23/24ish weeks

I am nearing the end of my 5th month and had a sonogram this past Friday. Everything looks normal and my placenta has shifted into a normal position so barring any complications I shouldn't need a C-section. The baby is getting so big that my doctor put me one week ahead of schedule so .... does that make me 24 weeks? She didn't change my due date, but did say that this might be an indication that the baby may come early which would be late July. Sweet!

(Little lady profile. Her hands are resting on her knees, but only for a second then she shifted around).

I have gained 15 pounds so far. She went through a growth spurt over the past month for sure. I guess she needed the extra calories because I was finally hungry! I am still on target with my weight even though my doctor's scale says I've gained more than my home scale says. I hate when people say, "You're pregnant .... this is your time to indulge!" Ummm yeah .... no it's not! Gaining too much weight can be just as damaging to the baby (and your own health) as not gaining enough weight. I was hoping to stay closer to 25 pounds this time around (since I gained 37 with Devon), but that will probably not happen at this stage of the game. I think I'll probably end up somewhere near 30 lbs. It doesn't seem like a big difference between 25 or 30 pounds, but YOU try loosing 5 pounds. It's HARD! Some weeks you gain more, some weeks less and that's just the way it goes. I am still running, though it is very slow and I only run 2 miles each time I get to the gym which is NOTHING compared to what I used to run. I am just happy to get my pregnant body moving like that at all without pain. I stopped running once I hit the 8th month with Devon so I hope to keep that up this time around.

(2 tiny feet. One a little blurry and the other so clear you can count the tiny toes).

I was working full-time when I was pregnant with Devon and was so sick and tired of the barrage of comments that I had to deal with day after day. I had tons of co-workers and since I taught group fitness I saw over 100 clients a day. They all seemed to have something to say about my growing belly and most of it was rude at best. Not all of it was bad, but I am always surprised how people go right to the negative. This time around it has been a dream. I teach 2 yoga classes on Sunday and all my students are just so excited for me they have been so sweet. They always say things like,"I haven't seen you in 2 weeks and your belly has grown ... you look so beautiful!" or "I hope I look like you when I get pregnant." Nice things a pregnant girl wants to hear. I am an old lady compared to the doe-eyed, 19 year old college students that pass through those walls, but it's nice just the same.

(2 little feet off to the left and a hand on the right. Look at those fingers!)

I am, however, tired of people asking me "how I'm feeling" and if one more person tells me that I will be "in my 3rd trimester through the hot, hot summer" I may have to strangle someone with my bare hands, but other than that I have been lucky. I live in the desert. I KNOW I will be pregnant through the summer. Even if I got pregnant in May I would be pregnant in the heat at some point since it's only actually "cold" for December and January. I dealt with the heat with Devon and it wasn't a big deal. Listen, when it's 110 degrees outside it's hot for everyone so you just deal with it. I would rather be pregnant in the summer with a full on belly than give birth in April and have to go through bikini season over weight and out of shape. THAT would suck.

Even though I have totally easy pregnancies being pregnant is hard work and it seems like everything is a little more difficult. Bringing in the groceries, taking out the garbage, hauling the laundry up and down the stairs .... makes me tired thinking about it. Even though it has been harder this time around I keep telling myself to enjoy being pregnant because this will be our last baby. We are a two kid family for sure. I do enjoy being pregnant .... really I do, but now that I know how great a baby can be I am just excited for her to arrive and get on with the fun! I can't believe I will have kids. Like .... more than one. Life just keeps getting better!

You kiss your mama with that mouth?

I am what I like to call an "assertive" driver. I don't dilly dally. I don't text or talk on my phone when I drive. I drive extra carefully with Devon in the car. I don't take chances. I am in my car to get from one place to the other as safely and (let's be honest) quickly as possible. Drivers who clearly don't share my same goals get on my nerves. That being said, I am fairly vocal when I drive. If another driver doesn't use his signal and makes a sharp turn, I "remind" him that he forgot to signal. Driving too slow, swerving into my lane, taking my parking spot, not letting me over, on your cell phone and oblivious .... I usually say something to them even though I know they can't hear me. Just a little tap on my horn, a glare, or a head shake. I know they don't notice or care, but it makes me feel better.

Today I realized that maybe I should cut back on my driver-to-bad-driver banter. I backed out of the garage, drove through the neighborhood and pulled into traffic and Devon says,"Go! (4 seconds later) Jeez!" I just about died. I know I say that ALL the time and he finally caught on.

I have to laugh because he says both words so clearly and he says them only when we are in the car. On the upside, at least I know that I don't swear at other drivers ;) Thanks for the reminder, baby Devon, that you understand more than you let on!

18 months: Devon (March)

We had to make our first trip to Urgent Care this month and it was the saddest thing ever. Devon got an ear infection and with that came congestion, high fever, loss of appetite, lots of slobber and runny nose and a general all over not-feeling-good. He slept in until 11:30 am (which sounds good, but really sucks since you know that means they must be really sick), but I was getting worried so I woke him up to give him a bottle .... that he didn't take. He sat propped up against my chest for 5 hours while we watched TV and he dozed in and out. I finally called the pediatrician since Devon hadn't eaten anything all day and only had 2 ounces of fluid. He said we should take him to Urgent Care where they gave him amoxicillan, an otter pop and he was on the mend two days later. Ahhh the magic of an otter pop! I left to go get the medicine before Devon went to sleep and Joe said he kept taking out his pacifier to say,"Mama" in his sad, sick, barely audible baby voice. This made me cry since he really needed me and I was gone for an hour (babies need their mama's when they're sick), but you do the best you can.

Less than a week later Joe and I both got sick ... really sick. I almost took Joe to the hospital he was so sick. Being sick and pregnant is no picnic either, but I wasn't as sick as Joe. At least we were sick together and he could help me take care of Devon since he was staying home to get better.

We started going to the Children's Museum and it has been so much fun. There are so many things to do there, it is different every time we go. There is a play kitchen and food stand, a train, an electronic section where you push buttons and stuff lights up, a vet clinic with stuffed animals, a firetruck with sirens and on and on and on. I have gone with different friends each time and I hope that they get an unlimited annual pass so we can go often. It is so cute to watch him play with older kids. Just when I think he is starting to look "old" I see him playing next to a 3 year old and I realize how truly little he is. I think I may have to give up one of our gym days so we can go once a week and work that into our routine even though it's a 30 minute drive.

Devon has started giving kisses to his stuffed animals and insists that you do the same. He has become transfixed with Winnie the Pooh (the new 3D ones) and will hand you the remote and say,"Pooh" until you turn on Tigger and Pooh. He loves all the songs and Tigger, but Pooh is the clear favorite. It is becoming more and more obvious that my relationship and Joe's relationship with Devon is completely different and we both get our special moments with him that the other may not. I'm sure this will become more and more apparent as he gets older and is able to do more things.

Devon loves to be on the computer and watch you tube videos of animals, play baby games and magically change all our settings. His was so into his color game he got closer to the screen by squatting instead of sitting on my lap. We don't let him stay on the computer for long, but he can be thoroughly entertained for 30 minutes. These new kids are so high tech!

Before: Sweetly playing in the sand.


After: Proudly showing his mouth full of sand .... gross.

Devon has hit that mimicking stage where he will say the last word or funny sound of a sentence he overheard as well as other, more challenging words you don't think he can say, but totally can! He will readily point out his no-no (nose), ear (by tugging on it), his tongue (by sticking it out at out), his toes (by lifting both feet into the air), his knee (by slapping it) and his little fingers by cupping them and putting them out so you can see them. He also lifts up his shirt to show you his belly. It's adorable. He is such a sponge and it is so amazing to see him learning a million things everyday.

He is learning to say,"Please" instead of whining as well as "thank you" and I make sure to readily give him what he's asking for (if it's something he can have) as well as heaping on the praise for using the word please in the first place. I am enjoying much less whining as a result of this new magic word. Plus, it's damn cute to hear him say an actual word.

Cooler than all the other kids ....

Baby girl update: 20 weeks

I am 20 weeks now so I am in the last week of my 4th month. It has gone by so quickly compared to being pregnant with Devon it has been a nice change. 2 weeks leading up to finding out the sex took FOREVER, but in general time is positively flying by. I have only gained 11 pounds so far so I am right on target and feel great. I am one of the lucky ones who have textbook, normal pregnancies with out morning sickness or stretch marks. I am still able to fit into all my clothes, but I am finding that it is starting to get a little hot (and not super comfortable) to wear pants. I have been trying to rest in the evenings after Devon goes to bed and have been working my way through a crocheted, pink afghan. I have been enjoying the time to just sit and unwind that I see more afghan making in my future.

I have been feeling her kick, but not a whole lot this time around. My placenta is near the front of my belly so that has been absorbing the kicks I would normally feel. It is totally normal and nothing to worry about and I should start to feel more kicking once it starts to shift into a better position.

I have been holding out on buying anything for this baby until I knew for sure what I was having and this past week, I broke the seal. I went shopping! I got tons of stuff for Devon at Gymboree (before I understood that kids grow out of clothes at warp speed) and about passed out at the prices. I can't believe I used to shop there. What a rip off! I went to Target and got a few dresses that I thought were pretty unique and got some non-pink outfits. I am not against pink for little girls, but some of it is just way too pink it's nauseating. Then I went to Savers and rounded out the day with Lil Traders (Buffalo Exchange for kids) and found some great deals. Can't beat a $.50 newborn onesie with the tags still on. I need to go through Devon's old clothes and pick out stuff that will work for the little lady, but I am planning on using his clothes to make him a "clothes from his first year" quilt so I don't want to share too much stuff between them.

Basic pot roast

I know pot roast is nothing fancy, but here is how I do it and I think it makes the pot roast more flavorful even though the crock pot keeps it moist.

Ingredients:
Roast (I buy the 2 pack at Costco and freeze one. I make sure to cook it within a month)
1 Onion, sliced thick
4-5 cloves chopped Garlic
2 cups Carrots (I use baby carrots and don't even bother to cut them)
4 potatoes, peeled and cut thick
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4-1/2 cup Red wine
1/4-1/2 cup water

SIDEBAR about wine: I NEVER use cooking wine. It's nasty. The rule with cooking with alcohol is to never cook with wine you wouldn't drink. If you don't drink .... never cook with wine you wouldn't serve to guests who DO drink ;) I buy the cheapest wine I can find and I think this bottle ran me about $4 on sale. I must admit I wouldn't drink a bottle of this wine (I don't care for shiraz), but it does the job with cooking. I'm not doing to waste a $30 on pot roast).

Preparation:
Season the meat with salt, pepper, rosemary, and oregano pressing the seasoning into the meat. Brown the meat on all sides and sprinkle with Worcestershire sauce (about 1/4 cup) while cooking. Put the vegetables, garlic and onion in the crock pot and nestle the cooked meat down into the juices and veggies. Using the same pan you browned the meat in, add 1/4-1/2 red wine and 1/4 beef broth and scrape up brown bits while it boils for one minute on high. Drizzle wine and broth over the roast and veggies and cook on low for 8-10 hours or high for 5-6 hours. Halfway through cooking turn the meat over so it cooks evenly on both sides and doesn't dry out.

Joe said my food makes the house smell like a home. Nothing will do that easier than a crock pot-pot roast made first thing in the morning.

It's a ....

GIRL!

Yes, it's true. We're expecting a little lady and I can't believe it. I did predict that it was a girl, but I based that on the fact that my appetite this time around has been very different. I was ravenous when I was pregnant with Devon and with this baby I have to remind myself to eat sometimes. I am feeling a little nervous about having a girl, but ultimately we are thrilled. It feels like having my first baby all over again and my nervousness is wrapped up in all insecurity that comes with bringing a new baby home. I just want so badly to be a good mom to both my children and raise them in a loving, calm, and happy home I tend to over think all the "what ifs" that I have no control over. It was sweet to hear Joe say that knowing it was a girl put him at ease and that he was just super excited. It is so much more real for us now.

Joe went with me to the appointment and as we were sitting in the chairs outside the sonogram room "reading" (read that as staring at the book, but not taking in anything on the page. Mostly my palms were just sweating)we talked about how nervous we both were. We heard the doctor say to the couple she was with,"It's a boy!" and I thought,"She is not going to say that to us. The couple waiting outside our door is going to hear her say "It's a girl." And we were right.

Everything looks healthy as far as the brain, heart, limbs, etc goes and she weighs about 10 ounces. It is so nice to say "she" and not "it" or even worse stammering,"he, she, it, whatever." I will have another sonogram at my next appointment in a month to re-check measurements. I am only 18 weeks now and it is easier to get more accurate information after 20 weeks. My doctor is awesome because she could have just made me wait until my next sonogram to figure out the sex and do all the measurements, but I think she could see the desperation in my eyes and let me come in anyway.

Yes, I've already been to the fabric store .... bring on the pink!

Anyone who tells you that finding out the sex before the baby is born is "ruining the surprise" would be incorrect .... I WAS surprised! I mean .... I DID intuitively think it was a girl, but to know for sure was a surprise that I am so relieved to know. Having a girl tells me that she completes our little family. One boy and one girl. Big brother and little sister. Perfect! Now I get to choose a name, figure out how to arrange the upstairs bedrooms, get a few pink onesies, make baby blankets and daydream about my little girl until I get to meet her.

Alpine Muesli

I can vividly remember working in the dining room at Canyon Ranch when I was 17. Most of the staff was around my age so it was like going to work with all of your friends everyday. It definitely made the 5:00 am breakfast shift go by much faster having people you could relate to working along side you. As a bonus for working in the dining room the staff was "treated" to a meal for every meal we worked. That means that every day I was cooked a healthy breakfast and lunch by gourmet chefs. Not a bad gig.

The menu was on a 7 day rotation and changed about every 3 months. So every Monday for 3 months I got to have mango pancakes, on Tuesdays we had pumpkin waffles and so on for the rest of the week. Alpine Muesli (sounds like m-you-sell-ee) was one of my favorites and I still make it every summer when fruit is in season. I thought it was strange that oats would be served cold, but trust me .... it's divine.

Ingredients:
1 cup orange juice
1 cup milk (I use vanilla soy milk, but regular milk is fine)
1 container Yoplait yogurt (I use boysenberry)
1.5 cup dry oats
Honey to taste
*Mix together and let soak while you prepare the rest of the fruit

(Here's where you kind of do what you want as far as fruit goes, but I will list what I do. I think I remember the recipe using a pound of fruit)
2 apples diced into small pieces
1 small container of strawberries
1 small container raspberries
1 small container blackberries
1 nectarine
1 small package of hazelnuts (the ones you find in the spice/cake mix aisle at the store)

I would stay away from bananas, watermelon and maybe even grapes. Adding them to a ready-to-eat portion would be good though.

If it doesn't "rest" long enough it will be too runny and look like this ....

The next morning it should be thicker and look like this once you stir it ....

Mix the fruit with the top mixture and let it set for a few hours or overnight. You will need to mix it together before portioning out a serving since (1 cup) the liquid tends to separate. This is SO refreshing, satisfying and a great way to start your day with a healthy serving of fruits, nuts and grain. Enjoy!