but just as good.

We got home and went out to dinner to celebrate. Tim had to go back to work, so Kate and I went, getting the kids on the way. Overall, it was an exhausting day. I drove for many hours, we dropped a huge (to us) amount of money, and we had a delicious dinner! Pretty good day, all things considered!

My next goal is to spend my free time detailing my car. What free time, right? I'm going to have to spend lots of time outside, so the kids can play. I'll just be cleaning my car to get it ready to sell. I'm crossing my fingers that we will have my car sold within the week. There are lots of things to do here at home that are going to require some funds (like paying the midwife!) and recouping that money is going to be important. I'm 13 weeks already and this pregnancy is flying by! Gotta get a move on!

Okay, rambling over. Van purchased. Car to be sold. Gotta make that happen :)