Life Unfiltered

*This is intended to be a lighthearted/humorous post on life with our "high needs, cows milk enzyme allergy" (according to his pediatrician) almost three month old.

How is it that our little string bean is almost three months old?!  Today was one of those days that had the potential to be completely mentally and emotionally exhausting but for whatever reason, maybe it's the lack of sleep, everything has been funny.

5:30 AM Evan wakes up jibber jabbering in is co-sleeper next to our bed.  Aaron tries to put him back to sleep but Evan wants none of that, he thinks he's ready to start his day and hour and a half early.

8:00 AM it's time for nap number one. Evan sleeps until 11:00 which is great minus the fact that he won't sleep well unless he's held. And by held I don't mean in a sling or an ergo (unless I'm simultaneously vaccuming) because heaven forbid this kid be restrained in any way shape or form.  The De Quervain's tendinitis I have in both of my wrists now can attest to this.

11:30 I throw myself together enough to make a "quick" trip to the grocery store.  

11:40 Evan starts screaming in his new car seat.  He thinks the new car seat is the bees knees as long as mom is sitting next to him and rubbing his feet.  I haven't tried it, but I'm pretty sure driving from the back seat is illegal and dangerous so, blood vessel bursting screams it is (not once, not twice but three times.)

11:55 Arrive at the store and feed Evan before going inside.

12:25 Put Evan in the Ergo and brave the store. Evan is a little angel and I say a quick thanks to the man upstairs. Then Evan projectile spits up about 1/4 cup of milk and mucus on my chest and down my shirt. Acid reflux: the struggle is real.

12:50 Try to checkout but my debit card doesn't work because my bank deactivated it when they sent me a new card. You know, the new card that's on the counter at home. Luckily I have a back up and we're on our way.

12:55 Load the groceries and strap Evan into his torture seat. Just as I realize I'm crushing the eggs with my foot a sweet older man walks across the lot and offers to return my cart for me. Again I say a quick thanks to the man upstairs.

1:05 Evan's screaming returns.

1:20 Arrive safe and sound at home. Go to get Evan out of his seat and his tears/screams immediately turn into a giant smile when he sees me coming to get him. This kid.

You guys it's only 1:30 and I find myself channeling my inner Clark Griswold with a "Hallelujah. Holy Shit! Where's the Tylenol?!" 

But you know what? If being Evan's mom means that every day is exactly like today or even worse, I'd still sign myself up for the job

because:

-When Evan smiles at Aaron every night he comes home and says "hi buddy" to him

-When Evan rolled over for the first time on his own this week

-When Evan is loved on by his cousins and he smiles as big as he can, and they do too

-When Evan lays on the floor and coos at my grandma who, at 94, gets down on the floor with him 

-And when Evan pats his little hand on my chest just before he falls asleep at night as if to say, "thanks Mom"

makes it all worth it. Every last, stare into your eyes and scream into your soul during his colicky hours (that have now passed we hope), minute of it.

So to the moms who too find themselves channeling their inner Mr. Griswold, you are not alone, don't let the cheerful baby that floods my Instagram feed fool you. But it does get better, I promise :)

We literally try to get him to sleep anywhere, supervised. This lasted long enough for me to eat a cutie.

-XO friends 

Parental Intuition

This post is pretty raw but I've never been a blogger to mask real life with social media sunshine so here  we go.....

Evan was born 9 weeks and one day ago today.  When he was born I didn't think twice about breastfeeding, it  was something I had decided to commit to long before Evan was even born.

Two bouts of  mastitis, twenty days of antibiotics, countless capsules of fenugreek, gallons of mother's milk tea, and tablespoons of mother's milk drops later we have a child who was technically classified as failing to thrive because he has dropped to the 2nd percentile in weight.

Insert my broken heart here.

Evan has never been a big baby. Being born at 6lbs 4oz and leaving the hospital at 5lbs and 14oz, he started out small and was on a strict feed every two hours schedule.  We stuck to the schedule and yet Evan always seemed hungry to Aaron and I.  We expressed these concerns with doctors and they said his behaviors were the result of acid reflux and assured us there was no way he could possibly be hungry because he was steadily gaining weight.  So, we trudged on with a fussy baby who we swore was hungry and fought our intuition because the medical professionals told us Evan was fine.  

He was fine until they began to chart his weight that is.  Turns out that although he's been gaining weight, he's been steadily falling lower and lower on the growth chart since he was three weeks old and if the trend continues he will actually fall off the curve by his next appointment.  

Enter supplementing stage left. Three extra ounces in the morning, three extra ounces in the evening to start.

So as I type I find myself staring at a bottle of Reglan and a canister of Similac Organic formula trying to decide what we are going to do when our very small stash of freezer breast milk is gone. 

Reglan is a prescription usually used for GI tract issues but has lactation listed as a "unlikely" side effect and is a strong medication that you have to be weened off of once you've begun taking it.  If it works my body should be able to produce what Evan needs and we can continue to avoid using formula.  If it doesn't work I've simply exposed myself to more chemicals and the risk of other side effects of the medication that mimic Parkinson's disease.  So what do you do?  There is a huge part of me that feels like if I was meant to exclusively breastfeed God wouldn't put me in a position to have to resort to prescription drugs as a last ditch effort but then the mom in me want's to say I literally tried it all.

I'm not sure if I should feel grateful or bitter towards the social guilt associated with the use of formula.  On the one hand it's part of what has encouraged me to try nearly everything in my power to succeed at breastfeeding but on the other hand the pressure to exclusively breastfeed from both society and the medical community has also contributed to Evan's poor weight gain and my feelings of desperation and failure.  Believe me, I fully understand the benefits of breastfeeding and am fully supportive of the concept......when it works.  And for some, maybe it just doesn't work and maybe that just needs to be accepted as okay.

In a world of mom-shamers I am so thankful to be surrounded by fellow moms who have been nothing but supportive and encouraging.  At this point I'm still undecided in regards to what path we'll take next  but I'm just a few feedings shy of being forced to choose.   

In the meantime I'll just bask in our string bean son's cute smiles and new sunny disposition courtesy of a full belly and trust that when the time actually comes we will know what to do. 

Until next time friends......

Our little sugar cookie angel

Post two month appointment snuggles

Finally not screaming in his car seat!

Evan's Birth Story...an Abbreviated Version

I've thought about sitting down and writing Evan's birth story almost a million times but every time prior to this I would sit down to actually write and just end up crying. Thank you, post partum hormones.  They certainly weren't sad tears though, they were some of the happiest tears I've ever shed. Part of me also felt reluctant to write because we had a c-section.  Our story doesn't include hours of natural labor or the joy of immediate skin to skin contact with me, but in the end it's still just as special to us, and so I wrote.......

Wednesday September 17th, 2014 started out like any other day minus the fact that it was supposed to be the day before Evan's birthday, not his actual birthday.  We had grand plans of going to breakfast, seeing a movie and enjoying the last day of just "us", of course those plans changed. Aaron and I woke up around 6:15 and wandered out onto our front patio to check on the landscaping we had just planted the day before. Since I knew we wouldn't be going to breakfast right away I headed back into the house to eat some watermelon to hold me over.  As I was opening the refrigerator I felt a strange pain and then realized I either peed myself, so glamorous, or my water had broke.  Aaron was in the living room when I said something to the effect of, "Um, Aaron you need to come in here."  In he walks and upon seeing the liquid on the floor looks up to the ceiling, where our plumbing is, thinking our pipes were leaking! (One of my favorite parts of our story)

Once what was happening sank in for us both we called the hospital, grabbed our bags and headed out the door.  Naturally this put us on the road during rush hour so a drive that would have taken forty minutes ended up taking an hour and twenty minutes.  We pulled into the parking garage at 8:19 and as we approached the hospital entrance I remember thinking, wow, this is really it.

We checked in at the front desk and then were immediately sent up to triage and hooked up to monitors.  There was some concern regarding a dip in Evan's heart rate with each contraction and once it was determined that I was in fact in labor, and that Evan was infact still breech, things began to move very quickly. I signed a bunch of waivers for the surgery, met my surgeon, and up another floor we went to pre-op.  In pre-op there were more forms to fill out, most of which Aaron did for me while I worked through contractions and got my IV.  I'm not entirely sure how long we were in the pre-op room, I'd like to say maybe 15 minutes or so, when in barged the anesthesiologist who quickly began shouting about how the surgeons were ready, how they needed me in there now and why were things taking so long.  I had to drink some really nasty liquid, Aaron was given scrubs to put on, and off we went to the OR.  

Once we entered the hall where the operating rooms were it seemed very cold and the reality of what was about to happen, and how our son would be entering the world in a way that seemed somehow less "special" at the time, really hit me.  Aaron and I were separated as I was wheeled into the OR and he was sent to wait in a hall across the way until surgery began.  Upon entering the OR I was greeted by no less than ten faces, all of whom stopped and looked at me as the anesthesiologist announced who I was and why I was there.

"We have Katie Beucus here. 26 year old female with a primary Caesarian as a result of breech presentation, do we agree?" And in unison all faces staring at me said, "Yes, we agree" before returning to their tasks.  

Before I knew it I was up on the table with a needle in my spine.  I was so scared and all I kept thinking about was how I wish Aaron was there to hold my hand.  Once I was numb I was laid down and Aaron was brought in to sit at my head.  With tears building in my eyes I remember asking him to just talk to me about anything because I was scared and needed to be distracted, so talk to me he did, about what I can't remember.

The surgeon announced she was starting, and after a surprising amount of tugging, pushing and grunting, at 11:50 AM, all 6 pounds 4 ounces and 19.5 inches of Evan Ray Beucus was born and welcomed with a chorus of Happy Birthday from the medical staff.

I remember looking over at where Evan was and asking why he wasn't crying but as soon as the words left my mouth a scream left his.  Aaron stepped away from my side for just a moment and retured with our son in arms.  I'll never forget about Aaron telling me how he has hair and it's dark like it was in my dreams or about watching Aaron gaze at our son with such amazement.  I'll never forget about seeing Evan's face for the first time or about Aaron bringing him in close so I could touch his cheeks and kiss his forehead.  The remaining four days in the hospital were a complete blur and if I'm being entirely honest, these first weeks home have been too but in a good way.

Here's where this post gets all sentimental and mushy, something you know I rarely do, but Evan's story wouldn't be complete without it.

They say it takes a village to raise a child, a saying I can now fully appreciate. 

I have been blessed with the most patient, caring and selfless individual for a husband.  Recovering from a c-section with a newborn is not easy.  Add to that an infection that caused me to have a 102* fever, not once but twice in our first four weeks home, and I'd be the first to admit our new life was down right hard.  But Aaron was there, changing every diaper, rocking Evan to sleep in the middle of the night after every feeding, taking me to doctor appointments, cooking us meals, making sure I took my medications and supporting and encouraging me every single day.

Then there's our incredible friends and family.  Those who brought us meals, did our grocery shopping, offered words of encouragement, mowed our lawn, swept our patio, insisted on watching Evan so we could celebrate our wedding anniversary out of the house and simply held Evan so I could do things like laundry.  I am, and will forever be so grateful for our village.

Until next time friends.....

Baby B: The 5 Day Countdown

To say that it has been forever and a day since I last wrote would be quite the understatement!  I think this is the part as a blogger where I'm supposed to apologize for being MIA, provide excuses for my absence and then pinky promise I'll write more often.  So, I'm sorry I fell off the face of cyber space, life has been insanely busy and I'd love to promise to write more often in the near future but who am I kidding, I only have 5 more full days left until Evan rocks our world in the best way possible and 

Evan > writing.  How is that for a run on sentence?!

Yes. Five. More. Days. and I can say this with quite a bit of confidence because we have an "elective" c-section scheduled for next week.  Can we talk about this whole "elective" term for a second though? It's my blog so yes, yes we can and we will.

When I hear of an elective surgery I think of liposuction, tummy tucks, breast augmentations and nose jobs.  On the contrary, I do not think of c-sections required for medical reasons, as is our case, as elective because, really, they aren't.  I'm not having a c-section because I have a traumatic fear of childbirth or am overwhelmingly concerned about peeing myself for weeks after delivery due to the incontinence it can cause.  I'm having a c-section because Evan is breech.  His hard noggin has been the source of the intense upper abdominal pain I've been experiencing since 24 weeks and has been repeatedly confirmed during biweekly and then weekly ultrasounds that started at 29 weeks.

 We've tried various ways to get the little guy to turn (chiropractic, exercises recommended by Spinning Babies, etc.) but opted against trying to have him manually turned.  As a first time mom the odds of an ECV being successful was around 50%.  Pair that with the risks to myself and Evan (placental abruption, fetal distress, cord entanglement) that would result in an emergency c-section anyway and we just weren't sold on the idea.  We did our research, consulted various resources and made a decision we feel confident in.

All that being said, I'm still apprehensive about letting myself get excited about the idea of meeting Evan so soon simply because if he magically turns last minute, the surgery will be canceled and we will  join all of those expecting parents who get to play the waiting game.  A "turn" of events like that could mean we don't meet for a week or two longer.  It's highly unlikely but not impossible :)

Here's the lowdown on baby and I at 39 weeks:

Movement: Quarters are pretty cramped for the little guy these days but I sill feel lots of squirms, wiggles and hiccups.  We play music for Evan every night and he seems to really love it.  It has been fun to watch his head and feet move in response to the noise and is something I think I'll miss once he's born. Aaron missed a lot of the end of this pregnancy because of work so I'm glad this has been something he can experience too.  It's been fun to see his reactions to the movements and the hilarious one liners that tend to accompany them.

Symptoms:  Left hip pain (where his little butt cheeks have settled) and upper abdominal/back pain where his head is resting cozily. Those aside, heartburn has been minimal, I haven't been nauseous and my coffee aversion has only returned on two occasions.

Food Favorites: Watermelon and strawberries I suppose.  As odd as it may sound I haven't had any true, go to the store in the middle of the night because I have to have it, cravings.  Boring I know.  I have tried a few foods I have never had before though that I'd like to blame on being pregnant like a DQ Blizzard and barkTHINS.  The blizzard, meh.  The barkTHINS, now those require some self restraint. I want to eat them all.

Weight: I gained a total of 27lbs and have held at that for the last week or so which my doctor said is pretty common near the end.  25-35lbs was the recommended target set by my doctor so since she's not complaining, neither am I!

Sleep: Sleep comes in 2-3 hour intervals these days.  If anything at least my body will already be somewhat acclimated to that weird schedule once Evan is here :)

And now I'll leave you with a nursery tour.  We need to hang curtains and the growth chart, and are waiting for the mobile arm to arrive for the crib, but since Evan will be in our room at first, I'm not in the least bit stressed about those little details.

The new "old" dresser refurbished by Aaron for Evan

Our cozy corner

And Marley, photobombing Evan's room. Her new favorite room in the house.

-Until next time friends.

Cyber Coffee Date & A Pregnant Lady PSA

If we were to meet up for coffee…………

I would likely be drinking some sort of fluffy decaf latte that tastes nothing like real coffee because well, if I can’t have the benefit of caffeine, I might as well make sure I’m really enjoying my drink.

Then we’d probably catch up on life things and this is what I’d likely share with you:

·         My office is moving next month and I’m hoping my commute will improve as a result.  I anticipate the morning drive to be about the same but the afternoon drive should be almost a half hour shorter and any improvement is a plus in my book!

·         I’ll let you in on a secret; summer is probably my least favorite season.  I’ll give you a moment to gasp in horror……..Ok moment over.  It’s not that I don’t like summer; it’s just my least favorite of the four seasons.  Two things I do love about summer though are the long daylight hours and walking out into our garden to pick fresh vegetables.  This year we planted: zucchini, crook neck squash, corn, cucumber, butternut squash, watermelon, pumpkins, tomatoes, a blueberry bush and a strawberry plant.  We also have an apple tree with fruit on it, but our nectarines and peaches won’t produce until next year.  Naturally the week after we plant the temps have been in the 70’s-80’s during the day and then hitting the mid 30’s at night!  I hope our little crops stay strong because I can’t wait for all of the delicious organic produce we’ll have this year!

·         Our new patio is in and despite not having real patio furniture yet; we’ve managed to enjoy dinner outside 4-5 evenings a week and love it.

·         We’ve moved on to planting our lawn and I had no idea what a process that can be.  This weekend we (and when I say we I mean Aaron) have plans to possibly rototill the space and then the sprinkler system will go in.  We have to water the space for a week to see if any weeds grow and if they do, we have to kill them.  Once the weeding phase is over we can plant the seed (25 pounds worth!) and watch it grow…..for 6-8 weeks.  Apparently we have to start mowing the “lawn” after the first 10 days but it takes almost 2 months to fully mature.  Looks like we’re still on track to have it ready before Evan gets here but like most things this time of year, we’re just taking it a day at a time.

·         Speaking of Evan, he has a crib now and some pretty sweet t-shirts.  Aaron has a small collection of favorite shirts that I would classify as “unique”.  I figured it was only fitting to start a small collection for Evan.  The kid moves all over the place and kicks or hits or knees or elbows hard enough for others to feel now too.  He’s about 13 inches long now (the length of a celery stalk) and weighs over a pound.  According to the baby books Evan knows my voice and the voices of other family members now but I think he prefers Aaron’s voice over mine these days because whenever he’s talking Evan becomes really active. 

·         On the mom front, I’m at 25 weeks and 10 pounds gained.  My hip isn’t bothering me anymore which has made sleeping much easier and aside from feeling hungry ALL the time with occasional bout of heart burn, things are still going pretty great.  

The other night I had a dream I was eating Lucky Charms and woke up starving at 2AM.  Needless to say I bought my first (and probably only) single serve box of Lucky Charms the next day and ate them for dessert that night.  I’m also particularly fond of stuffed green olives these days, so weird, and these mini little ice cream cones have been a go to for my post dinner treat.  

  

·         And now for a miniature pregnant lady rant.  I’d like to preface this with the fact that as a whole, the general population has been incredibly kind and supportive of me as a pregnant lady for which I am incredibly grateful.  Also, if you read this and find you’ve said any of these things to me, I mean no offense to you, I’m very much aware that you were likely coming from a good place.  That being said, this rant is more of a PSA in case you find yourself in the presence of a pregnant woman and would like to spare yourself from the daggers that could potentially pierce you as they shoot out from her eyes while she tries to politely smile after one of the below comments is made.  It seems like people turn their vocabulary and judgment filters off the moment a pregnant lady walks into a room. 

o   The words “big” and “huge” tend to be ill received and shouldn't be used to describe a woman who is currently busy GROWING A HUMAN BEING.  She already knows she’s big; she’s the one who can’t see her feet anymore and has to buy stretchy clothes because going to work or out in public naked is frowned upon.  Something like, “Wow, I can’t believe how much you've grown” is received much differently than, “Oh my gosh!  Look how big you are!” or “Wow, you’re huge.”  Ask Google, they’ll tell you the same thing, you've been warned. 

o   If you are the partner of a pregnant lady (husband, boyfriend, wife, girlfriend, whatever) I would not recommend describing a new beer as, “Smooth and full bodied like my wife.”  Luckily I've maintained most of my sense of humor so far and found this one liner particularly hilarious, but it’s risky to make such comparisons so if your other half has temporarily lost their sense of humor, tread lightly.

o   You ate what? With what?  She’s pregnant, if she wants to dip non-organic potato chips into non-organic ranch dressing one time, just let the woman do it.  She really does not need to hear how many calories that must have been or how those chips were full of hydrogenated oils and the ranch dressing probably had genetically modified ingredients.  It’s not like she’s out doing cocaine or smoking or drinking, you might think it’s all the same but I promise you, it’s on the list of things she doesn't want to be lectured about.  In general we eat as many organic and/or natural things as we can in our house and even I would never have this conversation with a pregnant lady.  I ate Lucky Charms for heaven’s sake. Lucky Charms! No stone throwing from this glass house.

o   And last but not least, you probably shouldn't ask, “Are you exercising? Because you know that’s really important when you’re pregnant.”   What even posed that question in the first place?  Is she SO big that she just looks like she hasn't gotten off her pregnant butt to move around so you felt inclined to subliminally project your thoughts on pregnancy and exercise through a question?  OK this one was said to me, not once but twice. For the record, this pregnant lady ran her first half marathon in under 2.5 hours with a strained IT band and an SI joint injury during this very pregnancy, so yes, she exercises.

On that note, after I talked your ear off and politely listened to you talk mine off we’d part ways until another time.   I hope this finds all who visit my tiny space of the internet doing well!

–Until next time 

Litte B: The Name Game

What’s in a name?  

Nothing and Everything.

Naming our son was more difficult than I anticipated.  Neither of us had boy names in mind that just had to be used when we found out we were expecting our first child.  We knew we wanted our son to have a name that wasn’t overly popular (somewhere outside of the top 25 at least within the last several years) but wasn’t outlandish either and we wanted some part beyond his last name to have some significance.    We tossed names around for weeks, family names, more unique names, names that were popular in the early 1900’s, even before we knew the gender and nothing really stuck for a boy.  We had decided if we had a girl, her middle name would be Aaron’s first name (Erin) and if we had a boy, he would share Aaron’s middle name (Ray).  That was pretty simple.  Once we found out we were having a boy, Aaron found a few names he really liked that I didn’t care for and vice versa. 

When we had a few potentials in mind the nicknames came out.  If we put all of this effort into picking a name we (and when I say we I really mean I here) wanted to make sure we were aware of any name related nicknames we would be subjecting our son too as well. Crazy first time parents, I know.

Then we ran the risk of sharing potential name ideas with others.  No matter how hard sweet people try, I’ve learned it’s really hard to hide when you don’t like a name.  It was kind of funny actually, some people would sound like they liked a name but their face would give them away.  Others would have a look as if they liked it but then their tone was more skeptical.  Others would just flat out say they didn’t care for the name, wanted to know how to spell it, or said that it was an “interesting” choice.  I never really took any of it to heart because I wasn’t particularly attached to any of the potential names we had shared at this point either. 

One day, almost out of nowhere, we started calling him by a name that we had each suggested on separate occasions and it stuck. We shared it cautiously with close family, a few co-workers and close friends and it was warmly received by all.  Even if it hadn’t been warmly received I don’t think that would have made a difference because we like it and he is our son after all.

So,

E is for Evan.

Baby Beucus: 21.5 Weeks and Life Shenanigans

I know, I know, it's been for-EV-er.  I've just been busy living outside of the social media world for a bit, but I'm still here!

First things first: Little B

We are now 21.5 weeks and officially beyond the halfway point!

Sorry this is blurry, but it's late and sleep trumps photo editing tonight.

·       Name: Little B has a name.  It doesn’t start with an “A” or a “K” and is only 4 letters long.  We’ve been calling him by his name for a few weeks now which has helped the reality of things sink in even more.

·       
Movement: In each of our ultrasounds Little B was always all over the place and I’ve been able to notice his turns and rolls since about 17 weeks.  Within the last two weeks the movements have turned into more definitive kicks and punches although I can’t tell feet from hands from elbows and knees yet.  He’s most active in the morning and late afternoon but he really loves when I sing in the car on the way to and from work.  Concern number one: He may be tone deaf.

·       
Symptoms: Aching hips.  My left hip has been loose since I injured my IT band training for last January’s ½ marathon.  That, in combination with the pregnancy hormones loosening up my joints and ligaments even further, has made sleeping pretty tricky because the pain wakes me up.  I’ve tried physical therapy, sleeping with a pillow between my knees and ankles, switching sides and stretching.  I’m headed to a chiropractor on Friday for some additional help.  Wish me luck!


·       Food Favorites: Chocolate almond milk and frozen green grapes, but not together.


·      Weight: As of today I've gained 8 pounds.  Little B measured 7.5 inches and weighed 11 ounces at our     

anatomy ultrasound during week 19, right on target according to our doctor.

·        New Baby Items: My Aunt and Uncle sent us a Sophie the Giraffe!  It was their Grandson's first favorite toy and I'm sure our son will love his too.  She is so cute and soft and squeaky!  We have also received some really cute outfits and his first book from sweet family members and friends!  His room is almost empty and will be ready for his furniture (and all other things baby) soon :)

Sweet Sophie

Other Non-Baby Related Life Updates:

·       We finally have a front patio: We have lived in our house for a little over 2.5 years, with most of our time dedicated to remodeling the inside.  Now that those projects have come to a close we finally have time to dedicate to our front yard, something we’ve been looking forward to since day one.  In the last week we had our stamped and stained patio finished and we’re onto installing the sprinkler system for our lawn.  Maya and Marley love the grass at the park so I’m very excited for them to have their own lawn to run free and play on.

It's littered with leaves, see my thoughts on wind below, and hard to see the detail but it's done and usable and that makes me happy.

·       It’s still windy: I’m not kidding when I say I think San Diego should claim Chicago’s “Windy City” title.  It’s been windy here since last December and I am admittedly over it.  I’m so grateful we aren’t dealing with flooding and tornados but we’ve already had our fair share of fire and that too is scary, especially with wind.

·       Aaron got a detail:  It’s kind of like a mini promotion.  He’ll spend and extended period of time in that position and once that time is over he’ll be officially qualified to apply for any open spots specific to that position.  We don't like to make a big deal out of his work stuff but it's pretty neat and I’m pretty proud of him.  Along with the winds have come off forest assignments and lots of delta (extended overnight) shifts.  It’s safe to say Maya has taken up semi-permanent residence in the dining room waiting for her favorite human to come home. 

·       We spent a weekend with great friends in Idyllwild: I have only been to Idyllwild once when I was really little.  It was so much fun to explore the town, stay in a rustic old cabin with friends and play card games late into the night.

There was a really neat soda shop there with all sorts of old sodas.  We aren't soda drinkers but when an opportunity to try and old school style soda arises, how can you not?

·       My office is moving: There’s been rumor that my newly downsized space may or may not be very similar to Harry Potter’s closet under the stairs but I’d hate to get my hopes up.

We’ve had a lot more going on but this post is already long and my recent pregnancy brain deserves an entire write up of its own.  Until then friends……. 

Baby Beucus is a........

Baby B. 16 Weeks

Symptoms: Fortunately for me, most of the few symptoms I had during the first trimester have subsided completely for now.  I definitely have noticed an increase in energy, especially over the last week which has been really nice.

Aversions: Our current toothpaste, and we buy toothpaste in Costco proportions.  Lucky for me, we're finally down to the last tube so perhaps I'll get to pick a new brand in a month or so.  Have no fear, I'm still brushing my teeth three times a day, religiously.  Toothpaste and whatever it was that the guy behind me in Starbucks smelled like yesterday.  It wasn't an overpowering cologne smell, it was more of a, ate way too much garlic and way too many onions the night before smell.  And then I was the closest I've been over the last 16 weeks to loosing my breakfast.

Food Favorites: Anything peach flavored.  Decaf peach iced tea, peach lemonade, plain old peaches. Peach. Everything.  I blame Sprouts.  When I was there over the weekend the smell of peaches hit me as soon as I walked through the door.  You guys, they were all the way in the back of the store! Since then I've been stuck on them.

Sleep:  Sleep has been about the same, minus my first episode of sleep walking EVER.  Yep, that happened.  The other morning I slept walked into the bathroom, turned the sink on and walked out of the bathroom right back into bed.

New Baby Items: Two bibs, one with an Owl and one with a Raccoon, that I'm currently embroidering.

And now, let the gender predictions begin!  I'll be checking back after this afternoon's appointment with the exciting results, happy Wednesday!

Meal Plan Monday!

Welcome back from the weekend friends!  I am unusually excited for the week ahead. Partially because I'm only working 3 1/2 days and mostly because we anticipate finding out Little B's gender on Wednesday.....presuming the little peanut head cooperates. Last ultrasound he/she was napping with their feet crossed at their ankles, taking after Dad already I suppose! You'll have the opportunity to cast your gender vote on Wednesday's post and we will be sharing if you were correct or not later that evening. 

Since Southern California has been under the impression that summer would start in December of last year, I came to the conclusion that our dinners would give up resistance and follow suit.  Most of what we're eating this week will look summery like this:

Monday: BLTs with fresh Cantaloup 

Tuesday: Roasted Veggie Pesto Pasta

Wednesday: Take out, post ultrasound

Thursday: Spinach and Black Bean Burritos

Friday: Kale salad (mix from Costco) topped with Organic Lemon Pepper Chicken (seen above). 

I hope you have a great week!

High Five for Friday!

High Five for Friday friends!  How has your week been? Fabulous I hope!  Linking up with Lauren for my high five of the week:

1) This face wash has become my new favorite.  My skin has been all over the place while pregnant and I had been search for a new all natural face wash for awhile.  I read about this one in Fit Pregnancy magazine and figured I'd give it a try.  Not only has it cleared my skin up after only a week of use but it leaves my face feeling very clean but not dried out.  If you're looking for something new like this I know they sell it at Whole Foods and Henry's at a decent price.

2) One on my latest food obsessions has been soy sauce (I refuse to use the word craving. I just don't like it. I also don't like the words moist or belly in case you were wondering.)  Anyway, I decided last week that I've only been making veggie rolls at home because they serve as a vehicle for soy sauce to be eaten because that is just much more acceptable than drinking it.  Completely weird I know.  Well I happened to mention this to a work friend and he so kindly brought me all sorts of soy sauce related things from a local asian market! 

3) My sister informed me that Dawson's Creek was on Netflix.  I never watched the series when it was on air but I decided to watch my first episode ever while on the treadmill.  Needless to say I'm hooked and at this rate I might have the whole series watched before the baby gets here.  My only rule, I must be on the treadmill in order to watch.  Hopefully that will keep me motivated on the days I just don't have the energy, or feel like, working out.

4) We had rain this week which was the perfect excuse for hot chocolate in a thermos.  The office I spend Tuesdays and Wednesdays in is freezing all of the time and those happened to be our rainy days so I really enjoyed sipping on something warm.

5) The Molly Murphy Mystery Series.  I'm hooked on this series.  Its a historical series and I always seemed to get sucked into that genre. The books are also pretty easy reads which I like since I tend to read for relaxation and after a long day I don't want to think too hard in order to follow a story line.  I've only been through two of the books in the series and there are currently 14 total.  So if you can't find me, my head is likely buried in one of the 12 remaining that I need to read.

I hope your weekend is great!  I have plans to take some donations to good will in an effort to empty out the baby's room where I've been storing donation bags and I just might do some prep work in the vegetable garden so we can plant soon.  We'll see.  It's supposed to be very warm on Sunday so I may make indoor plans where I can stay cool.  My sincerest applologies to those on the East coast who are still freezing. Honestly. 

Meal Plan Monday!

Howdy there!  Last week I decided to go on an impromptu blogging spring break.  To be honest I was just mentally exhausted.  Between working long days to account for time away from work at doctor’s appointments the last few weeks, and helping make house related decisions, I really enjoyed “unplugging” and just enjoying my evenings at home.  I didn’t even meal plan last week, which resulted in us eating take out twice, something that is practically unheard of in our house!

I did; however, help Aaron with the install of our grey water recycling system, hike to the top of Mt. San Miguel, start the #100HappyDays challenge on Instagram, and made overnight crock pot steel cut oatmeal for the first time!  I also read from a few books on this whole being a parent thing and we briefly looked at furniture for the guest baby’s room(Aaron still has to correct me).

The pipes in these ditches will take the grey water from our washing machine out to our garden so we can use it to water plants in the ground!

This rock was not even close to the top of the hike.  Lies.  All lies.

View from the top of the hike!

Day 9 from #100happydays

I’m excited to have a week of somewhat normalcy where my work hours are the usual and our meals are planned for the week.  As nice as a week of “winging it” can be, I do enjoy the littlest bit of structure even if it is only knowing what I’ll be cooking for dinner each night.

And with that, here’s what is on our menu this week:

Monday: Rotisserie Chicken (I buy these cooked from the store.  I’m still terrified of touching a raw chicken.  I can just smell the germs now) with Baked Potatoes and Green Salad

Tuesday: Organic Artichoke Ravioli (store bought) with Green Salad

Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner.  Some variation of Eggs with Turkey Bacon and Watermelon cubes

Thursday: Chicken Stir Fry from Skinnytaste.com

Friday: Veggie Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries

And if you are having a Monday like mine, because you were wide awake from 2AM-4AM, here is a song that will get stuck in your head and make you forget that you didn’t sleep last night. Happy Monday!